Channeling Spring

The other night I came across a blog I hadn't seen before and was instantly inspired.  Elle Apparel has some nice tutorials for clothing and though I didn't follow any one in particular, her ideas definitely got me thinking about making more clothes for myself.  
I'm not nearly as cute as Leanne and I really hate having my picture taken, so you'll have to bear with me.

First I made this cute shirt dress.  The shirt was $10 at Target and the skirt is fabric I'd had in my stash for a long time.  It's not perfect, but good enough for a first try.  I plan on making more, once it's actually warm out.  Despite it being about 34 degrees, my husband convinced me to go outside for these photos.  True blog dedication. 

Next, I made myself a skirt. I just bought this skirt from Old Navy.  I love the fit and style, so I just traced it and made another.

Once it gets warm here, this skirt will get a lot of mileage.  I made the shirt for our trip to Florida last month. 

 

 What have you added to your wardrobe lately?  Any great tutorials out there I should know about?  I'd love to hear from you!

Spring Top Sewalong 2011

It's that time of year again when Rae hosts her Spring Top contest. Last year, for whatever reason, I felt compelled to sew 5 tops! I don't know what came over me, but I was determined and did end up making the top 60.

This year, it's almost the deadline, and I decided I need to throw my hat in the ring again and make at least one top. So here it is.
I really love the way this top came out. I didn't use a pattern, but gathered up a few tops I own for inspiration. Originally I was going to put some ties on the side...but as it usually goes with me, this kind of evolved as it went along.

I love the rolled flowers, which I've seen a lot of, but never actually tried. Super easy, and no sewing involved! I sat and rolled them while I was watching TV and glued them together this morning. I added a little bead to the middle for some contrast. I decided to put the flowers on a pin, so I could take them off. They get in the way if you want to throw a sweater on...

My favorite part of this top is the back. I shirred it across the back so it would be relatively fitted, but still have a little flare. This style of top works great for me and my little post-children belly that won't seem to go away. I don't do a lot of sewing for myself, but this is one I'll definitely make again. If the stars align, maybe I'll even take some pictures as I put it together next time.

Here's one of the 5 five tops I sewed last year. This one made the top 60, and it was quite an honor to be among such beautiful tops and such talented people! Can't wait to see the finalists this year!