Hooray for sewing buddies! My sewing buddy, Johanna, and I had a little sewing party over the weekend where she helped me make this fabby Amy Butler top.

The Cabo Halter is such a cool design with a sexy little cross-over bodice and a tummy-hiding lower skirt, perfect for this wishing-I-was-hot-after-three-kids mama. Having had three kids, I also wanted to stitch the halter ties down so they would cover the nowadays much-needed bra. And having a sewing buddy meant no hassle try-ons and fittings! (Try pinning straps in the right place on your back alone!)

The back has an especially neat look as it is closed with an invisible zipper. The pattern goes on and on about how you gotta get a special foot for your sewing machine to put the zipper in. Naturally, I didn't have one, but my sewing buddy Johanna did!

With help from Johanna, who'd made one of these for herself, I finished up the top in one night and it came out fitting great.

The best thing about sewing buddies? Sewing buddies don't let sewing buddies have flower boob! Just before I sewed on the bottom section, Johanna spotted the unfortunately placed flower on one of the top triangle sections. Way too suggestive. So I flipped everything around and used it as the lining. Thanks for saving me, sewing buddy!

I've spent the last few nights washing and ironing fabric and cutting out pattern pieces for some sewing projects I just can't get out of my head. I have tried to think about a new project to knit, I swear, but it seems that my hands are only itching to sew right now.

They are itching to start piecing B's yellow quilt (I've just finished cutting the first sets of strips for the blocks). They are itching to sew up three spring/summer tops for me (yes, for ME!). They are itching to make yet another dress for wee one. And they are itching to whip up a gaggle of little bloomers for wee to wear under her dresses. They are itching to sew another Oliver & S pattern. They are itching to finally make an Amy Butler pattern. And they are itching to try a couple of patterns from Heather Ross's new book, Weekend Sewing, (which is totally fab, by the way!).

I can't help it - I've got to scratch!

After a week of entertaining the in-laws and very little crafting time, I'm back with a finished butterfly dress for wee one.

This was another great pattern by Liesel from Oliver & S.. (It's available in Issue 6 of Sew Hip magazine.) It's a simple design with clear instructions and helpful diagrams and it sewed up beautifully. Liesel has a clever way of attaching the narrow yoke panel and bias straps that gives the dress a nice finished look without putting you through too much fiddly sewing. That meant I got to spend my fiddly sewing energy on making the butterflies match up perfectly on the sides.

I got wee one to try it on last night before bed. She happily modeled for pictures, then put it to the ultimate dress test: spinning. I guess it passed the test, because she refused to take it off after that.

She loves it.

While searching for fat quarters for my two new quilt projects, I spotted some fabulous fabric that insisted that it come home with me and be turned into a dress for wee one.

I cut out the large dress pieces last night and this morning, wee one played hopscotch in the holes!

The fabric is from Tina Givens' Treetop Fancy line. Tina Givens makes lovely, feminine larger-scale prints, often with only a few colors but including a big pop of color like the huge pink flowers here. (Her patterns, like the zig zag girl dress I made for wee one, are great for showing off those large prints). The pattern I'll be making this time, however, is another Oliver & S pattern (loooove her stuff!): the Popover Sundress.

This pattern was published in Issue 6 of Sew Hip. When I read about the pattern on Liesel's blog, I immediately ordered the magazine. It's a very cute mag, with several free projects, full size pattern pieces on good quality pattern paper in the center, and a fun, modern sense of style. And with a free Oliver & S pattern to boot.... me likey!

Frankly, the serger frightens me a little. Look at that giant presser foot contraption! And the knife blade next to it! Then there's the complicated threading system. But, man, once you get everything all set up, it is sweeeeeet.

Earlier this week, I shortened and hemmed some new curtains for the living room in no time. Blind stitching and finishing edges in one pass, baby! And all that at a speed my regular sewing machine could never manage. Sergers rock!

I've had these Ikea curtains for months and had been meaning to quickly hem them forever. With the in-laws arriving for a visit today, I decided I finally had to get them up on the windows. Enter scary serger, saving the day!

And what buttons, too! When it came time to finish wee one's Sunday Brunch Jacket, I couldn't resist the bright orange buttons and the cheery color they bring to the jacket.

I can't say enough good things about this Sunday Brunch Jacket pattern from Oliver & S. It is such a classy, finished looking garment, but was really very straight-forward to put together. I spent a mere three nights actually sewing it up, all without a single hitch (until I discovered that the sleeves were too narrow for me to hem them on the machine, but they were easily blindstitched by hand). In fact, I found this pattern easier to make than the much simpler looking swingset tunic that I made last year.

I honestly cannot believe that I made this thing! Either one of these things, for that matter. (I apologize for the excess number of pictures, but I simply can't get enough of the jacket or the model.)

what's next, mommy?

I can't wait until May to see the flowers. I must have them now! So I've started a flowery Sunday Brunch Jacket (pattern from Oliver & S) for wee one. I first saw this adorable little jacket last year on the purl bee blog and immediately bought the pattern. I chose this lovely Joel Dewberry Ginseng print and cut everything out months ago. I put it aside when Winter hit hard, but now, with the slow onset of Spring and ever so slight increase in temperatures, I've decided it's time for flowers. And if I can't grow 'em, at least I can sew 'em!

I'm loving this pattern so far. Just like the Swingset Tunic I made last year, this Oliver & S pattern is excellently constructed with high quality pattern pieces and clear instructions. I was worried that after a several month break from sewing, I'd have some problems getting back into it, but this has come together easily thus far. I still have the sleeves, the hems, and the buttons to do, but I'm excited by the results so far. Perhaps wee one can have her Sunday Brunch jacket done by Easter Sunday. Maybe it'll even stop raining by then!