It’s been so amazing to sit down and feel the motivation to sew something fun. It’s not that I haven’t been sewing, but I haven’t sewn things just because. I had kind of lost that time to other things recently. It was very freeing feeling to take time for the few days to sew some clothes for me and my daughters.

It’s always easier for me to get started on knits when I have a few projects in mind rather than just one. I keep my serger stored in a little cubby and although it’s easier than digging it out of a closet it seems like simple things like that keep me from actually starting. Sad but true. The other big one is having fabric pre-washed. I used to always wash everything. Now, I don’t. But I do keep my pile of garment fabrics at the ready, but have gotten out of the habit of washing those as well. So I pulled out a bunch and got them washed and mostly pressed. If I could have someone press my big pre-washed cuts of fabric I so would. Once I get into it, the process is sort of meditative, but if I’m in a hurry it stresses me out!

So these Morrison Tees, pattern by Hey June, were part of my day of sewing. My girls both need a few things to wear, which is nice, and I’m in the same boat. I really love sewing up something they love wearing. It’s the best reward. These Morrison Tees are so cozy and I love the style! I made Natalie one a few months ago and have been waiting to make more. Plus they’re relatively simple and super fun to make! I’d say that each one (I made three) took maybe a little over an hour to make from cutting to sewing. That right there is why I love to sew. Something super functional in not a lot of time. For me, having short projects to make is the best way to get motivated to sew more things!

A couple takeaways for anyone looking to get more motivation:

• combine efforts by sewing similar projects at the same time
• have your garment fabrics pre-washed and pressed – grab and go!
• start with a simple project, one that doesn’t take long to sew

Pattern: Morrison Tee by Hey June (if you have girls age 6-16 check out all her juniors patterns) both tees are lengthened by about 2″
Fabrics: Wispy Daybreak by Leah Duncan for Art Gallery Fabrics and Dana Cotton/Modal Knit (in Soft Peach) by Robert Kaufman (I bought a few cuts from Hawthorne Threads this spring) I’ll talk more about this fabric in my next post! (pssst! I loooove it)

Oh this shirt makes me so happy! I had stopped by my local quilt shop, Olive Juice Quilts, and spied this lovely floral knit by Bolt (Girl Charlee) sitting all pretty. I knew Natalie would absolutely love it. It’s such a nice shade of purple, plus the coral and other colors just pop. It was one I don’t think would have grabbed my attention while online shopping, so I’m thankful to have the opportunity to touch and feel it in person. I washed it up right away so that I would be one step closer to actually making something.

Normally I lean towards not actually making something for a long time. It’s way too easy to buy and then set aside. But I’m kind of sick of that mentality, so I got to work on making this Morrison Tee (pattern by Hey June) right away. It was so refreshing to feel inspired by the fabric and then be rewarded by actually completing the project within a short time frame! I think I might have to do that more often, especially for garments.

Anyway, the Morrison Tee is so sweet. Adrianna does such a nice job of being thorough and at the same time to-the-point. I also love that she’s designing for the age group that my girls are currently in, how convenient! In the end I feel like I know what my girls will like. It’s so much easier now to communicate about projects together. When they were littler it was hit or miss, plus I was learning just as much as they were about what they liked and what they didn’t. Now we talk fabric and colors and fit and in the end, most of the things I make them get worn quite a bit! I went with the size 10 after taking Natalie’s measurements, it’s great because Adrianna includes the finished garment measurements as well as the body measurements. So she ended up in the size 12, but after comparing the actual garment measurements we agreed that the 10 would be great. I did add two inches to the length because Natalie is at the taller end of the chart and she loves shirts that are a little longer. It ended up being perfect.

I’m off to start making one for Emily, of course once she spied Natalie’s, she asked for one right away. Love it!

Pattern: Morrison Tee by Hey June
Fabric: Modern Reflection by Girl Charlee

I had so much fun making this baby gift set! It had been a long time since I’ve sewn any baby clothes and such. There’s just something about a cute little gift set that I couldn’t resist sewing up as soon as I saw Rae’s Sidewalk knits. I originally thought I would make something for one of my girls, but then Green Bee Patterns put their Modern Layette Set pattern on sale (one that I had been eyeing up no less!) so it just had to be!

My sister-in-law puts together a fundraiser each year for her MOPS group, and I love donating something for the silent auction. It’s always been fun creating something I know will be used and loved, and I was especially excited when I thought of putting together this newborn baby gift set. I had this chunk of Michael Miller’s organic cotton sherpa in my stash for many years and could never cut into because it’s sooo cuddly. It ended up making a perfect cozy blanket when paired with Rae’s Sidewalk Fancy Steps print. I almost want to make a version just like it for myself!

Of course I couldn’t resist making the romper! It’s actually a super fun little pattern, I highly recommend it. I did spend a bit of time on the placket making sure I got it just right. A bit of seam ripping here or there and I’m happy with the results! The knit is a very stable 100% organic cotton so if you’re using your regular sewing machine you should have no troubles sewing with this whatsoever. It doesn’t curl up like some blended knits, so it’s perfect for beginners. Anyway, the romper is just too adorable! My girls and I took turns oooing and ahhing over how tiny and cute it is.

And the hat, don’t get me started! Eeeek! I’ve always intended to make these knotted hats, they’re super quick, use very little fabric, and make such a great gift! I’m sure I’ll be including them in all the baby gifts I give from now on.

Lastly, and because I love a cute gift set, I quickly made a Divided Basket for everything to tuck inside. Of course it makes for a super cute presentation, but then after it’s so useful for diapers and corralling baby things.

Patterns: Modern Layette Set and Divided Basket
Fabric: Fancy Steps (Turquoise) by Rae Hoekstra for Cloud9 Fabrics
from her new Sidewalk Knits collection,
basket exterior is Chambray Cotton Canvas (basket lining is part of the Dapper collection by Luke Haynes)

You can find a list of shops that carry Sidewalk knits here!