handmade wardrobe // green on green x 2

my top: Simplicity 8839 in a double gauze from Mood Fabrics

my shorts: Peppermint Magazine free Spring Shorts in a tencel twill from Blackbird Fabrics

Penny’s set: Butterick 6342 in an older tencel twill

hair clips: amazon

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Ok, I feel pretty freakin good in this outfit! I just live when an outfit turns out just how I was picturing it. I already knew the Spring Shorts were my dream shorts (this is actually my third pair), but I took a chance on this Simplicity top, and gosh - THOSE SLEEVES! Sooooo much love for those sleeves. I want to make another version in a yellow seersucker before the end of August, I just love it so much. The only mod I made to the pattern is my usually no-boobs adjustment - I removed the darts. Everything else was perfect as-is.

I also wasn’t so sure it would work in the end since I was using two slighlty different shades of green. I worried they would clash. But I love hos they look together, actually! ANd I didn’t have any fabric left for a Penny version, but remembered I made this other green set for her this past spring. So I was still able to live that mommy-and-me dream haha.

Handmade Wardrobe // fruit bowl for two

my dress: McCalls 7946 in ‘fruit bowl’ viscose from D&H Fabrics Co.

Penny’s top: Burda 9437

Penny’s shorts: Hello Dear Kids pants pattern, shortened

Penny’s headband: Nelly Lou

bag: Target

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You guys, how cute is this little ruched sundress?! Honestly, when I first saw this pattern, with the main image being a sleeved version, I didn’t think the pattern was for me. Just not something I gravitate towards. But then I caught a glimpse of this tie strap view, and I surprisingly couldn’t get it out of my head. Then Tammy at D&H Fabrics Co gave me a little peek at a new fruit print viscose fabric before listing it, and it just seemed like the perfect match! And now, well now I want to live in this dress all summer long. I’m glad I took a chance on the pattern! No mods or adjustments were needed, because there is a lot of wiggle room with the elastic and tie straps.

So this viscose fabric is a dream. It’s drapy and soft. A tiny bit translucent in direct light (I’m wearing a slip underneath just in case), but not too sheer. And the abstract ‘fruit bowl’ print is just adorable. I love that it is colorful, but the colors are more subdued and more muted. Just my style. This kind of viscose woven is my dream summer fabric. So light and airy, I could dream up a million things to make with a whole bolt of it, lol.

And of course, I made sure I was able to squeeze out something for P too. I wanted something with a similar style, but not exactly the same, since I didn’t have a lot of extra fabric to work with. I found this little tie strap tank top pattern and it was the perfect compliment to my dress! It’s a little big along the top/under the arm. But I’m ok with that, because that just means it will probably fit her next year, too, lol.

Now enjoy about a million photos, because they turned out so cute, ha.

Handmade Wardrobe // Rosebud Ruffles

Both dresses : mashed up/self drafted

fabric: rosebud cotton poplin from Measure Fabric

Penny’s sunglasses:  Mini Made Co

Penny’s sneakers: June and January

my purse: thrifted Free People

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i am so so so soooo in love with how these dresses turned out! 

I have actually had this idea for this squared neck ruffle dress in my head for YEARS. literally years. I think I saved an inspiration photo in 2016. I don’t know why I waited so long to make it happen, but I’m glad I did wait for this fabric. When I first laid eyes on this little mini rosebud print from Measure Fabric, I immediately started thinking of this dress again. It just couldn’t be more perfect! It’s a cotton poplin, so more of a shirting fabric. It is a little bit translucent in direct light, so I lined the whole thing. 

As far as the pattern, I started with the Tessuti Fabrics Romy top just to get a starting point for the shape of the top (but altered it a bit) and then kind of just self drafted the rest. And then I kind of just eyed/self drafted Penny’s mini version. I was a little worried just winging all of it, but it was actually pretty simple and came out just as I was imagining! 

Penny thinks the little rosebuds are strawberries and keeps calling them our strawberry dresses 😂.  

Penelope Flora is 3 years old!

Penny turned 3 years a couple weeks ago, and I realized I never posted any photos from her party here! She requested a rainbow and kitty cat party. Actually, she’s been telling me that that’s the kind of birthday that she wanted for months. And she never waivered. 

Zach made her pretty rainbow cake, and I made the kitty cookies. I found a contact paper rainbow craft on Pinterest for the girls to do, and for extra decorations, I hung up a bunch of the rainbow paintings and drawings that Penny has done over the past few months. I’ll link as many of the other supplies as I can!

Penny’s rainbow dress: Old Navy

Penny’s cat ears: Target

Penny’s sunglasses: Gymboree

cat plates, rainbow cups, 3 and cat candles: Meri Meri

rainbow napkins, rainbow wrapping paper, pom Pom garland, rainbow balloon, 3 balloon (dollar section) - all from Target  

letterboard: oak & made

cat cookie cut outs: Amazon 

Handmade Wardrobe // flower child

dress: Megan Nielsen Patterns Floreat dress

penny’s cropped tee: self drafted  

fabric: double brushed jersey knit from Girl Charlee

my belt bag: Target

my shoes: sooooo old

penny’s pants: Target

penny’s sunnies: Amazon

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I originally had this post scheduled for later in the week, but I was so excited about this set that I rearranged posts and moved this up to Monday haha.

I’ve been holding onto this fabric for awhile (it’s no longer available, unfortunately), but I honestly knew I wanted to make a knit Floreat dress with it from the second it arrived in the mail. This is the 5th Floreat version I’ve made, and as usual, I’ve had to make zero mods to the pattern. The loose fitting shape is forgiving, and it makes it quite an easy sew. Yes, even with the angled hem! Once you get the hang of it (I mean I have made 5 now haha), it’s a breeze. I did also make the matching tie belt for it, but last minute decided to wear my new belt bag with it instead (which I’m obsessed with!). 

My original vision was to make a cute gathered dress for P, too. Or at least a peplum tee. But I had so little fabric left, the most I could squeeze out was this little cropped tee. That little belly sticking out a bit kiiiiills me. 

Handmade Wardrobe // Snapshots // Ruska dress at Wicked Tulips

dress: Named Clothing Breaking the Pattern Ruska knot dress a rib knit from Harts Fabric

scissors hair clip: Turtle Story

Penny’s dress: Gymboree

both our boots: Hunter boots

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We may be kind of crazy, but the day after returning from vacation, we jumped right back in the car and drove over an hour down to Wicked Tulips farm in Rhode Island. I’ve been wanting to visit the last couple years, but they are only open for a short couple of week period each year, and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity again!

It was the perfect opportunity to wear my new Ruska dress that I finished right before leaving for Florida. It’s my first make form the Breaking The Pattern book, which I’ve been holding onto since November. I knew the Ruska knot dress would be my first make because it is sooooo my style. Probably the main reason I wanted the book, ha. For having such an interesting detail, it was actually a surprisingly quick sew. I was able to finish it ,from start to finish, in one Penny nap time, which doesn’t happen often. And I also didn’t have to make any modifications! Perfect for me, straight form the pattern. My only regret is not having enough fabric left to make a matching outfit for Penny, of course haha.

Now back to Wicked Tulips. For those of you in the New England area that want to visit next year (I don’t think they are open past this weekend), here are my two tips:

  1. Wear rain boots, or hiking boots, or any boots or shoes you don’t mind getting muddy. Definitely don’t wear fancy shoes. The parking lot, the flower fields - its all muddy. Even in rainboots, Penny slipped and fell right on her butt in the mud…in her cream colored dress.

  2. Expect A LOT of people. My photos are deceiving. The crowd is INTENSE. We went right at opening on a Wednesday morning, and it was still insane. I knew this going in, so I fully expected a lot of people, and a lot of people in the background of my photos. So it wasn’t upsetting. The reason you can’t tell in my photos is because I decided, after the fact, to try out some of my photoshop skills and try removing as many background people as I could! They’re not perfect, but I’m pretty proud of what I did. It was good editing practice.