Kids Clothes Week: FIGGY'S BANYAN SHORTS!

I started the week off with lofty ambitions.
"Quickly" made a precious pair of Quick Change Trousers for a friend's son.
Then I started scheming things for my own girls.
Decided to try a little set of shorts for Aelyn and another Geranium dress for Camilla.. I also hoped to make a few tope for them both but they will have to wait...

These shorts have taken up most of the weeks sewing time.
But oh, how I adore them...

and I think she does too!

front

back

lots of pocket space :)

great for jumping

The shorts..
Pattern: Figgy's BANYAN: tapered pants, shorts, tee and tunic
Fabric: Robert Kaufman Brussels Washer Yarn Dye in Grey (a linen/rayon blend)
both from our shoppe, Sew To Speak!

The pattern really gave me a work out! I'd never done a zip fly before. I also got distracted around the waistband area and somehow went astray.. but I was I able to get back on track and finish them up nicely.

I am sooo pleased with they way they came out!!

I was also pleased, when I asked her to try them on, for fitting the elastic in the back waistband, she didn't want to take them back off so that I could finish! She even started putting toys in the pockets! But I explained what needed to be done, and she did, take them off, telling me to "Do it fast, Mom." 

...so that she could wear them to Grammy's house this evening :)

I will definitely be making more. As for the time invested, I know that the next set will go together much more quickly. I have my pattern traced and I know what I am doing ;)

Now.. just that Geranium for Camilla! We'll see if I can whip that up between tonight and tomorrow... It sews up quick so if I cut it out now I think I can. Then I might be able to finish one more little thing before Kids Clothes Week is officially over, on Monday!

I might've accomplished a lot more, had I planned and prepped my projects ahead of time, like many other, smarter, sewers did. 

But I didn't. 

So. 

Awe-well.

so much ♥

I have been seriously blown away by the kindness and encouragement of the blogger/IG world over the last week!

Since releasing my pattern last Wednesday, I have had so many kind comments directed toward me or about my little Staple Dress!

I have seen women start to post photos of their process, making the dress. Some people posting have been personal friends, but most are women I have never met,

some names I  have recognized are those of women I very much admire, ones I "follow" and look to for inspiration... 

To be honest, I cried a little when I first posted the pattern and saw the orders start to come through. I was overwhelmed and humbled. I didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

To hear that other women are excited to make my design, and to see them wear it has been the most INCREDIBLE feeling! 

My favorite place to keep tabs on who's making THE STAPLE DRESS has been on IG. If you're making the dress and you're on Instagram, be sure to use the hashtag, #thestapledress, so that I can see it!! It's such a thrill for me.

I shared in the past about how I feared I just might not have it in me to finish... Creating and designing sewing patterns has been a dream for so long. But I would say things like "I might try that someday" or "when both the girls are in school". I never in my wildest dreams thought it would be HERE and NOW. Like this.

The STAPLE is just the beginning.. I have another dress, a skirt and possibly 2 bags in the works.

I feel very blessed and honored to be a part of this connected network of amazing women and crafters! It fouls me. And I want to do and make even more than before!!!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

To all those friends who talked me up and supported me through this, THANK YOU!! 

Sincerely,
April

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

a little more ♥: my mom has decided to offer 10% off of any staple dress fabric purchase at our shoppe, Sew To Speak!!  Discount good when you buy the pattern... if you're shopping our online store email me and I'll give you your own personal code! ;) aprilarhodes {AT} gmail (DOT) c o m

BRINGING BALLOONS

so i've been trying to take a little break...

a little less work and a little more fun.

at least while the testing is underway.

the problem?

my work is fun.

i get to get giant balloons.

so giant they don't even fit in our GIANT silverado... (the kind with the full cab and double doors...)

3 to start...  photo taken by my lovely and vey giggly assistant, Aelyn. 

our shadow

We took our chances and drove very slow, 

about 3 miles, 

rush hour, 

catching lots of funny looks... 

one of the knots slipped and one escaped without us even getting to see it float off while deflating.. 

we drove past a friend who laughed.

we laughed.

1 less.

then when we arrived we all laughed some more.

Aelyn said this would be a BIG story.. I think she meant "a long story" as in the phrase.. though her miss use was in fact more accurate!

I was big fun too :)

as was the party... you can see my post on that here.

Postponing, just a little..

Things often take longer than I plan.

I sometimes I work better under pressure and sometimes I break down.

While I have not yet broken down I also don't feel I'd be doing my best job by rushing things. So... I am setting a new time frame. This change of date was in fact forced upon me by a conflicting schedule/event but as I tried to juggle event times around and virtually be in two places at once, I found it was a relief to give in. This means the pattern will have to wait a little longer. But really a few weeks is far shorter than the years I once thought I'd have to wait before starting this adventure.

The new release date and PARTY will be April 6th... There is a chance I will announce them for sale before that date, but that is the official, get-it-done-or-else date! And more importantly the PAR-TAY!!!

What are the other upcoming events? Well, I just found out that on Saturday, March 9th my biggest little lady will have her first opertunity to dance on a stage in her bonus ballet/tap class..

Than later that day I'll head to the shoppe to help celebrate our 5th year of business at our White Wedding themed event. We give away a TON of beautiful fabric that day. And I may... just may.. have a limited supply of first print patterns at that time. But we'll have wait and see about that last part..

Until then I'll be working out all the important little details. Crossing my "t"s and dotting my "i"s.

>>-------}> Stay tuned.

KNIT WEAR WORKSHOP

I'm teaching my Knit Wear Workshop again this Sunday from 10-2:30! 

You know YOU really want to come! I'd love to have 2 or 3 more students. For $55 we'll spend 4 1/2hrs working with knits. We all bring a lunch and have a blast sewing the stretchy stuff.... You'll make this awesome scarf and t-shirt patterned off one you already own. Sign up! Call (614) 267-3011