I’ve been sewing and ripping like mad. That’s because after the hot weather we had last week, I was determined to make some clothes for the summer.

So I tried this top again, pattern 18 from ISBN 9784579110438. I was hoping the problems with it would be solved by using a knit. I used the original pattern without altering it. I thought, “oh it’s a knit. It’ll just stretch everywhere.” Well no. It didn’t stretch everywhere as much as needed. It’s a rib knit so it stretched horizontally but not as much vertically. Which meant it wasn’t too tight anymore but the waist still sat too high, all the way in the boob area.

So rip, rip, rip. Cut, cut, cut. Some more sewing and I made it again with the alterations from before. Well then it seemed the waist sat too low. Accck how frustrating! So I cut away some of the top piece to lift the waist area and ended up with this.

Oh my gawd I reworked this a gazillion times and I DON’T love it. I give up!

So, onto the next thing. Pattern 2 from the same book in muslin. Guess how many times I had to make this.

TWO, damn it! I had a total brain fart and didn’t think about the sizing much. I just thought, “it looks gathered. There must be enough room there for the girls.” Ah…NO. It turned out just a bit tight and shorter than I liked. Thank goodness for muslin. And thank goodness this was so easy to make.

So I altered it and also lengthened it by 1.5 inches. The 1.5 inches was an arbitrary amount based on how much paper was left at the bottom of the pattern piece. Because I am a GOOBER.

So opinions on pattern 2? Worth making with real fabric? I think so. But maybe longer…

Oh and don’t you love how Isabelle inserted herself into the picture. I think she was saying “cheese!”

Also the way she says I love you: “wuv wa” is darn tootin’ cute too.

I’d run away too if Isabelle was always grabbing my butt.

Alan’s had a cough and I haven’t been much in the mood to go out. So at the last minute, on Monday, we decided to go to an amusement park. The last time we were there, Isabelle was too young and small to really enjoy it. But now, look, she’s tall enough to ride by herself.

On the carousel Isabelle wasn’t scared anymore. She wasn’t holding on for dear life. She didn’t need to be held. She actually enjoyed it and said, “weeeeeeeee!”

And she absolutely loved this firetruck. It only went back and forth but she thought it was the best thing ever. There were two more rides like this right next to it, a Batman and an ice cream truck that went up and down and back and forth. We gave her tokens to choose the ride and she chose the firetruck every time. I think she enjoyed pushing the button for the siren.

We were right there with her for every ride. Well, except for this one.

We weren’t originally going to let her ride it because we couldn’t sit with her. Then I changed my mind and told Alan to put her in. I snapped a couple of pictures, then started imagining her trying to get out and falling from the plane once it was in the air. You know, basically freaking out. I said to Alan, “I’ve changed my mind. I’ve changed my mind! I’VE CHANGED MY MIND!!” Alan just calmly says, “too late” and off she went.

I didn’t have anything to worry about. She loved it. She loved it so much, she didn’t want to get off.

More pictures here.

Sometimes I get fabric on sale. Actually a lot of times. And I think the fact that it’s on sale makes me a little color blind. That is, of course, how I end up with some of the clothes I’ve made. For example: the bright green ick tank top, this bright green skirt, and that orange smock for Isabelle. They aren’t necessarily colors I would normally pick. But I guess that’s not such a bad thing…sometimes.

And that’s how I come to have this pink candy top in linen. (It’s pattern 2 again from ISBN 9784579110438. I just added a band at the bottom.) Well the color isn’t really called pink candy. That’s what it reminds me of. I think the color is actually coral. I wouldn’t regularly choose this color. But it was on sale…

And it makes me look HOT! And not in the “I’m so fine, I blow your mind” way. More like hot as in hot to the touch. I think the blinding brightness of the top is reflected in my face. Ha ha ha! I’m just joking…a little. I do think it is a tad bright. Just a bit.

And now I leave you with a picture that includes Isabelle.

Doesn’t her pose look familiar?