So Good to Sew Again

 It's been a while since I've blogged anything. I guess I haven't been in the mood to share.

Another thing I haven't done in a while is do any sewing. In the past, knitting was my preferred hobby because it was more portable. However, the other day I happened to be at Jo-Ann fabrics and the sewing bug hit, haha.

This also coincided with a recently canceled order from Zulily. (As in, I put lots of adorable outfits in my shopping cart, and then Reason/Economy stepped in and made me dump them all back out again.) So, in that dangerous state of mind hovering between self-satisfaction from having saved myself about $100 and a tinge of sadness that I hadn't splurged $100, I stepped into JoAnn's.

Isn't this fabric pretty? 

I was talking to a friend recently, and she reminded me of when we were kids and her Home Ec Guru mother was horrified that I preferred to sew without patterns. (I can sew with a pattern, but I usually can't be bothered. Too time-consuming). 

Anyway, I guess-timated, and purchased 2 yards of fabric, which was just about the right amount for a cute skirt for my youngest. 

She's nine, now, can you believe it!?

I love that my Viking sewing machine has a variable speed setting. It made me a little less anxious about letting Ella have the controls. She likes to sew like she does everything else . . . fast, fast, and faster. Still, she did a pretty good job.

To finish the ensemble, I took one of her solid-colored, long-sleeved tees and appliqued a heart onto the front with some leftover scrap fabric.

She likes it, I like it, and best yet, I got three outfits for under $20, and we got to spend time together making something even more special than clothes - memories.

Ella's Cardigan

I was at Knit Night at my local yarn store when I fell to temptation (yet again) and purchased several skeins of some lovely pink/white bulky merino yarn.  In my opinion, pink is such a difficult shade to get correct - to much red and it's harsh, too much white and it's insipid. 

This shade is the perfect romantic shade for a little lady.

The pattern is called Baby Sophisticate and is a top-down raglan design.  I decided not to do the curled collar, as I wanted to keep the cardigan simple (and I was too lazy to pick up the stitches along the neck edge.)

This is absolutely one of my most favorite things I've ever knit.  It's practical, warm, and goes with nearly everything Ella has.  She wears it almost every day.

Despite all the washing it's gotten, the finished fabric has only ever had minor pilling, which I was easily able to remove with a sweater stone.

I made it a bit big and long on purpose so that it would (hopefully) last through the winter.  The nice thing about the top-down construction design is that I could measure it on Ella as I went.

 The yarn is wonderfully soft; a lovely blend of acrylic and merino wool.  The 30% wool allowed for blocking, so the cardigan's bottom ribbed edging lays nice and flat and doesn't flip up (I hate that).

All around, it's just the perfect accessory for little ladies -

And for those who aren't ladies but rather little stinkers trying to climb onto the laundry room shelf.

 (Ravelry specs here).