Happy Halloween :)

I thought I might as well snap a few photos of that Halloween bunting I told you I made for our front door. I picked up the cutest Halloween fabrics at my little quilting store (I should really snap a pic for you when I go there tomorrow, it's the size of a postage stamp, but you wouldn't believe how much awesome fabrics she crams in there! And she always knows just where everything is too, haha.)

By the way, all my kids carved their own pumpkins this year, they are so proud of them :)

 Aren't these fabrics just the best??

 I found myself with some free time yesterday after lunch (we've been schooling year-round since we got here, in a three weeks on/one week off schedule and it's been one of the best homeschooling decisions I've ever made. It is SO nice to have every fourth week to regroup and rest from schooling). I took my doggie buddy upstairs to the sewing room and made this top with my leftover deer knit from GirlCharlee. This is yet another version of Simplicity 1377. Casey had put some soft tanks in the giveaway pile, so I rescued a few to use bits of them for tops like this. That's where the gray knit came from. I really like it! I added my fave shirttail hem and I think next time I make this is a knit, I'll lower the neckline an inch or two and I may lengthen it a bit, which I think I did on my first version and forgot this time.

Hope you all have a good night, whatever your plans!!

back to sewing!

Second post in two days, whaaaat? Hehe

I got right back to my sewing machine after a stream of company last week. It's nice to have a break sometimes, though, because I always feel more inspired if I haven't sewn for a week or two! I wanted to whip up these two basics right away.

I had made New Look 6285 in a knit (which is what it's meant for), but since it seems drapey enough to me, I wanted to see how it worked out in a woven. I had enough green cherry fabric left to give it a try and really like how it turned out. I did add darts from the arm sync to the bust point, which is something I do often with sleeveless patterns of any kind. And I created a curved shirttail hem too.

 I sincerely apologize to any of you who are already missing your Summer weather ;)

Next up, my mom hit the pattern sales on the mainland for me and brought me my list when she visited, hooray! Simplicity 1377 was one of them. I liked the shorts and tunic view D. I made the shorts and they fit great! I like the waistband with a few rows of elastic. They stay put better than similar shorts I've made with one fat piece of elastic. These are out of some navy linen my friend Jenn sent me. I trimmed the pockets with some vintage yellow cotton eyelet. Maybe if you click on the pic, it will enlarge so you can see it. Linen is such a nice shorts fabric when it gets really hot out.

 We've had a buddy staying with us this week. She follows me around everywhere and whines when I go to the bathroom and don't let her come, haha! I knew that dog-sitting would make us really want a dog of our own OR make us more content to wait. Kameha has been sooooo much fun!! It's definitely made us eager to get our own doggie, but since we have no yard and it's so expensive to fly dogs to the mainland when we move back, we're kinda torn :-/  Casey wants to wait, but I'm secretly super bummed.

The kids are putting their costumes on tonight for a shindig here on Fort Shafter! I can't wait to get some good pictures!!!

Catching up.

I have made a decision! And it's to keep blogging ;) I have been busy lately and I was seriously considering letting the blog go. But, I'm not ready for that. I've been keeping this blog for 8 years!! Sheesh. Blogging has become quite a business, but I decided it's ok to not be in it for that and just keep up with it as I have always done. Even though I'm busy, this is something that brings me job, same as sewing does, which I think is even more reason to keep doing it through busy seasons.

I am excited to finally share this skirt with you! I had pinned a couple ideas for scalloped hems on Pinterest and pulled out some black twill and my go-to skirt pattern and gave it a try.

 I was also asked by a friend to make an Elsa dress for her baby. She couldn't seem to find one that tiny so I said I'd give it a shot. I used this pattern on Etsy and had so much fun adding trims and configuring the cape. She sent me pictures of the baby in the dress and it looks sooooo cute.

 I also made a cute Halloween bunting for our front door. I'm classic for buying great holiday prints and then not doing anything with them, so I'm proud that I actually used them right away this time! The kids wanted some decoration out there because their neighbor friends all have things out.

 My mom visited us last week while Casey was on the mainland and we went to a pumpkin patch. Quite a different view from the pumpkin farms we are used to, ha!

 This place was absolutely gorgeous. They were out of pumpkins, though, huge bummer! But it was still fun.

 That little island is called Rabbit Island.

It is really hard to get into the Fall/Winter holiday spirit when the weather is still saying Summer! It's hard to mark time when the seasons don't change. I have all the kids' Halloween costumes finished, but will have to go the cowgirl route myself, since I ran out of time to make the costume I was planning. Oh, well! I did start on some cute linen shorts yesterday so hopefully I'll be able to share those here soon :)

buzzzzzzzz

I know, I have been more absent from the blog lately than ever! My excuse is that I have been BUSY! Sheesh. It's a good busy, I don't feel stressed or frantic, thankfully. I tried to choose our activities very carefully this year, for that very reason. Things needed to fit into our life in a way that wasn't going to make Mommy crazy, haha. But, homeschooling now three school-aged children is making homeschooling more of a full-time job than it's been before, albeit a very fun one! I'm enjoying homeschooling more the older they get, for sure.


If ever I get too busy to sew, I'm too busy. Sewing is my brain break. I need it to stay sane! Last week I made up this top. I was unsure about it (it has a lower hem in the back), til I tried it on with this skirt. I won't be wearing this polka dot skirt with it! but I'm going to use the same pattern to make a black twill skirt with a scalloped hem. I think it will be fabulous. I'll post the outfit when it's done, of course.

 The girls want to be these monster girls for Halloween! So cute, I'm thrilled. We will not be wearing long sleeves and tights, however, that would just be too hot, haha. Never have I had to worry about being too warm on Halloween night, usually it's the opposite problem! Kelby wants to be the Flash. Today. That could change tomorrow. Because it did change yesterday ;)

 There was an air show over the AF Base last weekend, so we watched the Blue Angels do tricks over there and then circle around right over our house for four nights in a row. Two for practice and two for the event. Those four tiny specks in the sky are them. I couldn't manage to get a better picture! Kelby loved it.

 There was a homeschool field trip to an historic church and cemetery on Wednesday! It was too cool. We learned about the earliest Christians here on Oahu. What a legacy!

After that, we got caught walking in a CRAZY rainstorm. We had one umbrella and were huddled under it just trying to get to the car. It did not work, we go totally drenched. Layla was crying because she was afraid of the rushing water flooding the parking lot and I couldn't stop laughing. A memory was made!

We have hit a nice balance here! We are starting American Heritage Girls, Natalie is in a musical theater class, Layla's taking piano lessons and Kelby is being kept on his toes by the plethora of little girls in our neighborhood. There are a LOT of girls. The other day, I had a house full of them and they found me in my sewing room and oohed and aahed over the baby Elsa dress (almost done, I'll share soon!) and then they started making requests. Hahaha!

I'm teaching classes about using essential oils and it is so *my thing*, it's not even funny. I love it. I'm actually teaching a Facebook class starting next week! If you've been curious about essential oils and what they can do, find me here on Facebook, add me as a friend and I'll invite you to the class! It's a no-pressure, post-as-we-go, week-long fun class, where I'll share my oil stories and you can get your questions answered! :)

Cheers!