This week honestly seems like a complete blur. Another week of work filled with interesting fires to put out. I did get some really great family time in, which seems to be a rarity. I also got a frightening realization that I have about 3 weeks until I have to turn in my final capstone for my MHA, and I haven’t worked on it since March! I really need to get my act together before our family vacation and then my trip to DC.

I did manage to get a little sewing done before playing my new toy. Hubby completely hit it out of the park and got me a Cricut Maker!! I can’t wait to be able to add even more pizzazz to my projects! I need to clean off a surface in my sewing area to make room for it. I still need to do a little playing with the software, but I have a really great idea of what my first project is going to be next week.

I know I’m a little late for Star Wars Day (both May the 4th and Revenge of the 5th), but better late than never. I had an idea of what I wanted to do with the fun Vader CL I had gotten from Sweet N’ Charmed Fabricmail, but couldn’t quite find the right pattern. That’s when I decided to simply make my own. I had only mashed up two patterns once before, and that was extremely easy, so this was an experience. Honestly, I probably should have done it with two patterns I had made before, but I guess I was feeling extra adventurous. I really like the adorable bow detail of the Aria Bow Back Dress by the Simple Life Pattern Company, but wanted something with a slightly larger bodice to accommodate the panel size. I love the look of a dropped waist (and how fabric friendly it is) and the twirl of a circle skirt, so I decided to mash-up the Aria with the super cute Isla Infinity also by the Simple Life Pattern Company. Both patterns are available in baby and girl sizes and come with a number of length and sleeve options.

I first printed out the entire Isla pattern and the back bodice piece of the Aria pattern, which I used to alter the back panel of the Isla. I followed the instructions for the Aria using my Isla pieces. Because I used the dropped waist option, I had to add a 4th bow to the back to keep the appropriate spacing. The instructions look a little intimidating, but they’re actually really easy to follow and the pictures help a ton! The results are amazing! The red CL from Purpleseamstress Fabric brought out the little details of the panels and gave it just a little extra. A little sweet detail for little princess’s dark side dress!

I paired her dress up with the Tiffany Leggings by Simple Life Pattern Company to mirror the bow detail from the dress. I used my white on black stars from TKBPrints, which was just the right kind of matchy to the dress without doing more of the Vader panels.  Turns out, it was all kinds of wrong, so now she has 2 separate outfits.

For little man, I used Sweet N’ Charmed Fabricmail’s R2D2 CL paired with royal blue CL from Purpleseamstress Fabric to make him a Vanguard top by Love Notions. This fun top offers a number of color block, sleeve, and neckline options. I wanted to show off the R2D2 fabric, so I chose a short-sleeved view A with a v-neckline. I had been wanting to try a v-neck, but I honestly found them intimidating after a gloriously failed attempt last year. I still need practice, but I’d say it was a success!

We may have created a little Star Wars fan!

I had intended to make little man’s Elliedactyl Bodhi Bermuda shorts from the white on blue stars from TKBPrints, but he was very insistent on using the same white/black stars I was using for his sister. These shorts are such an amazing pattern! They are perfect for busy little bodies that need to move.  They offer plain and color blocked options that can be made with and without pockets, though I would never dream of making little man a pair of shorts without pockets now that he has a wallet with a library card (he takes it everywhere!)! He feels so grown up!  I don’t think I’m ready!