Baby Romper Doo doo do

What do you do when the one who taught your son "Baby Shark" announces she's pregnant? Make her a Baby Shark Romper, of course! My son's Preschool teacher recently let us know that she was expecting, and she was also his teacher in the 2-year-old room where he learned that little ditty, so... turnabout is fair play, says I. 

I'd been sitting on this main fabric for a while (as in, since my kids got into the song), and it paired nicely with several PurpleSeamstress solids I had on hand. Ultimately I chose lime green on either a hunch or a whim. 

For the pattern I re-used the Brindille & Twig Polo Romper. Its methods for creating the placket are starting to grow on me, and for a yet-unborn child, its unhelpful RTW size chart isn't so critical. I made this in the 3 month size, and figured the baby will just wear it when he gets to wear it. 

And I hope he will wear it! I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out, with Daddy Shark swimming across the placket and the lime green collar popping against the turquoise/bright blue ocean. Now when the song comes up, this "baby shark" will have an outfit for the occasion!

Bayou Cardi

I'm always hung up when it comes to doing my own selfish sews - I don't think I ever figured out how to dress my "mom bod" post kids, and so investing time and beautiful fabric in a wardrobe item that might not be flattering (or comfortable!) is a genuine concern. I should probably get in the habit of making muslins, but my sewing time is already so precious that I hate to spend time dithering on something I'm not excited to wear.

That said, earlier this year I did talk myself into taking the plunge on a pattern I'd been eyeballing for a long while - the Halla Essie. I'm very pear-shaped - so the circle skirt appealed, and a cardigan doesn't *have* to be flattering if it is comfortable.

I'd been hoarding 2 yards of this lovely "Bayou Flowers" print from Firefliez Fabrics for over a year, and it was time to start enjoying it on my person rather than on my shelf!

I'll admit I underestimated how labor-intensive the Essie would be, with the cuffs and the circle skirt. I always forget how long it takes just to cut out the individual parts of adult patterns. But, once I figured out the options, the Cardigan came together pretty nicely. Halla patterns have so many options, so well defined, and I adore that their patterns come with pre-printed rulers that help with grading. Here was the final result:

I do like the silhouette on me, but I sized down rather than up in the bust area, and I wish I'd gone up instead. Plus, my loving husband - who, make no mistake is 100% supportive of me and my sewing - took one look at my Essie hanging up and said in confusion, "...you made a Hugh Hefner Robe?"

So of course, now I can't un-see it. Styling it has been a bit of a challenge as a result - especially since I made it right as weather started warming up for us - but hopefully I will figure something out. At the very least, it was a good stash buster, and a chance to work with a really lovely print!