Blue Peony: Colette Spring Palette Challenge #2

Pattern Completion #2 for the Spring Challenge!

It has really been a busy few weeks. I had my sister's graduation, Mother's Day, my first paid musical gig, and I started taking an HTML class. In my free time, I've been sewing up a storm. I made two more elephant pin cushions for my grandmothers, worked on a shirt for my older sister, and finally finished my very blue Peony dress from Colette Patterns.

I had a lot of fun with this one, and I love the outcome. The top is an embroidered thin cotton material and as you see, I used denim for the skirt. The dress is embellished with some pretty blue trim that I hand stiched on and sewed into the back zipper-seam.

I really wanted this Peony to be nice, so I made sure to finish all my inside seams. I used french seams and lace bound seams.

Stitchin' the trim!

I really love how the trim looks, but in the future I may need to figure out a different way to set it up. Having it sewn into the seam of the zipper makes it really difficult to close the zipper. I have to tug a lot and it finally zips up, but I'm worried the zipper may eventually break from stress. I'm not sure yet, what I could do differently.

As difficult as it is to zipper up, the trim does look nice sewn into the seam.

Pocket shot! Same fabric I used for my Mom's Peony.

This Spring Palette Challenge has been really great for me so far. It was so fun to make the mood board and plan my colors. It has also been great motivation to keep sewing and sewing. Up next will be the Colette Beignet pattern. It is a beautiful high wasted skirt pattern. I wanted to do the skirt in kind of a goldenrod-yellow corduroy, but I haven't been able to find any. I have some really nice blue woolish sort of fabric in my stash - so I think I will use that. More blue! I'm a bit nervous because the pattern is for intermediate skill leveled sewers, but I'm ready to give it my all. Bring it on Beignet!

Elephant Pincushion Time! Spring Palette Challenge #1

Elli!

I completed the first pattern of my Spring Palette Challenge!

And what a joy this little elephant was to make. I used the Effie & Ollie pattern from Heather Bailey to make this sweet little guy. It was super easy and quick to follow. I am soo used to cutting out clothes - where the pattern pieces are really big. Who knew making a mini-thing would take so much less time? I got the little guy done in one afternoon!

Here are a few pics of the process:

I like to trace my patterns, especially with clothing, then I can go back to the original pattern and make different sizes.

The ear gets sewn in between the head and body pieces.

The trickiest part was sewing the second side of his body together.

My Fiance holding the empty (skinny) elephant!

After choosing the right button-eyes he was done!

This elephant was so fun to make! I was smiling every minute, because it is just so darn cute. The examples on the pattern have felt flowers and stars sewn on - I definitely want to make some like that too!

This first elephant is a Mother's Day gift for my Mom. She is a quilter/ wool mitten-maker and I think she will love it. Eventually I want to make a pincushion for each of my grandmothers - and of course one for me!

And what a cute little tail!

I already started cutting fabric for my second project of the challenge, a very-blue Peony dress from Colette Patterns. I am making the bodice in a light-blue embroidered cotton and the skirt in dark-blue denim. I also bought some pretty blue trim for around the waist and maybe the neckline!