Kaleidoscopes & Clovers

“Someday we’ll find it.

The rainbow connection.

The lovers, the dreamers,

& me.”

— Kermit the Frog

Rain.  Since we moved to Portland, I've had to learn to embrace it.  It makes the tree trunks that perfect jet brown color which, in turn, makes that leaves and flowers seem mega vibrant; not bright, but just plain lo' awe inspiring stuff.  And the rain usually makes the sky a constant newspaper-like gray.  It always feels like it's raining here in some sense or fashion.  It sprinkles mostly and on and off all day.  It's like a rain warehouse where any type of rain you can imagine you can find here!  There are often times these amazing, vivid rainbows magically appear.  Rainbows- I defy anyone to just be ho-hum about spotting a rainbow!

So in the midst of Easter, I started my plan to make my circle skirt outfit from the tutorial that Dana with Made made for the first challenge of the fourth season of Project Run & Play's as I participate in the Sew Along on Flickr.

So with the Portland weather as an inspiration, I decided to make something springy that would reflect how it seems to me:  cool and breezy with occasional kaleidoscope-like rainbows.

I found these incredible Kaffe Fassett fabrics called Woven Haze on a trip to Fabric Depot which is way too conveniently located near my house.  The fabrics are incredible to look at:  from a far, they look like a solid color.  But these fabrics play tricks!  They almost seem to "glow" with matte-like iridescence.  And upon inspection you find out that the thread colors that make you think the skirt is that singular color is not that color at all!  The "dark teal" I used is comprised of a periwinkle-ly royal blue color and kelly green threads, and the "sky blue" fabric is made of aquamarine and cotton candy pink thread.  It's truly mesmerizing!  The stripe-y material of his that I used is just as beautiful as well because each of the thread colors play the same tricks!

I always feel like I'm making dresses.  So I thought, for a change of pace, I'd do a blouse and skirt combo.  So I went for modifying  a typical peasant dress bodice into a little bohemian keyhole top. I really wanted to branch out from my go to sewing accents so I dabbled with some embroidery (with lots of help form my mother-in-law who's visiting), applique, slightly open side seams, variations on a typical keyhole neckline... I even left the a small channel on the hem for adding some long ties so I can gather the bottom.  But- I really liked the finished look of it so I decided I'll do that when the weather deems it necessary.  I wanted to make a simple rainbow with rainbowed thread and little clouds to reflect our little corner of the world and it's moist atmosphere, lol.  Add a couple of little buttons for accent up by the keyhole and some contrast fabric casing for the sleeves and the top was complete!

The skirt is comprised of a gathered elastic waistband, with alternating widths of "dark teal" and "rainbow" fabrics that are stitched together to make a light weight single layer skirt, with a big blue sash and a sweet little pleated rainbow hem.  The sash has embroidered raindrops with thread that matches the actual threads in the fabric (pink and aquamarine).  The whole time I was making the skirt I refrained from adding layers or much of anything for that matter because it was important to me to remember what the skirt in Dana's tutorial is all about: spending long hot days in a light, summery skirt that was literally made for twirling!  I wanted to make something that was interesting but not to fussy because I wanted the skirt to fall properly- not in starchy misshapen panels.  I think I succeeded.

I wanted a few accessories (the monkey baby socks I made were not a part of the original plan but I had a shivering 4 year old and they seemed to do the trick):  A lovely little heirloom stitched bracelet, a side bow for her neck, and a darling little headband all topped with a bow!  What a perfect way to top of an outfit!?!  The headband couldn't have been simpler to make:

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How to make a simple adjustable headband:

• Measure you little one's head (the circumference a headband would go around). Az's was 20".

• Add about 7" (more or less depending on your taste) to each end making a long strip about 2" long by 34" wide.

• Turn long edges over 1/4" and press. Do the same for the short ends.

• Stitch all around pressed edges.

• Find an awl & an eyelet puncher/setter.

• Get one little eyelet and set that bugger in on one side 6 and a half inches from one end.

• Pull other end through the eyelet.

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That's it!  A secure, non-pinching, adjustable headband for your little chibi princess!  I was pretty smug about that one!

Perhaps you want to make a wider headband.  Just make a tiny buttonhole instead of an eyelet!

Well that's about it!  I hope you enjoyed my little outfit for the Project Run & Play's sew along for the "Circle Skirt!"  It was a lot of fun to make and I can't wait to get started on the next challenge!  See you then!!!!!!

here's a little bit of a blooper reel: