Loulouthi Geranium

After making my first geranium I knew another would be in the works soon. Rae's pattern is just so thorough and versatile, with many options for variation. And, importantly for nap time sewists who don't have much time to waste, it produces a well made garment in a very reasonable amount of time.

Ava accompanied me on my trip to Crafty Planet for this fabric, so she had a hand in the choice - and I think she did quite well, naturally gravitating towards butterflies and a bit of purple. The main fabric is Anna Maria Horner's Loulouthi (Clippings in passion) and the lining is  Anna Maria Horner's Innocent Crush (Woodcut in passion). 

I opted for the flutter sleeve this time and though I was nervous about trying it (I had never done a flutter sleeve before), I am so happy I went for it. I think the sleeves turned out beautifully and really complement the print, echoing the flutter of a butterfly's wings or of flower petals in the breeze. Too literal? Perhaps, but I couldn't resist. I chose to do a gathered skirt again for this version. The 3T size fits Ava well with some room to wear the dress for a couple seasons. (Now if we could just transition into something that looks and feels more like spring - with 6 fresh inches of snow on the ground this week I am beginning to doubt that we will ever be able to wear short sleeves again.)

We found the buttons at a cool, new (to us) store in the Kingfield neighborhood called Digs Studio. They have a small but thoughtfully chosen selection of fabrics and buttons - both new and vintage, as well as handmade jewelry and gifts. I'm not sure the owner was thrilled about my children running around her store as I compared button after button to the small fabric swatch I'd brought with me, but such is crafting with little ones. Fabric, or in this case button, shopping with young children is not for the faint of heart. Bring lots of snacks and pray they don't break anything. The buttons I chose were naturally dyed and thus no two were exactly the same color. I like how they pick up on the pinks, reds and oranges in the print.

I have found that my home sewn clothes are always more loved when the wearer chooses her own fabric for the garment. This does not always result in fabric combinations I would have chosen myself, but I revel in Ava's excitement to wear what I've made regardless of whether it is my favorite. In this case, I can say we are both happy with the results.

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By the way, I wanted to note that Kid's Clothes Week is fast approaching. And while I would love to participate this spring, it happens to coincide with the week we are moving to our new house. (Yes, that means we are moving in less than two weeks. Eek!) I can't in my right mind commit to sewing for an hour every day during the actual challenge. In fact, I imagine my sewing machine will be packed up in a box somewhere while it is going on. So consider this my early contribution to the event. I'll be watching to see what everyone cooks up, and look forward to KCW summer 2013!