The campan knit affectionately known as chartreuse and lime plays nicely with so many of our other fabrics, for example:
Quilting cotton LIME Flora and Fauna (just about everything) we've featured the daisy boarder
Nano Iro Antique Label linen blend
Baby Bouquet, little folks voile
And Welcome Road from Nicey Jane by Heather Bailey
Our playroom is going mod. Thanks to Amy Butler, ikea bookshelves a regular stapler and some spray adhesive. Thing is: I was going to do a little step by step picture taking of this. I mean I bought a walls worth of shelves, surely by the time I was to the last one I'd have it both right and down pat. WRONG During the making process I wasn't overly pleased with any of the methods I used. After the wall was up and the fabric was NOT nice and taught I went back and fixed things up a bit. Here's how I did it.
First, quilting fabric or poplin would probably work out a little better for this project. However, one day when this room is complete I'm going for a map-ish theme and have already recovered the chairs in August Fields (2 chairs each in 3 different fabrics – which I love). So I decided on a mod print from the same collection. I spread the fabric out on the floor and then put the back panel on top, made a little snip in the fabric where I wanted it "cut" and then ripped the fabric. This is a super easy and fast way to get a straight cut.
Spray your spray adhesive along one of the long edges, fold over fabric and hold it a sec so it'll stick. Do the opposite edge, then each of the short ends. Pulling the fabric taught. Flip the backing over and admire your amazing work that isn't so taught, after all!
Take your lovely fabric covered backing to your shelf frame and DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT try to slide it in like the directions tell you too. Okay, in all fairness, sliding it in might work okay with a lighter fabric but if you're using a heavy fabric you're going to get frustrated and if wearing shorts may even scuff up your legs — don't ask. Pop one of the long edges into the groove then pop the other long edge in. The backing comes folded making this feasible. You'll know when it's in the groove all the way because your backing will be flat again.
If you want to you can flip your shelf over and admire your handiwork. In all 5 of my experiences though what I found is fabric that is kinda lumpy and bumpy, so set the shelf back down, face down, so you're looking at the back and un-adhesive ONE long edge, pull it up and undo your work 
. This is a super quick and easy yank motion, taking a total of about 2 seconds. Now that you've unfastened it, pull your fabric taught all the way down the line, making your fabric nice and smooth on the front side. No need to re-spray, it's in there good and tight. Now, flip your shelf over and admire your lovely bookshelf. This additional step adds maybe 5 minutes to your project that only takes about 20 minutes in all and makes a world of difference.
Now for the bad and the ugly. The first shelf I did like mentioned above (without the additional step of pulling taught after I was done) I was sad to see how lumpy and bumpy my fabric was so on the next shelf I sprayed adhesive all over the back of the fabric and then set the backing on top. I used the same spray adhesive technique to secure the fabric on the back side. This also gave me lumpy and bumpy.
Out came the stapler, just your every day stapler. I thought this was going to be "IT". I stapled one edge then pulled taught and stapled the other edge, then the top and bottom. This was better but still not perfect. It looked real good when I flipped it over but something happened between then and getting the backing into the shelf that it still needed some extra finessing. So I popped off the stapes along one long edge and pulled and viola discovery of an additional extra step to make the shelves great!
FYI: I used 2 yards 7" for the tall shelf. I also have a couple of
the narrow billy shelves to fit my wall, having these narrow pieces
made it so 1 length of fabric would cover 1 regular tall unit and one
of the narrower units.
Note: I couldnt' quite get the lighting right on this pictures and took them before the books and toys are added. As the playroom progresses you'll see more.
Those are the sounds I'm sure to hear when I relent and hoist the fern off of it's hook so the girls can see the new baby chicks!
Welcome, Chicks! I am quite enjoying your brief stay on our porch.
Look, bright blues, greens and yellows and the only danger these fish are in is the occasional school lunch spill. I think they've got the better deal. Our poor gulf.
You might remember I stitched the pants last fall. I actually finished it up, the whole outfit, complete with headband, but just never took any pictures. By now it's seen quite a bit of washing and wearing but it's still holding it's own.
The pants are Abacadabra 91, knit pants, not leggings, as you can see. The top is Abacadabra 89, which I find to be a fabulous cross-over bodice top. I'm drawn to cross overs, I like a little twirl, and the zig-zaggy pants are cool. Yup, I like this outfit a lot! Thinking about the pants I think they are loose enough to make out of a woven, read: poplin, quilting cotton. If you're thinking about twill, canvas or another bottom weight keep in mind all that zig and zag it might get bulky.
A little side note: G had other agenda ideas and did not accommodate my desire to give this outfit a once over with the iron. This, coupled with the fact that I don't think I made the hems 'deep' enough, means that the hems kinda flip up and you can see the overlock stitching. Hey this is real life, here! *wink
There was a little ah-ha moment when I saw this circle bubble dress. My thoughts were along the lines of "Man, that is stinking cute" then "hmmm, I'm not going to go all willey-nilley and start drafting dresses but … ding, ding, ding I've got patterns and I think Abacadabra 84 (which I've been wanting to sew anyhow) would be a great jumping off point."
The tunic in this pattern already has the beginnings of what I'm looking for, I like the bodice, its cut for knits so I used a knit fabric for the upper part and then a poplin to make the bottom part. It wasn't a stretch to extend the bottom to a more all out circle. But, first things first; how to you make a bubble hem dress? I settled on this method.
I lengthened the tunic to the desired dress length then added 2 inches. I cut 1 piece at each length, so the lining is 2 inches shorter that the dress piece. After attaching dress front and back you'll have a pretty giant circle. Along what will be the hem line stitch a couple rows of long length straight stitches, this is how you'll gather the hem to fit the shorter (not as large circumference) lining piece. Gather skirt to fit lining. Now right sides togther with a plethora of pins (and you know I"m not a pinner) stitch the lining to the skirt. Flip right sides out and you'll have your bubble skirt to attach to your top bodice.
A note about this tunic pattern: it's meant to wear a shirt under it. I should have added extra fabric around the front scoop neckline because I knew I didn't want an undershirt and I had a feeling it would be too low, but I didn't. This bodice was also really big on M. She's almost 6 and I used the 116 size but the shoulders just fell right off. My solution was to add a strip of narrow elastic along the back neckline. About the scoop I followed a standard "Justice" idea and made a little "fake tank", and used the same narrow elastic, from the back, along the top to keep everything nice and cinched and on and non-gappy (the first 'fake tank" flopped about making my eye twitch). I think all the cinching on the bodice is cute and ties in with the cinchey leggings.
I made a super long 3 inch sash (I cut 6 inch strips and stitched a narrow seam so it's not quite 3 inches) and tacked a couple of "belt loops", made from bias, to each side to keep it in place. We are both in love.
fyi: floral poplin, blumenmeer knit, campan stripes, elastic ruffle trim at the sleeves
Out on the front porch we added a couple of handing fern baskets this spring. Every time I go out the front door a little bird flies quick across the porch to the tree. Now I know why.
This is just the little random piece of beauty I needed to see today!
Now I've got 3 little girls who are excited at the prospect of 5 baby birds.
