SWAP - Sewing With A Purpose

On the wonderful Ottobre English Sewing Group, I learned about making a plan for sewing called SWAP - Sewing With A Purpose. They did it as a formal project last year, with everyone making a specific group of items for themselves. But I am doing it for myself to make a plan for sewing for my children. I have spent the better part of the last month working on this project. So, that is why I have not blogged in a while. I have been busy looking at patterns and ordering material!

I was able to take advantage of two wonderful fabric sales, one

at Chez Ami and the other at Treasure Bay on Etsy. My stash runneth over with lovely fabrics but I still could not look at it and figure out what to make or where to start. I knew I wanted to sew from my Ottobre magazines but I was not sure where to start. And, I want to create a min

i wardrobe for my two girls, ages 2 and 6, so I needed to make a plan to keep myself organized. So, here it is!

First up. my oldest daughter is charmed by this top from the cover of Ottobre Summer 2009 (issue 3). It is called the Rosalind T-shirt. I decided to make it from this lovely Chez Ami turquoise interlock. I have enough material to make a top for each girl and I found lovely turquoise and green buttons to use.

Next up, I am going to make my first grader a pair of pull on stretch denim capris. I found some nice Sew Crazy stretch denim at Joann Fabrics. I am going to take the Ottobre 6/09 Neat Beat pants pattern and shorten it to mid-calf. The denim is a mid-blue color so it will look cute with spring tops. This looks like a nice pattern. These pants are pull on with a nice flat front and an elastic back waist.

To match the pants above, I want to make a pattern from the new Ottobre, spring 2010. It has not arrived at my house yet so I do not know what it is called but here is a picture of the top from the Ottobre website. And here is the Chez Ami fabric I am going to use, the peony multi daisy print jersey.

After than, I want to make some faux Hanna Andersson play dresses for my soon-to-be 3 year old daughter. I have to prints from Chez Ami to use.

And I found a cropped leggings pattern in new, soon-to-arrive Spring Ottobre 2010 that will look adorable under these dresses. Here are the cotton lycra Chez Ami fabrics I plan to use. Aren't they adorable! And the turquoise top from above will go nicely with the red dot leggings, too!

At this point, it will hopefully be close to summer and I plan to make each girl this lovely Ottobre Sleeveless dress with frills from the 3/2006 edition.

I have such lovely fabrics to use, I am beside myself with glee. Treasure Bay fabrics, on Etsy, had a great sale last fall and I was able to snag all these lovely items.

For my oldest daughter, this lovely coral, turquoise and yellow collection with turquoise ribbon. I still need to find one more fabric!

For my youngest, this collection of pink and turquoise and pink ribbon.