The last few days I have taken a break from creating any new art work. Instead I have been working on skirts. I haven't made any clothes for myself since seventh grade home ec (or "home and family living" as it was properly called in the eighties). I love to wear skirts in warm weather. They are much cooler than pants and since having four kids I'm a little afraid of shorts. Also, after trying to shop for my little girls, I realized that I'm going to have to start making a lot of their clothes. Please excuse me if you like the current fasions for girls, but I prefer my seven year old to look seven, not eighteen. We homeschool, so I can get away with a lot more than if they went to public school. They really don't know any better and would very much prefer a skirt made from fabric they pick out than something store bought.
We took the kids to JoAnn's and let them pick any cotton fabric (I'm not ready for anything slippery!) they wanted along with a trim for the bottom. The little guy also wanted a skirt. Instead he picked out a fat quarter and I made him a cape. They have been dancing around the house ever since. I even tried to pose them for a photo. They are such raggamuffins and never hold still!
I've also made two skirts for myself. The rose pink skirt is a circle skirt. My kids refer to it as the princess skirt. The other is a layered skirt, very country. A girlfriend said she needed one like it for this summer when she is selling at the farmers market. Next I think I need to get some tennis shoes to alter to go with them.
The sun is shining and I'm ready for spring!
9 comments:
My Mum used to make all my clothes and I always enjoyed picking out the fabrics. Perhaps if you ask really nicely, the little guy will let you borrow his boots to go with your new skirts.
Your children are DARLING! I just love when mothers dress their children in their own handmade clothing. My mother made many of my clothes and also for my baby brother, some of which we still have, so my brother and I each use them for our own children now! =)
Your kids are so lucky to have a mom like you who is so talented! They look great!
New to your blog and just saying hi!
I agree with you, all children should look and dress like their age and not something , you know, what the stores offer nowadays. My mother made most of our clothes when we were little, and some of them when we were big, and so did I with my children. Including wedding gowns, mum made 3 and I made one for my only daughter.
What fun to have girls to sew for! I had two boys. Boys' clothes take so much tailoring, and I didn't make many. My mom made most of the clothes for me and my sister until we were out of college. She was a great seamstress. Your kids are a lucky bunch! (I love the pompons your oldest daughter chose!)
Love'em!!! You looked precious in the one you made. I might just have to learn to thread this ole sewing machine of mine after all! Nice work Miss Nikki! ~Cindy
what fun skirts!! what cute kids! Those paper quilts in the earlier posts are fabulous, too. It's good to see someone having so much fun.
Absolutely enchanting!
Hi Nikki - I discovered your blog during the last OWOH event and am made a note to visit you again. Well, I'm JUST getting around to it, life is busy. I was scrolling through admiring all your beautiful mini quilts and then came to this one and thought - AND FOUR KIDS!!! - what an amazing woman. I'm down to one teen (well, and a chihuahua and a big dog and twelve cats and can't seem to get anything done. I keep coming back to the unpleasant realization that I used to get a lot more done when I had all my kids home and homeschooling too. Maybe I was exponentially more organized back then? And younger?
In any event, I think your daughter's twirly skirts are adorable. I'm always a little confused by the "need to look like little girls" statement because, not that I think girls should look sexy when they are little, definitely NOT, but because what people think is appropriate is so different from person to person. Just interesting to see how different we each are in our perspectives and I suspect it has to do with our own childhoods. Regardless, my one daughter always adored the "Holly Hobby" look when she was little. So cute with her wild pigtails and frontier style dresses when she could wear them. Of course she was totally into GOTH as a teen - pulled it off with style, but still, it was... interesting. Now she's grown and a mom (and no longer goth) and dresses her own daughter in sweet little dresses. LOL.
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