May 3

When I started this challenge, I thought dressing the kids in handmade items would only happen every once in while, since I've only made a handful of garments for them.  Now that I've started looking, I've discovered so many little projects I've thrown together over the years.  These little bits and pieces are so integrated into our life that I've nearly forgotten they are handmade.  

Sebastian's bib is a great example.  I've been making a point of putting one on him every day, so I hope you don't get sick of seeing them.

In addition to her worn-to-death hand knit cardigan, Lucy is also wearing a bow I put together out of scraps of wool.  She has dozens of these, which I made when she had very little hair.  We are just now beginning to make use of her collection.

This lavender dress is a modification of the one from Alabama Studio Style--longer, with a higher neckline, and sleeves I borrowed from a store-bought pattern.  In future I can use the variety of sleeves found in the Alabama Studio Sewing + Design book.  I've also loved seeing Anna's solution of making plain sleeveless dresses with heavily embellished matching boleros that elevate them if the need arises.

The slip beneath is the skimpiest version of the tank dress, with a low neck and back and the original length.  This is my solution to the double layer conundrum I mentioned yesterday.  Making separate pieces feels much more economical, for some reason.  I would love to make a few lightweight slips out of her deliciously pale neutrals if I'm feeling practical--or more punchy colors just for fun.

Future versions of this dress are definitely on the horizon for me.  They are my absolute favorite thing to wear--when nursing isn't a frequent occurrence.  They even fit well throughout my pregnancies.  I have a black one in progress that I hope to finish up before beginning anything else.