Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Spreading Sunshine & Curved Hemming Tips

Remember the Sunshine Circle Skirt I made for Firecracker a couple weeks ago from the tutorial on MADE?  Well, I had some fabric left over...so I made a couple more.

A friend of mine from high school who has struggled with infertility even more than we have, just had two new two foster daughters placed with her who they will likely be able to adopt.  We hadn't talked for years and lived several states apart, but have been friends on Facebook for a while.  I was super excited to hear that her family was growing, whether this will become permanent or temporary, and wanted to do something for her.  I was already putting together a box of hand-me-downs from Firecracker, so I decided to make the girls matching skirts too...because it's fun for little girls to get brand-new, matching clothes to wear together.

And honestly...if you know a foster mom...especially one who's getting a new kiddo or two...ask what you can do to help out or if there's anything they need!  Foster mom's don't often get baby showers and like...but they want people to be happy for them just as much and they often need all that kid or baby gear...but without the 9 months advanced notice.

And as long as we're on the subject of sunshine circle skirts...you might like to see Firecracker's in action at a recent baseball game.  (She just wore it once...not to every game.)


There are a lot of skills we need to practice with her.

I almost didn't sign her up for baseball because we were kind of worn out from soccer...

...but I'm glad we did because she likes it better...
...even if she's not super talented at it...yet, anyway.

We are loving how many low-key sports are offered for so cheap in our little town.

And since several people asked about it last time I posted about these skirts, I thought I'd give you a few tips on how I hem them.  I really hate ironing hems...especially really curved ones, and I don't have a serger.

So I start by going around the whole hem with a wide zigzag stitch.  (The zigzag is wide and the stitch length is normal.)
Then I fold that under about 1/4 inch.  You want it folded under about as little as you can and still be able to sew it.  If you make it much wider than 1/4 inch, then the hem kind of rolls on itself funny and won't look as nice.

And this is what it looks like when you're finished.  Front and back...
For some reason, whichever day Firecracker decide to wear this skirt, she gets particularly dirty, so we've had several opportunities to wash it.  Washing something is always the real test for how well a project will work out...and I'm happy to report that the hem has stayed nice without flipping up or anything.

5 comments:

  1. Love the girly touch to the baseball game - what a funny girl she is! That really is a darling skirt, and what a wonderful idea to make two more for your friend with her growing family.

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  2. As the recipient of this kindness, I am very grateful. My little girls were thrilled that someone from so far away, who has never met them would send things JUST FOR THEM. Polly is right about the foster moms. We love the kids unconditionally, and for as long as they are with us, they are home. Unfortunately, most people see the temporary situation as just that and don't see what it means to give the kids, who have lost everything and everyone they have ever known, something tangible that is THEIRS and THEIRS ALONE.

    It means a lot to foster parents, too, since we often have very short notice that the kids are coming. Once, I had less than an hour, and we didn't have anything prepared. We wouldn't ever ask for help, but anything that was offered was a blessing and a relief to us. Even the seemingly small things help.

    Thanks for spreading sunshine our way!

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  3. you've been awarded the versatile blogger award
    http://chestnutgroveacademy.blogspot.com/2011/06/versatile-blogger-award.html

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  4. I love this! How sweet in every kind of way!!!:)

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  5. I love it!!!! She wore a skirt to play. Does she plan on doing it again?

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