We’re on spring break!

Grandpa came to visit.

And the kids used a few tools!

And I got 2 new strawberry planters

and new flower box!

Here’s my facebook status from last night:

at 8:00, as she is getting ready for bed, the Big Girl says: I wish I had a pretty skirt to wear with my new sweater tomorrow for pictures… Yeah. Guess what I’m doing…

Here’s my added comment from about 2 hours later:

It’s done! 12 pleats, invisible zipper and all.

 

Here’s the nitty-gritty for the sewists out there:
I didn’t use a pattern for this skirt.  I just folded and pleated fabric until I got what I wanted.  I knew:

• her waist is 23 inches
• I wanted a front flat piece about 4 inches wide
• I wanted 4 1-inch pleats on either side of the front flat area (check out this skirt on our favorite doll)
• I wanted 2 inches on either side
• I wanted the back like the font
• I had a short invisible zipper in my stash to use
• it needed to have shorts built in because she’d be wearing it to school.

Basically, I cut two rectangles 18 x 30.  Using one rectangle, I marked it in the center.  Then I measured two inches to one side and started making my pleats.  After 4 pleats, I measured out 3 more inches (2 for design, 1 for seam allowance).  I did this same process for the other half of the front, just folding my pleats in the opposite direction.  Then, I made the back piece the same way.  I traced a pair of shorts to make the bloomers inside the skirt.  I put all this together, stitched up one side seam, added the zipper to the other and topped it off with a waist band.  Viola!  Instant skirt.  (Ha!)

She saw it this morning and loved it!  I grabbed these pictures just before the sun came up.