Living in Texas: Happy Fall Ya'll

As much as I love Summer (and seriously, I love it A LOT)....there's really nothing as refreshing as that first, cool Fall morning when you realize shorts are no longer an option.
And you run to the store and buy 5 pairs of jeggings as if the apocalypse is coming.
Dude.  I do that every. year.
Planning ahead is not often my strong suit.

But after a hot Texas summer I'm definitely ready to thrown on a pair of jeans, and start dreaming in Pumpkin again.
I love to pull out the corn bread recipe.  And I scheme over Fall crafts and sewing projects (hey, maybe I'm kind of a planner after all.)

Fall is definitely a welcome friend.
Maybe it's that whole ying-yang of seasons that makes me a little less sad that Summer is coming to a close. 

Of course those cooler temps mean Halloween costumes are right around the corner. 

Along with raking up leaves.
And pretty Harvest Sunsets.
And tangerines.
Oh I love Fall +  Winter citrus.

 

But what we love best about Fall in Texas, is that the temperature is just perfect.
Going to the park with friends is suddenly pleasant again!

And it's fantastic weather for some Friday Night Lights.  

Or any kind of football.

 

And it's also the beginning of Fall baseball and soccer.  So as a family we spend plenty of hours outside.
Which means we're also doing this: 

Remember my post about seasonal allergies?

....and how most of our family has them?...and how Flonase contacted me, asking me to share about their product....and coincidentally we were already using it?

Well we still get our Flonase on every morning, with a couple of sprays (for adults) and one spray (for kids).

And I actually learned recently that allergies can be hereditary.  So if you've been using Flonase for yoursefl, it's an excellent idea for your kids to use it too.  And the relief is so pleasant that I kind of look forward to it.

Is that weird?
Just Flonase and you'll understand.

In fact, I'm declaring this Flonase Fall.
So we can enjoy life without wanting to scratch our eyes out.

And spend a lot more time doing this.

I was looking back at old photos for this post, seeing what kind of activities we do in the Fall.  And I couldn't believe how tiny Lucy and Owen were in some of the pics.   

And I got all mom-imental remembering this specific outing.
It was birthday in November.  So we went out for tacos and then we played at the park for an hour, while the kids ran around chasing Casey.  Then they decorated the park bench with the biggest leaves they could find.   It looked so cute.  And though it was just a few years ago, life just seemed simpler...which it was, and it wasn't.

But these are the moments I want to remember.
Happy Fall Ya'll!

Do you want to enter a Giveaway? (VISA gift card into)

Neon Pink Summer Dress

I'm slightly obsessed with neon pink right now.

I want to sew it on everything, and anything.

And maybe it's because because the color goes so well with Boardwalk Delight Fabrics?  

Or maybe it's cause I just plain-old love bright colors, and the 80s.

Either way, Melissa from Melly Sews is hosting her annual 30 Days of Sundresses. And she asked me to be part of it!  And to make it extra exciting, she's also sharing her new book called Sundressing to go along!

 

 The book has so many darling designs for women, children, teens, and plus sizes.
I was so, so tempted to make this cute yellow dress and copy it exactly. Ahhh! Love it!  I might still need to make it.

 

And maybe this one for Clara too.  Who doesn't love a "ballerina dress" that can be worn in every season?

 

The cool thing about Melissa's book is that she teaches you how to modify pattern pieces.  In fact, you pick out your age/size and then there's really only one pattern piece you need.  Melissa shows you how to change up that one basic pattern piece to make many different dresses.

I love this coral Olive Dress.  So beautiful and classic.

I would definitely say this book is not for a beginner. It will take some sewing experience and previous pattern reading to following along the modification instructions.   But with so many Beginner type books out there, it's nice to have something for intermediate/advanced sewers...something that teaches you a new trick and gives you new confidence!

There's a lot of good information packed into one book.

And for my little Clara doll I decided to make a dress inspired by the Bellevue:

 

I switched it up quite a bit, adding a V-neckline, a High-Low hem, no chiffon, etc.   But that's also the beauty of the book.  She encourages you to take your own spin on things.

I also added some basic KID shorts under the dress since the fabric was a bit see-through (and I taped the two pattern pieces together just so I could skip the side seam step--like I did here).

And then at the last minute I cut a scrap of fabric and tied it around her waist, and liked it even more.  Cause I'm sure there's some gray area between "lingerie" and "children's wear"....but I'm calling this a Sundress. 

The best part is, on Saturday I asked her to go get dressed and this is what she picked out!
And we knew exactly where she was all day at Owen's baseball game.
I guess Neon fabric is practical afterall!

Okay, do you want to try out Melissa's book Sundressing??
Today we're giving away One Copy!

GIVEAWAY RULES:
• Leave a comment, that's it!
• Open to US residents only.
• ONE winners will be picked via random.org
• Giveaway ends Sunday night, 6/19/16 at 10pm Central time.
Yay!

And now head over to Melly Sews to see all the other Sundress creations.
For THIRTY days, various bloggers and sewers are sharing their dresses!

Ferris Wheel Dress

The time has come!  I leave for Quilt Market tomorrow!
Ahhhhh.
The crazy thing is, I don't feel stressed like I thought I would, sewing things at the very bitter last minute (which is totally true to character).  And that's probably because I did all the stressing and sewing a month ago (which is totally out of character).

The only reason I'm ahead of the game is:
1 - We shot a slew of MADE Everyday videos, using my new fabrics! 
2 - I took a ton of photos for the new Boardwalk Delight Lookbook with Art Gallery fabrics, coming out in one week!  

So now I have more than enough products for my Quilt Market booth.  And I have tons to show you guys here on the blog.  Win, Win, Win.

If you're new around here, or missed my previous announcement the short version is: I've designed a collection of fabrics with Art Gallery Fabrics!

It's called Boardwalk Delight. 

• There are 10 prints in quilting cotton, 3 prints also come in knits, and 1 comes in canvas.

• You can buy them in local quilt shops and online shops like the Fat Quarter Shop and Hawthorne Threads in TWO weeks.  I'll post again when they're available, with hot links (and cold cones?  Sounds like a tasty meal)

• I'm showcaing my fabric collection THIS weekend at the International Quilt Market in Salt Lake City, which is an industry tradeshow for Manufacturers and Buyers to show off all the new fabrics each season. I'll have a 10x10 booth, which I'm really excited about.  If you want to follow along, find me on Instagram @made_everyday.

So.  

To get the party started, let's share some projects and design inspiration!

I love learning how artwork comes together.

The whole Boardwalk Delight collection is about summertime, treats, and strolling the boardwalk. 

The two prints used on this version of the First Day Dress are called:

Ferris Wheel

Twinkle Lights

Cause how magical is the boardwalk at night??

 (above Ferris Wheel photos via Pixabay and Getty Images)

The Ferris Wheel design started with lots of lines and colors.  I thought it would be cool to have an ombre effect.  So I drew all the lines, pieced everything together (which took forever).  But when I was done, I didn't like it...which is always so deflating.  It looked too detailed.  And too literal. 
So I twisted it around and turned everything monochrome---into white.
Improvement.
But still not right.
Still too many tiny lines.

Then I changed the weight of the strokes and loved it so much more.

 Designing is such an evolutionary process.  I'm still so novice at it all; I'm sure my processes will improve over time. But just like photography, I don't think you set out to design "XYZ"....but rather through a series of trial and error, and often accidents, you land on a final product that you never envisioned in the first place. 

And it's equally as interesting to learn your own preferences as you design.  I definitely prefer heavier weighted strokes, over fine lines.  And I definitely love all the colors.
I wish I could have them all!
 

But learning to self edit is important as well.  And working with Art Gallery has been very helpful with that aspect.  They are expert at what they do and they were fantastic with taking the 100 images I sent them (because you have to try every design in every color!)....and narrowed it down to the 10 designs that work best together.
I'm so happy that Pink/White Ferris Wheel and Orange Twinkle Lights made it in there.

Along with layers of ruffles and twirls.

Seriously, I never get sick of the First Day Dress.  Maybe because it's so easy to alter and change up into a variety of dresses.  Like this version with a lowered neckline (and sleeves that were a beast to match up with the fabric print.  But totally worth it)

Okay, I'm off to Market!
More Boardwalk Delight news to come.
Get ready summer....