2022 #Disneyboundchallenge days 22-31

It’s hard to believe that the month of March has come to a close! I’m really proud of myself for putting together 20 different outifts for this year’s #disneyboundchallenge. I am planning a wrap-up post, but before I do that, here is a recap of the last set of prompts! I think I finished pretty well– I participated in six out of the ten.

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Day 22: Animal Kingdom (I love Animal Kingdom, but I just didn’t get an outfit put together for this day’s prompt)

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Day 23: Cinderella

“A dream is a wish your heart makes…” ― Cinderella 

This was a very last-minute ‘bound– I love Cinderella and I didn’t want to miss this prompt!  This was the only outfit I put on and photographed on the same day as the challenge: all the other outfits had been photographed at least a day or two before the prompt date! I pulled out an old ‘bound from when I first went to Walt Disney World as an adult in 2016, which was also the first time I ever tried Disneybounding.  

top: purchased for my very first Disneybounding in 2016
ribbon choker: made by me for my very first Disneybounding in 2016
headband: fabric cover made by me using the MMMcrafts tutorial!
earrings: gift from my sister-in-law when I was a bridesmaid in her wedding

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Day 24: Muppets Haunted Mansion (I skipped this one…)
Day 25: Main St. USA (…and this one)

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Day 26: Characters from films that have won awards

“They’d find out there’s so much more to me.” ― Aladdin
Aladdin won 2 Oscars in 1993: for Best Original Song: “A Whole New World” and for Best Original Score

This was a ‘bound I came up with sometime last summer, and I knew it would fit into this challenge somewhere! I looked up Aladdin, and sure enough, it had won awards!

It’s a bit subtle, but I chose to wear these rhinestone-covered flip-flops as a nod to the treasure Aladdin finds in the Cave of Wonders and the riches Genie grants him as Prince Ali Ababwa.

top- from my closet
shorts – Blank Slate Patterns Garnet Shorts (<–affiliate link) (see my original post HERE)
necklace – re-strung vintage beads from my mom
bracelet – from my closet
sandals – from my closet

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Day 27: Red carpet ready (Disney, but make it fancy)

“Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?” ―Pocahontas

Okay, so this ‘bound absolutely felt like the most daring one I’ve ever done. Originally, I thought I would skip it entirely, since it didn’t really fit with my stated goals for this challenge (specifically, to create only outfits that I would literally be willing to wear in everyday life), but on a whim, I put out a “wish” on our local Buy Nothing group page to see if anyone had a gown they were willing to give/loan me. To my surprise, a neighbor offered an old bridesmaid gown she’d been given, and I decided to try it out. Full disclosure: the gown didn’t entirely fit me (there’s a reason you don’t see my back!), but it was close enough for a fun challenge. This isn’t a color that I would choose for myself normally, but I could imagine how I could stretch it to be a Pocahontas-inspired formal look! I wanted to spice it up a bit, so I spent about 30 minutes adding by hand turquoise-colored glass beads to the existing embroidery+sequins.

gown – given to me by a neighbor in our Buy-Nothing group; I added the turquoise-colored glass beads to the embroidery and sequins that were already on it
necklace – given to me by a neighbor in our Buy-Nothing group
bracelet – from my closet

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Day 28: Kingdom Hearts

You got heroes standing right in front of you.” ― Donald Duck

I’ve never played Kingdom Hearts, but Husband did a long time ago, and I remember being intrigued by it! I loved that Donald was the royal magician in the game, one of the main characters! so I decided to do a Donald Duck ‘bound. (It’s different from the one I did last year!) I’ve gotta say, even though I’m definitely not a video game player, I am seriously contemplating trying out the old copy of Kingdom Hearts we still have!

blouse – Tilly & the Buttons Mimi (Love at First Stitch book <–affiliate link) (see my original post HERE)
skirt – Tilly & the Buttons Delphine (Love at First Stitch book <–affiliate link) (see my original post HERE)
belt – from my closet
necklace – Make it Minnie “Second Star” 
shoes – from my closet

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Day 29: Walt Disney World Hotels and/or Resortwear (I skipped this one because I didn’t have any good ideas!)

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Day 30: Adventureland

“You ain’t never had a friend like me!”  ― Genie

This was another outfit that I’d put together long before this year’s challenge prompts were released. I loved how it all came together, so I made sure to fit it in with one of the prompts! It’s the third time I’ve worn this denim skirt; the skirt is definitely one of my wardrobe staples. This denim one was the first I made from this pattern, and I’ve made three more since, and I have another one cut out and ready to sew!

top – Blank Slate Patterns Blanc tee with ruffle sleeve hack (<–affiliate link, but note that you can get this pattern for free in the Blank Slate Patterns Facebook group!) (see my original post HERE)
skirt – Tilly & the Buttons Delphine (Love at First Stitch book <–affiliate link) (see my original post HERE)
belt – from my closet
necklace, earrings, bracelet – from my closet
shoes – from my closet

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Day 31: Disney Fab 50 statue characters

“Goody, goody!” ― Daisy Duck

I will admit that this is not my favorite of this month’s ‘bounds… but I definitely wanted to try it out when I realized that I had the pieces to do a Daisy look. I think in the future, I’d like to try to add a belt– maybe a cute bow belt. I think Daisy would approve of that!

top – given to me by a neighbor in our Buy-Nothing group
skirt – @tillybuttons Delphine skirt (#oldmakenewpic)
necklace – gift from a friend
bracelet, earrings – from my closet
shoes – from my closet
hair ribbon – borrowed from my daughter!

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My next post will be a wrap-up of the whole month, complete with nerdy statistics about my outfits… and a few of my thoughts as the challenge ends!

P.S. Read about my thoughts coming into this month’s challenge HERE.

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Note:  Occasionally, my links are affiliate links (namely Amazon Associates and Blank Slate Patterns).  I always identify the affiliate links in my posts.  You will not pay anything extra by using them, but they provide me with a tiny commission should you purchase something from those sites using my link!

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2022 #Disneybound challenge days 8-14

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, my participation in the #disneyboundchallenge slowed way down after the first nine days. I definitely still have outfits to share, but I can’t keep up with the every-single-day posting. Also, I started running into roadblocks of not having the outfit pieces, even if I had ideas.

That being said, I did participate in four out of the next seven days! Here are the outfits and some commentary.

Day 8: Women of Marvel

“What? I’m invested.” ―Darcy Lewis

How could I possibly resist ‘bounding as a sassy astrophysicist?! I really enjoy the Marvel superhero movies and shows, and my husband and I were brainstorming options for ‘bounding. As soon as we hit on Darcy Lewis, I knew it had to be her.

cardigan – given to me by a neighbor in our Buy-Nothing group
top – from my closet 
pants – from my closet
hat – borrowed from a friend
scarf – crocheted by my mom (long ago)
necklace – even though you can’t see it in these photos, it was a Second Star necklace from Make it Minnie
glasses – usually only worn at night! 😉

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Day 9: Fantasyland

Flynn Rider: Here’s your pan, here’s your frog.
Rapunzel: Chameleon.
Flynn Rider: Nuance.
―Tangled

My very favorite little spot in Fantasyland is this view of Rapunzel’s tower.  It’s a quiet and pretty little place to take a rest.  I love that Pascal’s friends are hidden around the little brook! 

blouse – Blank Slate Patterns Abrazo tee (<–affiliate link) sewn for this challenge with fabric gifted to me from a neighbor in our local Buy Nothing group! I used a slash-and-spread technique to modify the sleeve piece to add the puff!
skirt – Tilly & the Buttons Delphine (Love at First Stitch book <–affiliate link) (see my original post HERE—seriously, I wear this skirt so often!!
shoes – from my closet
necklace – Fantasyland necklace, a gift from my husband last year

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Day 10: Alice in Wonderland (I skipped this one…)

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Day 11: Pixar

“Ah, if anyone needs me, I’ll be whimpering softly to myself.” ―Fear (Inside Out)

I was so excited when I realized that the skirt I’d sewn for my Colette ‘bound would work for Fear, as well! I would never have thought to combine black and navy on my own (isn’t there some sort of fashion “rule” about that??), but I really like how it looks in this outfit.

cardigan – from my closet (handed down from a friend)
top – Blank Slate Patterns Texana Tank (<–affiliate link) (see my original post HERE)
belt – from my closet (purchased HERE <–affiliate link)
skirt – Tilly & the Buttons Delphine (Love at First Stitch book <–affiliate link) — sewn for this challenge from repurposed curtain fabric! this is its second appearance)
shoes – from my closet
necklace – gift from a friend
hair ribbon – borrowed from my daughter

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Day 12: Disney Pirates

“I’ll get you for this, Pan, if it’s the last thing I do!” ―Captain Hook

I requested dark red tops (a jacket, a cardigan, etc.) from my local Buy Nothing group for this look. And my generous neighbors provided me with two options– a heavy red plaid flannel shirt and a maroon hoodie! I decided to post them both and for fun did a little poll in my Instagram stories for people to vote for their favorite “Hook Look”– grunge Hook or athleisure Hook. Not many people actually voted, but at the end of 24 hours, grunge Hook had won with 75% of the (eight! ha) votes. I will say I was a little surprised, but maybe I was biased, since the hoodie is so super soft and comfortable.

P.S. This is another one of the few bounds this month with no handmade items

plaid shirt – given to me by a neighbor in our Buy-Nothing group
hoodie – given to me by a neighbor in our Buy-Nothing group
scarf – from my closet (handed down from a friend)
white top – from my closet 
pants – from my closet
shoes – from my closet

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Day 13: Luca (I skipped this one because I haven’t seen the movie!)

Day 14: Frontierland (I skipped this one because I couldn’t figure out an outfit! I’d considered ‘bounding one of the Country Bears…)

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Stay tuned for my next roundup of days 15-21!

P.S. You can follow my ‘bounding this month in “real time” on Instagram: @natalie.strand

P.P.S. Read about my thoughts coming into this month’s challenge HERE.

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Note:  Occasionally, my links are affiliate links (namely Amazon Associates and Blank Slate Patterns).  I always identify the affiliate links in my posts.  You will not pay anything extra by using them, but they provide me with a tiny commission should you purchase something from those sites using my link!

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2022 #Disneybound challenge days 1-7

The 2022 March #Disneybound challenge is off to a great start for me! I am surprised and impressed with myself that I was able to post straight through these first seven days (and beyond! …but that will be in the next installment of this series…). I’m not going to keep up this streak throughout the entire month, but I’ve been enjoying the momentum here at the beginning. I’m also loving seeing all the different interpretations of the prompts! It’s a huge community out there, and so welcoming!

Here are my outfits for the first seven days, with a bit of commentary.

Day 1: Princess and the Frog

“I was… listen, I was confused by the topography and… the geography and choreography…” ―Louis

My original idea for this ‘bound was Ray (the firefly), and this olive green cardigan was the only purchase I plan to make for this #disneyboundchallenge. After I showed my husband and kids, they said my outfit actually reminded them more of Louis! It wasn’t hard to pivot– I added a necklace with a treble clef charm (a gift from my parents long, long ago), and this outfit was complete. It is super comfortable, and I’ve already worn it “in real life” after taking these photos.

dress – Blank Slate Patterns Bexley Dress (<– affiliate link) (see my original post HERE)
sweater – purchased for this challenge (on clearance for $7!)
treble clef charm – from my parents long, long ago
shoes – handed down from my mom

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Day 2 – In a galaxy far, far away

“You don’t have to look tough to be tough.” ―Ahsoka Tano

Ever since my Husband and I started watching Clone Wars together, I’ve been wanting to do a ‘bound of Ashoka. This is her Season 1 look, and I decided to simply color block the dark red and white portions of her outfit. I twisted a blue and white scarf borrowed from my mom to tie around my head as a headband to imitate her lekku. The earrings were just the perfect touch to imitate the jewelry she wears!

top – from my closet
shorts – Blank Slate Patterns Garnet Shorts (<–affiliate link) (see my original post HERE)
scarf – borrowed from mom!
earrings – gift from my husband a number of years ago

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Day 3 – EPCOT

“Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!” ―Mary Poppins

A lovely interaction with Mary Poppins in the United Kingdom Pavilion of the EPCOT World Showcase inspired this ‘bound. I already had the white skirt I’d sewn for my R2D2 ‘bound back in 2020, but I didn’t have a white blouse! I quickly sewed one up, and it’s going to appear in at least 2 more outfits this challenge.

I went to our local mall before stores opened to take these photos near the carousel. I got about 10 pictures before a security guard came by and told me photography wasn’t allowed in the mall…. but that my outfit was cute! I was there for less than 5 minutes!

blouse – Tilly & the Buttons Mimi (Love at First Stitch book <–affiliate link) — sewn for this challenge!!
skirt – Tilly & the Buttons Delphine (Love at First Stitch book <–affiliate link) (see my original post HERE)
belt – from my closet (red belt<–affiliate link)
shoes – from my closet (handed down from my mom)
vintage-style lamps and phonograph charms – gift from a friend many, many years ago 
parasol – a toy from when I was small!

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Day 4: Encanto

“It’s pressure like a drip, drip, drip that’ll never stop, whoa…” ―Luisa Madrigal

I never thought I’d manage to catch a jumping pic, but the shutter timing was just right on this one, haha!  I was thinking of Luisa bounding though the clouds with the donkeycorns…

blouse – Tilly & the Buttons Mimi (Love at First Stitch book <–affiliate link) — sewn for this challenge!! This is its second appearance!
skirt – Tilly & the Buttons Delphine (Love at First Stitch book <–affiliate link) (see my original post HERE)
shoes – from my closet
necklace – re-strung vintage beads from my mom
earrings – gift from neighbor via our local Buy Nothing group

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Day 5: Fantasmic!

“Oh boy!” ―Mickey Mouse

This is one of the few bounds this month with no handmade items!

top – from my closet 
pants – from my closet (handed down from a friend)
shoes – from my closet

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Day 6: Pixar

“Mark of a chef—messy apron, clean sleeves.” ―Colette Tatou (Ratatouille)

I had the idea for this ‘bound, but when I started planning, I had neither a white blouse that fit, nor any kind of houndstooth or checked bottoms. I tried asking in my local Buy Nothing group for any sort of houndstooth item… and then I spotted this black and white check fabric in my giveaway bin.

Quite a while ago now, a woman at our church who was moving away offered me a gigantic bin of leftover fabric from her sewing room as she packed. Among the items in the bin were two sets of black-and-white check curtains, heavy twill, but severely faded from sun exposure. I had set them aside to give away or toss, but hadn’t gotten to it yet. When I was hoping to find some sort of check/houndstooth for this outfit, I picked them up and realized that they were double-layered, and if I turned the fabric inside-out, it was unfaded! I immediately got to work on this skirt, and I love how it turned out. (And after I made it, I realized that it fits perfectly into another Disneybound outfit that I put together for later in the month!)

blouse – Tilly & the Buttons Mimi (Love at First Stitch book <–affiliate link) — sewn for this challenge!! This is its third appearance!
skirt – Tilly & the Buttons Delphine (Love at First Stitch book <–affiliate link) — sewn for this challenge from repurposed curtain fabric!)
shoes – from my closet
necklace – pendant made from a dollhouse frying pan, originally for my 2016 Rapunzel ‘bound

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Day 7: Princesses vs. Villains

“You want thingamabobs? I got twenty!” ―Ariel

This is another of the few bounds this month with no handmade items! This one is based on inspiration for a ‘Bounder I follow throughout the year (@boundingonabudget) who posted quite a while ago about how sometimes you can choose to ‘bound just from the waist up! I was lamenting that I didn’t have any green bottoms that fit (I’ve become a big fan of colorful pants and skirts through Disneybounding!) when I realized that I had both of Ariel’s main colors as tops. Layer them up– perfect!

tops – from my closet
pants – from my closet
necklace – souvenir shell pendant from Corsica
earrings + ribbon – borrowed from my daughter!

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Stay tuned for my next roundup of days 8-14!

P.S. You can follow my ‘bounding this month in “real time” on Instagram: @natalie.strand

P.P.S. Read about my thoughts coming into this month’s challenge HERE.

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Note:  Occasionally, my links are affiliate links (namely Amazon Associates and Blank Slate Patterns).  I always identify the affiliate links in my posts.  You will not pay anything extra by using them, but they provide me with a tiny commission should you purchase something from those sites using my link!

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#epicdressproject: Snow White

The color palette for Snow White is one of the most recognizable, and I love its striking combination. My next outfit, which I wore at Epcot, is a Snow White ‘bound!

Husband found the perfect little spot for my photos: a wishing well on one side of the Germany pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase!

My top is a Mimi blouse from Tilly and the Buttons: Love at First Stitch (affiliate link).  I made a wearable muslin, and while it fit very well, I did notice that I would like to have the arm hems a little bit looser.  Therefore, for this blouse, I graded the underarm seam out 1/4″ at the hem, and I added a total of 1/2″ to the sleeve facing piece as well. The fabric is some sort of polyester crepe that I found at G Street Fabrics in the clearance section: it is such a beautiful, rich blue!

As I was finishing up the blouse back at the beginning of April, I was chatting with my mom about what buttons I should use, and she had a great idea to make them red! I used some vintage coverable buttons that had been handed down to me. I used flat clear buttons for the two closest to the hem so that the blouse would tuck comfortably. My mom also had the idea to add the red buttons to the sleeve pleat detail as a nod to the red that shows through the slashes on Snow White’s sleeves!

The skirt is also from Love at First Stitch!– you might recognize it by now; it’s yet another Delphine, this time in a butter yellow muslin I found at G Street Fabrics. This time, I decided to add a lining, since the cloth was light-colored and lightweight. I simply cut the main skirt pieces from a lining fabric and treated it as one piece with the outer fabric when I attached the waistband. When I inserted the invisible zipper, I added it to the main fabric only and hand-tacked the lining fabric around it to finish.

To complete my outfit, I borrowed a red bow headband from my daughter! (It’s hard to see in these photos.). I think I’d like to get a wide red belt to further accessorize this outfit– for the future!

and now for a little story time…

We’d decided to basically eat our way through the World Showcase for lunch (so delicious!). We started in the UK with fish and chips, and just as Husband brought our food to the little standing table we’d found in the shade nearby, the background music volume increased dramatically. We didn’t know what was coming for a minute or two—and then we saw a horse drawn carriage with four princesses approaching!!  It was so neat—they came right by us, waving and wishing my daughter and me happy birthday. The last princess was Snow White, and she not only wished me a happy birthday but noticed my outfit and gestured to indicate that she liked it and it matched hers.  She blew kisses at me and it was SO FUN to be recognized like that!   

Later, we were enjoying the train display in the Germany pavilion, and the princess carriage came by again!  As they drove by, we were waving, of course, and Snow White saw me and mouthed, “Nice to see you again!” while pantomiming showing off her dress!  I was so delighted that she recognized me again!

We were so impressed in general with how the characters managed to interact with guests individually even from a distance during the cavalcades and from stages in other “physically-distanced” situations.

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#epicdressproject: R2-D2

For our first day in the parks, we went to Hollywood Studios.  We arrived before the official opening time, and while the (very light) crowds were all going one way to get into line for other rides, we went the other way and ended up in Galaxy’s Edge first thing.  

Wow, it was incredible–what a way to begin our trip!  Galaxy’s Edge was amazing, not just for the ambience and architecture, but also because it felt like we had it to ourselves!  We wandered around in awe, and even after we walked onto and rode Smuggler’s Run, we had plenty of time afterward to take photos with the Millenium Falcon before anyone else was gathered there!  

For my R2-D2 bound, I decided to go for a straightforward color-block effect and use a belt to emphasize the character.

My top is an Abrazo tee from Blank Slate Patterns (affiliate link).  The fabric I found at G Street Fabrics was a remnant cut, and so while I had originally planned to do elbow-length sleeves, I needed to shorten the sleeves by 4.25″ from that elbow length to fit it on the fabric!  I calculated my 3″ long circular ruffle using the Melly Sews tutorial that I’ve used before (it’s so great.  I love adding ruffles for a little extra touch of customization!).  The great thing about this tee is that I can make it from cutting to finishing in one day!  Talk about a satisfying sew.

This skirt is another quick-to-sew, fabulous-to-wear pattern: the Delphine skirt from Tilly and the Buttons: Love at First Stitch book (affiliate link).  Based on my denim wearable muslin, I’ve slightly modified the angle of the waistband side seams for a better fit.  I used some white twill that I’ve had in my stash for ages!

I used a wide elastic belt from Buckle Down (affiliate link) to complete the look. Let me tell you, it was perfect– and it was super comfortable to wear all day!

Here are some more photos–

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Butter yellow Mimi blouse

This cheerful buttery-yellow Mimi blouse (from Tilly and the Buttons: Love at First Stitch <–affiliate link) is perfect for spring.

I started it way back in February, as I was compiling a set of patterns to use for my #epicdressproject, and I love the gathered details, the shape of the neckline and the collar, and the cute pleats in the sleeves.

But when I got to the buttonholes, I stalled.  I was simply procrastinating, and it bothered me that I was procrastinating.  So I finally finished it up this past week so that I could check it off my list.

The fabric is from my stash, and it’s a similar feel to a shirting even though it’s a former sheet.  I also found the buttons in my stash, so aside from the thread, this project was free!

I have to admit, I messed up the buttonholes.  I was trying to multitask and help my kids do some schoolwork review (like almost everyone else in the US, our schools are closed right now, and I made them horizontally all the way down the front!  I don’t know what I was thinking… but since it’s a wearable muslin, I’m not too worried… we’ll just call it a design feature, ha.

P.S. the skirt I’m wearing is the Delphine skirt I made using the pattern from the same book!

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Denim Delphine skirt

I’ve been hard at work behind the scenes making quickie muslins for my “epic dress project” to determine which patterns are going to make the final cut for my (hopefully) 7-day wardrobe.  I’ve had 3 sewing projects and a scrapbooking project in process this past week–it’s keeping me busy!

This skirt pattern, though.  Wow, I love it.  I went straight to the denim to make this one!

It’s the Delphine Skirt from Tilly and the Buttons: Love at First Stitch (<–affiliate link), and I really want to make this skirt in every color.  This one is made from non-stretch denim that was given to me by someone at church.  

I made a couple very small changes to the pattern: I edited the angle of the waistband to fit my waist better, and I used a quilting cotton as the waistband facing, since two layers of this denim would have been super thick.

I’m planning to make another one of these Delphines for my epic dress project and add a belt (which I’ve already purchased).  I’m really excited! 

 

P.S. I made my top, too– it’s my space Abrazo tee with circular ruffles added to the sleeves.  

 

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Sea-green floral Joni dress

Ever since I made my first Joni dress (from Tilly and the Buttons’ Stretch <– affiliate link), I knew that I wanted to make another!  In fact, I purchased fabric for to make this dress last May, but I didn’t end up cutting it out until right before my ankle surgery in September.  It was one of the projects I was able to finish soon after my surgery because I had it prepped!

However, the fabric and the sleeve style I had chosen weren’t really quite right for winter-in-Maryland, and so I thought I might have to wait until spring to actually wear it!  And then I realized we were going to the BEACH for Christmas!

This dress was perfect for a Christmas Eve church service in a more tropical locale, and my sweet Husband helped me take photos with the Gulf of Mexico as the backdrop.  So pretty!

The sleeves are altered to flutter as per a tutorial in the book.  I love how I can make the same basic dress look so different by changing the fabric and the sleeves!

 

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