Somewhere, over the rainbow ...

It's been a few weeks since my last post, and that's not because I haven't been crafting, it's just that we have had a break away to recharge the batteries, then returned to find that the world has suddenly become all Christmas-focussed, and I feel like I've been catching my breath ever since ... anyone else feel like that at this time of year?

Anyway, my beautiful niece had her 5th birthday party a couple of weekends ago, and what better way to celebrate than to have a rainbow party.  As she gave Bethany the invitation to her party, she made it very clear that Bethany was to come dressed in "rainbow clothes".  Well, when given a challenge like that this Mummy just can't help herself ... I just had to think of something to make.

I did a bit of an online search and found this gorgeous Lollipop dress.  I haven't sewn much with knit fabrics yet, and really want to give it a good hot go.  I also loved that it seemed like a really quick project.   So off I went in search of some "rainbow" knit fabric to make this little beauty.  I went to my local fabric store, but they had absolutely nothing in rainbow-y style in knit fabrics.  (PLEASE can anyone give me details of a good online shop or a local (Sydney, Australia) shop that sells good quality knit fabrics?)  Very disheartened and with absolutely no idea what I would do instead, I just started to wander aimlessly around the store.  I had a look at some cotton fabrics and some poly-cottons, which both had cute rainbow stripy or spotty designs, but I really wasn't feelin' the love.

Then I came across something I've not paid much attention to before, except for it's cute name ... Seersucker ... love that word!!  Where does that name come from anyway?  I've never sewn with it before, and always thought it was a little dorky actually, but I fell instantly in love with this rainbow stripe seersucker, and this rainbow shirt started to come to fruition.  I vaguely remembered a tutorial I had seen at one of my favourite kiddy clothes blogs.  It's called the Olivia Top, and I had wanted to try it sometime and had saved it on my desktop in my craft to-do file. So I bought the seersucker, and off home I went.

Now, does anyone else find it really difficult to leave some nice, new, untouched fabric alone after bringing it home, especially with a project in mind?  Well I do, and despite my particularly hectic week, I cut into the fabric and got started that very night.  In fact I got started AND finished that night, and definitely stayed up way past my bedtime, but it was so worth it.  I LOVE this top....and thankfully so does Bethany, especially when it was coupled with some rainbow nail-polish.  I learned a few new sewing techniques in this one too which was exciting ... I learned to make bias tape (for the neckline), I learned to make a bodice pattern by tracing a T-shirt, I learned to make gathered sleeves (actually these were my first EVER sleeves at all) and I learned to do a button-front.  Boy it was fun to make.

And I'm glad it was fun, 'cause my sister-in-law has politely suggested this rainbow top would make a great Christmas gift for my 2 nieces!!  Yay!

Oh, and I AM going to try the Lollipop dress out too sometime this summer ... just have to find the perfect knit fabric first!!