Repurposed love

My first sewing project for Seven was a sweet little skirt with little yellow duckies on a pink background. A simple yellow bias tape made up the hem and-- voila!-- an adorable little homemade Easter pretty.

It was so cute that she wore it all the time. Here she is rocking' the skirt in a group photo from July 4th.

As will happen, the skirt was eventually outgrown. It broke my heart to pack it away, so I didn't. (Hey--I'm the Momma. I can do that sort of thing.) Instead, I left it hanging in her closet, where I could visit with its cuteness every once in a while and remember how sweet it was covering her fluffy cloth-diapered bum. At least once a week, I pulled that little skirt out to hold it next to one that currently fit my growing girl. Deep sighs ensued. I may have gotten teary at certain hormonal moments, but I'm not going to say for sure.


A few weeks ago I began the sorting process for the latest batch of outgrown clothes. In the midst of this skirt and that onesie and that adorable dress, I found a denim jumper. Originally a like-new consignment shop find, it had been in serious rotation from the second Seven started walking until the point when Mr. Blandings raised an eyebrow and asked if we were too short on funds to keep our daughter from being a peek-a-boo bottom queen. It looked cute with just about everything. She wore it to the zoo. When she played with play-doh. Outside pushing around her little pink Cozy Coupe. Everywhere.


More fodder for the closet of memories?


Not this time. 


Holding the Duckie Skirt next to the Perfect Jumper, it occurred to me: this was exactly what I'd seen at Osh Kosh: a denim jumper with a patterned skirt attached. Hmmmmmm ...


Maybe I could take that idea and tinker with it? Make it more Seven somehow?


Twenty minutes and 16 inches of pink rickrack later, it was done.

A little longer, a slightly A-line cut, not quite as flouncy as it is funky ... Seven perfect.

Out of the closet and back on my girl. <3