I have this rule for myself. It is called my, "There is no can't' rule. I try (with a few very notable failures, so there is a TRY in my world) not to say I can't do something when in reality it is a 'won't' instead of a 'can't.'*

For the longest time, I said that I couldn't sew for myself. I'm fat (and there is no shame in the word fat. Spades are spades, and I am fat. Not curvy, buxom, or padded. I'm fat. I like cupcakes and cookies too much and if a day ever passes that Dr Pepper doesn't cross these lips at least once, i will be a very sad person. I'm fat. And I don't mind being called fat. End mini-rant.) and patterns just aren't really designed for fat people - the curvy ones, yes. Fat ones, not so much.**

Then I learned how to grade a pattern. Slash and spread method works best for me - measuring a couple of key fit points then cutting the pattern and spreading it apart to match the measurements. But that is time consuming. It takes me DAYS to do that with a commercial pattern. Usually, I will get through about 3/4 of the pattern and be so worn out and sick of it because I'm not even to the fun bits yet that I give up, and wear one of my 4 remaining tops and cut off stretch pants combos.

But I had been thinking for a while that maybe I could do with my own stuff what I had done with Elizabeth's - make a pattern. Only trouble is that none of my stuff fits like I want it to. Sigh. Well, I certainly WON'T be spending boatloads of time on a task I hate for small rewards. So, back to making clothes for Elizabeth.

So I just would not sew for myself. Time consuming, poor fit, and kinda stinky choices for patterns. Nope, I just won't do it. I can. But I won't. Then one day, I am poodling around on Instagram and someone whispers about a grown-up version of Amanda's (of Kitschy Coo fame) Skater Dress. At the time, Elizabeth was messing around the house in a diaper, mismatched leg-warmers (classy) and one of the tees I had made for her from the Skater pattern. Suddenly it hit me. If this really happened, maybe I could.... But I shut that thought down fast. Grading is hard. It takes FOREVER. UGH.

I watched as excitement grew over this Big Girl Skater (as it was called then.) And I kinda got bitten. I've made Elizabeth FOUR of the  little girl dresses, the construction is easy enough for a blind monkey to do it. MAYBE.... Maybe I'll buy the pattern and just *try*. 'Cause trying is allowed here (no Yoda, ya know?) And if it didn't work, I know a bajillion other people I could make skater dresses for. Easy wearing, comfy. Elizabeth loves hers! Yeah, I'll try.

I went out and bought four yards of fabric. Clearance table, half off the clearance price, so $3 a yard. $12 isn't much to gamble on a maybe, especially since I love the fabric. And I came home and waited.

Lady Skater was available yesterday morning.*** I bought it, taped it together and got to cutting it apart. Four and a half hours later, I was done grading. Gears screech to a halt, I take on the look of someone who has just found Jesus, and nearly fall over myself getting to my fabric.

Lets have a picture, shall we?

You will just have to click the picture for all the awesomeness that is this dress. A small image just doesn't do the fabric justice. And A couple of things - 1) we covered fat. 2) i have alopecia aerata. And one more, 3) you can Google alopecia aerata.

SUCCESS!! I am so glad that Amanda lives a whole ocean away. My squealing over IG was bad enough, I'm sure. I would probably have frightened her half to death if she lived any nearer.

I LOVE THIS DRESS. I'm wearing right now. And I see it going to church on Sunday with me (skulls, hearts, and all.) I goofed in grading the skirt, so the sides hang a little weird, but this is me not caring. I have a dress, that I made with my hands that fits and doesn't look like something my granny or a hooker would wear!

Well. Okay. MAYBE my granny would have worn it if I'd asked her to. She was kinda cool.

But wait! There's more! Elizabeth has little Skater tees. Why shouldn't I? Exactly, I should. So I do!

It is a tee. That is long enough! And doesn't look like a tent! See, not only am I fat, but I'm 5'10" tall. Back neck to hem of 29 inches? Might as well be a tube top. I'm considering re-cutting one of my favorite tees into this pattern. I am not sure if it will work but I'm definitely going to give it the once over tonight.

I am the happiest woman alive right now. I have clothes that fit. That I made. THAT I MADE!

* there is one thing I simply can't do. And that is be someone's biological father. Tho, with the way science is advancing, there may be hope.

** some lines have options for bustier gals, but very few allow for room for a belly. Sadface!

It has been pretty bad health-wise for our little family the past two weeks. I've had the flu and an upper respiratory thing, Elizabeth had an upper respiratory thing, and the Boy Scout let his upper respiratory thing go so long that an excess of boogers has caused him to get pinkeye.

Due to the pinkeye, Elizabeth and I ran away from home yesterday. Every errand that I have been putting off and every errand I was planning for the next month got accomplished yesterday. We burned half a tank of gas, ate everything that was bad for us, and had a great time! I think my girl was just happy to have her mommy all to herself without any of the silly at-home stuff (chores, sewing) distracting her and I had a great time with her cause she's just awesome.

In our ramblings, we first went to our local Hobby Lobby. I've agreed to make another Mickey Mouse dress (post coming soon)  for the fundraiser auction that Elizabeth's previous playschool has every spring. I needed the Mickey fabric for that. Then, while my girl ran around and around the racks, I looked at the bolts on the wall and found the other two. The tiny hearts print is what I tried to talk Elizabeth in to picking out, but she clearly has a better eye than I do - she picked the adorable vintage looking one with the animals and babies on it.

I have a couple of patterns in mind for that one! SO stinking cute! The hearts I'll save for August - That's the next time the color of the month at playschool is red. And I'll make that one a Geranium dress. We also got her some Angry Birds stickers which she loved.

Our next stop was for milkshakes, then a 45 minute drive to the closest Stride Rite for some summer shoes for Elizabeth. Now, everyone knows that I DO NOT spend much money on her wardrobe. Clearance racks, thrift stores, and buying a size too big abound. So how do I justify spending $30+ on shoes for her? She has my feet - long, narrow, flat as pancakes. Until she outgrows them, we will get her main shoes from there. Usually, we just get sneakers and other everyday shoes - like this time, we were gunning for summer sandals and fall sneakers. What we walked out with was a tiny bit different!
Sandals for everyday this summer, nice and sturdy and cute.


Then there's THESE! She found them, sat on the floor, put them on and would only take the display ones off after the sales-gal brought her some in her size! I don't do dress shoes from there as a rule, but she's going to wear these every chance we get until she outgrows them. They go with nearly everything, so we will make it happen!

I'm such a pushover.

Next we had pizza for lunch and I got Birded on my leg.She must have out half of her new stickers on my leg. I must eat very slowly, but when I have to cut hers first and make sure she doesn't dump water down her front, it kind of slows my own progress.

Next up was a quick trip home and to the grocery to get a balloon and some juice for the Boy Scout (which we left on the front porch.) Then we were sort of at loose ends. I asked her if she wanted to go on a loooong car ride and she was peppy and glad to go. So we traveled to Fayetteville, TN to this place that I really love, Sir's Fabrics. It is right downtown in this pretty small town, but OH MY! They are celebrating this month - 65 years of business! WHOOO! So there were some things on sale and I was pretty happy just going in. They were not busy and ALL the employees we saw were thrilled with my little bug. I'm sort of outside of their target demographic, so I don't think many toddlers come in. Certainly not many who are as chatty and content as Elizabeth was.

But the best part? On the first table that I came to, just inside the door, was the biggest pile of adorable knit fabric I've seen! And every bit of it was $4.99 a yard! 60 inches wide, $4.99 a yard! I decided we could pick two of the kid prints (most were spring pastels and kid prints, but there were some grown-up ones too.) Lizzie picked the first one and I found the dogs. She was excited about both! So I let her pick which one was a dress and which was a top.

Dogs for a top (or maybe two!) Flowers for a dress. Now, to just decide what top and what dress patterns to use. I may do another Skater dress (we already have two, and one tee made from the same pattern) and I just don't know for the top. Maybe another Banyan? Or wing it for a strappy tank and make two? Who knows!

I just know that I really waffled about driving the hour and a bit down there, because we'd been in the car ALL DAY. but I am SO GLAD we went! And on the way back, Elizabeth caught a little nap. Short and unsatisfying, but she managed.

And she was really amazing all day. I was concerned about attempting this, but she proved that my worries were for nothing. She only fussed a small bit when she was tired and really enjoyed herself everywhere we went. When we pulled in at home, she cried and asked to "Go on AVENTURR again!"

That is my best girl.

And as of this writing, the Boy Scout is crust-face free, and slathering himself in hand sanitizer every time he touches his face. And without a minute to lose, too. Elizabeth woke from her nap today crying for him.