Bubble Butt

I haven't had much time to update my blog lately - between summer vacation for the kids and trying to finish up the custom orders from the flea market I've been keeping pretty busy. Did I mention that I had custom orders?! Makes me feel so professional! ;) I've also been trying to decide exactly what to put in the August flea market. Because we're almost to September now, it seems silly to sell only summer items so I'm trying to think of more fall goods that I can make. One thing that popped into my mind immediately was a bubble skirt (i.e. a skirt without a crisp hemline which kind of "bubbles" out at the bottom).

I'd made one for Irene a couple years ago, but that was in the beginning of my sewing days and it was also a re-purposed project. I used an old knit tank top that I got from a thrift store and a pair of tights that Irene had already outgrown and, following this tutorial, I made my first bubble skirt. I loved it. It was bouncy, fun, cheap and cute...but the inside looked like a disaster zone.
I still see these types of skirts and dresses hanging on the racks in stores and Irene loves the bubble dress that her Aunt & Uncle sent her for her birthday this year, so I decided to try to figure it out. It turned out to be pretty simple once I really looked at what was involved (I mean for a skirt...a dress would be a whole 'nother story!) So I present the Fun & Flouncy Fall 2011 Bubble Skirt:

Apparently I have a thing for polka-dot bubble skirts. I'll have to switch it up next time!

Almost Time!

As the day of the big flea market draws near, I thought I'd post a few photos of some of the items I'll be selling. In my last post I showed some of the small, "filler" items like booties & bibs, but what I'm really looking to sell are the bigger items like clothes. In addition to the aprons above that my partner recommended we focus on, I've worked hard to expand my range of skills.

From fancy pants to simple skirts, I've managed to make a fairly comprehensive collection of clothing for kids. Above are some shorts for boys and a some for girls. I'm particularly proud of the girl's shorts because I got a chance to use my new pleating skills (this style of pleated pant leg is really popular here in Korea at the moment...not sure if it's "in" elsewhere in the world.) as well as expand my pocket repertoire from plain ol' square patch pocket to pleated pocket, and I got so excited by that, that I had to add pockets to my simple skirts below. I give you the deep pocket (right) and the shirred pouch. I love them both all the more when I think of all the rocks and little nicknacks that can be tucked away in there!
And of course I had to add some tops and dresses since that's where I began my clothes-sewing journey. Below are a few.
And my absolute favorite item at the flea market? The "Be The Reds" scarf top! "Be The Reds" is Korea's battle cry at international sporting events such as the World Cup. I had picked up a couple of scarves at a flea market a few months ago for $1 knowing that I'd eventually find a use for them. I'm so happy with this little top that I wish it could fit Irene, but alas, two scarves supply just enough material for size 18 months so, sadly, she'll have to find some other way to show her patriotism. I particularly love the fact that it says "we are twelfth" - you don't often see team shirts/paraphernalia boasting that!