Next to sewing, camping is one of my top joys in life. If you had told this to my twenty year old self, who lived for shopping malls and manicures, I would have laughed in your face. I still detest being dirty, sleeping on the ground, and washing my dishes while balancing soap precariously on a water spigot, but I’ve finally found a way around these pesky camping realities, thanks to a beautiful 38 foot trailer we purchased last year.
Back in the day, I was your typical sleep-anywhere, roll out of bed and onto the trail kid, and I camped with my parents year-round (not a hard thing to do in California). As I got older, I still wanted to travel, but the aforementioned aversions to dirt and shared showers got in my way. I didn’t have a hotel budget, but I did love sleeping in a soft, cozy bed, with a temperature control unit at my fingertips and a private shower nearby. Two of my kids also have celiac disease, so eating out is not really an option- we need to be able to cook our own food safely wherever we go.
Fortunately, last year we found our solution in a 38 foot fifth wheel. There’s a bunkhouse for the kids, a shower and a sink for me, and most importantly, my own queen sized bed that follows me wherever we tow it. Cue travel bliss. The family loves it too- we logged 12K miles in 2018, and are planning a pretty epic trip this summer.
So, when I saw these panels from Peekaboo, I could hardly make up my mind about what to make- it was just so perfect for us. Since the youngest camper hadn’t gotten anything in a while, I decided to whip up a Peekaboo Violet dress (because, pockets!), and a pair of Jalie Clara leggings (super simple, and a great fit!).
I’ve sewn the Violet for her before (here-look how tiny and chubby she was!), and it’s always a favorite.
The dark colors and durable fabric are a special bonus- the fabric will hold up to commercial washing machines (our next rig will have one built in!) and the navy background will hide the dirt she’ll inevitably roll in with the dog.
Miss three wasn’t feeling the photos until we got out the special snacks….it’s amazing how marshmallows and chocolate can motivate just about anybody. Once she understood the theme of her photo shoot, she kept asking when we could hit the road- so the countdown begins!
Do you love to camp/travel? I’d love to hear about your favorite spots (since we aren’t going to charter a boat, I’m limiting it to the continental US for now…). Drop me a comment below!
If you’re also a camping fan, you can find these fabrics on pre-order here!
Note: I received the fabrics free in exchange for sewing and sharing- all opinions are my own!