A New Year....

So, the month is 3/4 over (approximately).

So far, I've kept a resolution.  Yes, I have!

I made a shirt for me!!!

(Photo credit to the 5 year old)

I used the Metro T-Shirt from Liesl & Co.  The fit is so perfect.  I'm so, so happy.  Ridiculously happy in fact.  So happy I'm even sharing the crappy photos....

Another resolution - make a Christmas gift each month.  Well, the next project I completed may end up being a Christmas gift:

This is the Rosie Cross Body Bag from Swoon Patterns.  There's a zipper pocket on the back side.  There's actually supposed to be one inside as well, but I mucked up the directions and decided against it.  I absolutely had to use this sheep fabric from the shop - it's a Japanese fabric from Cosmo Textiles.  I don't know.....something about those sheep!  I also used some vintage piping from the stash - I got it an estate sale and just adore using something that has the original price of 15 cents on it.

Also, this month, in kind with the "buy no clothes for the kid" resolution, I completed a UFO that's been on my table since before Thanksgiving:

The top is a modified Oliver + S Field Trip Raglan T-Shirt.  I did this modification previously - I added a lined hood from another pattern, and a kangaroo pocket and cuffs and a waistband.  The top is velour that I've probably had for about 10-15 years, and the leggings are leftover from gymnastics leotard sewing.  So, seriously, an outfit made from "vintage" shall we say fabric?

Julia wore this to school the day after I made it for her.  At the end of the day, she came out and told me that one of her friends told her she looked like a clown.  We had a good discussion about listening to other people's opinions, and being yourself, etc.  So, I was very happy when this outfit came out of the laundry again and she chose it to wear to school.  Good girl.

I'm happy with my progress on my resolutions so far!!!  At least the sewing-related ones....

Halloween 2014 - The Decision

We put a lot of thought/discussion into Halloween costumes.  Maybe too much.

There's the whole philosophical discussion to be had - don't look like everyone else, be your own person.  Then there's the realistic - I can't make you into a spaceship that actually flies.  Then, of course, comes the part where I have to convince my kid not to be Elsa....

This year, Julia has been watching a lot more "educational" TV.  Well, educational plus episodes of The Brady Bunch.  So, she decided that she wanted to be Miss Frizzle from The Magic School Bus.  One good look at what Miss Frizzle wears and I was 100% on board.

Seriously, anyone who follows my sewing knows how much I love the Oliver + S Jump Rope Dress.  Isn't that exactly what The Frizz is wearing?

I added a circle skirt to the Jump Rope dress using pattern pieces from another pattern (Tinny Dress by Straightgrain).  The Jump Rope dress is a size 4, and the Tinny Dress pieces were a size 5.  I eyeballed the waist measurement of the bodice and lopped an inch off each side piece of the circle skirt; fit perfectly!  I will be definitely adding a circle skirt to the Jump Rope dress again....nothing makes my child happier than a circle skirt!

I toyed with the idea of printing the fabric on Spoonflower.  A good idea, but a bit expensive.  Then, my next idea was to make felt appliques of the various science stuff.  Seriously time consuming.  Freezer paper stencil?  Time consuming, and I'm not great at it.  Then, I remembered that I had bought some fabric transfer paper and had never used it.  Hmmmm.....

I used Avery 3271 Light Fabric Transfers.  I used a couple of old white t-shirts, and found some free clipart all over the internet for the various transfers; a beaker, a rocket, the sun, etc.  I sized all the pictures to be approximately in the 3-4" area so that I didn't have to applique teeny designs.  I applied the transfers to the t-shirt per the instructions, held my breath, and pulled off the paper - it worked PERFECTLY!  I was delighted.

I then used applique scissors to carefully cut out the fabric around the edge of the design.  Then, I used black thread and machine stitched all the designs onto the pattern pieces.  I have to admit, it took a while.  But, I did it over a few days, so it wasn't that painful.

To complete the outfit, I made her a trick-or-treat bag from a free pattern from Swoon Patterns - the Ethel Tote Bag.  I added a couple of inches to the width so it will be able to hold all the Halloween candy!  I used the same transfer technique to add the Magic School Bus graphic.

Halloween outfit complete - and one happy child!!