Sew-Jo Coming Back.....

I haven't sewn a ton over the past few months.  And when I sewed, I didn't necessarily blog.  But, I think I may be getting back on track!

I made a quick outfit for Julia on Saturday.  Previously, just about two years ago, I made these shorts:

Well, these shorts stayed in the drawer for about a year and a half.  She refused to wear them.  Then, all of a sudden, they became The Golden Boy (Seinfeld reference) of her wardrobe.  Every day, when she got home from school, on went these shorts and a black tank.  Every day.  These shorts are now a pretty disgusting shade of grey with flowers.

So, I used some similar fleece and made this outfit:

These shorts are a size 5 straight up.  I may make the next pair a bit shorter - they are kind of an awkward length.  The previous ones were a size 4 and I think she still could wear a size 4.  The pattern is the free Sunny Days Shorts from Oliver + S.  I added front pockets and back pockets.    Gotta have pockets.

The top is another Oliver + S pattern - the School Bus T-Shirt.  This is a size 4 with about 5 inches added to the length.  The fabric is hideous to work with.  It is that kind of burn-out fabric which my daughter loves.  Unfortunately, it's a pain in the butt to work with - it curled like nobody's business.  The neck band application was atrocious so I went to the iron to give it a blast of steam.  Mistake.  Burnt a hole in it, hence, the lovely bow at the neckline.  I was actually going to put it straight in the trash, but Julia really liked it, so we'll see what happens....I have more of the hideous fabric - a lot more.

Next up, a Mother's Day gift.....

Puperita Patterns

I was invited to join a small group of bloggers to showcase the patterns from Puperita.  If you check out this shop, you'll find a ton of very sweet, very well designed patterns for your kids.  There are patterns for the really little ones, and some for the bigger kids (up to size 10).  She's got boy patterns, girl patterns, and accessories.

I first found these patterns on Etsy, then joined the Facebook group.  Lots of inspiration there!  The pattern designer seems to be always online to answer questions and deal with any possible issues.  Seriously amazing customer service!

Without further ado, here's the outfit that I put together:

A very Pinterest-y photo, eh?!

Of course, I had to do modeled shots as well.....

I'm really trying hard lately to think about what Julia likes to wear.  We got her these gold Saltwater sandals - right up her alley.  So, I used some Wright's gold metallic bias tape to really bring this outfit together.  There are two gold buttons on the back as well - found in my stash, which is always a plus.  The top is lawn from my shop.  It's from Moda, and is very nice.  Kind of Liberty-esque without the price tag.  Still, Julia's favorite fabric is double gauze, but she does like this top very much.  It's light and airy - won't make her hot which is something she hates.  The shorts are made from some Japanese canvas.  It's actually different on each side which is very cool.  What will be cool is if I ever get it listed in the shop, because it came on a huge roll and I actually have no place big enough to cut it properly!

The top pattern is the Liberty Style Blouse.  It went together very nicely.  This is a size 5 with 6 length.  I think it could use more length - Julia suggested adding a "frizzle" - aka ruffle!  Not a bad idea.  The shorts are actually a boy's shorts pattern - the Funny Boy Shorts.  I made a size 4 in these and lopped off about an inch from the top of the shorts before adding the waistband.  I like the fit on these and am going to make another using knit for the main part and woven for the waist and hem.

Oh, and did I mention that her patterns are seriously well priced?  Kind of the icing on the cake, eh?!

Check out all these great blogs for more inspiration:

Emi ~ Just Add Fabric     Jaime ~ Made By Jaime      Janice ~ So-Cal Sewing Mom
Soso ~Moineau & Petit Pois     Nuala ~ clootie dumplings     Pam ~ Threading My Way
Maria ~ Fairies, Bubbles & Co.     Shelly ~ Sew Shelly Sew     Chari ~ Take time to smell the rose
Helen ~ The DIY Fox     Karly ~ Paisley Roots     Sanae ~ Sanae Ishida

Janet ~ 7 Pine Design     Jenya ~ While she was sleeping

A Tried and True Absolute Favorite

Wow, I can't believe it's been since November that I've blogged!  Yikes!

I have been doing a bit of sewing - super-boring school uniforms....

You get the picture - a bunch of stuff that is useful, but tough to get excited about!  And there's more of these - way more!

So, here's my first non-uniform make in several months....the Jump Rope Dress from Oliver + S.  This is one of their oldest patterns, and definitely one of my - and Julia's - favorites.

I used fabric chosen by Julia - two lawns from Woodland Clearing by Liesl Gibson for Robert Kaufman.  We brought this line to Quiltcon and it pretty much got decimated.  More about that in a bit....

Julia chose a subtle contrast for the collar/placket.  If you haven't make this pattern, quickly run to the Oliver + S site and buy it if you want the most satisfying sew ever.  Ren of The Inspired Wren recently was feature on the Oliver + S blog with her versions of this pattern - she highlighted several of her plackets and I'm here to tell you that every time I make this dress, I hang up the completed bodice and admire my own work for at least a day!  There's something about that placket....

And about the fabric - well, our little business had a booth at the huge quilt show, Quiltcon.  It was an absolutely amazing experience.  We met a bunch of wonderful people who share the love of sewing.  My poor kid had to attend for 3 days - pretty tough for a 6 year old, but she schmoozed with all the other vendors, and met fabric designers like the super-nice Melody Miller from Cotton + Steel...

There's definitely something to be said for having actual in-person contact with your customers - people who get to feel the fabric, and see the fabric up close and personal.  Which is why our collection of Woodland Clearing got thrashed - people absolutely adored it!  It's soft so lots of folks told me that they were going to be using it for baby clothes.  Personally, I'd love to see/feel a quilt made from cotton lawn.

Anyways, watch this space for more sewing!  My kid is quickly growing and seriously has no summer clothes!  As a note, the Jump Rope dress is sewn in a size 5 with 7 length.  I can't even believe that I'm using a 7 length for my baby!!

Thanks for reading!

The First Japanese Pattern Sewing Week!

Welcome to the very end of the First Japanese Pattern Sewing Week!

There's a lot of good things on Facebook (and a lot of crazy nut-job things too...) but one thing that is great is like-minded, or at least like-sewing-minded folks coming together.  It's kind of a beautiful thing.

Definitely (if you haven't already) check out these blogs for some seriously amazing creations - all made from a wide variety of Japanese patterns....and, yes, mostly written in Japanese!



In a Manner of Sewing  |  Conversas de Hermanas  |  Pequenos e Verdes  |  Climbing the Willow
Bartracks and Singletrack  |  S is for Sewing  |  Sew Happy  |  Mamacosesola
Fairies, Bubbles & Co.  |  Sewing Like Mad  |  As it Seams  |  Sewing For Mini Me
La Folie Sewing Booth  |  Just Add Fabric  |  Blogless Anna  |  Sweeter Than Cupcakes  |  Needle and Ted
Miss Castelinhos  |  Made by Toya  |  Lil Luxe Collection  |  House of Estrela
Patty Made It  |  Paisley Roots  |  Rita Pirolita  |  Call Ajaire
So-cal Sewing Mom  |  Kiwi Crafty Chemist  |  Sew Shelly Sew  |  Made by Sara

Here's my creation:

I love the clean lines of Japanese patterns.  I only own 4 - 3 children's clothing, and 1 dog clothing generously gifted to me from the brains behind Bartacks and Singletrack.  I actually intended to make a dog outfit for my small pup, but I ran out of pattern tracing paper.  So, poor Sadie has to go without...for now.

I used the Pintuck Smock pattern from Happy Homemade Sew Chic Kids. Yes, it's translated into English.  I feel a bit like a cheat.  I made a long sleeve version which is what is shown on the dress version of the pattern.  I used the size 120 for my tall, skinny-ish 6 year old.  For the top, I used fabric from my shop - a lawn from Kokka.  Lawn really is a great choice for this pattern, in my opinion.  Being cheap with my fabric, I actually couldn't squeeze in the pattern pieces with a seam allowance for the hem, so I thought I'd add some lace.  Turns out, my kid really, really likes lace.  She squealed when she saw the back pockets on the shorts.

For the shorts, I used another pattern from Sew Chic Kids - Shorts with Back Pockets.  I really didn't even read the directions for these, as they are pretty simple shorts.  I made a size 110 in these as I wasn't sure if the kid would go for the long fairly oversized shorts.  Turns out she fits perfectly in the 110 and she was very happy with the shorts.  Next time, I think I"ll combine the pockets on the Knee Length Shorts pattern with this pattern as my child really likes both front and back pockets.  The fabric on the shorts is from the shop also - Denim Chambray Dobby from Robert Kaufman. 

Stuff I messed up on- I did the pintucks the wrong way.  I think they're supposed to stick out on the front side, not the back.  I didn't cut the front neck facing strip on the bias so it doesn't lay very well.  And, next time I make this top, I will use a plain fabric just so the sweet details show up better.

And, last but not least, there's a giveaway!

- One pack of 2 two Japanese Sewing books from Tuttle Publishing

- One pack of 2 two Japanese Sewing books from Tuttle Publishing

- A $40 fabric voucher from Urban Sew 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Word Up It's Word Girl!

I guess I like Halloween sewing.

Here's a few photos from the past few Halloweens....

Ok, so I didn't make the first one....but it's so cute I had to include it!  The only year that we didn't do trick or treat was when Julia was two...she was sick that year, sadly.

I could dig through my photo archives and find photos of my older kids....I recall a dalmatian, a bumblebee, and Humpty Dumpty.  Maybe I'll find photos of those in my spare time.

But, this year, Julia decided quite early who she wanted to be, and I knew it would be really easy - Word Girl from PBS Kids.  I actually love that show, so I was totally on board.

Here's the details:

I used Catalina knit from Robert Kaufman - I seriously love it!  It's 100% cotton and a great weight - perfect for this project.  The belt is Kraft-Tex paper fabric (which we sell in the shop) with a large grommet glued on.  The cape design was a great suggestion from Shelley at Bartacks and Singletrack to use the patter for the baby bib from Little Things to Sew by Liesl Gibson - worked perfectly!

Patterns used:

Playtime leggings from Oliver + S
School Bus t-shirt from Oliver + S
Cozy Winter Hood from Little Things to Sew
Messy Kid Bib from Little Things to Sew

A super easy costume! 

A Four Corners Butterfly....

You know how sometimes a particular fabric screams at you, demands to be made into a certain pattern RIGHT NOW?  Or is that only me?

Have you seen the new fabric line Four Corners by Simple Simon?  It's their first fabric line for Riley Blake, and we sell it in our shop.  Well, I was cutting some of this fabric for an order....a seriously bold print (right up my alley), black and white (also right up my alley) with gold metallic accents (right up Julia's alley)....so Julia saw me cutting this and asked me what I could make her from this fabric.

Lying on my table waiting to be used was the Butterfly Blouse and Skirt pattern from Oliver + S.  Yes, that would work!

So, while I still should be sewing school uniforms as my child really only has two complete outfits, I decided to join in with the Oliver + S Monochrome Challenge...even though the gold probably really doesn't count....

The skirt is a size 5.  I wanted a short cropped top and was looking at the Oliver + S Lunchbox pattern....but I knew I'd never make culottes.  So, I remembered the old standy - the Sailboat Top.  I made it in black ponte de Roma double knit from my shop.  I shortened it into a crop top and used snaps for the shoulder closures.   I used a size 6 to get the boxy look I was going for.

To get more use out of this adorable top, I decided to use some old gymnastics leotard fabric leftover from my leotard sewing days.....I used the Playtime leggings pattern from Oliver + S also.  I only have this pattern up to a size 4 and realistically should invest in the size 5.  This is a pattern I've gotten a TON of use out of if only for the leggings.  So these leggings are a size 4 with about 4 inches added to the length.

These have a kind of Peg Bundy vibe especially with the zebra print clogs.....I've stopped using elastic at the waist of this legging pattern and lower the waist by about 2 inches at the front and add ribbing.  Works perfectly.

Thanks for reading!!

Anyone For Origami?

I'm delighted to have the opportunity to participate in the world-wide fashion show being put on by Madeit Patterns to introduce their Fold 2 Collection.

Here's what they have to say about this collection:


Inspired by the Japanese art of origami our new collection brings you a fresh and modern range of patterns for stylish and adventurous kids.
Each piece incorporates unique detail; clever folds, beautiful pleats and concealed pockets.
We don’t think kids should save clothes for special occasions, we think they should look good everyday.

I chose to combine the Playsuit Top from the Supplement pattern with the Pocket Fold Skirt.  I asked my child to model, and model she did!

 Ok, so that's a lot of pictures!  As the inspiration was origami, I used  Urban Threads' Origami Crane to add detail to the center placket of the top.  All fabrics are from Robert Kaufman - white shirting, the plaid accents, and the lightweight denim skirt.

But, here's a sad note....my sewing machine died while making this outfit!  Luckily, I had - actually, Santa had - gifted Julia a Janome Hello Kitty machine last Christmas....so, this outfit was sewn on a Hello Kitty machine!  It worked great actually....I highly recommend it both as a kid's learning machine, and as an emergency backup!

The top was a quick sew, but the skirt definitely takes a bit of thought....the pattern directions are very clear, and the result is really impressive.  All seams are finished, the facings bound in contrast bias....very nice touches!

Definitely check out their patterns.....and giveaways on Instragram through tomorrow!

I hope you are as excited I am, here is the complete list of shows to keep your eye open for...

Monday 31 August

Kid Approved Girl Like the Sea Huisje Boompje Boefjes Our Chez Nous

Tuesday 1 September

Kimme Sew Crazy Pienkel East and Eden Chi Chi Romeo and Me

Wednesday 2 September

Neil and Nikki In a manner of Sewing Glitter + Wit Creative Needles and Threads As it Seams

thursday 3 September

Climbing the Willow Fliegfederfrei Fairies and Bubbles Co Sew Thrifty

Friday 4 September

Just Add Fabric So-Cal Sewing Mom Sansahash Miss Castelinhos Sewing Sober

Saturday 5 September

Made by Toya My Cosy Co Paisley Roots Diorella Fruits de Mère

Sunday 6 September

Round Up and Reviews: Needle and Ted Climbing the Willow Swoodson says