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!!

The "Claire" Pajamas

I got to test a very sweet pajama pattern for Lindsay Wilkes at The Cottage Mama.  As they're being released tomorrow, I don't know exactly how she is going to describe them, but I would say they're a very cute, fairly girly pajama pattern that includes both a nightgown, and top/bottom.  I jumped on the chance to test the nightgown, as that's what my kid really prefers.

Sometimes, when you do testing for a new pattern, the pattern is off.  Things don't add up perfectly, seams don't match, directions are lacking.  Well, this one went perfectly.  I made my daughter a size 4, with 5 length, which is what I am making her in everything right now.  The fit is spot on.  They went together perfectly.

Super-cute, eh!  These are made in some Riley Blake flannel from my shop.

Seriously, Riley Blake flannel is amazing - washes up really soft, doesn't pill.  It's not like it's super-expensive, but it's not $1.99/yard like you can get flannel at some of the big box stores.  To me, it's worth it if I'm going to spend the time making something, I want it to last.  And, my kid will not wear it if it's not.

For another go-round of this pattern, I'm going to leave off the neck ruffle.  My daughter is very sensitive to anything coming anywhere near her neck, and even though it barely touches her neck, and the fabric is very soft, I prefer to avoid any issues!

And, the pattern comes with a matching doll pattern!  Once it's released, you can get it here.

Happy Homemade - A Beachy Pull Over Parka...

So there was a sew-a-long going on over at You and Mie and Elsie Marley.  I'm not a huge sew-a-long person, but this one made me FINALLY break out a Japanese pattern book and make something.

Granted, I bought this book in English.  I have a ton of Japanese pattern books, and have yet to make a thing from them.  Mostly, it seemed like so much work - hunt out the pattern pieces, trace, add seam allowances, try to figure out the directions.  Well, now, having made one pattern from a Japanese book (even if it was in English) did make me really want to actually use the books I already have.

The pattern they chose was the Pull Over Parka.  I had seen this pattern made up tons of times in blog-land.  I was always kind of wishy-washy about it.  But, I really wanted to sew along, so I decided to make my kid one that's kind of beach inspired.  One of the things that Julia and I really like to do together is go to the beach and walk, and collect shells.  So, obviously, she needed a big pocket.  That's the inspiration.

I used some Riley Blake fabric for the contrast, and whale embroidery.  The main parka is made from white linen - yes, I'm a brave woman - white linen on a 4 year old...

So, my thoughts on the pattern - the neckline bugs me.  It's too low.  Other than that, there's things I really like - I like the bound neckline.  I like the drawstring waist.  This is a size 110 and it fits perfectly.  I like the ability to make a sweatshirt-type garment from a woven.

All in all, I'm really happy I did this.  There's other super-cute dress patterns in the book and now I won't be intimidated to try them at all!  Thanks to Meg and Cherie for organizing the sew-a-long and giving me some inspiration!

The Spinny Tinny

So my daughter named this the "spinny" dress.  Aptly named.

I've been working on this one a while.  Not because it was hard, necessarily.  I've been doing it bit by bit, and FINALLY finished.

The pattern is the Tinny dress by Straightgrain.  I've made her Hanami dress a couple of times, and they're some of Julia's most worn dresses.  The Hanami is a pretty basic sew, but the Tinny is definitely more detailed.  There's tons of options, and one of these is a circle skirt.  Knowing my kid, I knew that the ultra spinny circle skirt would make her happy.

I was right.

Yup, she loves it.

The sewing details - the dress has options for the collar, the sleeves, and the skirt.  It has an invisible zipper in the back - the first time I've ever done one in all my many years of sewing!  And, yeah, what was I waiting for.....looks SO professional, and was really easy.

I used some 100% cotton from Riley Blake - a little floral from their Matryoshka line from my shop.  I thought it went with the retro vibe of the dress. 

Problem is, for some reason, I thought I should start making size 5's.  Well, I was wrong.  The bodice was way too big.  So, I put a couple of pleats in the back and took in probably about 4 inches.   It fits much better, but for sure next time I'm going to make a size 4.  I added a bias strip at the waist, mostly because my husband said it needed something.  I think I like it.  I would have added it all the way around the waist, but I was literally looking in the trash for more scraps of the contrast purple.  It just wasn't meant to be.

So, a highly recommended pattern!!!  I'll be making another one soon.....

New Jammies!

My kiddo is turning 4 in about two months.  It makes sense that she wears a size 4 now....so why am I so sad?  She actually out-grew a size 3 Oliver + S Bedtime Story PJ's pattern....luckily, once I discovered Oliver + S patterns, I made a point to stock up on the larger sizes, knowing that ultimately, this youngest daughter of mine would grow up....

I used some really soft, cozy flannel - one from Riley Blake, and the other from Westminster.  Both are conveniently located in my shop, which makes it really easy to choose for my kid's wardrobe!  In fact, even she knows where to look when we're talking about a new dress....just this morning, she suggested I make a new dress for her, and she headed off toward the bolts of fabric....smart girl!

I've made pajamas from this pattern before, and I knew how easy it was.  Julia really likes them; I think it's kind of like wearing a nice, cuddly robe....the pattern is no longer in paper version, but you can still download it from the Oliver + S site. 

Here's the result of my weekend sewing:

I've got one more pair of these to sew, and she should be good for "winter" pajamas. 

I've got a TON of stuff cut out and ready to go....now I only need the time!

Kids Clothes Week - The Beginning....

So I kicked off my Kids Clothes Week yesterday.  But, the planning began a while ago....

Really, my kid doesn't need any clothes for summer.  But, what little girl doesn't need a green blazer?  Really?

I used a pattern from Blank Slate Patterns - the Basic Blazer.  It's a boy's pattern, but no reason that a girl can't wear it - I would!  The sizing goes from 18 months to 8 (how cute would a 18 month size blazer be?!) so the pattern is well worth it.  I never made a pattern from this site before, but after making this blazer, certainly would buy another....

The fabric is corduroy, made by Westminster/Free Spirit from my shop.  The color is really like the photo above - the color is a bit off in the modeled photos.  The chevron is Riley Blake, also from my shop.  This is a size 3T on my 3 year old...

I was really pleased with how this went together.  The instructions were great.  I tried to girly it up a bit and added a faux belt thing in the back, and the wrist strap thingys....

If/when I make this again, I would maybe put some interfacing in the front facing area and collar.  I didn't think about it at the time, but in the photos, the front looks a bit floppy for my liking.  The corduroy is very soft, so maybe if it was made in denim, or another stiffer fabric, it may lie better.  But, overall, I really, really liked the pattern.  It will definitely go in my pattern rotation....

This took maybe 3-4 hours total....not a bad start to Kids Clothes Week!

Soft, Cozy, Bedtime Story PJ's

The Oliver + S Bedtime Story pajama pattern was one of the first I wanted, and of course was out of print before I discovered O+S patterns.  It took a while to hunt it down, then, for some reason, I never sewed them....

My kid actually needed pajamas since the weather FINALLY turned a bit cooler.  I chose some really sweet flannel from Riley Blake from their Alphabet Soup line.  I love the colors.

They are a size 3T, with plenty of room to grow.  I'm sure I can use this pattern for another year, and lengthen it before I need to buy the size up.

It really makes a huge difference getting flannel that is bit more expensive, rather than buying the crap sold at Joann's.  I've purchased flannel from there before - on sale - and it was a huge special - like $1.97 a yard or something.  Well, they got all pilly, and rough.  So, what was the point of saving a few dollars....

Here's the pajamas...

And, some modeled shots with the actual morning-hair!

She likes them - proclaimed them "soft and cozy" - and volunteered for photos.  What more can I ask?!

She is kind of a nut sometimes.....

A Quick Sailboat...

I've been really busy trying to get my shop up and running.  It's really a ton of work, but I'm really excited that it's heading in a good direction - we actually have some cool stock, are making sales, and am having fun working on this with my husband.  He calls himself the "unpaid intern" for the business.... but that's another story!

I took a couple of minutes to make a quick sailboat skirt from some fabric that I've had in my stash for years and years.  I'm pretty sure that it's from Osh Kosh - there was a time where I had access to buy Osh Kosh fabric, and I bought a ton of it for my oldest kids.  It obviously never got used....

It's a very heavy twill - probably more suited to shorts or pants, but my daughter insists on skirts and dresses.

I added some Riley Blake mini-poms around the edge....I love how they looked - and it dawned on me while I was putting them in that the little hats actually have pom-poms on them!  It wasn't really easy though to put these in - I inserted them just like you'd insert piping, but I think I need more practice....which, I'll most likely get because I think these are so cute it's worth it.

I didn't want to purchase any buttons, and had the choice between plain white, and the red anchor buttons in my button jar.  The white were too plain, and the red were too small, so I got out some super glue and glued them together....I lined up the holes with a pin and they went together perfectly.

The model was WAY less than cooperative this evening.....after school - before dinner.....not the best time to gain cooperation from a two year old!

I made this in a 3T - fits perfectly.  Next time, I might make a 3T and add an inch or two...

KCWC - Day 1

I put these dates in my phone, so I'd remember to carve out time to sew each day.  I've been looking forward to this week, and have a bunch of things cut out and ready to go.  That's not cheating, is it??!!

I started with a pattern I had downloaded - "Kate's Dress" by Lily Bird Studios.  I purchased it here:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheLilyBirdStudio#.

I had no idea how the sizing ran, so I made a size three for my tall-ish 2 year old - who will be 2.5 in about three weeks.  The dress went together without a hitch.  Although I've been sewing for a bazillion years, this was my first time with piping.  I put my zipper foot on my machine, and was pleased at how it came out.  I used the string that we use to tie up poultry inside the piping - no idea what other people do, but it worked just fine.  In retrospect, since I've never used piping before, I'm sure it would have come out better if I had used the other view included with the pattern, which has a much larger rounded yoke, with no corners to try to turn.

The sizing may be a bit on the small size, and I'm toying with the idea of either chopping if off and making a tunic to wear with leggings, or adding a ruffle and making it longer.  I think it's kind of a funky length right now.....

I do like the back now that I step back and look at it better, but as I was sewing it, I was thinking I may do a placket back if I try the pattern again.  I like it better since I'm happy with my buttons.  I'm kind of a button-perfectionist...

The sleeves are absolutely adorable to me, which is why I think a ruffle at the bottom may just make this the perfect, totally easy dress!

Fabric is from Riley Blake - purchased with absolutely no plan in mind!