Happy New Year!

Soooooo.....it's 2017.  Here we are.

Since the last time I did a meanful blog post, my family has moved across the country, changed jobs, changed schools....quite an eventful 2016!

We are now living in Michigan and I must admit I'm having a bit of a tough time getting used to it.  I left a job I loved, all my friends, and my two adult sons in California.  It is nice with a ridiculously low cost of living here, and seasons!  I haven't lived in seasons since I moved away from Toronto in 1995.   We really enjoyed the fall, and are enjoying winter - for the most part!

We are continuing our fabric business, and will be traveling to Quiltcon in Savannah, GA in February, so that will be quite an adventure!  I'll be making up some sample garments, bags, and maybe even a quilt of some sort to take with us, and hopefully I will share them here.

I started 2017 out by actually completing a project!

This is the Franklin Dress from Brooklyn Pattern Company.  I had made the Bedford Dress previously, and the child loves and and gets compliments every time she wears it.  So I was confident in putting the Franklin Dress into rotation.

I made this from corduroy that has long been in my stash - it really could be about 15 years old!  I was indecisive as to the silhouette of this dress for a 7 year old - I was worried she may think it was too juvenile, so I added a belt that I slammed together....

I'm not convinced with the belt.  It needed to be smaller, and I need to actually add belt loops.  The kid's waist still measures 20", so I was worried making it too small and gathering all that corduroy!  I may re-visit the belt....

Either way, I quite like the dress, and Julia does too.  The construction is kind of odd in some spots, but generally, when I first make a pattern, I make it exactly as the designer indicates to ensure I don't screw up.  This dress is a size 6 with 8 length.

The bodice is Nani Iro double gauze from my shop - I went back and forth making the dress from the double gauze with the corduroy for the bodice - in the end, I decided to keep the extra double gauze and make a Bedford top for the summer - a win, win!

So, here it is - the first make of 2017....hopefully way more to come! 

Oliver + S School Days Jacket - Done!

So, after completing my post for the sew-a-long on the Oliver + S blog, the incomplete jacket sat on my sewing table for days and days, taunting me....

In between, we had two birthdays, complete with birthday celebrations at home, soccer, and school.  And, you know, life.

But, I persevered.

After all my research, poring through posts after posts on the Oliver + S forums, I realized there were many decisions/tinkerings to be made.  My final jacket is complete and here's the decisions I made:

• added interfacing (Pellon SF101) to the facings
• used pre-made toggle closures
• used magnetic snaps inside
• used quilting cotton for lining the hood and sleeves (designed by Liesl Gibson from my shop with a layer of Thinsulate (purchased from Amazon)
• used a fairly heavy corduroy for the main body
• used Polartec 100 for lining the body purchased here

And the final result:

 I absolutely love this jacket.  It's not a tough sew, and obviously the Oliver + S instructions are perfect.  There's a lot of steps, but they're all totally logical.  The jacket went together perfectly. 

This is a size 5 on my newly-turned-5-year-old:

 

I did think I was getting something by her, as I kept trying it on her while I was sewing and she didn't say anything.....but, when the jacket was complete, she said to me "you know I hate brown, right?"....ugh!  She does love the salmon-y color interior, so I'm hoping she'll wear it.

Then, since there was the lovely fleece still sitting on my sewing table, I whipped up a super-cute, very successful (per the child) outfit:

These are the Oliver + S Playtime leggings in a size 4 with about 3 inches added to the length.  A seriously perfect fit.  I used some Modern Workshop interlock knit from the shop - a great weight for leggings.  I love that the waist on these leggings is not high, nor too gathered.  The top is the Oliver + S Field Trip Raglan shirt made from the same Polartec 100 that I use to line the jacket.  I used a size 7 because of the weight of the fabric, actually with no modifications.  I added a hood, kangaroo pocket and bottom waistband and wristbands from self fabric.  The hood is lined with the Modern Workshop interlock.

I'm so happy with the result of my most recent sewing - really, this is why I sew.  I feel so accomplished when I create something.  Especially when the kid loves it too!

Isabella Dress

My daughter loves nothing more than a good pink dress.  That spins.  With no sleeves.  So, here you go - a new pattern from Ollie & Annie.  You can find the pattern here.

 

This is a size 4 with no modifications.  The embroidery, of course, is from Urban Threads.  I can't even look anywhere else for embroidery designs.

 

The corduroy is a 21 wale corduroy from Westminster from my shop.  It's perfect because she can wear this as a dress (and she already has) and once the weather cools down, she can wear it with a red long sleeved shirt underneath.

The Hemlock and Magnolia

Have you been looking for a couple of super easy, well put together, perfectly sized, girl approved patterns for your daughter?  Well, you can thank me.  Well, actually, you can thank Heidi at Elegance and Elephants.

Seriously cute.  The Hemlock Top has a great sleeve ruffle detail - easy to insert as it's not "too" ruffly.  You can make it in long sleeve or short sleeve.  For this top, I went into my husband's closet and grabbed one of his multitude of white t-shirts.  I worked with Julia on my first ever freezer paper stencil.  We traced the flower together, I cut it out, and Julia applied the paint.  Part of my on-going plan to engage her in the clothing making process to ensure that she will actually wear the things I made.

 

 The Magnolia Skirt comes with two options - one for a knit, and one for a woven.  How smart is that?  The knit is a bit wider to allow for even more "spin" - my version is made out of a very nice soft corduroy and even though it's fairly narrow fitting at the waist and through the hips, the bottom flares out - perfect for the girl who likes to spin.  Like mine.

More photos of the kid - seriously get the pattern.  It's releasing later this week.  And, if this isn't cute enough for you, check out some gorgeous photos of Heidi's daughter, and her other September release pattern in her very cool E&E Patterns Fall 2014 Look Book.

Thanks Heidi for letting me test your patterns!

Testing....The Hanami by Straightgrain!

Do you follow An from Straightgrain?  She blogs from Belgium, and makes the most adorable clothes for her daughter.  I think she likes the same type of fabrics and style for her daughter as I like for mine.  Her Tinny pattern is being "Flipped" over at Frances Suzanne this month - there's some amazing flips, and great creations in the Sew Along....there's still time to enter - and I happen to be one of the judges!

Well, An put out a call for testers for a new top/dress pattern that she was working on, and I was lucky enough to participate!  Here's the top, modeled by her absolutely adorable daughter - in some beautiful Nani Iro fabric no less:

 

She sent us off the pattern, and I got to work....so, what fabric to use?  Well, I knew that I was for sure going to be doing the flutter sleeve dress version for Julia, because that's what she likes.....no tunics for her!  

I chose a Japanese fabric from my shop - it's from Westex, and it's totally cool - there are bears, owls, squirrels, birds, mushrooms, bats....but, at the same time, it's very tastefully done.

Anyways, here's the modeled shots of my version of the Hanami dress - this is a size 4, and she definitely has room to grow, so this will last a while:

 

The dress, while simple to make, has two sleeve options, the length option, and ties on the sides.  I decides on a screaming orange contrast, mainly because, well, I like orange, plus my kid has some orange sandals.  She LOVES the dress - so much, in fact, that I made another:

 

This time, I used an aqua baby-cord that I had in my stash.  I added pockets on the sides, and a really bright pink bias contrast.  I was, again, very pleased with the result.  I think my favorite detail of this dress is the sweet "v" in the back. 

So, two dresses that my kid really loves - success!

Thanks An for letting me test the Hanami!  I bought the Tinny pattern before it was even getting "Flipped" at Frances Suzanne.  I'm going to make the circle skirt version real soon - just have to decide on fabric!

My Final Roller Skate Dress...

Well, for now.

My kid now has three Roller Skate Dresses, and two Roller Skate Tunics.  Enough already.

This one is meant for the first day of school - this year, Julia is going to a new school.  She's spent the last two years at a great school, but now she's going to head off to the Montessori school that her brother attended.  I'm really a believer in the whole Montessori thing, especially for a kid like mine who has a November birthday, and won't be eligible to attend kindergarten until she's almost six.  I worry that she'd get bored with yet another year of the same pre-school stuff.  I hope I'm making the right decision....

Anyways, I decided to make a dress based on what Julia's working on right now - writing her letters.  She can pretty much write her name so that someone could recognize it, and she can identify a few letters, every once in a while.

The dress, again, is the Oliver + S Roller Skate Dress.  This is made in a 3T, out of a lightweight stretch corduroy, lined with a bed sheet that I'm now using to line just about everything.

So, I can make this dress with my eyes closed.  For this one, I decided to add a practice writing paper border which I painstakingly satin stitched over a couple of days.  The letters are not perfect.  But, neither are my 3 year old's!

It's really soft and comfortable, and since I know my kid likes this pattern, I was pretty sure she'd be up for a modelling session...which, she was!

The back has a really cool pink button with little beads that go around that I've been hoarding in my button stash forever....this was the perfect project for it!  Again, I used a little hair elastic instead of trying to make a button loop out of fabric - it's much easier, and looks really cute.

Here's a close-up of the satin stitching - hardly perfect, but does work.....

I've got a bunch of other back-to-school projects piled up and ready to go....ready for a new school year!

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!

Cold Weather in SoCal....

At the beginning of the past week, the temperatures plunged....well, plunged as far as they go in Southern California.  When I left for work at 5:30 in the morning, the temperature was 45 degrees.  People were freaking out....wearing scarves, gloves, etc.  The Easterner in me knows that this was hardly cold....

My daughter doesn't have a winter coat, because "winter" is so fleeting around here.  I decided to try a pattern from Figgy's that I had always liked, but never tried - the Nituna jacket.

The pattern gives two options - a single layer such as wool coating or fleece, or a lined version.  I opted for the lined version and decided to use a blue corduroy and some quilting cotton designed by Liesl Gibson from her Ladies Stitching Club line.  The minute I saw this fabric, I knew that I was going to use some and coordinate with the beautiful shade of blue in the fabric.

I started this jacket at the beginning of the week, working on a teeny bit every night after work.  First tracing the pattern, then cutting/marking, and finally by Friday was able to sew it together.

Of course, by that time, the temperature was about 75 degrees during the day.....

I really like the finished jacket.  I made it in a size 2/3 with the length of a 4/5.  Typically, my daughter, a tall skinny 3 year old, wears between a 4 and a 5 in ready to wear, and I typically sew a size 3 with 4 length in patterns.  The sizing on this is generous to say the least.....

This is the first time I'd used one of Figgy's patterns.  It went together very well.  If I were to make this again, I think I'd actually use the smallest size (18 month) and length somewhere between the 2/3 and 4/5 for the sleeves.  I believe that perhaps it's sized so generously to accommodate most people's winter clothing underneath like heavy sweaters, but we don't typically have need for those here.

Corduroy plus quilting cotton make a great weight for our purposes.  Paired with a turtleneck jersey, I'm sure that this jacket will be quite warm enough for my kid to play in the sandbox at school on our coldest "winter" day.