Very Peri! (Pantone Party 2022 with PR&P)

I was excited when I was asked to participate in the Pantone Party over at Project Run and Play again!! This year’s color of the year is Very Peri, and it’s a soft purple-y blue shade that has spring written all over it. I immediately set to work shopping the Project Run&Play website for looks with my browser open to Raspberry Creek‘s offerings at the same time, and am so excited to share what I came up with!!

First, I knew I needed to use this gorgeous oatmeal floral with shades of very peri along side so many other gorgeous colors, printed on the softest stretchiest oatmeal french terry base ever….I need so much more. I paired it with lilac stripe on white cotton lycra, and some gray chambray. I have been enamored with the Tintin Trousers for awhile and this was my chance to actually make them, so they were the launching point for this capsule.

I used the gray chambray naturally and it was perfect for them. I did the cuffed version with the ruffle waist and belt (plus beltloops) and they are beyond adorable and look so comfy. I do wish the pattern had layers, but it sewed up so quickly that it was easily forgiven….plus maybe I want it printed in every size ever anyway now that I see how well they go together!!

Next, she needed a shirt of course so I went with the Banana Boat tee. I love the little cuffed sleeves and cinched up sides. Such a quick and satisfying sew!! It is finished with a facing at the neckline and so I knew it would be harder for her to find front and back while dressing herself, so rather than a tag on the back I went with an iron on decal for the front chest that brought in some of the colors on the floral.

I used a little bit of the chambray for the sleeve tabs as well instead of more of the stripes.

Next up, I wanted a sweater for it all….and this is probably where things got a little out of hand. I was going to hack the Story Tunic and Dress into a little cardigan….but I was staring at my odd scraps of fabric and thinking how much I really hate storing scraps, and decided at this point to turn it into a capsule and keep sewing until every last bit of fabric was gone. Rather than making a Story cardigan, I went straight for the Story in tunic length as is, save the drawstring I added to the bottom to cinch it up to top length or leave it as a long tunic by adjusting that tie.

After my three main pieces were created and done, I started seeing what I could make from the rest as well as thinking what she could use most. Joggers are always a good choice, so I used the Jingle joggers out of the floral with cuffs and waistband in the stripe, plus more of the contrast stitching. I love how comfy her upscale sweats look!! All the floral was exhausted at that point, it was a sad but satisfying moment.

For the chambray, I went with the Novella Pinafore as I had just enough for the a line version. I lined the pocket and waistband in the stripes as well and did some more contrast stitching. It got finished off with nice big polka dot buttons.

Last up, a simple pair of leggings….I branched out a teeeeeeny bit from project run&play and used my tried and true Sofiona Rocky Shore pattern….Sherri, half of the genius behind Sofiona, is a former PR&P winner and her Aurora Raglan pattern is on the site, so it’s PR&P adjacent, right? But the Frances leggings would be an amazing choice also.

Three yards of gorgeous Raspberry Creek Fabric.…all sewed up without a bit too spare! Love her new mini capsule!! Thanks so much to Raspberry Creek and Project Run and Play for providing fabric and patterns to make this happen.

Project Run+Play (All the World’s a Stage)

First things first….thanks for your support for weeks 1&2! Excited to sew for week 3….well, with some reservations. Voting link is here, too.

I love a good cosplay. I’ve spent nearly a decade perfecting our family costumes and have really pushed my sewing abilities doing them, from my youngest son’s first halloween that was mostly glue gun to today. However, since moving to Ireland that has shifted a ton. There’s a lot less costume parades in nice sunny weather here, and the holiday is much more to it’s macabre roots and much less Disney Princess. Not to mention that it’s super cold and rainy in October, trick or treating is a little different than Florida.

This year, it’s even harder since Ireland is on full lockdown so there’s just that tiny extra added layer of apathy from me. My older two refuse to family costume anymore, so the weight of my Halloween love is on my younger two. The littlest has declared her love for Elsa, so that leaves this guy who is still OBSESSED with dress up, and I was willing to make it magical for him. His current favorite movie is Into the Spider-Verse, since what is better than one arachnid related superhero? TONs of them, so I set to work on making him the best Miles Morales I could.

Now, if you read all that you know by now that this costume needed to be one part fun but all the parts wearable beyond this slightly non-existent holiday, so my goal was to create durable, long lasting clothing more than a costume.

Let’s start with the jacket. I used stretch twill in petrol from Dress Fabrics, adding fusible fleece for some puffy loft. After fusing it, I added some subtle horizontal quilting stitches. I used the Ollie Bomber Jacket from Sew a Little Seam because it is a near identical match to the inspiration, but went up a size since I was using bulky non knit fabrics. I did the welt pockets and collar version to keep it close to the look, adding the lining fabric inside the pockets to peek out ever so slightly. For the lining, I used stretch jersey in a beige marl provided by Minerva. I love how the petrol and beige look with each other, super smart. I went ahead and fully finished all inside seams, adding a little red hanging loop as well. Now, to take it up a notch I decided to make it have a zip out lining like so many of their ready to wear jackets. I started by cutting the lining down 1.5″ to add a strip of the main fabric as a facing, then added another zip between the lining and that facing. I switched the orientation of that zip by flipping around the slider so it is ‘backwards’ from the usual. I also made sure it was shorter and was above the bottom binding. On the sleeve cuffs and back neckband, I added twill tape strips (also from Minerva) with snaps to hold the inner lining in place.

For the zip out lining, I used brushed back sweat in red from Dress Fabrics. I constructed a basic hoodie by combining a few patterns (New Horizons Designs 11th Hour Gear tee for the basic shape, shortened and sized up wit a raised adjusted neckline for a hoodie shape, Ollie Bomber hood since I wanted a 3 piece hood that was nice and full, and the kangaroo pocket from the New Horizons Tami Hoodie). I added little twill loops on the cuffs and behind the hood to attach it to the outer shell. I also used ribbing on the inside neckline of the hood to make it more finished, plus another hanging loop. The zipper was a little complicated again since it needed to be able to zip from the outside when wearing as a hoodie and the inside when it zips into the jacket, so I had my husband take apart a zipper pull and solder an extra pull to the inside of the zip I used for the hoodie. Last, I used more of the twill tape to finish the inside of the zip.

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Next up, a solid pair of twill shorts. I wanted a basic pair that he can wear again and again, and wanted lots of clean finishes. I used the Grady pattern from Sew a Little Seam for these, doing all the options–front slant pockets with facings, fitted waistband, back welt pockets, fully functional zip fly. I added a few of my own touches, changing up the belt loops a little, adding flaps with snaps over the back welts (because if you’re going to take forever making welts might as well cover them, right? haha), and I used french seams on the inseam and red bias tape on the outseam so that I could do a little roll cuff and have a tiny touch of the red show to coordinate with the rest of the look. The outer fabric is more stretch twill from Dress Fabrics, and the lining is a basic cotton I stole from my mom’s stash as it reminded me of preppy spiderman for whatever reason.

I made a super quick belt out of some cotton webbing (thanks, Sarah!), adding eyelets for holes. I had the husband help by 3d printing a belt buckle that I spray painted in silver and riveted on to the webbing.

Now those are my super tailored touches, but it was still a super hero costume deep down so I had to break out some spandex. I used black and red sports lycra from Dress Fabrics to make the undersuit. Let’s start with the leggings since those were the fastest part of this costume. I started with Jalie 3242 as it’s my go to for his top drawer, with some slight mods that I do like using a dart instead of a full seam on the front panel. I lengthened them to leggings length by laying them over a legging pattern (I don’t even remember which…) and then added a basic yoga waist rather than exposed elastic that I’d usually use. He got a hint of htv spider webs on the thighs too to make them a little more exciting. They will get lots of use as a base layer for outside play on a cold day or weekly cold Saturday Morning Soccer. For the top, I started with a basic raglan (streamline tee from New Horizons) and raised the neckline and added a mock turtleneck, plus some colorblocking to match the inspiration, and of course lots of htv webs and the iconic red spider.

BTW. I HATE spiders. It had to be said.

The top can serve double duty, both as a base layer like the leggings and as a rash guard for summer. Oh triple duty, since he can wear it for saving the city and all.

Last, the absolute least useful parts but the ones that were just totally necessary to make this guy’s day. Gloves were simple, I traced his hand, added seam allowance and a colorblock line, and made them out of scrap lycra. The mask, I took circumference measurements of his head and neck in a few places, and height measures, transferred it to paper to get a basic head shape, added seam allowance and darts for shaping. I cut a little bit of web vinyl for the front, then started on those eyes. I had the hubby step in again with his 3d printer obsession hobby and made the lenses. Those got a coat of red paint and then I sandwiched some white mesh between them and the mask with lots of different glues. When he tried it on he expressed distaste for the amount of glue so I of course added more glue to attach some craft foam on the inside for comfort. Last, it got a zipper up the back to make it easier to get on and off. Now, I am not pretending these pieces are for anything other than dress up purposes but they really do help complete the look.

note, the amount of time devoted to a piece is equal to the amount of wear I expect it to get….

So there you have it. If I had my way, and we were back in Florida I’d be making myself into Dr. Octavius….forcing the littlest into a a Spider-Ham and big sis into a SpiderGwen….making the oldest be out-of-shape SpiderMan, and then the husband could be Kingpin….but alas. Just Miles this year. So enjoy some costumes from year’s past since this era has come to an end for our family….and then don’t forget to vote!!

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also, please vote

Project Run+Play (Week 2 Cut it Up)

VOTING IS HERE

Thanks for all the support for week 1!! Glad to sew for week 2 (even if it is by default) and so so excited to share this little guy and his new duds!

That’s a Galway Hooker in the background, little lesson on ships for you.

I am so not a quilter. I tried it once, and learned I do not have the stamina for sewing tiny pieces together. I imagine I will become a quilter in my old age for some reason as by then I will have so much fabric that massive quilts will be the only answer, but for now, not my thing.

I started with the jeans because when I heard the theme, it reminded me of patchwork jeans I was obsessed with as a teen (probably something like these-cringe). I wanted it to be subtle and geometric, so started with two pairs of jeans of my own that no longer fit well and are not in style, but are near the same shade. I painstakingly cut them both into 4″ squares, then took about half those squares to make isosceles triangles. Next, I stitched all the triangles into new squares, sometimes using matching pairs, sometimes rotating wefts, some wrong side out, etc. Then I stitched squares together to make the textile I used. Each stitchline also got topstitched of course. I used the hammer A LOT to pound down seams to be as flat as I could, and offset rows of squares to help too. I really wanted a random and subtle feel and think I achieved it.

I cut my patchwork denim into Grady Jeans from Sew A Little Seam, lining them completely with cotton jersey (from So Sew English) for comfort and warmth. I used the method from the Cpt. Comfort Jeans from Patterns for Pirates for this, topstitching the inseam together so the lining does not shift. I love the clean inside finish.

I also gave them a ribbing and elastic waistband for comfort, adding a faux drawstring from scraps as well to tie in the lining. I did a cuffed hem for the bottom so he could let them out when he grows taller.

For the back pockets, I stitch ripped them off the original pair of jeans and added some freehand decorative stitching. He chose the design of course (I was voting robot, in case you were wondering). I went ahead and did lots of traditional jean stitching in the same chartreuse as the lining because green is his favorite. I skipped the flatfell seams I’d usually use for jeans because of the bulk, choosing instead to stitch as normal, serge edges, and topstitch the seams. Going over some of those seams had my machine wishing for a break for sure!!

Next, I made him a colorful top. He has been asking for a rainbow top for awhile, and even drew me this picture.

anyone else see the most fab choir robe ever?

I decided to tone it down just a bit and went with a more subtle rainbow, in muted colors (colorful jersey here is all from Mibs fabrics and Little Legs Fabrics, solid charcoal and aubergine from Dress Fabrics). I used the Dia Sweater from Misusu to start, cutting apart the plain front panel to create my own colorblock lines. He saw the drawing I had made to plan out the top and insisted on MORE COLOR (channeling his inner Christopher Walken from that cowbell SNL sketch, as I don’t think there could ever be enough color for him) so I used the shoulder seam line on the sleeve pattern to cut the sleeves in half and add a folded strip of fabric, topstitching the seam allowance and folded edge after constructing. I topstitched each panel on the front using the neighboring color, and also added contrast topstitching along the shoulder seams.

For the neckband, I wanted to do a clean finish inside so I added some bias tape made from the same fabric as the jeans pockets (Michael Miller Birds of a Feather from QuiltYarnStitch, it seems to capture most of the colors I used here). I went ahead and did the high low hem as well because it is just such a cool shape.

He has also frequently been jealous of his sister’s ability to carry all her things in a purse when we go to town, so a shoulder sling bag seemed like a great solution. His wallet never fits in his pocket and he likes to carry snacks (we bring snacks EVERYWHERE and not just because young kids never stop eating, this guy is celiac and can rarely trust food out and about)…he also excitedly told me that he can bring his own hand sanitizer and mask now….kids these days….so I set to work on my first bum bag.

I should mention that like I’m not a quilter, I’m also most definitely not a bag maker either. That is a whole other skill and I am in awe of the bag makers I follow. I made my own textile again, using selvages that I stitched together and then fused onto fleece interfacing for structure. I cut the pattern pieces for the bag on a diagonal for the textile to really shine, and added navy piping between panels to highlight the shape.

For the zipper, I wanted one with an interesting bronze pull to tie in the metal I used elsewhere and not just a basic navy dress zip, so I zipped the pull off of one of those decorative lace zips and added it onto my basic navy one. I made the strap to be the purple leatherette of the back of the bag on one side and the birds of a feather fabric from the lining on the other (same fabric as that bias and the jeans pockets). Thankfully, the bag made it to photos as he stole it the second I finished it and it was hard to wrestle back.

Last but not least, he needed to be warm as well since fall in Ireland is no joke for us Floridians, so a convertible scarf to the rescue. I started by determining the width and length that would make a good place to stick his cold little hands inside (all done through the highly technical ‘hold still while I measure you’ method) and then cut lots more squares (and triangles) to make sawtooth star panels out of marled grey jersey (more So Sew English), using this Flying Geese method since it seemed fitting at the moment. You know, the sleep deprived moment.

I added invisible zips at the top of the last panels and pockets from the same reverse french terry (stash fabric, think it was from Love Adore?) that’s on the back for a place for him to keep his hands nice and cozy. We learned during the photo shoot that he can easily hold hands with me without taking them out of the scarf pockets, and if he puts his bag of treats in there he can eat while maintaining the hand hold as well. Clutch. I used zips with the colors of his top for a little more fun, even if you only see a teeeensy bit of them. Next, I added snaps along the bottom edges so that it can turn into an infinity scarf if he’s moving around a lot, another reason I used zips on the pockets instead of just open pockets so that any tiny treasures don’t go flying.

My husband pointed out that I made him look fairly European….but….I mean…how cool is this kid? I assume that it was a compliment.

Don’t forget to vote for this week and if you made it all the way to here reading, congrats to you!!! Bonus pic of my cool six year old for you! Also, don’t forget to vote if you want to see me compete next week 😉

Project Run+Play (Week 1 – Lovely Layers)

voting is here!!

I cannot believe it’s really here….after so many sew along shares, I’m actually COMPETING in Project Run+Play!! Week 1’s theme is Lovely Layers, which is absolutely perfect since fall here in Ireland came very suddenly it seems, and layers are currently a must.

I started off with C’s look, with the plaid as my inspiration as it just seems so fall right now. It is a rayon blend that I orignally bought for myself from Joanns a few years ago. I knew it needed to be a button down shirt dress, channeling flannels from years past. I started with the Sew a Little Seam Birch shirt for the basic shape, making it loose and dress length with a swing/a line skirt. I also made gathered cap sleeves that gather in at the wrist and billow out, as it’s currently my daughter’s absolute-favourite-sleeve-ever-that-needs-to-be-on-everything. I did pearl snaps for a little bling as well.

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Under it, I made a basic fitted New Horizons Designs Key West Tank from white cotton lycra, adding vinyl on the front and down the back (she’s a HUGE Greatest Showman fan) because every loose flowy button down needs a fitted tank, right?

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And every dress here always gets leggings, so I started with Rocky Shore Tights from Sofiona Designs out of my new favourite legging fabric (knit stretch denim from FabricRomance.ie). I made them higher waist and used the Tamarack Tights waistband, and also added functional metal zippers at the bottom (thanks, Minerva!) .

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Next, instead of a jacket or coat I went with a gillette from this leather/fur fabric I’ve hoarded for way too long (also Joanns). I started with the Tanacross from New Horizons Designs, shortening the collar piece as well as the overall length and binding the front and armholes with leather bias from Minerva-gotta love a mitred corner! I used flat fell seams throughout on account of the fur shedding. I left off the sleeves obviously, and also left out the button as I liked it more as a cascading open front look, and she can belt it in if she chooses.

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When she tried it all on, I decided it needed a belt to pull it all together, so I cut up a purse strap, added some snaps, d-ring and chain (the chain keeps the d-ring from falling off while also allowing it to be adjustable) to cinch it all in.

I love that she can wear the dress on it’s own, or as a duster cardi. And she can wear this look without the dress and it still rocks. Lots of options with some basic pieces.

Little sis could not be left out, so I started with a (self drafted) layered skirt for her from some poly cotton spandex from So Sew English. I made the layers assymetrical to give it a little more edge, and then decided it should just be a dress so added a basic bodice and long sleeves, using the Patterns for Pirates Boundless as inspiration with a few small neckline tweaks.

For her leggings, I layered double galloon lace over cotton lycra, using Rocky Shore tights from Sofiona Designs again for the basic shape. I made them more of a capri length to highlight the lace edge above her boots, hemming the lining above where the lace ends.

Next, she needed a cardigan that was a little sweet and sassy like her, so I started with the New Horizons Vermont Cardigan out of some mint cotton lycra (and altered it so it was assymetrical, as well as slashed and spread the top to have it gather (thanks, Pinterest for the inspiration on that one). I did lots of snaps so her look could be a little bit metal too.

Last, she got a beanie from brushed back sweat lined in cotton lycra (from Dress Fabrics and Quilt Yarn Stitch, respectively) with a fur pom on top. I used the Patterns for Pirates slouchy beanie as a launching point there, lining it, altering the shape ever so slightly and leaving off the bottom band.

I really love how it all came together, both girls look a little sweet and a little edgy and are snuggly warm for the cool weather 🙂

VOTE HERE!!

Maternity Capsule

I have completed Phase 1 of my Maternity Wardrobe! I say phase 1, because of course I already have plans to expand it and include more 🙂

When planning, I took into account a few things.

• I don’t currently own maternity clothes (purged with the move).
• I’m a stay at home mom so I already wear a lot of things that could work well for awhile (leggings, jogger pants, slouchy tops).
• I live someplace cold, but will be travelling while pregnant (Mediterranean Cruise! and a month in Florida) so knew I would need clothes that work for variety of climates.
• I didn’t want to make jackets, sweaters, etc that are dedicated maternity items, but instead plan to use existing ones I own and layer up.

This is my fourth pregnancy so I know what I like to wear later on….some tops that will cover my belly and not ride up and dresses that are easy to throw on are must haves, as well as at least one pair of full belly panel jeans. I also knew that I wanted clothes to be somewhat nursing friendly so that they would work postpartum as well.

Here’s what I came up with! Just imagine a huge belly for all of them instead of my “I ate a few burritos too many” look.

First up, the jeans. I used the SOS pants pattern from Patterns for Pirates with the over belly maternity band from their pirate peg legs pattern. The fabric is denim look french terry from LA Finch. I wish I had way more yardage of that french terry. It is slightly stiff so it looks and feels like denim from the outside, but it’s slightly stretchy and soft like a sweatshirt on the inside. Perfection. For the belly band, I used some performance knit athletic wicking fabric from LA Finch, so breathable and soft but nice firm hold so they stay up great.

These are by far the most perfect pair of jeans ever. I have already worn them a couple times and my non maternity jeans still fit just fine (I pushed out belly for pics haha)

Next, nice comfy dress. I went with the Boundless dress from Patterns for Pirates, tank option. It has sleeves available in the pattern but wanted more versatility and figured I could easily layer. The floral is double brushed poly from Knitpop and the cream is bamboo jersey sheets from target (I bought a sheet set years ago on clearance for the sole purpose of using the fabric). It has nice roomy pockets also that I put a little lower than the pattern suggests because I was worried about having them too high with a growing belly….I maybe shouldn’t have lowered them as much as I did though. They are definitely still functional.

It was from this dress that I made most of the rest of the fabric choices….so next up, I made a pair of Layer Me Up tank tops with the maternity add on (sides are ruched with elastic and there’s more space for a bump). Really love how these turned out. The teal one is luxe rayon from LA Finch, the other is some viscose jersey from Minerva Crafts.

My favorite maternity t shirt through previous pregnancies was a simple black v neck. Perfect for when you dribble food on your belly because you are too awkward to eat like an adult (only me?), so I used the Favorite Tee pattern with the LMU maternity mod to make my own (luxury viscose jersey from Dress Fabrics).

I felt pretty good about basics at this point. With these tops and some existing oversized tunic ones I own, I can make a lot of outfits happen. On to some outerwear to layer over them!

First up, the Mama Claire hoodie. I love my other Mama Claires I’ve made and know from the roomy fit I didn’t need modifications for maternity (when you sew it up with drapey fabric that is, fabric like cotton lycra or brushed poly hugs the body more). It’s sparkly gold/beige sweater knit from Dressfabrics.ie that reads a little olive in my opinion, so layers well with everything so far.

I wrote a whole post on how I hacked this already.

Next, Pumpkin Spice Dolman. It’s a super neutral taupe french terry (Also from knitpop) so think it will match everything. This is an incredibly roomy fit top so I didn’t do any modifications for it, either. I hate the pocket so let’s ignore that for now…it’s being removed later. For both of these, I went with the banded hem to help anchor it under the growing belly.

Last, some more bottoms to pair with all of these. The Pirate Pencil skirt is maybe not so functional here in Ireland, but it will come in handy on the cruise and in Florida. Also, it can be styled as a scarf or tube top according to a huge mega clothing company, so I went with it. I added a modified maternity band to it, kinda like a contoured waistband for a little extra space. I don’t remember where this fabric came from either…feels like a not very stretchy cotton lycra.

And last, some athletic leggings. I have had this issue with my gym leggings not fitting so well over my burrito belly so needed some gymwear….but figured they could also double as just fun leggings for later on when the gym is not so attractive to me. I used athletic nylon spandex from LA Finch so they are super breathable and comfortable to wear, in all weather. I did the low waist maternity band from the peg legs pattern.

And yeah, they are covered in martinis and wine glasses…so maybe not a maternity print per se, but I can think of drinks I once used to enjoy?

Now, the fun part. Here’s some combinations I came up with using all these pieces. I tried very hard to make sure they all worked together and feel I achieved that. I have existing clothes to mix in also, and plans for future items already but it feels pretty stand alone as is. Should make packing easy!

Any other combinations you see? What else would you include? Next up….Mama Isabel dress/duster cardi out of some taupe/black/teal/mustard print…another favorite tee in mustard luxe, some brassie joggers in a floral mustard/black print, a Kingston jacket in denim, maybe with french terry sleeves and a hood, an Emma top in navy/flourescent yellow print, some white skinny jeans……okay, maybe overly ambitious. We will see what I manage to finish!

**This post contains some affiliate links to help fund my sewing addiction….opinions are always mine though!

The doggies’ beds

Yep, that’s right, doggies, we have multiple doggies.

And all these pups need nice, comfy, plushy beds to sleep on.  But have you seen the price of dog beds in pet stores? Ridic. Really.  So we just make our own! We use the three inch thick foam from Joann’s (make sure you use your 50% coupon!) and some outdoor canvas-sy material.

With the fabric right sides together, pin it around the foam.  You’ll want it a little tight. Then take a pen and mark where you’ll sew.

To make the corner just pinch and fold the fabric so it folds around and draw another line where you’ll sew, like this:

Pull out the foam and stitch it up on the lines you drew. That corner line is a little tricky, but just fold it and sew too.

Before flipping it inside out, I went ahead and hemmed the raw edges so I could stick some Velcro on them. It always makes washing the covers easy when you can just pop out the foam and throw the covers in the washing machine!

Then flip it inside out and marvel at the corner!

Almost finished!! Slide (or shove) the foam back into cover and slap some sticky Velcro on the open edge.

I ran one more line if stitching over the Velcro, just to make sure it stayed in place and that’s it!

Now the doggies can sleep comfy again!  Carson was happy about it, but still doesn’t understand why he has to share with the little one, haha.

Have you made doggie beds before?

Pencil Skirt (Mommy Sewing)

My children have too much clothing. Dexter gets lots of hand me downs, Charlotte is easy to shop for and doesn’t size up very quickly…I really only have to wash their clothes like once a month. It’s a little out of hand….so I’m concentrating on filling my closet. I could just not sew, but I could use some new clothes. I’m a sale shopper, so I tend to just buy random items, and not really build a wardrobe. Classic mom move, not spending money on herself, right? I have, however, purchased a lot of fabric with plans to sew something up for myself out of it. It’s time to get moving on that!!

I decided I wanted to tackle a peplum top. If When I ever tackle that, I’ll maybe explain why that was such a need, but when I went to cut out the pattern pieces (Lisette 1666), I just got tired looking at it. I didn’t feel like cutting out that many pattern pieces, I wanted to just sew something and have it done. That’s when I noticed that the pencil skirt in the pattern was only two pattern pieces. TWO! I can handle that. So I went with a pencil skirt instead, and got to work.

I made Charlotte this dress awhile ago. I am in love with it, and will one day force it upon a grandchild of mine. It doesn’t fit her anymore, but it’s still one of my favorites.

I didn’t purchase the fabric to make that dress, it just sort of happened that way….the fabric was a clearance purchase from Joanns, with plans to make myself something. I grabbed the extra, thinking pencil skirt in some glen plaid, perfect! Then I went to cut out the TWO pieces…not enough fabric. Darn. I still wanted the skirt out of that fabric….I knew I couldn’t just buy more, so I came up with the crazy brilliant idea to add some black lace panels down the side seams. Lace is totally big right now, right? I used black poplin to line the lace and for sanity’s sake, decided to only add the black lace to the front side pieces, and not make new pattern pieces to create these new side panels and turn this simple skirt into a huge disaster. Aesthetically, I’d probably have preferred that the black pieces wrapped around more, but I’m still happy with it.

I used black ribbon for the top waistband and decided to just leave the ends longer and tie it instead of using a hook and eye. I did a blind hem on the bottom, cutting the lace instead of hemming it in to show the scalloped edge. Subtle, but I know it’s there.

The fit is a little tight…of course, I don’t really know how to make clothes that fit me yet. I’ll get there.

It did only take an afternoon to sew up though, even with me over-complicating it with the side panels.

Up next….dress? Yet another skirt? Peplum top?

We’ll see 🙂

Carousel Top Take Two

If you’re a regular reader (do we have those?) then you might know that I sewed up a Carousel Top from The Train to Crazy in the past and though it gets worn often, it is hard to pop Charlotte’s head through.  Looking back, I think I cut out an 18month instead of a 2T.  Whoops.  Charlotte still wears 12m tops from stores, but I should have gone by measurements for the pattern.

I cut out a 2T this time, and decided on the button hole option just in case.  This one came out really cute and fits great!!  Plus, it’s one of her favorites so she actually wears it, instead of screaming at me when I try to force her into it.

Agh! She’s getting so big. And those shoes… adorbs!

I got Charlotte all dressed up to take pictures (which if anyone has attempted this in the past, understands how uncooperative Little Bit can be when you want her to do something, especially if it involves touching her hair) and then realized the camera had gone missing (Hubby….*fist shake*).  So I used cell phone pics, sorry about that.  The show must go on, and I wasn’t getting her dressed up again another day.  I don’t know anything about the fabric (I bought a lot of knit fabric from a local mom who used to make cloth diapers) and the button is from my mom’s collection.

Braids?! Haha, you were just asking for it.

It sewed up in about an hour…I did opt to leave the sleeves and bottom unhemmed since the lightweight jersey just rolls a little and I don’t mind the raw edged look.  With the super lightweight jersey fabrics I’m always worried that whatever hem I do will look worse than just leaving it alone.

Are those tomatoes? Some deer ate mine. That’s right, deer.

Oh sheesh….can you tell she wore it a few times before I got around to taking pictures?  I should have pressed it….

Anyone sew anything for Kid’s Clothes Week?

KCW Continued: Coastal Cargos and Beachy Boatneck

What?  Kid’s Clothes Week was two weeks ago?  Even though this outfit didn’t make it in during KCW, I did print out the patterns, cut the fabric, and think about sewing it back then so it counts in my book.

Better late than never!

I bought the Sun & Surf Collection from Pattern Anthology (now available for purchase separately) mainly because I thought the Coastal Cargos were amazingly awesome.  I’ve made the little man quite a few pairs of pants and shorts, but the details on these are ridiculous.  Welt pockets, cargo pockets, roll up legs, bias tape finishes on leg seams…oh and a working zip fly?!?  Admittedly, they did take me about 3 sewing days to finish, but I think it was worth it.  I imagine this will be a great pattern as he continues to get older (it goes up to a size 8) since they look like Ready to Wear pants, not so homemade.

I started with the shirt though.  I let Dexter pick his favorite from my knit stash, and the Itsy Bitsy Spider print won.  It was a tight fit on the scrap piece I had, but I made it work.  The pattern is unique because it uses facings instead of binding, so it’s a really good beginner shirt to sew up.  Necklines can be pretty difficult on t-shirts, but this one sewed up in less than an hour.

I need to give this pattern a try, but maybe I’ll choose the fabric ;)!

I used a twin needle for the neckline topstitching and for the hems.

I bought a twin needle over a year ago and haven’t tried it yet. It always look so good, but I’m such a chicken. Amanda, I need a tutorial!

You can see the facings here…and the tag I threw in since it is hard to find the front and the back on the hanger.

For the pants, I envisioned using black linen from a pair of Hubby’s old pants.  I searched for that abandoned pair…apparently they got tossed.  It was too late though….I wanted the black linen.  I spotted a super soft 100% cotton in the clearance bin ($1 a yard!) at a certain store that I normally don’t step foot into, but it’s close to my home and I needed bias tape that day…  Anyway, it felt just like the linen pants I had hoped to cut up so I bought it.  I wanted lightweight so he could wear them now but I cut a size 4 (he normally wears a 3) so that they would fit this fall, too.  They are a little big in the waist (I shortened the elastic called for, but maybe could have shortened it more) and the length is a little long, but both are things I’m okay with since I want some growing room.

Buttons were all stolen off of pants in the up-cycle bin, and accent fabric is scraps.  The zipper…

I very carefully stitch ripped a zipper out of an old pair of pants, and as soon as I was done, zipped it closed…and of course ran the pull right off.  Whoops.  Take two, I went through a pile of zippers I had (found a pile at a yard sale for $1) and went with a sea foam green.

Dexter of course loves the pockets.  Who knows what I’ll find in there on laundry day….

Must remember to check boy’s pants pockets when older.

I still have an outfit for Charlotte to finish up from KCW, but excited that I actually sewed something up for Dexter for a change.  Poor guy hasn’t gotten as much clothing lately since he has been overwhelmed with hand me downs from cousins.

Dex looks so dapper!

Anybody else buy the Sun&Surf Collection?  At what age do kids stop wearing homemade clothes?  Anyone else hate spiders as much as I do??

Spring Top Sewalong: sewing (mommy)

When Rae from Made by Rae announced the Spring Top Sewalong, I knew I was in. The first year, I wasn’t ready to sew for myself. The next year, I just never found the time, but bought fabric anyway like any good home sew-er would, so this year, I needed to make it happen.

I figured I would start off with something I had made before to make it more of an achievable goal. Butterick 5497, view B (the orange one) for the win.

I had made the pattern before from a light blue and white striped stretch poly knit, and though I loved it, and still do, the knit is starting to pill and it is not looking so glamorous anymore. At least I knew it was easy to sew up and very comfortable, so I was ready to tackle it again. I had some stretchy lightweight jersey in a dark charcoal in my stash that I used for a raglan t for Dexter, and was always so jealous of how comfy his little shirt was….

Super cute shirt!

…I wanted a comfy and lightweight shirt for summer too. Bonus that it’s not just a tank top, but I can still wear it in Florida heat without dying.

Time for some awkward self portraits….oh goodness…

It looks great! Where can I sign up for one?

I cut out a size 8 that tapered to a size 6 at the waist, and made a couple small changes. I finished the top neckline the same way as the back, with binding instead of a narrow hem.

I also just encased the elastic for the sleeves in stitching, anchored with a three step zigzag on each end instead of feeding it through a casing.

Knits are great for unfinishing hems!

Oh, and I didn’t hem the sleeves or waist…because it’s knit, and I don’t mind the ragged look.

So there are only 5 pattern pieces to the top and it sews up really quickly. Some tips for working with difficult slippery knits like the one I did…..

1. Use a ball point needle

2. Make sure you turn down the pressure on your presser foot

3. I sewed the whole top using a zigzag stitch to allow the fabric to stretch a little at the seams. Stitch length 3.5, width 0.5 on my machine.

4. I didn’t serge or otherwise finish any seams, since it is knit and you don’t need to.

5. I used a lot of pins, which says a lot since it is VERY rare that I break out pins.

Amanda is notorious for not using pins, ha ha.  A sewalong would be great!

Do you sew for yourself? Any favorite patterns? Want to do a sewalong of this one?