baby is here!

February 17, 2014February 17, 201460 Comments

little C decided to join our family last week!

official stats are 7lb 8oz, 20in long, born at 38 weeks exactly. he waited until the snow and ice had cleared a bit before coming, good boy! he arrived a week earlier than his siblings did, so this last week has felt a bit like a dream to me.

lots of people told me third babies can be unpredictable, and his labor turned out to be a bit of that. it started slowly but ended with a super quick transition and delivery – the whole labor was about 14 hours but the part that felt like strong labor was only the last hour or two, and boy was that intense! i’m happy to have given birth naturally again, and i’m so very grateful he played along.

Em is looooving being a little mama to him. she couldn’t be happier to have a baby in the house and wants to help all the time. it’s so fun.

O loves him too but, you know, 3 year olds are more concerned with whether mom and dad are still there for THEM, which we’re sensitive to. all in all, though, the transition to three has been pretty smooth so far! my husband has been home which is great, and we sure do love snuggling and relaxing with this little guy. he’s pretty sweet.

posting around here will be sporadic for a while, needless to say – it took me a few hours just to write this and i ended up writing most of it with a baby sleeping on my arm. i did a TON of nesting sewing before he was born though, so that will filter through here and there.

also, thank you all soooo much for the sweet comments on my polka dot sherpa coat – they were so nice to read and i appreciated them all, just haven’t gotten a chance to reply! ahhhhhh babies.

back to snuggling!!

striped maternity pencil skirt

November 4, 2013March 6, 201448 Comments

sometimes the quickest, easiest sewing projects are the most satisfying, ya know?

take, for example, this skirt.

two pieces to cut out, sew together, hem, and thread elastic through at the top.

striped maternity pencil skirt

the parts that took longest were threading my double needle and matching the stripes on the sides (which shifted on me a bit anyway, meh). it was a “one naptime” sew, AWESOME for adult clothes!

this little pencil skirt is now one of my favorite things i’ve sewn for myself. it’s super comfy, actually fun to walk in, and a great piece to make me feel “prettier” during pregnancy, when sometimes it’s easy to feel like i’m losing that a little each week.

the fabric is a ponte knit from fabric depot, which you can find online here. the pattern is megan nielsen’s ruched maternity skirt (which i didn’t ruche…didn’t seem to need it). it was a gift from a friend but now appears to be ~~sold out everywhere online~~ available as a PDF! yay!

the cut of the pattern is so cool – the shapes look kinda crazy on paper (definitely NOT rectangles) but it makes the skirt hug the right spots and stay straight at others, and the belly coverage doesn’t make me feel claustrophobic like maternity panels usually do. i just wish i had more occasions to wear this skirt, but i’m thinking with the holiday events coming up, it won’t be a problem.

i made a large even though i measured somewhere between small and medium, because i’d seen a few versions that looked a bit tight for my taste. i wanted it to feel relaxed enough to remain comfortable, which it totally is…plus i get a pretty big belly and need it to last (i was 22 weeks in these photos, taken a couple weeks ago by my husband).

i gain confidence with every new thing i successfully make for myself…and it’s addictive! i want to keep it up. it might be that maternity sewing is more like kid sewing – sort of temporary since i’m “still growing” and i feel more free to mess around, maybe? 🙂

my canadian tuxedo

October 17, 2013November 4, 201339 Comments

pretty exciting development in the world of women’s sewing – Liesl Gibson, creator of the fantastic children’s pattern brand Oliver + S (and my sewing mentor), recently announced the release of three new women’s patterns! i knew adult patterns were coming (she mentioned them at Quilt Market) but had no idea what they’d look like or whether they’d work with my pregnant belly. when i got an email from her with the patterns attached last week, i fell in love and rushed to the fabric store that same day.

chambray weekend getaway blouse

i plan to sew all three of the new patterns eventually, but first i decided to tackle the weekend getaway blouse.

chambray weekend getaway blouse

okay no, i’m lying.

i actually planned to sew the late lunch tunic, and bought this great chambray shirting from Mill End specifically for that pattern, buuuut then i flew down to visit Jess last weekend (more on that later) and she had already sewn up her version of the weekend getaway in the exact size i measured, so i got to try on her finished blouse to see how it fit (when is that possible in sewing? not often!).

between liking how hers looked on me and having her pattern pieces all taped and cut out, i went ahead and sewed it up with the fabric i’d brought along. lazy, or opportunistic? you be the judge.

chambray weekend getaway blouse

this blouse would typically be a quick sew, but it was pretty much my slowest – lots of chatting, not much sewing! so fun to sew with company, though. i got it most of the way made while i was there and finished it up once i got home, and i’m kind of in love with it! i feel like the fit is slimming and easy to wear, especially with my oxymoronic maternity skinny jeans (hence the canadian tuxedo post title).

i felt totally comfortable tackling this pattern, which looks and feels exactly like the Oliver + S patterns i adore. (Edit: it comes in sizes 0-16 and there’s also a 3/4 sleeved dress option!) there are cool details (exposed facing in the front, smart pockets, opportunity for contrast topstitching) and i feel like i could sew this pattern in a range of different fabrics and options and it wouldn’t look like i just made the same thing 3 times.

i love that it’s sized nicely too – none of that “this pattern says i’m a 16 but i usually wear a 6” funny business going on, which is a HUGE peeve of mine with commercial patterns.

i also appreciate that it’s loose fitting enough for me to sew with no adjustments for my 21 week belly – it definitely won’t last me the whole pregnancy, but i know it’ll fit afterwards.

Liesl’s goal with these new Liesl + Co. patterns is to give us interesting, wearable designs that are approachable and not too difficult to sew. she’s starting off with basics to help us all build confidence in sewing for ourselves, then she expects to add more of the “tricky tailoring stuff” with future patterns.

i’m totally on board with that plan.

***

i was sent the weekend getaway blouse + dress pattern at no cost, with no strings attached. all this gushing is of my own free will.

you can find fabric to create a similar look online at my sponsor Drygoods Design here and here!

my jeans are from when i was pregnant with O – similar here. my comfy moccasins are Minnetonka (affiliate link).

watercolor ruby top

September 24, 2013September 23, 2013108 Comments

a little while back i got to test out Rae’s brand new adult lady sewing pattern, the Ruby Dress & Top! it’s a flattering yet simple design that takes pretty much all of the tougher parts of adult sewing out of the equation (no darts, no zippers or buttons or closures of any kind…that stuff). it’s also a quick one to sew up. you can sew this pattern!

and you should.

because even though my face is a bit like 😐 in the photo above, i think this top is great…and the tweaks Rae made with the feedback from testing made it even better in the final version. that girl really takes her time to get the fit just right, something i really appreciate with her patterns.

it’s a SUPER fun (and maybe even a little overwhelming?) pattern to pick fabrics for. you can really go a million different directions with it. i used a semi-sheer lightweight rayon/poly type blend from the back of an Old Navy shirt I bought for the other side (eyelet). it moves around a lot which made the skinny bias binding way harder to apply, but the drape is nice.

the bottom fabric, which i ADORE, is from Skylights by Rosewood Organics. i got it at Bolt (I think?). such a cool watercolor design. i made this summery top when it was still 90 degrees out and it’s definitely fall here now, which just means i’ve got a whole new color palette to choose from when i make Ruby 2!

i usually sew a medium in Rae’s patterns but here I made a size large, because do you know what else the Ruby Top is great for…?

…hiding an early baby bump!

yep yep, 18 weeks along with baby number 3 over here, and so excited! i know at least one observant blog friend guessed it based on my posting slowdown this summer, but seriously guys, little #3 really kicked my butt in the first trimester. so tired and most food just made me feel sick. i’m glad to have some energy back now so i can sew in the evenings if i want, or in the daytime for that matter (i was pretty much napping when my kids did – good for the baby but frustrating for me, since i ACTUALLY ENJOY DOING THINGS)!

i’m due in late February and we can’t wait to find out gender in a couple weeks, though Em is CONVINCED it’s a girl and has even told us what we should name “her.” in the meantime, she nicknamed the baby “Avocado” based on the size i told her the baby was at the time, and loves to give her little “sister” kisses, bring me blankets and Mommy Elephant to snuggle with when i’m tired, hold the doppler machine and listen to the heartbeat at the midwife…she’s a loving little mama and it’s the cutest. it’s really fun to have her understand what’s going on.

O seems happy about it sometimes, and sometimes indifferent. because he’s 2. 😉

and there ya go – my secret is out! i’d never announced a pregnancy to blogland before…hope i did okay. 😉

> > > :: < < <

thanks for the great announcement project, Ruby Top! check out Rae’s highlight reel of my fellow pattern testers here, video tutorials on how to line the yoke here, and Rae’s supercool arrow dress that started it all here.