star star dress :: cottage mama blog tour

July 24, 2013August 13, 201333 Comments

today i’m happy to be joining the Cottage Mama Patterns Blog Tour to help launch Lindsay’s newest line of patterns. i chose to sew the sweet Georgia Vintage Dress.

the Georgia Vintage Dress is a classic collared-and-sashed dress available in sizes 6m to 10 years, with loads of options – there’s a flutter sleeve, contrast bib, overskirt, piping, all sorts of ways to customize and play with fabric and make it your own. i made a sleeveless View D – my dress has the bib (I wanted to add piping!) but it’s made out of the main fabric. i wanted to take a very vintage-style dress and make it look sleek and modern.

the biggest challenge (fun challenge) that i had, and why i signed up for the tour in the first place, is because Lindsay’s style and mine differ quite a bit, and i wanted to try something new! it’s fun to stretch and grow, and i wanted make a Cottage Mama dress that also looked like my style. while this dress is “fancier” than most of Em’s everyday dresses, i really love it…and because this girl loooooves fancy, she loves it too!

the fabric is Twinkle Twinkle in Teal from Constellations by Lizzy House, probably one of my favorite lines EVER, which, until now, i’ve mostly hoarded. i probably got mine at Bolt, but it might’ve been Fabric Depot. i paired it with a moda bella light robin’s egg blue for the flat piping and kona white for the collar and sash, and added moon buttons…

well you can’t really tell, but the buttons have sort of a swirly tan inlay and look like moons. trust me.

i made a 3T bodice but cut the skirt between the 4T and 5T length (17.5″) because Em seems to be shooting up in height lately. she actually ate an entire (home-grilled) cheeseburger for dinner last night, which she has never done before in her life, so i think a growth spurt is happening. i also cut the skirt a bit wider, as two panels 40″ wide each, because i wanted it pleeeeenty twirly.

it was my first Cottage Mama pattern and it was really good. i learned some new techniques i’ll have to use again (how the bib and sash are constructed, the shape of the collar – it’s cool stuff). one note – i THINK the chest measurement on the size chart might actually be the finished measurement, but Lindsay’s checking into it. the chart would’ve had me sew an 18m/2T bodice but I cut the 3T anyway and it fits great, just the right amount of growing room. didn’t want to make that bodice too small!

oh i also left the ends of the sash square, just thought it’d look nice with the collar shape. she’s wearing a pettiskirt (this skirt) underneath this dress, and some “twirling shorts” too.

check out the Georgia Vintage Dress and ALL of Lindsay’s patterns in her shop, it’s been a fun blog tour so far! i especially love Caila’s polka dot version of the Miss Matilda Dress and Stef’s kitty cat version of the Daphne Wrap Dress!

not sure if she’s doing ballerina hands or praying here…

thanks so much for having me along on the tour, Lindsay!

DISCLOSURE: i was given the Georgia Vintage Dress pattern for free as a part of the blog tour. my opinions are my own!

kcw summer 2013:: daddypants shorts

July 20, 2013July 20, 201313 Comments

took a little mid-week break from kids clothes week, but i’m back with some shorts for the boy with a fresh haircut.

i used Dana’s KID shorts pattern, same pattern i used for his sister’s earlier this week, only this time i made the 2T boy length version with a full gathered waistband.

and, like the shorts i made his sister, i LOVE the fit of these on him. i was worried that they looked a bit boring and “British schoolboy” when they were done, but when worn, they don’t look that way. just a good basic pair of shorts.

the fabric is from a pair of my husband’s old chinos, a heavy navy twill. i used a larger needle (14 i think), double stitched the hem, and added a little twill tape tab as an ode to Dana. 😉

my kids are both on the slender side for their ages (like 10th percentile weight or less, in Em’s case) so be aware of that if you’re making these shorts – they fit MY kids perfectly but my kids are kinda little – a 2T might be large on him in many pattern brands. however, for me this is the perfect shorts pattern and i think it’s totally worth the $6 price tag. they fit him great now… and it’s summertime now!

i also appreciate that for a kid this age, i don’t NEED fancy zip flies or welt pockets or anything to make them “pass” as storebought – the heavier fabric is enough. kinda nice!

i might have one more KCW project in me, we’ll see. it’s all cut out at least!

kcw summer 2013 :: geofloral shorts

July 16, 2013July 16, 201324 Comments

kid’s clothes week is here again! it’s got an awesome brand new website and blog! and it’s now seasonal! my kids tend to wear their KCW (formerly KCWC) creations more than anything else i make them, for some reason, so i’m always excited to jump in…despite the busy summertime.

my projects this week will be simple necessities for both kids, using only my stash, trying a couple new patterns and a couple tried and true ones.

first up – shorts for Em! so now that i’ve filled her closet with handmade dresses, she has, of course, decided that she wants to wear separates every day. mostly skirts and tops (which she refused to wear even a couple months ago), but the other day she actually asked for shorts! since she hasn’t worn shorts since she was about 2 or 3, she has very few to choose from. i had her help me pick the fabric and set to it.

the pattern is Dana’s KID shorts pattern, in a 3T, girl length and flat front option (i showed Dana’s photos of her daughter Lucy to Em before sewing these – i think that helped convince her that shorts are “beautiful”). my only alterations were to use 1/2″ elastic in the back and add interfacing to the front waistband to make sure it stayed up. oh i also topstitched around the top of the waistband – just to keep the elastic in place.

the fabric is Denyse Schmidt for JoAnn. Em helped pick it.

gotta say – i loooove the fit of these shorts! seriously. i feel like i always have to change something when i sew for Em – usually i size down and then have to lengthen, or shorten the elastic, or do SOMETHING to compensate for her lankiness. luckily, Dana’s daughter Lucy looks pretty lanky herself, so i trusted that the fit of these would work on that body type…and they do. i felt like angels sung when she tried these on – the fit is amazing!!

highly recommend Dana’s pattern, five stars! it’s a really fast sew, too! i have a boy version on the docket for later this week.

*Em’s beautiful top was made by Delia as a part of our blogger kid clothes swap a few months back – she gets loads of compliments on it. Delia’s post about it is here and mine is here.

*Dana gifted me the shorts pattern even though I wasn’t able to test it for her. what a nice gal, that Dana.

*You can find all of my KCW projects here.

color your summer guest post

July 9, 2013July 9, 201315 Comments

today i’m happy to be guest posting over at Delia Creates for Color Your Summer, a super fun summer series she jointly runs with kojodesigns that’s all about COLOR!

you may recall last year I posted over at Kojo and my color was green…my breezy green eyelet tunic tutorial is here. this year, i got white, the ultimate summery color if you ask me.

summer nightie tutorial

i mean, it’s against the fashion rules to even wear it before memorial day or after labor day, so it’s a color pretty much designated to summer! 😉

I made a simple summery nightie for Em and there’s a tutorial in it for you, plus her usual backyard ballerina antics.

: : check out my post at Delia Creates! : :

PS – i would be remiss if I didn’t credit my inspiration for this nightgown – Trine’s ballerina dress plus Adrianna’s Narita and Edelweiss. thanks, ladies!!

edelweiss dress in woodland fauna

June 20, 2013June 20, 201337 Comments

you know how sometimes a pattern comes along that makes you smile because it’s so dang adorable? that’s how i feel about the Edelweiss Dress. as i was sewing it, it just made me happy. maybe it’s my German roots or something, but i couldn’t wait to see it on Em.

and then, when she woke up the next morning, she went right over to it. she actually asked if she could wear it that same day! i usually hang new creations somewhere visible once i’ve sewn them (to remind me to get photos), but i don’t remember the last time she has been so antsy to wear something freshly sewn like that, especially something without a bunch of pink and/or rainbows on it! it does have woodland creatures, though…

the fabric is from the “woodland tails” line by sheri berry for riley blake (you can buy it here). i got mine at mill end and had planned to make pajamas with it, but it’s quite “German” and suited to the Edelweiss, don’t you think? the ice blue straps are kona cotton, left over from mini kingsley zissou.

i sewed a 3T with a 4T skirt. it ended up a little shorter than i typically sew, but i love the length with this particular design. the proportion is perfect.

if mine looks a bit different in the bodice than others, it’s because sometimes i follow directions even when they don’t seem quite right – turns out a silly little dot got moved during the pattern-revision process and my front straps ended up a bit closer together than they’re supposed to be, but never fear, it’s been fixed! she fixed the glitch.

the back, i adore. it’s just to die for – and like Tara, i’m powerless to its cuteness. i had to go with heidi braids just to complete the effect (gotta, right??).

i really like Adrianna and her Hey June patterns – they’re great designs with just the right amount of “interestingness” to them – I’ve also sewn the Greenpoint Cardigan (here) and the Narita Dress, but haven’t blogged the Narita yet because i tested it in the dead of winter and it’s a spring/summery design. i should do that, though! it’s clearly summer!

the dress comes with a tunic option, a pieced bodice option, and even instructions on how to piece the center front on a diagonal if you want to make something like Jess’s adorableness. this dress makes Em happy too, as you can see. i already want to make another Edelweiss – so many ways to play with fabric on this one!

be sure to follow along at Crafterhours to catch the rest of the Edelweiss Dresses on tour. my partner today is the awesome and hilarious Jennifer from Parrish Platz. Jennifer and her girls actually LIVE in Bavaria, so she’s über legit. i love her spin on it!