wool greenpoint cardigan

one of the best (and hardest) things about sewing is being able to make all this stuff that i used to buy.  and once i know how to make it, i CAN’T buy it anymore.  take cardigans for instance.  once Adrianna (of Crafterhours and Hey June Handmade fame) sent me her Greenpoint Cardigan to try out, and i found out how easy it is to make, i’ll likely never buy a cardigan again (except maybe in dire circumstances)!

wool greenpoint cardigan

for my first try at this adorable little pattern, i sewed it up with a couple of old felted wool sweaters and an old scarf.  it’s got a bunch of cashmere in it and is soooo soft for Em to wear.  i was very inspired by this Mini Boden sweater.

wool greenpoint cardigan

the wool worked, though i added a bit too much interfacing in the maroon band and it didn’t stretch as much as it needed to.  i actually made this a couple months ago (again) but just remembered i needed to post it when Em recently chose it to wear layered over one of her crazy outfits she’s pulling together these days.

wool greenpoint cardigan

i made it in a size 4, which is a bit too big for her.  but as a ballet coverup, the grandpa cardigan look works great.

wool greenpoint cardigan

she loves buttoning things.

wool greenpoint cardigan

and dancing.  always dancing.

check out the Hey June Pattern Shop to grab your copy of the Greenpoint Cardigan pattern, and add something new to your “make not buy” list!  😉

oh and you’re gonna wanna come back tomorrow for a SUPER fun project i worked on!  it involves me sending a couple outfits to Utah and receiving a couple amazing ones in return!!  for now, you can read more here.

submarine pullover

i’m happy to be the next stop on the blog tour for Pattern Anthology, a really cool collaboration effort between a group of four talented independent patternmakers. when i was invited to participate, i saw that Shauna of Shwin Designs was one of the designers. i quickly signed up to sew one of her patterns, because i had never tried one before! i thought it’d be fun to sew for my little guy, so i chose her submarine pullover (affiliate link) to review today.

submarine pullover

the submarine pullover is a cute little layering hoodie that closes with a button placket. the hood is lined but the rest of the pullover isn’t, so it’s actually a quicker-than-you-might-expect-it-to-be sew. it’s a well-known fact that Shauna is a massive Beatles fan, so i couldn’t resist adding a little YELLOW topstitching to the SUBMARINE, ifyoucatchmydrift! the added topstitching did increase my sewing time, but it still wasn’t too bad overall, especially since i’m not a very experienced placket-sewer and her instructions for that were very easy to follow.

submarine pullover

my main fabric is a nice drapey seersucker i got at mill end, and the perfect little whale print from jay-cyn’s storyboek line for birch fabrics was sent to me by Jess. i could never part with a fabric as cute as this, but i guess she doesn’t have a boy to sew for (at least for now), so i gladly accepted her generous offering. thanks Jess, it’s so wonderful! this color seems to be out of stock online but there’s a little of the blue version left at fabricworm.

submarine pullover

the whale print was too cute to use only as a hood lining, so i also used it for the casing at the waist, and bound the sleeves rather than hemming them. it’s also hiding inside the pockets, which i constructed a little differently than the pattern (sewed rightsides together before topstitching them to the hoodie).

submarine pullover

i had a button conundrum on this one. you need fairly large buttons to be in proportion with the placket, but i didn’t have any in my stash. i hit up my favorite button vendor and found two contenders – these awesome dark blue ones with “grains of sand” inlay, and cool red-orange ones that added a fun pop of color and really stood out. i was stumped, so i put it to my instagram peeps to decide, and it was a tie vote! i went with my gut and chose the blue, and i’m happy i did. classic. beachier.

submarine pullover

i still added color with the yellow topstitching, which i first did here and love. oh and his ever-present green H&M pants. i’m gonna hate it when he grows out of these, they’re so fun…and somehow go with everything?

submarine pullover

i sewed the 2T pullover, and it fits O really well. it’s just a tad difficult to pull on since the fabric has no stretch, so size up if you’re in between. once we get it on, it’s totally fine. and his head is huge but the hood fits him really well! his old style TOMS, on the other hand, did not fit well. so he took them off and immediately placed his feet in some mud. boys.

submarine pullover

the entire beachy pattern collection was on sale through March 24 from Pattern Anthology, but is now available individually at Go To Patterns (affiliate link).  check it out!

submarine pullover

he’s ready for a long walk on the beach. oh and quick side note – i had brought the in-process pullover with me to pick the buttons out, and one of the sales gals said “that is so cute! i wish there were patterns like this when my son was little!” i love what pattern makers like Shauna (and many others!) are doing for boy sewing – designing cute, modern clothes that aren’t boring at all. we’re in a golden age!

submarine pullover

the tour stops have been awesome so far, so if you haven’t seen them popping up around blogland already, be sure to browse the links below…and head over to Go To Patterns (affiliate link) or the individual designers’ shops to nab these great summer patterns!

then go ahead and plan a little trip to the coast – these patterns are gonna make you want to.

Sun & Surf at Sew a Straight Line | Sun & Surf at It’s Always Autumn | Sun & Surf at Elsie Marley | Sun & Surf at A Girl and a Glue Gun | Sun & Surf at Mama Says Sew | Sun & Surf at Girl, Inspired | Sun & Surf at Groovybaby and Mama | Sun & Surf at The Cottage Home | Sun & Surf at Craftiness is Not Optional | Sun & Surf at Skirtastop | Sun & Surf at Straight Grain | Sun & Surf at Me Sew Crazy | Sun & Surf at Delia Creates | Sun & Surf at Max California

floral roller skate dress

i mentioned back when i posted my forest path cape that there would be a couple more Oliver + S pattern previews coming, and here is the first!  Oliver + S just released the roller skate dress + tunic, one of two new spring patterns now available.  today a couple friends (Jess and Cherie) and i are very excited to show you a few examples of it all sewn up.

we’ll each post our version of the roller skate dress or tunic throughout the day today, so we’re calling it a rolling tour!

roller skate dress + tunic rolling tour

i’m up first.

since Em is a major dress gal, i’m always looking for new casual dress designs i can sew for her to keep her comfy while still fulfilling her need for fancy.  i really love the roller skate dress for that.  i think i actually said “oooooo!” out loud when Liesl sent me a preview of it.  it’s cute, simple, stylish, and comfy.  the version i picked (view A) is only two pattern pieces!  it’s fully lined, a fast sew, and so versatile i can see myself sewing it multiple times, each resulting in a totally different look.  perfect for my little gal.

floral roller skate dress

i sewed a 3T with a 4T length.  the chest has a generous fit brought in with an elastic casing for some shape, and it seems like the kind of fit that will last for quite a while as a dress and later as a tunic (she tends to grow up, not out).

floral roller skate dress

the back closes with a button loop, and the construction of the whole dress is really clean and well-explained (as are all Oliver + S patterns!).  it has a bubble dress-esque faux cap sleeve which is what makes the sewing especially quick, and the optional ribbon on the front adds a fun bit of contrast.

floral roller skate dress

Em was super excited to wear her new springy dress.  weather around here is iffy in february – flowers are starting to bud, but temps are still hovering around the 40s.  not exactly summer dress weather, but that didn’t stop her from picking her saltwater sandals and pink flower hair clip for these photos!  she layered it with tights and a sweater for school the next day.

floral roller skate dress

she’s also really into having her hair braided after her evening bath so it’s “curly” the next day.  then she doesn’t let me brush it.

floral roller skate dress

do you like my polka dot wall??  i have ruffles & stuff to thank for that fun idea.  thanks, disney!

floral roller skate dress

oh yeah – the fabric is a thrifted vintage sheet (first used as a quilt) and i lined it with a soft cream gauze.  my inspiration was this crewcuts dress though i’m excited to try this pattern out in more modern fabrics too – it seems super flexible that way.

floral roller skate dress

and check out the other stops on our little rolling tour…it’ll pop up over at A Little Gray today around noon eastern time (up now!), and at You & Mie around 3pm eastern (up now!)!  they each made different tunic versions for their little gals, so between the three of us you can see nearly all of the options this cute little pattern has to offer!  fun fun.

UPDATE:  the roller skate dress + tunic pattern is now available for purchase on the Oliver + S website!  you can order either paper or digital versions of the pattern, or keep an eye on your local fabric store if they usually carry Oliver + S.  yay!

the pinwheel pattern is up next!

*i was provided with the roller skate dress + tunic pattern at no cost for this pattern review.  my opinions, as always, are my own.*

film petit: the big lebowski

film petit february!  as i re-watched our chosen film this month, i realized something – apparently my husband and i quote it constantly, maybe sometimes without even realizing it.  it’s everyone’s favorite highly quotable quirky bowling movie – it’s….The Big Lebowski!

film petit: the big lebowski

if my husband remembers to get something at the store that i forgot to put on the list?  i tell him “he’s a good man, and thorough.”  someone’s carrying a drink and a kid bumps into them?  “there’s a beverage here, man!”  something gets spilled on/damaged?  it “really tied the room together.”  and just at random times… “8 year olds, dude.”

am i wrong?

am i wrong?

film petit: the big lebowski

anyway, before i fall down the rabbit hole of movie quotes (in the parlance of our times – GAH), i suppose i should talk about the movie plot.

ummmmm wellllll it’s kind of hard to explain.  let me give it my best shot.  1998’s The Big Lebowski was directed by the Coen Brothers.  it tells the story of the mellow and lazy Jeffrey Lebowski (aka “The Dude,” or “Duder,” or “El Duderino, if you’re not into the whole brevity thing”) perfectly played by Jeff Bridges.  The Dude is mistaken for a rich man also named Jeffrey Lebowski, and is suddenly drawn into a crazy kidnapping caper, when all he really wants to do is drink white russians and bowl with his buddies.  it’s a pretty weird but beloved movie, and one i’ve seen about a million times.

film petit: the big lebowski

typically we all pick different movie characters for film petit, but we felt that we should each make tiny Dudes this month to sort of swamp the internet with them – a mini Lebowskifest!  mine is “pre-opening credit Dude,” the two scene intro that sets the stage for the rest of the movie.  the Dude goes to the grocery store to grab some half and half for his white russian…

film petit: the big lebowski

film petit: the big lebowski

but comes home only to find himself getting dunked in his own toilet and his rug micturated upon by a couple hooligans attempting to shake him down for money he clearly doesn’t have.

film petit: the big lebowski

film petit: the big lebowskifilm petit: the big lebowski

i sewed for O again, figuring the smaller the Dude was, the funnier it would be.  and actually it was pretty hilarious – this is the MOST recognized character during one of my film petit photoshoots.  people at the more-crowded-than-i-expected-it-to-be-at-that-hour grocery store were giggling and saying “haha, is that The Dude?”  left and right.  i started out a little self-conscious about it, but then ran with it.  i think O liked the attention.

film petit: the big lebowski

his bathrobe is made of wide wale corduroy from JoAnn, and the pattern is the Just Like Dad Flannel Robe from Sewing for Boys.  i made it in a 2-3T for the length but chopped 3″ off the sleeves (and they’re still roll up-worthy!) so he’ll definitely wear it a while.  the shorts are the Oliver + S Sketchbook Shorts made out of daddy’s old ones.

film petit: the big lebowski

the undershirt, which i didn’t get a great photo of, is Made by Rae’s Flashback Skinny Tee, made out of daddy’s old t-shirt, short sleeved, with a v-neck!

film petit: the big lebowski

i’m actually pretty excited about the non-overlapping v-neck and might share a mini tutorial for it a little later; i’ve always wanted to know how to do that and it wasn’t hard once i figured it out.

film petit: the big lebowski

my little Dude got the munchies at the store and picked out a couple snacks.  figured that was probably pretty true to character (the Dude likes to “smoke Js”).

film petit: the big lebowski

while my little dude is snacking on chili cheese fritos and abiding, you can head over to see the other little lebowski urban achievers that my partners sewed up!

our guest this month, Sabra from sew a straight line, sewed both “bowling alley Dude” AND a mini walter sobchak!  both are absolute perfection.  she even gets us a toe – you don’t want to know how, but there are ways.  thanks so much for joining us, Sabra!

and my partner Jessica, not to be outdone, sewed “playoff/funeral Dude” with some awesome details, AND took photos at a very special locale!  go check it out!

proud we are of all of them!

***

here are the guidelines for film petit:

film petit button
P.S. this is not ‘nam, this is bowling.  there are rules.
P.P.S.  do you see what happens, larry?!
P.P.P.S.  i am the walrus.
*

super mario bros. shirt

as Celebrate the Boy kicks off over at MADE and Made by Rae, i thought it’d be fun to bring home a post i did for I’m Feelin’ Crafty’s “Sew Ready to Play” series a few months back.   O is actually wearing this shirt today, though it’s starting to look even tighter on his growing toddler belly!

***

growing up, i was the kid who didn’t have any sort of video game system at home and was constantly trying to talk the neighbor kids into playing nintendo.  if you were the kid with a nintendo, you probably had an annoying friend like me, right?  i was pretty persuasive in getting the neighbor kids to play (not too hard), and i especially loved super mario bros.  i’m talking about the original one here…super mario 2 was fine, 3 was better (remember how you could drop behind the background?) but the original was the best.  it’s still fun…have you played it lately?  do you remember how to turtle top?  i could never quite get the hang of it.

so anyway, it was almost a no brainer that i needed to make my toddler son a super mario t-shirt for this series!

super mario bros flashback tee

i used my favorite basic pattern, made by rae’s flashback skinny tee, and knit fabric from two sale rack men’s shirts (my tips for sewing with sale rack t-shirts here).  i appliquéd a mario scene right onto the front!  the scene appliqué idea came from my friend cherie, and what exactly to put on there came from a quick google search of super mario bros images.  want to make one?

gather scraps together in the appropriate colors along with some steam-a-seam lite fusible web…

super mario bros flashback tee

draw a grid of 1/2″ squares for the stairs then cut them out, and a strip of woodgrain fabric at 1/2″ for a base.  sketch and cut out clouds, a pipe, a hill, and bricks.  i then added a little stamped mushroom left over from one of my project run & play creations!  i just played around with the scraps until i had the shapes i wanted.

super mario bros flashback tee

add the fusible web to each piece and arrange the scene on the front piece of the shirt, not yet sewn together.  once you have everything where you want it, fuse it down with an iron and then stitch around each item with black thread, for a sketchy outline look.  if you’re good with a free motion foot i’d recommend that here for the little curves, but i used my regular foot and just lifted it up a lot as i sewed around.

super mario bros flashback tee

finish the shirt as instructed per the pattern, slap it on your little guy, and he’ll be looking like a child of the ’80s!

super mario bros flashback tee

i love how this skinny tee clings to his toddler belly…

super mario bros flashback tee

and he likes how soft and comfy it is!

super mario bros flashback tee

ready to play!  thanks so much for having me, Louise!!

PS – i didn’t even realize when i was making this how close the colors and theme were to narelle’s post from the other day!  who doesn’t like old school video games, eh?