E sewed herself a skirt!
she had asked me if we could sew something together, and i suggested that she try the same thing i first made – a lazy days skirt! free pattern, always cute, not too complicated, fun to sew. Continue reading
Category: sewing for girls
archvillain for STYLO 3
any good detective has a nemesis out there, just one step ahead and always hatching evil plots. for STYLO i knew i wanted to make two looks, and i thought it would be really interesting to have the same kid playing both roles. whereas my detective look was classic, i wanted the villain look to be fashion-forward. i wanted a dramatic silhouette and to push the envelope a bit.
my villain resides in an ultramodern lair on top of a mountain. she is shadowy, angular, cunning. i used basic patterns sewn in new ways with interesting fabrics, and made a few accessories to complete the look. but oh man, the location was the icing on the cake!
girl detective for STYLO 3
and now, more about my detective look for STYLO 3! have you made it through the magazine yet? so good, right?
to tell you the truth, i’d been keeping a secret pinterest board with STYLO ideas since before the second issue came out in the hopes that someday it might come in handy. i had sort of an ethereal floral theme going on that was pretty, but once i was actually invited to participate, i had a different brainstorm. i really liked the idea of creating a detective, a smart, strong, capable girl – Sherlock Holmes influenced for sure, but still feminine, layered, fallish.
bit by bit, i gathered ideas and built my pinterest board with the help of some friends. i tend to approach creative challenges by mulling them over and over in my mind until i’ve figured the whole thing out, and only then can i dive into the actual making. i like to start with a general idea or theme, then work out the details – using the powers of deduction! Continue reading
STYLO 3
one of my favorite projects in kid’s sewingblogland over the last year has been STYLO Magazine, the brainchild of Celina of Petit à Petit and Family and Jess of The Sewing Rabbit. it’s an online magazine featuring fashion-forward kids clothes – and all of the outfits are handmade!
when first issue came out in January, it blew me away with how editorial and different it was from the usual fare – the looks pushed the envelope and i saw something really fresh and new going on. it inspired me, as did issue two, which came out in May. C was too little for me to participate back then, but i put a bug in Celina’s ear that i reeeeeally hoped i could join in for a future STYLO, and i was so excited to contribute to issue 3, which is now live!
i made up a storyline of a “girl detective” hot on the trail of her “archvillain nemesis” and sewed two outfits for E so she could play each role. i sewed 7 pieces of clothing, knitted a scarf, and made accessories too, and i’m thrilled to have brought my vision to life. it was a lot of work, but so creatively satisfying. E and i had a super fun photoshoot where she really got into character – she’s cunning, she’s stylish, and she’s trying to take over the world!
the photo above is a preview of my villain look…you’ll need to head on over to STYLO to see my detective look and to check out the fantastic projects by my co-contributors. there’s some serious talent in there. gorgeous photography, great ideas, it’s so exciting to see everyone rise to the challenge.
> > > FEAST YOUR EYES UPON STYLO 3 < < <
i’ll be back during the week with more photos and details on each look!
handmade halloween 2014: queen elsa
well, blogging during kid’s clothes week was almost a total bust, because i got sucked into a sewing vortex all week! two out of three Halloween costumes are done and O’s is more “finished” than i planned because he tends to wear his costumes as everyday wear a lot more than E does, so i can’t cut corners. that’s up next. but i’m going in age order so this little gal is up first.
E wanted to be Elsa from Frozen. because of course she did.
skirt as top 