meadow garden party dress

March 11, 2014March 11, 201424 Comments

the spring Oliver + S patterns are here! hooray!

there are three new patterns and they’re all pretty darn cute, as you can see in their announcement post. i was actually a pattern tester for the Lullaby Layette and i’ll post about that later, but the Garden Party Dress (available on paper or digitally) is the one that really stood out to me as being perfect for Em as soon as i saw it.

isn’t it just so pretty and springy and romantic? i love it and Em does too – in fact the photoshoot went something like “hey mom let’s pretend i’m a real princess” and then her pulling out the drama like so…

meadow garden party dress

and so…

meadow garden party dress

her version of a princess is apparently quite solemn, though she hammed up a few crazy zombie faces too at the end, haha. and yeah, we have daffodils blooming in our yard. i’m sorry to those of you still buried in snow! spring is coming, we promise.

about the Garden Party Dress! it’s got a lovely gathered bodice that, to me, looked like more work to construct than it actually was – there’s quite a bit of basting and gathering, but it still came together surprisingly fast.

i made View A (dress with cap sleeves) in a size 4 and added 1.5” to the hem length because she’s still a beanpole. i’m glad i added the length – it hits her just below the knee and should last her through the summer (hopefully maybe). the pattern calls for 1.75 yards of fabric but i think i made it in 1.5 yards or less…so if you have a perfect yard and a half in your stash, you could probably make it work with careful cutting. that’s what i’m hoping anyway, because i have quite a few cuts that size!

the neckline facing and simple single button keyhole closure in the back lead to a quick, clean finish. Em chose the red button. i made an aqua thread chain out of embroidery floss (Oliver + S has a tutorial here – i just made a loop and then tied square knots around the loop string until it was reinforced into a sort of twisty friendship bracelet from my childhood type deal).

the design gives you a chance to play with fabric choice and really change the look of the dress, which is always fun. here i wanted to really play up the garden party theme and make it in a modern floral, so i chose a print from Leah Duncan’s gorgeous new line for Art Gallery Fabrics, Meadow.

i love every print in the Meadow line (and everything Leah Duncan does, really), but this simple line drawing floral stood out and seemed so sweet for spring. it’s called “Lea’s Bloom in Clearwater” and i got it at Bolt, you can find it here online. i paired it with a royal blue kona cotton for the trim. it’s always a risk picking blue for Em, but she approved and called it beautiful, so we were good to go.

it felt great to sew a dress for Em, and dresses with sleeves are a must for her school dress code, so this is a practical addition to her wardrobe.

head over to probably actually to check out Gail’s beautiful version of this dress (in another Meadow print, coincidentally!), and over to you & mie to see Cherie’s adorable layette jacket (fantastically modern fabric combo!). and if you’re still not convinced, you can find more details on this and the other new Oliver + S patterns right here.

happy spring sewing!

p.s. i was given a copy of the garden party dress with no strings attached; my opinions are my own.

PR&P season 3 reunion: nanook of the northwest

February 9, 2014May 14, 201439 Comments

two years ago, i was a contestant in season 3 of project run & play (sort of project runway for kids clothes…and online). it was an intense but creative season, and a bunch of us really bonded with each other (some during but behind the scenes, some after the competition was all over). so when Jess contacted us to do a virtual Season 3 reunion, I was definitely on board!

since i’m super pregnant, i wasn’t planning on sewing anything for the reunion – this was to be more of a reflective post on my experience. buuuuut then my seasonmates started showing previews on instagram, and i just couldn’t resist the temptation to join them again – plus i got stuck at home for a few days due to a rare Portland snowstorm, so i actually had time! inspiration hit – i’d redo the Outerwear Challenge because i love sewing outerwear but haven’t for a while, and i’d of course stay true to my signature style.

and here it is…my little Nanook of the Northwest (because what’s a PR&P project without a catchy title??).

i decided to make a super cozy coat for Em with special details – fun to wear but still practical, feminine but not frilly, stylish but understated, with plays on color…my signature style. it’ll keep her warm on the playground but will catch attention too!

when i sewed for PR&P, i always started with a sketch and shared that in my weekly posts. sketching seems to be how my brain generate new ideas, guides my process, and it’s also very satisfying to see it turn into reality.

i had been wanting to make a sherpa-lined hoodie for O, actually, so that jumpstarted my idea. i looked through my stash to find this great dot dot Echino canvas in the perfect outerwear weight (i scored it on sale at Bolt, you can find it online here) sherpa from JoAnn, and faux fur left over from Sam’s hat to trim it out.

it closes with brass snaps – after seeing Kelly’s amazing Minoru in real life, i’ve become obsessed and think they add a really nice touch – plus there was NO way i was forcing buttonholes into that sherpa!

the hood is the Red Riding Hood Cape hood from Little Things to Sew (affiliate link) – I cut a large but had to trim 1.5” off the front and curve the bottom a bit, and it’s still pretty big. i’m sure the medium would’ve worked. i love that it’s so oversized though, and Em likes to snuggle into it, which is pretty cute.

i used the pocket template from the Playtime Tunic for the side seam pockets, cut down to 12-18 month size.

for the body, i used the same pattern i made for little red and my suzy coat – it’s an Oliver + S Sunday Brunch Jacket yoke with shortened sleeves, but extended to full length (this time with a hi-low hemline) and fully lined (the body and hood with sherpa, the sleeves with some voile for easier on/off). one of the most important rules of project run & play is that patterns can be used but they must be heavily altered, so i gave myself the same constraints for this challenge.

test fits were seeming a little snug on Em due to the thicker lining, so i added a snap strip on one side to extend it and add a bit of a more professional finish, which worked really nicely. i’m praying it’s big enough that she can still wear it this coming fall/winter.

one major difference between my skill level during PR&P and now – i conceived of and sewed this coat in one afternoon/evening, and photographed it the next morning! I was much slower two years ago – one look took me a whole week to accomplish and i was learning so much as i went (collages, photo editing, pattern alteration, etc.). all the practice from film petit helps, i’m sure. and hey, film petit wouldn’t even be here without PR&P (since it was inspired by the Season 4 movie challenge) so that’s another nice tie in!

i was going to make leggings to go with it, but just as i finished the coat, the power went out because of freezing rain on the lines! i took it as a sign and skipped the leggings, layering shorts i’d already made with some fun blue tights to complete the look.

Em had such a good time during this photoshoot – crunching through the layer of ice to the powdery snow below.

and i was happy to get outside of the house for the first time in 3 days! sewing is fun, but fresh air is better.

polka dot sherpa coat

project run & play was a really game changing experience for me, causing me think of myself as a “creative person” for the first time ever. it was also really difficult, and made me seriously gut check myself and my style, why i blog, etc. i think i wasn’t quite “ready” as a sewist or a blogger to be in a competition like that at that time, but it definitely shoved me forward at a pace i never would’ve had on my own.

i’m also so grateful for the relationships i built during PR&P. i feel really lucky to call my former competitors friends, and truly admire and am inspired by all of them. it’s fun to get to cheer each other on when you’re not in a competition, ya know?

thanks for following along – i know a few of you have been with me since the PR&P days or before, and i really appreciate you so much!! when you’re in a competition like that, it’s amazing how much you need that encouragement and support from people that “get” you. and i hope that everyone that’s found me since then now has a bit more of my story – without PR&P, you probably wouldn’t know my blog – it really sort of put me on the kid sewing blog map.

and now i’d love it if you’d please go check out the reunion posts from my fellow Season 3-ers that i’m so happy to call friends!

click on the bubbles below and it’ll take you to each post…

and thanks so much once again to Jess for organizing this reunion!!

P.S. did you know that 1922’s Nanook of the North is considered to be the first full-length documentary? i just can’t avoid being inspired by film!

retro raglan sweatshirt

February 3, 2014February 2, 201415 Comments

well look at this, some legit KCW sewing happened after all. i sewed this just under the wire on day 7, after getting enough of my nesting out of the way that i was able to “indulge myself” in making another project that’s been brewing in my mind for months.

kind of funny what takes hold in my head sometimes – lately it has been a retro-style sweatshirt. i’ve noticed them in men’s fashion, both as basics and with interesting details (like color blocking, patches, piping, etc.) to them. and since O has now definitely grown out of the neon dinosweater i made during the Fall 2012 KCW, it was time to make another and finally scratch the retro sweatshirt itch.

i went pretty basic with the colors – army green and cream, with khaki topstitching. i added a star drawn onto some webbing for a little “Vintage Army” detailing, heavily influenced by Sabra’s fantastic boy looks for STYLO magazine (if you haven’t seen STYLO yet, please do yourself a huge favor and go check it out!).

i’m not usually into much of a military look for little kids, but in this case i thought O might appreciate a Sarge from “Cars” reference with the star and the color scheme.

he did appreciate it.

the fabric is a donate-pile cotton hoodie from my husband, a nice and heavy one that i knew would be great for layering in the springtime. the neckline and sleeves are rib knit from JoAnn, and the waistband is from the original sweatshirt. i did all the internal sewing on my serger but did honeycomb topstitching over the shoulders and on the v-patch at the neck with my machine. i might end up topstitching around the neckline too, we’ll see how much it flips up.

i looked up why sweatshirts have the little triangle at the collar and here’s the answer. mine is just appliquéd on. it seems to be a design element more than a practical one at this point, as a bunch of RTW shirts i examined in stores had either just the stitching or an appliqué; it wasn’t pieced in.

the pattern is the Oliver + S Field Trip Raglan Tee in a 3T (size up if you’re making this as outerwear so it can be layered!). i took just a little length off the sleeves and hem to compensate for the cuffs rather than hems like the pattern calls for, but i left them slightly long so he can grow into it over time.

i love how versatile this pattern is – i just sewed it as a pajama shirt, now it’s a sweatshirt, i’ve seen dress versions…all fun and cute! it’s totally fast to sew, the fit and shape are great, and it looks different each time depending on fabric choice. i especially love the look of raglans on little boys, so i plan to keep sewing these! so classic.

the Field Trip Raglan Tee, Playtime Leggings, and Seashore Bloomers are all now offered as individual PDFs from Oliver + S as i think i’ve mentioned before – a great way to try out their fantastic patterns at a lower price point. if you’ve never sewn one before, you should probably start your collection here and see why i’m always blathering on about how great they are. 😉

i’ve been sewing a lot more for this kid since i found out he’s getting a little brother that’ll be able to wear it all eventually. poor Em and her closetful of dresses she’s quickly growing out of. this spring i should probably work on that a bit!

film petit: the princess bride

January 27, 2014January 28, 201427 Comments

MAWWIAGE.

MAWWIAGE IS WHUT BWINGS US TOGEVAHH TODAAY.

well, mawwiage plus the epic 1987 film “The Princess Bride.” i can’t remember the first time i saw this movie, or how many times i’ve seen it, but it’s a lot, starting in childhood. it’s a fairy tale as told by a grandpa to his sick-in-bed grandson (Fred Savage), about the beautiful Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright) and how she is about to marry an evil Prince Humperdinck, but is kidnapped and finds herself having quite an adventure. all the while, she tries to she keep the faith that her true love, Westley, will come back to her.

the movie has ACTION! ADVENTURE! ROMANCE! and a big dose of COMEDY! at Buttercup’s lowest point, when she is being forced to marry the prince against her will as her beloved Westley lays “mostly dead” in the Pit of Despair, the voice that comes out of the priest with his ridiculous speech impediment breaks all tension and you can’t help but just giggle. there are LOTS of those silly moments in The Princess Bride – more than I remembered – and it makes it such a fun movie to watch, even as an adult.

film petit: the princess bride

the wedding scene, with it’s high drama and equally high comedic factor, is the scene i chose to sew for film petit. Buttercup’s elaborately embellished wedding dress also seemed like something my little gal would love wearing.

film petit: the princess bride

with this outfit, i finally answered her pleas to make her a princess dress. and i made not just any princess dress, but a princess wedding dress!

i started with the Oliver + S Playtime Dress and stayed pretty true to the pattern for the most part. for the floor length skirt i just cut a long rectangle and gathered it selvedge to selvedge (it was very wide satin).

i made a few changes to the bodice, cutting the neckline a bit lower, splitting the front down the middle and modifying the facings to match, adding buttonholes for cording, a lace underlay, and cutting the bottom of the bodice to a curve.

Buttercup’s dress has an array of trim and beadwork to add texture, and i did the best i could to get that feel by adding this beautiful beaded lace flower trim and gold/white woven elastic trim to the neckline and bodice – all from the bridal section of Fabric Depot.

the dress is satin, also from the bridal section of the depot. it was on clearance and i’m glad i got “good stuff” for a lower price – this is the best satin i’ve ever sewed with! it didn’t shift on me much at all, didn’t snag easily, and it flows like water. she loves wearing this dress and actually hangs it on her closet door when she’s not wearing it!

i first cut a lace cape more like a half circle to billow out under her arms, but i made a mistake and cut it too short for Em – it was only knee-length and she insisted it reach the floor! i salvaged the rest to make the floor length version you see here. i wish it was wider but it works.

so even though The Princess Bride is PG-rated (same rating as Frozen, Em and every other girl between the ages of 3 and 7’s favorite movie right now), it has a LOT more questionable content that i don’t want her to see just yet (ya know, stuff like nightmare-inducing ROUSes and torture chambers…). the ‘80s were a wild and crazy time for movie ratings, i guess. so Em has seen parts of The Princess Bride with whole scenes skipped over until she’s older.

what she has seen, though, was enough to get her in character for these photos, melancholy bride acting and all.

she was cracking me up. she knew Buttercup didn’t want to get married to that awful Prince Humperdinck, and she did not crack a smile through most of this photoshoot – and when we were done, she had me pretend that the Prince’s men were after us and i was helping her escape!

so now it is time for you to escape, for you will surely crack a giant-sized smile when you see what Jess & Jess have in store for you today!

our guest Jess from Craftiness is not Optional had the brilliant idea to do The Princess Bride, and we said “as you wish!” Jess sewed Buttercup and Westley the Dread Pirate Roberts and found the PERFECT photoshoot setting, too, complete with rolling hill. really amazing work, and thanks SO much for joining us, Jess! check it out!

my partner Jess from A Little Gray sewed up two of the three bandits that kidnap poor Buttercup but later become Westley’s allies. it would be INCONCEIVABLE not to love Andre the Giant as Fezzik and Mandy Patinkin (or as my husband has taken to calling him, “Battleship Patinkin”) as Inigo Montoya! she also got photos at a CASTLE. off with you to see Jess’s post, and prepare to die (but only if you have six fingers on your right hand).

***

here are the guidelines for film petit:

every month or so, Jess and i (plus a guest) sew an outfit (or outfits) for our kid (or kids) inspired by a movie we love. not sure if we’ll get a February post in due to the imminent arrival of this baby in my belly, but we’ll be back as soon as we can.
please add any of your movie-inspired kid sewing to the film petit flickr group. if you sew along with our film petit choices, we’d love to see that too!
this is a pretty relaxed series, really the only rule is to make outfits for kids based on films you love. if you have any questions, please let either of us know.
film petit archives: the life aquatic with steve zissou, amélie, fantastic mr. fox, psycho, moonrise kingdom, ferris bueller’s day off, the big lebowski, back to the future, napoleon dynamite, zoolander

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cars pajamas by request

January 21, 2014January 20, 201431 Comments

this guy, sometimes he just wraps me right around his finger.

he’s a really good errands-runner for a 3 year old. recently i took him along to my midwife appointment, where he was very patient and quiet. when we were back in the car, i asked if he wanted to go home or go to the fabric store with me. HE SAID “I WANNA GO TO THE FABRIC STORE.” i mean seriously!

while we were there (at Bolt of course), he sat and read books at the little table they have set up for kids, then joined me to browse, went straight to this fabric, and was so excited about it, he immediately asked me if i could make him some pajamas out of it.

how am i supposed to resist, i ask you? it was impossible.

he asked for pajama bottoms and a matching shirt, and this is what i came up with. the pants are Rae’s Parsley Pants in a 3T. i knew they’d be big but i wanted them that way – i’m sick and tired of these kids growing out of stuff all the time! fabric is masquerade party by fresh designs for henry glass & co. it’s lightweight for a quilting cotton and really nice as pajamas.

the shirt is the Oliver + S Field Trip Raglan Tee, in a 2T with length added to the arms and body (NEWSFLASH: it’s now available as an individual PDF pattern, plus 25% off through Friday in their January Sale, which makes it less than $7!). i already had the 2T traced from sewing it before and time was of the essence – i sewed this set during his naptime AFTER pre-washing the fabric right when we got home. it was a 4 hour turnaround from deciding on/buying the fabric to finished product and he wore it to bed that night (plus whenever it’s been clean since then)

the raglan is two shirts from my upcycle pile, with appliqué fussy cut car patch so the tops and bottoms “match” (per his request).

this all still wasn’t quick enough for him, though. as soon as we had gotten home from Bolt, he stripped down to his undies and said he was ready to put on his pajamas! had to break it to him that i still had to actually SEW it all first. ha! sewing is magic to 3 year olds. they go to sleep, wake up, and POOF – new clothes.

once i fiiiiinally finished them, though, he was an immediate fan. O loves transportation, the color black, and comfy wear, and i love patterns that are so fast they basically sew themselves. win-win. 😉