kcw fall 2013: day 1:: prep & plan

October 21, 2013October 21, 201319 Comments

i’ve participated in every KCW since spring 2011…some sessions more productively than others, but i always jump in the best i can. KCW is just too motivational, too inspirational, and too much fun to pass up. this time, i’m going to try something i’ve never really done, but something i’ve seen others do – i’m going to post in progress photos, and i’m going to work most of the week on a couple time-sensitive larger projects rather than churning out as many basics as i can.

this week, i’m sewing halloween costumes!

if i get them done early on, i’ll try to sew some much-needed wardrobe builders, but as long as i get these done, i’ll be happy. and actually, the prep on these costumes seems to be more work than the actual sewing will be.

O wants to be spiderman…

and Em wants to be a “skeleton fairy.”

i’m using tried-and-true patterns and hacking them where necessary. i’ll talk more about the patterns as i finish them, ‘kay? for now, i’m just freezer paper stenciling and fabric markering my little heart out.

my halloween costume making philosophy comes from early childhood – i don’t remember ever wearing a store-bought costume. my mom sewed them, we thrifted components, we used what we had, and i even sewed a basic one as i got older. i just don’t even think about buying one from Target. one of my earliest self-drafted sewing projects for Em was a Dorothy costume, and they’ve been either sewn (or borrowed) since. it’s just fun for me to make them, even if they could be much more easily (and cheaply) purchased.

that being said, Spiderman is gonna be a LOT of work! all that color blocking and webbing, phew! and yes, i totally could’ve gotten skeleton pajamas for Em’s costume – in fact, she HAS some. that was what sparked her idea to be a skeleton fairy, actually. but her pajamas are pink, and she wants her costume to be “spooky.” so there ya go.

anyone else sewing costumes this KCW? the timing is perfect!

magentaa bimaa (and a skirt)

October 19, 2013October 20, 201315 Comments

helllllloooooooooo!

rare saturday post for you today, because i, along with my pal Erin over at hungie gungie, am the last stop on what has been a pretty epic tour for the Bimaa Sweater Pattern by LouBeeClothing!

i chose to go pretty basic with my Bimaa – i noticed recently that almost every top, dress, legging, and shoe that Em owns has some sort of print on it, and while print mixing is “in” these days, i believe that only applies to two prints, not three or four, which she has often been known to combine. this kid needs more solids to go with all the print stuff.

when i went shopping (at fabric depot), i looked for the perfect solid, and found this magenta knit. it’s a blend of some sort, and i was so excited about the ideal weight to drape ratio that i didn’t check the bolt to give you any details about it (BAD BLOGGER). it sort of turned purplish if my iron was too hot, though, so it’s got more stuff mixed in there than your typical interlock, i’m guessing.

i love how Sarah’s patterns are basics with a twist – they’ve all got unexpected design elements that make them really stand out. plus, they’re just so darn COOL! i can’t wait to sew up some Hosh Pants (and see if I can persuade Em into wearing non-leggings-pants).

i chose to sew the cowl neck version of the Bimaa (there are also hood and a shawl collar options included in the pattern). i love a good cowl sweater though, and a mini cowl was just irresistible. the pattern goes from size 12 mo to size 6, there’s no hemming (i sewed the whole thing with my serger, and did the sleeve cuffs with the same method as the waistband), it’s a super fast and painless to sew, and turns out a very stylish little sweater, don’t you think?

this Bimaa is a size 4T, which is actually larger than i usually sew for her and didn’t match Em’s measurement on the chart, chest-wise, but i saw Jess’ version and knew our little gals were the same size, so i went with it. i will say though, i think this pattern is sized to fit pretty snugly. Em is at the bottom of the weight charts for her age and the 4T fits her great, but if your little one is normal/larger, might wanna size up from what you usually sew, at least in width.

for a normal-height skinny kid like mine, though, the slimmer sizing is refreshing – i usually sew 3T bodices for her but i actually prefer to sew closer to her commercial size, ya know? she’s 5 and a half and wears a 5 in store-bought clothes.

to go with the Bimaa, because she really loves choosing her own skirt/top combos these days and she’s been getting so much taller, i made her a swingset skirt by Oliver + S. i was so hooked on the pattern after making Sadie’s, and i thought the fuller silhouette would be the perfect way to show off the Bimaa. this swingset is also a 4T, and i think i added a bit of length for extra growing room.

the skirt fabric is Heather Ross’ Pink Cricket Clover from Briar Rose for Windham, which I got again at Fabric Depot (but you can find online here). i always love the base fabrics Heather chooses for her lines – the “quilting cotton” Briar Rose is light and soft and awesome for kid’s apparel…never mind her perfect designs. so sweet and playful.

it’s got an organza-type ribbon and is lined with a loosely woven cotton stripe in magenta/red as a fun surprise.

great little layering pieces for fall, winter, and maybe even spring if her growth spurt slows down!

you can get the Bimaa pattern right here and the swingset pattern right here. both are PDF only.

oh and don’t forget to head over to check out my buddy Erin’s Bimaa today too (TEASER: it’s got EARS!) and enter to win a copy of the pattern in her giveaway!

> > > :: < < <

thanks so much for having me on this fun fun tour, Sarah!

i was given the Bimaa Sweater Pattern for free as a participant in the blog tour, opinions are 100% mine.

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.

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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).

feather skirt for sadie

October 8, 2013October 8, 201315 Comments

i may have mentioned here before that Em and Sadie, daughter of my good blog friend, Vintage May partner, and amazing sewist Jess, are the cutest little long distance buddies. they text emoji “conversations” back and forth, they FaceTime, they send each other drawings with giant 5 year old lettering and stickers across the envelopes (with Jess and i squeezing addresses into whatever blank spaces we can find). i’m sure the post office loves those.

for Em’s birthday in May, Sadie was excited to send a present, and she and her mom worked together to make this ADORABLE skirt, which quickly became Em’s favorite and is in constant rotation. Sadie turned 5 in August, so it was high time we returned the favor!

Jess had written a post saying Sadie loves feathers, which gave me the hint i needed to sew up this skirt for her. the pattern is the Oliver + S Swingset Skirt, which hadn’t grabbed me as a must have until I saw Gail make a few. now that i’ve made one, i’m totally hooked! it’s not quite a circle skirt but it’s very twirly, i love the triple waistband (two rows of elastic and one ribbon), and i love the fact that it’s lined! it’s a quick, fun sew but has more style than the simple rectangle of fabric skirts i usually make.

i used a vintagey lace trim for the “ribbon” since it seemed very CINO to me. i think it came from Cherie (Daiso?).

the feathers i hand drew, stuck on with steam a seam lite (affiliate link) and topstitched around the edges and up the middle using silver metallic Gutermann thread. the top feather is white seersucker, the middle is heather ross far far away double gauze, and the bottom is violet cotton couture, all scraps from prior projects (maybe you can guess them? i used the HR pre-blog/flickr only).

the skirt fabric itself is Denyse Schmidt for JoAnn a couple years back. still getting good mileage out of the 2.5 yards I picked up, originally intending on making something for myself with it!

i sewed a size 4 since Em and Sadie appear to be almost exactly the same size, and threw in some other goodies including this drawing of Ariel (Sadie’s favorite Disney princess) done by Em. Ariel is wearing a “on HUMAN legs!” pink fancy gown, complete with a castle, ocean, and seagulls.

word has it Sadie was thrilled to get our little gift. and one day soon, these two little long distance buds are actually going to get to meet each other in person!!

plans are in the works. 😉

fanfare for the little ones

October 4, 2013December 1, 201318 Comments

okay so remember back in May when Quilt Market was in Portland and I got to meet and hang out with Rae, and then she and Cherie and I went to lunch, and then Rae came over to my house for a bit? the story’s all here.

welllllll when Rae came, she brought strike offs (early versions) of her upcoming (now available) line of organic flannels, called Fanfare. as an experiment, we randomized the stack and handed them to Em, then asked her what she thought. she flipped through them, and when she came to the PINK ELEPHANT FLANNEL, she giggled, rubbed it against her cheek, and wouldn’t even look through the rest! she was sold. her one complaint was that it was too small to be a blanket!

but now, the wait is over. Fanfare is out and available for purchase at these shops! and as a super exciting perk of being buds with Rae, i got a package straight from Cloud9 with bundles of Fanfare for me to sew with. omigosh guys, this stuff is SOFT. like ridiculously soft – and upon washing, it only got SOFTER. the colors are perfect for fall, with mustards and grays and aquas and peachy pinks. and the elephants (plus the rest of the critters/shapes in the line) are adorable. i want them all. oh and by the way, it’s also organic!

i knew right away i wanted to sew up lounge pants for both my kids. when i find fabric as cute and cozy as this, i just want my little ones to be wrapped up in it and wear it around…and that’s exactly what happened.

O didn’t take his off for a couple days straight after he put them on! Em, unfortunately, has to go to school, but changes into hers whenever she can.

i chose two of the three elephant colorways – pink for Em, and gray for O, and paired them with coordinating confetti for the waistbands and bindings. the pattern for both is the Oliver + S Bedtime Story Pajamas (pants only), which was one of the very first patterns i ever bought and remains a go to. so fast to sew and i love the pop of contrast the bindings add.

Em has actually grown out of my pattern – the smaller range only goes up to a 3T. it fits her waist but not her height, so i guessed and added 1.5″ to the length and they fit her just right. O’s are a straight up 2T and a roomy fit on him, mostly because he’s now potty trained (yay!) and doesn’t have a big diapered tush to keep them up.

i put O’s mattress on the floor of his room for these photos, and i’m pretty sure it’s the most fun they’ve ever had in a photoshoot. trouble was, either she was moving…

or he was…

pretty much the whole time. so we’ll see how much lounging actually gets done in these puppies…apparently “jumping pants” may be a more apt description.

wish me luck?

thanks so much to Rae and Cloud9 for generously sending this fabric for me to play with, and be sure to follow along as some of my favorite bloggers in blogland show off what they made with Fanfare! it’s the coziest blog tour ever – get all caught up here.

for Portland locals, Fanfare is available both at Bolt and at Modern Domestic, and for those in Seattle or elsewhere, it’s also available at my lovely sponsor Drygoods Design (in store and online)! if you can, you should really go touch it and see for yourself – you’ll be sold on the feel as well as the CUTE!

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PS – the winner of the Sally Dress pattern giveaway is Beverly Clemmer! congratulations Beverly, let me know if you didn’t get my email. 🙂