Category: sewing

sweet tartan dress tutorial and pattern

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as promised, here is the tutorial for my sweet tartan dress from the first week of project run & play!  i made the original in a woven plaid, but didn’t take any photos along the way.  so i remade it this time in a pink gingham with green sash, since my daughter is currently obsessed with strawberries and this reminded me of strawberry shortcake dolls i used to play with!

if you’ll remember, the challenge was to remix the adorable junebug dress by  jess of craftiness is not optional.  i honored my scottish heritage by choosing a tartan and made a dress inspired by alexander mcqueen (more on that here).  i flipped the buttoned bodice to the back, drafted a wrap front bodice, omitted the sleeves, and added the gathered overskirt.  the whole dress is lined, so i’ll also show you how to make a lined bodice.  and i got permisson from jess from CINO to offer my 2/3T pattern pieces as a free downloadable file for you – thank you jess!  if you’re drafting your own pattern in a different size, follow her instructions here, and then come back to learn how to adapt it.  otherwise, i’ve done a lot of the pattern work for you!

okay, let’s get on with the tutorial.

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envelope clutch pattern testing

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i was sooooo excited that i got to pattern test the newest pattern by noodlehead. check it out, it’s an envelope clutch!

anna has written a great pattern with lots of options (small/large, pointed/squared flap, wrist strap, zippered pocket, card holder), so you can make it however you like to suit your every desire. the outer fabric is basted to canvas for structure, and the lining is interfaced, so it’s nice and substantial. i also love that anna instructs you to use magnetic snaps to keep it closed – a little scary to install (cutting holes in the almost-finished purse), but the end product feels so…professional! not too floppy and it closes nicely – it’s like a REAL clutch!

i made the large version with pointed flap. the outer fabric is a gray chevron (half moon modern by moda), and i flipped it upside down on the flap for an interesting geometric contrast. on the inside, i used my favorite solid, kona olive.

side note: i really need to buy more “adult” fabrics. this chevron was pretty much the only thing in my stash that would work for date night outfits as well as daytime, but i do love it and love the herringbone effect of the card holder on the inside, too.

i went with the exposed zippered pocket, which i’d never tried before (the pattern calls for a 5″ zipper but i used a 7″ and shortened it by backstitching a few times across the end and pinking off the excess), and the pocket is lined in a cheery gold polka dot.

envelope clutch

please pardon the tarp in the background. we were up at the family vacation spot on the puget sound this weekend and there’s some landscaping to be done! the weather was crazy too – we had snow, rain, wind, and blue skies, all within a matter of hours. as we took these photos, a storm was blowing in and the light on the water was really cool.

anyway, i just love pattern testing. it’s fun to see the background on great new independent patterns coming to market and how they get made (i was lucky enough to test rae’s pierrot tunic pattern last fall). i had a great time testing this pattern, too – i learned some new things and was so happy with how it turned out. look, i even pretty closely matched the chevrons on the sides! don’t ask me how, but this is about as good as it gets for me. 🙂

the pattern is coming very soon, so keep your eye on noodlehead in the next week or so to snatch it up and make your own! it’s so versatile and quick to sew, i’m already dreaming up my next version!  **update: the envelope clutch pattern is now available!  get it here!!**

and be sure to check back here later this week, because a sweet tartan dress tutorial is in the works!

a springtime ayashe

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i’m a sucker for a sewalong.  i found out about an upcoming figgy’s ayashe sewalong via meg, and i believe i was out shopping for pattern and fabric within hours.  this was further motivated by the fact that my husband had given me a certificate to bolt as a “sorry you’ve been auf’d from project run & play” present.  he’s a keeper.

i went ahead and purchased both the pattern and this GORGEOUS nani iro double gauze that i’d been eyeing forever.  total splurge.  worth it.  i faced the collar with kona olive, and did the topstitching in pretty silver thread.

my daughter is almost 4, but has funny proportions, which is one of the reasons i sew for her so much.  her chest measurement is larger than her hip measurement, she’s at the bottom of the growth charts in weight but in the middle for height…and her head is in the 90th percentile.  big head (and a smart girl!).  so i made the 2/3 size, which fits her roomily, but i have to sort of wiggle it over her huge noggin.  maybe next time i’d make the front opening deeper, but add some sort of closure so she doesn’t need to wear a camisole underneath.

i added a gathering stitch along the shoulders so i could set them in with room for easing.  i actually ended up gathering them a bit more to add a bit of a puff because, you know, a flower shirt wasn’t girly enough!  i might switch out the elastic for the drawstring for growing room.  it’s good to have options.

the pattern was sweet to sew.  i had to focus a bit on the double layered yoke part, but i’d never made something like that before.  and i love the little details that figgy’s includes to make you smile, like a logo that says “happy sewing!” on the pattern.  so nice.  i like that the owners are portlanders, too – the liberty ayashe that’s on the pattern/website was actually at bolt and i got to hold it!  that was a big selling point for me.  so beautiful.

result: a fun little sewalong and a a lovely springtime top!

Figgys Patterns

PR&P week 6: old, new, borrowed & PURPLE

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here we go again, i’m back one more time with my “signature” look for project run & play season 3! the look evolved from a beachy dress to what is actually a mini wedding dress! i know i know, special occasion week was week 5. but my little gal had a large hand in how this look turned out.

my sister had the great idea to go to the beach for photos if i made it through to the finale as a unique photoshoot idea, so i first designed an ombré dip dyed easy breezy beach dress in bright green to allude to the verdant pacific northwest, in my casual but feminine style, etc. see?

but after i was eliminated…i really didn’t want to buy any more fabric or supplies! i only had fuchsia and navy dye on hand and my largest piece of solid fabric was a super soft old white bedsheet. so i mixed the dyes in a big tub and dip dyed the bedsheet to make this little dress. it turned out a lovely shade of purple!

purple is Em’s second favorite color (she is adamant about her favorite colors and wishes all of her clothing was either pink or purple). it’s got a full circle skirt for twirling, and it’s comfortable and soft. i didn’t plan on making a “fancy dress,” per se, but when i tried it on her she immediately danced and exclaimed “IT’S MY WEDDING DRESS!!”

it actually took me a little while to remember that she has always told us that “when she gets bigger” she wants to wear a purple wedding dress and marry her best buddy, N, who she has known since she was 3 months old. once it dawned on me that i had inadvertently designed the wedding dress of her dreams, i decided to go with the “colorful wedding” theme full tilt.

as the saying goes, she is wearing something old (the bedsheet and a piece of lace my grandma left me in a box of notions when she passed), something new (the plaid sash is an H&M scarf that reminds Em of “elmer the patchwork elephant” and i made her a ring out of a sparkly pink button and a gold pipe cleaner), something borrowed (the necklace my husband gave me on our wedding day which she was beyond thrilled to wear), and something blue…er purple (the dress!). actually, there is blue ribbon on her felt flower bouquet, so it’s all good. 🙂

i had way too much fun making her bouquet out of felt, floral wire, ribbon, and hot glue. i think using saturated colors is another part of my signature style, so i enjoyed incorporating lots of color here. i also made her a felt rose hairpiece (we live in the rose city, and i wanted my look to reference portland somehow).

the dress itself has a gathered rectangle bodice encased by a hand-dyed purple band at the top, flutter sleeves sandwiched between purple shoulder straps (i stitched 1/8″ from the edges but will let them fray a bit), encased elastic at the back for comfort and ease of wear, and a long, full circle skirt which i dip dyed for a gradient look, a technique i’d been wanting to try forever. i thought a maxi-dress on a three year old would be pretty rad, and i believe i was right. it’s so dramatic!

so another funny thing is that my plan was to take photos just in her bedroom, sort of ho hum but whatever, this is just for fun, right? i wasn’t making the trek to the unpredictable oregon coast at this time of year unless there were potential prizes involved. 😉 but then a friend suggested that i take the photos in front of the red doors of a church nearby. as soon as she mentioned it, i knew i had to do it. nevermind the fact that it wasn’t nearly warm enough outside for this dress…Em was a trooper and we made it quick, with a cozy sweater waiting in the wings. i love the purple dress with that beautiful red door. i think the plaid sash adds some great color too, and i dressed her in stripey tights because i like to play a bit with my styling and wanted to keep it fun, you know?

oh, and does it twirl? you betcha.

so there it is, my final look for project run & play season 3! thanks for encouraging me to make it! i felt freer to try new things (the dye and maxi-length) and also include some elements i might have avoided if i was designing it for a competition (plaid and circle skirts for the third time), so that was nice.

i don’t feel right entering this dress into the sewalong competition since i was an “official” contestant and i don’t quite have the stomach for more public voting/judging at the moment, but i will encourage you to head over to project run & play to vote this weekend for your favorite “signature look” from the flickr pool! as always, i’m so excited to see what everyone has made! being inspired by everyone’s creativity is probably my favorite part of all of this.

and one last time…

i…can…go…ANYWHERE!

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what does a gal make when she has been sewing kid’s clothes for almost two months straight and suddenly finds herself with the freedom to make anything she wants?  maybe something for herself!  a much-needed new bag!  yay!

i had planned to take some time off from sewing after getting auf’d from project run & play, but after just a week i was itching to get back on the horse.  i thought i’d need more time, but i guess i’m so in the habit of sewing now, even a week away felt like forever.

for a while i had known this would be my first post-PR&P project.  i started a new job a few months ago, and the best way to get to work now is via public transportation (either bus or light rail).  i needed a new purse that was large enough to hold everything i need for the day (coffee, breakfast and sometimes lunch too, a sweater, maybe even a second pair of shoes), but compact enough to stay close to my body on crowded bus days where i end up standing 2″ away from the person next to me, or sitting next to a big dude.  my margaret bag, while plenty large, sort of sticks out behind me and once caused a lady to accuse me of “bashing her” with my purse (totally unbeknownst to me!).  this bag will not bash anyone, and it is perfect.

the pattern is the go anywhere bag by noodlehead.  i’m a big fan of anna’s, but this was the first pattern i’d purchased from her (shame on me!).  it was great!  well-written and clear, with a few options for customization.  i decided to pipe the outer pocket in white and i also sewed up the center of the back pocket to section it.  i wanted to make it very sturdy, so the main body is canvas (picket from outside oslo by jessica jones) which i interfaced, the pockets are lined with the stand-up-on-its-own mustard corduroy from O’s sailboat pants, and the outer pocket is the olive twill from Em’s kimono jacket.

i used a heavier needle (a 16) and my machine got pretty mad at me for making it sew through that many heavy layers, but it powered through.  the lining is the ticking from Em’s RRH coat.  the pattern actually takes pretty large pieces of fabric (at least 1/2 yard cuts of each variety).  it’s bigger than i expected, and i’d even seen this one in person!   it closes with a magnetic snap which i’d never done before but works great, and i also gave myself a little smile each time i look inside…

that’s right, echino bus pocket!  riding the bus can be a bit of an exercise in patience at times, so this is my small way of mitigating that (well, that and always wearing a scarf so i can bury my nose if the need arises.  bus smells…you know how it is).

i’ve used it a few days in a row now, and i’m really happy with it.  it’s the perfect size, it’s easy to get on and off, and it stays put on my shoulder as i walk.  those are the things that are important to me in a commuter purse, so it’s a big success.  thanks for making such a lovely pattern, anna!  i love my new bag!

(PS – did anyone catch the reference in my post title?  first to guess it gets a virtual high five!  too easy, right?)