tried & true at true bias

April 29, 2013April 29, 2013Leave a comment

thanks so much for the scoop top love! i’m so excited that you’re excited about it. i have an earlier “wearable muslin” version to show you a little later this week, BUT FIRST!

today i’m guest posting over at True Bias about my favorite Tried & True pattern that has totally changed the way i’m able to sew/design. you’ll need to go click on over there to find out what it is, but here’s a hint – Cameron Frye, Coraline, Super Mario, and a pink elephant all have it in common…got a guess?

head on over to True Bias to see if you’re right!

and while you’re there, don’t miss a some of my favorite projects of Kelli’s – her darling ranges, her tie dyed maxi, and her toddler swing tank (free 2T pattern) to name a few! Kelli is a big inspiration for me – her creations are really well done and watching her sew such an amazing wardrobe for herself makes me want to do the same thing!

have a great Monday!

scoop top free pattern and tutorial

April 26, 2013June 1, 201465 Comments

As a part of my guest blogging gig for Britex Fabrics, they recently sent some of their new knit fabric to try out! I was really excited to see that Britex is now offering knit fabric online, and for this project I picked out a super cool Japanese tissue knit with scribbles all over it. I thought it’d be a great fabric to turn into a simple tee using my favorite J.Crew shirt as a launch point, with plenty of my own modifications to get the perfect fit.

And because I want to share the love of my new favorite shirt all over blogland, I thought I’d offer a FREE PATTERN along with my tutorial today!

scoop top pattern & tutorial

I’m calling it the Scoop Top. It’s a scoop neck women’s t-shirt with a french/dolman sleeve. It’s fitted through the bust but then flares out a bit, giving it a really flattering and comfortable fit. I’m offering this free pattern in a size small/medium (since it’s knit, it’s pretty forgiving, size-wise).

PATTERN

Download the FREE Scoop Top Pattern

Please note: This pattern is untested (except by me) and it is offered in only one size. It’s also the first time I’ve ever digitized a pattern, so please don’t expect perfection! I’m happy to answer questions about it if you ask nicely. This pattern is for personal use only. I reserve the right to refine, grade it to different sizes, and charge for it it sometime in the future. In the meantime, Go To Patterns’ Casual Lady (affiliate link) has a similar fit in a full range of sizes and proceeds go to a great cause.

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kcw spring 2013 :: hawaiian girl dress

April 25, 2013April 25, 201317 Comments

story behind this one: lately when Em comes out of her room having dressed herself, she often looks like she’s headed to dinner on Maui or something. plumeria hair clip, skirt, lei, whole deal. she also has been asking me to make her a maxi skirt like mine.

boom. made her a hawaiian girl dress.

i saw a super cute dress on groovy baby…and mama this morning and made my own version as soon as i could, because i knew it’d be fast and Em would love it.

the fabric is a lightweight voile that fru-t sent me when i won a giveaway of hers a while back. she sent me a bunch of amazing fabrics, actually, and this is the first i could bring myself to cut into! i just gathered the front and attached some fold over elastic to the top.

Em loves it, perfect for this suddenly summer weather we’ve gotten here in the past couple days. here she is doing a halfhearted hula.

alright, that wraps up KCW for me! i’m just out of time. see, i didn’t even finish this dress, the straps still need to be sewn down.

HOWEVER. it’s a good thing Rae extended the Spring Top Sewalong, because tomorrow i have a free pattern and tutorial for you! like you meaning YOU – the grown up gal! i’m pretty dang thrilled about it – i even taught myself illustrator, so it’s all digital and stuff. 😀

see you tomorrow!

kcw spring 2013 :: pleated plaid skirt

April 23, 2013April 23, 201323 Comments

alright so not the most exciting sewing ever, but something i’ve been wanting to make for months now and something she actually NEEDS, so it’s pretty satisfying. and that’s what kid’s clothes week is all about, amirite?

Em grew out of her uniform pants (and hates wearing them anyway). so even though there’s not much school left, she still needed more options as the weather warms up. i figured this Oliver + S 2+2 Skirt should get her through the rest of the year (and start her off for next too, probably). it’s a 3T with 1″ in added length.

i didn’t do the button loop and instead added a buttonhole on the waistband – i THINK that’s how the “real” uniform skirts close, and i’m supposed to copy them the best i can as you’ll recall. the fabric is from the uniform company; it’s weird polyester that frays like crazy and doesn’t wrinkle but when you DO iron it into pleats, it stays like that through washing. so bizarre.

matching plaids is something i just sort of guess at, but i’m pretty sure my mediocre skills still trump the store-bought ones, so any plaid-match imperfections actually make it look LESS homemade if you can believe that.

i just love it with knee highs and a peter pan blouse.

but it was too chilly this morning for coat-less photos. sorry, Em!

quickest photoshoot ever. seriously, like less than a minute.

i’m feeling a bit sickish, so i think i need to hit the hay early and hopefully make up for my slacking tomorrow (i finished this skirt at 1am last night, probably not the best idea). anyway…happy sewing, everyone!

kcw spring 2013 :: chambray parsley pants

April 22, 2013April 27, 201322 Comments

aaaaand it’s kid’s clothes week time again! woohoo! and you may have already seen that KCWC founder meg has teamed up with dorie to build a whole new dedicated KCW site. KCW will now be FOUR times a year and from what it sounds like, they’re working to turn it into a really great year-round resource for those of us sewing for kids, with all sorts of helpful features we can’t even imagine yet! can’t wait to see what it all evolves into.

but now i’m rambling, and if i’m going to post almost every day this week, i can’t do that! especially since i’m a little behind in my preparations. i usually have everything cut out by the Sunday before KCW starts, and currently it’s just all in a pile – fabrics are chosen, but not cut out. i did tape/cut out some PDF patterns, but not as much as i’d like. okay. stop talking. show the pants and get back to sewing.

these fellas are Rae’s Parsley Pants pattern, now for sale! i’m telling ya, this pattern is a must-have. it’s basic with tons of options, is one of the quickest sews ever (like 30 minutes from first cut to final thread snip for the most basic version) but doesn’t look like pajamas – it’s just a great basic pant for boys and girls. this is actually the third pair of Parsleys i’ve made for O, i just haven’t blogged the second pair yet (the first was orange).

the fabric is a lightweight stretch chambray from the mill end annex, with hemp knee patches (same fabric used here and here and here). super comfy for him.