a little plaid jumper

September 20, 2012September 20, 201236 Comments

so guess what, guys? pre-k is going GREAT! sure she’s been slow to get out of bed in the morning, sure she’s in bed by 7pm many nights because she’s so tuckered out, but nearly three weeks in, it’s pretty clear this kid was ready for school.

she’s coming home happy, singing new songs, bringing us art projects, talking about friends, even writing her name more clearly.

the thing i was worried about the most – whether little miss picky dresser would be okay wearing the school uniform – has been a nonissue. in fact, even though she could wear free dress for the first two weeks, she started asking to wear the uniform just a couple days in! i was unprepared!

i did get this jumper made for her. i was pretty excited about trying to sew some uniform stuff, because it’s tradition – i’ve got a cute photo of me in pigtails wearing a mama-made jumper on the first day of first grade. Em’s school uniform policy is more strict than mine was, but i talked to the principal over the summer and she said as long as i bought the plaid fabric from the uniform company directly and tried to copy the styles as closely as possible, she was very encouraging of me sewing some things for Em. it was a bit of a bummer for me that i didn’t have much leeway though, especially since i’ve been so inspired by the variety of uniforms night knitter makes with oliver + s patterns. oh well, i still snuck one in. 😉

since i couldn’t change things up much, i ended up sewing more for cost rather than creativity. though the fabric is $20/yd (way more than i normally spend!), the jumpers are $47 to buy. it doesn’t even take a yard of fabric to make one, so the savings is pretty hefty. the principal gave me a jumper from the uniform exchange to make a pattern from (very helpful!), and it turns out the construction was pretty simple – just a bib with facings and folded over sides topstitched to a pleated skirt. for the bottom i used the 2+2 skirt by oliver + s which was totally perfect, but that polyester is weird stuff and there is a learning curve on matching up the plaid (though i think i might’ve done a better job on that than the factory!). i made a 3T lengthened a couple inches, then blindstitched the hem by hand to mimic the original.

and because i have a rebellious streak, there’s a pink button hidden in there for her.

she loves looking like the big kids, down to the playground-friendly shoes her grammie and grandpa got her (way better than the ballet flats she usually lives in). really, i think her favorite part of school is that she feels like a big kid when she’s there. the school is pre-k through 8th grade so she looks TINY next to the rest of the grade schoolers lined up in the morning; but it’s pretty much adorable.

so even though she’s a big important school kid now, she’s still our twirling little Em.

and we’re very proud of her.

top as skirt

September 18, 2012September 18, 201221 Comments

as part of a recent goal to sew more quick and satisfying garments for myself, i decided to make a skirt like this one, where you just chop a men’s shirt under the armpits, do some pleating, add a waistband and some elastic to the back, and boom. i think this took me about a half hour to make.

it started as a sale rack men’s shirt from old navy. it has a funny little southwestern print on it (southwestern is still kinda hot right now, right?).

i went with a flat front waistband and added interfacing for structure. then i just pleated the body of the front of the shirt until it fit. my goal was not to add too much bulk in front; just some subtle detail and shape. the back has elastic for comfiness.

the shirt tail hem just makes it look like i’m wearing a shirt on my bottom half, but i like it. i wish i’d taken the time to add pockets, but i was being too impatient and just wanted it done.

you better not be judging the white after labor day!! this darn thing was sewn and photographed in august, but i’m way behind on blogging finished projects and am trying to catch up a bit.

top as skirt.

PS – FILM PETIT IS COMING. i think the new school year threw everyone for a loop but now we’re back on track. right jess?! right cherie?! 🙂

PPS – HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANDEE!!!

elbow patch tutorial

September 12, 2012November 28, 201212 Comments

i first posted this tutorial for elsie marley‘s fall 2011 kid’s clothes week challenge (right here), and now that fall is right around the corner, i figured it’s an appropriate time to bring it home!

***

Hi, I’m Kristin from skirt as top and I’m here today to talk about elbow patches! I’ve been spotting lots of elbow patches on adult shirts and sweaters heading into this fall, and I love the trend. I thought it could be fun to add them to homemade kids’ clothes for a little “mini-professor” style, too. Problem is, kids’ sleeves are very narrow and that means it’s pretty much impossible to sew the patches on after the garment is already completed. That makes finding that right placement for your elbow patches a bit tricky. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to add properly placed elbow patches when you’re making a shirt from scratch.

MATERIALS:

Tailor’s chalk or water-soluble marker
Clear ruler
Elbow patch pattern (draw an oval shape onto a piece of paper – mine is about 2.75″ tall x 2.25″ wide and works for about 6-12 month – 3T sizes, though you can make it whatever size you like)
Cut (but now sewn) sleeve pieces from your shirt or sweater pattern (shown is the Oliver + S sailboat top. Maybe try Dana’s free 90 minute shirt tutorial!)
Scraps of fabric for the patches (try a small floral for girls, or suede if you’re daring!)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Wrangle your kid while they’re wearing a long-sleeved shirt from their wardrobe. Mark an X on their elbow with chalk or water-soluble marker.

2. Take the existing shirt off of your child, measure from about .5″ above the shoulder (to account for the seam allowance) down to the X that you marked earlier. Write down this measurement (for my 10 month old, it was 5.5″). We’ll call this the “Elbow Measurement” because I’m super original.

3. Go to one of your new garment’s sleeve piece. Fold it in half to determine the center line, and press. Mark your seam allowance from the cut side of the sleeve with water-soluble pen or tailor’s chalk, then find the center point between the folded center and the seam allowance mark and draw a vertical line (just guess approximately where the patch will hit on the vertical axis).

4. Measure down from the shoulder edge along the vertical line you marked in step 3. Mark your sleeve with a horizontal line at your Elbow Measurement (remember mine was 5.5″) so your markings form a +. I shifted my ruler over to the edge for clarity, but you should line it up through the middle of the ruler to make the + shape.

5. Trace the patch pattern onto your scrap, cut out the patches, and find the center of each patch by folding it into quarters and pressing slightly. Apply fusible web if desired (the patch is essentially an appliqué). Match the center of the folds on one patch with the + marking on your sleeve and pin into place.

6. Lay your other sleeve piece down, aligning both sleeve edges side by side. Using your clear ruler as a guide, place the second patch on its sleeve to mirror the one you already pinned on. Make sure they are mirror images so you don’t apply the patch to the front of a sleeve! Pin the second patch into place. Be generous with pinning if you didn’t use fusible web.

7. Sew around the edge of each patch using a straight, zig zag, or blanket type stitch. I used the blanket type stitch here (number 11 on my machine).

8. Repeat for the other sleeve. Your patches are on! Finish your garment per the pattern instructions.

I hope this helps you add a little extra punch to your little one’s long sleeved shirts and cozy fall sweaters.

Thanks so much for having me, Meg, and happy KCWC sewing, everybody!

talkin’ ’bout my best friend (over at sew together)

September 8, 2012October 15, 20128 Comments

i’m always curious how people learned to sew. after my mom got me started, i credit the majority of my sewing education to oliver + s patterns!

the lovely and talented maryanne and caroline of sew together invited me to participate in their “best friend” series, where lots of great bloggers have been sharing their best friends in the sewing world. it’s been a fun series to follow along with and today, i’m up!

for my guest post i ended up writing a 3 year retrospective (with lots of PRE-BLOG FLICKR ONLY projects included)! it was fun making photo collages of pretty much every oliver + s garment i’ve ever sewn – and believe me, there are quite a few!

head on over to sew together to check out my post!

side note: i discovered sew together during season 4 of project run & play; they make gorgeously crafted, classic clothing and i was always so impressed with their work during the season (especially their blue twirly dress and intricately color blocked pinky promise dresses). they got fourth place, the same place i finished season 3, which is really hard – you get SO CLOSE to the finale, but fall just short. i hold a special place in my heart for every fourth place finisher now.

hope you’re having a great weekend!

PS – if you caught my blog post title reference, you win the day.

PPS – season 5 of project run & play starts this week! are you sewing along?

a grape dress & a strawberry backpack

September 4, 2012September 4, 201255 Comments

first day of pre-k for Em! i somehow had the foresight to take today and tomorrow off of work; if i hadn’t i surely would’ve been so distracted i wouldn’t have gotten anything done anyway. my husband was able to go in late this morning too, so we all walked her to school which was great! she skipped…SKIPPED to school. she was SO excited.

i was actually really nervous about today. she’s my first little one going to school, and i just have all sorts of feelings about how i don’t want school to mess with her. i had a rough time with being teased and just feeling constantly awkward in middle school especially, but i’ve been telling myself she’s only in pre-K, the school is full of really nice people, she’s there with three of her cousins (one is even in her class) and she already knows her teacher because her son goes to the same babysitter…she’ll be fine. she loves learning and playing with other kids her age, so she’s totally ready for school; it’s just that i’m not quite there yet!

sometimes when i’m stressed, i make myself super busy so i don’t have time to think about what’s stressing me out. for instance, i decided she needed a handmade backpack last week and let her pick out the material. i figured, once again, if she will be wearing a uniform, she needs a super Em-like backpack. she chose this very cool strawberry laminated cotton by timeless treasures, with pink piping and a pink zipper.

it’s the Made by Rae toddler backpack pattern. i enlarged it to school size per Rae’s instructions, basted canvas to the laminated cotton for structure, added a split pocket in the front, a patch pocket on the inside, and fully lined it in this green wicker print by michael miller that i’ve had for ages. i sewed everything except the lining with my walking foot, which worked great.

the backpack is not a quick sew as i mentioned before, but it is SO satisfying when it’s done!

since we were out of town for the labor day weekend, i didn’t finish the backpack until monday afternoon as naptime ended (well, aside from hand sewing the lining). but on my way home…i had also decided i needed to make her a dress for her first day (she doesn’t have to wear a uniform for the first two weeks, which gives me more time to procrastinate/sew).

grape dress and strawberry backpack

i stayed up until almost 2am finishing the backpack and making the dress – so worth it. i poured a lot of love into the dress and made it just for her to feel good on her first day. it’s in pink and purple, her favorite colors, with a full twirly skirt, pink buttons, pink bow, and pink trim! i had even picked up a couple H&M flower clips for her hair.

grape dress and strawberry backpack

the pattern is my own design, the same one i made for her amelie dress (which she loves) but with the back tie and a few tweaks. shirring wasn’t working for me last night and i had wanted to try a tie anyway, so that helped take away some of the boxiness while keeping it comfy. i think i might make this available as a free pattern/tutorial sometime in the future, if people are interested..

the tie is bias tape, the bottom band is shot cotton, and the fabric is kona cotton…i really love how it looks on her and of course she loves the colors.

she had a great first day at school (they played dress up, had story time, took a walking tour of the school…important stuff). it was strange for me just being home with O all morning – I haven’t spent much one-on-one time with him like that for a long time, since Em is usually around! neat to have that time with him now that he’s really starting to turn into a little chatterbox. the one time i teared up was when he asked “where Em go?” this morning! argh!

when we went to pick her up and i told her he had missed her, she gave him a “big squeeze” to make him feel better. she also called him her best friend. seriously, it was a heartmelter. 🙂

hope all you mamas sending your little ones off to school are making it through okay!