polka dot pierrot pattern preview

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way back in march, rae of the fantastic made by rae put out a call for people to test her various in-the-works patterns.  i immediately signed up to be a pattern tester for the pierrot tunic and crossed my fingers hoping she’d pick me.  she first posted it on her baby daughter over a year and a half ago here, and has posted a few versions since.  each time i saw a new pierrot post pop up, i just melted (pink and chambray, for instance).  i don’t know what it is, but i just die over it.  something about the exaggerated shape, neck ruffle, and wide cuffs just makes me smile.  it seems like a something you’d pay a ridiculous amount of money for at a high-end boutique.  i could not wait to make one for Em.

when rae posted her newest plaid version last week, i again commented with lots of caps and exclamation points about how cute it was and how i hoped the pattern would be available before KCWC.  apparently she had forgotten to include me in her call for pattern testers earlier that day!  good thing i commented, because it meant i got to be in on the testing.  wahoo!

i printed and cut out the tester pattern over my lunch break at work, and sewed it that night.  i cut it on the bias because all the versions that rae had made were cut that way, and it adds to the swinginess.  it’s a very roomy garment and everything is cut on the fold.  this meant, for a 3T, even 1 2/3 yards of fabric wasn’t quite enough!  i’ve historically bought just 1 yard of fabric for kids’ clothes, but now that Em is getting bigger, that doesn’t seem to cut it anymore.

luckily, i had this cute swiss dot from joann in my stash (i think i got it as an end-of-bolt, hence the weird 2/3 yard – either that or i got 2 yards and it shrunk like crazy).  part of rae’s pattern testing request was to help her determine yardage for the various sizes, and mine still wasn’t enough (i had to piece the ruffle).  can’t tell, though!

i had a super fun time making this dress, writing a small novel to rae with my thoughts (lots of gushing and suggestions, a few critiques), and getting a behind the scenes peek at what it takes to get a pattern to market.  trust me, it’s a LOT of work and i only saw a brief part of it!  makes me even more happy to support independent pattern-makers.

the pierrot will be available soon!  keep your eyes on made by rae over the next couple weeks so you, too, can make a little french girl top for the little gals in your life!  UPDATE: the pierrot pattern is now available!  get it here.  🙂

a cozy fall hoodie

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fall has arrived in portland.  one day it’ll be pouring rain, the next it’s sunny and 75.  it even changes minute by minute.  right before i took these photos, there was a downpour.  once it stopped, the sun came out and some major puddle splashing was in order!

cozy fall hoodie

i made Em a new cozy sweater using a j.crew sweater of my husband’s that had lost its shape.  it’s cotton, lighter than sweatshirt material, and extreeeeemely soft.  the fabric i’ve “harvested” from my husband’s clothes always seem to be higher quality than i can get at a fabric store.  i love raiding his closet.  😉

hoodie lining detail

the lining is scandi chirp by michael miller.  i had been saving it for a hopscotch dress, but it coordinated so perfectly with the green on the outside, i just had to use it.  it’s a nice, thick knit.  the sweater ended up pretty much the coziest ever.

cozy fall hoodie

the pattern is the urban unisex hoodie by heidi & finn.  i made it in a 3T but cut the width of the arms at a 4/5T, because gail told me that they fit a little snugly.  that was a good idea.  the pattern is great and especially fun to sew if you have a serger (i serged everything except the buttonholes and topstitching!)  i would recommend fusing some interfacing to the wrong side of the main fabric where the buttonholes will be, though – i had a little trouble with stretching when i sewed those.

cozy fall hoodie

check out the elbow patches!  i added them for an extra little detail, which i thought would be no big deal but in fact is a bit tricky. it’s hard to determine proper placement when your child is sleeping and the sleeve isn’t complete or sewn onto a garment yet (i may or may not have snuck up to her room at 10pm to lay the pattern piece on her arm to mark where the patch should go – she’s a deep sleeper).

cozy fall hoodie

i actually didn’t get the placement quite right on this one, but i made another super cozy sweater (for O this time) out of another of my husband’s hand-me-downs and nailed it.  i’m working on a little tutorial for how to get it right, so keep your eyes open for a guest post on that  elsewhere in the sewing blogosphere very soon (i’m so excited)!

cozy fall hoodie

hope you have a lovely weekend.  i’m sure ours will be filled with plenty of sweater-wearing and puddle-jumping.

a gender-neutral baby gift

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i get it, some people like a delivery surprise.  i couldn’t wait that long to find out what i was having with either of my pregnancies, but i see how the “it’s a boy!” or “it’s a girl!” moment could be pretty special after labor and delivery.  my cousin therese, having her first baby next month, hasn’t found out what she is having.  she had a baby shower this weekend, and the “not finding out” element definitely presented a challenge for gift-giving!  i’m not a person that’s TOO hung up on gender roles, either, but it sure makes it easier to know a little more about who you’re sewing for, you know?  anyway, it’s sometimes just as fun to have restrictions.  i kind of like working that way.  gotta be more creative.

i decided to make another two projects from my now well-used and dog-eared copy of “little things to sew” by liesl gibson – the cozy winter hood (with ears!) and mittens.  i made them in an extra-small, but they fit O perfectly at 9.5 months, so i think therese & chris’ baby might get more use out of them next winter instead of this one.  both the hat and mittens are made in a supersoft white microfleece and michael miller celery ta dot flannel.

i couldn’t help myself and also appliquéd a 0-3 month onesie with little clouds.  i love the white-and- natural linen together.  these photos were taken in O’s room (which i need to finish up and do a room tour for).  isn’t the wall decal perfect for a baby’s room?  it’s by shanna murray.  i’m in love with it, and my little guy is definitely growing strong so far!

therese seemed to like the gift at the shower, and i can see myself making another of these hoods for O for the wintertime.  it came together quickly and lives up to its name – COZY!  the mittens are great too, they stayed on O’s hands despite crawling around.

happy laboring, therese!  i can’t wait to meet your little one!

race for the cure and mini flag tutorial

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last weekend was the komen race for the cure in portland.  we lost my mom’s sister, elaine, to breast cancer in 1995 and still miss her.  she was a marathon runner, lived in an amazing house in california wine country, and was the executive director for the napa valley vintner’s association.  yep, pretty much the coolest gal ever.  i remember when we visited her in napa, she made us cocoa with steamed milk with her espresso machine (this was in the early ’90s when the espresso craze hadn’t taken off yet).  we started running the race for the cure while she was still battling, and have run/walked it on and off  since.

this year, the race fell on my sister andrea’s birthday, and she wanted to walk it with the kids.  she also asked her friend, kim, to join us.  we ended up walking with two 3 year olds, a 2.5 year old, a 9 month old, and a 5 month old, plus kim is pregnant (and left another daughter at home with daddy)!  phew!  the 5K walk took us over 2 hours, we took so many breaks we almost got beaten by the “end of the race” police cars, and it rained during the final stretch, but it was worth it.  it’s just so powerful and important being with all of those people walking for the same cause – a cure for breast cancer.  there were tears of course, but it’s also a happy, celebratory event.  we walked in memory of those lost, in support of those currently fighting, and in celebration of those who have conquered!

i wanted to make some decorations for the event – people like to dress in costume and get into it, especially for the 5K walk.  i told Em it was a “pink parade” and let her dress in almost every pink item in her closet (her dream come true)!  O got in the spirit with pink legwarmers, but kept it boyish by rocking his pirate shoes.  😉  he also nursed in the ergo during the walk – can you think of anything more appropriate than a baby breastfeeding during a breast cancer walk?

i made komen logo badges for our ergo carriers…

quick pink felt buntings for the strollers…

and little pink and gold flags for the girls to wave!

the mini flags were inspired by these amazing flag sculptures by oh happy day!, but mine are preschooler-sized.  i made them with scraps of pink ombré fabric leftover from Em’s ballet bag and superhero cape, backed with a metallic gold fabric i recently picked up at the halloween display at joann.  here’s how:

STEP 1: gather your materials – takeout food chopsticks (preferably unused!), and 1/8 yard each of a front and back fabric (for four flags).  cut a 4″ x 7″ rectangle from the front fabric, then make a mark 2″ in from the right edge, centered.  cut out at an angle to each edge to create the shape below.

STEP 2: pin the flag onto the backing fabric, then sew around the edge with a zigzag stitch, leaving about 3/4″ at the bottom left edge so you can insert your chopstick later (you can see the little purple mark if you zoom into this photo).

STEP 3: trim away the extra backing fabric, close to the stitches (don’t cut the stitches!)

STEP 4: sew a channel for your chopstick with a straight stitch, about 1/2″ from left edge of the flag.  you can eyeball this based on your chopstick – just don’t make it too big, or your flag will fly off with vigorous waving!

STEP 5: insert chopstick with the “pointed” end first, wave it around!

voilà!  mini flags for the cure!  🙂

first guest post and tutorial!

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the talented and inspiring candace of sparkle power! asked me to write a guest post for her while she and her family take some time to welcome a new baby boy into their lives, and my post is up on her blog TODAY!

i decided to go for it on my first ever guest post and do my first ever tutorial, too.  i share some boyish appliqué templates and my go-to bib pattern, and show you how to make a simple appliqué bib like you may have seen here or here.  if your little one isn’t in need of bibs, you can use the appliqué designs to liven up a boy (or girl!) item that needs a little punch.

click here to check out my appliqué bib tutorial on sparkle power!  

🙂