September Tunic

This has to be one of the sweetest little things I've sewn in a while. The September tunic in turquoise gingham - oh man, it doesn't get any better than that. I made another top this week too and it's lovely in a different way, a fussy way, and I'll talk about it another day. This gingham top just makes me smile. Less is more a lot of times.

2 photo shoots attempted and neither one very successful so this is all I've got. I love sewing and writing, but photographing a moody 2 year old, I could do without. Better keep sewing for myself or I'll have nothing to blog about. ;-)

The mug shots first.

Haha. Oh man, what a stinker. So we tried outside in her element, lots of distractions from the camera.

The pictures do not do this top justice, but I couldn't let the week go by without posting something.

This pattern makes a really adorable top and I can recommend it with a big smile on my face. Measure carefully and follow the sizing chart because this is a 2T and it just fits my string bean. It's a nice slim cut which works perfectly for her.

Here's hoping for better photo shoots in our future.

A Vintage Easter Dress

This is my vintage inspired Easter dress. I've never sewn myself anything this involved before so I am thrilled that it turned out this well. It's almost exactly like I envisioned. I started with a modern pattern, McCall's 6599 from the Fashion Star line, but I made changes, of course. I shortened the sleeves even more and changed the smallish (quarter maybe) circle skirt to a full gathered and color blocked skirt. I added the belt with 4 yellow buttons on my own too. It seemed too plain without it.

The princess seams provide a great opportunity for color-blocking on the bodice. When I found this double-sided fabric at Joann's back in February, I had this vision right away, even before knowing about the vintage challenge at Challenge Create - Adult Edition at Skirtfixation. After searching the internet for more inspiration, I felt like a full gathered skirt would be more fitting with the 50's to 60's era. It also made it a lot less stressful to make the color-blocking changes to the skirt without having to be so exact.

I think I have a thing for gray lately. My skirt last week was gray, this dress is gray, (I'm sitting on our new gray sofa), and last night I sewed myself another gray skirt and top!! What is up with that? Something to do with the never-ending winter around here maybe?

So to combat the gray-ness, we went down to our local beach to try to take pictures but the wind was too strong and the light was too harsh. I had bribed my 14 year old son (home on spring break) to take pictures of his mom out in public wearing her June Cleaver dress. Heehee. It cost me $8.46 at Wendy's to get no usable pictures. Arrrrg.

Back home with my lousy 12 year old point and shoot camera and it's timer, I was able to get some pictures of the details.

My nearly invisible zipper

Cap sleeves.

Machine stitched blind hem and buttoned belt

I can't remember being this excited about an Easter Dress since I was a little kid. I have been trying like to crazy to finish up this post so I can focus more on Holy Week. See you next week and have a blessed Easter!! Alleluia!!

P.S. Voting is now open if you want to follow this link and scroll all the way down to vote for me!??

PRP - Signature Style (with a Z thrown in for Sew All 26)

Time to kill two birds with one stone here. I have sewn along with Katy of No Big Dill since letter H, I think, so I wanted to finish that out, even if it's not the most creative use of Z. It's a cheat  because it doesn't even begin with Z but it has two Z's in the middle - the Izzy top!

This free pattern from Climbing the Willow is adorable, and popular, so I wanted to try it. I have a top myself that is the same cut (Simplicity 1620 if you want a mommy and me look), so I already knew I'd like it. I used some ancient rayon challis leftover from the early 90's along with some super soft peach gauze. It's definitely a little bit country, but I think that's me.

My signature style would have to incorporate recycling and de-stashing. Also, something feminine, but not pink or sparkly (though Elena does like that sort of thing). As much as I like contemporary style in magazines, and I even did purchase a pretty modern sofa recently, I am traditional to the core. I like antiques, real wood, gardens full of daisies and black-eyed Susans, casual country style. I know this because once a month when my subscription to Country Living Magazine arrives, I look at the pictures and I feel like everything is right in the world. Gorgeous gardens; homegrown, home-cooked food; modern country decorating (i.e. no pine furniture with heart cut-outs or doilies); and scenes of sweet children playing in the flowers. (That's Elena in our front garden last fall and it makes me melt.)

I also made a tiered denim skirt out of thrift store denim yardage- score! The underskirt makes me laugh every time I look at it because it is made from is the top piece of my neighbor's new bathroom curtains. Lol. She asked me to shorten her new curtains by cutting off the top and making a new rod pocket. For some reason, I didn't throw away the top piece. All I had to do was sew one seam up the back, feed elastic through the old rod pocket, and gather and sew some lace trim to the bottom. That was a 10 minute job, if that!

I wanted to keep the lace separate from the denim skirt so it would be versatile, because I am really, really practical. I can't help it. There is only so much time and so much money in the world and that's my signature style too.

And now a few pictures in action, on a windy day as spring is finally starting to arrive here.

PRP Week 3 - Create Your Own Fabric

I couldn't have been happier to find out that Project Run and Play's week 3 challenge was to create your own fabric to use in a garment. Sometimes things just work out so well, it's amazing. Back in February, I had a library book out called something like Alabama Chanin Studio Style. I loved the look and studied the technique. I tried it out first on a small scale on this project for No Big Dill's Sew All 26 (it was my "T" is for texture). That gave me the confidence to try it on a large scale as a present for my oldest daughter's 16th birthday.

She chose the fabrics from Joann's and the stencil is straight off the Alabama Chanin website. It is called "Anna's Garden." They say they recognize the fact that very many people aren't going to be able to pay $830 for a completely hand sewn organic cotton tank top so they also sell kits and have their stencils available for free download for the total DIY experience. Free sounds good to me! Our materials cost less than $25 and we have leftovers. 

The basic steps are as follows:
1.  Enlarge the stencil to the desired size.
2.  Trace onto freezer paper.
3.  Cut 2 front pieces of your top using 2 contrasting knit fabrics.
4.  Iron your stencil to the top layer and paint it with a sponge or air gun if you are lucky enough to have one.
     The dark paint will actually leave a cool shadow effect around the edges after cutting out the centers.
5.  Baste them together around all of the edges.
6.  Choose another color of something like embroidery floss or I used darning thread.
7.  Outline every shape and then oh so carefully cut away the top layer.

This dress was a labor of love. It was proof to my oldest that she is just as important to me as her little 2 year old sister. It was a risk and a leap of faith because sometimes I sew her things and she winds up not liking them for reasons I never understand. It was a meditation. It was a relief when it was done.

The Alabama Chanin style is pretty rustic and not really my thing. I finished the neck and armholes with bindings machine stitched to the outside, turned and handsewn inside. I used a basic bodice and made it nice and long to attach a dropped-waisted skirt. She and I watch a lot of Downtown Abbey together so we wanted a nod to the 20's with the drop-waist and straight bodice.

I snuck her initials, "O.K." onto her hip as a surprise.

Olivia really doesn't enjoy being photographed. She felt awkward about her knees in the next pictures so let me explain - she is a volleyball player, ok? That means lots of bruises and floor burns - always, even with knee pads. Pretty much year round. She just played a 2 day out of town tournament this past weekend too so we have fresh bruises. But let me also say that volleyball tournaments are an excellent place to do handwork like this, as are my son's swimming meets, and in front of the television.

The skirt and the back are simple and unembellished.

This dress suits her so, so well. It's creative and unique. One of a kind for a one of a kind girl.

Nature Inspired - Ready for Spring

I was so excited to learn about Skirt Fixation's Challenge Create - Adult Edition! I need clothes and now I have some motivation to make it happen. Sew-a-longs are so much fun. I like the themes, the creativity, and the sharing with the link ups. I really look forward to seeing other people's interpretations of the themes.

For week 1's theme - Nature Inspired - I wanted to make something I can wear all day in hopes that I may just feel like working out at any moment. With spring on it's way (sort of) I'm hoping for more opportunities to be outdoors and get more exercise so I need clothes that multitask. Ya know, something I can drop and do push-ups in at a moment's notice. I have been know to do squats, lunges, etc while my toddler plays on the playground. I obviously don't mind funny looks from strangers or I wouldn't have had my husband taking pictures of me down by the river today on a lousy 40 degree overcast day with lots of joggers and dog walkers wondering what on Earth I was doing. (We are expecting 4 inches of snow later today by the way. Ugh.)

I started with the free Deer and Doe plantain tee and added circular pockets - more on that later. My first thought was to add a hood, but then, being ever practical, I thought, "Hoods are cute, but do you ever actually use it? And they take up so much fabric- twice as much to line it and make it look nice and then it just hangs there looking cute but not adding much function. What else can I do?" The neckline on the tee is quite low so I thought it would be nice to make an infinity scarf for while it's still chilly around here. After I put it on, and loved it, it occurred to me that I can pull it up over my head like a hoodie! Yay for happy surprises! And maybe I live under a rock or something because that was a novel idea for me but after a quick search, I see that I am not the first to think of that. Oh well.

 On the tee, I used 3 cotton/spandex fabrics from Girl Charlee - a charcoal on white floral print and a green and a "prussian" blue. The stripe for the scarf is a lighter weight cotton blend from Girl Charlee last year. They are all wonderful - soft, stretchy, nice recovery. So comfortable.

The infinity scarf is made from 2 pieces that were 15" x 58" - the full width of the fabric. I sewed the two long sides first and then turned it right side out. Slide one short end back through the tube to meet up with other end right sides together. Sew around that circle leaving a 3-4" opening for turning. Turn it and slip stitch the opening closed. So so easy. I watched this video first to get the basics.

To add pockets to the shirt, I went with a kangaroo style but it's behind the front layer. Take your front pattern piece and cut a semicircle out where you want your pocket on the side seam.

Do you like my pattern weights? They're ceramic coasters.

I used the 80% rule to determine how long to cut my banding strips for the pockets, but it depends on how stretchy your fabric is. Measure your semicircle and multiply by .8. For the width, I used the same as the neckband for a congruous look. Sew them on, trim the excess and topstitch the seam allowance down to the body of the shirt.

The pocket piece is the piece that will show in the openings and run the width of the shirt. I used my original pattern piece and traced from the bottom to about 2 inches above the top of my pockets. I matched that fabric to the elbow patches again for continuity. I used my lightening bolt stitch to attach it across the middle of the shirt. The sides will get sewn into the side seams and the bottom into the hem.

On this damp, cold day, I was ever so grateful to have a scarf, a hood, and pockets to keep me warm.

And now the really good news, I wore this outfit all day and I did workout a little. Besides running and pushing Elena around on the merry-go-round at the park, I did some planks during commercials while watching TV and some yoga poses too. It's a good start.

PRP- Put Me In The Zoo

Season 9 of Project Run and Play is here, and I think we're going to see some amazing clothes from these amazing contestants. Their combined creativity and sewing skills means this is going to be so inspiring. I am going to sew along for some (or maybe all) of the weeks. I made some New Year's Resolutions about not spending money on fabric for clothes that Elena doesn't need so I will try to adhere to that. But if the fabric was free to me, or the clothing is something she needs, or if I can refashion something, then game on!

Our Put Me In The Zoo look is inspired by Elena's recent discovery and love of Disney's 101 Dalamatians.

The tunic length top has a nice swingy shape and contrast button placket down the back. I combined a few different basic bodices to get the shape. The neck and armholes are finished with matching bias tape and the ruffle cap sleeves are attached following this method explained nicely last week on You and Mie. 

This fits with my resolution requirements because the rayon fabric was repurposed from a top I made myself last year but didn't like. (Not sure what I was thinking with this print.) I was even able to reuse the bias tape and make some more. The solid black was gifted to me from my mom's destashing last year, the buttons too. The capri length knit leggings were also given to us and now they are useful because we have something to wear with them. 

X is for Crossback Tunics

I first came across the No Big Dill blog back in the fall and immediately joined in on the Sew All 26 Challenge. Katy is truly an original - creative, inspiring, and beyond talented. I started with letter G and have done every letter since. We are nearing the end of this series and I will really miss it.

My big kids had another snow day yesterday, but we are dreaming of summer over here. I look so forward to walking out the door without boots, hats, gloves, coats, scarves... I seriously can't take much more of this.

So anyway, "X" is for crossback tunics for Elena and her "dolly". I wish you could hear her say it. It is so stinking cute. The pattern for Elena's top is McCall's 2213 but there are plenty of versions of this out there. The lucky part was that just the other day, a free doll sized pattern was posted by A Jennuine Life as part of her teaching kids to sew series. Elena is just 2-1/2 so I whipped one up myself while she was napping (She did nap that day- it's not so reliable anymore. boo hoo)

The shorts are my knock-off of the famous Elegance & Elephants bubble pocket shorts. What can I say, sometimes I buy patterns and sometimes I like figuring things out for myself. They are such a cute design and Elena loves how much stuff can fit in the pockets. Today we have a couple strawberry marshmallows of course.

Kind of wish I hadn't added extra length to the size 2 top because now you only see the shorts from the back or when she reaches way up high. I still struggle with what size to sew this girl. Her chest and waist say she should wear 12 months a lot of times or 18 months but that just seems too crazy to go along with. I think this top will fit her for at least the next 2 summers, or until she's 6 maybe.

Thanks for stopping by!