Teacher Presents and Pajama Day

Yeah, I know, not a very creative title.  I've been laid low by a cold that is seriously sapping my crafting energy.  I did, however manage to make handmade christmas presents for s's teachers.

I made these bags from home dec fabric I had laying around.  The pattern is the sweetheart shopper by Keyka Lou.  I simplified the pattern by ommitting the lining and button closure.  It's more of a grocery tote than a handbag as I was going for cute but functional. 

The last day of school before winter break was Pajama Day.  I asked S the night before which PJ she wanted to wear and she told me she wanted the purple one with the princesses on it.  Apparently, while I was moving my fabric stash to their new home, she had spotted some purple princess fabric that I  had purchased a while ago, probably to appease her so I could shop in peace.  And so it was that I found myself making pajamas at 9:00pm the night before they were supposed to debut.

The bottoms are from a simplicity pattern in size 2.  It was a perfect fit except for the length but that was all the fabric I had to work with.  The top is the The Sweet Little Dress by Leila and Ben.  I used a fold over elastic for the collar.  The sleeves and hem are serged using a rolled hem.  It was over and done with in a couple of hours.

S was super excited about her new jammies.  She wore them all day and that night.  The next morning she woke up and very sincerely thanked me for her princess jammies.   

The Mallory Cowl done in Butterball wool

One of the things I love about Portland is the thriving farmer's market scene.  There seems to be one in every neighborhood and more popping up all the time.  Even out in the 'burbs where we live the farmer's market is a great place to while away a summer's morning.  And although I do appreciate the local produce I am really there for the few craft stalls scattered amongst the fruits and vegetables.

Towards the end of the season last summer I came across a stall with a few knitted items, but what caught my attention was a woman sitting at a spinning wheel spinning her own yarn.  After talking to her for a few minutes I left with a skein of yarn that she had spun herself.  The sheep, she told me. was named butterball.  In case I needed more of the same type of yarn,  I would just need to let her know the name of the sheep and she would be able to match the yarn.

Tbis is the cowl I made out of Butterball's wool.  The pattern is the Mallory Cowl by luvinthemommyhood.

I must say I've been a bit burnt out on sewing for an unappreciative audience.  My last few projects for s has been complete failures.  The hot pink sailor pants and shirt are languishing in s's drawer even as we speak.  The sane is true of the gray velour hoodie and the yoga top.  I am consoling myself with the thought that all those items will grow with her and her penchant for frilly pink ruffly things will end someday soon.

In the meantime, I've moved my sewing space and now have my own dedicated room!  I can close the door and make a mess and not have to worry about little feet stepping on pins.   

Hot Pink!

I've had plans to make the Oliver & S Sailboat outfit since last spring.  I love that the pattern is simple and basic with just the right amount of classic and modern. 



 So I finally got .around to it.  I started with the top sewn in a hot pinkish-red knit that I got at Joann's.  The constuction was fairly easy and straightforward.  I had a little problem with the buttonholes though.  But that's ok since the buttons covered up my less than sterling workmanship.  The knit actually drapes beautifully.  I can see myself making more of these, one in every color and some stripeys too. 

Then I made the pants.  Hot pink as well, with white piping and buttons.  I quite like the garish color paired with that classic sailor look.

They are a bit loose on her, but hopefully will fit her this spring.  So there you are: a hot pink outfit for a hot pink girl. 

KCWC Redux

KCWC was pretty inspiring.  I got loads of ideas and inspirations, and found some new blogs to follow.  While perusing the archives of this cool blog called Cirque du Bebe, I came across this yoga top.   Heidi and Finn and Heather Ross?  Sounds like a marriage made in sewing heaven.

I had the pattern and the fabric, so it was easy to pair it with a green fleece lining that I've had in my stash for  quite a while.  Because of the fleece, this top ended up more of a jacket than a shirt.  The neckline is loose and the fit roomy enough that a shirt underneath is called for.

It should keep her nice and cozy this winter and hopefully next winter too.  Thanks for the inspiration Sophie!  (Hope she doesn't mind that I copied.)

Yoga Top Pattern by Heidi & Finn found here.
Fabric: Heather Ross Far Far Away 2 and fleece..

Happy Halloween!

Halloween has always been one  of  my favorite holidays.  Who could help but smile
on a day when wearing costumes is not only encouraged, but expected?  Oh, and there's the candy too of course. 

This year was my first attempt at making a halloween costume.  S wanted to be a mermaid. 

She had to have a tail.

I made it out of one inch foam and sewed wavy lines just using a regular foot.

She had a star fish headpiece.

And lots of sparkles.

And her sister was the naughtiest Tink this side of Neverland. 

Have a great Halloween!

who doesn't love gray?

This little gal, that's who.

Pattern is Heidi & Finn's Urban Unisex Hoodie found here.  I used a gray velour and a birdie print knit from joann's for the lining.

Two big red buttons from my stash.  Velour is so cuddly, soft, and comfy.

I pointed out the cute birds and and flowers in the lining,  the flowers on the big red buttons.  How soft and warm the velour felt.

She still hated the gray.  Ah well.

KCWC Day 2 & 3

I made these three skirts last night after the girls went to bed.  I saw this skirt on Healther Bailey's blog.  The two layers and bias tape at the hem added a little something to what is essentially a very basic design of rectangles.  

But the very best thing about these skirts is the colored elastic waistband.  I found them at JoAnn's and was so excited.  All I did was serged the two layers of the skirt to the elastic, and like magic I had eliminated at least 3 steps of the usual sewing process.

It's hard to tell from the pictures but the blue elastic has tiny white dots.  And today, while B was napping and S was resting, I made two more!

a village frock

Look what I made!  A Village Frock by Sugar CIty..  This pattern has long been out of print, but thanks to the generosity of Sky, I was able to get my hands on it. 

Seriously, the pictures don't do this little frock justice.  It is way cuter in person than what my poor photographic skills can capture.   I cut a size 4.  As you can see, the dress runs a tad short.  S is little for her age; any shorter and the dress would be a tunic.

The dress was made from a linen blend that i found as a remnant.  there wasn't enough fabric so i had to cut the sleeves about an inch shorter.  The neck and sleeve trims are ds quilts.

I just cut out a whole bunch of skirts during b's nap, some to keep for s and some to give away as presents.  I'm hoping I can post something for tomorrow as well. 

A Candy Corn Dress

Ok, I wasn't going to post about this until I finished both girls' dresses, but yikes, how cute is this?

 Yep, I made a candy corn dress.  You know, so she can wear it  for the next couple of weeks until Halloween.  Impractical, I know, but I just couldn't get it out of my head that the girls needed matching candy corn dresses.  So I drew up a pattern from a sleeveless t-shirt and proceeded to whip up this baby.

 OK, it wasn't as easy as that.  I really wanted a dress with a real placket so I did a little research along the way when I realized that heck, I couldn't figure out how to do it on my own.  First, I read through this tutorial from Ruby in Blue..  The pictures were kind of fuzzy and far away and the placket wasn't really what I wanted anyway so I tried a different tutorial.  I found one from the ever-industrious Made by Rae for a man's shirt placket found here.  Although the directions were clear there were a few very key pictures missing.  But I got the gist and just winged the rest. 

 The candy corn buttons I found at JoAnn's in the Halloween display.  Adorbs, right?

Next up, a candy corn dress for B (I promise I'll post pictures) and Elsie Marley's KCWC.

I Heart Heather Ross

I started this bag a couple of weeks ago and just finished it last night.  The pattern is the messenger bag from LIttle Things to Sew.  It's really not my style to let something remain unfinished for so long.  Once I start on something, I tend to obsess about it until it's done.  Not so with this bag.  This was a leisurely sew, an hour or two here and there.  I had time for other things, like going to bed early and hanging out with the husband in front of the TV.

I used the same fabric combination as the bear carrier, Heather Ross Far Far Away 2.  The bias trim, lining, and straps were made from Liz Scott Sugar Pop.  It's a cute little bag, with an empasis on little.  But it fits S perfectly.  She can probably pack her extra clothes for preschool and a couple of smallish books in there.

So after finishing this bag last night at around 11pm, I saw that I still had quite a bit of bias tape left over.  Of course bias tape should never be wasted.  And so I has to make this:

With a real waist band and button closure.  Almost like a grown up skirt.  It was 1:30 am when my head finally hit the pillow.  So much for leisurely sewing.

B is for Bitty Baby

Each week at preschool, the kids are asked to bring something from home that begins with the letter of the week.  This week's letter was "B."  S wanted to bring Bitty Baby, her baby doll that we gave her to take care of when B first came into our family.   To bring her safely to school, I made Bitty Baby a front carrier of her own.

The Bear Carrier pattern is from my current favorite sewing book Little Things to Sew by Liesl of Oliver & S.  The design is simple but ingenious.  Bitty Baby already had a baby carrier, but she was always really floppy in it and the straps were way too big and long on S.  And so a new carrier was definitely needed.

I used Heather Ross Far Far Away II fabric for the main panel and pocket.  There's Rapunzel in the front pocket looking a bit annoyed.

And here is Bitty Baby looking happy and contented in her new carrier. 

I'll leave you with one last image of Bitty Baby and Baby B as a 2 month infant.

The Easiest Dress Ever

I first discovered this designer called Dans la Lune through Elsie Marley's interviews with pattern designers in the days and weeks leading up to Kid's Clothing Week Challenge.  I bought the Tunic Dress pattern last spring.  And finally got around to making this summery dress just when fall is around the corner.

This is possibly the easiest dress I've ever made.  There are 6 pattern pieces to cut out and they came together so quickly.  I just used pre-made bias tape, the pink I had left over from B's Bonnet. 

The back is held together with the bias trim.  A very sweet and lovely detail.  There's not much more to say about this dress except that I do love the classic lines and the simplicity of it.  I think I will make one for fall, maybe with wool or corduroy....

First Day of Preschool: O & S Playdate Dress

Today was the first day of preschool for S.  It's a happy-sad occasion for me.  On the one hand, I'm so excited for all the fun and learning she will have this year.  We were careful to pick out the perfect preschool for her, and I know that she will have many fun adventures there.  But on the other hand, it is like saying good-bye to her babyhood.  She is growing up; her world is just a bit bigger and I am a little sad not to be the center of it.

I stayed up way too late last night finishing up this little dress for S's first day of preschool.

The pattern is Oliver & S Playdate Dress in size 4.  This pattern has always been on my periphery of things to make for S, but it wasn't until I saw Gail's version that I did a frantic search on the internet and found a small quilting store that still had one last copy left.  So I quickly snatched it up, even paid full price plus the shipping fee.

And then on a whim, I decided that S needed a first-day of school dress and settled on this pattern.  The fabric is Sherbet Pips and the flat piping detail is DS Quilts polka-dots.  As with all O & S patterns, the directions were very clear and easy to follow.  Sewing the placket onto the dress was a bit difficult, but then i just pinned the heck of of it and that made the sewing a lot smoother.  It's also easier if you hold the placket and the main dress as you are pinning instead of laying it flat.  Then both pieces seem to fit perfectly without too much trouble.

Here is the dress on S.  She seems to fit the size 4 really well. 



Happy First Day of School to my sweet girl and to all the other little boys and girls.