KCW Fall 2013: The Tinny Dress

Last day of KCW was yesterday; I actually finished this dress Saturday night.  This is S's costume for Halloween.  In case you are wondering, she is a Rockford Peach, made famous by the movie A League of Their Own.  The Rockford Peaches were part of an all-girl baseball league that played during World War II.  Their story is pretty inspiring and empowering for little girls.

When we started brainstorming Halloween costumes, I showed her a picture of this dress, from the blog, One Little Minute.  She was on-board immediately.  The hardest part was looking for a pattern that would work.  I searched for a while, and found one on etsy that was $15 (yikes!!!), but the cost was too steep, especially from a designer that I didn't know very well. 

Then I remembered the Tinny Pattern, from Straightgrain.  The pattern had all the features that I was looking for, the circle skirt, a fitted bodice, and even an option for an open collar.  Plus it was already a part of my pattern library.

I changed up the bodice to include the asymmetrical buttons on one side.  I did this by simply cutting the front bodice pattern piece down the side at a slight angle.  I then cut two mirror image pieces using the off-center pattern piece, and another set for the lining.  Because of the opening in the front, I omitted the invisible zipper in the back and instead cut the back piece as one, taking out the seam allowance.

   

I also added the belt loops and a red belt.  Let's not forget the Rockford Peach logo in the front and the patch on the arm.  A quick google search led me to etsy and this shop.

I spent most of the day working on B's costume.  More on that coming soon!

Fall 2013 KCW: Stripes and Flowers Bimaa Sweater

A super-quick sew this morning while the kids were in school,   this is the Bimaa Sweater by LouBee Clothing.  Be warned though, this sweater is slim-fitting to the point of tight.  I made a size 5, since that was what S measured on the size chart.  Next time I will size up to a 6 for sure.

The floral knit is a thin, t-shirt knit and might be too thin for the cowl; it's a little too droopy in my opinion. 

But S loves it and so do I.  Cute and quick, what more can you ask from a pattern?

S is in desperate need of some pants.  I can't decide whether to go the quick route and make a few pairs of leggings, or spend a little extra time and make her a pair of peekaboo skinny jeans.

Some Selfish Sewing in the Midst of KCW: Blank Slate Rose Tee

From time to time, I get to test patterns for Blank Slate Patterns.  Melissa is one of my favorite designers and is so generous with her talents.  She has  a bunch of freebies on her blog, including this blazer that I plan to make one of these days. 

This is the Rose Tee in women's sizes.  You can read about the little girl's version, the Pristine Swing dress, that I made here.  I actually bought this pattern a while ago, but when the opportunity to test the new and improved version came along, I had to jump at the chance. 

This is really an excellently written and drafted pattern.  The fit is perfect and flattering for a lot of body shapes and sizes.  It's basically a comfy dressed-up t-shirt and fits right in with my mommy wardrobe. 

Ok, back to kid's clothes, maybe.  

Fall KCW 2013 day 1: Brownie Goose and the Mean Princess knit dress

I am so behind on blogging my creations.  Technically, These dresses were finished in early October, but I'm still gonna count it as part of KCW.  I followed the directions for Amy's (of Brownie-Goose) sewalong almost to the t.  The only thing that is different is that I cut the normal waist instead of the drop waist.  The dresses are a mash-up of the lazy susan by Brownie-Goose for the bodice and the Taylor Dress by the Mean Princess for the paperbag skirt. 

  I had a little bit of trouble with the ruffles on the neck staying upright.  Someone suggested on the B-G fb page that a little bit of elastic would hold up the ruffles, which worked like  a charm.  Although the ruffles were a bit of a PIA, I love how these dresses turned out and the 50's ladylike vibe.

    

By the way, S's leggings are the Fancypants Leggings by Titchy Threads, the best-fitting leggings out there, in my opinion.

So hopefully I will post again tomorrow!

Catching Up: Kikoi Patterns

 

Have you heard of Kikoi Patterns?  Susan, the designer, has some really cute patterns on her etsy shop, simple and really sweet.  This particular dress is called the Red Dress. 

This is a really quick and easy sew.  The wrap can go in the front or the back of the dress.  Personally, I love it in the back.

These pictures are a couple of months old.  I miss the sunshine already.   Below is a more recent sew from the same designer. This one is a winter coat, made of wool suiting in a lovely lavender herringbone and faux fur trim on the collar and cuffs.

If you are  a visual person, you will love her patterns.  All the steps are accompanied by a picture.   

My goal this year is to transition S's wardrobe into all handmade.  I've been collecting patterns for all seasons.  So far this school year, she has worn at least one handmade item everyday. 

I'll keep you posted as the year goes on.  Happy fall sewing!