new dress!

Let me start by saying I am hopeful that I will wear more dresses this summer than in the past. I feel like I have to say that because I keep making dresses but so rarely do I wear them. Actually this awesome fabric was initally bought to make some sweet leggings....which I wear less frequently than I wear dresses and since I could think of absolutely no tops I have that I could wear with said leggings, I switched gears and went with a dress instead.


I'll be honest, I really wanted it to be maxi length, but I didn't have enough fabric so I had to settle for a shorter dress. In the end, I think it worked out great! I actually used a simplicity pattern for this (2219), against my better judgement, but I managed to make it work. It was pretty straightforward, although like every simplicity pattern I make, I feel like it looks a little weird. I had to shorten the elastic quite a bit to get it to do anything and I still have some underarm wings or something, where it never lays right in these patterns, but it is still cute and totally wearable. I also cut quite a few inches off the hem because for some reason, the length was odd on me.  On the plus side though, that pattern matching in the front there is nothing short of a miracle!

Anyway, point is, cute dress. One more thing off the list! Speaking of the list, I am now making the lists for the spring/summer clothes for the littles, but I can't bring myself to get started on that or to work on the scrapbook I need to be doing because all I want to do is work on my double wedding ring quilt! For now I am just going to run with it and work on the quilt I think since I have the motivation. I had a breakthrough the other day on the corner pieces for the quilt and now I am all excited again. This is actually #1 on my finish-it list, so hopefully I'll make some good progress before I get sucked in to more urgent sewing.

Basic beauties

Look at this, back again! As promised, I have some more basic clothes that I have made for myself recently. These two things are sure to be staples in my wardrobe considering I don't want to take them off.

First up, I made another lane raglan shirt. I went down a size and made it long sleeved this time. I have been hoarding this butterfly knit for a while. I think it was a joanns clearance purchase and it is so.soft! Since I just used it for the center of the shirt, I might even have enough to make something for one of the children. This shirt is so stinking soft. As in, every time my husband hugs me while I am wearing it he comments on it ha! I think I want to make another one now, maybe with the sleeves and body the same fabric.

The other make that I am absolutely living in is a pair of hudson pants. Only not exactly since I took the pattern and made it work for a non-stretchy sweatshirt fleece. I used the same size as my test pair since that came out big and just cut some extra on the sides and made a nice long straight leg. I used knit for the waistband and the pocket detail. They are pretty perfect. They are the right length (no easy feat for a pretty tall girl) and so soft and comfy and man do I love having pockets. I think I added 6.5" to the length from the edge before the cuff. I skipped the button holes and the string in front, mostly because I am lazy. I just....really all I have to say is that I love them. I wish I had altered the pattern for them so I could make another pair just like them, but oh well, I'll figure it out again when the time comes. 

A couple of more springy makes to share next. I am still not sure if I am done making myself things, but for now I guess I should start focusing on some clothes for the small people as the weather gets ready to warm up. A certain tiny someone has only 1 short sleeved shirt I think, so I should probably get on that, or else I'll get stuck buying them *gasp* and we just couldn't have that. At least not while she's so small and uses so little fabric.

You'll never guess what I made!!!

Alright, I debated what to share first as far as the clothing I made for myself recently and in the end, I just had to start with the most exciting thing. So things may seem a bit boring after this, but I can't help myself, I am practically bursting. What could be so exciting I would be bursting, you ask? My friends, I have made a leather jacket!

Just take a minute and let that sink in. If you are thinking I must be crazy, you are probably right. It started when my mom thrifted me a leather jacket that I had intended to use for bag accents, something I have wanted to try for quite a while. The jacket was hanging around and waiting for me to get it cut up and usable, and as I kept walking by and looking at it and thinking about how nice the leather was and how much I would like to wear it. Keep in mind I had never sewn with leather at all at this point. Yep, I'm nuts! For reference, here is the jacket, a men's XL.

My main problem was a pattern but as I was perusing my pin boards (I knew I collected all that stuff for a reason!) I came across the perfect pattern! The cookie zipper blouson by waffle patterns. I was a bit concerned about whether I could get all the pieced I needed out of the jacket but in the end, I bought it to see since it was on my wish list anyway and let's be honest, I was going to buy it eventually. I figured out that I could {just barely} get all that I needed out of it, with only a few odd seams and such to work around. For the knit I used an old shirt I haven't worn in ages, and I decided to use their tutorial to add a lining which is made from an old sheet. I didn't have enough leather for the facing inside but I did have some old brown corduroy pants of the husbands that were perfect. What I am saying is, I made it work.

The sleeves are a bit shorter than they were supposed to be since the original jacket had snaps on the end of the sleeves that I needed to cut off, and the back yoke has a weird seam, but overall, it worked out better than I could have imagined. The leather was light and smooth and pretty easy to sew with. I used a leather needle and my walking foot and a bunch of clover clips since no pins allowed, and things went really well. I had one place on the shoulder where the seam started to rip and I'm not sure why, but I glued it down and reinforced it and it will hopefully be fine. I will say that gathering the leather was a bit of a beast and I had a heck of a time figuring out that lining tutorial, but it all came together. The only thing my machine didn't like was the top stitching at the end, around the zipper especially since there are so many layers. I definitely have some areas of skipped stitches, but I decided I am okay with it and no one will notice but me.  Also, I was quite happy that I didn't have to make pockets since there were some there already, and while they may not be ideally placed, they are super functional and I was glad to be able to skip that step. I reused the zipper too even though it was a bit shorter than I needed.

I finished it days ago now and I am still amazed that I made a leather jacket. I would guess that eventually I will make this pattern again, maybe out of sweatshirt material and perhaps without a lining. Or maybe out of knit....oh the possibilities! For now though, I am just going to be proud of this :) With that said, next week I'll show of some of the much more boring everyday clothes. 

the fancy dress

Do all 4 year old girls love fancy dresses? Because even my decidedly not fancy child really does! Since I had some fabric left over after making the tiny ones jacket, I decided I could make a dress for the bigger little. A little bit of spin, a little bit of sparkle, and we are good to go.

The dress is the caroline party dress by Mouse House Creations. The style is perfect and the pattern is simple and comes together great! It has a huge range of sizes so I know I will get to use it again and the fit is lovely. I made a 3T bodice with 4T length for my tall skinny girl and it fits quite well.

She chose the red lining with gold dots and the black sparkly tulle. I hate that tulle, but she loves it so I deal. I installed my first invisible zipper and it is not quite invisible, but it works. She wants a green ribbon for a belt so we are on the hunt for that and she plans to alternate her red tights and her silver tights with hearts. She looks so darn cute in it I can't stand it and happily, she has at least 4 chances to wear it this year! Maybe one of those times I'll even get a good picture!

So that was a fun make and I am already plotting one for a birthday perhaps? We'll see when the time gets nearer I suppose. But anyway, we are in the home stretch here before we leave so I am a bit crazed. I am looking forward to sharing a few gifts eventually too, once they are all given.

mama jammies

It is time to start sharing some of the things that I have been making lately. I am going to start with some jammies that I made for myself. I am still really working on making clothes for myself and getting my wardrobe to a better place, and this round of things was primarily to test out some patterns before I make the good version.  I used 3 patterns, the easy t-shirt, julia cardigan, and hudson pants, the last two of which are from one of the perfect pattern parcels. Please excuse the crappy pictures.

The t-shirt fits pretty well. It's a free one drafted only in a Large. My test version has some pretty serious problems. As in, the neckband went so badly that I didn't bother finishing the sleeves or hem since I was just making it to sleep in. That said, it's still comfy. I don't know if it is my perfect tee or not, I have a couple more to try, but it was simple and I like it.

Next up were the hudson pants. I went with the cropped length and a size...12 maybe? I forget, but it ended up bigger than I expected and I might have to size down if I make another pair. I have another lounge pant pattern to try, so we'll see, but they came together pretty well and look pretty nice. What I really need is a pattern I can use to make a pair of non-stretch sweatpants, and this is one I may try.  Made out of an old sheet, these are so comfortable!

The Julia cardigan came about because I wanted something to throw on for colder nights or in the mornings that would be comfy with no buttons or zippers or anything. It is perfect. I made a large and used more of that same old modal sheet that had a hole in it and it is comfy and wonderful. I have plans for another couple, a short sleeve and another long sleeve I think.

So there they are. I have another shirt that I need to find time to take some pictures of while wearing it, and eventually I am going to make some things with the nicer fabric I have. Still to come, a bag, and a dress. I also started another quilt although who knows when I will get around to having that finished. In the meantime, happy week, friends!

one more for the small one

I thought I was done making things for the littlest. And then, it turned out I wasn't. She needed a jacket, and while outerwear is something I go back and forth on being willing to make, I figured I could handle a little between seasons number for her. Enter the Urban Weekender Coat by Heidi & Finn, a perfect fall coat.

I honestly was not entirely sure that it was going to look the way I imagined with a more drapey fabric, but actually, it's better! I had this fabric laying around that I got on clearance with the thought of a jacket or skirt or something, and decided a soft fluffy lining was in order to add some warmth, so I got some smooth minky stuff. I like the sparkle outer a lot and it wasn't as bad to work with as I was afraid (spoiler: the other kid is probably getting a holiday dress out of what I have left). In fact the coat came together perfectly. I made the 18 month size, and I probably should have gone up a size to fit more layers under, but this keeps it slim which is good for the carseat, so there's that.

The buttons were perfect and have been sitting in my stash for ages, so that was pretty happy. I love the cowl collar and it looks so cute on her I can't stand it! She looks so grown up! All in all, a very satisfying afternoon sew.

Next up: a quilt top, and then some mama clothes sewing!

wee{ish} little clothes....

So, apparently it is Thursday already? Somehow that happened. I am not entirely sure I know how. But anyway, here we are. I would like to state for the record that these cute clothes I am about to share have been done for a week, and I even snapped some pictures before life happened and did not allow me to post them. These are all for the tiny one, who, as it turns out, is not actually tiny. I used 18 month for all of these and they fit a bit too well, but hopefully we'll make it through the winter. Thankfully winter is short here and they are quick and easy to make if she does outgrow them.

First up, a set of flashback skinny tees. The bird one is a knit from joanns that I've had lying around, and the other is one of daddys old t-shirts that ended up in my pile. Don't tell him, but it looks way cuter on her :)

Next on the list was a pair of jammies. These are the same alex and anna winter pjs that I have made her before, and they are still slightly large, but they work.

Finally I found this hoodie pattern at joanns (yay $0.99!!) and decided to give it a go. I do prefer the digital since the instructions are always better, but I made it through and ended up with a cute shirt. I almost wish it was my size, I just love it. I only had enough of this great pink/silver stripe fabric to make something for her, and I am glad I found a worthy project before she outgrew it. The sizing is a bit funny, and I made her the 1 size and it is a bit big, mostly in the sleeves, but dang it's still cute.

So that's my main accomplishment recently. I think I am going to finish my shawl this week and then I just need to figure out where to block it. Currently, though, I am stuck in costume making hell. I am not sure how I got sucked into this, but I think next year we may just buy the costumes because this is really not my thing. As long as it is reasonably cute and she has something to wear tomorrow (ahh!!!), I guess it will be alright. Once I get that done, I am totally stealing some quilting time! I have some blocks waiting to be sewn that have been taunting me all week.

fall wardrobe time

Alright, so it definitely does not feel like fall around here. In fact, we are having some pretty hot, humid days that make it seem impossible that fall is even on the way. Still, the beginning of the school year convinced me that a few new shirts were in order for the little.

These are all made using the flashback skinny tee pattern, which I love. I am using the 4T size at this point and it seems to fit well, although a bit of extra length doesn't hurt. Two of these are repurposed, one from my old shirt, one from my husbands, and she picked all the fabrics out. I went with short sleeves for the robot since it was short sleeved to begin with and I didn't have enough fabric, plus I wanted to reuse the sleeve hems.

I actually didn't bother to hem any of them, so the only one with a bottom hem is the black one where I used the existing hem. I may go do it later, but I kinda like the raw edge look on these. The gray stripe I made longer so it is more of a tunic to wear with leggings. I made quick work of these on the serger and had them done in a couple hours.

I think the baby needs some of these soon too. With these my problem is that I want to make tons of them but they don't need that many shirts haha! So hard to narrow down the cute fabric options! Happy Weekend!!

birthday outfit time!

So, my baby turns one this week. One of the many bittersweet milestones of motherhood, I suppose. It is so hard to believe that a year ago, she was about to come into this world, a squidgy little blob and now I have a little being who is trying to talk, close to walking, and is just so darn aware and intelligent. I am so proud of what she is becoming, but I still miss her little baby self. Naturally, this called for a new mama-made outfit.

I decided against a dress since crawling is still our primary mode of transportation these days, and opted for a cute little shirt and shorts combo. The top is a shortened piece of cake dress, and the shorts are a pair of bubble shorts. I am actually kind of surprised both pieces were things I've made before, but I am happy with the choices.

The top is the 12 month size again, which fits fine in this style, and I just cut at the 0-3 month size to make it a shirt. I have had this AMH print for a while, knowing it would be part of the birthday ensemble, and I used some leftover bias binding to finish the neck. This is such a cute, easy pattern, I wish it went up to higher sizes so I could make more! Thankfully, this should be pretty wearable and will look just as cute with some leggings or jeans and a sweater when it cools off.

The shorts are an 18 month size, and despite the fact that she is wearing that size in a lot of things at this point, these are a bit big. Wearable, but big. Sadly, I doubt they will fit by next summer, so she'll just have to wear them near constantly for the next month or two until it gets cold. The fabric is actually an old curtain that someone was getting rid of. I have lots left and will probably make them each another pair next summer. The high contrast of the white thread was a little nerve-wracking since mistakes are so, so obvious, but I love it. The button is non-functional since it really didn't seem necessary, and I also made them a bit less bubbly by trimming off about an inch on each side and left off the pockets.

I think she'll look really super cute in this little outfit for her party. Both sets of grandparents will be here this weekend to shower her with love and play whatever her 1-year-old heart desires, which should be lovely. Next week, when all is quiet once again, it will be time to regroup and figure out what is left to be done; I am starting to feel a bit lost again. I got quite a few things off the list, some of which I will be showing soon, but it somehow still feels like there is an awfully long way to go.

another for me

Ahhh, I can't believe it's August! In just a couple short weeks, my baby will be 1! I just can't even. I definitely need to get going on a few birthday things for her, along with a few other deadline things. But today, that is not the point. Today, I am going to share a bit more selfish sewing, as in, another shirt for me.

Ever since I saw it, I was in love with this lane raglan top. I knew I wanted to make it, I just wasn't in a hurry. I mean really, doesn't tank top weather last forever around here?? Then I was at joanns perusing the clearance as I tend to do, and I saw and fell in love with this polka dot knit. So light and soft! I considered making something for a child, but really I wanted it for me and so this was born (and there may be enough for a kid shirt too! The question is, can I stomach matching shirts?!).

I used some white baby ribbing or something that I already had for the contrast and it's a bit thick for it, but it works okay. I constructed the entire thing on the serger which was nice and quick, and made the sleeves 3/4 length. I decided against the waistband and instead just added some length when I cut it out and left the hem to roll. I kind of love that look on a light knit that rolls well, and it is so much easier. I probably need to pull the neckband a bit tighter next time, but overall, it came out really well and I can't wait to wear it. You'll have to excuse the bathroom picture, but otherwise there would be no picture of me wearing it, so it will do.

I am planning to make a few more of these lovelies in a few variations perhaps, but there is no rush. I will probably have to make a certain little preschooler some fall clothes first. And lots of baby gifts, and a few get well gifts and birthday gifts....not to mention the quilts, oh the quilts! Oh my, I need to go back to not trying to think about it all at once and doing one thing at a time. Next week, I should have a pretty quilt to show though! Happy weekend!!

a few tiny things

I have rediscovered my love of sewing things for tiny people! I mainly sew for the bigger one since the little has the hand-me-downs, but recently I have been making more for the tiny one and it is so much fun! So rewarding and she can't have an opinion about it yet, so it's much easier :) I can't believe that she will be a year old in a few weeks! More than that, I can't believe I am making her 18 month clothes! Still, her strong opinions will be coming soon so I better enjoy it while it lasts.

Right before we went on vacation we decided to do family pictures with my entire family while we were there. And since we were the only ones traveling, we got to pick our outfits first. I am proud to say that we wore 3/4 mama made clothes! I wore my peasant dress, the bigger one wore her birthday dress and I decided to make the tiny one a shirt. I really would have made a dress, but they get in the way of her crawling so I went with a tunic length roller skate dress. I used a peppered cotton for the outer and a purple gingham for the lining. It's finished off with a little bit of pink ribbon for the button loop and a black button. I really love how it turned out, actually. I would have used the fabric for a shirt for me if I'd had enough, it's so soft, but I guess I'll just have to get more (oh darn...).

She also needed some jammies. She just outgrows the feety ones so quickly, and since she is now in my pattern sizes, I made her a pair of alex and annas winter pjs. I made her the 18 month size which is still a bit big, but I am sure she will grow into them soon enough. I used the serger for these almost entirely and it made quick work of them. It is a pretty simple pattern that comes together quickly. And man does she look cute in her mama made jammies!

Now that those are done, I am trying to convince myself to work on some other things that need attention. Of course, I am pretty easily distracted at the moment, but I do almost have a quilt quilted, so that's something. I really need to sit down and make a list and organize myself for what is to come, so hopefully I'll find some time for that soon.