Queen of the Flies

flying ahead

2012-02-17T13:06:00.000-05:00

The unusally warm winter we're having in the Northeast makes it impossible not to think about spring and summer sewing. When I saw the new Little Lisette prints I couldn't resist an extra trip to Joann to pick some up for myself. I was especially taken by the tiny pink and yellow dragonflies. I brought them home and pretty much dove right in.

I've been meaning to try the 2+2 blouse for a while. I liked the design so much that I bought up both sizes when they announced it was going out of print. It is a very cute pattern. I love the short sleeve option, but since we still have a ways to go before it's officially spring, I opted for the long sleeves.

The contrast is a very lightweight twill I found on fabric.com. It was much lighter weight than I expected a twill to be, but the color was so lovely I kept it. I plan to use it for something to match this top. The pleated skirt would be the obvious choice, but I don't think skirts really match the toddler lifestyle very well. We're more about tunics and skinny pants for optimum mobility. So I'll have to think about it.

I found some nice yellow buttons at my local yarn shop. I wasn't convinced that a blouse with an open front really needs buttons down the back. Generally, I'm opposed to back buttons because little ones sleep on their backs and because they're a pain with squirmy toddlers. They do look very cute, though. I kept them for my first try because I sometimes have a hard time getting O+S over my baby's huge head. After we've worn it, I'll know whether the buttons are strictly necessary.

I love the quality of the dragonfly poplin. It's crisp but soft and has the tiniest feel of stretch so I think it will be comfortable. It I bought it on sale for $6 per yard, which I think is highly resaonable for the quality. I also plan to try that crayon box colored cross stitch lawn from this collection. It was really fun in the store and would be wonderful for breezy summer blouses.

More spring projects on the way! I would love to share action shots, but we're at that age when they simply don't stay still for a moment!

A continental affair

2012-02-10T13:13:00.001-05:00

I’m so eager to share this project that I can’t wait any longer to try and get decent pictures. I really wanted to use this stunning Anna Maria Horner voile for an upcoming mom’s night out, but simply couldn’t decide on the right pattern. At first, I envisioned a simple sheath dress to showcase the pattern. Then I realized that the large scale would benefit from some pleats or gathers to break up the design a little. I’m not sure why I suddenly realized that the Lisette Continental Dress (Simplicity 2059) was the right thing, but it was serendipitous. I was drawn to the Continental dress when it debuted last spring, but I was skeptical that it would suit my figure and it sat for a while. With only a week until girls’ night, I finally (after a really quick muslin, I admit) decided to take the plunge. I threw this thing together with a shaky mixture of excitement and fear until the moment I debuted it for my friends last Saturday at Beau Monde. Isn’t it funny how some projects can actually put butterflies in your stomach?

This pattern was likely conceived as a casual dress, but with dramatic fabric, chandelier earrings and heels, I think it dressed up perfectly well for a night on the town. With a simple cardi and flats, it was just fine for Mass the next morning. I can imagine wearing this to school meetings as well. A super long cardigan would be nice, wouldn’t it?

No FBA was required for this, because there really is a *LOT* of ease built into this dress. That worked well for me, but if you’re less full busted you might think about how loose you like it to be. I took the shoulders and the lower armscyes in a little. I needed the fullness of my usual Simplicity size, but the arms gaped more than I liked. I didn’t want my enormous bra to show. I added a smidge of length as well as a deep hem that I finished by hand. I think the voile hangs a little better with an invisible hem but for a casual dress, I would simply machine the narrow hem the pattern suggests. I adjusted the front gathers while wearing the dress and pinned them into place. This way, I could make sure they were in just the right place for me.

Even in a dark color, this voile is a little sheer, so I added a lining in Bemberg rayon. I simply made a second dress, stitched them together at the armscyes and neck, then finished them together with the bias trim. Easy peasy. I made French seams down the sides of both lining and fashion fabric so they could hang independently. For fun, and because I had a few minutes to spare before meeting the girls, I added hand-stitched thread belt loops to hold the ribbon in place.

I spent hours placing the pattern pieces because I realized that unfortunate placement of those large light blue flowers could easily ruin the whole dress. I didn’t want a huge bull’s eye over one boob or my fat belly! I made the self fabric sash, but decided on this lovely charcoal gray grosgrain ribbon instead. The contrast drew more attention to my high waist and was a tad more slimming.

Conclusion: A versatile pattern suitable for all kinds of fabrics. I think it dressed up nicely and it will definitely make an easy casual dress. I’m thinking about cotton sateen or linen so I don’t have to fuss with a lining. Without all the additions I made for this dressy version, this pattern could be made up in an afternoon. In fact, this would be the perfect place to start if you’ve never sewn for yourself before. There’s only simple fitting and almost instant gratification!

This style was a little outside my comfort zone. I normally look for fitted things and I’m scared of anything that might make me look wider than I am. But after three children, I have a completely different body than I did 7 years ago and I’m still learning how to dress it. The moral of this story – if you know the designer is good, trust her vision and take a chance on something different!

(also, don’t let your husband take pictures.)

sewing space

2012-02-01T19:46:00.000-05:00

Things were so hectic last fall, I decided I needed some time to catch up before I could really get used to the idea of a new year. To give myself some space, I decided to start 2012 on Febryary 1. So today seems like a good time to share some sewing organization. For a while now, I've been working to organizing my sewing supplies. I don't have a dedicated space - yet. I do, however, have way too much stuff to just pile in a box under the bed. Finding space is challenging because although my old Victorian townhouse is quite large, it lacks storage and spare nooks. It also lacks finished space, doorknobs, baseboards, walls and more that I won't go into. The subject of old home renovations could fill its own blog. Or ten.

I started in what will eventually be our closet, but was just a cubby full of boxes. That got small quickly and was a pretty dark. I tried the dining room for a while since we don't technically use it very much, but the kids were always running through and it's also dark. So I landed in my bedroom on a large folding table we use for Thanksgiving or big dinners. The bedroom is the only room with enough free floor space to accommodate laying out and cutting. It also has plenty of natural light even though it is north facing.

Right to hand, I keep a few little boxes with essentials. This one I saved from some John & Kira's treats is full of those little things you need all the time - seam ripper, small scissors, pencil, seam guage, extra bobbins, etc. The other little tin has all my feet. They live with the tomato and magnetic pin cushion right next to the machine. The other tin holds a hand sewing kit that I take into the family room to sew cozied up on the sofa in front of the TV.

The little drawer unit you see was super affordable and perfectly sized for tools and notions. The top drawer holds a caddy full of cutting supplies, extra needles and my sewing machine manual.

This one holds two tea bag organizers which are exactly right for packets of snaps and elastics. They also are perfect for skeins of embroidery floss and packaged bias tape and trims. The tiny labels made me feel so Martha.

Other drawers are exactly the right size to hold upcomming projects as I gather the supplies needed.

The tulle spilling out of this drawer can barely wait to be sewn up! This unit is so useful, I bought another for the rest of my notions, knitting and embroidery supplies. Fabrics and trims I plan to keep in plain sight. I will share that arrangement next time.

Hanging on my chair at the ready is the Liberty tote I take fabric shopping. Just now, it has a list and swatches for my next trip to Joann.

A very special set of Christmas gifts that I've been enjoying every single day. For Christmas, my husband actually loaded every single piece of my CD collection onto this new ipod and my mother-in-law bought me the radio. We haven't had a music system since we moved into this huge house. In a previous life, I trained as a classical musician, so it's been just wonderful to hear my old favorites after so long.

And the flowers? Just cause they look so pretty and cheerful on my desk. My oldest son came home from the grocery store with pink flowers for me one day and now I've gotten accustomed to seeing them there. It really brightens up an ugly plastic table and encourages me to keep things tidy.

Chances are, you have some of the same supplies at your place. I've scoured every store imaginable for storage options. I can save you some time and effort by sharing these. I've also found perfect baskets for patterns, which I will share soon. It's by no means a perfect solution. Hubby shares this room with me and we're both a little tired of the sewing taking over our "master" bedroom. I don't want to do anything so drastic as resolve, but I will hope that 2012 will be the year I get a dedicated studio.

how to finish the Playdate dress

2012-01-27T12:59:00.000-05:00

When I made this for Kitty's birthday last fall (just before the real illnesses set in), I came up with quite a nice way to finish the neck opening but failed to take pictures of the process. Some of you wanted to see how I did it, so I came up with another version of the sweet Playdate Dress just so I could show you! I'll start with a few tips for the yoke itself. The opening is always too small for my daughter's head and based on what I read on the forums, this seems to be a common problem.

To start, I sew the neck opening with a 3/4" seam to allow a little more room when buttoned .

By the end, there will be quite a lot of layers, so trim your seam allownces carefully to reduce as much bulk as possible.

I leave the back yoke open almost all the way to the bottom. I stitch the center back seam of the yoke together only about 5/8" rather than to the dot provided in the pattern(page 2, step 6) and then finish stitching the round yoke seam as directed (step 8). Then, use a 0 length zig zag stitch to tack it together securely.

Now for the dress. Basically, I bind the raw edge with bias tape in the normal way with a few small changes. There are several good tutorials on how to apply bias binding, so I will focus on my modifications. Cut a strip of bias 2"wide and long enough to go around with several inches left over at either side. Lightweight fabric works best, but I have also used regular quilting cotton. Here, I'm using a very lightweight cotton lawn for the bias and a cotton poplin for the dress itself. It may also fit more easily around the curves if you steam the bias into a curved shape before applying it.

Attach the bias as usual with right sides together and leaving several inches open - BUT - use a long basting stitch.

I used a 4 stitch length so I could get around the curves more easily than with a 5.

Then, stitch your ends together in the usual way as instructed (page 3, step 5)- with a normal stitch length - trim press and finish attaching the bias to the neckline with basting stitches.

Press well. This will be the finished edge.

Fold the bias around to the wrong side of the dress but instead of covering your first line of stitching as you would normally do, pin the bias only almost up to the stitching.

As you come to a seam, trim the parts that will be covered by the binding.

Edgestitch the bias into place using a regular stitch length. This stitching will only show on the inside when finished.

Now attach the yoke as per the pattern instructions (page 3, step 1-2). This is tricky, so don't be afraid to use LOTS of pins. I pin the center and back fronts first, then the shoulder seams (remember yoke and dress shoulder seams don't match up) and then ease the rest into place. It helps to pin this over a pressing ham.

To line up my "piping," I use a seam gauge - but also my eye. If you've ever worked on an old house, you know that what measures perfectly doesn't always look plum and square to the eye.

see - lots and lots of pins!

I then hand baste the yoke in place. This may seem fiddly, but you really do have much better control with hand stitching. It's also easier to sew neatly without all those pins in the way. If you've never tried hand basting, you really should get a feel for how it helps you control the end result. I also tack the back neck closed to help ease the yoke in.

Once you're happy with the yoke placement, topstitch the yoke on to the dress and pull out the hand basting.

Then - and here's the magic part - unpick that very first basting stitch and voila!

You have flat piping on the outside...

... and a beautifully finished bound edge on the inside!

Pretty cool, huh? I hope you find this useful. I'll show you the completed dress another day.

Happy New Year

2011-12-30T16:45:00.000-05:00

The radio silence here followed a tough autumn full of infections and viruses and at some point there was no more sewing happening at all. No more anything happening at all except trying to get healthy and ready for a Christmas road trip. Barely has the elf dust settled and we're back on the road again. It's really tough to squeeze travelling into such a short school break. We'll be driving into the end of 2011 and arriving home for a fresh new year which I hope will hold lots of sewing, knitting, organizing and sewing studio creation. Here's a tiny preview of baby's Spring wardrobe.

This will be a beautiful little sweater, but was decidedly not the right choice for car knitting! I found myself a friendly yarn shop deep in the Atlanta exurbs and acquired simple scarf knitting for the ride

home.

I have already begun assembling spring fabrics for patterns she will soon outgrow, as well as a few I haven't even tried yet. There will, after all, be another version of that lovely Citronille pattern with perhaps Puppet Show shorts. There will be a spring Sunday Brunch jacket and I plan to try adapting some pants into skinny stretch pants. There will be an Easter Bubble Dress. But first, some black chambray is only waiting for the right trim fabric to become a new Playdate dress. Early in the New Year, I will post instructions on how I finish that yoke seam so neatly.

We will ring in 2012 in a hotel halfway home and I wonder what kind of harbinger will that be for 2012. I wish all of you a restful, happy and handstitched new year!

little comfort clothes

2011-12-01T11:57:00.002-05:00

There was so much sewing in the late summer and early fall that I actually forgot to buy her a winter wardrobe. When we started to feel a chill in the air, I realized I had little to nothing in the way of warm play clothes. Kids’ clothes always seem to sell out by early fall, so I had no choice but to sew some. I’ve had the Class Picnic pattern since it was released, but I was already starting on summer things by the time it arrived and never got to it. I looked at it again and thought of some flannels in my stash from last year.

This may be my favorite Oliver + S pattern yet. It is simple, yet elegant. It has subtle well-designed details and I think it would look lovely made up in nearly any fabric. I love how the elastic casings at the shoulders not only make this top easy to wear, but creates a look similar to a puffed sleeve. That slight puffiness looks positively darling on a little shoulder, but isn’t fussy at all. It’s a thoroughly modern design, but rooted in a traditional look.

The Picnic Blouse is only slightly more complicated to construct as the Ice Cream dress and so could easily be made over and over. There is so much room to add you own touch to this design. It could be lengthened into a dress; the sleeves could be lengthened or shortened. I’m already picturing this in white linen for the summer with tiny details out of some Liberty scraps.

You can see it’s perfect for playtime. It’s loose and easy to move in. We like the Picnic Blouses paired with skinny jeans or Ponte leggings. The three quarter sleeves are great for babies. Long sleeves tend to get wet or dirty. I hemmed them with large stitches so I could let them out if need be. This flannel is just some cheap stuff I bought on sale at Joann last year. For the 18month size, I used a mere 25” of fabric so this top cost probably less than $4.00.

The only reason I hesitate to call it my #1 fav, is that finishing is not as easy as for the Ice Cream dress. These were quick easy playclothes, so for once I simply pinked the seams. After all, flannel doesn’t ravel much. Normally I’m absolutely nutty about seam finishes. My French seam favorites might still work here in a very lightweight fabric, but the yoke facing creates an extra layer in the seam which might make them a little bulky. I think for a fine finish on a slightly heavier fabric – wouldn’t this be so cute and cozy in corduroy? – a very lightweight seam binding might be in order. I will work on finishes when I sew this for spring - and I will be sewing it for the spring!

This is a tough time of year to snap photos. The sunlight hours are so short and so many days are gray. If we have just one thing to do in the morning hours, I’ve lost the whole day as far as photos are concerned. There are only three quiet mornings when boys are at school, so this is the best I could do this week. I made two of these, so there will be more next week. Don’t you love the bottom lip?

Comfort Clothes

2011-11-22T13:09:00.066-05:00

We've all been sick around here for weeks and I've taken a break from both the diet and excercise. It's hard to get up at dawn for a run when you can hardly breathe from coughing. :( So I've also taken a break from my fall sewing challenge. Instead, I'm reading the Colette Sewing Handbook cover to cover alongside Fit for Real People. I want my next projects to be perfect. So I'm sewing mainly for Kitty right now. But the other day I realized that I have nothing to wear that fits me at this awkward stage.

I'm still not quite into all my old clothes. I can squeeze into some knit tops, for sure, but I don't want every bump and bulge on display, nor do I want to wear Spanx just for school pickup. Since I have such a useful hobby, I decided to make something for those days I'm feeling less than thin. I wanted something with long sleeves and a little ease around the waist that I could just pull on and go without needing to coordinate layers and accessories. I decided to try the Lisette Continental blouse. Normally, big loose boxy things look frumpy on me, but I was drawn to the long slim sleeves that balanced out the bodice. I liked the simple pull over design - which seemed rare in a woven top. Also, because of the generous design ease, I figured I could forgo the full bust adjustment and just sew the damn thing without spending hours fitting.

And voila! It's not bad at all. As you can see, I lowered the neck line. I had to - it was strangulating that high. And it made for such a huge expanse of unbroken fabric that I just looked, well huge. I copied the lovely neckline from the Sorbetto top, which breaks up the vast expanse of bosom and opens up the face. If you try this, be aware that you'll have to lengthen the neck facing piece to match. I did have to lower the bust darts for it to hang properly, but that was a lot less trouble than an actual FBA.

I rushed through this just to have it done and realized after that I wanted more length. I finished the sleeves and hem with bias facing to eek out some length. I may also take it in a little more at the sides under the bust to add some shape, but it is a cute top and more flattering than I would have thought. From the front it has a simple shape and the flounces are adorable from the back. However - be warned that from the side - total muu muu! yikes.

The fabric is yet more of that nice cotton lawn from Moda. I really hope they make more on this substrate - it's absolutely perfect to work with and wear. The Continental is essentially a dressed up tshirt - perfect for my day job! And it serves its purpose of keeping me nicely covered on fat days. I've already worn it a few times and I'll definitely be wearing it Friday after turkey and pumpkin pie!

Happy Thanksgiving and hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

just ducky

2011-11-13T14:11:00.005-05:00

There are no end of boutique children’s patterns in the quilt shops these days, but few of them really turn my head. I sew mainly with Oliver + S patterns because they’re the gold standard or with Simplicity because they’re easy and predictable. For basics, I turn to the big four when they’re on sale at Joann and for something special I know Oliver + S will be worth every penny. I like tried and true proessional patterns so I don't run into too many problems. But once in a while, it’s nice to try something different. Enter Clever Charlotte.

The unique style of Clever Charlotte caught my eye a few months back. Sophisticated and urban, yet utterly appropriate for children, these are the kinds of styles I see on the city playgrounds and in the high end boutiques downtown. And since I have Society Hill tastes on a South Philly budget, I was definitely interested in recreating those looks myself. The whole concept appealed to me, from the imaginative mascot and whimsical bird names to the ready to wear styling. I also like the instant gratification factor of their totally complete kits. I don’t know about you, but I sometimes get fed up with the amount of time I waste tracking down supplies when I could actually be sewing. The whole operation looked well done, so when Erin offered me a pattern to try out, I jumped at the chance, even though my baby won’t grow into their patterns until next year. I’m pleased to say I was not disappointed.

This is the new Eider Tunic in size 2T, modeled by a friend who loves dress up. I haven’t worked with two year olds in a while, so I borrowed a trick from Gail and hid a few treats in the pockets for little Kass to find. She does look a little like a sweet duck with a puffed out white breast, doesn’t she? (OK, I admit. I’m not a bird girl and I had no idea what an Eider was until I looked it up on Wikipedia.)

A few presentation details for those of us who are picky: The pattern is packaged in a re-sealable pouch, which is nice for storing your traced pieces, notes, fabric scraps or whatever. It is the same size as traditional patterns, so you can store it easily. The pattern is printed on heavier weight tissue that will hold up to repeated tracing and re-folding. The instructions are geared toward new sewers and explain steps in detail. What I liked most was the extra tip to use a piece of cardboard as a pressing aide for the yoke. I love learning new tricks and hope other patterns offer similar skill building opportunities. I would appreciate a line drawing on the package so I can more easily see the design, but maybe that doesn’t matter too much.

The pattern pieces fit together perfectly without any problem. The yoke is a bit tricky to get perfect, but curved pieces always are. I found the instructions for the sleeve hem a little unusual, so I attached the bias hem a more typical way, with the seam stitched together and the raw edges tucked under. I sewed the yoke last to avoid changing my thread back and forth. Also, I basted the yoke opening to make the seam easier to press, then picked out the basting.

The yoke finishes itself nicely and I finished the rest with – you guessed it – French seams. (Maybe I should have named my blog “I heart French Seams.”) At the underarm, I press seams in opposite directions to reduce the bulk where they come together. I clip the French seam allowances very close to the stitching before the second pass and I’ve never been troubled by bulk. I wouldn’t have done those raglan French seams on anything heavier, but the lawn I used here was lightweight and very prone to fraying. You may recognize the fabric. It’s the same as for Kitty’s French dress, in black. I bought whatever I could find of this lawn. The yoke is a soft linen cotton blend from my stash and the tie is satin faced ribbon.

The only alterations I made were pockets. I felt even a tiny girl needed pockets but didn’t want to interfere with the design lines, so I tucked them in the seams. What I’d do differently next time is to self face the yoke or at least use a featherweight fusible. I used what I had on hand and it’s just a little too stiff around a small person’s neck for my liking. On the other hand, I stitched the pintucks into the interfaced piece, which gave them lovely definition. You could pintuck beforehand for a subtler effect.

I styled mind closely to the pattern package this time, but I can see lots of other possibilities. It would be so snuggly in a pinwale cord. You could try corded pintucks or eliminate them and use a print for the yoke. A Christmas red with a white yoke would be wonderfully festive, but in a grown up modern way. You could do various things with the waist tie or leave it off and shorten this to a blouse. How about trading the sleeve pintucks for gathers and finishing them with a bracelet cuff?

So I find Charlotte quite clever indeed! At the top of my wishlist are the Finch shorts and the Kestral coat. What will you try?

en francąis!*

2011-11-08T21:02:00.001-05:00

I’ve been waiting so long to share this project, I hope you’ll forgive me the gratuitous photos. In the spring, I ordered a few very special patterns all the way from France. They were unlike any patterns I've seen, particularly Dorotheé. The charming vintage sweetness of the teeny poofy sleeves, the gathers, the inverted pleat and the very short hem seemed to me quite special indeed.

I am completely smitten with Citronille. Such lovely designs! This one was beautifully drafted and came together easily. I was a little confused about where to place the gathers exactly, but worked it out. I like that it has a generous placket with just two little buttons. It goes easily over baby's head without buttoning all the way down the back. I plan to use this construction in the future. The instructions are in French, but if you’re an experienced seamstress, you can probably work it out from the diagrams alone.

I had a few years of French in college and I had to be able to read a fair bit of French for research purposes in grad school. That experience was enough to get me through the pattern instructions, though I still had to look up quite a few words. After all, when you’re researching early 20th century literature, sewing jargon isn’t on the vocab list. Industry specific terms are usually hard to find in your standard dictionary, and I had to rely on my sewing experience and make a few guesses.

Figuring this out is fun for me. I like languages because I like learning about other people and their ways of doing things. One of the things I always tried to get my students to understand – way back in that other life when I was a language teacher – is that languages are inextricably bound up in their culture. You don’t get one without the other. Translating one language to another is not like balancing a math equation. It isn’t just a question of substituting our English word for the equivalent word in French. Sometimes there is no equivalent and sometimes the same word has a different cultural meaning. Sewing in French reminded me just a little of my years in Europe. Things were in some ways the same, but also very diffent.

Back to the dress. The only thing I changed was to self line the bodice. For help, I referred to the Puppet Show dress pattern. I hand stitched it into place. I used French seams and bias bound the armscye seams. Gosh, I should have shown you the inside! I hand stitched the tiny bracelet sleeve cuffs and the hem. I don’t think I’ve ever accomplished such a lovely dress in my life.

The fabric is cotton lawn by Moda from the Regent Street collection. It is as beautiful as the pattern. I made a very deep hem to help the fabric drape nicely. Shell buttons came from the LYS. They are rather simple have a slightly imperfect handmade charm. These pictures are from a photo shoot with George Aubrey Photography for her one year portrait.

Have you tried foreign language patterns? French? Japanese?

*At my eldest’s preschool graduation, the kids sang the Yellow Submarine in French. After each child’s solo, the music teacher sang, “all together now, en francais!” and the group sang the chorus. There were 30 kids, so we heard the song over and over. And over. Consequently, “dans une sous-marin jaune” was stuck in my head for at least a week right around the time the patterns came in the mail.

halloween

2011-11-02T21:59:00.000-04:00

This was the first year my boys have been interested in Halloween. They were scared of costumes in the past or something and who really wants to force a little kid to eat tons of candy? But last year, dad took them trick or treating and they had so very much fun that they finally realized that Halloween is (duh!) pretty cool. This year, I made sure they got costume requests in early.

Though I was exhausted after K’s birthday bash, I couldn’t let that stop my boys from properly observing one of the high holidays of childhood. While I left the actual sewing to the last minute, I had a plan for the costumes and had sourced almost all of the materials already. Putting them together wasn’t hard at all. I highly recommend this superhero cape pattern and the free matching downloadable applique patterns.

It was surprisingly fun sewing for the boys. I don’t get to do it much. I suppose that sounds more like a personal choice, but it’s just not practical. They are also so hard on their clothes! Why spend the time making khaki cargo pants that I can make neither as nicely as Lands End or as affordably when they’ll just tear out the knees in no time? But costumes I can do far better than most junk out there and the boys loved them! My oldest kept saying “oh, thank you, Mom!” and “I love it, Mom!” and “you do really nice work, Mom!” Can you imagine? Melt.

Then I volunteered to go read a spooky story to my son’s kindergarten class and suddenly Catherine needed a costume too! There was some green sateen in the queue for a play dress and some yellow wool felt left from another project. I made a Music Box Jumper on Saturday, finishing everything with the machine to save time. It is a play dress, after all, so it doesn’t need any fine finishes.

This pattern will clearly become a winter wardrobe staple. There are just four simple pattern pieces (plus flaps) so you can trace and cut quickly. The construction is traditional, so you don’t have to pause to figure out any unfamiliar techniques. It would be easy to add pockets and I would like to experiment with fewer buttons at the back. There are a lot of possibilities – piping would be nice, as would some ribbon or embroidery. In corduroy or wool, it would add nice warmth to winter layers. In velveteen or voile it could even look fancy. And of course it looks great as is, but I’m a sucker for an inverted pleat.

Sunday, I tackled the costume part. At first, I planned asort of petal necklace but then thought it would be nicer if the petals framed her sunny face. I considered wire or interfacing and then copied this very helpfulproject on the purl bee, opting for a hood instead of a headband. I used McCalls 4478 for the bonnet in scraps from the jumper and lined it with cotton flannel for warmth. Then I topstitched two rows of petals to it by machine. It was a little fiddly, but it ultimately saved me time. I tacked the petals together halfway up to help them stand up.

I’m pretty pleased with the result, but it doesn’t take much to make this cutie shine!

Hope you had a happy Halloween too!

First Birthday

2011-10-29T17:16:00.000-04:00

I based the party on the delightful Children at Play collection by Sarah Jane. As soon as I saw it in the summer, I knew it would be perfect. It took me quite some time to figure out how to best use the special parade print. I like the idea of the children marching along the bottom of a full skirted dress, but the scale is too big for a baby. A table runner would only show the children in one direction and patchwork would break up the print too much.

Finally, I settled on a mitered table topper that can be used again and again. It is also the perfect size cloth for a play table. I hope she'll use it for all her dolly tea parties.

I don't mind telling you that lining up the print on all sides and making sure that the mitered seams met in just the right places to show off the balloons gave me a headache. The print is large in scale and the repeat is large, so you need quite a bit of fabric to get this right. I'm glad to be back to simple dressmaking after this, but I do hope it will become an heirloom. It's a very special fabric.

Cupcakes,

pinwheel party favors and balloons matched perfectly.

Baby girl's Playdate dress is a floral from the same collection and was finished with tiny white rose buttons that match my necklace. I can't believe we didn't get a picture without the sweater, but it was unseasonably cold last Saturday. (Not to mention today - it's snowing outside!)

The kids were so busy playing inside Smith Playhouse and out that they only came together for singing and cupcakes. Here is the birthday girl with one big brother and a few friends. There was singing, laughing, running and playing. A great day!

Fall Palette Challenge #2 - Peony pattern review

2011-10-24T22:43:00.010-04:00

This is my first full scale Colette Pattern. After many months of ogling and trolling their website whilst pregnant, I finally felt slim enough to make it worthwhile. I found the pattern very well written and drafted. I had no difficulty at all with the instructions or the pattern pieces, though it might have been nice if the waist and hip lines were indicated. And who couldn’t love the beautiful booklets they come in?

The fabric is a very crisp tightly woven cotton from Art Gallery in a pink that coordinated nicely with the colors for my daughter's first birthday. It’s fully lined with Bemberg Rayon, since I found the cotton a tad see through and sticky. Also, a dress this closely fitted seemed to need a lining. It certainly hangs much better for it. This is essentially a wearable muslin, as it took quite a lot of fiddling to get it right. In fact, there are a few spots that still need tweaking, but couldn’t deal with this time around. After measuring the pattern pieces, I cut a straight size 10, even though my measurements indicated a 12-14 for waist and hips. There is room in the waist darts and the tiny gathers in the skirt to adjust the fit at the waist. In fact, it seems to me that this pattern was thoughtfully designed to allow fit adjustments, rather than for a specific body type as some fashions are. Each of those darts is a point for adjusting the fit. The more opportunities a pattern offers, the more chance you have to fit the dress nicely to you.

I absolutely love this pattern. The cut is elegant, feminine, timeless and flattering! By George, it’s flattering. Can you tell that I still have 15 lbs of baby weight to loose? I can’t. I would adore this with the ¾ sleeves in some kind of dark autumn-y fabric. And it would be divine in red dupioni as a holiday dress. And I think it would be cute for the spring in a cotton floral and cozy for winter in something warm and definitely chic for the office in suiting. I could probably go on. Next time, I’d like a more subdued version.

My only quibble is classifying this as a beginner project. You simply can’t fudge the fit here because those darts are so prominent. I’ve had success with a simple FBA in the past, but two sets of darts to adjust make this more complicated to get right. Iterations of my Peony when the darts weren’t right looked sloppy, frumpy, or just plain weird. I tried shortening them so they didn’t get all pointy at my, ahem, apex. I tried making them wider to accommodate the excess loose fabric under the bust. I tired moving them, cursing at them and appealing to St. Anne before I was happy enough to call them finished. I sewed them 12 times in all and cut a second bodice piece. (That’s where my sleeve fabric went.) The pattern itself is good for an advanced beginner, but since grown-up women typically need adjustments, Peony is realistically for the confident, patient or experienced sewist. On the other hand, I learned to sew when I was young, skinny and flat-chested. I didn't need any fit adjustments and could probably have sewn this up much faster.

The only change I made was the obvious lack of sleeves. As I worked on the bodice fit, I came to like how it looked sleeveless. (I only wish I had read this amazing trickfor lining a sleeveless dress earlier on.) It’s worth noting that there didn’t seem to be much room at the shoulders. I used only a scant ¼” seam allowance to attach the dress to the lining. Perhaps in the future I need to adjust for broad shoulders? Sigh. I’m off to read more of Fit for Real People. More pictures of the Children at Play themed birthday party coming soon. Thursday is the photo shoot of my Princess Royal, including the dress with poofy sleeves!

special thanks to George Aubrey Photography for these great shots! necklace from Rustic Gem and shoes are Raomna II by Sofft.

birthday preview & a playdate tip

2011-10-10T13:37:00.000-04:00

Though I'm still waiting to find the perfect buttons, I thought I'd post a quick preview of K's 1st birthday party dress, so I can share with you a clever (I think) way to finish the dress at the yoke. If you've made this one before, you know that you can't use the traditional seam finishes where the yoke joins the dress body. The yoke is completely finished and then topstitched to the dress. Cleverly, this makes it easier to get a nice round seam on the yoke, but it leaves the inside seam allowance raw. But here is the inside of my Playdate Dress:

I cut a wide piece of contrast double fold bias - 2" to 2 1/2" would work - and bound the raw neck edge before attaching the yoke. I basted the bias to the right side, flipped it round and basted it again to hold it in place. I placed the yoke using lots of pins and a seam gauge to get an even 1/8" all the way around and topstitched it into place, being careful to catch the bias as well. Then, I went back and ripped out all the basting stitches.

The bias edge is loose and looks just like flat piping. I wish I had taken pictures as I went, but was running behind schedule with this one. If it's unclear, I'm happy to try and explain better. What do you think?

autumn leaves cardigan

2011-10-05T22:19:00.000-04:00

My very favorite day of the year is that first day I can comfortably slip on jeans and a sweater. It feels so good after the long sticky uncomfortable summer to feel that promising chill to the air. It feels good to wear real clothes again. It feels good to be outside again. It feels good to again haunt the city’s parks and playgrounds and kick some leaves. I find this time of year relaxing, invigorating, and promising. Warm and fuzzy thoughts fill my head of baking pies and roasting turkeys, apple picking and Sunday rides. And outside, in that crisp, sunny fresh air, I look forward to the cold winter at the end of the holidays when I can slow down, hole myself up inside with a pair of needles and begin the knitting cycle all over again.

Yesterday, baby girl and I both stepped out in hand knitted sweaters to celebrate the first sweater day. I began this one for her during our road trip to my parents’ house in Georgia. Ever since I discovered that I can in fact knit in the car without feeling sick, I have looked at road trips in a new light. Suddenly, I don’t care about two days with all five of us smushed into the Volvo. All I can see is 14 full hours of knitting. So I made sure I had knitting ready. I completed the leafy yoke of the sweater before we left and worked the ribbing on the way down. While down there, I started the hem of a second sweater so I could do the stockinette in the car on the way home. Presto – most of my fall knitting done. However, lots of things went haywire in the second half of the summer and I only put the finishing touches on this sweater last week when I felt the chill in the air approaching.

The pattern is from a Nashua Handknits booklet called Bloom, which I read about on the Purl Bee. I found the pattern was indeed reliable. I did have a hard time finding the right yarn, so it’s been on the back burner since last year. The sizing is awkward too. I imagine it’s due to the math involved in the cabled yoke stitch pattern, but they only offer sizes 3 months, 6 months and 24 months. Making some guesses based on the size of my sons at age 1, I made the 24 month size with a slightly smaller gauge. However, my largest child at birth, 9lbs 6oz to be exact, is turning into my smallest and is swimming in the sweater. Maybe I’ll try the dryer.

The yarn is Berreco Vintage. I don’t normally use acrylic, but this was a nice feeling blend and it is useful to have hard wearing yarn for children’s things. It was easy to work with and nice to handle. I suppose the only downside is that it’s slightly fuzzy after being worked and doesn’t have the crisp stitch definition other yarns might. Still, the color was spot on and while it isn’t the nicest yarn I ever worked with, I don’t regret it.

Happy Fall!

Fall Palette Challenge #1: Lisette Market Blouse pattern review

2011-09-28T12:40:00.001-04:00

I’m excited to finally show my first Palette Challenge piece: Simplicity 2211, the Lisette Market Blouse. I’m less excited that all this grey weather means poor pictures. I’m including pictures just for demonstration purposes.

Many reviewers have sized down because of generous ease in this top, but I found that if I went down a size, the shoulders and upper chest and armholes did not fit. So I cut my usual Simplicity size, based on my high bust. The finished chest measurement given is 43” and my full bust is 42”, but after a quick tissue fitting, I saw that I nevertheless needed to add another inch to the dart. I’m no math expert, but this didn’t entirely make sense. You really can’t rely solely on the measurements given! After stitching the darts in my fashion fabric, I basted the shoulders and sides to try it on. The darts needed a slightly different shape to lay properly, so I marked the apex on the wrong side and then used a ruler to draw the point another 1” further out without deepening the dart. Perfect! As I could see last time, different garments and fabrics will require different adjustments.

The construction of the blouse is simple enough and the outside facings are a clever and comfortable detail. However, you do need to cut and stitch precisely to get a nice finish. Be sure your placket will be covered by the neck facing before you stitch it to the blouse neckline. I don’t think there is anything lacking in the pattern instructions, you should always take care if you want good results, but I think it’s worth pointing out that despite the simplicity and ease of the garment construction, you need to take your time.

The topstitched outside facings give you a very clean finish. You don't have to fuss with facings flapping around on the inside and worry about how to make them look nice. Which they never really do. I used French seams at the sides, shoulders and, yes the sleeves too. I'm convinced that it's easier to set sleeves with a smaller sleeve allowance. When I have French seams meeting at an underarm or crotch, I make sure one seam is pressed to the back and one pressed to the front to reduce the bulk.

The sleeves are very cute without being too much like little girls’ tops, but the generous ease in the waist is downright unflattering on a curvy figure. I added back darts to counter the excessive ease and give the blouse some much needed shape. After I loose a few more baby pounds, I might add some front darts too. I had been skeptical of the faux placket, but the buttons really brought the whole thing together and I didn’t mind that they aren’t functioning.

The fabric is cotton voile from Valori Wells Wrenly collection. It’s as buttery soft as other Freespirit voiles and a pleasure to work with as well as to wear. I also used fabric for the interfacing. I did some reading (resources listed at the end of this post)and chose some plain ivory voile from my stash. This stabilized the voile as much as fusible interfacing but it feels so much better! The voile-interfaced pieces feel like double gauze and are comfortable and breathable, unlike the synthetic fusible stuff. It didn’t hold a crease very well, but did find once it was stitched down. Perhaps some batiste would give a crisper finish, but this worked fine for the style of top. I like to think the blouse feels and looks just a little more expensive with this detail.

I added some length to the hemline. I didn’t want to worry about my underwear or muffin top peeking out if I have to bend down to hoist kids up. I’m 5’9” so adding a little length is normal.

Like all the Liesette patterns, this one seems designed with a straight and slim figure in mind. However, I’m pleased enough with how this one adapted for a curvier figure. The neckline is a little high and while the placket adds a vertical line, I’m not sure if it breaks up the bust line quite enough to prevent me looking fat and matronly. If I were to make it again, I would lower the neckline.

Next up in my Fall Palette Challenge is the new Colette Peony Dress, but that will have to wait a week or two until baby girl’s own birthday party dress is finished.

Resources for interfacing: Sewing and Craft Alliance; University of Kentucky; Gertie and on sewing with voile by Anna Maria Horner.

Fall 2011 Palette Challenge

2011-09-23T16:03:00.002-04:00

The print in the top left corner is the inspiration for the rest of my palette choices. I toyed around with lots of colors I found in Pantone’s Fall 2011 lineup, but couldn’t quite make it work. That’s because it’s really pinks and reds that make me happy – exactly the colors in this Valori Wells voile I bought in the summer. So I based my palette on the lovely pinks and reds in this print. I also plan to branch a little out of my comfort zone into the orange and mustard yellow – also represented in my inspiration fabric – that seem to be calling me at the moment. They may end up only as accent colors, but we’ll see. For neutrals, at first I tried to incorporate coffee browns or taupe, but when Sarai posted her palette, I realized that I really just wanted black. In another life, I was a classical musician and black was de rigueur, which may be why I always return to it. Also, black will give me the chance to sew something I’ve been thinking about for a long time. I really love the Collete Jasmine justas they show it, so I’d like to copy that and try sewing with silk.

The real challenge for me is that my (needle) eye is often too big for my schedule. I’ve tried to limit my projects to something realistic. It simply doesn’t feel good to me to have things go unfinished.

The actual items in my challenge:

Lisette market blouse, Simplicity 2211, in Wrenly voile.
Colette Beignet skirt in red cotton sateen
Colette Peony in pink cotton for baby girl’s birthday party
Colette Jasmine in ivory silk
Simplicity 2058 in black, possibly wool crepe.

If all that goes well, my extra credit project will be a mustard colored pencil skirt. Or, maybe I'll treat myself to the fabulous one from J.crew. The order of these is subject to dieting progress. I don’t put too much effort into the skirts until I can fit into my old clothes again. I finished the market blouse last night, but it’s a dreary rainy day here, so I can’t really get any good photos just yet.

Finally, thanks to everyone who joined my site this week! I’m really glad to have you. I’ve picked two names out of a hat for my sample ice cream dresses: congrats to gail and mmather! I will put these in the post right away.

Is anyone else doing the Fall Palette Challenge? What are you making?

Back to School, big heads, a printable and a giveaway!

2011-09-19T21:16:00.004-04:00

My oldest child started kindergarten last week and my other son started preschool. It was a big week and I didn't have much time for blogging. This was K's honorary back to school dress. It was just right for seeing big brothers off to school! (And if I'm honest, it was the only clean and presentable thing I could pull out of her closet that morning.)

I’ve been meaning to post my ice cream dress alteration for some time, but have been distracted with some other sewing, as well as planning my Fall Palette Challenge. (The dress you see in my new fall banner is coming soon, I promise, and it’s worth waiting for!) The Oliver + S Ice Cream Dress has become one of my wardrobe staples. It has a generous fit, which helps it last a long time – except that babies and toddlers usually have disproportionately large heads. Most babies don’t like things pulled over their heads either, so it becomes a struggle. The neck is already wide, so that’s not a good place to adjust. Instead, I added a deeper opening in the back using a placket.

Below are photos as well as – wait for it! – a pdf you can print with instructions and a tiny pattern for the placket piece! And, because I made three of these for the sake of pictures, I will give the other two dresses – one size 18 months and one size 3T – to two lucky readers. Use them for your own children or as gifts. They are made from the highly desirable Joel Dewberry Aviary collection in a perfectly autumn colorway. To win the dresses, become a follower of my blog with the Google widget to the right and leave a comment below that includes your email address and which size you'd prefer. I’ll choose a winner at random on Friday and announce it. Then you can email me your mailing address and I’ll pop it in the post.

It's not a difficult process, so I'll just let you read the instructions on the pdf, but I thought the pictures would be helpful. Basically, you cut a placket shape out of a scrap of fabric, attach it to the dress back, stitch around the opening, cut it open and flip the whole thing around to the inside. Then topstitch it carefully and construct the dress pretty much as normal except that you'll have to separate sides on the back. This actually makes it a little easier to assemble too.

I've seen one or two other solutions out there for this problem, so I know I'm not the only one who has to make a large head adjustment to the pattern. You could also make a keyhole opening by binding a slit with bias tape. It's really up to you, but I hope you find my solution useful.

This is Kitty's 18month sized dress. The other 18month one looks exactly the same - it's a short dress for ease of crawling and exploring. The 3T dress has pockets and the contrasting band at the hem. The contrast is a Kaffe Fasset shot cotton in an orange-y red that matches the flowers. These wash easily and are great play dresses. So follow, comment and check back Friday to see who won!

And because I have your attention, here's a gratuitous shot of my first born baby all grown up in his summer uniform after his very first day at Kindergarten!

[updated to add]

Thanks for all your comments! I'm glad to hear you find my technique useful. Here's a picture of the size 3T brown bird dress. There's still time to leave your name to win back to school dresses! (Don't forget to follow publicly with Google Friend Connect so I can see you. )

Girl’s World book review (and how I stuck out my tongue at French seam naysayers.)

2011-09-06T21:37:00.000-04:00

I love sewing girly, girly things! And this book certainly indulges me. Girls’ World by Jennifer Paganelli is full of inspiration. It only actually includes 4 dresses: 2 party dresses, 1 tunic style dress and 1 halter style. I like the first three, but – and call me old fashioned if you like – I’m not crazy about this sexy halter top on little girls. The other projects include home décor and crafty items, some of which are sweet and some of which are sort of basic. The patterns are included in a handy little envelope, but the paper is a bit fragile and you still have to piece them together a little. Spiral binding would have made it easier to read instructions. Final garment measurements are not given, nor are line drawings. And since the instructions are word heavy and lacking in diagrams, you need to just cross your fingers that it will work out in the end. Still, I didn’t have much trouble figuring out the tunic dress. The real interest in the book is the lush and fanciful styling of all these projects. You might wish you were a “tween” yourself again!

There isn’t a lot of substantial enough instruction to guide a total beginner successfully through this, but an advanced beginner would probably be fine. Except for the Agnes tunic. That neckline is tricky. If I were rating it on the Knitty.com scale, it might be tangy. Some complexity was added by me, though, because I don’t like raw edges.

Rather than leave the raw edges out and slop a zig zag over it, as instructed, I pressed the yoke lining seam allowance under, then attached only the yoke itself to the dress body. I pressed, turned and pinned the lining in place. Then I topstitched from the right side, being sure to catch the back in the stitching. You could also slip stitch this by hand, but I liked topstitching here. I attached the hem and sleeve bands the same way. I also understitched the yoke lining to the seam allowance.

I used French seams at the shoulders, down the sleeve and side seams so that the entire thing is neatly and beautifully finished inside. I have been told over and over that French seams are only for straight edges. I have been breaking this rule for some time because I love the tidiness of a fully finished seam and French seams are faster than flat-felled, which I also love, and bias-bound seams, which make me a little weak in the knees. I started by Frenching [insert school girl giggle] the curved seams on little bloomers for my baby a few months back. Surprise! It worked fine. The curves were not, in fact, distorted and the seam was not, in fact, too bulky. Then, I Frenched the seams on some easy summer pants and shorts for myself. Again, they worked beautifully and were perfectly comfortable to wear. I have wanted to French armscye seams for some time, but have lacked the courage to thumb my nose at all those people who said it can’t be done. I inspected all the dress shirts in my husband’s closet and found flat-felled seams and didn’t see why French seams wouldn’t work too. So I did it. And – guess what? It worked. In fact, it may have been a bit easier stitching those curves at ¼” than at the full 5/8” in one go. And now I have these nice shoulder seams that won’t ever look sloppy.

I also added inseam pockets. A girl needs pockets! I attach inseam pockets using – you guessed it – French seams. This keeps them neat and strong for holding important things, which is the whole point of pockets.

I have some Frenching tips [giggle], if you like. After the first pass in a curved section, clip into the seam allowance before making the second pass. At a corner or angle, such as the underarm when you’re stitching the sleeve and side all in one go, notch into the corner after the first pass. Also, clip seam allowances ruthlessly. You want to eliminate all possibly bulk. After you’ve done this once or twice, you’ll start looking for bulk to clip away everywhere! Finally, if you’re doing this on pants and have four seams meeting at the crotch, be sure to press the seams in opposite directions so that they meet rather than overlap. If you don’t see what I mean, have a look at the crotch of your favorite jeans. Finally, when I set pockets in French seams, I stitch the first pass in stages. The pocket gets stitched by itself and then the side seams. This helps on the second pass if you need to unpick a few stitches to make it lie nice and flat. So there it is – one of my big secrets! Now go forth and French everything you never thought you could and report back to me on your adventures.

Attaching the neck band to the dress is tough going. Don’t be afraid to not only use lots of pins, as the instructions suggest, but to also notch the seam *before* stitching if it helps you pin the two pieces together correctly. I pinned and stitched in sections here so as not to have massive amounts of unwieldy pins flying around. I aligned the shoulder seams and back neck edges, stitched just those bits together and checked for proper alignment. Then I pinned and stitched one back neck, then pinned and stitched one side front, then the other, etc. At both back necks, I needed to make little snips into the seam allowance of the dress body in order to make it fit the curve of the neck band. For the fronts, I pulled up the gathers as I pinned. Finally, I checked the right side of the yoke for unwanted tucks, unpicked and stitched again. Phew!

Problems with the pattern: there is no instruction given for how to set the sleeves. I added a row of basting stitches at the top of the sleeve cap and pulled them up to ease the cap into the armhole. This is a simple enough fix, but only if you’ve set a few sleeves before. There are no finished measurements given, only a guideline for sizing, so be sure to measure the pattern pieces.

I really like this pattern a lot. I can see it shining in a more subdued fabric choice. The main fabric here is an Art Gallery print chosen from my stash by the birthday girl next door. I picked the contrast out of my stash too. The birthday girl likes bold combinations and I thought this would suit her. Next year I may make this for my Kitty (the sizes only start at 2) in something like chambray or corduroy. There is a lot of room in the shape, which will make it a great play dress. But it’s nice enough for a special playdate too. I really like the interesting gathers around the neckline and the flared sleeves. Hopefully, the birthday girl will think so too!

popover for one last summer playdate

2011-09-02T21:18:00.000-04:00

This is the last summer dress for Kitty and the last of my yellow and pink projects. She was so excited by the yellow fabric while I was stitching my Sorbetto top, that I simply had to make something for her and I knew the Popover Sundress would be perfect. When I finished and showed her the dress, she positively squealed and snatched it.

I made one change this time around. Cute as those little bows on the shoulder are, they are a pain to do up on a squirmy, wriggly, and generally impatient 10 month old. So I used the continuous loop method to make the straps, as if I were finishing a regular armscye. Now it really is a dress to just popover. I think it streamlined the look a little bit too.

The best pictures I could get of this dress were of the back of it as she crawled away. It's a good thing I made the shorter length again. I'll be sticking to this length through the fall and winter. Anything longer, and she just gets all tangled up.This is the time of life to be on the move.

I managed to finish one special project today and hope to photograph it over the holiday weekend. I also hope to carve out time to finally start on one of the lovely patterns from France. I will also be planning my Fall Palette Challenge. What will you be doing with the last weekend of your summer?

time to chase the ice cream truck

2011-08-23T13:10:00.002-04:00

Work on my family room has ground to a halt and the house is in utter chaos. There are boxes everywhere, furniture stacked in inconvenient places and my desk shoved into a tiny second floor landing. Worse, it doesn't look like work will resume any time soon. I'm not entirely sure why, but all this chaos has invaded my sewing area too and I'm still not able to get much done. So I thought I'd share another Ice Cream Dress I made earlier in the summer that has become an everyday favorite. The fabric here is a cotton Swiss dot I picked up on sale at Joann last summer. It's very lightweight and soft.

As you can see, this dress is perfect for playtime with plenty of room to crawl, roll, pull up, topple, chase brothers, investigate and get into trouble as babies of 10 months are wont to do.

How much do you love the tiny toes?

I cut baby Ice Cream dresses at the length for view A without the bottom band. This is more like a tunic, but is just right for an active baby. I pair them with shorts, bloomers or in this case, just her cloth diaper that matches perfectly.

I also picked this fabric because the darker pink and little bits of olive green seemed like they would take un into early fall with layers. An easy and useful wardrobe staple!

Not Quite Everything Tote

2011-08-16T15:47:00.000-04:00

Heather Ross's Weekend Sewing is definitely a pretty book and some of the projects are wonderfully inspiring – the summer blouse, the smocked sundress, the weekend away travel bag – but I have found that the actual patterns can be unreliable. Don’t skip these projects, though, if they appeal to you, just be sure to do a little research first. I recently had a disastrous experience with the pajama pants and feel consequently wary about the other clothing patterns. However, the summer blouse is calling me and enough people in the online sewing community have reviewed it that I think I could make it work.

I actually bought the book for the Everything Tote and made it two years ago for a trip to England. I use the original for day trips and to haul my workout stuff to the studio. The bag is still a favorite and I’ve always wanted to make it again to iron out the kinks. One problem is that it’s so big and floppy that stuff falls all over and gets lost in the bottom. This time, I wanted something a little smaller, so I photocopied the pattern at about 60% and shortened the handles.

To correct the floppiness, I used some mid weight craft interfacing to give the bag structure. I have to say, though, that it might have ended up just a hair more stiffness than I really wanted. Another idea might have been a layer of flannel in between a la Amy Karol’s bag sewing method for a softer shape. It will probably soften with use, though.

The straps are designed to open up where you carry them for a comfortable grip. They can also flash a bit of a fun lining. Essentially, they are a lined bias strip – two layers sewn together and turned like a strap, then folded like bias tape. The trouble is that where you attach this piece to the bag, you end up with 10 layers of fabric to sew through! This was really difficult and my topstitching on the original bag was really messy. This time, I cut the lining for the handles several inches shorter, so that it would only be lined where it’s designed to show. This way, I wouldn’t have to sew through those extra 4 layers when attaching the bias handles to the top of the tote. It worked perfectly and made assembly much easier.

The instructions call for lining the bias pieces that top the sides of the bag even though that lining would be completely enclosed. Again, you would end up with 10 layers to somehow neatly edge stitch. That didn’t make any sense to me so I skipped it.

Finally, I stitched the bias handles together in one continuous loop at before attaching them to the bag. I lined up the seams with the side seams of the bag and stitched them as you would for a garment facing. I ended up with a smooth neat seam rather than the bulky awkward overlap the instructions want you to hand sew closed.

I kept the pockets full size so I won’t loose my lip gloss or hand sanitizer or keys in the bottom. And I made one pocket just the right size for my crackberry. Because I really hate loosing that. This is for those summer days when you don’t want to carry everything. It’s big enough for a book or some small knitting or just one spare diaper, toys and snacks. But it doesn’t feel like you’re lugging around a huge diaper bag.

I’m taking a break from sewing this week, because this is what’s going on at my house right now:

We do pretty much everything ourselves around here as you can see. This is our second floor family room, our favorite space, so cross your fingers it gets done soon!

Summer Habitat

2011-08-08T22:06:00.000-04:00

A special girl in my life recently had her first birthday. Since I know her mama appreciates handmade things, I decided to whip up a fun little outfit that she could wear right now in the hottest and stickiest part of the year. But while Miss V is all cuteness and fun, she’s not really in to the pink frills like my Kitty. She has a sophisticated modern taste and her wardrobe reflects this. To attain the hip aesthetic needed here, I again turned to Habitat by Philly designer Jay McCarroll.

As a rule, I don’t choose a very bold or large prints for baby clothes. But sometimes, an unexpected large scale can be interesting. And in small does, the effect can be striking. The Oliver andS Ruffled Halter is a canvas suitable for something larger in scale. The large ruffles are cut on the bias, which tempers the boldness of the rich fabric. The abstract nature of the print "drop cloth" makes the large scale more palatable on a small child. Mostly, though, it’s the big personality of this little lady that makes the whole thing work.

Like all Oliver and S patterns, this one is clever and clear. Although it’s a free pattern, it lacks none of their trademark attention to detail. I made some very small changes. For one, I hemmed the edges of the ruffles using my narrow hem foot, rather than let them fray as the pattern suggests. Also, I used a solid cotton voile for the base layer of the top. It’s hot and sticky here and since this fabric is just a little thicker and stiffer than I would normally put on a small child, I wanted to reduce the overall bulk. The pattern came together quickly and easily. The construction is unusual, so don't adlib the instructions. With French seams at the sides, the entire thing is neatly finished inside and out.

I paired the ruffled halter with the Puppet Show shorts in a natural linen from my stash. The linen picks up a minor color in the drop cloth print tones down the overall boldness of the outfit. This combination is perfect for a new toddler who still spends time crawling. Dresses – cute as they are – just get in the way right now. This pairing accommodates her activity, but doesn’t sacrifice in cuteness or girly charm. Also, I think she’ll be able to wear it under a little cardigan once the weather cools.

I’m pleased to report that the gift was a huge hit with both the birthday girl and her mama. I was very happy to receive these pictures demonstrating how perfectly this ensemble suits Miss V! It’s such a great feeling when a project comes together like this.

photos (and model) by Amanda Hall Studios

Sorbetto top pattern review and FBA how-to

2011-08-02T09:25:00.004-04:00

Something I’ve been avoiding for a while now – in addition to vacuuming, making a budget and loosing baby weight (bleh!) – is learning how to properly make a full bust adjustment, or FBA. I’ve avoided thus far it by choosing patterns that have strategic gathers, tucks, ties and elastic. Sometimes I “cheat” by grading patterns out at the bust and in at the high waist and sometimes I just let things be a little too snug in the bust. After all, that’s how ready-to-wear fits me, so I’m used to it. But the reality is that trying to stuff 34DDs (or more!) into patterns designed for a B cup mostly doesn’t work out. Clothes are unflatteringly snug across the bust and gape in a weird way at the shoulder. Since I’m slowly moving away from nursing tops and could use more hot weather wear, it seemed like a good time to learn.

Prime choice for this experience is the Colette Patterns Sorbetto top. It already has a bust dart and since Colette patterns are based on a C cup rather than B like the big companies, I’ll have a little less to adjust. Since it’s a simple tank pattern, I can focus on the bust fitting.

I cut a size 10 based on my high bust measurement. I traced the pattern, pinned the front and back together and tried it on. Comparing my center front with the pattern center indicated I needed at least an inch so I made my red marks, then slashed it carefully.


Draw one line from the hem, to the "apex" and then to 1/3 of the way into the armpit. Draw a second line through the dart to the apex.

I did the adjusting and taping on my ironing board with a fresh piece of tracing paper underneath. This way, I could pin down the pattern paper to move it accurately and tape it right to the fresh paper without fear of shifting anything. A clear grid ruler helped line things up properly.

Cut almost all the way along these lines, leaving them just barely attached to each other.

Then I cut out the adjusted pattern piece, pinned it all together again and tried it on again. The dart seemed big enough but too high up! I marked my bust “apex” (does that term crack you up too?), drew a block around the entire dart, cut it out, shifted it down and taped again to yet more fresh paper.


cut out then entire dart and shift it up or down

Pinned the paper, tried it on again. The fit was better, but I don’t think I adjusted the dart enough the first time even though I thought I measured carefully because the center front of the pattern wasn’t quite making it to my center front. Sigh. The shape of the adjusted bust dart looked fine, so I decided that rather than re-adjust the dart or start over, I would add a half inch to the center front when I cut the fabric. The girls may still be a tiny bit squished into this top, but they’re used to that, poor babes.

pattern paper all pinned together.

I ironed the tracing paper a little since it was quite creased after all that folding and pinning. Then I traced and cut the fabric. I marked the dart carefully. I pinned and tried on the fabric pieces before actually stitching them, which I typically do after cutting pieces. Since I had taken so much trouble with the “tissue fitting”, I was tempted to skip this. I’m glad I didn’t because fabric doesn’t behave the same way as paper. The bust darts were way too low and somehow – after adding 2 inches overall, there still wasn’t enough room for the girls! Apparently the darts do settle a little in the fabric as Palmer says. I didn’t need to move the bust darts down after all, so I retraced them up higher and fitted them again. This time it all looked good. After deepening the bust dart and allowing more room in the center, I added 2 ½” total.


the finished adjusted dart. You can sort of see here how large it is.

I stitched the shoulders and side seams – French seams work very well here – and then looked at the pleat, though the directions have you stitch the pleat first. I wanted to play with the pleat and maybe leave the bottom free to swing, which did not drape nicely with this fabric, which is after all not fashion fabric and a rather stiff quilting cotton. I also thought I might do an inverted pleat, which did not flatter my full bust. I found the pleat most flattering as designed. But I did make the pleat smaller to squeeze in still more room for the bust.

The long and short of the FBA – it’s a necessary skill to have in your arsenal for patterns like this. The Palmer-Pletch method is a good one, I think, but it’s no magic pill. This is a process of trial and error and will require a fair bit of practice to perfect. In fact, each different type of garment will require a different kind of adjustment, as will different kinds of fabrics. If I were planning a very special project like a suit or evening gown (yeah right!), I would also make a muslin in a cheap fabric similar to the final fabric to be sure the fit is correct. Despite this long post, making the FBA is not quite as much effort as it seems and I’m confident it will get easier with practice. And since a full bustline is nothing to complain about, I’ll happily suck it up and take the extra time to flatter the girls.

The upside to working out how to do an FBA – and this is a great upside – is that you’ll get to cut a smaller size. I know it’s just vanity, but it still feels good. Oh, and your clothes will fit better. That’s nice too.

here you can see that the shoulders fit properly, with no weird armpit gaping.

Sorbetto was perfect for practicing the FBA, because there isn’t actually much else to it. It’s a simple but well designed pattern and comfortable to wear. The neck line is neither too high nor too low, just right to open up the face and flatter. The back neck is low – like a boat neck – and feels breathable on sticky days. The armsyces and shoulder straps are just right for comfort and covering a bra properly. The outside bias facing is a sophisticated detail. I’m for once quite pleased with how my bias came out. I rarely produce satisfying topstitching, but this time I went s-l-o-w-l-y and am actually quite pleased with it. I plan to make this again and I think it would work well in a variety of fabrics, with all kinds of possible adornments. I would really love this in seersucker or Liberty.

The fabric is from Joel Dewberry’s new line, Heirloom. It is definitely better suited to quilting or crafting, as it’s quite stiff and a tiny bit rough, but it called to me and I’m sure you know how that is. The Sorbetto handled the structure just fine, and though I’d prefer lawn or voile, I have been happily wearing this version. In the shop, I was drawn to how the lipstick colorway of shot cotton contrasted cheerfully with the soft yellow. I liked the idea of the pink piping on a yellow child’s dress. For more grown-up fun, I added a contrasting hem facing. I like the idea of a little bit of pink peeking out, a little treat just for me. What do you think?

resources: Simplicity has a Fit Brochure you can download for free. There are several posts on the Lisette blog regarding fitting resources as well as a tutorial on the Sew Mama Sew blog. I also found many discussions and links on Sewing Pattern Review.

[edited to add: if you haven't seen it already, Sarai has just posted a large bust adjustment tutorial for her Rooibus sew along. Even if you're not doing the Rooibus with her, I think it's worth reading.]

Back from vacation – fabric review and roundup.

2011-07-26T14:20:00.002-04:00

During the three weeks we spent down at my parents’ house, I sewed a baby ensemble, a sexy maxi dress, and a simple spring skirt for myself. And in the car, I did, in fact, do plenty of knitting! The red sweater is waiting for arms and I finished most of the body of the gray one. Plus, thanks to my mom, I had a break from housework and had mostly just one baby to take care of, which is about as much of a break as possible with a nursling. I also found time to do some shopping. Mom and I took the baby down to Atlanta to visit Whipstitch and have lunch. That was a fun girls’ day and this is the loot I scored:

I also went twice to the Alpharetta Joann because on my first trip for supplies, I inquired about the new Lisette fabrics and learned they had more on the truck to be unloaded soon. Soooo, I had to go back a second time to see them and this is what I came home with:

The cotton sateen is wonderfully soft and drapes beautifully, yet is quite substantial. The twill is lightweight and reasonably soft. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the poplin or lawn, which is really what I wanted. The green is just a basic poplin for some play clothes to match the gray sweater.

Most exciting of all was when the very long on-the-edge-of-my-seat awaited Children at Play line by Sarah Jane Studios finally made it into some stores. I spent a LOT of time tracking down the prints I wanted for baby girl’s first birthday. I literally battled other shoppers! Just as I was trying to complete a transaction, the fabric sold out right from underneath me. If that was you last Saturday night at Hawthorne Threads, I hope you’re enjoying it. I was really quite upset. However, after much more online searching, I found more and it’s hopefully on its way. One shipper sent the wrong print by accident, and though I may keep it anyway, I had to search again for the right one. All in all, I had to buy yardage from four different stores to get what I wanted! I don’t think even Heather Ross prints are in quite such demand. Has anyone else ever experienced such craziness?

I did have two packages of Children at Play waiting for me, though, when we got home. It was exciting to finally have it in my hands. It is indeed as lovely and unique as it appeared online. The hand is soft, though not as buttery soft and drap-y as Moda. It’s not at all stiff and rough as some quilting cottons can be. In other words, I think it will work nicely for the birthday dress, which is a relief because I pretty much took it on faith that it would be OK. I have three months until her birthday, but I plan to get cracking on the dress soon to make sure I can take my time and don’t get stressed out being down to the wire.

And if that wasn’t enough, the first thing I did on our return was to hit Spool’s summer sale and come home with several yards of the new Joel Dewberry collection and some shot cotton and promptly became distracted with sewing that up, a project I will share with you in a few days.

I have pictures coming soon of projects I haven’t yet reviewed here, including the Lisette Passport Jacket and a maxi dress in Anna Maria Horner voile, so stay tuned. Also, follow me on Twitter now!

spreading my wings

2011-07-01T21:45:00.000-04:00

Lots of moms complain about maternity clothes, but I think that really the most challenge time of life for fashion is the whole first year post-partum. Most of us have plenty we want to cover up, but also need easy and quick access to the girls. Plus, as you start to loose some of that belly, the maternity/nursing tops don’t fit anymore either. Grr. So when I saw Anna MariaHorner’s new book last year, I was so excited she included nursing tops. And when my mother in law brought me three whole yards of Liberty Tana lawn when she came from England for Christmas, I knew I owed myself something really lovely to wear in these style-challenged months.

The Mariposa project in Handmade Beginnings can be made up as maternity or not, sleeved or sleeveless, as a dress or tunic, so lots and lots of options. I first made it without any alterations in a quilting cotton, but honestly, it didn’t work out well. The quilting fabric required way too much ironing and simply didn’t look nice. Also, the pattern needed quite a few alterations to be more flattering. The first try became a muslin and last summer, I made it as a maternity dress in some of that delicious Little Folks voile to wear for C's 3rd birthday.

As a maternity dress, it works very well. I anticipated adjusting the skirt to wear as a nursing dress – and the adjustment would be easy to make – but the dress has kind of a dumpy sack-like look on me without the huge belly to distract the eye.

For my Liberty blouse, I chose a sleeveless version so I could easily layer it for year round wear. The empire tunic version is flattering for a post-partum figure as it draws attention to a well-endowed bust but skims over the baby belly. I recommend tying the bow in front for easier access. That cute bow really helps pull the eye away from the jelly belly underneath and draw the eye to the bustline.

Mariposa is very cute and I have received heaps of compliments on both versions, but I found the pattern needed quite a lot of alteration. The main issue is that there’s an awful lot of fabric over the shoulders and across the bust. All that fabric just looks matronly and frumpy on a large bust, which is probably what you’ve got if you’re making a nursing top in the first place. So, I drafted the V neckline a good bit deeper. Then, I used a semi-sheer voile for the “modesty panel” in the middle to break up the impression of a vast wall of bosom. The neckline was much improved, though if I made this again, I would deepen it even more, all the way up and around the back, which was also a little uncomfortably high. I would probably also skip the back facing and finish the back neck with bias binding, which I think would be neater in this case. I might even play with gathers to create the bust shaping instead of pleats. I think that might make it easier to customize the fit and make it most flattering.

It was uncomfortably sung under the arms and I trimmed the entire armsyce a bit. A bit too much, actually, as it didn’t cover my bra straps perfectly. Also, after I made the dress version, I noticed that the skirt part had a weird sort of curved shape at the empire waist that simply didn’t lay nicely, so this time I redrafted it myself to more of a pencil shape.

The Mariposa instructions are, like other patterns I’ve tried by Anna Maria Horner, very thorough with plenty of diagrams to help you along. It is a complicated pattern with quite a few steps and I would definitely recommend some sewing experience before tackling this. The only trouble I had was attaching the ties to the body. Each time, it took me a few tries to get it right, but I think this was just me. All in all, I think this is a great pattern with enough options to suit a variety of people. I recommend a fabric with drape that doesn’t need too much ironing. Voile and lawn have been perfect for my versions, though I would like to see it in seersucker or double gauze, maybe even shot cotton.

(Thanks to Amanda for the great pictures! Please forgive my poor modelling skills.)

Tomorrow, we’re off on a road trip to Georgia. (Anyone know of good fabric stores in the north Atlanta exurbs?) When I think about 12 hours of road time with nothing to do but sit there, sneaky thoughts of knitting creep into my head. I’m trying to finish the complicated part of the yoke on a little sweater so that I can spend the drive doing the mindless ribbed body and sleeves. I figure I ought to be able to finish it in 12 hours, right? I mean, 12 hours. Not like I'll have three kids in the back seat driving me nuts or anything. Gosh, I hope the Duke doesn’t plan on me driving. And maybe on the way back I can do the mindless stockinet part of the other little sweater. Two sweaters, one trip, not so unreasonable. Uh huh, right. Good grief! Why is knitting so prone to overestimating? It’s a freakin sickness.

Fall knitting line up

2011-06-28T15:02:00.002-04:00

There were a couple of months here full of flu, colds, infections and consequent sleep disruptions. It exhausted me and derailed all non-essential activities and I’m only just starting to get it together again, but it did give me the chance to finalize my fall knitting plans. While sewing contributes significantly to my emotional well being, I needed to rest and recuperate and hunching over the sewing machine or ironing board doesn’t qualify. Sewing is physical labor. After a few hours at the machine, you can start to feel how backbreaking sweatshop labor must be. By the time I had some energy again, we needed to take care of all those mundane things that had built up, like cleaning, groceries, laundry, bills. Sewing simply had to take a back seat and quite a few projects may not get done. Such is life with three little ones - germy!

However, recuperating is a knitting-friendly thing, as knitting can be done lying on the sofa watching endless Law and Order reruns. I finished the spring sweater for myself that I had planned to have finished by March. I might just get to wear it once or twice before it's too hot. I blocked it today and when it's dry, I'll share it. Or I’ll rip back the edging and add another inch.

Having finished my spring knitting, it's time to line up some pleasant projects for the fall. It may seem early, but lots of trial and even more error has taught me that knitting can't be done too far in advance. I have two small cardigans lined up for her and I also plan to do hats for the boys. I wisely will not attempt sweaters for myself or the boys and am fighting the strong but ill-advised desire to buy beautiful yarn now for the little lace sweater I think I want to do her for next spring.

A few weeks ago, I ordered some Baby Cashmerino for a little gray cardigan with a fun striped yolk. I’ll also use scraps of the pink left from the February Baby sweater. I first tried a pattern by this designer over the winter to make a teeny little baby shrug. I was quite impressed with how nicely and easily the pattern came together and the reviews of her work on Ravelry are very good, so I have no doubts that this one will go smoothly.

I’ve also decided to try the little leaf yoked cardigan again. I settled on red, since leaves do indeed turn red in the fall and because red is good for winter too. I find I tire of fall colors by Christmas, but red is a good summer, fall and winter. I had some time to myself over Mother’s Day weekend and stopped by my LYS. I found this yarn, whose soft texture belied its price and acrylic content. Normally, I shudder at the thought of using acrylic, but the staff promised they get rave reviews about this yarn. Also, I’ve been shopping at this store since they opened and I know the owner simply wouldn’t carry anything that wasn’t quality, so I’ll try it.

Though most knitters look forward to fall and winter weather, I like the spring. There's something about the good weather, the gentle sun, the pollen-heavy air that makes me feel lazy. Knitting, unlike hunching over a sewing machine, is suited to laziness. It’s also quite portable. We get so few months of nice weather in our extreme climate that when spring comes, we’re under pressure to enjoy every last lovely moment and so we head out. Since I can hardly lug my sewing machine to the playground, knitting is what I do in the spring. My favorite spring afternoons are spent sitting on a blanket in the sun with a baby who can’t yet crawl, knitting. If only the non-mobile stage wasn't so fleeting!

Strawberry Fields

2011-06-14T13:45:00.000-04:00

Strawberries are one of my very favorite things. My mother used to take me picking every year when I was a girl and now I take my children to that same farm. It’s the same place my grandmother took my mother and her siblings. We are lucky to live in a city surrounded by fertile farmland. Fresh produce and dairy goods are just around the corner all summer long and picking your own has become a huge family circus. Most families in the city visit one or the other of two very popular places and on peak weekends they’re as busy as a suburban mall at Christmas – and sometimes as mercantile. Sometimes it is nice to have the comradery of a busy event. But for a day in the actual country and the very best strawberries anywhere, we head almost all the way down the shore for Conte Farms. (The sandy soil near the New Jersey shore produces the sweetest and most satisfyingly strawberry tasting berries.) Conte may well be exactly the same as when I was a girl and when my mother was a girl. It’s peaceful all the way down there, even when it’s busy with pickers. The fresh sea air, the quiet countryside and the simple surroundings are a revitalizing break from our hectic city lives. We look forward to it every year, so you can see why I needed a very special strawberry picking outfit for baby girl’s first time.

What could be more perfect than the strawberry print from Lecien’s Minny Muu collection, one of the first things I stashed when I started buying girl fabric last year.

Usually, it’s pretty warm by the time strawberries are out, so I looked to my favorite summer sundress pattern, the Oliver + S Popover Sundress. I sized it down to roughly 18months and made the ties ¼ inch as in the doll pattern for better proportions. The tiny straps perfectly show off the scrumptious baby arms.

The straps and piping are from a shot cotton left in my stash. I find shot cottons especially good for bias strips and even linings because they’re much softer and drapier than quilting cottons. The colors blend well with prints because they’re not too solid.

For mobility, I shorted the dress to a top and paired it with the Puppet Show shorts in Robert Kaufman chambray I had left from this winter's Playdate Dress.

I realize I’m not nearly the first to say this, but I just love those Puppet Show shorts! The little round pockets and the little gathers at the cuff are downright precious. They suit older girls too, looking cute but not babyish.

Spending the day in a sunny field requires protection. I started with McCall's 4478, but replaced the decorative lace edge with a deep brim for functionality. Flat piping and straps to match the top complete the outfit.

The Popover Dress finishes beautifully. There are French seams at the sides, the bodice encloses the skirt edge and the bias straps finish the armsyces, so there isn't a single raw edge to fret over. This is one pattern for which I actually prefer to use quilting cottons. For one thing, fabric with a little body helps give the dress some structure. Also, the scale of the dress works very nicely with the bold prints that might overpower a small child in other patterns. Of course, as you see here, small scale or even solids work well with this too, especially if you balanced it with small, colorful details. There is plenty of scope to embellish this with lace, rickrack, piping or applique.

We had a beautiful day picking strawberries. Kitty tasted her very first strawberry. Though she’s probably too young, it didn’t seem fair to let her sit and watch the rest of us enjoy them so much. She tasted one gently and then she couldn’t get enough, as if nothing since mommy’s milk had tasted so delicious. It was hard to stop her after just one.

With many thanks to the team at George Aubrey Photography, for helping me showcase my work with these masterly shots!

getting back into the swing of things...

2011-06-10T10:11:00.000-04:00

After some illnesses here, it's taken me quite a while to start getting back into the swing of things, but yesterday I received a wonderfully inspiring package all the way from France:

Since I had to buckle all three into the car to drive to the post office to retrieve the package, I decided to enjoy opening it once the kids were napping and made myself a tasty snack too. (Have you tried Justin's chocolate almond butter yet? don't, you won't stop eating it.) Please ignore all the dirty dishes in the background - you would too if you had been waiting an entire month for this delicious little envelope!

I discovered these patterns a while back through a random mention in someone's flickr comments. I wish I remembered who, so I could thank her. There wasn't a great deal of information on the website, and many of the line drawings only offered the front view, so I didn't entirely know what I was getting, but I figured that the charming illustrations must be an indicator of quality. Have you ever seen anything quite as precious as these? They were irresistible!

The patterns came in A4 sized sleeves, with all the instructions printed on the inside of a folded outer sheet. The instructions are verbage heavy, but there are enough diagrams that I get the idea. I've also learned quite a lot of new French vocab in the process!

The pattern pieces themselves are - get this - hand drawn! So lovely. So very European - in the good way.

When I was last in England, I noticed that they also shared our love of handmade things, but that they do it just a little differently. I don't mean to speak for all Americans, of course, but I feel like our goal in hand making things is a professional looking finished product. I certainly aspire to the idea of handmade, not homemade. It's not that I want my things to look exactly like shop things, I just want them to look skilled. However, in England - even in shops - I noticed that the DIY style emphasized a distinctly handmade aesthetic. I have the new Cath Kidston sewing book, for example, in which many instructions are given for hand sewing that I think most Americans would just do at the machine.

I think I must be feeling a touch of Wanderlust lately, because It's been very nice for me to receive a taste of something different. What I liked about living in Europe - back in my previous life, that is - was the chance to come to really understand another culture's way of thinking. It's not something you can get by Eurorailing around, but after a year or so somewhere, you could start to understand. I never lived in France, but just maybe doing this one thing the French way will build some new understanding, however small. Maybe I'll do method sewing and use metric, too. lol.

So this is a preview of what's to come. I have fabric on the way for the little puff sleeved dress and am still debating how to handle that simple tunic. I'm currently finishing some rather boring summer sewing for myself. (Turns out I shouldn't have thrown away my fat clothes after baby #2. Sigh.) After that's done, I will start on the Princess Royal's fall wardrobe. Meanwhile, I will have some really wonderful baby things to share very soon, I promise!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-07T23:32:00.000-04:00

wishing you a restful, quiet, no-cry, sewing filled day!

Easter Dress

2011-04-24T10:53:00.003-04:00

A mostly quick presentation today. We've been battling one illness after another here and there simply isn't energy for words or reflection. However, this dress has been long in the making, so I need to share at least some pictures of baby's first Easter dress. I chose a delicate main fabric and a white collar and cuffs to highlight the sweet vintage elements. I think it would make a lovely christening gown and is very well suited for a young baby's special occasion dress.

The Oliver + S puppet show dress in a delicate Liberty floral purchased from Purl Soho. The collar, sleeve cuffs and the full lining are in a very soft white cotton voile I found at Hart's Fabric. I really love cotton voile for linings lately and plan to buy heaps of this beautiful stuff to have on hand. I used the semi sheer voile for the collar to match the delicacy of the main fabric.

I like the monogram to be a subtle touch.

The tiny embroidered leaves are a function on my new sewing machine that I really enjoy.

The buttoned cuff is such a darling touch on this pattern! The simple shell buttons are from Joann - an item I buy in quantity when on sale.

The inside of the button cuffed sleeve bound with a strip of white voile bias.

To complete the picture perfect look, I made two little boy ties following the project on the Purl Bee. I've wanted to make these for the boys for some time. I suppose the extra incentive of matching Kitty's dress helped.

The ties were a very satisfying thing to sew. It's hard to find something enjoyable to sew for boys. Most boy clothes, we have to admit, are pretty boring. Mine are too big now for the novelty prints and are wearing pretty grown up looking clothes. Also, they are so hard on playclothes that it doesn't make much sense for me to spend my time on them. A tie is perfect! A special occasion accessory that won't get ruined, that requires some careful skill to assemble and looks beautiful.

A word about this project, though. It isn't so much a sewing project as a pressing one. I spent hours pressing tiny folds to get them exactly right. Also, I found the pattern pieces didn't work well for me. It was fiddly to assemble the tiny sections and the interfacing didn't fit properly at all. I would do these because they are so satisfying, but I will make my own pattern. I cut two ties out of the 3/4 yard recommended on the Purl Bee for just one and could have made more. You do need 3/4 of a yard cut for the length. I traced the half tie pattern to make a full one and lined the center carefully on the bias with the help of a quilting ruler. I then folded the pieces and trimmed a little to be sure they were symmetrical. This allowed me to use the fabric much more carefully. If you are matching a dress, you may need as little as an extra half yard. If you plan to use a precious fabric, I recommend laying out all your dress and tie pattern pieces and measuring exactly how much fabric you need. I got all of these out of 1 1/2 yards of Liberty with plenty of large scraps remaining.

The actual hand stitching was very enjoyable and satisfying. When done nicely, it's all completely invisible except for the tiny tack at the bottom.

Happy Easter!

The perfect pink sweater – or, why I still knit.

2011-04-16T13:08:00.004-04:00

Knitting is risky. It’s not for the emotionally fragile. The investment is steep, the return is uncertain and the possibility of ruin is high. So why do we keep knitting? The belief and hope – however ill-founded – that the result will be beautiful. And sometimes, some very wonderful times, this actually happens.

I bought this beautiful pattern when my third child was still a twinkle in daddy’s eye. By then, I had stopped hoping for a daughter, but I still couldn’t resist. I had vague hopes that one day I might have a little granddaughter to knit for. Last July, when we found out we were having a girl, this sweater (and some Heather Ross unicorn fabric) was the very first thing I wanted for her. The project was troublesome from the beginning. I had fallen in love with the original yarn, but it was impossible to find. For a month or two, I searched every yarn store I could find for something else. Either the gauge was wrong or the pink wasn’t pretty. So I settled for something that I didn’t love and tried not to think to hard about it. I swatched carefully, checked my gauge and began. Several inches in, something seemed off so I measured. My knitting was off! It would never fit a baby. I was frustrated, disappointed and I’m not ashamed to say I cried. I was pregnant after all. I swore off knitting.

But my baby girl needed a pink sweater. I had dreamt of knitting little pink things for five long years and not coming home in the perfect pink sweater simply wasn’t an option. So I turned to a project undertaken by legions of knitters. A project that every knitter should have in her repertoire – the infamous Elizabeth Zimmerman February Baby sweater. I figured so many people couldn’t be wrong about a sweater. They are. That story is one of toil, desperation though ultimately triumph. Maybe I’ll tell it one day when it hurts less. If you plan to make that pilgrimage yourself, I recommend you read my Ravelry notes. After surviving EZ and her pithy bullshit, I vowed to never pick up a pattern again without good research and some kind of reasonable hope that it actually works. So I ordered a pattern and yarn based on an article on the Purl Bee that featured absolutely reliable baby sweater patterns – even though the pattern gauge didn’t match the the yarn’s own recommended gauge. The yarn arrived just as I brought baby home from the hospital and I swatched right away. But I really didn’t like the way the Koigu felt at all on a large needle. It was very airy and it just didn’t seem like it would look at all nice with the leaf yoked sweater. Again, I cried and swore off knitting.

And then, one beautiful day – one clear and sunny wonderful day! – I realized that the Koigu was the same gauge as the Louisa cardigan. The really lovely little thing I wanted from the beginning anyway! I remember that sunbeams actually broke through the clouds at that moment and a heavenly chorus burst into song. I quickly swatched the Koigu at the recommended gauge and it was perfect. The drape and feel of the knitted fabric at its proper gauge was soft and wonderful. Something felt promising this time. I crossed my fingers, held my breath and cast on. Several inches in, I checked my gauge and it was still correct! I check the finished measurements and they were still correct! It was working and it looked lovely and the yarn felt so nice under my fingers. I happily knit away. In fact, it came together so much faster than I anticipated, that I put it aside for a while and quickly knit up a little gray ruffled shrug to get her through the winter. I went back and finished off the last few rows not long ago, did the picot turn and sewed it all up.

There was an error in the pattern (skip the wyif when you work the slip stitch pattern) and I did make a mistake or two that required ripping out and re-kintting, but all in all it came together nicely. When a project works out like this – a joy to knit, a beautiful finished piece – it’s heavenly. It’s also dangerous. This is when you are at risk for buying more yarn. And you might not stop at yarn for just one sweater, either. In your cockiness, you’ll buy yarn for two or even three sweaters, thinking, “that one went so well, I could just turn out a few more things.” You can’t and you mustn’t try. Haven’t you noticed that the Lady Kina is still in my project queue?

What’s complicated about knitting isn’t fancy stitches. It’s that it simply isn’t always possible to tell which patterns will work and which won’t. It’s not always easy to know which yarns will be appropriate and which won’t. And mistakes can be very difficult – and often downright impossible – to fix. I have yet to come across a sewing mistake that can’t be fixed somehow. Knitting projects end up half-made in boxes in the attic, the closet, under the bed or hidden under the floorboards in shame. That yarn will never get used for another project. Something happens to yarn that has failed to work up. It’s tainted. It’s cursed or maybe even possessed.

This post has gotten away from me. I don’t mean to be humorous. I tried, in fact, to find a literary way to write about this beautiful sweater that I really really love. It seems impossible to write seriously about knitting. A little sarcasm (and quite a few drinks) is needed to take the edge off. Otherwise, the ordeal of how my precious long awaited baby girl very nearly didn’t have a precious little pink hand knit sweater to come home in would be too painful to relate. If you aren’t a knitter and have stuck with all of this, you’re wondering why we would put ourselves through all this trauma. To that, I have only one thing to say: how seriously gorgeous is this tiny pink sweater?

Red Riding Hood

2011-03-18T20:33:00.002-04:00

I’d like to introduce you to my little Red Riding Hood. She’s not roaming through the woods to see Grandma, but forraging for baguettes and pastries on Saturday morning in the city.

Though she might need to hide from the occasional wolf,

she also has time to practice for her ballet class.

The minute I received my copy of the long awaited Little Things to Sew, I knew this cape would be perfect for the upcoming auction at my son’s preschool. Moonstone has an arts-based curriculum, and the children are creative and imaginative little people who enjoy dress up. Though whimsical, it’s also perfect for everyday wear in the spring and fall. It’s sized in a 3-4T for your preschool Riding Hood.

Though I can picture this cape in navy corduroy for the Madeline look, or in black velveteen for Christmas festivities, I knew that the first time I made it needed to be in classic red. For spring, I chose linen in a bright red for the shell. Linen is a durable fiber with lovely drape. And since my Red Riding Hood is a stylish, urban adventuress, I wanted an equally daring print for the lining.

I found it at Spool, purveyor of just such fabric. Spool has kindly donated a gift certificate and one of their artfully composed fabric bundles to the auction. I settled on “Singing Forest” from Jay MacCarroll’s newest collection. It features a floral design overlaid with a bright graphic dot. This was the perfect foil to the traditional red – a woodsy themed print by a Philadelphia artist!

When my Red Riding Hood goes on an adventure, she doesn’t have time to worry about her nice clothes. Her cape is machine washable. She also needs her cape to be fully reversible, so that she can change her mind at a moment’s notice.

This cape is very much a one of a kind item. The projects in Little Things to Sew are copyrighted designs and intended only for personal use, though I have permission from Oliver + S to donate it for the auction. You can’t buy this at a boutique or craft fair or Etsy shop or anywhere!

The auction opens on March 19^th, 2011 and closes on April 9^th, 2011 and 11:59pm. Certain items - including my cape! - will only be available at an exciting live auction event on April 12th at the restaurant Distrito. Moonstone will use the proceeds to create scholarships, provide professional development for staff a well as make improvements to the school building. Moonstone, Inc. is a non profit organization and your contribution is tax deductible. To bid on my cape, the Spool gift certificate, a session with Amanda Hall Studios or many other exciting items and experiences, click on the link in my sidebar.

If I've overdone the number of photos here, it's because I had so many wonderful shots I simply couldn't decide! This is my very favorite project to date and I'm just thrilled to have it documented so beautifully. I want to thank Amanda Hall Studios for these exquisite photos and for all the fun we had on location at Washington Square Park last Saturday. If you are blown away, as I am, by how Amanda captures these fleeting childhood moments with such fine artistry, visit her site to see more of her work and learn how she can tell your family's story. Amanda Hall Studios is auctioning a photo session, which will surely be a hot item. I also want to thank “my” little Red Riding Hood, the lovely Miss I next door, for her tireless modeling. I hope they will both visit again soon!

ice cream dresses with a special guest

2011-03-10T10:02:00.000-05:00

My kitten's spring wardrobe is coming together nicely. But I'm sewing ahead, and since my baby doesn't sit up or fill out these dresses yet, I asked a friend if I could borrow her darling 6 month old. Not only did she think it sounded fun, but she even took the photos for me! I'm quite pleased to present these professional photos of my work.

Have you ever seen a more scrumptious little chin? Oh, right, this is supposed to be about the dress! This is an Oliver + S Ice Cream Dress, which I made somewhere between tunic and dress length to allow a soon to be crawling baby plenty of movement. The fabric is from the Modern Affair collection by Art Gallery fabrics. Quilting cottons are not my favorite for garments because they're often quite stiff and require much pressing to look nice. However, Art Gallery Fabrics cotton is quite fine, which I find quite nice for baby clothes. I scored this at my local sewing shop, who carry a good selection by Art Gallery.

Though I have kept these play dresses simple, there is room in this pattern for embellishment. The pattern includes a notch in the collar and pockets as well as contrast tiers. (You would end up with a dress that looks like Neapolitan ice cream, get it?) You might add piping or rickrack tucked under the yoke or some ribbon at the hem. In a solid color, this dress would make a nice canvas for embroidery or applique. For now, I opted for a monogram at the center front. My new sewing machine can do all kinds of lovely decorative stitches and I'm completely hooked on this simple detail.

I love this shot. The tops of my children's heads have always been dear to me. Perhaps I still remember the distinct feel of a baby head inside my belly. You probably recognize the City Weekend print in this version. This is another quilting cotton that has an exceptionally soft hand. It even has a little drape to it. And it's so perfect for baby clothes that I wish I had bought more before it sold out.

The single button closure at the top allows easy dressing of an active baby. The construction of this dress is so simple and the end result so lovely, it's easy to understand why this pattern has become a favorite among Oliver + S fans. I've made this a few times now, with and without pockets, bands or notches and I am always pleased with the result.

In its most basic incarnation, there are really just two pieces, a yoke and a skirt. This means little tracing and cutting. There are no sleeves to set or fancy plackets, so the whole thing comes together quickly. I think this is perfect for play clothes. The assembly may not seem intuitive if you come to this from more traditional garment sewing, but I promise that if you trust the instructions, it will work out. The genius of the construction is that the yoke and yoke facing sandwich the skirt pieces and form the sleeves at the same time. With French seams at the sides, everything is neatly finished, inside and out. Once you've done one, you'll come back to this again and again -- lawn and voile and seersucker right now will turn into baby cord or flannel or denim come fall.

I made a 6-12 month dress and two bibs in less than a yard of fabric. I made some bloomers from a contrast fabric, so the total cost was just $15 for each complete outfit. There are plenty of scraps for another project. Even as she gets larger, I believe sewing will continue to be economical, something that's important to many these days. Realistically, I'm saving some money on the endless need for children's clothes and that lets me enjoy my hobby guilt-free.

My obliging model found it comfortable as well. She did lots of rolling around in the dress with no trouble at all and the fabric still looked nice slightly rumpled. She really steals the show, doesn't she? Such personality and such big beautiful eyes! She'll have her own custom Ice Cream Dress very soon.

Many thanks to the lovely Miss V and the talented Amanda Hall Studios for showcasing my stitching while I work on improving my photography basics. I have another collaboration in the works and I can't wait to show it to you!

one more for the boys

2011-03-08T20:49:00.000-05:00

Before the end of boy month, I've one more project to share. Can you guess what this is?

Here it is chugging off to work, that very favorite of all boy vehicles...

the digger! Excavator, as the boys would correct me. In proper CAT yellow too.

My second son became interested in "diggies" at 18 months when the Easter Bunny left a small plastic one in his basket. He took it to bed with him that night and every night thereafter for a long time. He sparked my older son's interest in diggers and our walks became city-wide hunts for machines. No matter how urgent my rush, I had to stop at every construction site to watch the diggers work. For his second birthday, we had a veritable army of diggers atop mounds of "dirt" frosting.

and everyone dressed appropriately as well.

For quite a long time, it seemed we all lived and breathed diggies. Diggies became diggers and now my very grown up boy will say "No, Mom, that's an excavator!" (or loader, or grader or whatever else such machines are called.) That's 3 1/2 for you.

My Diggie Boy sweater includes an intarsia design is mostly from Lucinda Guy's Big Digger Sweater in Handknits for Kids. However, her sweater called for a dropped shoulder and instead I followed a generic scheme for a set-in shoulder from Ann Budd. I added a knitted hem at the bottom and sleeve cuffs and buttons on the shoulder so the crew neck would fit over the head of a two year old.

Also, the boys pointed out that the shovel in Lucinda Guy's design was facing the wrong way. I corrected that and I suggest you do as well.

Next, we're getting back to girl stuff, though there are also boy projects that won't make the boy month cutoff. I'm very excited about my current project. In fact, I've scheduled a professional photo shoot to show it off properly. Please come back to see it!

exciting little things!

2011-02-27T18:00:00.000-05:00

This finally arrived in the mail! And I have to admit, I squealed just a little. And clapped my hands. And I might have jumped up and down, just a little.

All other sewing projects are being abandonded in favor of this cape.

My 5 year old requested this, in red. So then of course my 3 year old wanted one too -- in pink. Pink is his favorite color, which I fully support because it is the very best color. But I'm not sure Explorer Barbie is a good look for a little boy.

snow days coat

2011-02-23T22:56:00.000-05:00

pattern: School Days Coat from Oliver + S
fabric: wool coating with cotton lining and insulated interlining

A while back, I had the chance to take a workshop with Liesl Gibson. Oliver + S is well known for their excellent directions, so can you imagine how great it was to have the real live version right there helping you? This workshop was held at Cloth and Bobbin in Narberth, PA just outside of Philadelphia. I can't believe it was a year ago! However, I had made the coat to be worn this year and haven't taken any pictures of it until today when I got it out for boy month.

I was pleasantly surprised at how easily the coat actually came together. I probably wouldn't have attempted a coat pattern had it not been for the workshop. I had long wanted to take one of Liesl's classes but the ones held nearby at Spool were always for dresses! When Cloth and Bobbin advertised this, I jumped at the chance to make something boy from Oliver + S. There are many steps and you should take your time with this, but the instructions are, as always, so wonderfully clear and helpful that it works out just fine. Before sewing it, I spent time studying the construction of some of the nice coats in my closet to see how things went together. I wouldn't recommend this for your first sewing project, but an intermediate sewer can definitely do this.

Some things I like about this pattern include the detailed explanation not only of how to construct the lining, but why. So what you get here is a lesson in garment construction, which is above and beyond what most clothing patterns offer. I also adore the toggles and snaps. When I made this, the hardware was sold in a little package. I think it's great when the store that sells the pattern also sells things to make the pattern. Another nice detail is the patch pockets on the front that look very cute, but also contribute to making this an accessible coat pattern. As you can see, his cold hands fit very nicely into the pockets. The hood was, I think, easier than a collar, and also sweeter.

I may have spent more time looking for boy appropriate fabric than I did actually sewing the coat. The outer fabric is a charcoal wool coating that I scored at Cloth and Bobbin just before the class started. Everyone else in this workshop was making such adorable and beautiful girl coats with linings of bright and lovely quilting cottons. And though there were plenty of things like rocket ships and cutesy blue stripes to choose from, I simply didn't see any of those things on a nearly grown up boy of five. I also don't like using your typical polyester lining fabrics and silk seemed a little over the top. So with time running out before the workshop, I had to simply get what I could. The lining you can see in this picture came from JoAnn in the homespun section. It's a small scale cotton plaid, which complements the charcoal wool nicely. Quilting cotton advocates might turn their noses up a this, but these fabrics come in a variety of stripes and plaids, perfect for boys.

I used a rather stiff interlining, because it was all I could get. If I were to do this again for a winter coat, I would order proper Thinsulate from somewhere. For a fall jacket, cordory, twill or denim with a cotton lining would be plenty. My ideal lining fabric might be something like a shirting, but I'm still not really sure. I do, however, remember thinking when the coat was finished, that it wasn't nearly as hard as I had imagined and I could do it again every year. We'll see about that, but it is a wonderful pattern.

Celebrating the Boy

2011-02-19T13:47:00.016-05:00

I wasn’t planning to celebrate the boy this year. For five long years, I’ve done nothing but celebrate the boy! I’ve been reading Made by Rae and Made for a few years and when they launched Celebrate the Boy last year, I was so excited to finally find crafty people who were enthusiastic about their boys. But that was last year. I was newly pregnant with what I had to assume was boy number three. I was preparing to throw my whole heart into a lifetime of being a mom of boys. When we got a little princess, I planned nothing but an entire year of celebrating the girl! After all, I had waited a very long time for this.

Yesterday, I got a rare hour to myself. The sitter stayed a little late and I got to wander to a cafe, sit with a coffee and a magazine to watch the people and the city traffic. Suddenly, a fire truck roared by with sirens blaring and I thought, “wow, that really is shiny and fast and so very, very red!” There it was. I felt - even if it was only a little - excited. About a fire engine. How differently I see the world now!

At our baby playgroup earlier that morning, we had talked about birth order and favorites. They know how happy I am to have a girl and didn't believe she isn't the favorite. Though she is undoubtedly special because she is a daughter, I find myself much better able to appreciate the boys now that I have some balance, now that I’m not as overwhelmed with the testosterone in the house. So I guess I really do still celebrate the boys in my life.

Still, sewing for boys is not as much fun for me. They’re hard on their clothes and I don’t like to spend my time making them things they will destroy. Also, it’s very difficult to find good quality apparel fabrics. Now that mine are no longer babies, the cute or loud quilting cottons simply don’t suit them. I like boys in traditional things like stripes, plaids, tartans, herringbone, camo, shirtings, or graphic tees. What I think comes more easily for boys is knitting. And so for Celebrate the Boy month, I would like to share my very best boy project of all time.

Knitting is a time consuming process, and one that doesn’t always work out the way you intended. Fixing mistakes is more difficult and more costly in terms of precious hours. This sweater was a special request by my oldest and to fulfill it, I had to design it nearly from scratch. Pip had asked for a Ferrari sweater. And for my dear oldest child, it couldn’t be just any Ferrari. I searched the internet for the very best of Ferraris and decided on the Ascari Ferrari 500 that won Silverstone in 1952 and considered by many to be the finest Ferrari of all time. Next, with a little help from hubby, we turned that picture into a knitting chart. Then, I learned how to do colorwork. I decided on a stylish zip neck and a flattering set-in sleeve and used Ann Budd’s Handy Book of Sweater Patterns to work out the details for my gauge.

My notes on Ravelry indicate that I started this in the spring, worked on it all summer and finally finished in late fall. But it’s a beautiful sweater, one of the finest in my eight years of knitting. If this isn’t a tribute to just how special my guys are to me, I don’t know what is.

notebook help

2011-02-16T14:48:00.000-05:00

This morning, I attended my first board meeting at my son's school. I wanted a to be prepared and have a dedicated file for this, so last night I whipped this up.

There's a nice cover for the notebook so it looks a bit better. The fabric is from my stash, but I'm sure you can recognize Amy Butler's tumble roses and the little pockets are from Anna Maria Horner. It's a pairing I used in a little girl dress last year.

And there's space to hold a pen and some business cards. The flaps could hold papers and there's a snap to hold the whole thing shut.

And so to work! (never mind that I ended up holding a sleeping baby through the entire meeting and found it difficult to take notes. Oh well, next time.)

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T19:53:00.000-05:00

I went a little OTT with Valentine's Day this year. I'm not normally a Valentine's sort of girl - except for the chocolate - but something this year made me prepare three separate craft projects and a yummy treat. I think I failed to satisfy my crafting needs over the Christmas holiday. I didn't do any baking (well not really) or any crafts with the boys. I had a brand new baby, a house full of grandparents and a husband so busy he didn't even stay home when the baby was born. With its emphasis on red and baking, Valentine's Day has stepped in to fill what was missing from my Christmas.

First up was this fun little project I've wanted to make since I saw it on the Purl Bee last year. It wasn't until recently that my local fabric shop started carrying wool felt and it wasn't until I felt (sorry) it for myself that I was convinced of its superiority to the ordinary kind. I suppose I've now been bitten by the felt bug because as I made these, I realized how fun it is to do little sewing by hand without edges to finish. Then I started thinking about other things I could do with felt. I think there might be more felt projects coming. It makes such a nice break from my "serious" sewing. I made a few of these and gave them to some other little girls I know. And I have to confess I've been wearing a red one all day myself.

Here is an action shot of one of the barrettes. Do you know another three month old with enough hair to actually wear a barrette?

The boys saw these on Martha Stewart one day and desperately wanted to make them. I'm not sure why I thought mice were appropriate for Valentine's Day, but the boys wanted to make them at Christmas and we didn't get around to it. I thought their little bodies looked like half of a heart and figured we'd make them for Valentine's instead. As a cookie, they were quite disappointing. They tasted like slightly sweet pie crust and were difficult to work with. However, they are cute and so much fun was had making them. They boys found poking holes in the rear of the mouse and inserting tails especially entertaining. There was some potty humor, I'm afraid, but much laughing, so what can you do? This mouse was made by a 5 year old, though, so it's definitely a doable project with the kids.

The final crafty project was some little animals put together out of strategically cut heart shapes. I made these with the boys after school today, so the pictures will be available soon. I chose this project because my three year old has recently become obsessed with puzzles and I thought he would like the puzzle aspect of these critters. They were a bit tricky and perhaps the children were tired because it all got a little crazy. One 5 year old shouting "I need more googly eyes" and a 3 year old shouting "look, Mom, I cut-ted it!" and mom wondering how in the world pre-school teachers organize craft projects with 20 kids!

And finally, a little something for the husband and me to share. Because after such a hectic Christmas season, we need every excuse to spend some quality time together. Now for a non-diet romantic dinner and drinks!

Wishing you and yours a lovey Valentine's Day too.

finished!

2011-02-09T21:54:00.001-05:00

Even though I didn't finish last weekend, once I got past the tricky French seams on those tiny little arms, the rest of it came together nicely. However, we have so little good light these days, I had a hard time getting some nice pictures. Please excuse the bad lighting. I hope to do a better job with that soon.

So here it is: the Oliver + S Playdate Dress in a chambray from Robert Kaufmann with facings in a quilting cotton from my scrap bin. I think the chambray gives the dress a more casual feel than it would otherwise have, but the little bit of floral peeking out keeps it delicate. I was quite pleased with my fabric choices and halfway through cutting out when I saw that actually, Liesl had done exactly that already, which I must have known and copied without realizing it. Oh, well, if Liesl chose it, it must be in good taste. I took her suggestion to cut the ruffles on the bias and let them fray naturally. I also took several inches off the total length, but for different reasons. I expect baby will be wearing this while learning to crawl, so I didn't want it to be too long and interfere with her movement.

Here is a peek at the lovely hem facing.

And the matching hem facing.

Matching bloomers and two bibs complete the ensemble. Bibs are a necessary evil. Babies drool and get wet and uncomfortable. And my princess is a champion spitter, so the bibs are definately necessary. Big box stores sell only tacky utilitarian ones and nice stores don't always sell matching bibs. A beneft of a custom wardrobe is that baby gets cute and servicable.
The bloomers are from the Tea Party Sundress pattern and go together very easily. I thought about making the Puppet Show shorts like many in the Flickr groups have done, but opted for quicker. After all, the baby doesn't really need pockets just yet. The bloomers are economical in their layout, so I was able to eek them out of scraps, though I had to finish with store bought bias. I used all French seams to finish the bloomers and it worked well.

Note that the pattern piece for the leg opening bias trim is generous. For the 6-12month size bloomer, I needed only 16" of trim for each opening.

This is the first time I've made the playdate dress, but not my first Oliver + S pattern. They are, of course, known for their attention to detail and their helpful instructions. This design is as charming as the others, though there are fewer suggestions for neat seam finishes than some Oliver + S patterns. I wasn't sure what to do with the inside yoke seam, for example. After giving the yoke itself so much attention and finishing it with the floral facing, I of course didn't want the raw edges of the dress bodice sticking out. One option might have been binding that seam. There is some bulk in that area, though, especially if you added the optional flat piping, so you would need a very fine material for binding. In the end, I opted for a quicker fix and simply folded the raw edge under and stitched it to itself.

The many details - the yoke, the hem facing, the ruffles, the piping, the sweet pleats at the cuffs and in front - keep this from being a simple pattern. However, those details are precisely what make the dress so charming. Also, as you can see, I streamlined the design somewhat by skipping the piping and buttons and simplifying the ruffles and don't think I sacrificed on charm. I would love to do this again in a more formal fabric with all details included. I recommend a fabric with drape rather than a quilting cotton. Lawn, voile or linen would be lovely. Also, pressing this small size, with the pleats and gathered sleeves is a tricky business. A fabric that looks nice rumpled or that doesn't need much pressing would be a good idea.

Next up in my spring sewing pile is a pair of Ice Cream tunics, with either bloomers or shorts.

[edited to add: Be absolutely sure to try the yoke on your child before finishing the center back. The head opening is very tight and you may need to make adjustments.]

is it really Monday already?

2011-01-31T13:13:00.009-05:00

All last week, I worked to cross things of my to-do list, planning to reward myself with a weekend of sewing. I told myself, "just get this, this and that cleaned up, taken care of or finished and on Friday I can wash and prep all that lovely new fabric!" And while I folded and tidied and dealt with snow-disrupted schedules, not to mention my husband's business trip since the baby (yikes! all three on my own!), I kept an image in my head of this long, lovely weekend of sewing. Because no matter how many times I experience the Sunday night reality check, by Friday afternoon, I've again fallen for the mirage of a long, cozy weekend in which I'll cook lovely meals, tidy the house for real, spend quality time with each child and do lots of peaceful knitting and sewing. Sigh.

It wasn't quite like that. I thought I'd have a finished dress to show for the weekend, but not quite. I thought I'd share the miserly way I cut out, though. I must have inherited my grandmother's Depression-era abhorrence of wasting things, because when I cut pattern pieces, I get downright competitive. 1 1/2 yards, insists the pattern. We'll see about that! And I puzzle it out until I've used less. Here is a 6-12 month sized dress, with matching bib laid out in just over a 1/2 yard of 60" wide chambray. The facings and some bloomers were cut out of scraps in my stash, which admittedly helped conserve yardage, but still.

So here's what's left to do: a side seam and some hemming. And the bloomers.

Here, inspired by the chambray, I tried a flat-felled seam under the arm and down the side. I think it's a nice touch, though I did run into trouble working with those tiny little sleeves. Perhaps after school pickup today, I can get the boys distracted and finish up. I can't wait to show you the little pretty facings peaking out from under the simple dress!

I got mail

2011-01-26T14:48:00.001-05:00

A big pile of fabric arrived in the mail! I'm looking forward to the weekend...

Welcome!

2011-01-24T13:05:00.003-05:00

I grew up a girly girl in a family led by strong women. I had no brothers and most of cousins are girls. I did ballet, I admired Jane Eyre, I studied feminist theory. I like quiet and clean. I still twirl when I try on a new dress. My favorite color is still pink. I knit, I sew, I bake and I embraced my inner fertility goddess by giving birth naturally to – boys!! My boys love diggers, trains, fast cars and monster trucks. They could name make and model before they were two. They’re loud and messy and can't find things that are right in front of them. And so, like most queens, I found myself ruling over a foreign country, surrounded by a people I don’t understand. So when things here on Mars descend into chaos, I try to stitch it back together. And just when I was finally learning how to appreciate the ways of these strange creatures, Mars shifted a little in its orbit and we welcomed a princess to the island of the lost boys! Who knows what will happen now? But it will definitely include lots more stitching! This is the record of the order, fun, and beauty I try to make out of the everyday. I hope you like it.