KCWC: Just a tad late......

Ah.....life.  Sure can getcha sometimes. I'm not surprised I missed May.....but sewing/crafting sure helps to keep things moving along, doesn't it??

So, this blue/brown number was supposed to be Lila's birthday dress(March) but no dice.  It's the Pretty as a Picture dress from AMH  Handmade Beginnings book.  Flower panel and brown voile from Little Folks and blue/brown stripe is from Innocent Crush voile - all from Anna Maria Horner (I do so love her!!This video is awesome!)

I iron while I sew the garment - NEVER after it's finished though.  I've heard it's bad luck....

  The dress is super cute and comfy i.e. she actually picks it off the hanger herself.  I altered it on accident by making the neck hole too small - I will not cross over as much on the top next time. 

 I altered it on purpose by taking the elastic off the back panel.  It was just a tad too snug with the elastic across the back.  I think it was still on in this pic.  Having the gathers on the sides only looks better to me :) 

I also altered it on purpose by changing up the front panel- I added brown strips to either side of the flower panel until it was the correct width.  I followed the pattern for the back.  I have another one cut out in almost the same fabrics.  I don't know why :)  Maybe because I have twin sisters - I like doubles?

During the week, I HAD to make the Seahorse Sundress from Oliver & S.  It's so freaking cute - but I don't know about a one scissor rating..... lots'o pieces to cut out.   I cut out double of everything because of the off-center nature of the fabric.  It was sort of a puzzle to pick which ones to put with what(huh?)  but I really like how both dresses came out.   And wow does my girl ever like pockets!!  I love her search-for-pockets pose.  Pockets in dresses are awesome!! 

After finishing the one above, I decided it needed some hand stitching.  In my opinion, it came out so awesome!!  I did only hand stitching on the yoke of the second dress. 

I love how the hand stitching looks on the dresses.  Here's both dresses side by side.  I used AMH Good Folks line.  I also used snaps instead of buttons.  Someday I will not be afraid of button holes.....someday....



Dress Fronts

A lot of influence from AMH, but also I've been recently re-hooked on my Alabama Chanin books.   I bought myself this (I guess I wear mine backwards!oops)  and some other goodies from them for Mom's day.  I would love this or this.  I will sew this one from the pattern in the book.  The bridal is so amazing... I could go on forever!



Dress Backs

Happy Wednesday!

New Sandbox Pants

He grows and grows....and more get made. This first pair is for Atlas, size 4. We call these the book pants.

Made with Anna Maria Horner's Volumes(I think) from the Drawing Room line and Oliver & S Sandbox pants.  I love love love these pants and almost have the directions memorized!

 Twill tape for the drawstrings shaves at least 10-15 minutes off of the total time to make these.....

my kinda thing!

 I didn't worry much about fussy cutting the back pockets like I did the front.

 These are a pair made from green and white ticking with Echino for the pockets and waistband.  I love the way these look together.  I wanted to find a semi-girly way to do these pants.

 More twill tape!

 Another pair of book pants

 I cut all the back pockets for the book pants with the grain going the "wrong" way - just to see....

I like how it looks....it's more noticeable in person, especially as this fabric has a little sheen to it.

The last two pairs are being donated to Atlas' school.  I never finished them in time for the auction in March...so we will have a mini auction just for the pants.

Nature Walk Knit Pants

 As Sascha did say - these might be the most insanely easiest thing I have sewn in a long long long time.
And I really love the cut/shape of these pants.  They fit the kids quite well.

            I made each kid a pair of lobster pants.  Lila will get the smaller rose pant and the larger will go to a friend's daughter for a birthday present(do I have to hem them then?)  The lobster print is an interlock.  I love how sturdy the fabric is.  Atlas loves his lobster pants.  He's already worn them to pre-school.  Husband thinks these should be designated as PJ pants.   I bought the fabric from the Fabric Fairy.  I think it was flawed and super on sale.  I love flawed things! :) 

I made Lila a third pair out of some very lightweight knit I received in the Heather Ross studio sale.  I used some leftover rib knit for the waist.  I've been playing around a lot with mixing fabrics.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  I don't think that wobbly bit will go away.  I think I need to be less lazy when it comes to ironing......

TGIF!!

New Clothes for the Boy

This post could also be titled "What I Really Wanted To Do During KCWC"

Neck facing and collar - Nature Walk Tunic

I made this Nature Walk Tunic for my boy out of some Rocket ship fabric and some super soft shot cotton.  I made it for his 4th birthday, woke up at 3 am to finish it for that day.  He started crying that he hated it before he even had it on.  Yay for my happy warm feelings being squashed!  So much for the sensitivity of 4 year old boys.  He'll get more guilt from me as we all get older - I'm sure of it!

Next I made some shorts from the Sketchbook Shirt and shorts pattern.  Brown linen, maybe some rayon mixed in(Joann Remnant Bin) so I'm not sure :)   SO easy and soft and comfy and he LOVES them.   Waaay better reception than the tunic.  Warm happy feeling is back!

And then I made another pair of Sandbox pants with Echino pockets - my absolute favorite thing right now.  And the boy loves them as well.  They are really man-pri/ short pants.  I was going to cut these and make shorts since I was short some fabric lengthwise.  I waited until I finished them and hemmed them to see how long they really were, and they were long enough!  Sweet.  I love these a lot.  They are a total mish-mash.

I used an upholstery fabric that was bought years ago.  I used some ruler printed twill tape for a size tag.  I love it!  It was a scrap that had 4 on it, so I used it.    I think I will be making these pants until he hates them.  They are so easy to make, now that I've made a few.  Such a bummer this pattern is out of print.  If you can find it, get it.  I think I will try making a girly pair soon.
:)

Tuesday and Wednesday of KCWC

Tuesday was spent taping the Lil Blue Boo Hoodie pattern together and tracing size 4T for the boy.  The brown and the red fabric used to be tank tops of mine,  The blue hood used to be a shirt of mine.  The grey fleece and yellow ribbing were in my stash. 

The boy is just in love with it and wants to wear it everyday.  That makes it one of the coolest things ever!!  I, on the other hand, think it's missing something, and I don't know what it is.  The hood is silly big, hence the silly hood pic.  I think without the hood and adding a neck and arm ribbing, this will be a good PJ shirt pattern.  I can see lots being made, and soon, as there are two rotating pairs of PJs for the boy.

As for Thursday's hour to sew for the kids, it didn't happen.  I received a phone call from my local sewing machine store.  They have a booth this weekend at the Coastal Quilt Guild's Quilt Show and forgot to procure some quilts to hang in the booth.  So they called me and asked me to bring some down for them to hang.  UM WHAT!?!?!  I was beyond flattered, immediately washed all the bed quilts, and brought them down to the store last night.  I also brought a few baby quilts and bags for sale.  I am still so shocked they called me.  Such an honor really.  I had to work on getting everything together for that instead of sewing for the kids.........totally excusable in my opinion.  Hopefully I will get some decent pictures when I go on Saturday.   I am so nervous to have MY stuff in the same building as quilts from the Coastal Guild.  We're talking insanely talented people that have been doing this for years and years. Freaking out now :)

Happy Friday!! 

Finished!

Halter/Dress

Finally done with this halter dress/top. My automatic buttonhole thingy is not working. This has nothing to do with me, it's the machine. So this little dress has been missing one buttonhole for approximately 4 months. It only has 2 buttons total. Lame, I know. I hate re-threading the machine and I hate my automatic buttonhole thingy. But it's close to Halloween and the girl needed something to wear. One less thing in the sewing shed!!!

This is the back with one good buttonhole and one terrible buttonhole!

I copied this pattern from a halter shirt we were given, and sort of winged it. Easy on and off.