well-crafted

Handmade Kids Clothing Swap

Thanks to Robin’s kind invitation, I’m lucky to have participated in the first Handmade Kids Clothing Swap. The challenge was to create a garment or outfit inspired by something on our swap partner’s Pinterest Board. Robin matched  us up and threw in a nice bit of mystery; we only knew who we were sewing for, not who was sewing for us. While I sewed for Delia’s son, Vanessa was sewing for my daughter, Lauren.

Vanessa really nailed it with the outfit she made! With the ultra soft stripey  t-shirt and bright aqua jumper-dress, she managed to strike the perfect balance  of feminine, playful and comfortable. Lauren absolutely loves it.

In Vanessa’s words: My inspiration pin was a rust colored dress (it had ruffles on the bottom back) with a stripe-y tee underneath. I used Hey June’s Narita dress pattern which had a similar look to the “pinned” dress and Rae’s Skinny Tee pattern :) I added some decorative stitching to the dress bodice to break up the solid color a bit. I was hoping to make something that was comfy and wearable in a pretty shade of blue! Fabrics: Michael Miller Cotton Couture Broadcloth Turquoise for the dress and stretch rayon jersey knit from Fabric.com + ribbing for the top.

I think I will be buying that pattern.

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Here’s a sneak peek of what I made for Delia’s son, Owen. Get all the details here.

And to see what the other participants made, click on any link below:

cherie from you and mie

danielle from my sparkle

delia from delia creates

gail from probably actually

kristin from skirt as top

meg from elsie marley

robin from nested in stitches

sanae from sanae ishida

vanessa from lbg studio

October 1st

Working on something special today and enjoying some sweet memories.

KCWC Day 6: Done!

This is my favorite of the three dresses I made this week. Probably due to this gorgeous fabric I bought at bolt on Monday. I really didn’t know what I was going to do with it at the time, but as it sat on the cutting table all week it became very clear on Friday morning that I would use it for this last frock.

Do you see the rounded shoulders? Someone was not happy about modeling last night.

Whew! I am feeling so satisfied with myself. I don’t think I have ever sewn three items of clothing in one week. And miracle of miracles, the house is not trashed, the kids’ soccer uniforms are clean and ready and I got at least 8 hours of sleep each night.

I am going to say it’s because I used this one pattern for everything. I didn't have to trace nor did I have to read instructions after the first one. Using knits for all items made things quicker too. The other great thing about using one pattern as the basis for everything was that it forced/allowed me to be more adventurous and creative. What a great week of sewing. I may not be able to continue with the challenge over the weekend, what with work and lots of things on the social calendar. Thanks, Meg for hosting the always inspirational Kids Clothes Week Challenge!

KCWC Day 4: Reconstruction

I took a dress that was much too skimpy for me (which I bought last summer at the Gap just because I loooved the fabric), cut it up and made a stylish little tunic-y thing. And yes, I used the FBST as the base pattern—I am sticking with my challenge. Leggings are from Figgy’s Sunki pattern.

Three down, one to go!

KCWC Day 3: We interrupt…

I wasn’t able to sew today. Or trace, or cut, or anything else of the sort. Life got in the way.

But I did post here about the top and skort combo I made last weekend as a sample for Bolt. Still qualifies as KCWC inspiration, no?

KCWC Day 2: For special occasions

What started as a basic knit dress intended for lazy summer days has turned into something rather special and elegant. I used the FBST as my base pattern, added length to it and width at the bottom, like this. I also widened the neck and sliced the sleeves up the middle a bit and tied them. For the finishing touch I cut a piece approximately 9 x 24 for the sash.

These photos make the dress look like a true red but it’s really more of a coral. Reds are so difficult to photograph.

Someone is very happy. It’s a really good thing she’s got a Father Daughter dance coming up.

KCWC Day 1: A challenge within a challenge

I am going to take my own suggestion and use the FBST for everything I make this week.

Something different today

I am guest blogging over at elsiemarley today as part of the pre-KCWC party. Check it out!

Catch up and some news

Hello, friends! Things have been so busy around here. We just returned from an idyllic spring break in southern California where we soaked up some sunshine and took the kids to Disneyland for the first time. I realized just before we left that it was our first real family vacation; one that did not include family or friends (as wonderful as those both are). It was different to be just the four of us. And good. It was very good for our little family to have this time together.

Will summed it up nicely when he said: “Disneyland. Where parents make friends with their kids.” Awww.

In other news, I have started working part-time at Bolt Fabric Boutique, the best little fabric store in Portland! Stop in to say hello if you are local. I will also be contributing to the Bolt Neighborhood blog if you care to check out what’s going on over there.

Happy April!

We love Sunki!

Even if we don’t like having our photo taken.

The new Figgy’s patterns are brilliant. Completely brilliant. I ordered every one of them as soon I found out they were available. This pattern, the Sunki dress, is one I fell in love with right away. It did not disappoint. The design is ideal for my girl: it’s feminine without being too girly and sophisticated while still being youthful. Perfect. I have enjoyed seeing others’ versions around blog-land—everyone seems to agree that it’s a winner. This review is excellent as is this one (I agree the pockets could be deeper). I may try that modification next time—and there will be a next time. Be sure to check out the tutorials on the Figgy’s blog for some of the trickier aspects of this (and other) patterns—they are very helpful.

The leggings are also sweet. Lauren wears hers a lot, although not with the dress. She prefers wearing jeans with it. Cute!

New Territory

 

Oh, improvisational piecing, where have you been all my life?

Last summer I had the good fortune to attended a workshop at PNCA with Denyse Schmidt. It was fantastic! Denyse is a very inspiring person and thoughtful artist and I highly recommend this workshop. My kind table mate and others in attendance have written about the experience eloquently here, and here. (I concede I am a little late posting about this now but better late than never, right?)

Working intuitively this way is definitely my cup of tea. For me, it’s very much like painting, only with fabric. Playing with color, scale, pattern and composition and letting the piece grow while making decisions about the design along the way rather than starting with a plan, is a very satisfying way to work. Since that wonderful weekend, my blocks have been sitting around my sewing room, waiting patiently to become something. Last month, I was finally able to make that happen in the form of some quilted pillow covers for our living room. I think they turned out pretty great!

Thrift and Resourcefulness

Will’s and Lauren’s main Christmas gifts this year were bean bag chairs, which I made. They were really fun to make and have been a huge hit around here.

They have also become, for me, an excellent reminder of my theme for change in 2012, which is generally to simplify, reduce waste and clutter, and to make or use what I already have for the things we need.

For these bean bags, I used Dana Willard’s awesome Rolie Polie pattern. The interior bags were made with some IKEA curtain panels I bought on clearance a long time ago (which I have used a lot for bags and pillow cover backs but still have lots left over). For the bag covers I used some very old faded cotton velvet drapes which which I overdyed turquoise blue and emerald green. The only things I spent money on were the zippers and the beans to fill the bags, which I found on sale locally. It felt so great to give them gifts that were thrifty and fun.

No packaging! No batteries! No assembly! Great for fighting!