Eyelet Geranium

I finally finished the white eyelet Geranium blouse and I just love it! It is fully lined, which makes for a very full skirt. And little birdie picked the yellow flower buttons over white, a decision that I fully agreed with. Instead of using the flutter sleeve pattern included with the pattern, I wanted to use this white eyelet with a scalloped border print for the sleeves. So I cut a semicircle on the raw edge,  gathered along that edge, and then sewed them between the bodice layers as you would normally do with the flutter sleeves. I added sandwiched the yellow pompon trim between the bottom and the skirt and I love the bright pop of color and additional texture it gives. Super cute! These photos don't do this little shirt justice... but April showers bring May flowers, right?!

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Birds for spring

This little top has been one of my favorites and I was lucky enough to get two full seasons out of it! But this year it is too small and little birdie is just at the size limit of the pattern so I had to sew this one last time.

Pattern: Butterick 3405 - Size XL, View C


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Pompom Trim!

I already had a white eyelet lace blouse planned in my mind when I saw this sweet little top from Mini Boden. I just so happened to have yellow pompom trim, so this was really meant to be. It is a 3T sized Geranium from Made by Rae with lace flutter sleeves. It is fully lined so it has a really full look to the skirt. I can't wait to see it on the little one. Still a few details to finish up (sewing the hem and bodice lining and adding buttons), but it is too sweet not to share. I think it will look great paired with my latest set of shorts (also not quite finished).

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A few new things in the works

I'm almost finished with another pair of shorts! This time with a paperbag waist and bubble legs. And I've been cruising along on a new cardigan design with Quince & Co. Chickadee.

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Summer Shorts :: Take 3

This third set of shorts came out pretty much how I pictured. I knew I wanted to do something with a bound hemline, but didn't have enough fabric to do the City Gym Shorts from Purl Soho or the Class Picnic Shorts from Oliver + S, so when I stumbled on this tutorial from Grainline for a curved hem on the Maritime Shorts, I knew I could use it. Again I used this pattern from Caila Made and sized up to 3T by printing it at 110%. I followed the Grainline tutorial to cut a curved hem and then bound the shorts with bias tape I made from some extra chambray I had in the stash. The main fabric is Essex Yarn Dyed Linen from Robert Kaufman in Indigo. Cute! And the fit was good enough to play in all afternoon, so that's a win for sure!

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Preview :: Shorts :: Take 3

Just a super cute preview of the next set of summer shorts. And we are lucky enough to have beautiful weather to "model" in. A few finishing touches and I'll do a full post.

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A-line Geranium

I finished this sweet little Geranium Dress from Made by Rae using stash fabric. I took the bodice and graded it out as an A-line blouse using the length from a ready made blouse she already has. The blouse is fully lined, which was a little challenging because I didn't really think it through before I started sewing but it came out just fine and looks really nice on the inside, too. And, I found five mostly matching buttons from my nana's button tin. This is the first time I've done the flutter sleeves on this pattern and I think they are really cute.  The next Geranium is going to be a dress in a beautiful kelly green eyelet lined with white, I think. Can't wait!

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Summer Shorts :: Take 2

I finished up another set of sweet toddler shorts, this time with cuffed legs. I'm so excited to pair these with a bunch of her colorful tops (Butterick 3405) when the weather warms up. Again I used this pattern from Caila Made and sized up to 3T by printing it at 110%. I just tacked the cuffs at the inside and outside of the leg opening, so I'm not sure how it will come out of the wash, but if it is terribly wrinkly, I will topstitch around the whole thing. Cute! And I loved working with the Essex Yarn Dyed Linen from Robert Kaufman. I can't wait to show you what I'm working on for the next pair of shorts!

Summer Shorts :: Take 1

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Oliver + S Picnic Blouse :: Swiss Dot and Lace

I finished up the white swiss dot and lace Class Picnic Blouse over the weekend. It is a rainy Monday, so we'll have to wait for a sunny spring day to wear this one. I made the 3T size, which fits a little large for now, hoping to get through spring, summer and fall with this one. I love the look of the lace insets, especially the one at the bottom since it is not backed by fabric, you can see a bit of whatever she is wearing on the bottom through the lace (when we were trying it on, that was fleece jammie pants, but still, I got the idea).

Coming Soon! Oliver + S Class Picnic Blouse :: Swiss Dot and Lace

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Coming Soon! Oliver + S Picnic Blouse :: Swiss Dot and Lace

I've had this lace trim in my stash for a really long time. I also remember buying the white swiss dot back in 2007 when I just started getting into sewing for myself. I think I still have the shirt I made with it, although it has been a few years since it has seen any wear. If I can dig it out, I will post a picture!

These will make the perfect Class Picnic Blouse for spring and summer. Although white on a preschooler might not be a foolproof choice, I love the look.  I'm toying with the idea of adding colorful embroidery to the centers of each of the lace flowers, but will likely just keep it simple and clean.

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Summer Shorts :: Take 1

I wanted to make a muslin for my shorts before cutting into the good stuff and here it is. I printed out this pattern from Caila Made and sized up to 3T by printing it at 110% as she suggested. I also ended up taping the front and the back together at the side seam so that I would have less to sew for this first pair and to make sure they were roomy enough. Using some linen blend fabric from Joann's that has been in my stash forever, sewed them up after bedtime last night and during preschool this morning. I added a little bias self tie to jazz them up just a little bit. As suggested here, I sewed the tie on perpendicular to make sure it sat right when knotted. I'm happy with the pattern and am planning for the next pair already.

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Getting ready for shorts weather

I'm getting ready to make some shorts for my little one and found the perfect fabric at Gather Here in Cambridge. I'm using this pattern from Caila Made. I sized the pattern up to 3T and am going to make a muslin before cutting into the real stuff (Robert Kaufman Essex Yarn Dyed in Chambray, Denim, and Taupe and Chambray Union in Indigo). I'd love to sew with some fun prints, but all of her tops are patterned and I am trying to Stash Less, so basic cotton and linen it is.

Summer Shorts :: Take 1

Summer Shorts :: Take 2

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Modified Geranium

Working on another Geranium top today. This one has the sweet flutter sleeves, but instead of the gathered skirt, I just drafted an A-line bottom onto the pattern. I've had this fabric in my stash forever with a pattern that reminds me of a Liberty print and using the A-line was the only way to eek out a whole 3T sized shirt. It will have buttons down the back once I find the perfect match. Coming soon... shorts!

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Saltwater Skirt

I am so excited and inspired to be sewing for spring and summer. This is a Saltwater Skirt in size 3T using stash fabric scraps from a wedding quilt I sewed back in 2006/7 (I think). I found the pattern on Pinterest and knew it would be a hit because it has pockets. I have a lot of random quilting weight fabric in my stash. And now that I have a sweet little girl to sew for, I can finally find projects to use some of it up!

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O+S Class Picnic Blouse

I found the perfect fabric for my daughter back in the fall (she LOVES owls!) and I finally decided to cut into it for a new spring top. This is the Oliver + S Class Picnic Blouse in a 3T size. Getting dressed and out the door in the morning is usually a bit of a battle, but not today! And I have enough fabric left over for a skirt for the fall. Finishing this yesterday has gotten me in the mood to sew for spring and summer, so there will be more to come.

Another Geranium

Another little knitted bonnet (pattern to be released soon!) and Geranium Dress from Made by Rae made with a beautiful voile from Art Gallery Fabrics.  This was my first time using voile and I am definitely hooked.

Sweet little things

Just a sweet little knitted bonnet (pattern to be released soon!) and a Geranium Dress from Made by Rae with vintage plaid fabric from my grandmother that I have been holding onto for just the right project. This certainly seems to fit the bill!

Glad I could be a part

I'm not the best with words... but I wanted to say how wonderful it was to be a small part of a kind and caring project that Christine Chitnis recently organized. She writes about it much more eloquently than I, but I will say that this brought me a lot of joy at the end of 2015 when I desperately needed to keep my mind and my hands busy. I have always wanted to try an Alabama Chanin design and this allowed me to dip my toe in the water. I'm hoping to do more in the future. Thank you Christine!

Sewing for Baby: Butterick 3405

I was wandering around JoAnn's the other day looking for fabric for another project entirely when this beautiful print jumped out at me.  I had to have it for little birdie!  And I also needed a pattern, of course! I have been looking for something like Citronille's Apoline in a baby size (feel free to give me some suggestions) because I love the flutter sleeves.  This one doesn't quite have the same look with the lovely square bodice, but the tiny tucks on the front and button-up back won me over.

I won't tell you about the time I had trying to add snaps… but suffice it to say, I should have listened when I read this post on Crafterhours. Yes, I have the worst stinkin' snap tool in the world and I tried to use it! After that fail (and a sore finger from hitting it with the hammer - true story), I went on to make buttonholes instead, which are also the bane of my existence. I don't know if it is me or my machine, but I can't seem to make nice proper buttonholes. They work, yes, but just don't look to closely!

Pattern: Butterick 3405 - Size L, View C but with sleeves from View A added

Class Picnic + Chicken Scratch

Ever since I stumbled across Chicken Scratch Embroidery on Pinterest I knew I wanted to use it on a garment for my little birdie.  The Oliver and S Class Picnic blouse was the perfect pattern for a little embroidery across the bodice and a little on the hem.  I made the 6-12 month size for my 10 month old against my better judgement.  It is a little tough getting it on and off (she HATES getting dressed) so this will only fit for a short time.  But I love it anyway! And the embroidery is so easy, it was totally worth it!