family fun- winter wardrobe for a kindergartener

The boy needed long sleeved t shirts! In our amazing climate, i got to put off the middle layers of his wardrobe until the last week of November. There are (many) good things about this place!!

I bought the new Rowan Tee pattern. He's outgrown the Flashback Tee and the Sewing for Boys book (mostly), or I was ready for something new. Probably a little of both. Long sleeved shirts (often) need hoods!

I took him to the fabric store, because I've been so awesome on my knit stash that all I have left is miles of swimwear lycra (want some? JUST ASK). HOLLA!

He picked out these:

$18/yard viscose, imported from France (AS IF. But ok we did get 1/4 yard...)

$? slinky slinky rayon knit

$5 I may have sold him on this super loose knit stuff but phew, it's practical
$5 blue remnant of super soft 100% stretch something that's wonderful
$6 green remnant he did not consider whyyyy did i buy it? or rather whyyyy did i sew it up for him and not use it for me? minor mistake.

The Rowan pattern is dope! It includes, and I used, cool features like chest pocket and sleeve stripes making the shirts look really high quality and giving us fun ways to play designer.

One change i made (shown in the space version below) is to widen the neck binding by 50%. You can see on the blue/triangles and green versions that the neck binding is Crazy Narrow. I like it a lil wider.

from left, hoodie with shoulder stripes and kangaroo pocket, just plain long sleeve with widened neck band, blue with sleeve stripes and chest pocket, green with kangaroo pocket and hem band. 

My mom asked if it's really cost-effective, and I told her (and I believe) it's maybe just more ethical. And the quality is way better than I could buy...so. Win, Win.

hood lining of SPACE

Now we need a go-to pants pattern. Ideas???
xox
R

Instant warmth- all wool Linden Sweatshirt

I got a merino wool sweater from the thrift store a few weeks ago. It wasn't super flattering.

I wore it one TERRIBLE MONDAY at school. It needed a redo.

I had this delicious wool blend knit (i bought it in 2012, sorry). I had made my mom a top but never thought of how to use it for myself....

TA DA!!!!

purchased, printed, sewed up Grainline's linden sweatshirt. i love it.

Improvised the triangle - love it.

changes: I doubled the width of the neckline binding piece because I think a bound neckline looks best on knit tops.

boom.
AND- a sweater by midnight (shown here the following day, a happier day at school).

yippee! where's your linden??
xo xox
r

perfect pattern parcel #6 and another solid staple for Maman

Every so often, there's a new Perfect Pattern Parcel. It's a group of patterns you buy as a set. you pick your price and the $$ goes to the designers, to the woman/mom/breadwinner who organizes it, and to my favorite organization this career, donors choose!

but often the patterns are kinda frumpy. or for kids. :( We can be real here. We're among friends.

my mom: neither frumpy nor a kid. She is one Classy Lady.

But #6 was for women, and it had the sweatpants. I raged (inside) about all of the internet hubbub when the pattern was released, thinking yich! sloppy! unflattering! with every new version.

And then I bought sweatpants at uniqlo and almost immediately wore them to a wine date in SF. SWEATPANTS. i wanted to off myself for the sake of streetstyle everywhere. I am a victim of a trend, and I like to wear comfy pants, and i teach yoga 2/week and i may as well cave and make some damn sweatpants.

So parcel #6 comes out, and it is: a tent dress with a romanian vibe (non merci), a maxi skirt (easy to do on my own but maybe there are interesting instructions?), a drapey cardigan (YES PLEASE), a cute tee shirt (eh) and the pants. I bought it. Let's say I did it for the children.

So far, I've made a long black skirt for myself (glamorous, gothy, flattering) and a spongy burgundy cardigan for my mom. fuck sweatpants!

(for now)

xoxo
bex

Workout top: Fehr trade XYT top

For a while there I was exercising a lot and didn't have enough tops to wear. 

at least it's not headless ok

So I bought and cut fabric for this pattern, and another one (papercut pneuma if you must know), in black, so that I could wear them with any old bottoms for any old sport.

so cute Y back

Then I got tired. And strep throat. But I am healthy again! So i wore it to play tennis and then to go for a run. I looove it. It's easy to wear! Looks like a cute tank, acts like a sports bra, and came together simply enough with Melissa's great instructions. Woo! 

can you see the gathering fabric/ridges? did i do that?

Notes on construction:  It's VERY supportive/compressive (I might go up a size in the bust next time). I already sized up in the waist and extended the length so it would be more swingy and less tight (as it's designed to be). I might also shorten the straps for yoga or a more modest-ok to bend over style. ;) One weird thing- I blame the tricky elastic adding step (which is a hard one for me, but i'm getting better) left this weird gathering that happened whyyuyy? Around the neck and armholes.

more of the weird gathering tunneling thing. 

Anyway, it's a good, versatile, unique pattern. Get one.

headless tree

And while you're here, do  you know a tennis skirt pattern? I wear the weirdest tennis outfits. Skirts would make them make sense.

xoox
bex