i don't want the weekend to end!! (free patterns edition)

it was a hell of a weekend. great weather, great kid, good friends old and new. And i did a sh*#load of sewing.

gratuitous me made mish mash

1) i made a dope camo clutch for Deilia. Happy birthday, D, and welcome back to the best place on earth.

where is the magic?

(no photographs. DAMMMMITTTT) woohoo sartorialist strikes! unphotog-ed is the HOT PINK cell phone pocket inside. boom!

ohhh, there is the magic!

in action!

2) i made a slinky purple jersey maxi skirt from this tutorial. CAKE (both ways)! but then i had to take in the waistband about 6". not the most fun...and then i ripped it today, and it still needs a hem. it is slinky, though, mama.

3) Kirsten Kimono Tee! finally. I've "bought" this thing like 3 times, but I finally printed and stitched it. simple enough but i didn't love the fit. it's also really long? i think i've adjusted my pattern to just go from L up top to M at the waist and beyond. and shortened it about 1-2", and dropped the neckline about 4". that'll fix it!

What's funny about this is that I'm pretty sure I have a near copy this pattern in my closet, which I drafted myself to match my favorite drapey j crew t (which also had a twisted collar and buttons down the back). I am going to let the fancy details go (for now!) and repopulate my wardrobe with modified Kimono Tees.

Fabric courtesy of Stonemountain's remnant bin, maybe $5. it is luscious. at least some part rayon...

4) vest for the boy! (which I won on Miranda's giveaway woo) It is SO colorful. maybe too colorful, but i was limited to fleeces from the remnant pile and fabrics from my stash (bike flannel yum, organic purple rib knit also yum. The remnant section had a 60" 1/2 yard of red wool felt for $2. huh. and there you go!)

dinosaurs and bicycles! F T W

this is a size 3-4, which should be just right for the little guy. instead it's falling off of his shoulders and making this funny duck tail in the back. 

I added cozy pockets for the ocean breezes, but i don't want to do buttons/velcro like the pattern suggests because the pockets weren't built for a cross over closure. Doh!

he's such a pro. :)

So now I am deep in toggle investigation...I may end up just jamming a zipper on there by hand for simplicity. The little dude requested a zipper in fact. "It's the easiest", he says. Little does he know!!

i like dana's style, but her patterns leave a little to be desired, imo. 

So anyway. This week I want to keep walking in the sun and making clothes for myself, the kid(s), the man, getting through the stash of fabric and turning it into spring and summer wear. But I have writing to do. So Much Writing. This is crunch time, so I'll be on blog leave too.

Happily the Archer sewalong got postponed until 3/25...so if I hustle enough in the next week I'll be able to do that with the other sewists of the world, which could be fun. I'm hangry for a linen throw over everything button up....

and with that i'll sign off. Catch you soon, I hope!

xo
bex

stashbusting: travel tings

i made this yoga mat strap, which baffles the mind (am i dumb? I keep being baffled by simple items. oh my), but works well enough.

the short strap goes cross-body on a 4 year old, but not his mama.

changes:
1) make it MUCH longer! it doesn't go cross body at the length they recommend. I would add 18-24 inches for a cross body option.

2) no need for interfacing if you're using a home dec weight fabric. Interfacing just makes it HELL to turn those 2' tubes inside out.

3) who cares about folding that middle section in half, too? not me. save your needles and machine - it's like 8 layers of heavy fabric + interfacing if you follow their directions. FOLLOW MINE.

Then I made this shiny number. 

whatsat?

It's a jewelry roll, love!!!! it's a free pattern from fabric.com which i made with all manner of scraps, variously stitched together to make somethin beautiful.

i asked my munchkin to model for me - here's one zippered pocket...

Everyone else and their mom (google "bijoux baby jewelry roll" to find them) noted that there are some length errors, so i had to trim the pieces to make them fit. lay them out before cutting fabric to give yourself the option to use EVEN SMALLER scraps.

ring holder! use up yr snaps. 

 It also uses 2 zippers, which maybe you also have a ridiculous pile of? I do, because i hate putting them in garments, but i still buy them when they're 5/$1 at the scrap shop.

pockets! i messed up- your hand should NOT fit in like this. 

HAVE AT EM! and let's go away on a yoga retreat so's they can travel together. LUV.

all rolled up and ready to travel!