Flashy hot tub suit

I would like to tell you the story of a boy who loves bright colors, who knows what he wants, and can be a wonderful/terrible/delightful helper at the fabric store. He is the reason I have 3 spools of that useless but shiny metallic thread, and he is the designer and enthusiastic wearer of this amazing swim ensemble:

THE DAY BEFORE our river getaway, I went to the store for elastic (to finish my own last minute bikini). He came along. He saw this stuff on the shelf (we weren't supposed to be in the fabric section but I told myself swimsuit lining was a "notion"). I bought it. You can do like 35 swimsuits from a yard of fabric, you know?

$11.00 of happiness

I didn't make any of those swimsuits....yet. Because when we got home he told me how he'd design his own - a shiny stripe down the back, and the shorts with different panels of shiny/bright pattern - lightweight spandex leftovers from running pants I made for a friend.

I had to make it.

I used this pattern for the bottoms, getting SO FANCY that it's fully lined and reversible (and for modesty).

shorts in process - yes!

I used this pattern from this book for the top. CAKE.

The "back stripe" he requested turned into a back panel for time saving.

I mean, sort of. You know that feeling when a project is awesome and you're kind of winging it and really short for time butSUPER excited? I often think "uh oh I'm about to make mistakes"...this time I misclaculated the neckband, making it longer or maybe exactly as long as the neck opening. Duh.

top front

He wore it every time he got in the hot tub, which was daily. He would not wear it kayaking, running around, or ever near the river. Sense of occasion is strong in this one.

happy llamas abound!

Obviously it was a hit.

after and before fabric samples

The fabric did not hold up so well to constant chlorine abuse; let's call it a fabric test. A fabulous, crowd pleasing, super flashy fabric test.

What are you wearing and shining at your people?

xo bex

Mini hudsons

These are the Mini Hudsons from True Bias in a size 5. I extended them to 7 length to balance his little body and long legs. At this point, they didn't have ankle bands (yet). Elastic was 20", should be more like 16-17". He's so narrow! 

I bought drawstring elastic at the notions shop to use for these - it's not how they were designed and the elastic was a bit of a challenge to secure without making the drawstring "fixed". I worked it out. :)

He hated them when he saw them; I think because they're gray. Proud mama taught my boy to loove color! Well and also it's WAY too hot for french terry pants right now. 

highly danceable

maybe he'd be happier with a shirt ?

Look at those feet! This child. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Homesteader

My boy told me he didn't have any underwear (it was laundry day, or close).

We counted- he doesn't have two weeks worth. We don't have laundry facilities at home (have to go down to the creek), so it was time to get more.

That dear dear boy asked me "why don't you make some?"

So I did. 

They're soo cute. 

From the scraps basket, win! 

I used this pattern and tutorial, which is in another language. http://diariodenaii.blogspot.com/2013/06/tutorial-boxer-patron.html?m=1

So he also got some euro shorts WINK.

I'm going to have to make bumper stickers that say "honk if Rebecca made your underwear"

Want one?

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

Summer recap

First things first: We have a home. There will be a legit sewing corner, and soon. wellllll maybe in two weeks.

Secondy- I sewed a lot this summer. I even taught sewing (Sorry, Cation, that I never followed up. You are awesome- let's do it next summer)!

I am going to catalog the things in photograph form, and one day maybe I'll write more about them.

Improv outfit: 1/2 yard mini skirt from a bargain lot and navy ponte number that ROOLZ.

my Moss muslin i loved it so - except it had no stretch because it was upholstery fabric. 

I may try again and just size up. i love the wood and the yoke and ah! 

(removed for modesty: tiger running shorts and matching tigress sports bra)

i wear this tiny pocket tank constantly. i added darts in the back (borrowed from the Laurel). 

this is the face which captures the 4 month process on this Hummingbird skirt. It's great now, but i measured myself like a pro and the thing was 6 inches too big everywhere. anyway, i'll make more now that i know the secret. 

where's the zipper? it's ACTUALLY invisible. progress! 

mustache hat! reverses to match everything blue and linen. 

get the pattern! it's free! 

plus lots of flashback skinny ts and some improvised crazy kid pants OHH and i finally made a Zephyr dress for the lil girl in my (summer) house. cute enough dude!

sneaky tiny pocket before the darts. seriously, EVERY DAY with this one. 

panties too. unfortunately, you can see them below.

Lace pocket? yessir. I also made the maxi. so slinky. 

oh snap! stripes! also ponte. focus on the ponte top. :)

School starts next week - watch for a teacher wardrobe update soon!

xoxoxoxoxo
R

kids clothing week: airplanes!

i shoulda used my new machine for this shirt. the applique and the neckline are pretty horrible.

eek!!

BUT! Little man helped me design the plane, the colors, and the number of placement of the engines. He could tell you what kind of planes these "are", I forgot. :(

Purple fabric is organic ribbed cotton from fabric.com, with contrast bits and bobs from the East Bay Center for Creative Reuse. The grey is not so nice, but it came pre-hemmed! pattern essentials are from Rae's flashback skinny tee.

what's your secret for pretty applique? do you always interface? tell me more!

dance it out, little man.

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

tees for the BOY

i've been whipping knit scraps into colorblocked tees for my little guy.

he likes to wear the soft ones, he says, and then he tells me how to arrange the colors.

blue is softer, so it's on his tummy. that's logic!

good for dancing and flying planes, see?

They're all versions of the raglan tee from sewing for boys, but i don't do it all 'exposed seam style' because i don't like the look. It's simple enough to hide the seams like a regular tee.

this is the softest stuff ever (there's more like it here). i wish i could pull it off like he does!

touchdown! we're probably watching Rio in this one.

I used to have a friend who was a little fairy pixie and LOVED to say the word 'cairn'. Whenever I see a cairn-like pile, I think of her twisting her angel face to say this funny word. So this gift from the little boy had double power when I found it after our photo shoot. :)