Kids clothing week: puppy jacket (?!?)

I used primp fabric from Girl Charlee, which is SOOOO SOFT with some disco spandex for contrast trim. There is no such thing (i think?) as sparkly ribbed trim, so i went all the way to discoland.

I made one for her sister last year, and improved a couple of things this time.

Firstly, if you use this pattern, SHORTEN THE CUFFS. they are like 10 inches long (for a kid's 5 inch hand? whuh?)!

the thumb hole is an awesome feature, but it gets awkward with the extra length on each side. I cut 2" from the top and bottom of the pattern piece, and pinched another inch from the center (see below). that's muuuuch. better.

another change I made was to eliminate the facing. who likes facings? for kids, too?? seriously. instead I just included a ribbon trim all the way along the seam where the hood meets the body of the jacket. Of course you could also use twill tape, if you happen to have enough in a complementary or contrasting color.

Include a lil hanging hook while you're at it!

Then, all of our "store bought" hoodies seem to have fabric tabs on their zippers, so i may add that too. What do you think??
 xobex

Laurel draft and black and white submission cause why not?

Yall, i made a Laurel. it's a top, it's modest, it's challis. It's pretty dope but the darts are a little high. I am writing this blog while i preview videos for my teaching performance portfolio and I am having terror about if my students read this. whatever, they'd be bored quickly enough, right?

musing, dreamy, excess headroom 

here she is: Laurel test case, shown here with my atrocious photos and various efforts at styling, posing, and editing. aaahh!

casual, businesslike. meta. 

 friends, the dart is too high for my full mom boobs. can you tell? go ahead, stare below.

crazed picmonkey makeup and text!

 the back fits soooo nicely. and no fasteners OR stretch fabric required?! sarai did some magic on this one. 

fancy: the dual purpose fabric close up and back shot.

I was going to make 800 dresses and tops when I first saw the pattern. Then i saw this and got obsessed with lace. and underwear....

avante garde high contrast!

short story: I AM STUCK about what other versions to make. I need a meetup. Maybe a fabric swap to get the inspiration moving again...are you in!?

xo 

bex 

dream job- for the treats.

Do you read Ohh Lulu? Does a girl like lingerie, I should ask. or Does my bf enjoy iPad racing games? (YES.)

that's my man. 

Anyway, reading about Lulu setting up her office with her buddy this month has made me think about how much I would like to write and offer my services to her- or someone like her. I love that kind of job, where someone else is the boss and is really cool and creative, and I have to do all of the little things to make the business run better, then I get paid :). I suppose Holly is also that person...is there some small creative company in the Bay that needs a Girl Friday? Because I am available Fridays, and could use the extra cash!

I've actually been working like this, freelance, catch as catch can (is that right? what a strange phrase) for another business in town, for almost 10 years now. It's great, I work a little bit here and there and it keeps me in cute shoes, for the most part. And my boss is great, and I work with a tiny network of other creative people freelancing for extra bucks, and it's a cool connection.

much femme-ier in real life. leather like butter. 

Sure would be cool to link that to the sewing crafting making world. Because as much as I can make all of my workout clothes and underpanties and t shirts for my kid, the thing about sewing, is that you still need shoes. In fact, you need cute shoes to bring your cool outfits together. Like the World's Simplest Maxi, which I'm sorry but I still have not photographed but am wearing right this second, is lovely. it is flattering and stylish and sexy without being skeeezer, and it needs nice shoes to bring it to adulthood.

for instance, oxfords. 

Anyway. just a quick meditation on the dream job, and the life that allows a 2-day a week "job" to be enough working for a mom and a creative type. 

I've been sewing bunches, but am getting more self conscious about my crappy photos...we'll see if the man will help with some shots manana. He does such a good job, doesn't he ?

And if you're in the Bay and need a little bookeeping/organization/order fulfillment, do give a holler! 

xo 

bex

svu: oona?

superstar: stalker edition. i was at home, hiding out and stitching the day away, when OOONA came on the television. i flipped out and totally stalked her down on imdb and found out her real name and was so sad and creeped out by myself. i immediately forgot her name and psychically sent her back to kalkatroona where she is just another friendly sewist, stitching the day away in happy bright colors. it's weird reading each other's stuff and balancing the interest in you all with the vague knowledge that everyone is an actual stranger. I should be more social and show up at the meetups! that would help.

oh blog world. you are strange, aren't you.

FO: fake french

so, remember how i wanted to share with you?

 

well, I didn't have any readers takers, so i got my own. In fact, last month, i got TWO packages from l'Europe, cause I bought the famous bra pack too.

stretch fabric = no back zip

oh deer and doe, i love you.

remember when i used to use big 4 patterns? F that noise. we shall never speak of them again. this thing went together so easily, all the directions made sense, my belt just sits there in the waistband because it's just PERFECTLY placed and sized. Well played, Eleonore. 

this dress (Belladone) is DOPE. it's so comfortable, so adorable, great for daytime or a night of schmancy cocktails with venture capitalists. hahahahaha jk there's no dress i would wear for that event.

BUT this dress went to a evening grown up party and an afternoon date with APLOMB. and i love saying "it's french!" (the instructions are in English, but the postage is positively continental! - if you're worried about cross oceanic delays, let that go now- i ordered on a sunday and received the pattern the following wednesday. that's faster than lots of domestic companies.)

new hem technique- ric rac + hand sewn. love it. 

technically it's a "wearable muslin" cause it's made of this lint magnet stretch not quite poplin that i repurposed from last years purple dress (never blogged, it was not a winner). NOW WHAT FABRIC WILL I USE FOR THE REAL THING?

the initial vision was teensy gingham with bright contrast trim....why not stick with that? oh i do struggle with endless improvisation for the sake of it. how do you stick with your fabric plans? or do you?? is that kind of switcheroo the source of the ever growing stash?

and oh heavens- deer and doe released new patterns aujourd'hui (today)! Enjoy them!

ps thank you to my sexy bf for today's photoshoot and art direction!

aggh! it's perfect!!

well, i've been obsessed with half sleeves, and was thinking about drafting some...

j.crew makes my favorite t shirts, but i cannot pay j.crew prices for sweatshop clothes!

Also thinking about dresses and plotting a thousand dumpy Andas (no, no, i would not let them get dumpy, but i'm still aware that the threat is there) in a quest for simple, wearable dresses. With pockets!

http://www.burdastyle.com/pattern_store/patterns/anda

And then Sarai at Colette releases the exact thing I need! ok, the exact thing i WANT. (what do i really NEED? just a teaching credential ;) I am enjoying my Anise jacket so much, and am making a Ginger skirt for a friend, it looks like I'm back on the Colette train.

Today she presents a dress:

http://www.coletterie.com/colette-patterns-news/introducing-laurel

and a shirt:

GET YOU R OWN at http://www.colettepatterns.com/shop/laurel

a couple of clicks, and this one's on its way...so when I get my work done, I will have so much fun playing!!

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