Sewn in 2014

I know, you've all missed me.  I admit, I'm lazy and usually just post in instagram these days.  However today you're all in luck!  I've written a 2014 wrap up post!

I won't add too much commentary, but will mention my favorite makes from each bunch.  And yes, I've sewn a ton more this year than last, so I've categorized them.   And yes a ton of these have not been blogged (and some aren't even pictured at all!)

Sewing for Me - Shirt-dress edition

I'm probably the proudest of these.  I love shirt-dresses as wear each of them regularly.  The Alder is probably my favorite and I have an second on my spring sewing list!

Sewing for me - Knits edition!

since getting a better machine and later a serger,  knit projects are quickly becoming my favorites!  So quick and easy wearing!  I made a second Sewaholic Saltspring this year, but the Colette Monetta is becoming a favorite for dresses. 

Knit shirts are sooo quick!  My nani iro Lane Raglan is probably my fav or this bunch!  My blue and green cardigan is sadly my least worn, a bit too small and a bit too bright!

 Sewing for me - The Rest

I made a bunch of Wiksten Tanks this year.  I can squeeze them out of a meter and they are so quick!  Also made my first Jacket, thanks my pattern testing experience with the lovely ladies at Pattern Anthology!  I plan to make a ton more blouse/woven tops in the near future, probably including  more Wiksten and more Zippys!

 Sewing for Boys - Knits Edition

This year I discovered the rabbit hole of Euro knits and custom knit fabric groups.  I had no idea there were sooo many beautiful patterns out there and lets just say I've accumulated quite a collection.  Good thing sewing up shirts, hoodies etc. from knits is so quick and fun!

 Sewing for Boys - The Rest

I got to sew my first button down for my boys this year, and I hope to make more, nothing is cuter!  I also hope to make them more pants, because... I didn't make them any this year, ha.  

And last but not least...

Sewing for my Man

I finally got around to sewing him up a few things just before Christmas this year.  And I plan more now that having a serger makes these projects quick sews!  Too bad their size means they still take forever to cut!

Plans for Next Year - I'll keep it simple again

1.)  SEW FROM MY STASH.  I said this last year, but my stash is significantly larger, so seems more reasonable.  But that said, I looove supporting my local store Fabrications and the several awesome online Canadian stores.... so I suspect I'll still buy a bit.
2.) Make more things for my Man.
3.) Make more basics (ha)  I looove pattern, but I'm hoping to make me and my boys wardrobe almost entirely handmade by adding a few more basics!

So how was your 2014, and whats up for 2015?

Baby Jaguars!

With M getting older, I'm always a bit worried he's going to request some crazy costume that will be difficult to make.  So when he asked to be a jaguar, I jumped on that suggestion!

Originally little E was going to just wear M's costume from two years ago (a blue dinosaur) but I couldn't resist making a second jaguar costume!

And when a local photography friend of mine, J.Sparks Photography offered me one of her Halloween mini sessions?  Again I just couldn't resist.  She's photographed my kids (and myself!) several times always with super awesome results!  Oh and she's also a super awesome mom, so glad to know her!  Thanks Jenna!

Seriously, these kids?  that smile, I melt!

As for the details on the costumes.  I used for the 3rd year now, the Woodland Animal Costume pattern from Running with Scissors!  I just added my own tail and ears!  Such a versatile suit that can be customized a million ways!  I do wish I hate cut out the larger hood size for E, as he apparently has a large head!  It worked ok, and they love them!  They were being worn around the house for days until they had to get washed! 

Happy Halloween everyone!

Fall KCW - Sewing with Knits

Full disclosure up front.  I'm using this post as an excuse to share a few things that I've sewn for the kids over the last err months.  I'm actually terribly behind in blogging my projects.  Most seem to only ever appear briefly on my instagram.  They then get worn and never photographed further... oops?

So I thought I'd use the excuse of Kids Clothes Week to blog about how much I LOVE sewing with knits for kids!!  I've developed a slight knit fabric obsession over the last 6-12 months.  I blame the internet mostly, and as a result have realized how easy, cute, comfy and quick sewing things up in knit is.  I also finally have a working SERGER which basically changes the game of sewing with knits completely.

The internets are covered in cute knit fabric and adorable patterns to use them with.  My Pinterest Boards has some links and I'll share a few more with my projects below!

But first a few of my favorite stores for knits!  I'm personally obsessed with all the cute prints that come out of Europe and  L'Oiseau, Simpli Fabric and Duncan and Kate are my Canadian Favs.   I also order sometimes from some custom print groups on Facebook, a few now have non Facebook presences like The Fabric Snob and Sweet N Charmed.   My local shop Fabrications is now getting in Art Gallery knits and should have them online soon too!

Raglan tees - probably my favorite sew for the boys, and I've made a bunch.  My go to pattern is See Kate Sew's Recess Raglan.  Quick and an awesome fit of my guys!  Here are a couple of my favorites:

Oh and that's me in a See Kate Sew City Girl Frock in my Mother in Law's house back for Easter!  Not my decor style...

And the companion to that R2D2 shirt would be these pants from Max and Meena's Maxaloones pattern.  They are all the rage in the cloth diaper world for their roomy butt fit and general adorableness.

 

And now that I've reminded you all of summer,  here are a few pictures of the adorable tanks I made for the boys.  After I made little E the bus shirt, he just ran around saying bussssss, busssss.  These guys are too much some days!  These were made using the FREE Fishsticks Tank pattern!  I'm thinking I can layer them over button down shirts for the winter.  That wouldn't be too much would it?

Recently I also made a second Bimaa Hoodie for my oldest first every school picture day!  Sadly it may be the only time he wears it as he's recently declared he no longer likes knights...  argh!  good things his little brother will fit in it soon!

 

And I've recently started sewing up a few girly knits for little friends.  Most recently this Raglan Pocket Dress by Brindille & Twig!  

And LAST but not least, something I actually sewed during this KCW!  Pajamas!  Used the top and cuffs from Peek-a-boo Patterns Alex and Anna Winter PJ's.  But used the Clean Slate Pants from Blank Slate Patterns as a starting point for the flannel pants. I've decided PJ's are the perfect knit fabric stash buster!  you can use crazy colour combos that work as PJ's, but not necessarily as other clothing!

So I'll end this with a link to Made by Rae's awesome Sewing with Knits series.  Full of excellent tips on sewing with knits.  Have a good KCW everyone!

8 Days a Week - Last Chance Knit Pants..... And a Zippy Top

Quick, only 12 hours left to get in on the great deal that is the 8 Days a Week collection from Pattern Anthology!  I'm finally sharing the last pattern I test for this collection, the knit pants!

This pants pattern is pretty much every pair of knit pants you'd ever need to make in one pattern!  I made up a pair of leggins, but the the lounge pants are on my list!

I live in leggings on weekends, and had not yet gotten around to making my own.  And I'm glad a did!  They are a super quick sew!  I may never buy leggings again! 

I used some luxuriously soft bamboo knit from Fabrications and it is kinda the softest stuff ever, perfectly stretchy for these!

Oh and the top?  While it's not part of the collection, it is a pattern by one of Pattern Anthology's designer See Kate Sew!

It's the super versatile Zippy Top!  I wanted a simple top pattern I could use with some of my errr crazier quilting cotton fabric peices and this pattern fitted the bill perfectly!

It says to use lightly wieghts, but the heavier quilting cotton just makes it a bit boxier which I still love!  However.... I really should remember to iron it...

I looove this fabric by the way, turquoise horses?  Yes please!  Thanks Cotton + Steel!

Oh and don't forget to check out the Pattern Anthology before the bundle is gone!

Marigold Goes to Market

Hi!  So excited to be part of today tour for the new Pattern Anthology 8 Days a Week Collection!  Today I'm sharing my version of the Marigold Dress!

And don't forget to scroll to the end to check out what patterns the others bloggers on the tour are sharing today and to get more details on the collection!

I love shirt dresses!  Secretly (ok not so secretly) I'd love to have a wardrobe full of them.  I probably have 15 or 20 patterns (many of the vintage) for various styles of shirt dresses!  In particular I'm in love with vintage styled shirtwaist dresses.  You know the ones with fuller skirts that were the common daily wear of such famous people like Mad Men's Betty Draper.

Yet I never seem to get around to sewing any!  I admit I hate the exercise of measuring and sewing buttons and button holes!  So when the Marigold came up during testing as of the patterns for the 8 days a Week Collection it was perfect!  I HAD to sew this, no choice really!  And I love the results!

The skirt is just full enough (and will be even better when I finally make a bit of a petticoat for it!) But not crazy 50's housewife full. The bodice style makes it not restrictive to wear and the elastic waist makes it super comfy!  Throw on a structured belt and bingo!   Wondering about the fabric? It's a voile from Anna Maria Horner and is super lovely and perfect for this dress!

I'm usually not a long sleeve dress person, but I made the long sleeve version button cuffs and all!  And they weren't nearly as scary as I thought!  Most of the pictures here have the sleeves partially rolled up.  I admit to being a huge fan of mid-length sleeves, and the nice thing about cuffed sleeves like this, you have the room to roll them up when you undo the cuff!  Win-win!

And wondering why the post title?  Why because I took the dress (and my silly expressions and frizzy hair!) to the local farmers market for photos of course!  The first photo was from my first attempt at photographs which ended inside a building to escape the pouring rain!  Ahh the joys of blogging!  It's surprisingly hard to get good photos of oneself when your photographer is either your distracted husband (silly kids!) or a tripod on a table with a timer (Maybe I need to buy a real tripod eh?)

Regardless, I love this dress!

Don't forget to check out these other awesome versions from the collection! 
8 Days a Week Collection is a new collection of women's sewing patterns by Pattern Anthology.  This collection includes:

1. The Neptune Tee: A casual tee with optional triangle cutouts at the front and back neckline as well as the sleeves.
2. The Marigold Dress: A button down dress with elastic waist, long or cap sleeve options and even a peplum option.
3. Go To Knit Pants: 3 styles of knit pants including leggings, straight leg pants and relaxed fit pants options.
4. McCartney Jacket: A zip up jacket with fun options and lots of style.

8 Days a Week is available for a limited time at a 40%+ discount.

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And Check out these other bloggers to see their awesome versions of the patterns!

Sew Caroline / Max California / Girl. Inspired / Old House Mama 

Sonicka Made / Andrea's Notebook / Pattern Revolution / No Big Dill

Selfish Sewing Week - A Zinnia

In case you haven't heard, it's the fall version of Selfish Sewing Week!  Hosted by Rachel over at Imagine Gnats, it's an excuse to focus your sewing for yourself! Thats assuming you have kids you often sew for, ha!

I sew a fair bit for myself normally, but I hoped to get through a more than normal this week.  Not much luck, busy work week and tired me meant I've mostly been lying on the couch in the evening!  And it's going to be a sunny warm weekend after a month of chilly weather so I suspect I won't get much more done! BUT I did sew up a skirt!

A Colette Zinnia in fact!  From some of the err large amount of Cotton + Steel I may or may not have snagged at Fabrications a few months ago!

Sadly, I only bought 1.5 meters, and it needs 2 meters because of the width in the skirt.  So I cheated and narrowed the width and cut it the wrong direction.  It's just quilting cotton so the drape isn't right anyway and the narrower width is probably more appropriate for the weight.

Otherwise she came together pretty easy, although I admit I sometimes detest sewing in pleats! Yet I LOVE the look of a full skirt, I may need to make more.  One of these days I also need to sew myself up a proper underskirt too, it will totally make it lay better and prevent me always wanting to adjust the pleats!

And it also has the required POCKETS.  That is all.

So in light of my lack of progress this week, I'm thinking I might just deem next week Selfish Shirt-dress Sewing Week and sew these up then then instead?

8 Days a Week - McCartney Jacket

I made an adult jacket!  This was one item of clothing I hadn't yet tackled, so when I saw it was part of the 8 Days a Week Collection,  I was super excited to test it!

After much debate I thought I'd make it pretty casual and dug out some stretch denim I had in my stash.  And for the lining I thought I'd channel my love of old buildings and used up my piece of blueprint from Caroyln Friedlander's Architextures collection (yes I realize I have no good picture of the inside, ha!), with a little splash of some Japanese import fabric for the accent.

It's constructed basically the same as the little Imagine Jacket I made M back in July.  It's way more straight forward than you'd think with a jacket! And I think I got the hang of those welt pockets now!

It's super comfy with the rib knit and easy to wear!  Now go check out the details on the patterns over on Pattern Anthology!

8 Days a Week - Neptune Tee

So excited to start sharing my tester versions of the newest Pattern Anthology collection 8 Days a Week!  This collection is basically a wardrobe in one!  A great combination of basics and special pieces.

I thought I'd start of my posts with the Neptune T-shirt!

I usually shy away from sewing basics, like a t-shirt, as I have little time to sew and tend to want to only sew things that I can't easily buy.  BUT this shirt has some awesome details that you can mix up to make a special tee you definitely can't buy!

Ideally this shirt needs a more stable knit, so I sewed mine up in some french terry.  It made for a cozy shirt! I think though, especially if you opt to put other fabric in the triangles to stabilize the bindings you could use any knit! I have my next fabric already picked out!

I hover between a XS and an XXS, and in this case made the XXS.  In hindsight, it's not my best size, given I have broad shoulders for my bust size, so I'm sizing up next time.  Regardless this version is still totally wearable regardless (just pretend you don't see those lines under my arms, ha)!  One of the reasons I love a knit, it stretches!

One thing I particularly like about this pattern is the low/high hem option, I love the look, and the length is just perfect.

So don't forget to go check out the 8 Days a Week collection.  The special bundle deal is only available for a limited time!