First Bloom Spring Hoodie

Decided I wanted to make a lighter weight hoodie for spring, I found a lovely pattern for basic tees and hoodies for women and men, and decided to give it a shot. It turned out true to size, so hopefully the men's will be true to size and work for Kev when he gets home. The front and back are two different colors, but i think the layered sleeves and lined hood in both colors pulls it together.


The lavender is rib knit and the olive green is interlock both from the local JoAnn's. I decided to add a little embroidery on the pocket, just a vine and some leaves.


I read about using double strands of embroidery thread to make the embroidery stand out, I usually end up stitching the emboridery twice, to make it more noticeable; the double stranding works really nicely! Makes the stitches pop. :)


And the bloom! I knew I wanted a simple lily like flower, I was getting ready to look for clip art shapes when the new kids ottobre magazine showed up and had the prefect flower all ready to be traced!



Little bit closer up of the flower. there are red/orange seedy things in the middle of the flower (double strand of embroidery thread again :).

I actually made NO modifications to the pattern! It was long enough in the sleeves and body length and wide enough in the shoulders for me! I think the only thing I would change is the boxiness in the body, i like things to be a bit more fitted in the waist but it does work nicely for layer.

I also finished a pair of Knickerbocker inspired short for little i, but, well they look a little Pirate of the Penzance to me. Little i declared them 'perfect!' and wore them all day, so maybe I won't change them after all and take a pic once they are out of the dryer.

Annmarie

My first ruffle project

Yup. Pretty sure. I've been sewing since childhood, but I am pretty sure I have never made anything with ruffles. Actually, I don't even think I own anything with ruffles. Obviously, when I sew for the boys the projects are ruffle free, but I don't really *do* super girly stuff. But, someone was talking about Matilda Jane clothing and I feel in love with the adult ruffle pants. So fun and different (well, for me at least!) that I had to try making a pair (remember no rtw clothing? ;)
I used a medium weight jersey brown/red heathered. So comfy to wear! My worn out pj pants were the pattern again and i just added the ruffle; it was about 1.75 times longer then the hem of my pants. I tried the ruffler/gatherer stitch on my serger but was having a bit of a user error problem. The fabric looked like it was eased instead of really gathered; gotta work on that! I just pinned gathers into when attaching to the pants and sergered (does that make sense?)


I love that baby n is trying to do tree pose too!


Ignore my poor posture I was trying to show off the pants ;P I think if I made them again I would make them a little shorter, like capri length, and a bit slimmer in the leg (that would depend on the weight of the fabric though!)

I've been working on a lint collecting UFO, It's almost done, but my machine needs a break!

Love
Annmarie

Kimono tops and pants, pants, pants

I finished up some of these projects over the weekend but have finally sat down at the computer. But first. sigh...I have a confession to make. I bought fabric. Not just need to finish a project, need a yard of yellow knit. Nope. Cute stuff. Boy knits at Joann's (on sale). Really, BOY knits at Joann's!! And a cute knit for me online as I needed size tags. January fabric sales make a diet very challenging. Anyway fell off the wagon, but I am back on and planning to participate in stash game on Sewing Mamas Forum. Gotta make sure I know all the rules, but it's just for fun; sew what ya got and no buying new fabric or you lose points.

First project! A little kimono lightweight jacket for little i and coordinating fancy pants. Well they aren't fancy as in frilly and only wear to church, just more involved then the typical 10 minute pants I've been making.
This was marketed as a girl's pattern but I thought it would be cute for my guys too! I did a halfway length, they had a short jacket or knee length jacket and I decided about the middle would be good. I used snaps instead of ties and the fabric is featherweight cord.


The reverse or lining (I made it fully reversible!) The two prints used were cause err I couldn't decide. No really! It had nothing to do with the fact I only bought a yard of each and didn't have enough of either to do the whole top :)

Close up of the prints. I love the animal print!


The back of the jacket. This came together really quick! I can see myself making another one :)

Green fancy pants. From Ottobre umm 1/08, I think? I haven't got the new one yet so pretty sure that's the spring one I've been using. The fabric is a diagonal lime green/regular green twill. Very nice to sew and perfect weight for spring. I did a boo boo and forgot seam allowances (again) and kinda goofed the billows pocket but it turned out pretty nice. Oh and I didn't use a zip like they said to cause, yeah it would be 2.25 inches long. really? all that work for less than 3 inches of zipper? So I added snaps instead and they coordinate with the kimono top. Two
of the tees coordinate with the pants too!

Fixed up Woollybottoms footies. Managed to get my hands on some woollybottoms (made of recycled wool, hard to get around here :) and little i loved them so much he wore holes in the legs where the back of the leg meets the foot! I took off the old feet, attached new ones with an extra long footbed that folds up behind his heel so he hopefully won't do that again. I had to use different fabric, and we picked out the robot fabric so it matches his shirt. He was so nice to show off my machine appliqued suede grippies on the foot.


Desert Pants also from afore mentioned Ottobre. This is such a cool pattern you only need one cut of fabric. Not two like I cut this morning! I added a super huge pocket that I am told can fit a checkbook, keys, 5 cars, a pencil and wadded up tissue paper.

Annnd this would be the second cut of the fabric! I cut it down to baby n's size added a not quite as huge pocket and reverse appliqued a tee I had sitting around. Gotta say reverse applique is fun!! The rocket print was just perfect to reverse applique.

A kimono top for me. I had finished this awhile ago but had some stitches come undone so it's been sitting in the sewing room in the dreaded mending pile. I know the picture is terrible but it's dark brown jersey, has lovely drape.


Last project!! Yes I am showing you my dirty laundry. Sorry about that! An open wetbag for my used kitchen towels and washclothes. I had been putting them in the hamper but it's cloth and would get smelly and gross and I would take apart the whole thing to wash it. Not. Fun. I then just piled the dirty towels in front of the garbage can in the kitchen and that was gross. So this has been in the back of my mind for awhile and I finally got some white PUL to do it. It's in two parts the outer fun fabric is lined and then the white bit is the PUL that can be pulled out and thrown in the wash. I can make more PUL liners as needed and keep the cute fabric cube in the kitchen :D.

Okay that's it. Thanks for sticking with me through all of those projects! I did proofread this but blogger spellcheck isn't working and blogger's giving me fits. Sorry for the poor grammer and terrible spelling.

Lots more to come!
Annmarie

Wardrobe Starter

I've started working on little i's wardrobe. Got 5 raglan sleeve tees done over the past 2 day and made a nice dent in that stack of fabric he had picked out.

I modified the pattern I had used for the boys' Christmas jammies so it's longer in the body and a bit slimmer.
I decided to start with 2 long sleeved and 3 short. Totally awesome apple print (c &c) with some heathered grey, lime striped sleeves.

This one is a cute dog print (from JOANNS!! why doesn't my joanns carry cute cotton knits?!?! pouts.) that I got in a trade. I am really glad I did contrasting sleeves as baby n looked very pitiful when he saw that the doggies were for little i, I have enough left over to work the print into a top for baby n too!


The rest of the tops. The skulls on the right are a thermal with grey/black stripes and bright green topstitching.


Closer up of the prints. I was so excited to be able to get the robot one on the left, it had been out of print and crazy hard (and expensive) to get so I was jumping up and down excited when I found out it was being reprinted. :D

Managed to finagle baby n into his hudson hat. He decided to ham it up for the camera last night.



What a squishy tassel!



I can do it by. my. self.

Gotta go the boys are watering the plants for me...

Annmarie

Purple Wool Dress

So about a year ago when we decided to switch to cloth diapers, I discovered that I am not totally allergic to wool :) Very exciting for me because I was pretty much limited to cotton, silk or cashmere for sweaters. Now I have added some love wool items to my closet, as well use wool covers for the boys. (oh right and knit with wool) I had bought some wool jersey to make covers for the boys, but after making some shorties decided I liked interlock and blend wool better. So I had 2 lightly felted yards of jersey to do 'something' with. I decided to try out dip dying and make something for me out of it.

I modified a pattern I had on hand and used a knit dress in my closet for inspiration. I am pretty happy with how it turned out. It's definitely unique!


It's slightly see through, so it will be an over other clothes type dress.


I overlapped the straps in the back and added a pleat to help it fit better.


Annmarie

Orange Coats Part 3

Finally, Orange Coats Part 3, my coat. I think it should be subtitled 'I surrender!!!' This coat was challenging from the get go. Had a hard time finding lining material and buttons, ran out of thread twice, machine and fabric didn't get along. So finally, last night I just decided I needed to stop sewing on it. LOL At any rate, it's as done as it's going to be, it fits (oddly that was never a problem!) and will be warm.




I used a classic peacoat shape, mid length with a vent in the back and slit seam pockets. The pattern is McCall's 5525, I ended up cutting a size 12 as McCall's tend to fit very tight in the shoulders for me and it's easier to take in than add fabric! I decided to leave off the belt as I never like having a belt on a coat. I lined it with dupioni silk in a lovely warm brown, I think the color was called gingerbread. I ended up using fabric covered buttons (note: wool suiting is thick for a covered button!) as i didn't find coordinating buttons in the size I needed. The buttonholes...well let's just say the buttonhole feature on my machine is not my favorite feature and I would rather sew 2o zippers any day!!


The hem is even i swear! I think i got it crooked on the hanger when I flipped it to show the back.

Quick run outside for some more self timer shots, coat was warm even in the wind, but my ears were cold!


Phew! Glad this project is finished :)



The trilogy, all ready for our next outing.

Annmarie

Super Bright Domestic Goddess Apron

Finished project! Got my Amy Butler pleat bodice domestic goddess sew along apron done. Wowza that is a long name for a project. When I first saw the AB apron pattern I thought it was very similar to the Sew Liberated Emmeline pattern, I am happy to say it's not. :D The pleat bodice, waistband, and straps are fully lined and there are cute little pockets on the skirt part. A moderately easy pattern, nothing too tricky, just a bit fiddly with all the pleats on the bodice and sewing the curved pockets. The one thing I would change is topstitching the open edge on the pocket. I also think it would be fun to make it totally reversible; all that would needed is cutting an extra skirt piece and the lining bodice piece in different fabric.

I tried using my self timer for the pictures as the apron was hard to photograph on the hanger.


As you can see, I had helpers! Super bright, fun fabric, mocca mums and lime green apple. It's really super bright!!


I topstitched in pink for something different, and well, I have several spools of pink thread that have been neglected. (do you see that mischievous glint in baby n's eye?)


Yup ignore my face, trying to distract the boys from playing with the camera.



patchwork potholder, i was feeling lazy and just turned and topstitched instead of doing a binding.

ETA: Adding some detail pics ;) I realized something else I would change when using this apron yesterday; I think I will change the side that the towel loop is on, it's on the right and I am left handed so makes using it a bit awkward.

Pocket.


Bodice and waist.

I totally forgot about this! I made some little tags, mostly to sew the waist and necklines of clothes so the guys can figure out which side is the back. Couldn't decide on what to put on them so just went with the blog name :)


I had little i pick out some fabric for his spring wardrobe and the stack is taller than him! Glad he's excited for me to sew!

Love
Annmarie

It's all a work in progress

I was hoping to have a finished project to post this week but I haven't finished anything. My winter coat is kicking my booty. I had to take a break (and it's 50 degrees again, not feeling so urgent to finish it) as the hem has me all frustrated. Topstitching has been a beast on this coat, my presser foot and the material are not getting along. Anyway, here's a work in progress pic for the coat:


I decided work on my sew along apron instead last night, here's a little sneak peek:


And I've been knitting another Hudson Hat; it's about 80% done and I actually used up some scraps! Guess I better find another biggish project :)



I thought I'd add a fun pic of the boys. They think popsicles are a year round treat; I think they are an outside only summer treat. Our compromise is in the wintertime they are eaten in the bathtub as they are sticky and gross to clean up :D.



Take care, hope everyone is enjoying the new year.
Love
Annmarie