I mentioned in my last post that I'm a little over sewing pink dresses - I think this is the last one I'm going to make for quite a while. In terms of my KCWC challenge, this dress was a complete failure. I bought the material to make it and not only did I not use a japanese pattern I bought a pattern too. Argh... On the upside - I love the finished product! I bought the Blank Slate Basics Pristine Swing Dress from Melly Sews and really like how it came together - simple, simple, simple but with a lovely finish. It's definitely a pattern that I will pull out and use again. It has a pieced yoke - hello pink! and a pretty nifty back placket.... This is the 'quick we need to take a photo before we run out the door to kindergarten' photo. Despite the fact that I broke all the rules I set myself for KCWC my kids' wardrobes are looking a lot healthier and enjoyed sewing for them. I think I might put away kids clothing patterns for a while though - I've a few other project on my mind. How about you? Caroline
Day 3 of KCWC and I am cheating already. I'm only supposed to be using Japanese patterns but when I came across some gorgeous oatmeal and navy striped knit I knew I had to make it up using the Sailboat Top by O and S.Martin's turning 3 tomorrow and we are celebrating with a pirate party. This shirt is a little more Breton than pirate but it's definitely wearable. I do love O and S patterns. They sew up so beautifully and the finished product is always spot on. I top stitched using triple stitch and a dark thread (always risky). It's a little wonky but hey... it adds character. In the interest of keeping things even I am sewing for Lizzy tomorrow. I've got to say I am not feeling super inspired. I'm a bit over sewing pink dresses. If only she'd wear something else! Any ideas? Caroline PS - Happy Birthday Martin! How are you three already my gorgeous boy?
So my take on KCWC is similar to Caroline's - no new fabric and no new patterns. But I have decided to give my Ottobre magazines a work out. I can only say I wish I was half as organised as Karen when it comes to my Ottobre Magazines. I did have a good giggle thinking about her fabulous system, when I was sitting on my sewing room floor with all my patterns scattered around me swearing (just a little!!) while I searched madly for the pattern sheets I needed. I had Spring 2009 pattern sheets A and B in one hand and the Autumn 2009 C and D in the other, when what I needed was Summer 2009 sheets A and B. I would like to pretend that one day I will have my patterns organised beautifully but if I am honest with myself, being able to find my sewing machine and ironing board under a pile of projects is going to be as good as it gets for me. Karen if you ever come to visit, you will not be allowed to enter my sewing room!!!! I am glad to say that I did eventually find the patterns I needed. It would be pretty depressing to get through KCWC where the only achievement, having invested an hour a day for a whole week, was finding the right pattern sheets! So the first project is some shorts for Will. The linen was a gift from a friend when she de-stashed prior to moving overseas, so these pants cost me nothing. They are called Bert Bermudas and they are in the Summer 2009 Ottobre Magazine.
I am only just working out that sewing for boys is so different to sewing for girls. Boys clothes are often not about fabulous fabric choices (although there are always exceptions to the rule) but rather about the details. Lots of pockets, lots of belt loops and lots of top stitching. I tried out a fancy "quilting" stitch on my machine and although I am happy with the look of the top stitching, I don't think I would use it again. It is a pain in the *!#! to rip out if you make a mistake. I almost wasted today's hour of sewing taking out one of the side seams where the top stitching went a little wild.
Here are the shorts in action:
I can't take credit for the T shirt but this one is one of mine. This was day 2, the Tiku T shirt with boat neck from Ottobre Spring 2009:
It is made from a man's polo shirt - I love not having to hem anything!!
I sort of like it. I am not sure about the boat neck.
It looks pretty good here but the default position is off the shoulder and I am not sure that is the best look for a little boy!! Maybe I jut should have made one size smaller??
So for the next 2 days - I have stripey T shirts planned for Madeleine and Pip.
Why all the stripes??
Martin's turning 3 this week and he's having a pirate party!!!
Yo ho me hearties!!!!!!
Maryanne
I've been tracing patterns, trying to interpret Japanese and sewing up a storm here. I'm trying to keep things simple and wearable. While I loved sewing for Project Run and Play, I don't think that Lizzy has worn any of the things we made for her. Needless to say neither of my items are earth shattering, but they are comfortable and wearable. For Mart, some simple shorts with deep side pockets (so he can carry around all the random stuff he collects instead of offloading it on me!) and some cute little patch pockets because, well, they're just cute. I really like the fact that they have narrower legs. I love, love, love the print I used in these shorts. It's a collection of post marks and addresses. It's a light furnishing weight, but I'm fairly sure it will soften up in the wash.
I feel really limited with what I can sew for Lizzy. In order for her to wear something it needs to be a dress, pink and soft and unstructured. It doesn't leave me with a whole lot of scope! This dress was super easy. It's got a square neck, fluttery sleeves and a high yoke. Simple, bright, comfy and a hit with Lizzy. (phew!)
As much as I enjoyed the sewing today, the best bit was the sibling love whenI took photos this afternoon. If only they always liked each other this much...
Caroline
It seems like everyone has signed up for Elsie Marley's KCWC and I'm no exception. I definitely need some motivation, the weather is warming up and Lizzy and Martin have both grown so much over the winter that they need some new clothes. (desperately!) My challenge is to take all of my patterns and inspiration out of my sizeable stash of Japanese pattern books. I'm passionate about them but definitely don't use them enough. I am forever buying patterns when in reality I have enough to keep me going in my Japanese pattern books till my kids move out. While at times the patterns can be little confusing (hello hiragana!), there are lots of amazing resources out there to help you out. Last year I blogged about them here. Why do I love these books so much? - Their aesthetic is beautifully simple ( I don't think I've ever seen a diamonte in a Japanese pattern book...)
- They sew up beautifully ( as long as you don't forget to add seam allowances!)
- There as many gorgeous patterns for boys as there are for girls
- The patterns are timeless - they aren't caught up in the latest trend or fashion and they are just as suitable for a ten year old as a three year old
- The books contain lots of basic shapes - They make a perfect blank slate for your own designs and inspirations
- While the books seem expensive, they all contain at least 8 patterns in multiple sizes. When you look at it like that, they're a bargain!
So - the sewing challenge has been set. Seven days of sewing, all Japanese patterns and no fabric buying. Easy.... Are you sewing along with KCWC? What are you plans? Do you use Japanese patterns? I'd love to hear all about it!Caroline
We're so excited to have Jessica here today. She is one of the most prolific, generous and lovely bloggers we know.
Dying to find out all about her best friend? Take it away Jessica! Hi everyone, I am Jessica and I blog over at Me Sew Crazy. I have been friends with Maryanne and Caroline ever since the very first season of Project Run & Play where we played along in the at home sewing Flickr group. Their beautiful creations caught my eye right away, the quality of work was simply stunning, and I have followed along ever since. When they mentioned the idea of a 'Best Friend' Series, I thought it was only fitting I begin with that intro - as it segways beautifully into who or what my best sewing friends are. It is you guys! Not just Maryanne and Caroline, although I do consider them among them. But it is all of you sewing bloggers. You inspire me in more ways than I can ever say. You encourage me in the comments on my posts, you share your testimonies and stories with me in e-mails, you post beautiful creations of your own that continue to fuel my passion, and you teach me new techniques that I am lucky enough to be able to put to good use. Without you, I wouldn't be where I am today. I wouldn't have gotten as far as I have. And I wouldn't be dreaming the dreams I dream. Seeing lovely creations every day when I look at my blog roll keeps me going, like the gorgeous Emerson Tunic Dress by luvinthemommyhood. Seeing the way she paired her gorgeous fabric covered buttons with that fabulous fabric is totally inspiring to me. Or the way she flipped the fabric grain for her button placket to create a more interesting look. I love it all! And you guys not only inspire me, but you help me learn! I was so happy to stumble across this helpful tutorial by Kitschy Coo to get perfect armhole seams every time with a fully lined bodice. I was finally able to stop setting in sleeves when Dana of Made showed me an alternative, and much easier, method! I now understand how to make a welt zipper pocket thanks to Jessica from Running with Scissors, and am able to screenprint on fabric thanks to See Kate Sew. Kelly from Sewing in No Man's Land gave me the incentive I needed to learn how to digitize my patterns. And Lindsay from The Cottage Home helped me figure out the marketplace for my handmade goods. Without these ladies putting out their hard work into creating the fabulous free tutorials we get to see all of the time, I might never have learned any of these techniques. Or it would have been much harder to figure it when I eventually did. When I want to know something, I know I can reach out and always get great answers and advice. All I need to do is post something on Facebook and I will have answers instantly pointing me in the right direction! Even in the very beginning, when no one knew me and I didn't have any Facebook followers (ahem - or a FB page for that matter). One of the very first tutorials and patterns I stumbled across was the Buttercup Bag by Made by Rae. I didn't know proper blog etiquette (ummm...still don't), but I e-mailed her - a huge blogger, and was blown away when I got a response. Not only a response, but a huge in depth response full of helpful information! The sewing world is just so friendly, and this is the case for almost all bloggers you meet! I even like to roam link parties for inspiration, like Mandy's from Sugar Bee Crafts every Tuesday. Why? Because this is how I generally meet new people. I have found so many people that are just starting out thanks to a link party, and have been able to follow along as they grow. It is so much fun watching someone else's success, it feels like you are cheering them on from the sidelines - and it is fantastic. You are my sewing best friends, whether we actually correspond or not. You inspire me, keep me motivated, and lift me up with your posts and creativity. It is thanks to you that I released my first free sewing pattern a year and a half ago - the Spring Fever Dress. I wouldn't have known that was possible until I saw others doing it. And because of you I grew in my sewing skills, and have been able to release my own line of digitized sewing patterns. I love following along, knowing there are others out there like me who have a passion for the creative art of sewing. You even inspired me to come out with my latest endeavor - SewSet. I love checking out other sewing blogs so much, that I realized there was no one place where we could all be found together. A sewing community was missing. Where was the ravelry for the sewing world?!! What is SewSet? SewSet is a brand new website that operates as a sewing pattern and tutorial hub. There was a need for an on-line sewing search engine, where users could search, browse and save sewing patterns from all of their favorite independent designers. For more information, click HERE. It is still in the beginning phases, and we have lots more to introduce into SewSet with new features rolling out all of the time. But it is the start of something great. I hope you will hop on over and become a part of it, upload your own tutorials and patterns, create a designer profile, and get involved in the ever growing sewing community! But NONE of this would have ever come to fruition if it wasn't for YOU. You guys are my sewing friends. I couldn't do it without you. And some of you will never know just how much you inspire me. I have stretched and grown further than I ever thought possible, and have found a lifelong love in my craft thanks to you. It is you I have to thank, ever so humbly, as my best sewing friends. Thanks so much for having me here Maryanne and Caroline, and for being one of my inspirations. Until next time...Happy Sewing!  blog | facebook | twitter | pinterest
Take some vintage inspiration...
And a $15 (!) piece of wool and cashmere that I picked up at Fabricabrac... Spend one evening thinking and cutting and another evening sewing... And Madeleine gets a new cape!This remix was a simple one. I assembled the cape exactly as the original instructions described and just made a few easy changes - I added 2.5 inches to each centre front panel, to make it double breasted.
- I added 3 inches to the length of the cape. (Madeleine is tall and I wanted to get at least 2 winters out of this cape)
- I drafted up a collar that sat just short of the centre front. I traced off a collar that I liked from a dress she has and altered it to fit the cape using this technique. I attached the collar in the same way as the book suggests you attach the hood.
- I drafted up some flaps for the slits. The vintage parenthesis shape was irresistible! I basted them to the back part of the split before I stitched the outer cape and lining together and then top stitched the pockets in exactly the same way as the book describes.
Madeleine loves this cape. She feels so glamorous wearing it. She hasn't told me that, but I can tell by the way she walks when she wears it! I usually have to fight with my shorts and T shirt loving girl to take a jumper (pullover) to school on cold days. Now I can't convince her to leave her cape behind!
My only regret is that I didn't have enough of the beautiful wool and cashmere fabric to make it in my size instead!
Maryanne
Today it's my turn to play with the basic bodice pattern. This is what I have come up with – the Colour Pop tunic. It has a contrasting facing (the “Pop” bit) and some sleeves with some inverted pleats at the shoulder. I’ll show you how to draft and sew both of these features in today’s tutorial. I am still so happily amazed at the variety of permutations and combinations you can make with a good basic pattern. If you haven’t checked out Caroline’s Modern Vintage top you can find it here. We have used the same bodice pattern to make both of these tops. Watch out next week for our Basic A line dress round up and tutorials from both Caroline and I. We'll show you how to vary this pattern to make two very different dresses If you would like to make your own Colour Pop Tunic grab your basic bodice pattern and click on the Read More button to find out how. Maryanne
Finally! We're both really excited to start our very first series - Beyond the Basics. Our aim is to show you how, with a few basic shapes, you can create a multiplicity of garments. You can make exactly what you want!
What do all of the gorgeous girls tops below have in common? The all start with a basic pattern. Look at all of the things that you can do once you have a bodice pattern! Click on each image for its source It's hard to believe that all of these tops are based on one shape, isn't it?
So, to start at the very beginning, what does a bodice pattern look like?
Just like this! (Apologies for the weird colouring... it's the result of a green cutting board and trying to take a pre-dawn photo...) Where can you get one? There are lots of tutorials to show you how you can draft your own using a pre-made garment. Jess at Craftiness is not optional has one here and here is another one from icandyhandmade. You also find that many patterns that you've purchased (you know - the stash in the back of your cupboard!) will be based on a bodice too. You just need to have a look for the pattern shapes above. This week we're going to show you two amazing things that you can do with a bodice patterns so make sure that you've got your pattern ready to go. Phew... this post is way longer than I intended. If you've read this far, you definitely deserve a giveaway! If you'd like your very own copy of 'Getting the Most From Your Sewing Machine' and a yard each of Miss Mod by Chelsea Anderson and Tea Garden by Dena Designs, then leave us a comment. You've got until midnight on Sunday February 26th to enter and we're happy to send internationally.
Good luck and see you all later this week for a tutorial!
Caroline
We are very excited to be participating in the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day. We love giving things away and having new visitors to our blog. But if I am really honest, I need your help...Someone needs to benefit from my total lack of organisation and you may be the lucky one!Every year I make my girls Christmas dresses. This year I decided to pretend that I was a carefully planning, highly organised person and bought this lovely collection to make Pippa her dress in October: - The O and S Family Reunion Dress Pattern in size 5-12
- 1.4 m ( a little over 1.5 yards) of this sweet fabric called Sevenberry
- A contrasting piece of shot cotton (sorry, I am not sure of the colour name or manufacturer)
I brought my little package home very excited and promptly lost it. I spent the next 6 weeks trying to find it - I pulled out the cupboard under the stairs several times, checked under my bed, checked in the kid's cupboards, in the toy boxes and the shoebox. I have to admit when I need to do a quick tidy up, these are all common places where I shove things. I even thought to look in my sewing room, but no matter how hard I searched, I could not find it anywhere.
I tried to convince myself that maybe I had lost it before I even got home, but deep down inside I knew - it was somewhere in the chaotic black hole I call my home.
I finally gave up, re-bought the pattern and fabric and made dresses for both Pippa and Madeleine.
Pippa's Dress
Madeleine's Dress
I think you know the rest of the story...
Once the dresses were complete, I found the original pattern and fabric tucked into my... hat box.
So, one lucky Sew Mama Sew reader will reap the benefits of my disorganised life. The winner of our giveaway will receive the pattern and fabric. There is enough fabric to make a size 5 (or possibly a size 6 dress) or the shirt version in any size. I love O and S patterns. Every time I use one I learn a new skill. The Family Reunion pattern is no different. I will use the techniques I learned making these dresses to put on all my facings in the future - such a great way to give a lovely finish.
So to participate in this giveaway, you need to help me out.
I must get my life more organised and I have decided that 2012 will be the year to do it.
Please leave a comment with some advice about how you keep your life organised so I can benefit from your wisdom. It could be a tip about cleaning, diaries, weekly planners, storage ideas or even a link to a tutorial - anything that you think will help me get my act together.
The giveaway will be open until December 16 at 5 p.m. PST. A comment will be chosen at random and that lucky person will be the winner. We are happy to post internationally. Please make sure you leave an email address so we can contact you.
Thanks so much for all your help and good luck!
Maryanne (the disorganised one) and Caroline
This giveaway is now closed. We will be backlater today to announce the winner!
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