I am so in love with this Oliver + S ice cream dress pattern that I've used it twice (I made a tunic version) and won't stop there.
I am also smitten with this fabric combo (Heather Ross' Far Far Away II linen roses and a Kona solid in mustard yellow). So much so that I am working on a birdie sling in the same combo for myself!
When I made it for her in November it was a bit too big but finally it fits and I'm hoping she will choose it to wear more often.
]]>So when things aren't adding up and I'm not sewing up a dress a day (damn you unrealistic expectations!) I like to whip off a few quick projects to feel extra productive.
To me there is nothing faster then pulling out my serger and turning a few old t-shirts into kiddie clothes. These striped pants were an old shirt of mine using the body of it. Check out this tutorial by Dana from Made for the how-to (minus the ruching). The best part: using the already hemmed bottom of the shirt for the bottom hem of the legs, and the side seams of the shirt as the side seams of the pants. So easy!
This pair are made from the sleeves of an old shirt of mine. I love this technique - the bottoms and sides are already sewn up so you just have to attach the legs together. Genius! I can't find a how-to tutorial for this, maybe I should make one!
And this little experiment was an old tank top of mine. I shortened the straps, took in the sides and added a piece of polka dot fabric to try and make it come up higher on her front. In the end this was a bit of a fail. But hey, it took me ten minutes and maybe next year it will fit so it wasn't all wasted.
Other great quickie project tutorials out there include:
If you have any faves please feel free to share them!
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The sun shone briefly on Monday and I took the opportunity for Alice to try out her new hat.
I've never made one before but I figured a simple bucket hat from Oliver + S: little things to sew was a good place to start. It comes in a few different sizes. Alice's head is 19" around so I decided to go with the 3-5 YO size with a 20" circumference but use slightly larger seam allowances so it wasn't too big. And it worked!
I wanted to choose a neutral fabric for one side and a more colourful option for the other. Alice had requested blue so I chose this light blue crossweave, its almost like a soft denim.
And for the reverse side I chose sweet and simple polka dot roses in happy spring colours.
This pattern is a definite keeper and I will make a small version next summer for the little one on the way.
I'm not the only one with sun hats on their kcwc list. Take a look at this great bonnet, and Trula Kids' matching caps, and a tiny version of my hat with ties.
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I remember floating around my childhood in nightgowns and felt like it was time for her to graduate from her full body PJs and float too.
Alice chose this pillow case (yes she is so tiny that I can make her a whole dress from a pillow case!). The best thing about this fabric is that my parents had these pillow cases in blue when I was growing up so this print makes me so happy.
I will take any opportunity to add a rose.
I loved how simple and easy this pattern was to make. The most time consuming part was the multi step lace on the neck and arms but I enjoyed learning how to do it properly.
I made the two over two evenings and I will definitely make her more of them (and maybe some in flannel with sleeves for the winter).
And the best part? She absolutely loves them and will now only wear her nighties to bed....or to dance around the living room.
]]>Five Green Acres has made a super cute measurement chart for your cowgirl and cowboy. {Thanks to Meg for sharing this on her pinterest board}
So go, now, and measure your little one for your late night sewing project.
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I'm hoping to make Alice a few nightgowns so she has other options then her full body pajamas.
And for my fair little one a sun hat is a must. Plus, I'm very excited to finally sew something from the oliver + s: little things to sew book.
photo by Elsie Marley
I also want to try these dressy knot shorts thanks to Meg's tutorial on Grosgrain.
photo by Me Sew Crazy
Or maybe some old school shorts for beach days?
photo by Make It and Love It
photo by Make It and Love ItAnd of course a couple skirts thanks to tutorials from Make It and Love It {click on the photos for links to each skirt}.
photo by Prudent Baby
And finally, if I am feeling ambitious (or just plain delusional) I will make a little summer snap dress by Prudent Baby.
What are you going to make?
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This will be my third time participating and I am so excited I might even try and get a head start this weekend!
Need some motivation? Check out Meg's Pinterest boards: for inspiration and tutorials. And throughout the week people will post their creations to the Elsie Marley flickr page so make sure to check back regularly.
Not sure where to start? Meg has been hosting a series of interviews with kids clothing pattern designers that has been causing me to daydream of possibilities. My favourites so far are:
heidi & finn's chic everyday coat
mani mina's criss cross chic dress
All of these patterns are available in the designer's etsy shops and are sold as PDFs (ie. can arrive in your inbox as soon as you're ready to make them!).
Now I'm off to go dig through my fabric and make a to-do list for next week. Let me know if you are going to participate as well so I can follow your kcwc adventure as well.
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My love of blossoms makes this painting I won from Jill extra special to me. Thank you Jill!
And there is another thing blossoming in my life - we are expecting our second child in September. When I found out I was pregnant it was so nice to realize why I had been moving at a slower pace these last few months. And now I am coming out of the fog of my first trimester while the rest of the world is coming out of the fog of winter. I'm stretching out to the sun just like the buds and blossoms are.
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I used the classic Wonderful Wallaby pattern. It comes in sizes small enough to fit a tiny baby and big enough to fit a large adult. While I don't think I'd have the patience to make one that fits an adult a size 2 seemed totally manageable. And it was.
Of course I added the extra challenge of making stripes to add some colour and use up some yarn scraps I had. I love how it looks but I definitely grumbled about carting around 4 balls of wool while knitting this! I used Cascade Yarns 220 Wool for the main colour and doubled up Koigu Premium Merino for the stripes. Both yarns were great to knit with and have worn well.
The first challenge for me was the pouch which I decided not to stripe (good choice) and I was pleasantly surprised that it was easier then I thought it would be.
My second challenge were the sleeves. Only because I didn't have double pointed needles in the right size so I knit them flat and then seamed them up. Knitting stripes with four different yarns is a lot messier flat then in the round and then seaming up two sleeves while trying to match up the stripes was no fun at all. Next time I will wait until I find the right sized needles instead.
The final challenge for me was grafting the top of the hood with a kitchener stitch. I had read comments about how people avoided projects with this stitch because they hated it so much but luckily I didn't find it too bad. Don't get me wrong it wasn't easy and I did screw up a few times (as you can see) but I survived it and that's what counts.
This sweater has stretched a bit over the past year and therefore still fits her. It was a great project for me and an awesome cozy sweater for her. I will definitely be making more wallabies over the years as she grows.
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Yes, $35 for a pattern is higher then most commercial patterns and the $15 for shipping to Canada didn't help but I justified it by telling myself I'd use the pattern multiple times and honestly I have been looking for a similar style in a major commercial pattern for awhile and haven't found one. Plus, its nice to support an independent designer when my wallet allows for it.
As soon as my pattern arrived in the mail I pulled out the piece of denim chambray I'd been saving for this top and got sewing. I was impressed by how quickly the top came together but I was glad I had some experience with sewing shirts before, it helped when it came to with sleeves and collar.
I made an XL and ended up taking in the shoulders and sides as well as hemming it quite a bit. When I made my second version I made a L and let the shoulders out but still hemmed it and took in the sides considerably. Luckily the loose tunic shape makes it easy to trim the sides or add darts for shaping if you wanted to.
I wanted my thread to match the fabric but I didn't consider that my bobbin thread would show on the inside of the collar that flopped open. Oops!
In the end I really love this shirt. So much I made another one the following week in this gingham weave in honour of a version of Jenny's that I've always loved.
I don't have any photos of the second one but I can say I wear both versions all the time. I'm dreaming of a short sleeved version in a Nani Iro double gauze or a Liberty of London Print for spring/summer.
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