Sewing for Boys!

I'm so thrilled to finally announce what Shelly and Karen from Patterns by Figgy's have been up to. As you probably know, I've been a pattern tester for PBF for the past several months (almost a year, I think). Recently, I was able to let it slip that these lovely ladies were writing a book....but a book on what?! Well finally we can let the cat out of the bag!

It's a book all about sewing...FOR BOYS!!! Something that I think a lot of people have been pining for. I tested just about every pattern in the book and they are all great! I even got to make a garment for the photo shoot, which was pretty exciting for me. This is the garment I made:

Photo courtesy of PBF

Too bad I can't be credited with making the little guy too 'cause he's darn cute! Please check out their blog for more sneaky peaks and more info!

She Likes It...

and says it makes her feel like a girl and grown up. I think that's a good thing.

Handmade Christmas part 1

My daughter, believe it or not, has been begging me desperately for a Christmas outfit to wear to Grandma's. She even wants a dress! The ultimate Jean Girl wants a dress! I think I will faint now... She showed me a picture from a magazine that has a girl in a long sleeved striped top with a little sundress over it. I said I would get to it if I had time... LOL! I'm sneaky that way.

Anyhoo, I've been pouring over all my patterns and Ottobre magazines to find something suitable and hopefully that she'll like. It's probably going to come back and bite me in the butt for not working with her on it, but what can I say, I'm a glutton for punishment! I've already finished the striped top and I wrapped it before I took a picture. Doh! It's Ottobre 2/2007 design #3(I think). I used some Chez Ami black and white striped cotton/Lycra. I actually made myself a shirt with the same fabric and the same pattern. I made mine with an aqua neckband but chose white for hers. I love that shirt and I hope she will like hers. For the dress, I'm using Lana from Ottobre 5/2010. I think the woman in the magazine looks so cute with the long sleeved dress underneath. I figured it'd be a lot more modest and warm than a tiny sundress. The most trouble I've had was finding fabric to use. Most of the knits I have are boyish or way to thin. I ended up going to the thrift shop in search of fabric and came away with a $2 long sleeved knit dress in a pretty plum color. It came with a vest too but I was able to cut the entire pattern from the main dress. That pretty much reduced it to shreds!

This is all I have left!

Now I have the pattern all laid out and ready to sew.

I've read others' reviews and it seems like a quick sew. I'll probably get it done today while she's in school. I may wrap it, but I'm itching to just give it to her when she gets home!

Feeling the Blahs

Well folks, I really have a lot of stuff to show you and some very cool news, but I feel like shit. I had to put my Mother-in-Law in the hospital on Friday. That was an all day affair, of course, and I've been up there with her most of the day, everyday. Hopefully we'll have her out tomorrow. I haven't got a damn thing done and now I'm really starting to feel like hell. I hope I'm not getting sick but it's going around. Grr, I just don't have time for that.
Conner and I did go get batteries the other day so my camera is up and running. I'll try to post pictures sometime this week of the things I've made. I already had a picture of my brown Schoolhouse Tunic (I forgot about that the other day) so I can share that with you now! Gratuitous dog shots included!

 

Sewing Whirlwinds Are the Greatest!

Wow, this is my 200th post! How about that?

Well I had a nice sewing whirlwind of a weekend! No homework is the greatest thing ever. Ever! I made no less than 4 garments! And guess what? My damn camera is out of batteries so I have nothin' to show! Yet. Anyhoo, here's what I made:

1. Panties for a custom order. (I can't show these 'cause they're all packed up to be shipped.)
2. My Brown Schoolhouse Tunic (which I love and have worn twice already)
3. A super easy circle skirt for me, a la MADE.
4. A BRA for me!  (Can you believe it?)

I'm also working on Vogue 8546. I've been wanting to make the jacket/cardigan up for quite some time now. When I saw that Debbie was working on it the spark was renewed. I don't have many large pieces of fabric in my stash that would work but I found a crazy double knit from the '70's that was long enough. It's a bright cherry red and kind of obnoxious. I'll post a pic of that too!

After I pick up the li'l mister from school, we're going on a battery run.

Fall Sewing

Fall has to be one of my favorite times of the year! I love the crisp air. I love taking the kids to the pumpkin patch. Just the general feeling and smell of Fall. I don't know how to describe it. One other thing is wearing layers! I'm not fortunate enough to have a beach bod so tanks and shorts are not really my thing. Jeans, sweaters, skirts with boots, and long sleeve tees...that's my thing. I just splurged on this pattern from Sew Liberated:

I see this becoming a staple in my wardrobe. The tunics I've seen made from this look really good. I have this cute brown rayon I picked up at the thrift store the other day, 4 yards for $4, that I think will work nicely.

If you've made this, let me know what you think of it!

I have been sewing...really!

Yes, it IS true! I have actually been sitting down at my machines and sewing stuff! First, I want to apologize to any of you who had trouble posting comments. I've had a couple of people email me and say they couldn't. I think I got it fixed so let the commenting commence. I love hearing from all of you!

This picture is as good as it gets for now!

Okay! First sewing project is McCall's 5893. I finally made myself a maxi-dress! Better late than never! The fabric was bought last summer and I never got around to it. This is supposed to be an easy one hour dress but it has taken me like a week to finish. I cannot place any fault on the pattern though. It's been all me. The fabric I used was pretty thin and stretchy so I decided to add a lining to the bodice. I just used the outer fabric and cut another bodice piece for this. For some dumb reason I thought I could stitch the neckline and armhole and then it would all turn inside out perfectly. Well, no that didn't happen. No matter how I twisted and turned it just didn't work! I tried and tried to figure it out but since I basically had two tubes attached by two big pieces of fabric it would never work. So, I spent over an hour on that little gem before I realized I was just going to have to rip the armhole seams out. There was no question. Dammit! Amazingly, I found a tutorial on how to do this type of bodice with a lining just in the nick of time but I'll be damned if I can't find that blog now! I may have to do up a tutorial myself on it 'cause it's a pretty handy technique to have stashed away in the ol' noggin! If anyone is interested in a tut let me know and I'll get to work on it.

I also did a 1.5 inch FBA and it turns out I didn't need it. The fabric stretched sooo much I ended up taking out 4" on each side. Yes, a total of 8"! That's just ridiculous. I *almost* started ripping the bodice and skirt apart and then I smacked myself back into reality. I just cut that sucker apart and re-sewed it. This ended up being a very good thing since the bodice and the skirt were both too long and now they're just about right. The bodice is still a bit long.

Another thing I changed was I didn't make a casing at the bodice/skirt seam as directed. I hate doing that and think it looks really sloppy. Instead, I just measured the elastic to fit around me just under my bust. Then I stitched it to the seam allowance just as you would a waistband; quartering the elastic and dress, stitching with a zig-zag while stretching the elastic to fit.

Wow, that doesn't make a lick of sense but you understand now why a one hour dress turned into a 1 million hour one.

Next up is some more sewing for the little girl I used to babysit. She's turning three so I wanted to make her some new outfits for fall. I've only made these little pants so far. I used Ottobre 1/2009 design #21 for the base. I adapted it into one piece instead of two so you just cut out, sew the inseam and crotch, hem, and make the waistband casing and yer done! Love that!

Now I just need to find some fabric to go with this rosy coral! I'm having a really hard time. None of my knits go with it, unless I use white, so I'm probably going to have to use a woven. I have some more knit tops to make and maybe some jeans. I'll share those when I get done!

Looks like lots of back to school sewing has been going on around the blog-o-sphere. I love to see all the cute stuff people are making. The weather is starting to turn cooler and the trees are starting to let go of their leaves. I love this time of year!

Lookie...

lookie!

Got these in the mail yesterday! One of the perks of test sewing for PB Figgy's is all of us testers got copies of the final patterns we tested! Isn't that sweet?! Way more than I was expecting. I'd say this is a pretty good gig! :-) Kelly's kids are featured on the front covers and I though that was pretty darn cool! On Patty Young's blog she has a little excerpt from the 2010 Bernina University Fashion Show and it features the Beach Bum Hoodie and Board Shorts!

The kids are spending the week at my parents so I'm getting ready for a garage sale this weekend. Not exactly what I enjoy doing but it's so much easier when they're not around and sifting through everything. Usually there are whines of, "you caaaan't sell thaaaat!!" So, it's best to do this sans kiddos. Then I'll be gearing up to sew some back-to-school clothes. I did get the Riff t-shirt from Ottobre 3/2010 made Sunday night but Conner wore it to Grandma's and I didn't get a pic of it yet. I used a striped knit and didn't do the guitar applique this go 'round. It was incredibly easy to sew and I did most of it on my regular machine. I just used my coverstitch for the hem and to sew the neckline and armband seam allowances down. Also, the bra I made, the Kwik Sew 3300, ended up being fit for the princess so I see a few more of those in store. She actually said it was comfortable! Holy crap! Now, if she was just telling me that...I dunno. I have tons of pretty fabrics and lace so she should have a nice collection here pretty soon. I so desparately need new ones myself but I'm waiting a little while to see if the girls shrink anymore. I'm planning on amping the ol' excersize routine once school starts and I have more time. Both of my classes are in the morning so I'll have extra time in the gym before I pick up Mr. C from school.

Y'all have a great week!

Some Bra Sewing At Last!

Surely you all must be amazed! It has been entirely too long since I've SEWN a bra, let alone posted about sewing them. So, what the heck happened?! Well, I got kinda burnt out and also miffed at the above bra. Um, remember this bra that I was making for a Pattern Review contest? Yeah, that was back in freakin' February! I just finished***read: slapped together*** it yesterday and when I put the damn thing on it was too BIG!!! Damn! Well, no worries. It has been stripped of every part that I was able salvage. The outer fabric (the sparkly stuff) is soooo stretchy that it just looked like crap anyway and that's what got me pissed in the first place. There were poofy bits every where and wrinkles. Oh, and it gave me NO support so "OFF WITH HER HEAD!!" or in this case straps, elastic and hooks and eyes....

This little cutie is a bra I started for my daughter several days ago. I finished it up yesterday, too. Miz M has been asking for a nude bra to wear under a white tank top. The pattern I used is Kwik Sew 3300 and as with most KS patterns, it was a breeze to sew up. I used plain ol' nylon tricot for the cups and powernet for the back. We had some fitting issues that had to be worked out but all-in-all I think it turned out really cute. Well, really the only problem we had was the band being way to short. I added about 1 inch to either side behind the hooks and eyes as you can see below. I tried a couple of different methods. Neither of which I like. Ahh well, it looks pretty craptastic but does the trick.

The cups fit her perfectly! Rejoyce! My lovely model is not a very good representation of what it looks like on my daughter. M has a wider ribcage. Everything else was good but I think if I make this again I'll widen the back band quite a bit. It's just too narrow for her build. Now we'll just see if she actually wears it. When we first tried it on it was a little tight (to her) and she got all whine-y and meltdown-y, like only teenagers can do.

Here's a funny/interesting little tidbit for you: A lady on one of the sewing groups I belong to mentioned her husband had been on a business trip to China, I believe, to a bra making factory (he worked for Bali). Well, I guess the lady laid her fabric out on a cutting table and took a sharpie and marked out all the pattern pieces, freehand. FREEHAND?! Isn't that amazing? It also explains why one bra might fit and another does not even though it's the same size, brand, style. That's another reason why women should NOT go by their perceived "size" and just go by fit. I believe bra sizing charts to be written by the devil, himself.

I'm going to cut this post off here. We'll have to talk some more about bra fitting sometime! I hope you all have a great weekend! I'll be packing since my kids are going to be spending next week with my Mom and Dad. It'll be quiet yet oh-so-nice....

Take it easy! 

Lucky Number 13 and some Sewing...

Good Morning (or afternoon)! I just thought I'd do a quick post before all the kiddos wake up!

First of all, my baby girl celebrated her 13th birthday on Monday. I can hardly believe I'm the mother of a teenager now. I posted about it on facebook and got lots of comments in support of my impending doom. Above is the cake she picked out. She couldn't decide if she wanted me to make one or just buy one and then she say this lovely confection. It tasted okay but I seriously had trouble sleeping that night from all the sugar! Good grief! I wanted to post a cute picture of her blowing out the candles but she said to me, "NO posting that picture to the internet! I look weird!" Ah yes...it's starts.

We went to Wonderland Park in Amarillo, TX on Saturday to celebrate a little early. I have no pictures 'cause I forgot the camera. It was so nice though since our little man no longer needs a stroller. We didn't have to carry/push anything! It was amazing! My husband didn't have stroller duty so he actually got to ride some of the rides. He never really minded before since he has some inner ear problems and he doesn't do well on rides anyway. But I think he enjoyed himself even though he got a bit dizzy and nauseous. This is a nice amusement park that's not too big and still has some really great rides. The birthday girl and I rode all of the rollercoasters! Our fave! Mr. C even rode his very first one which is really saying something since he is terrified of heights. He loved it, though!

Secondly, I have been sewing! My sewing mojo is still seriously lagging but I've managed to bust out a few things. I made my daughter a swim suit!

                                         

It started with this top. She wanted a bikini oh-so-bad so I thought I'd give it a go. This top is from New Look 6357. The fabric and lining just weren't thick enough and everything shows through! Yikes! Plus, I'm not so sure how I feel about her in a bikini...

So, the second try I just did on my own without asking her opinion (which usually gets looks od disgust). I have several Jalie swimsuit patterns in my stash and this one is #2447. I picked out some fabric, also from the ol' stash, and just went to town. She didn't really know what I was doing and that can be a good thing. Anyhoo, this pattern goes together so fast and smooth I could hardly believe it. Oh, and it fits her ever-so-nicely! She's pear shaped so I really should have made the bottoms the next larger size but these will do. The top has a bit of room to 'grow' too, if you jnow what I mean. The fabric is from Chez Ami, of course, since I have a butt load of the stuff. It's really nice and the weight is perfect. I used a thicker lining fabric for the bra cups and I think it'll be okay. The suit has yet to see water so, we'll see.

Lastly, I'm test sewing again! This one is for Patterns by Figgy's and I must say these are some great britches! They look super sharp on too. I can't get my 'model' to model so my poor table has the job. These look so good on him! They have a flat front and elasticized back,

Contrast lining,

and front pockets.

I chose to make the pockets with the contrast fabric just for fun. The main fabric is a pale olive, stretch twill from a co-op and the lining is a quilting cotton called "Route 66" from Alexander Henry. This pattern will be released Aug. 1st and since this was a test there may be some slight changes in the final product. I thought it was pretty great as is but you never know... 

I'm getting geared up to spend the weekend at my Mom's. My sister and her family are back in the States for awhile. I think they go back to France at the end of July? Anyway, they're staying at Mom's for a couple of weeks and I haven't seen them since Christmas, I believe. I can't wait to see them!

Well, I have one little one that just wondered out of his room and is need of some snuggle time! Weekend is almost here, have a great one!

Testing...1,2,3...

I think I mentioned something the other day about testing again for Patterns by Figgy's. This sweet little kimono-styled jacket is the "Bamboo Little Woo" being released this Fall! It really is a cute design and very easy to sew up! I made this up in a super soft baby-rib. The woven is a loose-weave cotton.

Also, remember forever ago when I mentioned Colette Patterns had some new releases coming soon and I was pattern testing again? Well, I just saw the new patterns are out and have been for awhile. I have good reason to be late, being out of the loop and all. I tested the Nutmeg set and it is gorgeous and sexy! The pieces are also very simple to sew up, the bralette being a bit more difficult. I have no pictures at the moment due to my crispy, deep-fried computer situation (we lost a lot of pictures! *sigh*) so I'll have to shoot some more. This is more of a heads-up that Sarai has new offerings! 

 

                                         

Here I am at the lake this last weekend. I look like crap but you can kinda make out my melting figure. I was pleasantly surprised...

Patterns by Figgy's = AWESOME!

I finished up the Beach Bum Hoodie and Board shorts pattern that I was telling you all about. The one that I broke my fast with.

These are some of the worst imaginable pictures and they don't do the pieces any justice, AT ALL! My son was on the cranky side when I made him put these on and model for me. He was also hot and sweaty from playing outside. Plus, you have to see my extremely messy sewing area. You get the general idea though. All in all, I really like this pattern! The shorts are super easy to make! Just two pieces and an elastic waist.

                                                

I had some trouble with the neck facing on the hoodie so I emailed Shelly and she was so helpful! Seriously, this lady is awesome and couldn't be kinder! I was even able to finagle my way in to being a pattern tester for her! Boy, am I good or what?!

This t-shirt is the pattern I tested. It's called "Tee for Two" and it's for boys or girls. It's a raglan sleeve T that is sewn with the seams out so you have a cool raw edge around everything and this makes it perfect for kids who have sensitivity issues since there are no seam allowances inside to make skin itchy. Plus, it just looks pretty darn cool! I think the pattern is coming out this August so be sure to watch for it!

As for the fabrics used, I pulled everything from my stash! The plaid is a seersucker I purchased from a fabric coop last spring. The shirt is some jersey from the thrift store. It came packaged up in a kit to make a t-shirt which was kinda neat. It's soft and thin and perfect for a summer t-shirt! The hoodie is also thrift store fabric. It was a mystery to me until I posted the pic on Flickr. Kelly asked what the fiber was and Shelly came back and suggested shot cotton. In looking at other pics on the web I think that might indeed be what it is! It has a nice weight to it, similar to quitling cotton. But the texture is different with a cool crosshatch raised weave. I don't know how else to describe it! It's nice though and will be great this summer!

I have done some sewing for me too. I don't have any pictures at the moment but I made some sweats for workin' out and an Ottobre skirt. More on that to come!

Custom Nightie

I finished up my last custom order today! Yipee! LOL! This was a recreation of a gown that my friend's mom loved but couldn't find a replacement. Her gown is 14 years old and very loved (aka worn out!). Anyhoo, she brought me the gown after much hulabaloo (it was meant to be a surprise but it didn't happen that way, darnnit) and I made a pattern from it. I think, all in all, it turned out pretty well. I hope her mom loves it and wears it for 14 years!

A New Weakness

Have you seen this?

Y'all know my love of lingerie and I'm so weak right now! I can't buy it 'cause I don't have any money anyway...I'm adding this to my wish list though! I just came across this the other day when Mikhaela talked about the lady behind the patterns. She's an illustrator so that bumps her up in my book by about a billion notches. If you're plus sized and love vintage definitely check out her vintage repro pattern line. So cool!

Getting Organized...

...and then getting sidetracked! Ahhh...the story of my life! Well, anyhoo, last weekend I decided it was high time I get my shit together and start organizing my fabric and pattern stash. I have a shelf with some (okay, who are we kidding here? I have shelves!) of my fabrics and it always looks a mess. No matter how many times I fold and refold and try to be carefull getting stuff out it all just falls into a damn mess. Awhile back a blog featured a free download to print out your very own fabric wraps. I cannot for the life of me remember where they came from so if you know PLEASE tell me! Ack! That drives me nuts.... So anyway, I got through the messiest shelves. They being the messiest because they contained most of my smaller pieces of fabric from when I was making purses and totes. There was some seriously cute fabric in there that I totally forgot I had! I'm now using those shelves for the awesome pattern boxes my Mom and Dad gave me for Christmas.

Here's where I am so far. And, YES, all of those pattern boxes are FULL!

I have an illness. Leave me alone.

Nice, neat little bundles!

This is next! Eeeek!

Geesh, that is seriously messy! I'm almost too embarrased to post those pics. Egads!

Now on to the reason for my sidetrackedive-ness (yes, that's a word). My li'l guy is growing. He is growing out of his clothes... and his undies! Those size 4 Spongebob's just aren't cuttin' it anymore. Whilst straightening book shelves I came across the undies pattern from That Darn Cat that I bought forever ago and never used. I needed a break from organizing so I thought I'd make up a pair. See what's what. Seriously, this is A Darn Cute Pattern. It's awesome. You can use small bits of fabric and no elastic is involved. The first pair I made promptly went on Little Mister's behind. He loved 'em. In his own words, "I really like my new underwear pants!" When asked if mommy should make him more he exclaimed, "Ooh yeah, you can make me lots!!" Alright, that may sound a bit more dramatic than what really went down but still it's pretty much word for word what he said. Cute! And it made me feel good knowing one of my children still appreciates my sewing capabilities. So seven pairs later.... 

he's all stocked up for now. I'm going to make a few more and that should be good. There are only 5 showing as he's wearing one and the other is in the laundry. You can see on the second pair from the right where I messed up the fly. I used my coverstitch machine to attach the binding, which worked ever-so-awesomely, and I fed the fabric through the wrong way. DOH! He hasn't figured out how to use the fly yet so it's not a big deal. Now I'll need to start in on some for the girl. She walked in while I was finishing up a pair and was like, "Gosh, how many pairs are you making him! Where's mine!" Mehmehmeh, whinewhinewhine... Little brat. So....I'll be working on hers later this week. LOL! Yeah, I'm kinda soft.

In other news, I've decided to go back to school this Fall! Yes, my 34 year old ass is going to be a student again. I'm super excited and totally nervous. Ultimately, I want to go through the Nursing Program our community college offers and it's a really good one from what I understand. Since Conner starts Kindergarten this Fall I'm just going to take the Gen. Ed. classes needed like Human Anatomy and English Comp. to get those out of the way. Then I'll apply to the program next year. The program takes 2 years and then you can call me Nurse Heather!

I'm not planning on getting all wacked out on drugs, tho. ;-D

Something For ME

with really bad pictures because I didn't feel like setting up my "tripod" (which is in fact a chair with books, boxes and whatever else to get it the right height).

This is the Ottobre 2/2007 #2. I've made this before and I really like the fit.

Coverstitch Porn! Mmmmmm... 

On the last top I made I didn't do the sleeve as instructed and just did a straight hem. This time I did but I'm not really sure if I did it right. The instructions kinda confused me (not so hard these days!). I think it looks okay even though it's not lined up perfectly. Ah well..... at least it's another piece of clothing for my steadily dwindling wardrobe! Oh, I used Chez Ami fabric...again.

Another Otto outfit....

and a top for me (in the works)!

I finished this up last week for Miz K. I used the same Kamomilla T-shirt and Saimi Sweatpants patterns. I didn't add the cuff to the pants since they were so long anyway and, stupid me, I forgot to gather the front on that damn neckline! Grr! I did make short sleeves for this one and used clear elastic to make the gathers. I then applied the binding over it all. Can I just say here how much I stinkin' love my coverstitch machine? The binder attachment is so frickin' awesome, too! Anyhoo, the little bow is not attached to the top but is a hair bow I made using scraps. All fabric is from Chez Ami!

The top I'm making myself is from Ottobre Woman and is from the famous 2/2007 issue. I think it's design #2, the 3/4 sleeve Tee. I'm using Chez Ami fabric. Shocking, I know. I've made it once before and I wear that top so often it's really worn out now. I may make a few of these with different sleeve variations since I need tops so badly. It's really pitiful when you reach in your closet and realize your husband has more clothing that you do! In defense of that, I did go through my stuff the other day and I took out everything that was faded or stained, which was most of my wardrobe. I really need to make up a SWAP storyboard!

Ottobre outfit finished!

I finished up the outfit for the little girl I've been babysitting. I've mentioned before that her daddy lost his job last year so they can't afford to buy her a lot of extras. She's growing like a weed as most little ones tend to do so I thought I'd make her a few things. I forgot how much I love making clothes for little kids! Especially little girl clothes....since my little girl doesn't want me making her clothes anymore. Well, except bras, panties and jammies. I was measuring her for undies recently and she asked why I needed her waist and hip measurement. I said, "It's for the panties. Why? Do you want me to make you something?!" She promptly replied, "NO!!". That "no" had an incredulous tone to it so I figure that I should just be happy making her undies. That ship done sailed, I guess.

Anyhoo, on to the outfit.

The top is Ottobre 1/2010 #2A or the "Kamomilla" T-shirt. Dress is also Ottobre from the 1/2009 issue. It's design #8 called the "Babushka" pinafore. I left off the frill though. The pants are the "Saimi" sweatpants I mentioned in the last post.

I like how it turned out and Miz K just loves it. When we were putting it on my son chimed in that she looked like a zebra, in a good way (This was before we got the dress on). I'm not sure how I like all the stripes either. It's sort of too Prison Chic for me. I may make her some different leggings to go under the dress and a different top to go with the striped pants. I have a red and white polka dot top I made for myself and every time I wear it she always pets it and oooo's and ahhh's over it. I'm sure I have enough leftover to make her a little top!

I did make a couple of stupid mistakes. I swear I can be such a dummy but that's what you get for sewing whilst tired. One of the reasons I picked the top was the sweet little gathering in the front. When I attached the binding do you think I remembered to make the gathers? Hell no! There was no way I was going to rip it all out and it turned out fine. The neckline is not too big, thank goodness! For the pinafore I fussy cut the front piece so the hippy chic, flowers, and bubbles were all nice and centered. It looked good! I assembled everything and got all the top stitching done. Then.... I realized I had attached the back shoulder straps to the front skirt piece and vice versa! DOH! I got very lucky in that the back, even though I haphazardly cut it out, had the girl's face and hair in all it's entirety and the flowers and bubbles filled the rest of the space. At least she'll look cute coming and going! LOL! Like that could be hard, you see those white-blond curls! She's a doll!

If you're curious, the fabric for the pinafore is By Robert Kaufman and it's called "Lucky Girl". I'm not sure if it's discontinued or not. I've had it in my stash for at least a couple of years.

Don't forget to enter the Giveaway! You have until Monday, March 1st and I keep adding extras to the pile! *wink*wink*

A Call to My Sewing Sisters and Brothers!

Okay, I know a lot of you out there are vintage freaks just like me! I acquired this pattern awhile back off Ebay but I haven't been able to find out ANYTHING about Blue-and-White patterns!

As you can see, they are quite literally blue and white:

From the pattern cover I see that it comes from the Woman's Home Companion Magazine that was in production from 1873 to 1957. I was just wanting to maybe date the pattern and see if anyone else knows anything about Blue-and-White patterns. I haven't seen any others before or since.

Up next on the cutting board, so to speak, is an outfit for my friends' daughter. The pants are Ottobre 1/2009 #16 or the "Saimi" sweatpants. The pattern is super easy and I love one piece pants for kids. They fit her really well and she was so excited about them! I feel a stack-and-whack comin' on. For all my fellow Chez Ami fabric lovers out there, I used their black and white stripe jersey and red rib knit! Is their fabric not the best?! The groovy pink fabric is a twill that will be a jumper or pinafore of some kind (I think I bought it on Ebay). I've gotta search my magazines for a pattern to use.

I have to add that I just LOVE reading all of your crowning achievements! It makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside. I may have to do this more often! Keep 'em comin'!

xoxo,
Heather

Stay Tuned....

I've been thinking about doing a giveaway! Yes, a GIVEAWAY! I love it when people do that. I just got a pattern from Pattern Junkie and that was pretty cool. I'm coming up on my, believe it or not, 5th Blogiversary *!* and it's also my birthday next week! I really can't believe I've been blogging, on and off, for FIVE freakin' years! So, to commemorate this outstanding achievement of mine I want to give some crap away! Well, it's not crap... I'm thinking something along the lines of a vintage pattern or two. Maybe something else thrown in there? I dunno yet. Details to follow shortly!!!

I am going to start listing some patterns on Etsy soon like I mentioned in my last post. I'll probably try to do a few at a time. Start savin' yer money now girls and boys...