Serger sewing

Oh dear, it's been well over a month since I've posted hasn't it?

Well that's summer for you.

Recently at my day job (at our public library) I was empowered to purchase a serger and sewing machine for our patron to use.  The machines came with free new user lessons so I spent a day learning to use a serger!  I'm so excited to use it more.

After my class I decided that I should practice a little bit in a real life situation so I tested out the Peri Pullover from Cali Faye.  Holy smokes.  I am in love with both the serger and the pattern.

This top is so slouchy and comfortable. I think it will make for a great start to the back to school wardrobe.

I love the high low hem. It's one of the Bug's favorite parts too.

She also loves the wide neck that sometimes goes off the shoulder and the in seam pockets.  I love that she chose to pair this purple tribal print (from Girl Charlee--looks like they are sold out of the violet) with a neon orange tank top.  She has style all her own.

She asked for a matching pair of leggings and I was happy to oblige.  These are the Go To Leggings in their most basic form.  I've used this pattern a bunch.  They always sew up quickly and sizing is spot on.

The verdict is, I'm hoping to start saving for a serger soon. Until then, I'm happy I can rent out time on one at the library.  I think I may make more of these pullovers as well.  What do you think?

~Lindsay

Go To Signature Dress

Somehow the Bug is lacking in cold weather dresses.  Actually, not somehow, I know why because I see a dress in the store and I think "I could make that" and then I don't buy it. For some reason, that's my reaction to a dress 9 times out of 10 but not for shirts, pants, etc.

So church time comes and I realize she has no dresses to wear and this is a dress loving girl... the situation needed to be remedied. 

Enter the Go To Signature dress. I've made this pattern once before with not the greatest results. The Bug loved it but I did not (so I never blogged it).  I think it had more to do with the fabric I chose than the actual pattern. I like this stripe much better. It's one the Bug picked out herself from Girl Charlee. I was kind of surprised that she liked it because I love it!

I paired the wide, bold stripe up with a more subtle monochromatic stripe for the long sleeves, the elastic casing and the neck binding. I love the way the two stripes look together.

I chose the maxi dress length because if there is any way to 100% guarantee the Bug will like a dress, it is to make it long.  I also opted for the double sleeves, a cap sleeve with an elastic hem over a long sleeve. Though the fabric is a pretty lightweight knit, I think it will serve her well these cooler months.

The pattern calls for the elastic casing to be sewn on the inside of the garment, but I chose to move it to the outside. I like the way it breaks things up. It's barely noticeable in the photos but the stripes on the casing go vertically.  I love playing with stripes like that so I'm glad the fabric had decent 4 way stretch so I could.

I also added inset pockets because pockets are just awesome.

I boogered up that last pleat on the neckline, of course in the front. I didn't notice it until I was far enough along that it would have been a pain to rip out and do over. I still could I suppose. We'll see how much it bothers me.

She loves the dress, wonky pleat and all, so we are calling this a success.

This is a great pattern with tons of options and fairly easy to follow directions.  It is rare that I sew up more than one garment from any tutorial or pattern but so far, these "Go To" patterns are living up to their name. I've made two of these Signature Dresses, several pairs of Go To leggings and two Anywhere Dresses and I'm leaving the patterns out, not filing them away, because I foresee making more in the near future.

~Lindsay

Jeggings. . . and all sorts of awkward photos. . .

The Bug loves jeggings and leggings. She pretty much lives in them in the cooler months. They are worn on their own or under skirts and dresses but rarely a day goes by she isn't wearing them.

So I was thrilled when I saw jegging knit at JoAnn's.  I thought about making a pair of skinny jeans with them, but instead opted for a very simple pair of Go To Leggings.

I'm loving them and so is she. Such a rare combination these days. Isn't her shirt super cute? She fell in love with it at H&M and for $5 I could hardly say no. It's probably a good thing we don't really live close to that store.

I can't explain this child other than she goes completely weird and awkward when I ask to take her photo. She is a mini me. As for the flip flops, it's going to be a sad sad day when they have to be retired for socks and more sturdy shoes. There may be a riot.

The Go To Leggings pattern is awesome, not just because it's well illustrated, clear and put together but also because it has so many options! I chose probably the most simple option for these jeggings but there are plenty of variations to keep me from getting bored with this pattern.

More awkward. . . and she's not even looking at the camera! Be normal girl!! O.k., maybe this IS normal. Sigh. . . That part is TOTALLY her dad's fault.

Another thing I like about this pattern is that it has a HUGE range of sizes--from 12 months to 12 years. As the Bug grows I'm noticing more and more of my favorite patterns only go up to 5T or 6. Since she's in a 6 now, that poses a problem! Either I need to get serious about learning pattern grading or she needs to stop growing! I'm guessing the later isn't going to happen, which is why I'm thrilled when I find a pattern like this one that has larger sizes. Probably by the time she is 12 she will either be sewing for herself (a mom can dream!) or totally disinterested in having me sew anything for her (more likely since we are already headed in that direction).

At any rate, it's a quick simple project with great results. As we head into Fall I see more of these variations becoming wardrobe staples.

~Lindsay

The Anywhere Dress

The Bug looked through my PDF patterns last week and settled on The Anywhere Dress to be made for her school photo dress. Then we flipped through the knit at Girl Charlee and she picked a couple that she liked. 

I'd be lying if I told you I agreed with her pattern and fabric choices. Go ahead and say it, I am a fool. I know it. I am hanging my head in shame.

The girl has a good eye for design and she knows what she likes. Whether I initially agree or not, I am learning that if i want her to wear the things that I make for her, I need to listen to her input. This dress is a case in point.

It's not that I didn't like the pattern or fabric (I wouldn't have purchased them it if that were the case) it's just that I thought a dress for school photos should have a little more pizazz. I know, I know . . . I'm a fool. . . this dress is not lacking in pizazz just because it's a simple style.

The dress went together well and was a really fast sew. I cut and sewed it all in a couple of hours over Labor Day weekend (amid constant interruption and distraction).  The fabric is a very light weight knit which made things a little harder, but not too bad. Ideally I'd have used a knit with a bit more substance. 

I really like the way the neckline on this dress is finished with a facing and not a binding. It was a really simple way to finish it and I think it looks quite professional.  The pattern warns that top stitching might cause the neckline to stretch but thankfully, mine didn't.

The three quarter length sleeves are finished with a simple cuff.  With as lightweight as this knit is, I probably should have just hemmed the sleeve but I really like the finished look of the cuff and I'm probably the only one who sees the stripe from the underside of the cuff showing through.

In the end, I really like this dress.  I don't know if that will translate to being more willing to follow the Bug's direction in the future or not.  It's such a difficult balance since sometimes I feel like too much outside input takes the fun and creativity out of a project for me.  But in the end, it's more fun to see the things I've sewn be worn and loved really.  And if I'm itching to do it my way, I have a brand new niece who has a few years before she develops her own fashion sense! Hooray for babies!

~Lindsay

KCWC Days 1 & 3 Finishes

I had a chance to photograph my two "finishes" for the KCWC so far.

The first one was a simple "fix" to a too short pair of pants.  It seemed simple and cute.

It wasn't simple. It should have been. But the ruffles weren't long enough if I followed the tutorial. So I wound up cutting and hemming a completely unusable strip of fabric.  I hate hemming.

It's not the patterns fault, I'm sure it was mine. But it made me cranky.

 And then when they were finished? It just wasn't my thing.  I don't think I'm a "boutique clothing" kind of a girl.  But we decided to give them a whirl at Kindergarten today and the Bug likes them.  She said her teacher did too. 

  So obviously, I'm the one with the problem.

This picture is cute. They might be growing on me.

I do love that I'm giving a pair of jeans that were too short before they were ever worn a second life. That appeals enough to my inner cheapskate that I'll keep these in the rotation.

 I feel the complete opposite about this dress.

I'm in love with it.

I want one for myself. 

 The pattern is the cowl neck dress from Heidi & Finn.

I bought it a while back and have been dying to make it.  KCWC was the perfect excuse to give it a go.

I made the 6T and it fits perfectly. Whew! Good thing I made this one up since that's the biggest size it comes in.

 It's super cute for fall with a pair of tights.

I think it would be equally cute dressed down as more of a tunic over leggings or jeans.

 It ties in front. I wasn't sure if I'd like that but once I saw it on, I preferred a front tie to a back tie.

The neck turned out to be more turtle neck than cowl neck but it's still really cute and warm.

Tonight I start the Oliver + S Puppet Show Tunic! Wish me luck!

~Lindsay

Tee Shirt Dresses

I've been in need of quick projects lately.

Minimal time. Minimal thought.

It's all I have to give right now.

So I dug through the Bug's dresser drawers and came up with a couple of tee shirts that show her belly. Rather than relegate them to the basement bins I decided to sew simple skirts on the bottom and extend their life.

This one was a quick bubble skirt with some navy blue knit.

It's my favorite but doesn't have the spin factor the Bug loves.

She does still enjoy being silly though. Apparently no spin is required for that.

And yes, I did take these photos about a month ago.

The Bug has short hair now and there is no snow on the ground. In fact, it's been way too warm for long sleeved dresses and tights lately.

This one is the Bug's favorite though she refused to be photographed in it.

Hello Lowes cart and static electricity hair! You'll just have to use your imagination to fill in the dress details.

The skirt is a black and grey sweatshirt knit.  I just cut the length I wanted from the width of the fabric, sewed one seam, gathered and attached it at the shirt hem. I didn't even hem the bottom of this one since it curled up nicely on it's own. Quick and easy.

It's a fun way to extend the life of those favorite tees. Or to actually get your "dress only" wearing kiddo to wear the plethora of tee shirts in her drawer.

~Lindsay

Thanksgiving dress

I may have been on the ball with the Christmas dress, but the Thanksgiving outfit was an 11th hour decision.

I wasn't going to make anything, but then I saw this orange and brown floral knit in my stash and it just seemed so darn Thanksgiving-y

. . . and then I tore a hole in one of my favorite orange striped shirts (it was an accident, I promise!)

. . . and then I spotted another orange stripey knit in my upcycle pile that just went well enough to be funky.

You see how it all snowballed, ultimately leaving me with no choice, right?

I used a shirt pattern from my favorite kids clothing book and made some pretty significant alterations to make this little dress. The leggings were made by tracing an existing pair of her leggings onto my fabric. It came together pretty quickly and easily even with the pattern adjustments.

Unfortunately, photographing the Bug in it was no where near as easy.

She was in a goofy mood.

What is this? The monkey pose?? Who knows.

When I asked her to act normal she got all offended.

So I let her wander and took pictures of her from behind, when she wasn't looking and I cut her pouty little head off.  That'll teach ya!

You can see I took some details from the two original shirts I was upcycling and re-used them on the dress.

First, the button placket from the polo. . . I just cut it off of the polo and sewed it right onto the neckline of the dress. It's just decorative, not functional. But it doesn't need to be functional since the neckline is nice and stretchy.

I also took a small pocket off of my favorite shirt and sewed it onto the short sleeve of her dress.

The long sleeves were cut from the original shirt sleeves so I just used the existing hem.  Hooray for short cuts!

The cute yellow rick rack was a super lucky find at my favorite thrift store.

It is straight out of the 70's I think. It's a real nice stretchy double knit sort of thing. I've never seen anything quite like it.  

I didn't have much so I conserved by adding it only to the front panel of the skirt. 

And then just to be fun and funky and unexpected, I added it around the hem of just one leg of her leggings.

Can we talk about the leggings for a minute?

They fit perfectly.

I have never made a pair of leggings that fit her the way I like them to.

And I didn't make a paper pattern, so I probably never will again.

Dumb.

This is the lone "good" photo I got that shows the entire ensemble.

And I only got this because I informed her her posing was not up to par for receiving the promised candy reward.

Hey, I do what I can and I take what I can get.

Ultimately, it's a cute and comfy little outfit that the Bug loves which is a huge accomplishment considering there isn't a lick of pink or purple or sparkle.

I think she will actually wear it again!

Hooray!

~Lindsay

The Weekend Traveler Dress

This past weekend the Bug and I hopped on a train and rode up to visit Aunt Michelle.

I thought. . . big city, new surroundings. . . I'll get some great photos of this new dress for the blog!

But instead, we got wrapped up in this. . .

Playing, playing and more playing.

So forgive me, these photos aren't perfect and staged but I think what they are is a great testimony to the comfort and wearability of this little dress.

The fabric is a cute little coral colored stripe knit that I found on clearance at JoAnn's.  It's so soft and light weight!  

My new favorite thing to do at fabric stores is to search the clearance bolts for cheap knits. For all the fabric I have inherited and picked up over the years, my stash of knit is woefully slim!  

The accent fabric is a dark charcoal skinny stripe knit also picked up somewhere on clearance. Hooray for not paying more than you have to!

The dress pattern is mostly my own. I started by lengthening the tank top pattern from this book (love that book!) but I made so many changes along the way it's hardly the same beast.

The heart is simply appliquéd on the front.  It's my favorite little detail.

This photo just makes me laugh. . . but it does give a nice view of the leggings. I was hoping for more of a biker short length but the Bug was in bed and I couldn't measure. I added some elastic ruffle trim at the bottom in lieu of hemming them. Oh how I love the non-fraying properties of knit!  Ultimately, I don't love the ruffle with this so I think I'll cut that off and hem the leggings to a shorter length.

While it's not perfect, I'm pretty pleased with how this little dress turned out.  I don't have a serger so the whole thing was done on my cheap little sewing machine. 

One last little summer dress for the final dog days of summer.

Perfect for our little weekend traveler.

~Lindsay

Happy Saint Patricks Day!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day to all!

The Bug painted this shirt last weekend.

She has been so patient to wait until today to wear it.

We used a freezer paper stencil to make the clovers.

She did a really good job with the project.

I think she's channeling her inner Irishman in this one.

I found that funky zig zag print knit at JoAnns on clearance. Isn't it fun?

The skirt has a pair of shorts underneath which should make it perfect for playing outside this summer.

I used the tutorial at The Long Thread and just scaled it down to a 4T/5T size.

Considering I did it while the Bug was asleep and couldn't actually try it on her I think the fit is just about perfect.

Whew!

It's such a comfy skirt I know she's going to want to wear it again and again.

And, I know one little girl who won't be getting pinched today. . .

~Lindsay

Sewing Clothes Kids Love

I bought myself the book "Sewing Clothes Kids Love" after checking it out at the library. I love that our library has a decent selection of some of the newest sewing and crafting books. Most of the time, it saves me a lot of money because I can check out the couple of ideas I like and not have to shell out the cash for the whole book. But once in a while, there is a book that I know I need in my own collection because I can see myself using it again and again. Plus, this book has patterns in it and I always am a little afraid to pull the patterns out of the envelope lest they not go back in as nicely.

It has already paid for itself.

There are ten patterns in this book. To date, I've only used two of them.

Don't let the over the top styling and embellishments turn you off. These patterns are simple and basic. They lend themselves nicely to improvisations and you can embellish them as simply or as over the top as you wish.

Take the IMKE shirt for instance.

It's the first pattern in the book. It is a simple tee shirt that can be made for a boy or a girl, short sleeved or long sleeved, hood or no hood. It can be made from knit off the bolt or thrifted tee shirts.

This was my first attempt at the IMKE.

Have I mentioned that the Bug is in an exclusive dress wearing phase?

Yeah. She is. Shirts and pants are useless in this house. At least those of the 4T variety.

So I added a few inches to the hem of the shirt and Presto chango, the IMKE shirt becomes the IMKE dress.

The hearts I appliqued on to add some interest. I am not in love with this dress but the Bug adores it.

Did I mention it has a hood?

The little heart applique has a coordinating heart on the inside of the hood as well. That was the hubsters addition. He wanted me to tell you.

It also has a cute loopdy loop topstich along the edge of the hood.

A good first attempt.

It was easy enough that I knew I needed to try again.

It's a shirt.

Yeah, it was doomed from the start.

I couldn't even convince her that cowboy on the front was from Toy Story.

I believe her exact words were, "MOM, you KNOW I like pink and purple"

But I love this shirt. The yellow knit is from one of her Daddy's old tee shirts. The stripe was from a tee shirt that never fit and the tie dye is from a shirt I made with our youth group girls like ten years ago.

What can I say, I'm sentimental.

This time I added the accent panels in the side. I really like the interest it adds.

And of course, we have another lined hood.

I hope someday she will wear it.

She tells me she might.

When she is four.

Forgive the horrible picture. There is no excuse.

I took a short break from the IMKE to make Riviera leggings. The cuff was my idea.

Again, the Bug won't wear these.

They don't spin like a skirt after all.

I really should know better.

The most recent incarnation of the IMKE was inspired by a shirt we found at Target.

Didn't line the hood this time but I think I will in the future.

When I was digging through my stash of knits looking for an accent fabric I happened upon the gray and blue stripe. The Bug immediately said, "Ooooh YEAH! Yeah, yeah, yeah. . . Oh yeah!"

I think we have a winner.

You might remember this fabric from a dress I made her about a year and a half ago. It remains one of her favorites. I must have made it big.

And here is the shirt that made the Bug temporarily forget her pink and purple allegiance.

Adorable.

Third time's the charm.

~Lindsay