Not Just a Sunsuit Tour - the Silky Negligee Version

It's my turn for the Not Just a Sunsuit Tour! The Paneled Sunsuit pattern by Call Ajaire came out this summer, and it has so many possibilities and variations it'll make your eyes pop.

For my version, I made Eliza a negligee.

The girl loves to wear her grandmother's hand-me-down negligees. We tied up the shoulder straps, and she wore them every day for months last year. This year I (reluctantly) encouraged her to keep the nighties at home -- figuring it was about time to teach about covering nethers and all that.

So when I bought this silky floral fabric (via JoAnn) and later hated it, I knew it was destined to be a publicly appropriate negligee for Eliza.

First, lots of sewists on the tour have mentioned it, but I want to reiterate how MUCH INFORMATION is included in this pattern. There are countless possible variations, finished measurements, a list to print just the pages you need based on the view you choose, comprehensive instructions -- she's thought of everything. Once I chose which view I was making, I kind of blocked out the other stuff I didn't need and focused just on my view.

The maxi dress version includes pockets (don't be confused by the photo), but I didn't want them because of the lightweight fabric, so I cut two skirt backs and used one as the front.

Also, I didn't do separate pieces on the front bodice top or use piping. Instead I just cut four lining pieces and used them for both the lining and main bodice.

I started with the 18-month size in the chest and graded out to a 3T at the hip. If I had it to do over, I'd have cut the waist bigger so I'd have more gathers there. As it is , it was impossible to get the casing to lay right for photos. She said it was comfortable though.

She loved this dress so much it was tough to get her to take it off after fittings. She slept in it the night after these photos were taken. She got her wearable negligee.

To transition the maxi to late summer/early fall, I made a little shrug to match. It's corduroy, lined with the same fabric as the dress. I used her little fur shrug she wore in my sister's wedding as a template and drafted my own pattern. 

The only thing Eliza loves more than a silky dress is a little shrug with silky lining. It only took four years, but I think I'm learning how to sew what she wants to wear!

You can win a copy of the pattern for yourself in the  Rafflecopter giveaway!

Or you can use the discount Ajaire's offering to snap up a pattern right away. She's offering a 15% discount on her patterns! You can use the code SUNSUIT15 both at Upcraft Club and Etsy through the 7th of September.  

Don't forget to check out the other ladies on the tour!

Monday August 24th:  Max California | Filles à Maman | Hey June | House of Estrela
Tuesday August 25th: Skirt Fixation | Gracious Threads | Kimmie Sew Crazy | Shaffer Sisters
Wednesday August 26th: Kid Approved | Pinkel | Falafel and the Bee | Once Upon a Sewing Machine
Thursday August 27th: Buzzmills | Pattern Revolution | Sprouting JubeJube | Handmade Martini
Friday August 28th: That's Sew Kari | Lulu & Celeste | Paisley Roots | Modern Handmade

Monday August 31st: Sew Cool for the Tween Scene | Kadiddlehopper | Imagine Gnats | Nap Time Creations
Tuesday September 1st: My Sweet Sunshine | Straight Stitch Designs | Handmade Boy | That's What She Crafted
Wednesday September 2nd: Climbing the Willow | Rebel & Malice | GYCT Designs | Two-Many
Thursday September 3rd: The Crazy Tailor | sewVery | Just Add Fabric | Delia Creates
Friday September 4th: A Jennuine Life | Conversas de Hermanas | Made by Sara | Not Sew Fast

Crafting Con Guest Post: Mario

Have you heard of Crafting Con? It's a series hosted by Mae&K and Friends Stitched Together that celebrates all things nerdy. Each month there's a different theme like Star Wars or Harry Potter or Dr. Who -- and guests create tutorials and four bloggers compete with a complete outfit inspired by the theme.

This month it's my turn, and our theme was Mario Brothers! The boys got a Wii for Christmas and have been getting to know Mario and his friends. Daniel's favorite character is Mario - and he's the one who needed one more winter shirt - so, he got a Mario outfit!

Whenever I sew for Daniel, especially if it's something soft and comfortable, he is so grateful. It warms a sewing mama's heart to see him so happy. He wore these pants three days in a row until I convinced him they were stained and needed to be washed!

I wanted the outfit to be a nod to Mario - the converse shoes, slim-fitting pants reminiscent of the '80s, and pageboy hat. The appliquéd Mario silhouette is for fun!

The hat is the Newsboy Hat Sewing pattern from Butterfly Tree on Etsy. It's fully reversible and made with fabric from an upcycled robe my grandmother gave me. The pattern was super easy to follow, and I took my time and am pleased with the outcome.

The pants are the Clean Slate Pants from Blank Slate Patterns. I've made the pants a couple of times before, so they went together easily, too. I do have one recommendation: if you know yours is a slim kid and you'll be cinching the elastic quite a bit, anchor down the elastic closer to the pockets rather than the side seams. All that gathering makes the welt pockets distorted otherwise. I did widen the legs of the pants a tad for a more relaxed fit, and I'm glad. Melissa's directions for a zip fly are still my favorites.

The first time I sewed these pants was a couple of years ago (at least). I remember how difficult they were for me -- the welt pockets, the zip fly, everything. The fact that things were so much easier this time made me realize just how much all that hard work has paid off! Look -- it's even got a bar tack!

My love for the Bimaa knows no bounds! The hooded version is just as great as the others. Daniel loooooves hooded shirts. This is what? my fourth Bimaa? I won the pattern from Call Ajaire and will end up investing in the updated version that has more sizes.

That's it! There's more nerdy goodness over at Mae&K, and there are some photos I didn't share here, so go check them out if you're interested!

Free for All: A Bevy of Bows

Today I'm talking hair.

Over at Frances Suzanne the lovely sisters are sharing all kinds of free goodness. There's a link-up for sharing free patterns, a link-up for sharing things we've made from free patterns, and guests sharing some of their favorite freebies. Today it's my turn, and I'm changing up my usual M.O. to delve into accessories!

Eliza's a fan of hair bows in theory, and she loves to point out awesome hair bows on other little girls, but we have yet to find one that she actually wants to wear herself. We've tried the big, boutique style. We've tried small barrettes. We've tried headbands and fancy ponytail holders. She keeps them in for a while, and then I find them lingering behind the couch or beside her plate at the kitchen table.

Maybe if she watched me make them, she'd be more inclined to wear them, I thought.

There are a MASSIVE number of hair bow tutorials on the Internet. Most of them are for ribbon hair bows, but since this is a sewing blog, I figured I'd concentrate on those made with felt and regular old fabric.

First I used the Oliver+S free pattern and tutorial for felt bows. It was a cinch! The hardest part (for me) was finding cute felt fabric. Hobby Lobby had some neat squares of felt at a great price, so I picked up my favorites. Each square would make four bows (at least).

Oliver+S also has a free pattern for a Bow Hair Tie if you like more subtle hair accessories. I made one, but Eliza's hair is so fine (and mine's so short) that it just didn't work for us. Maybe someday.

Sew Bon also has a great tutorial for fabric hair bows that I tried. I shrank Erin's recommended measurements roughly in half to fit a small alligator clip barrette. How cute are these?

The best part is all of these bows are super easy to make. Disney from Ruffles and Stuff and Jess from Craftiness is not Optional both have felt bow tutorials that are a tad different and don't even require sewing!

This tutorial from The Ribbon Retreat shows how to cover snap barrettes with ribbon and add a bow -- so unique and adorable! The tutorial is detailed with great photos, too.

I hope this gives you a nice place to start with FREE felt and fabric hair bow tutorials and patterns! If you've got any to add, please share them in the comments. They're satisfying to make, that's for sure. Wish me luck on getting Eliza to wear one!

On Writing and Blogging and Sewing

I've been blogging for seven and a half years now! It started when I was pregnant with Lee as a way to document our excitement (and fear, joy, hopes, apprehension) and to keep far-away family involved.

{Here's my first post from March 15, 2007.}

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We're having a baby in September!

Here's an ultrasound picture at 13 weeks. The baby's head is on the right (that's the hand that looks parallel to the nose). You can't see the legs in this picture, but they were moving like crazy! We've already got a little runner.

We won't find out the baby's sex, but we'll have another ultrasound around 22 weeks or so. More pictures will follow!

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It continued as a way to keep track of the kids' growth and our family's changes. All along I planned to stop when Lee entered Kindergarten.

Then I started getting involved in the Sewing Blog World. When the time came to stop writing the family blog, I created Handmade Martini. 

A few weeks ago the Dynamic Duo Ashley and Emily (Frances Suzanne) invited me to take part in a blog hop, answering questions specifically about writing. It's been fun to reflect and think about how things have evolved.

Why do you write (blog)?

Oh, Lawdy. The short answer is I Write to Process Life. I've been writing for as long as I can remember and had two or three writing-related careers. Writing is easier for me than speaking.

It's obvious from my oldest posts that I was struggling with all the things first-time moms struggle with, and writing was my way to work through crises in identity, confidence, sleep deprivation, etc. At first the only ones reading were our parents, siblings, and closest friends.

Lee, October 2007

The unexpected joy of having an audience motivated me to continue. I've made people laugh, cry, and want to slap me.

Also, I wanted to have a baby book but am too lazy to scrapbook.

Eventually I decided it was time to stop writing for the public. While I still write long-winded, sappy, navel-gazing essays, Ryan is my only audience. We are super grateful to have a record of the first years of our kids'  lives and our parenting journey and occasionally read over old posts together (with a box of tissues nearby).

April 2012

Daniel, February 2012

Eliza, December 2011

Handmade Martini has given me a wonderful opportunity to connect with other sewists. After our last move, when I was left floating around trying to find a place to land, the consistency of the online sewing blogging community grounded me. Meeting friends like Ashley and Emily in person was just about The Coolest Thing Ever. (Their southern drawl is as refreshing as cold sweet tea on an August Memphis afternoon.)

And it's great to share projects with each other.

My first shared sewing project: pillow case purses June 2008

Blogging is getting tougher, but I'm determined to find a way to keep doing it at least occasionally.

What am I working on?
I'm working on finishing two of three Elsa dresses (McCall's 7000). The second came together much more quickly. There are around 80 pieces I had to cut for those dresses. Gah.

I'm also working on Fall plans for the boys, me, and Eliza. Pinterest seems like the easiest way to organize things. (Here's my Fall/Winter Mood Board.)

Also, my sister is getting married in January! I'm sewing several projects for her wedding, including my dress and Eliza's. My goal is to have everything finished by Thanksgiving so I can enjoy traveling to wedding-related events without scrambling to get things finished.

(I'm finishing this blog post at 11:20 p.m. the day it is due. If my track record is any indication, chances are good I'll be sewing last-minute wedding things after the rehearsal dinner.)

What makes mine different from others in the genre?
Um, nothing. There ain't nothing special here. Other than the fact that my kids are cuter than average and my husband says really funny things that I occasionally share.

As far as my sewing, there's nothing super unique about it either. I love MiniBoden and Martha Pullen. You may see smocking, and you may see knit appliquéd t-shirts. You may see Bohemian Hippy and you may see Tailored Chic.

Now that Eliza has an opinion, you'll likely see something that resembles Jem's '80s rocker look.

How does my writing/blogging/sewing process work?
I think about essays for days before I write them. Usually long runs are a great time to process material.

Blogging happens when it happens. I do all the planning, shopping for materials, sewing, and blogging after everyone is in bed. The photographing part is the most challenging. My remote is moody, and it's hard to coordinate the weather. I've tried to call in favors, but apparently Mother Nature is busy.

I'm a meticulous sewer. I will rip the same seam four times to get things right. Every project I complete is flawed, but the pursuit of that flawless garment is what keeps me interested. Someday I'd like to look at something I complete and think, "There is nothing I'd change about it."

It's like the Holy Grail of sewing, right?

my favorite project to date -- a Sunki Flip and upcycled Fedora, October 2013

I come from a long line of artistic folk. The women in my family use their hands to create beautiful gardens, quilts, letters and stories, draperies, music, paintings, and clothing. I'm curious to see which creative art the kids choose.

And now it's time for me to ask a couple of other blogging friends to answer some questions. I've to a tendency to veer off path, so the question I've asked them to answer are different from the ones in this "blog hop."

There's Natalie. She's a mom of three littles and used to work with my mom in a Shelby County middle school. Now that I've met her in person and followed her blog for years, I can call her my friend, too. She is funny and kind and teaches yoga. She's honest and smart. Aaaaaand she had a baby in a car. <<<< The Best Birth Story Ever.

And there's Katie. Katie is also a mom of three littles and a partner in a law firm. My passion is women's sewing, and Katie is my go-to-pattern-reviewer. If she recommends a pattern, I know it's a good one. She sews practical, beautiful clothes and thoroughly breaks down the pros and cons of all types of patterns. Plus her kids are gorgeous, and I look forward to hearing about her week in her "Coffee Date Friday" posts.

Look for their posts next week! And because we're on vacation and I have a photographer/husband held captive this week, I'll be able to post about two projects very soon! Hallelujah. Have a great week, y'all!

Challenge Create: A Patriotic Ensemble

I’m so excited to share with you today for Challenge Create: Fabric Swap Edition! 

About the fabric I sent:

A couple of years ago Sew Mama Sew’s shop closed, and fabric was offered at a steep discount. I snagged some Amy Butler fabric that I adored, but when I sewed through my stash last year, that beautiful fabric lingered. Finally I’d decided to make it into a big sun hat. However, when I was invited to be a part of Challenge Create, I knew immediately I’d send it off to someone else.

Still I was stuck on the hat idea, so I still planned to make a hat with whatever red, white, and/or blue fabric I received. Then this arrived from Amy and Tasha:

It took me a while to get over my mental block (HAT! HAT! HAT!) and come up with something new, but once I did, the vision was pretty solid. Inspired by photos on my Pinterest board, I knew this beautiful floral fabric would make a lovely smocked popover top. And I’ve had my eye on denim with tiny hearts; Eliza needed a pair of denim shorts, and I knew she’s love the little hearts! I was right — she loves them!

For the tunic, I started with the free Oliver + S Popover dress. I added 14” to the center of the top to allow for pleating (I wanted it super full) and shortened it to tunic length. Then I pleated it and got to work smocking. 

I used Ellen McCarn's "April" smocking plate for the design. This was only my second time smocking a substantial piece, so it took for-ev-ah! But I feel like the concept of smocking "clicked" for me this time, and I'm already looking forward to my next smocking project.

For the smocking, I used solid blue thread because I felt it would stand out more against the busy patterned fabric. (Instead of whipstitching the neck binding, I edgestitched it for a couple of reasons: my patience wore thin from so much hand work and my time was running very short.) I've still got a lot to learn about the art, but overall I'm pleased with the result. 

To finish the tunic, I added eyelet to the bottom of the hem.

The shorts are made using the free Oliver + S Sunny Days shorts. Using the front and pocket pieces from the Blank Slate Patterns Clean Slate Pants, I added pockets lined with the third fabric I received. 

This outfit fits her perfectly! She likes it, too, which is always a plus. It’ll be great for heading down to the river to watch fireworks and picnic for Independence Day. 

Thanks for having me, ladies, and thanks Amy and Tasha for the fabric!

Completed: A Vintage Matinee

Today I'm a stop on Jennuine Design's Matinee Dress tour!

My stack of feed sack fabric is quickly dwindling, so I'm selective in choosing projects for it. This dress was the perfect opportunity to dig through my stash and find a great combination.

Here's the original description of the pattern:

The Matinee Dress and Peplum Top features a pseudo bateau neckline with a plunging open back. A simple sash at the empire waistline adds interest and closes the middle back. There are several options for customization: cap sleeves, a contrasting hem band, and dress or peplum lengths.

I made quite a few changes to the pattern. Eliza measured in 12/18 months for the chest and waist, so I stuck with that width and used the 3T length. I lengthened the skirt and shortened the bodice. I moved the sash to the waist and made it into a belt that closes with a large hook and eye. I used ric-rac to keep the shoulders up. And finally, I made the width of the skirt pieces for the size 8 dress so it would be fuller.

Stats:

Pattern: Matinee Dress from Jennuine Designs

Fabric: All fabric is from my stash: the floral fabric is a vintage feed sack.

Size: Combination of 12/18 month, 3T, and 8 as described above.

This is one of the nicest PDF patterns I've used. The sizes are nested, so you only have to print out the size(s) you need. Jenn has been so thorough in her instructions; she caught potential mistakes before I had a chance to make them. The diagrams are simple and easy to follow. For these reasons, this pattern would make a nice one for Confident Beginners.

During the tour, Jenn is offering the Matinee pattern for 20% off with the code matineetour20 in her pattern shop.

She's also collected an awesome assortment of prizes for a giveaway! Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway here!!

Thanks for having me, Jenn!

FLIP this Pattern: Zonen 09 Charlie flip!

The über-talented ladies over at Frances Suzanne just celebrated the year anniversary of the Flip This Pattern series! They're starting up another round this summer, and the competitors are sure to come up with some fantastic pieces!

I had so much fun flipping the Sunki last year and jumped at the chance to be a part of things this time around. So, I'm thrilled to introduce the first pattern in the series: Charlie from Zonen 09. This pattern is simultaneously hip and classic. Here's a peek at my flip, which I'll get to in a bit:

Charlie is a lined, knitted shirt with a lapel collar that comes in sizes 2y - 9y. There are both short and long sleeved versions, and the shirt hem and sleeves are cuffed.

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The way the collar lies is so cool -- it allows the lining to show and makes it different from other collared shirts I've seen.

The Zonen 09 Flikr pool has dozens of variations of Charlie. (In fact, I could get lost for days in the Zonen 09 Flikr pool. There are so many clean, sharp, modern photos and clothes there!)

Here's one of my favorites:

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I should probably mention it's a Dutch pattern available in English, so you may have to use Google translate to read the posts to which I'm linking.

You'll see lots of girls' variations of the Charlie:

And a few fantastic flips like this one:

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When it came time to make my own Charlie, I chose to flip it, too. My boys don't need any shirts right now, so I decided to sew something for Eliza. Would you believe she's never had a nightgown? She's worn mostly her brothers' hand-me-down pajamas -- fleece footies with dump trucks and dinosaurs. She doesn't mind those, but it was time for her own sleepwear.

I found this fabric at Jo-Ann and knew immediately it was destined to become a nightgown. A Charlie Nightgown. 

Here's a list of the changes I made to the original pattern:

• omitted the collar
• added tiny ties to the front slit
• used the largest sleeve size to allow for an elasticized hem and gathered sleeve cap
• extended to gown length

It's lined with Ryan's old t-shirts, so the inside is soft and well worn.

Thoughts

• I sewed a size 2y. She's got an extremely narrow chest. If your child measures smaller than RTW, I would caution to consider head size before sizing down too far. This goes over her head, but it's a close fit. It would be an easy fix if you plan ahead and make the slit a little lower.
• Seam allowances aren't included in this pattern. I'm planning to invest in a compass like the ones we had in high school geometry to aid in consistency in adding seam allowances/grading/etc. I stink at it. It might be easier to fold the pattern pieces in half to ensure symmetry in your newly drawn cutting lines.

Hop on over to Frances Suzanne to get a discount code for your own Charlie pattern, and sew along to qualify for spectacular prizes! Be sure to check out the rest of the summer's series -- I'm eager to see all the creativity headed our way!