Completed: Bimaa Sweater & Sunki Leggings (KCW Day One)

In an effort to keep from losing my mind (and still having time to sew) this week, I'll keep the posts brief -- just pictures and stats.

 Stats:
Patterns: Bimaa Sweater pattern from EmmylouBeeDoo (I won a giveaway from Ajaire!) and the Sunki Leggings (my second pair, which is identical to the first.)
Fabric: Purple interlock from my stash, the cowl neck is from a dissected maxi dress that was Amanda's (or her friend's?). The dress skirt was cut on the bias, so there wasn't too much extra. The jeans fabric is also from my stash -- leftover from a failed pair of Clovers.
Size: 2t on the Bimaa with no adjustments. It was a perfect fit. The sleeves and body are a tad long, which I prefer. It's designed to be a snug fit. Eliza is on the small end, so I'd size up if my girl was average-sized or at the bigger end of the size spectrum. I cut a 4/5 in the Sunki leggings and used a smaller seam allowance this time to give her even more wiggle room.
Modifications: None.
Thoughts: Man, I really like this Bimaa pattern. The Internets have been telling us it's adorable and showing us all their precious versions. There's a hooded version that I'd like to try for the boys. A great knit shirt pattern is like fried pickles and ranch dip -- pretty perfect. (See Renfrew, Flashback Skinny Tee, etc.)

FLIP this Pattern: Sunki Tunic Flip

It's my turn with the Flip this Pattern series at Frances Suzanne! I'm so excited to show you how I put my own twist on the Sunki Tunic and Leggings pattern. 

Hop over and take a look!

**a very special "thank you" to Rachel of Nest Full of Eggs who sent me her paper version of the pattern.**

Signature Style (PR&P Week 4)

This is the third time I've sewn along with the "Signature Style" week at Project Run and Play. (The first time is here. The second time is here.)

Here's how I described aspects of my "style" last season: "comfort (knits), upcycling, classic silhouettes, shortened bodices, applique, and muted colors."

I'd say that's still mostly true.

"Muted colors" must've meant mauve and gray because that's my favorite color scheme for the girl. But I'm starting to use more bold colors, too.

And of course I'd add "vintage" to that list!

Here's my Signature Style look for Season 7!

Details:

Pattern:  shirt -- Maggie Mae by Shwin Designs; pants -- Sunki leggings by Figgy's Patterns; hat -- Fedora Hat Pattern by Elegants & Elephants

Fabric: shirt -- upcycled stretch cotton blend from a hand-me-down shirt of my sister's; pants -- stretch medium-weight denim from my stash; hat -- upcycled twill from a hand-me-down skirt

Notions: I used vintage brown bobble buttons for the back. (My signature style definitely includes vintage things.)

Size: 2 (shirt); 4/5 (leggings) for added ease and growth room; Medium (fedora) 

Modifications: Added piping to the yoke seam on the Maggie Mae tunic. Shortened the length of the tunic (but left plenty of room for the hem to be lengthened).

Thoughts: I love, love, love every piece! I've been waiting to sew up the Maggie Mae for a while with this specific shirt upcycle in mind. I'll be sewing this pattern again. I may try to line the whole thing next time.

And the fedora and leggings are wonderfully versatile and will work with several different looks, as you'll see next week. (Hint!)

Mad for Plaid (PR&P Week 3)

This one is down to the wire, for sure. It's been an intense week around here (first peak of marathon #5 training, among other things), so when I cut it out on Tuesday there was a possibility it wouldn't be finished by the Project Run and Play sew along deadline.

Fortunately I've sewn this shirt up before and didn't have to spend a lot of time figuring out instructions.

The theme for PR&P this week is "Mad for Plaid." Two of Ryan's dress shirts made into a Henry Shirt were perfect for the challenge.

This version is for Daniel. He. Loves. It.

And now, because I couldn't pick just one, and because he was so excited to be the recipient/object of my sewing/picture taking, and because he makes my heart skip beats. . .

here is a picture overload.

This photo gives me an idea of what he'll look like at 15. Be still my heart.

Stats:
Pattern: The Henry Shirt from Sewing for Boys
Fabric: two upcycled dress shirts (one short-sleeved)
Size: 2/3 with added two inches to length
Modifications: 
made pocket taller
narrowed back pleat to 1"
used buttons instead of snaps
Thoughts: I am SO much happier with the fit of this shirt! I really didn't like the boxiness of the first version I made, but this one is just right. If I make another for Lee, I'll use the 4/5 size and just add length.

Overall we're both thrilled with the result. The whole ensemble turned out just as I'd imagined.

Next week is signature style week! I'll be back to sewing for The Girl.

Completed: The Henry Shirt Wearable Muslin

One of the main pieces I'm planning for the boys' fall wardrobe is The Henry Shirt from Sewing for Boys. I've got three planned for each of them.

There are a dozen of Ryan's old dress shirts in my upcycle pile, but it takes two large men's dress shirts to create one shirt for the boys.

Enter The Henry Shirt. It calls for two fabrics -- perfect. Two of Ryan's shirts that coordinate will make one Henry. It's a button-up style (the pattern has snaps, but I'll go with buttons) that can be layered. It will be perfect for church or dressy casual occasions.

Because I'm planning so many of them, I wanted to do a test version. The reviews of the pattern indicated that it's boxy and runs wide and short. Lee is an average sized almost-6-year-old boy, so I sewed up the size 6/7 knowing it would likely be too big.

It was. But he'll be able to wear it eventually, so no big deal. I didn't add the buttons because they'll never be used anyway.

Here are the things I love about this design:
the pockets
the box pleat
the curved yoke
the raglan sleeves
the enclosed seams and neat finish
the opportunity for embellishment (piping, anyone? embroidery on the pockets?)

Here are the things I don't love about this design:
the collar
the collar (It's worth mentioning twice. This collar and I had words, y'all.)
the boxiness

It's awesome enough that I will still sew up my planned versions.
Here are the changes I'll make:
raise the pockets higher and make them taller
use the smaller size (4/5) everywhere but length (6/7)
consider narrowing the box pleat
add 1" to the size (6/7) length
rethink that collar and maybe reduce its size. it just seems off scale.
use buttons instead of snaps
add a size tag. for the love, WHY can't I ever remember to do that?

Stats:
Pattern: The Henry Shirt from Sewing for Boys
Fabric: Ryan's old dress shirts
Size: 6/7
Modifications: None
Thoughts: This pattern is rated Advanced, and I get that. While I don't consider myself advanced, there are some curved seams and such that could offer challenges.

I didn't have a bit of trouble until that stinkin' collar. I could NOT figure out how to get the edge of the collar to conceal the top of the button placket. Ugh. It was bad. It turned out okay, but still. Too much effort there. So much so that Ryan offered to help. And I considered letting him.

The reviews for this pattern were tough. The main problem is there aren't enough diagrams in the book to explain the steps in detail. And unfortunately there was a great sew-along, but the pictures there didn't provide enough detail to help me with the collar. (Although they did answer the tricky question of which side of the collar is the top and which is the bottom.) If you sew this pattern, I highly recommend checking out the sew-along at Thar She Sews and Bilingual Baby.

Overall it's got enough awesome details that I feel it's worth sewing again.

Now if I can't beat that collar into submission, I reserve the right to change my mind.

(Project Run & Play starts September 9th. I'll be using this pattern during the "Mad for Plaid" theme during week 3. So far that's the only week to which I'm totally committed, but I've found myself daydreaming about how to re-mix the free Oliver + S Popover Dress pattern for the week 1 challenge... ... ...)

Tested: Fedora Hat by Elegance & Elephants

It's a fedora! For little kids!

I'm not ashamed to admit it. When I finished sewing this up as a test for Heidi of Elegance & Elephants, I popped it on my head and immediately started strutting around the house. It's impossible to wear a fedora and not strut.

Apparently if you're Lee, it's impossible to wear a fedora and not pose with a finger on your chin as if you're pondering life's ultimate mystery. For Lee, fedora = secret agent.

Fedora = Cool.

Heidi's so super talented. Her designs are fresh, classic, and really just cool. This one's no different.

I made this hat from a pair of thrifted men's wool pants. They were slightly moth-eaten, but the brown wool was lush and lovely. With a 46" waist and 34" inseam, there's enough fabric to make another fedora for Daniel. That's a good thing because he wants one badly. So does Ryan.

I'd call this an Intermediate pattern. It's tougher than a beginner pattern, but wasn't too difficult. The hardest part for me was making sure to sew slowly to avoid puckers. Everything is a big circle -- and when attaching pieces in a circle, things have a tendency to stretch and move and pucker.

The heavyweight interfacing also makes things a bit challenging.

There's a lot of topstitching, so my advice is to take it slow, slow, slow. And measure -- the size is based on head circumference, not age.

The lining is some Riley Blake I had in my stash. The only thing I had to purchase was heavyweight interfacing. (Did I tell you I've vowed to buy no new fabric for six months? Yeah. There's that.) (I've given myself one possible exception. The FLIP this Pattern series for October. My budget for that is $20.)

Stats:
Pattern: Fedora Hat by Elegance & Elephants (soon to be released)
Fabric: Thrifted wool pants, Riley Blake Wheels
Size: XL. The fit was perfect.
Thoughts: This pattern was well written and designed. The steps are clear, and the end result is pretty much the coolest thing EVER.

Daniel wants one, Ryan wants one, and I want one.

Eliza needs one, too. With a flower.

Hold me. It's too much cuteness to imagine.

Keep an eye out. This pattern will be released soon. I predict it'll be a HUGE hit.

Completed: Bubble Shorts FLIP

The pattern being FLIPPED over at Frances Suzanne this month is the Bubble Shorts by Elegance and Elephants. I love this pattern. In fact, I bought it as soon as Heidi released it!

Then I lost it. As easily as one can lose a digital pattern. Only me.

So, I bought it again. And I'm so glad.

My flip involved making the shorts into a romper. That's right, I've jumped on the romper bandwagon. They're just so stinkin' cute!

Basically I constructed the shorts and lined bodice separately, then joined them together with an elastic waist.

The fabric came from a hand-me-down H&M dress that was my sister's. It was beautiful, but it wasn't my size and there was no way to alter it. I used every bit of it, down to the delicate pearl buttons. The fabric was challenging because the dress skirt was cut on the bias and the cotton was extremely thin.

And it wrinkles like an 80-year-old sun-loving smoker.

I've tweaked it and am making up another version with some cherished vintage feed sack fabric right now. Expect a tutorial Thursday! 

For now, I'm linking up for the June sew-along at Frances Suzanne.

To wrap up this post, as if I needed any more motivation to keep sewing a ridiculous amount of little girl clothes. . . I get this face.