Ottobre 01/2010-24: 100 day shirt!

Today was a big day, scholastically speaking. It was the 100th day of school!! The Kindergarteners each year make a big deal of this day, mostly as an excuse to work on counting in a fun way. Myra has been excited about 100 day, and Logan caught the excitement, so I made them both something to commemorate the occasion. More on Myra's tomorrow, but today... Logan!

When I asked Logan what kind of shirt he wanted, he just said he wanted it to be blue. I took a little liberty by using two different colors of blue. Risk taker, that's me.

The pattern is from the 06/2010 issue of Ottobre. It's a basic tee, but with shoulder yokes both front and back.

I topstitched the yoke and neckline with the lighter color thread, so the stitching would pop.

I appliqued the '100' with the darker blue jersey and topstitched it with the same lighter thread. I used a triple stitch. When I applique jersey to jersey, I like to keep as much stretch as possible, so rather than fusing the piece with heat and bond, I use a glue stick to place the applique, then just stitch around it. The glue washes away, leaving the applique just as soft and stretchy as can be.

Logan likes his 100 shirt, and I am very pleased with this pattern. The yokes mean I could eliminate the shoulder seam, so the shoulder area, where he carries his backpack, is nice and soft.

Logan insisted I show you that it looks just as good upside down...
Tomorrow - 100 day in pink!

Ottobre + Ananda = One Smooth Criminal

This year is probably the last year that Duncan won't have an opinion about his Halloween costume, so I kind of struggled with what to make for him.

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that Duncan is something of an escape artist. We talked about several variations on that theme, but finally settled on classic jailbird stripes.

It's also a plus that this is basically a sweatsuit with stripes. Super comfy and cozy for trick or treating or just hanging around the cell block.

The shirt is from the 01/2010 issue of Ottobre. I made the size 98 because I already had it traced and his 92s are all too small. It looks like the sleeves are a little long, but I kinda like the ragamuffin look it gives.

The pants are my new favorite comfy kids pant, the Ananda. They are so comfy and go together so quickly. And since they don't have side seams, I only had to match the stripes on the inseam and crotch. Bonus!

I made the waistband (and the cuffs and neckband of the shirt) from a white rib knit. I wish it had slightly better recovery, as the pants got a little saggy with wear, but I think that was also because I hemmed them a little too long so he was stepping on them.

Wasn't it nice of him to mark the new hemline with mud? Considerate kid, I tell ya.

Even though this is "just" a costume, I did go to the trouble of matching the stripes across the seams. I didn't have quite enough fabric to match the stripes across the sleeves, but he moves so much, I don't think anyone would be able to tell either way.

The fabric I used is a soft sweatshirt fleece from Nature's Fabrics. You may have noticed that it isn't the traditional black and white stripe. I could pretend that I did that on purpose so that he could get more wear out of the ensemble, but the honest truth is that I just wasn't paying attention. I still think it gets the point across and he actually will at least be able to wear the sweatshirt after Halloween, so whatever.

Better move fast, Copper! He's outta here! And as you all know, #childproofingisfutile .

Emma's Winter SWAP: Outfit #1

Since I only have one little girl child, and her wardrobe is immense and mostly handmade, I've been in the habit of passing down Myra's clothes to her sweet little cousin. It makes me happy to think that the item that I crafted are of use to her. This winter, Myra has apparently been unusually hard on her clothes, so there wasn't much to send. I decided to take this week to make a few things just for Emma and to try my hand at my first kid SWAP (sewing with a plan).

And here is Emma's first outfit! I think it turned out really cute. Each piece was intended to be a useful individual wardrobe basic as well, so hopefully she can mix and match them a bit.

The first thing I made was the red tee. It is a simple long sleeve, cuffed tee. The pattern (and all of the patterns for this outfit) comes from the 01/2010 issue of Ottobre. This is style #22. It's a great wardrobe basic. Emma is an icy blonde, so I thought this saturated pinky-red would compliment her coloring.

Of course, I couldn't stop at "basic" and added a line of hot-fix crystals to the neckline. Every girl likes a little bling!

Since Emma lives in a colder climate, I also wanted to make her some layering pieces. I was thrilled that I had enough of this awesome cheetah corduroy to make this jacket! The pattern is # 19 from the aforementioned Ottobre. I lengthened the sleeves for warmth.

I also added some curved patch pockets. Kids need pockets.

The edges are finished with a topstitched facing. I like the clean lines this gives. I used covered snaps for the closure. I really agonized over the closures and went back and forth over several options. So, I did what any Sewcialist would do - I polled Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. The vote was unanimous in favor of the snaps! And I love them. Thanks, y'all!!

The final piece in the SWAP which works with both outfits, is a basic pair of pants. This is design #13, a simple elastic pant which I've made twice for Myra. I love the shape of it. I made this out of a wool poly suiting with a thick, sweatery feel. It's really the loveliest fabric and should keep Emma nice and cozy. You'll be seeing more of it, since both Myra and Logan requested pants from it when they saw Emma's!

Satshbusting bonus - except for the snaps on the cheetah jacket, every single thing for this ENTIRE SWAP came from my stash!!! Woo hoo!!

Ottobre 06/07-9, 06/08-2 and 01/10-2

A very dear and very old friend is having a wee girlie child this fall, and that means baby girl sewing!! There is something ridiculously satisfying about sewing itty bitty girl clothes.

This little outfit comes from three different issues of Ottobre. The pinafore dress is from 06/2007, the top from 01/2010 and the leggings from 06/2008. Have I mentioned how much I love my Ottobre magazines? They are the best.

The pinafore dress is the star of the show here. I made it out of a couple of quilting cotton prints. I love the way that the bodice lining and the pocket binding are the same sweet polka dot fabric. I even found a fun ribbon with a woven in polka dot to tie it all together.

Isn't that pocket ridiculously adorable?! I love the sweet little gathers and the narrow binding.

The pinafore closes with snaps and I used some tiny vintage metal ones. I really like the way that Ottobre designs for real life with babies. So many of these wrap-style dresses from other pattern companies have ties, and they are such a pain to put on a wiggly baby! Snaps are much more practical.

Since the wee princess is coming during the colder season, I made her a few layering pieces for under the dress. The top is from the 01/2010 issue, and is a simple tee with a slightly wide, gathered neckline and gathered, cropped sleeves. I made it out of a super soft rayon jersey that should be lovely for baby - light enough to layer over, but still warm. The leggings are the basic leggings from 06/2008 that I have made several times. I made them from a soft but sturdy rib knit. I hope they keep her warm and cozy!

Ottobre 06/2008-13 & 01/2010-18

Tired of PJs yet? I promise I'll make something else next. I'm getting tired of them, too.

Here is Myra in her latest set of PJs. Both pieces are from Ottobre, and both are intended to be daywear, but I think the combo of fleece and leopard puts this ensemble squarely in the nighttime only category.

The top is from the 06/2008 issue of Ottobre. Since the print of the fleece has that white area, I wanted a raglan top so as not to break it up over the shoulder.

Here is the line drawing of the original. It's called the "Sweet 'n' Cosy" tunic. I really like the shirred sleeves, but the fleece was just too bulky to shirr well. I'll definitely have to make this again for her with that detail though. It's so cute. I also left off the elastic in the sleeve hems. I tried, but the narrow elastic and the bulky fleece just didn't want to play. Fortunately, the bell sleeves are pretty darn cute without the elastic. I also lengthened the top 1 inch. Those pattern pieces just looked short. I'm glad I did. It's the perfect length. I used my binder to attach the neckline binding, which is black rib knit.

You can see it stretched out just a little bit. It isn't actually this bad - she's holding it up with her arms. The neckline is already a little more of a scoop neck than a crew, which I like. I am also so impressed with how perfectly the binding turned out otherwise. I am so in love with that binder!

I bound the neckline flat, and then seamed the left back raglan seam. Look at how perfectly the binding aligned! Even the stitching is perfectly matched up. I've never, ever managed to do that with binding applied by hand. Something is always slightly off.

The pants are made from design 18 (the Ruusunnuppu leggings) from the 01/2010 issue that you've seen so much lately. I traced these and cut them out before the movers brought our stuff. I really like the cascading pleats on the legs, but fleece was not the ideal medium to showcase them.

Here is how they turned out. As you can see, the loft of the fleece made it difficult to pleat and sew accurately, so some of them don't line up. as PJ bottoms though, they're fine and the scrunch effect at the ankle keeps her nice and warm and keeps them from riding up as she sleeps.

She likes them! She called them "kitty jammies" and spent the evening meowing.

I may be off the radar now for just a little while. I've a few aprons to sew for a church service project and then a baby gift to make, which of course, I can't reveal until it has been gifted. You'll die of the cuteness though. I promise!

Ottobre 01/2010-19 & 13

I'm going to keep it quick today, partly because PJs aren't very complicated, but also because my truck is supposed to come today, and I have a zillion things to do to get ready. But my stuff is coming!!!

So, on to the sewing. Myra is still in dire need of PJs, so here is another set, modified from patterns in the 01/2010 Ottobre.

The pants are the same pattern I used last time, but the top is a long sleeved version of tunic #19.

As you can see, it has a nice A-line shape, and otherwise is very simple. The original had short sleeves, so I lengthened them by using the total length of another set in sleeve in her size and just extending the seams to that length. It worked fine for this.

I also topstitched down the facings around the neckline and front edges. I think this is a more PJ sort of look and it keeps the facings from flopping around. As drafted, the facings for this tunic are quite narrow. Also, how cute are those ducky buttons?? They cost more than the fabric, but they are so adorably perfect, I had to get them.

The most important thing is that she loves them!

Ottobre 01/2010-15

Thank you so much to everyone who commented and emailed me about my last post. I really appreciate all of the support, advice and words of comfort. In retrospect and taking all of what y'all said into consideration, I think I'm going to dedicate July to "Balance". I have tons of projects that I want to do. Some are for me, but many are not. I'm going to try to find the balance that works for me.

*******

I'm not usually a matchy-matchy mom. In fact, I think this is the first thing I've made for Myra that matches something of mine. It is also the last piece I had prepared to keep me busy sewing while we waited for our things to come from Texas. I really thought I was over prepared, but since we are still waiting, apparently not. Fail, North American Van Lines, fail. We have been told that the truck has left Texas though and is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday. Keep some fingers crossed for me, will you?

This pattern is from my much used 01/2010 issue of Ottobre. In fact, this blouse is the only reason I had this issue with me at all. When the issue first came out, I knew Myra would be getting this blouse, but at the time the smallest size was too big for her. And now she's wearing the second size up! Growing. Too. Fast.

The pattern is so cute! It is a yoked blouse with gathered shoulders and back, a rounded collar and button bands (although I used the snaps again). The sleeves are puffed and elasticated and the hemline is slightly curved and has a little strip of ribbon applied to the right side. Of course, the ruffles just ramp up the cuteness factor. Since I had just made my blouse, I changed up the order of construction from the directions. I found it easiest for me to apply the ruffles and bands to the front first, so that I could do that flat, then construct the shirt. I also did the collar before the sleeves. I always do, since I find that the flatter I can lay the collar, the easier it is to attach.

I just love the back. The gathers are just so pretty. I cut the yoke on the cross grain to take advantage of the stripes and enclosed all the yoke seam allowances. Even without my serger, this little shirt is pretty nice looking on the inside. The only exposed seams are the armscye and side seams. I double stitched those and pinked them.

Here is the front up close. You can see that the shoulder is gathered into the yoke. There was a lot of gathering on this blouse! I finished the ruffles on both shirts with a serger rolled hem. This was actually the last thing my serger did before I packed her up. You can also see that the collar is finished inside the shirt with a bias strip. This is absolutely my favorite way to construct a one piece collar! It is so much easier and cleaner IMO than the way the Big 3 does them with the weird clipping and hand stitching.

Even though both Myra and I really like this blouse, I'm betting that she doesn't wear it much. Myra is pretty much a dresses only kind of girl. Time will tell.

Ottobre 01/2010-13 & 22

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes! I really had such a great day and I'm looking forward to sewing up some fun new things.

I took a little detour from the items that I had planned to sew while we waited for our belongings to follow us from Texas. They still aren't here, so I don't have my serger or coverstitcher, but Myra really needed some warm PJs. The kids sleep in the basement and it gets quite chilly at night. The problem was that all of my stash, both fabric and patterns are still on a truck in Texas.(Side note: North American Van Lines was our mover and I DO NOT recommend them. We have been getting the run around about when our stuff is coming for weeks.) Fortunately, I had brought one issue of Ottobre, and fabric shopping is great around here.

Yeah, they aren't a perfect match, but I was shopping the remnants bin and beggars can't be choosers. the patterns are both from the 01/2010 issue of Ottobre. The top is long sleeve tee #22 and the pants are #13, which I have made for her before, albeit in a much smaller size and not as jammies.

I don't have much to say about the patterns. The pants have a nice shape and fit well, although I did make Myra a larger size than she currently wears in hopes that she can wear these through the winter. I did raise the waistline a little on this version as she had some gapping the last time. The tee is your basic long sleeve tee with cuffs. I love the way that Ottobre's cuffs are shaped. Very cozy. I had plenty of fleece so I did go to the trouble of matching that dominant black area across the body and sleeves. That was probably overkill for PJs, but I knew it would drive me crazy if I didn't.

The verdict? She likes them and they keep her warm. That's pretty much all I ask of jammies. And, I have a new long sleeve tee pattern to use! Sweet.

Ottobre 01/2010-13

Myra needed some hippy chick jeans to go with her crazy neon shirt, so I hunted through my Ottobre's to find a flare leg pant pattern in her size.

Perfect!  I LOVE the little pockets, which I think have a very 60s feel.  They are on the back as well.

I skipped the trim on the hems.  I wanted them to be a little more versatile.

But I did line the pocket flaps with the scraps of her shirt.  You can also see that I added some jean-style topstitching, which is all that "fly" is - topstitching.

The fit isn't perfect.  They are a little baggy up front,

but she has some serious gaposis in the back!  She was sleeping when I was making them, so I couldn't measure her waist, and I guess she's slimmed down a little since the last time I measured her.  I still think they are pretty darn cute, and will be a good addition to her wardrobe.  The pattern went together really quickly, since it is just a very simple pair of elastic waist pants with four patch pockets.  What's not to like?