The Itch to Stitch Paro Cardigan

Hey y'all! Long time no see. I seem to have dropped off the blogosphere accidentally. To be frank, the process of taking and editing pictures, then writing a blog post was just too much for me for a while there. I really have been sewing quite a bit. If you follow me on IG (@kid_md) or Twitter (@katie_kid_md) you'll still get to see lots of sewing action. I'm not sure I'll be posting everything I make going forward, but I really wanted to show y'all this. Blogging mojo kickstarted!

So, this cardigan is what I wanted to share with y'all. Now that we live somewhere with proper seasons (it was ALWAYS hot in Texas and ALWAYS cold in Utah, no transitions), I find myself grabbing cardigans and hoodies a lot to layer on chilly mornings. I recently made the Jalie Helene cardigan, which I love and hopefully can get some pics of soon, but wanted something with a little more flair and shaping. I was just browsing on the Pattern Review shop, and came across this cardigan pattern from Itch to Stitch. I admit, I hadn't paid any attention to this company. I have a lot of patterns and these smaller Indie companies can be pretty variable in terms of pattern making and drafting quality. But I like the style so much, I decided to give it a go.

I mean seriously, this rear view?! With all that wonderful pleating! I love it. Another down side (for me) was that this was a PDF. Y'all, I hate taping those things together. And this was not the easiest one I've ever done. I fall into three different sizes, so I couldn't just print the one size. And for whatever reason, the pieces just didn't want to fit well together during assembly. I ended up cutting out each piece as I assembled it, instead of leaving it as one big sheet. Once that was done, it went together fine.

I really like that this style lends itself well to being dressed up or down. Pencil skirts aren't exactly conducive to chasing my kids, so I love that I can wear this cardi with my jeans as well. It sewed up nicely in a rayon-poly-lycra Ponte from FabricMart. I don't think it's particularly well suited to thinner knits, as you'd lose the details in the pleating.

 As far as the pattern itself goes, the drafting was good - everything fit together as it should. I found the sizing a bit on the RTW/vanity sizing side of things. My measurements put my in 3 sizes, the smallest of which was a size 2. Y'all... I haven't been a size 2 since middle school. That said, as long as you ignore the size numbers and go by your measurements, those are accurately represented. For fit, the only alteration I made was to grade out 2 sizes at the bust. Since there is plenty of ease in the hips, I didn't make any changes there. It's also worth noting that I did not lengthen the sleeves. I have quite long arms and generally do have to add some length to most sleeves, but as you can see, this one is quite long as drafted. Shortening is easier than lengthening though, so that's a feature for me.

The other major change I made was to add pockets. I must have pockets in my cardigans. They hold my phone, keys and all the bits of stuff that come with modern life. It doesn't matter how much I love a garment, if it doesn't have pockets, I won't wear it and that goes double for cardigans. I made these the full length of the lower section and deep enough for my 5.5 inch phone.

Inside, you can see the pocket bags cover up the pleats a bit, which is nice. Since the pockets reach the entire length of the panel, they are stitched into the waist seam and the hem, so no flopping about. I used a matching cotton jersey for the pockets to reduce bulk, as the waist seam gets a bit thick with all those pleats. You can also see that I added inner buttons to stabilize my large outer buttons and prevent them from pulling through the ponte. It's always good to stabilize a heavy button, especially on a knit fabric. I did add an extra button. The pattern calls for a single large button, but I really liked the look of two. And it's mine, so I do what I want.

Overall, I think this will get a lots of wear. It's a pretty distinctive style, so I'm not sure I'll make a ton of them, but maybe there's room in my closet for one more. I have some leopard print ponte...

Cole's Creations Spirit Jacket, boy version

Over the weekend, Fall made its presence known here in Tennessee. And Duncan has outgrown all his jackets.

Fortunately, the Cole's Creations Spirit Jacket is a crazy fast sew, and I was able to make his a nice cozy one, just in time for the cold snap!

The fabrics are fleece, with interlock for the collar, waistband and cuffs. I also underlined the sleeves with tricot to make them nice and slippery so the jacket would be easy to take on and off. The tricot adds some wind resistance too, so that's a nice bonus.

I made a size 4. and it is a perfect fit, but there is definitely no grow room. Fortunately, it'll be easy enough to whip up another once he outgrows this one. I do love the way the waistband holds the jacket snug at the waist. Very cozy!

It is nice and comfy for play, and he can do the snaps himself, which is really nice. I used red capped snaps from SewBaby.

It even kept him cozy in the rain! And don't let that forlorn look fool you. He threw an unholy fit when we made him come inside.

Perfect Pattern Parcel #4: School Age Boys!!!

I know I am not the only Mom who has bemoaned the lack of good patterns for boys, particularly those in the "in-between" ages.

Fortunately, the Perfect Pattern Parcel has our backs. They have put together a collection aimed specifically at our school age guys!
A complete wardrobe, all on one shot. And, as with all the Pattern Parcels, you name your own price and you can choose to allocate a portion of your purchase price to the charity Donorschoose.org to help classrooms in need.

For my guy, I went with the Zippy Jacket by Blank Slate Patterns.

Logan is an active dude, and he prefers his clothing comfortable and easy fit. As we're moving into fall weather, sometimes the tee shirts and shorts that he loves are just a little too cold for the nip in the air, so a light jacket is just what he needed.

The Zippy Jacket is just perfect for that. It's a simple style, designed to be made from mid weight knits. I used a 12 ounce Chez Ami interlock and it could not be more perfect. It is soft and comfortable, but keeps Logan cozy.

While the jacket itself is simple, the pockets are all fun. The rounded openings are bound and the pocket bag is stitched down from the inside, which is a great opportunity to use the decorative stretch stitches on your regular sewing machine.

Or if you have a coverstitch machine, you can use it for the entire operation! I used my coverstitch binder to bind the pocket openings and then stitched on the pocket bags from the wrong side with a three thread coverstitch, so that the looper threads were exposed on the right side. I love the sporty look!

Another great feature of the pattern is that the zipper goes all the way up to the top of the collar. If it's windy or chilly, you can zip it all the way up, but it has a great casual look partially unzipped.

Logan prefers it slightly unzipped, so he doesn't feel choked at the neck. He likes to have the control over his comfort.

As for the fit through the body, it really is perfect. I made Logan the size 7/8. He is turning 8 next week, and he's pretty average sized for his age. The sleeves are an excellent length and the cuff is snug enough to keep them in place and cozy. The waistband is also comfortably snug.

I did make a few minor changes to the pattern construction for reasons of personal preference. The pattern instructions for the attachment of the cuffs, collar and waistband all include zigzag topstitching. The pattern method does result in a nice smooth inside finish, but I personally dislike the look of zigzag topstitching. Instead, I stitched the waistband and collar facings onto just the inner seam allowances, and attached the cuffs via the alternate method in the pattern, which is the "usual" cuff method I generally employ.

The other change I made was to add interfacing to the zipper area at center front. I really think a zipper is easier to insert in a knit with a bit of interfacing for stability. I used Pro-Sheer Elegance in black. It's light enough to have no affect on the hand of the fabric, just make zipper insertion less fussy.

The end result is a great jacket that Logan and I both love. He loves it so much that he tried to sleep in it the night after I made it, and he's been wearing it nonstop since. Logan is pretty picky about his clothes so that is an epic win.
Head over to the Pattern Parcel site and get your own! And don't forget that if you spend over $26 on your parcel, you'll get the Knight Hoodie as well.

Be sure to also check out the other talented sewists taking part in the Pattern Parcel #4 Tour!
Friday, August 22 casa crafty || Lulu & Celeste || Keep Calm and Carrion

Saturday, August 23 Max California || Amanda Rose

Sunday, August 24 little betty sews

Monday, August 25 Kadiddlehopper || Radiant Home Studio

Tuesday, August 26 La Pantigana || Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy Crafts || Friends Stitched Together

Wednesday, August 27 Make It Perfect || Modern Handmade || GYCT Designs

Thursday, August 28 Needle and Ted || Mae & K || Mimi's Mom

Friday, August 29 Pienkel || Once Upon a Sewing Machine || Friends Stitched Together

Saturday, August 30 FABulous Home Sewn || Gray Skies || The Crazy Tailor

Sunday, August 31 Nine Stitches || Max California || Oliver's Fancy || Friends Stitched Together

Monday, September 1 a happy stitch || lady and the gents || Our Family Four || Swoodson Says

Tuesday, September 2 verypurpleperson || Things for Boys || The Crazy Tailor

Wednesday, September 3 Our Family Four || Rebekah Sews || a happy stitch

Thursday, September 4 Sew a Straight Line || la inglesita || Made by Sara || Knot Sew Normal

Friday, September 5 Knot Sew Normal || Gracious Threads || Sofilantjes || Max California

Cole's Creations Spirit Jacket

Since I didn't get a chance to help out with testing the Katy Panda dress, I was thrilled that I got an opportunity to try out Nicole's next design, the Spirit Jacket!

It is such a fun design and a super fast sew. It's a raglan sleeved jacket with a snap front and front pockets.

I wanted to emphasize the letterman jacket look, so I used faux stretch leather for the sleeves. The body of the jacket is a furry knit-backed velboa, so it's cozy, comfortable and cute. I used ribbing for the sleeves.

The collar is shaped so it rises high on the back of the neck, but without coming too high in the front. The jacket closes with snaps. I used black pearl snaps, which turned out really cute with the leather and fur.

You can see here how the collar hugs the neckline, which still being comfortable.

The hem edge of the Spirit Jacket is finished in the style of a letter jacket with a nice snug hem band and two snaps for closures. It helps keep it cozy and in place but still comfortable.

I made Myra a size 6 and it is a great fit. The length is good on her, but long enough that she won't outgrow it next week. The fit through the body is easy enough for playtime, but not large enough to look slouchy. And if you're wondering if the pattern comes in the size you need, the chances are it does! All sizes 1/2 to 16 are included!!

The Spirit Jacket is designed for cozy fabrics like fleece, velour and heavy knits, so even though it is unlined, it is still nice and warm. You could also make it up as a lightweight jacket for layering.

It's such a versatile style, I can see it made in so many different ways, and embellished to suit every opinionated youngster. It'll be great for my boys, too. (And yours!)

Myra loves her Spirit Jacket, and I had a really fun time sewing it. If you are nervous about sewing jackets, this would be a great starter, and if you're more experienced, it's fun to whip out. Head over and get the pattern now! It's on sale until tomorrow for $2 off, which makes it only $6.95!

Simplicity 5755 and McCalls 658: One shoulder mini and bolero

I promise I've sewn for actual humans. Barbie is just more amenable to my photography schedule.

Still, I kinda love sewing for this girl. Patterns actually fit her, and she can wear all sorts of fun styles that don't work for me at all.

As much as I'd love to swan about in a leopard sweater knit, one shoulder mini... Well, real life. I'm pretty darn thrilled with this one though. The pattern is Simplicity 5755, which Kirsty was kind enough to grab from me at the Bay Area Sewist Pattern swap. Kirsty, you are the best!!

I made it in sweater knit left over from my Plantain tee. It's tricky to find animal prints in a scale small enough for Barbie clothes. I think this one is perfect. The only major alteration I made to the pattern was to add a lining. I really didn't want to topstitch this unstable knit. A lining was an easier way to finish the neckline and hems.

The bolero is from McCalls 685. I made it from a crushed velvet and it is lined in cotton batiste. I didn't make any alterations at all to this pattern and I'm thrilled with the fit!

I added some beading to the neckline, just for a bit of sparkle. It's amazing how little time hand beading takes when the clothes are small.

The belt was also made by me. I found these tiny rhinestone buckles at Hobby Lobby and stitched on a length of velvet ribbon. Since the velvet is 'grippy' the belt holds itself in place without a clasp.

Teresa is so happy with her outfit she had to snap a quick selfie during our photo shoot!

Simplicity 8333 in faux leather and ponte

Making Barbie clothes is strangely satisfying. And I had some biggish scraps of the faux leather after I made my pants. Obviously, Barbie (or Belle, in this case) needed a tough girl look.

The pattern I used this time is Simplicity 8333, which was printed in 1987. This view is intended to be a tracksuit, with a sleeveless top, jogging pants and a sweat jacket, but it has good bones. The raglan sleeved jacket was just begging to be made in leather and ponte. This leather doesn't like topstitching, so I omitted the front closure and fused down the front fold over facing.

The top and pants are excellent basics. The pants are simple straight leg with an elastic waist. The waistband is a bit tricky to attach, since it is so small, but otherwise, these are a simple sew. I did slim them somewhat from the original pattern for a sleeker look.

I think the top is my favorite piece. I made it in this studded jersey from Girl Charlee and trimmed the neckline with picot elastic. The pattern was drafted for wovens. I included the side dart for shaping, but I took a very large seam allowance to give the top a more fitted look. It closes in the back with velcro, to make it easy to get on and off.

I'm getting slightly addicted to sewing these teeny little clothes. They are great for using up little scraps that I would otherwise toss, so I feel good about that. They also go together really fast, so that's pretty fun. And Myra really loves them, so you'll be seeing more. But don't worry. I'm still an essentially selfish being. MOAR clothes for ME!