Another Elsa Dress

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Cherie

I know, I know, the last thing the world needs is another Elsa dress!! But here’s one for ya anyways 😛

So a month ago, my family and I traveled across the country to Florida for a reunion. We stayed in Fort Lauderdale for the first part of the trip, but we figured we might as well hit up Disneyworld while we were all the way out there! I knew there was a good chance that we wouldn’t be going back out to Florida any time soon and we also knew that Yuki would have an absolute blast.

But I kept hearing horror stories about the Florida’s heat and humidity. So between the unavoidable heat and all the fun activities we were going to be doing, I came up with a sewing list that was ridiculously long. Then I had my very own Kids Clothes Week and though I didn’t even get through half my original list, I did make 7 pieces of clothing in about a week or so! I’ll be sharing them throughout the next couple of weeks. First up, Elsa’s summer dress.

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Iris Shorts for Me!

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Cherie

Hey! It’s Shorts on the Line time! Have you been following along this series hosted by imagine gnats and small + friendly? If not, you can catch up here. So many awesome shorts have been shared during Week 1!

I was excited to join in the series, but Yuki doesn’t wear shorts, so I figured I’d make some shorts for the baby. But then Britex so generously offered to provide me with some fabric and I couldn’t turn that down. And when Britex offers you fabric you don’t use it on your 10 month old baby who will literally just poo poo on it. So I decided to sew for myself and use the one shorts pattern I own for women but had never sewn, which is Colette’s Iris Shorts. I bought this pattern in August of 2012, people. 2 years ago!! So I’m really glad I got this push to finally try it.

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Making it Sleeveless {tutorial}

Posted on July 29, 2014 by Cherie

Ack! I can’t believe it’s the last week of July – where has the summer gone!?! *sniff sniff* So I’ve actually been suuuuper busy sewing and having all sorts of fun. Did you catch my weekend getaway on Instagram? Ridiculously fun times were had with some very awesome people. You should check out our hashtag #seamripcity. Anyways, I’ve got so much to share, but I’m still lagging with my blog posts. So here’s a tutorial on making a sleeveless bodice from a sleeved pattern that originally appeared on the Oliver + S blog as part of their “customizing” series. This top (made with super vintage nani IRO fabric that you can read more about here) is absolutely one of my favorite things I’ve made for Kaya so far.

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Hi! I’m going to show you how to modify a sleeved pattern to a sleeveless version and finish the armholes with bias tape. I am using the Lullaby Layette Shirt pattern (View B) in this example, but you can do this with pretty much any pattern!

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Watercolor Dress {and tips for painting fabric}

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Cherie

So I have exactly one project coming out of this Kids Clothes Week, but I’m pretty damn excited about it! The (optional) theme for this season was Kid Art and while this dress was probably the last thing I needed to make, I got really excited by the idea of getting Yuki involved in creating a one-of-a-kind garment for herself. I had all sorts of ideas like fabric painting, stenciling, iron on transfers, etc. But I knew I didn’t have much time so I could only pick one thing. If you know me, you know that I looooove fabric painting (like this cardigan, this hat and bag, and this dress) and I thought Yuki should have a go at it since she loves painting too!

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Strawberries and Edelweiss

Posted on July 22, 2014 by Cherie

So I’ve got a new project for you today. But when I say new project, I mean it’s never been posted before, but it’s something I actually made a year ago. And then photographed a couple months ago. And I’m just finally getting around to blogging it now. Oops! Better late than never right?

I call it the Strawberry Edelweiss Dress because, well, the strawberry part should be obvious and you may recognize the pattern as the Edelweiss Dress by Hey June. This dress is actually a knock off of a dress I saw a little girl wearing in a picture. I’m pretty sure it was a store bought dress and I thought it was adorable and I immediately realized the Edelweiss pattern would be perfect to recreate it. Later on I saw a little girl wearing the same dress in blue at IKEA, so I’m thinking the original may be from a big company like Carter’s or something, but I don’t have a picture of the original.

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Snap Bibs!

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Cherie

I’m back with a fun review and giveaway! Not related to sewing, but so relevant for many of us, I’m sure. Any of us who have messy eaters in the house.

When we started Kaya on solids, I was secretly dreading it. Whether you make your own food or buy it, there’s just soooo much work and clean up and the food rarely ever ends up in their mouth. When Yuki was a baby, we tried all sorts of bibs – cloth, plastic with a pocket, laminated cotton. They all had their pros and cons, but I hadn’t really found one that I loved. So as we were gearing up to start solids with Kaya I reached out to Katie of Snap Bibs to see if she’d let me try them out. And she kindly agreed!

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Triple Gauze Sleep Sack and Blanket

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Cherie

This month I’m taking a bit of a blogging break and enjoying time away from the computer. I’ve done a lot of sewing recently though, so I’ll have a lot to catch up on when I’m back! Reposting this project, originally published here, as part of the Miss Matatabi Makers series. Mmmm . . . triple gauze . . .

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Ooooh, do I have some amazing fabric to share with you today!

TRIPLE GAUZE. Did you know it existed? I did not, until very recently, and I am now a huge fan! If you think single gauze is lovely and double gauze is dreamy, well, triple gauze is downright heavenly.

The triple gauze available in the Miss Matatabi Shop is reversible, which makes it even more awesome! Before I washed it, it was smooth and soft. When it came out of the wash, it was like a fluffy cloud! Double and triple gauzes are multiple layers of gauze fabric that are attached every couple of centimeters, essentially basting or quilting the fabric. After washing and drying, the fabric was already like a perfectly lightweight quilt. Continue reading →

Starry Night Washi Dress

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Cherie

Bringing home this post from March, originally published here, as part of the Miss Matatabi Makers series. This is the THIRD Washi Dress that I’ve made (see 1 and 2), not to mention, the wedding dress I made from a hacked version of the pattern! Can you tell I love it? By the way, this fabric is still available in the Miss Matatabi shop!

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When looking through Frances’ fabulous shop, this gorgeous cotton voile caught my eye. It’s called Starry Night and comes in several beautiful colors. I knew immediately that this lightweight fabric would make something wonderful to wear for the upcoming warm weather months.

The pattern is the awesome Washi Dress by Made by Rae, with the large bow from the Expansion Pack. I absolutely love this universally flattering, easy-to-wear dress pattern! Continue reading →

Birds Eye Skirt

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Cherie

July is a pretty busy month for me and I’ll be spending a lot of time with family and away from the computer. So I thought it was a good time to bring some posts home, especially all the stuff I’ve been sharing on Miss Matatabi the last few months. This one is back from February!

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I love to sew for my daughters, but recently I’ve been trying to sew more women’s clothing, so today I’ve got a skirt that I made for myself and I’m so excited to be here sharing it with you!

If you know me, you know that I’ve been a HUGE Nani Iro fan for a few years now, but unfortunately my local fabric store stopped carrying the fabric. I had to search elsewhere to feed my Nani Iro addiction and that’s how I found Miss Matatabi. Frances has been my official supplier ever since! I started out only buying little bits of fabric and using it only for my daughter because it’s pricier than most other fabrics and I didn’t want to buy a large amount of yardage. But after realizing that a toddler does not need or appreciate the perfection that is Nani Iro, I was determined to start using the fabric for me. And I’m so glad that I did!

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Washi Tape Book Giveaway!

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Cherie

*GIVEAWAY CLOSED! Thanks to everyone for entering and congrats Kristin (@ktstitches)! You are the winner of this awesome book and should have received an email from me!*

Ooh, do I have a fun book to share with you today! My friend and incredible artist, Courtney Cerruti, has recently released her second book titled, Washi Tape: 101+ Ideas for Paper Crafts, Book Arts, Fashion, Decorating, Entertaining, and Party Fun! (affiliate link). I don’t really know anyone that doesn’t love washi tape and this book is full of fun, creative and beautiful ways to brighten your life with washi tape!