the hoodie

Posted on June 23, 2014 by Cherie

Did you finish your pull-over for the Happy Homemade Sew-along!? Today is the day you want to get your pictures into the Flickr group! Be sure to do that by the end of the day. Someone asked me what time “end of the day” is and I don’t have an exact hour, but basically by the time Monday finally slips away from this earth, try and have your pictures in the pool. Or before you go to bed tonight – whatever. Then check back in on Wednesday for our round-up and to find out if you’re the winner of the sew-along prize!!

Though you’ve seen my hoodie throughout the sew-along, I thought I’d share some pictures of it finished and on my daughter. It’s always one thing to see a garment on a hanger and then another to see the actual fit on a person.

I made my hoodie in size 2, based on my daughter’s measurements. Looking at other people’s pictures in the Flickr pool, I probably could have gone a size up so it would last her longer, but at least she’s got a sibling who will grow into it eventually as well.

The modifications I made were adding the kangaroo pocket, lining the hood and also adjusting the shape of the hood slightly. Meg mentioned the hood being too small, so I also angled the straight edge of my hood forward and then I rounded out the back of the hood a little.

I think that it helped, but even still, there’s something a little strange about how this hood fits and the shape. I think it has something to do with the very open and low neckline. When the hood is up, you can see how it starts at the shoulder, as opposed to closer to the neck like I’m used to.

But besides that, I really love the hoodie. In these pics, they are styled a little more appropriately for fall, but I like the versatility. It can be layered for the cooler months, or paired with shorts and a tank top for warm weather, or thrown over a bathing suit as a cover up. And I love that it looks great on all kids, boys and girls.

The main fabric I used is double gauze that I bought at Bolt back when I visited Portland in 2013. I’d been saving it for who knows what. I have to say, I LOVE the way it looks as a hoodie, but part of me is really sad because I don’t think Yuki will wear this and I really really love the fabric. The first time she saw the hoodie she said she liked it. Then when it was time to put it on she said she didn’t like it. When I said that it made me a little sad to hear that since I had worked so hard to make it for her, she said, “Well, I LIKE it, I just don’t want to wear it.” 😦 Hah!

But this is basically how Yuki feels about it. Sigh. Maybe her sister will wear it someday…

The lining and drawstring were made with double gauze that I bought from Imagine Gnats. It doesn’t actually match the color of the red stars, but close enough!

You guys know that I love double gauze. It’s really soft and comfy. Feels warm but still really breathable and perfect for hot weather. I wish this hoodie fit ME!

Anyways, it has been soooo exciting seeing all the of the hoodies pop up in the Flickr group! I love how they are all so different! Everyone put such a unique spin on it with their choices of fabric and other modifications. It’s so great and really makes me happy that people actually participated! Thank you SO much to everyone who sewed along! Be sure to check back in on Wednesday!!

See the rest of the sew-along posts here:
Announcing . . .
Where to buy the book
Hoodie Inspiration
Mixing it Up
Fabrics
What you’ll need
Schedule and Sew-along Prize
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five

Happy Homemade Sew-along // day five

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Cherie

It’s the last day of the Happy Homemade Sew-along!! So excited to finish up our pull-overs today! I know that some of you have already gone ahead and finished your hoodies, and some people are just getting started, and that’s totally fine! Move at your own pace, you still have the weekend to finish up. Or if you’re done early – go ahead and make another one! 🙂

Today, we’re finishing up with steps 5 and 6. If you prepped the hems back on Day 2, these steps are super fast. But even if you didn’t, it shouldn’t take us long to finish this puppy up!

Fold the edge of your sleeve towards the wrong side 1 cm and press. Fold again, this time 2 cm, enclosing the raw edge and press.

Pin and sew along the folded edge. Repeat with the other sleeve.

Fold and press the bottom of the pull-over the same way you did with the sleeve (but don’t pin and sew yet). If you haven’t already, attach your strip of fusible interfacing to the center front of your pullover, just above the higher of the two fold lines.

Find and mark the center of your pullover by folding it in half and finger pressing or ironing a little crease by the interfacing. Using that center mark, measure 1.5 cm to either side and mark your buttonhole placements. I transferred my markings to the right side of my pull-over and sewed from that side since it tends to look nicer.

If you are not familiar with making buttonholes on your machine, there are a few more detailed directions on page 59 that may help.

Fold the hem back up, pin and sew along the folded edge.

We’re almost there!!

Attach a safety pin or bodkin to one end of your cotton tape/drawstring material and thread through one of the buttonholes, all the way around the hem, and back out the other buttonhole.

Tie it up and you’re DONE!

So, what do you think!? How did it go? Do you like the pull-over? Was it easy to sew up? Will you use this pattern again?

I have yet to try this on my little one, so we’ll see how the fit is and if she approves, but I think it’s adorable and I hope she wears it! I’ll try and take some pictures of her wearing it over the weekend and post them on Monday. Be sure you get pictures of your finished pull-over (on the hanger or on a model – either is fine!) and add them to the Flickr pool by Monday, June 23 to be included in our round up and a chance to win the fantastic sew-along prize!!

I’m loving all the in progress and finished sew-along pictures popping up on Instagram and on Flickr. You guys are doing an amazing job! And I suspect we’ll see a lot more added over the weekend. Can’t wait! I’ll check back in with you on Monday.

Happy Homemade Sew-along // day four

Posted on June 19, 2014 by Cherie

It’s Day 4, and today we’re tackling the trickiest part of constructing the pull-over. Meg is going to take us through attaching the hood to the pull-over and finishing the neckline. My advice, take your time! And once we get through today, it’s totally smooth sailing till the end. Check out Day 4 HERE.

See the rest of the sew-along posts here:
Announcing . . .
Where to buy the book
Hoodie Inspiration
Mixing it Up
Fabrics
What you’ll need
Schedule and Sew-along Prize
Day One
Day Two
Day Three

Happy Homemade Sew-along // day three

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Cherie

Day Three! So we’ve prepped our pattern and cut our fabric and we’re finally ready to sew! Today we’re going to be doing steps 1-3 of the Pull-over Parka from Happy Homemade: Sew Chic Kids.

The steps are pretty basic, so our work should be fairly simple for today! Just a note:
ALL SEAM ALLOWANCES ARE 3/8 IN (1 CM) unless otherwise stated.

Now, a kangaroo pocket is not part of the pattern, but I really wanted to add one, so I thought I’d show you how to do that. If you’re not adding a pocket skip down to Step 1.

Yesterday, Meg talked a little about drafting the kangaroo pocket. You can either cut out one and fold the edges over, or you can cut two and sew them right sides together and then top stitch that onto the hoodie. I opted for the latter just because it seemed easier.

Pin your pocket pieces, right sides together. Sew all the way around leaving a 3 inch opening at the bottom. Clip the corners off. Turn right side out and press. If you want, you can top stitch the pocket openings (diagonal lines), though this is mostly just for looks. Then pin the pocket onto the hoodie (make sure to leave room at the bottom of the hoodie for hemming) and sew along the top and the bottom edge. Be sure to backstitch at the ends to secure openings.

Alright, moving along to . . .

Step 1. Sew sleeves to top

If you haven’t already, transfer markings from your pattern pieces to your fabric. You’ll need to know which side of your sleeve attaches to the front of the pull-over and which attaches to the back.

With right sides together, line up the “front” of the sleeve with the front piece of the pull-over along the armhole. Pin and sew with a 3/8 in seam allowance.

Trim and finish the edge with a serger or a zig zag stitch. Press the seam allowance toward the sleeve. Repeat with the other sleeve front.

Now we’re going to repeat the same steps with the back. With right sides together, line up the edge of the “back” of the sleeve with the back of the pull-over. Pin and sew. Finish the edge and then press the seam allowance toward the sleeve. Repeat with the other sleeve. Now both sleeves and the front and back of the pull-over should all be attached.

Step 2. Sew sleeve and side seams

With right sides together, fold the pull-over at the shoulder and bring the sides and sleeve edges together. Be sure to line up the seams at the bottom of the armhole. Pin and sew a continuous seam along the sleeve and side. Repeat on the other side.

Finish your seam allowance and press towards the back of the pull-over.

Turn right side out and press.

Woohoo, the body of your pull-over is constructed! Set that aside.

Step 3. Sew hood

With right sides together, pin along the top and back curved edge of the hood. Sew, finish edges, turn right side out and press.

I noticed that a few people plan on adding lining to their hoods. If you are adding lining, skip the next step and continue with the lining directions below.

If you’re not adding lining, you need to hem the front edge of the hood. There are specific directions at the bottom of page 42, but it is a basic double fold hem. Fold the edge of the hood 1 cm towards the wrong side. Unfold and tuck the raw edge under, within the fold, and press. Top stitch along the folded edge to secure hem down.

If you are adding a lining to the hood, you’ll need to cut out 2 hood pieces from your lining fabric, then sew them together like you did with the hood from the main fabric above. Press.

Place the main hood and the lining hood, right sides together, lining up the straight edge. Pin together and sew with a 3/8 inch seam allowance. Flip hood right side out so that lining is inside the main hood. Press the edge of the hood and roll the lining in slightly so that it is not visible from the outside. Top stitch along the straight edge of the hood and baste the two layers together along the bottom curve to make it easier to attach to the hoodie tomorrow.

And you’ve just completely steps 1-3! Tomorrow, we will attach the hood to the pull-over, add the elastic and finish the neckline, which are probably the most difficult steps in the whole process. But Meg will walk us through those steps on Day 4! How is your sewing coming along so far? Have you been sharing your pics on Instagram (#happyhomemadesewalong) or Flickr? Just two more days and we’ll be done with our hoodies! I can’t wait 🙂

See the rest of the sew-along posts here:
Announcing . . .
Where to buy the book
Hoodie Inspiration
Mixing it Up
Fabrics
What you’ll need
Schedule and Sew-along Prize
Day One
Day Two

Happy Homemade Sew-along // day two

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Cherie

Head over to Elsie Marley for Day 2 of the Happy Homemade Sew-along!!

I’ll be back tomorrow with Day Three 🙂

Happy Homemade Sew-along // what you’ll need

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Cherie

Everything sew-along:
Announcing . . .
Where to buy the book
Hoodie Inspiration
Mixing it Up
Fabrics

*UPDATED TO ADD MORE INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM*

Oooh, the sew-along starts in less than a week! We’re in major preparation mode now and today I’m going to talk about what materials you’ll need to make the pull-over parka.

But first, did anyone try out some hoodie ideas with the sketch I provided last week? Yuki and I had fun coloring a few in and trying some different combos.

Yesterday, I posted on Instagram one of the combos I’m considering. And I also just added my favorite of Yuki’s hoodies in the flickr group. You definitely want to check that out. If you’ve got a sketch, don’t forget to share it! #happyhomemadesewalong

ANYWAYS, moving on to materials. Do you have your fabric picked out yet? I’m guessing that some of you do and some of you don’t. And that’s fine! If you’re in the latter group, we’re going to help you figure that out today! Meg is sharing with you some suggested fabrics types and an amazing selection of prints she rounded up. And I’m going to tell you how much fabric you need along with any other materials required for this project. Shall we get started?

First, you need to figure out what size you’re going to make. Here’s the size chart included in the English version of the book to help you determine the appropriate size.

The first number in each box is in inches. In parentheses is the measurement in centimeters.

Most Japanese sewing books follow the same format: Pictures of all the projects in the first half of the book and instructions in the back. In the Japanese version of the book, the pull-over pictures are on page 22 and 23.

You can see the directions are on page 54.

In the English version of the book, the pull-over is on page 24, with directions on page 60.

Flip over to your directions page and in the top left corner is wear you’ll find a lot of the basic information that you need to begin.

The pullover parka hoodie is labeled pattern “S.” The first section tells us which pattern pieces we are going to need. In the Japanese book, it also tells you that you can find the pattern pieces on “Side A” of the pattern pages. We can skip this information for now – we’ll be diving into that part next week.

The next section is about the materials you’ll need. Japanese patterns don’t really give you suggested fabrics. Instead, it lists the fabric used in the samples in the book. So for example, while some patterns might suggest, “light- to medium-weight fabric such as quilting cotton, shirting, linen or voile,” Japanese patterns might say something like, “floral print cotton” or in this case, “herringbone cotton” or “tartan cotton.” This information can be useful if you want to replicate the book version, but as far as recommendations, they aren’t very helpful. Luckily, Meg is here to help you out with fabric suggestions!

What you should pay attention to though, is the number next to the fabric. Here it says, “40 in (102 cm) herringbone cotton.” That first number is the width of the fabric. Be sure that the fabric you choose is at least the same width as the measurement listed here.

This section has a ton of numbers, so it’s a little hard to separate what’s what, but I’ve color coded it to make it easier. Based on these numbers, here’s what I’d recommend buying for each size (I rounded up a little).

Size 2: 1 and 1/4 yards
Size 4: 1 and 1/2 yards
Size 6: 1 and 1/2 yards
Size 8: 1 and 2/3 yards

The other materials you’ll need are:
Fusible interfacing: 2 x 3/4 in
Cotton tape: 44 in
1/4 inch wide elastic: 2 and 3/8 in

The cotton tape is used to create a drawstring at the bottom of the pull-over. You can use twill tape, bias tape, cording, ribbon, etc. If you use bias tape, you’ll want to sew it shut along the open edge.

Besides fabric and notions, there a few other things that you’ll need to gather before you can begin.

Tracing paper. The first thing we’re going to need to do is the find and trace the pattern pieces we need. You’ll want as large of sheets as possible, like this, which can be found at most art stores
Ruler and pencil. I’m assuming you already have one, but since we’ll be adding our own seam allowance, you’re not going to be able to do that without a ruler.
Safety pin. It will come in handy when threading the cotton tape through the casing.

Is it time to go shopping? I’m going to start with my stash and see if I have anything there first. Looking for fabric suggestions? Be sure to check out Meg’s post! She has rounded up a drool-worthy selection of prints to consider along with helpful suggestions on fabric types.

We’re getting close! Sew-along begins in SIX DAYS!

Happy Homemade Kids Sew-along!

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Cherie

107

It’s time for a sew-along!

I’m so excited to announce that I’m teaming up with the amazing Meg, of elsie marley, to bring you our first Happy Homemade Kids Sew-along! We’re picking one pattern to sew from the ever popular Japanese pattern book, Happy Homemade Vol. 2, which has also been recently translated to English (Happy Homemade: Sew Chic Kids). You can use either version of the book to sew along with us!

So which pattern will we be sewing together?

We thought the Pull-over Parka would be a great pattern to start with. A great wardrobe basic for boys and girls, appropriate practically year round, plenty of room for modifications and embellishments, not too tricky, but not too simple. What do you think? Do you know a kid who needs an awesome hoodie? The book includes Japanese sizes 100 – 130, which is approximately US sizes 3/4 – 7/8.

The sew-along will be from June 16-20, so put it in your calendar! Between now and then we’ll be back with tons of information about where to buy the book, what types of fabric we recommend, along with other materials you’ll need, hoodie inspiration and modification ideas. Once the sew-along starts, Meg and I will be taking you through every step of the process from tracing your pattern and adding seam allowance to constructing the garment.

When you’re done, we want you to take a picture of your pullover and share it in the sew-along Flickr pool. Enter your project into the pool by Monday, June 23 (corrected from an earlier typo – my apologies!) so you can be included in our round-up AND be automatically entered in a great giveaway!! More details on that to come!

To get the fun started, the generous people at Tuttle Publishing is giving away THREE copies of Happy Homemade: Sew Chic Kids!! This giveaway is open to US/Canadian residents only. And though anyone can enter to win, we do hope that these books will go to people who are planning to participate in the sew-along!! Enter the giveaway by Sunday, June 1st, 5pm PDT by following the link below {GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. CLICK LINK TO SEE WINNERS}:

>> CLICK HERE FOR GIVEAWAY <<

I’ll be back later this week with some places you can buy the book if you’re an international participant or are super eager to get the book in your hands!

We’re really hoping that you’ll join us for this sew-along! If you’ve always wanted to try a Japanese sewing book, but wasn’t sure where to start, THIS IS IT.

And if you’re sewing along, be sure to grab this awesome button that Meg made and post it in your sidebar or share it on Facebook or Instagram so everyone knows you’re sewing along! #happyhomemadesewalong

Bookmark it. Pin it. Don’t forget it!

It’s gonna be awesome.

How to Sew Japanese Patterns eBook

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Cherie

I’m so excited to share an awesome resource with you today! As you probably know, I’m a big fan of Japanese sewing patterns. I love the simplicity and timelessness of their style and their clean lines and beautiful details. Of course, most of these patterns are in Japanese, and for someone who doesn’t read Japanese, it can be intimidating and challenging, even if the diagrams are superb (and they always are). Which was why I created the Japanese Sewing Book Series last year, to try give others helpful tips and tools to tackle these patterns.

Well, if you’re interested in Japanese sewing patterns too, but are still hesitant because of the language barrier, I’ve got the perfect resource for you! It’s an e-book called, How to Sew Japanese Patterns by Rin Gomura-Elkan of Sew in Love.

This book contains a lot of the great tips my awesome guests shared, and much more. It’s 41 pages and covers everything from where to buy patterns and Japanese sizing for men, women, children and babies, to common Japanese sewing vocabulary and all the steps you need to sew up a garment from one of these patterns.

Honestly, I wish I had this e-book when I was first learning how to sew from Japanese patterns! It answers so many of the questions that I had when I was starting out.

I really think Rin did a great job putting together this informational guide to Japanese sewing patterns. She covered so much and organized it neatly in this useful resource that you can refer to over and over again.

The e-book is available for purchase for $15. But Rin also created 2 women’s PDF patterns that you can purchase with the e-book as a set for $25. The patterns are written in both Japanese and English, so it’s a great way to get started with a couple of Japanese patterns to put what you’ve learned to practice, but also have the help of the English translations.

The patterns included in the set are a high waisted skirt with a tie and a dress with a pleated neckline, available in sizes S, M, L, and LL.

Rin is offering 10% off this book for the rest of February with the code “JapaneseBook4Mie.” So go check it out! And I must say, this is a REALLY good time to grab the e-book if you’re interested in Japanese patterns! I don’t have the details worked out just yet, but a lot of people have been asking for a Japanese pattern sew-a-long, so grab this e-book to get ready and stay tuned for something coming up within the next month or two!! 🙂

*This e-book was generously given to me for this review, but all opinions are 100% my own.*

KCW Day 3 & 4 – Knit Baby Vest

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Cherie

Well I woke up sick yesterday and nearly threw in the towel on Kids Clothes Week, but I’m chugging along slowly just to see what I can get done. I started out with a possible 6ish projects for this week and that list has quickly dwindled to two. If I can finish two things, I’ll be psyched.

Neither of my daughters really need any new clothes. Yuki’s drawers are overflowing and Kaya’s are too, plus she grows out of everything so fast. So naturally I was drawn to the least practical thing ever.

But seriously cute, no?

It’s the Knit Vest from a Japanese sewing book, いちばんよくわかる赤ちゃんと小さな子の服 (Easy to Understand Baby and Little Kids Clothes). You can see more pictures from the book in this post here.

Frankly, I surprised myself when I picked out a project from a Japanese sewing book. I have so many that sit on my shelf, usually passed up for a more user-friendly PDF pattern in English. But it was calling to me, so I just went with it. Since my kids don’t actually NEED anything, I might as well use this as an opportunity to practice new sewing skills.

The fabric is a really loose sweater knit that I’ve had in my stash for a long time. Really soft and comfy, but very tricky to sew with. Definitely helped to use the walking foot for this one. And I couldn’t get my buttonhole foot to work on the thick layers of folded knit, so I had to do some zig zag hackery on that buttonhole. The tricky fabric made this a little difficult to sew up and honestly, it’s not my finest work (don’t look too closely at my stitches!), but really, who is going to notice? Especially when it’s on this little one!

BAM! Bet you don’t even notice the vest at all now, huh? She makes me feel all gooey.

Haha. Anyways, the pattern itself was fairly straight forward and easy enough to figure out with all the great diagrams and tips I learned during the Japanese Sewing Book Series.

I made size 70 which, according to the book, is for 3-10 months and 65-75 cm in height. That’s a little bigger than Kaya is, so I assumed it was going to be too big for her. It fits her, but is still a little big thankfully, so she can wear it for . . . I dunno, two more days maybe!? (they grow so fast!)

It was fun making something for Kaya. She’s wearing practically all hand-me-downs, so it feels good giving her something that was made just for her. But seriously, after I sewed on that tiny detailed lil pocket, I couldn’t help but ask, “what the heck does a 4 month old need with a pocket!?”

Alright, I’m off to the Kids Clothes Week site to figure out how to upload my first project! Then maybe I’ll make a shirt for my other daughter. And then sleep.

Ahh yes, sleeeeep.

How’s your week going!?

KCW Spring 13: Little Letter Halter and Parsley Shorts

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Cherie

Quick post for the outfit I made yesterday . . .

I started with a super cute and simple halter top from the Japanese sewing book, あかちゃんの服、てづくりの服 (Baby clothes, handmade clothes), (also available on Amazon here).

Robin so kindly sent me this book with the clothing swap outfit she made because her daughter had grown out of the sizes already. It’s got a lot of baby stuff, but some great basics for toddlers too. When I saw this picture in the book, I nearly died from the cuteness.

So that became my inspiration for outfit number 1. The construction of the top is very simple and I made it even more simple by using a piece twill tape instead of making the strap out of fabric like the pattern instructs you to (although I may go back and change it), so it was a really fast sew.

I used the beautiful Nani Iro Little Letter double gauze fabric that I bought from Miss Matatabi (though I can’t tell if that’s the exact same color as the one I used), and I only had half a yard, but it was just enough to cut out the pattern AND the strap if I wanted to. The color band at the bottom of the halter was a last minute add. When I saw the picture in the pattern book, I thought the top looked a little short. And when I was tracing the pattern piece, I also thought it looked a little short. And then I totally forgot about it and just cut it out anyways. Well before I was going to hem the top, I really thought that it’d probably hit just at her tummy which would be adorable, but probably too short. And besides the length, this halter would probably fit for a long time! So I decided to add some fabric to the bottom and luckily I had some shot cotton leftover from the dress I made Sanae’s daughter and the color (and weight) happened to match perfectly! I’m glad I added it – it’ll definitely add many more months to the life of this top.

The shorts are from the ~~soon-to-be-released~~ JUST RELEASED Parsley Pants pattern by Made by Rae. Rae was awesome enough to let me help test out the pattern and let me tell you, this pattern lives up to all of the other amazing Made by Rae patterns awesomeness. After seeing all the versions that Emmmy Lizzzy made, especially her cute shorts, I was inspired to make some for Yuki too.

I used a linen blend, but accidentally cut it against the grain (if you look closely at the picture of the shorts hanging on the line, you might be able to see the lines on the pockets go up and down but the grain on the rest of the shorts goes horizontally). I don’t exactly know what that means. Will it wash up funny or change it’s shape? Well, we’ll find out.

The pattern is fantastic. Super simple sew, so many variations to make, excellent directions and images and great fit too. I’m planning on sewing up a couple more this week if I have time.

So that was day one. I only got a little bit of sewing in this morning, but here are a couple little peeks.

I’m off to sew a little more before bed! How was your day two? Get much done?