A Joey Dress

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Cherie

**I just heard that Toni is having a HUGE sale on all Make it Perfect patterns – 50% off! You’ve got about a day left to take advantage of the sale!**

Awhile back, Toni of Make it Perfect contacted me and asked if I wanted to try out one of her new patterns, the Joey dress for girls. I dunno if you’ve noticed, but Yuki is aaaaall about the knit dresses so I was excited to add another knit dress pattern to my collection – and this one is so cute! I love that kangaroo pocket and the different sleeve lengths, making this pattern great for all seasons. Continue reading →

KCWC Day Two – Flashback Tee and Basic Pants

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Cherie

Day Two, people! Today I have a Flashback Skinny Tee that I made on day one, and a pair of super comfy simple pants (based off of Dana’s Basic Pants) that I finished this morning.

The tee is made with Rae’s pattern and it’s my first time sewing it up as a regular tee. The only other time I’ve used this pattern is for this cardigan. It’s a great pattern to have in your collection because it’s such a classic style. I can imagine making a good solid handful (in long and short sleeve) in every size – it’s a wardrobe staple.

The brown and blue knit that I used is suuuuuper thin and soft, so it was a bit tricky to work with (the machine tried to eat it several times, just like Meg’s!), but it worked out OK in the end. And the finished shirt is really comfy – Yuki didn’t want to take it off and she wore it to bed!

The pink pocket was added for a fun splash of color. I decided to just cut a rectangle and sew it to the shirt without folding or finishing any of the edges. A very raw look. I like how the top of the pocket rolls out.

The back pants pocket was originally made for the shirt, but I didn’t like it, so I used it on the pants instead. This pocket is finished on three sides, but has two unfinished edges on the top. Double roll.

The knit that I used for the pants is a super thick, comfy, cozy, warm, delicious white-with-gray-pinstripes knit that I got for super cheap. It reminds me of a new sweatshirt. I bought a lot and I’m hoping that there is enough leftover to make something for me! So these pants are basically sweatpants, but I wanted them to look like a regular pair of pants and I think the stripes and pockets help make them look more trouser-ish.

They were made based off of Dana’s Basic Pants tutorial and pattern. I used her pattern for the shape and then resized it to fit my tiny 2 year old. I also added a separate waistband (on top of the original pattern, which is meant to be folded over), which was great because it added to the rise of the pant. I feel like most of the pants/shorts I’ve made for Yuki have not fit well because there is not enough room for her enormous diaper booty, but this pant has great coverage!

The one thing that I could have changed is maybe adding another layer of fabric (or interfacing) to the front of the waistband, because it slouches a bit. But it’s probably comfy this way and the pants stay up just fine, so it’s all good.

Maternity pants!! She looks a few months along. JK! Don’t they look comfy though? I wish I could get away with wearing elastic waisted sweat pants all day.

So I feel like I got off to a great start, but I’m already exhausted and I think I’m getting sick!! Time to slow down a bit. How was your day two? Are you just getting rolling or are you already burning out like me?

Time for sleep.

KCWC Day One – Crossed Shoulder Vest

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Cherie

Happy Indigenous People’s Day! And Day 1 of KCWC Fall 2012! What a fun day it has been! Did you get to sew?

For this KCWC, I thought for a long time about what I wanted to make. While you can spend the time making whatever you want or need, I decided to make it a little extra fun for myself and try to pick a theme or tie all the pieces into a collection (I think I’ve been watching too much Project Runway). I started thinking about what kind of clothing Yuki might need and I remembered her preschool mentioning that as she’s potty training, she’ll need to wear elastic waistband pants that are easy to pull off and on. And in general, she needs some simple clothes for school that is comfortable and practical, but with some style (of course ;)).

So I developed this idea into a list of fall separates that Yuki can mix and match with each other and other things in her wardrobe. And they will all be KNIT. Though it’s been almost a year since my first successful knit project and I’ve definitely tried using it here and there since then, I am still pretty intimidated by it and it is certainly not my first choice in fabrics. But it seems so practical for children’s clothing that I figured I should just tackle it head on. Plus it’s the perfect opportunity to force myself to learn how to use the lovely serger that has been sitting around oh so long without being touched because I was too scared!

So to describe my KCWC Fall collection (which only exists in my mind at this point), I’d say – fall separates, knit, unisex, simple/classic, bold colors, solids and stripes. I’m not going to be making anything breathtaking here, just a couple of pants and tops. Though hopefully cute ones 🙂

Here’s the pile of fabrics I was considering before I started cutting yesterday.

Today I was able to get TWO pieces done! I’m feeling super pumped. I only photographed one though, so the other I’ll show you tomorrow.

So the first is a Crossed Shoulder Vest. I want to make it very clear that I take no credit for this idea – I totally stole it from a Japanese pattern book called 男の子と女の子の服 (Clothes for Boys and Girls). I actually have the book but I’m saving it for a giveaway, so instead of using the pattern, I drafted my own. But the concept and construction were definitely taken from this book.

It was very simple to sew up and I love how it looks with different fabrics on the front and back. The only problem with the pattern that I drafted was the shoulders came out a bit too wide. I MIGHT go back and adjust it, but that’s pretty low on my priority list – it still fits her fine.

Oooh, check out my serger work. Actually don’t look too close cuz it’s totally wonky (I’m still getting the hang of it), but how fancy is that!? I’m psyched. I have a feeling I’m going to use a serger on everything I sew from now on!

Oh and you may notice no live model in these pictures. I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned this already, but the last two years of constantly putting my daughter in front of the camera has totally backfired and now she really dislikes having her picture taken. She yells out “No pictures!” whenever we pull out even just our phones and flails her arms in front of her face and/or charges the camera. Sooooo – to limit the torture, I’ll wait till I have a few pieces of clothing I can throw on her and photograph at the same time instead of doing one piece every day.

Woohoo – Day One went well for me. How about you?