Hello Kitty Pants - It's All About the Details

There is nothing like a sewing challenge to get the creativity flowing. My regular readers may recall that I am still looking for the perfect woven fabric pants pattern. So, because I was already feeling a little creative from the Project Run and Play challenge, I decided to experiment with the knit pants pattern (affiliate link)I already owned, to see if I could make it work with woven fabric. I expected to spend an entire night studying the rules for negative ease and wearing ease and blah blah blah...

Yea, that wasn't very much fun, so I skipped it and did what I loved. I sewed. I made a muslin of the pants one size up and discovered that  it fit perfectly with very little adjustment! Talk about getting more from your pattern!

If you would like to try this at home I strongly recommend making a muslin first. Once you have it perfected, the muslin will become your new pattern. I usually make my muslins out of interfacing. It's cheap, easy to trace on, easy to mark, and easy to baste together for fittings. Then when your all done, you can just fold it up and put it in the pattern envelope.

While your working on the muslin, pay careful attention to the waistband. Next to the crotch seam, which feels the most stress, the waistband is the most important part of the pants. If you think about it children don't have many curves, so that one little strip of fabric has to be entirely responsible for holding the entire garment in place. If you don't use the adjustable waistband, make sure to custom fit the band to your child's body. I also used a total of 8 belt loops and made a belt out of some scrap satin for extra support.

For the detail (after all that's what this challenge is all about), I wanted to try my hand at appliqueing. The Hello Kitty face was cut off of a pair of pajama pants that didn't fit anyone in the house.

First, I machine stitched hello kitty to a piece of woven scrap fabric to stabilize the fleece, and then trimmed closely around the edge. I had to hand stitch the applique to the pants because the cuff barely fit around my free arm. The right way to go about it would have been to applique the pants before sewing them together, but I wasn't sure where I wanted it to go until the last second. I also went over the whiskers with stitches to make them stand out just a little bit more.

Since we are talking about details I would love to share some of the unseen details that you can add to just about everything you sew and make you works of art last a little bit longer.

• Tie all of your thread tails together before trimming them.
• Anchor your buttons by sewing a few stitches in the fabric before attaching the button.
• True up all of you woven fabrics before cutting. To do this first pre-wash your fabric then have some one help you pull on it until the grain is straight. You can pull out a single thread to make it easier to see the grain.

This pattern also includes instructions and pattern pieces for matching doll pants. Unfortunately the doll pants require a little more work to get them to fit using woven fabric. I will keep working on it for you and let you know when I have it perfect. In the mean time I will be posting about my knit version of these pants very soon, so keep a look out.

What are your favorite details, seen and unseen, to include in your sewing?

I used the Skinny Jeans Pattern from Peekaboo Patterns to make these pants. The fabric is sueded garbardine. and it feels like silk against your skin. It also has the perfect drape for a pair of dress pants. I love when fabrics look and feel much more expensive then they are!

Fourteen Pins Before 2014

Hello my name is Jennifer and I am a Pinterest addict. Not a day goes by where I don't pin something, but for all the pinning I do very few of the projects ever get completed. This year I plan to change that by joining the fourteen pins by 2014 challenge from Mama's got it together.

I am sure that I will find plenty of time to do all this between sewing my children's entire wardrobe from scratch, helping my sister with her new triplets, and possibly moving (the property I rent may be rezoned). But, just in case, I think I'll try to choose a few pins that go well with everything else that has to get done.

I haven't chosen all of my projects yet. I want to save a few for things I find later but here is what I have chosen so far.

1. Sprite and Gummy Bear Popsicles

2.Pinwheel Wreath  

3. Plastic Toy To Toothbrush Holder

4. No Sew Blanket

5.Princess and Panda Dolls

6. Felt Paper Dolls

7. Bleach Batik Shirt

8. Lego Star Wars T shirt

9. Doll Hamster Cage

10. To Be Announced 

11. To Be Announced 

12. To Be Announced 

13. To Be Announced 

14. To Be Announced 

If you want to cross a few of those Pinterest To Do's off your list this year, sign up for the challenge Mama's Got it Together

The Essential Guide to Choosing Your Sewing Patterns

Top Pattern Collection Tip: After finding and listing all of the patterns you will need, organize them by company to take advantage of discounts and sales. You can use the printable worksheets in this post to help you.

Attempting to sew a  year round wardrobe for 3 kids is a big undertaking. Not only does it require a substantial amount of time, but the money that you would normally be spending on clothes goes to patterns, fabric and notions leaving little room for error. Even with that in mind, the results of sewing an entire year round wardrobe can be rewarding beyond measure. 

 The first step to sewing a designer wardrobe  is to acquire a collection of  quality sewing patterns.

As with most things, careful planning can help you reach your goal. Today's post focuses on selecting the patterns you will need. These patterns are your building blocks. They are the structure of your wardrobe. Every thing that comes after is cosmetic. I've included two free printables (see download links below) that I created and use myself to help keep my projects organized. 

The Pattern Collection Building Worksheet can be used as a checklist for the basic patterns that you will need to sew a year round wardrobe for a girl. If you are sewing for a boy you can still use the printable. They're is plenty of room to add additional options.

The Sewing Pattern Wish List  printable can be used by anyone, even if you are not planning to sew your child's entire wardrobe. It is a pattern wishlist that can be organized by company. Print one sheet for each company. I keep them with my sewing patterns and when there's a sale on a particular company I pull out the corresponding wishlist and stock up. It's also great for taking advantage of the multi-purchase  discounts that many pattern companies offer. 

But with so many patterns out there how do you choose?

My pattern selection process starts with three basic questions.

What do you know?

Read as many reviews as you can about the pattern. Is there a common problem that a lot of people have? If there is do you know how to fix it? Are you familiar with the suggested fabrics and techniques?

What can this pattern teach me?

If the answer to any of the previous questions are a no, that doesn't mean that the pattern is not worth buying. Take a closer look at it. Is there something really unique about this pattern that you don't think you could do without instructions? I have included a section in the first printable called Learning Patterns. I reserve this space for the "statement" pieces of my children's wardrobe. These patterns include techniques that I want to learn and improve on. They also feature an interesting and unique design to add a little style and flair.

What else can I do with this pattern?

The majority of your patterns will be basic patterns. You will want to keep them as simple as possible so that you can alter them to create a few looks from the same pattern. My children will go through at least 10 pairs of pants each in a year. That's 30 pairs of pants that I need to be able to make out of 3 or 4 patterns. Dress patterns can also be used to make shirts and skirts and vice versa. The best patterns are the ones that come with variations. If you have a dress pattern with multiple sleeve options, you can then use those sleeves on any garment that you want.

Where do you start?

There are an infinite number of patterns available on the market. Sorting through them all and weighing their pros and cons can be overwhelming  The best thing to do is start with what you know. Choose two or three pattern company's that you are familiar with, either from sewing with them before or from reading lots of reviews. 

Buying the majority of your sewing patterns from just a handful of company's will make it easier to mix and match the design elements giving you infinite possibilities. 

It will also help you become familiar with the quirks and techniques that each company uses frequently and in turn your sewing projects will be completed much faster and easier.

Most likely, you will not be able to find everything you need from these few companies. I would never recommend buying a pattern that you don't absolutely love under any circumstances. You will be using these patterns over and over again for at least a year, possibly longer depending on the size options. After choosing as many patterns as possible from your main companies, venture out and find one or two more sources that you can use as a backup for when you can't find exactly what your looking for.

Here is a list of the company's I use. If you scroll down farther you will see exactly which pattern's I use from each company and why. I prefer independent pattern companies for the convenience,  more accurate sizing charts, and the number of reviews available.

My Top 3 Choices for Patterns

Peek a Boo Pattern Shop(affiliate link)

Go To Patterns(affiliate link)

Violet Fields Threads (mostly learning patterns)

My Back Ups

Etsy

Simplicity 

Simplicity has a huge selection but I recommend using a muslin because sizing their sizing charts tend to be off.

My Essential Patterns

Pants

Woven Fabric - Still looking Please leave suggestions in the comments

Knit (Stretch Jeans) - Peek a Boo Pattern Skinny Jeans (affiliate link)

Why: Bonus matching doll pants, easy to slim down or add more ease for other pants styles

Knit (Leggings) - Go To Leggings (affiliate link)

Why: The pattern includes lots of variations in length and details

Pajamas - Simplicity 3669

Why: Pajama pants are fairly easy to draft on your own, but I liked the tops available with this one. The pants are also very easy to adjust for size

Shorts - drafted from pants pattern

Tops

Woven Bodice - Violette Fields Threads, Josephine

Why: tailored collar, two sleeve options, also includes a dress option

Knit Bodice - Carousel Top(affiliate link)

Why: Received great reviews from others, easy to alter 

Sleeve Type Variations - Go To Signature Dress pattern (affiliate link)

Why: 7 sleeve options, Tons of other variations

Necklines - Elkie Dress from My Childhood Treasures shop on Etsy

Why: Turtle Neck

Dresses and Skirts

Knit Dress - Go To Signature Dress pattern(affiliate link)

Why: Tons of options, the possibilities are endless

Woven (lined dress) Go To Patterns Juliette(affiliate link)

Why: Includes a petticoat 

Woven (unlined dress) - Simplicity 3902

Why: This is possibly the most perfect pattern to ever come out of simplicity. The sizing is accurate, the princess seams are perfect and it is very easy to put together.

Knit Skirt - Self Drafted Pattern

Why: You can find tons of free tutorials with a simple Google search

Woven Skirt - The Lexi Skirt from Rubie Jeans Closet on Etsy

Why: Basic yet interesting design

Outerwear

Lined Jacket - Still looking, Please leave your sugestions in the comments

Unlined Jacket - Jalie 2795

Why: Every size from toddler to adult. You can use it year after year for every member of your family. If you are comfortable with pattern altering you can also remove the zipper to make a pull over hoodie. 

Winter Coat - Still Looking, Please leave your suggestions in the comments

Raincoat - Peekaboo Patterns Puddle Jumper Raincoat (affiliate link)

Why: The sizing is much more accurate than other raincoat patterns I've tried

Winter Coat - Still Looking, Please leave your suggestions in the comments

Hoodie - Go To Patterns, Hang Out Hoodie(affiliate link)

Why: Multiple sleeve options and a dress options

Cardigan - Peek a Boo Patterns V-Neck Cardigan(affiliate link)

Other

Basic Panty - Hipster or Biking from Monkeys Bug on Etsy

Why: Just a personal preference

Swimsuit - Peek a Boo Patterns Sun and Fun(affiliate link)

Why: Basic easy to alter, also great for ballet leotards

Bathrobe - Still looking, Please leave your suggestions in the comments

Backpack - Still looking, Please leave your suggestions in the comments

Handbag - Mother Huddle Little Bitty Bag
Why: This is a free pattern and it is better then any handbag pattern I have bought

Bolero - Simple Shrug Bolero from Jocole on Etsy

Why: The pattern needs a little bit of adjustments to make it perfect but it includes a bonus matching doll pattern.

Learning Patterns

Peek A Boo Patterns Jasmine - One shoulder dress (affiliate link)

Peekaboo Pattern Pier 49 - Convertible Pants (affiliate link)

Violette Fields Threads Chloe - Contour Gown

Violette Field Threads Vivienne - Layered Skirt with ruffles 

Violette Field Threads Whitney - Pleated Trousers and skirt

I am still looking for a pattern that teaches bound buttonholes. Please leave your suggestions in the comments.

A Sweater Refashion and a Sewing Milestone

Maybe it is more of a mom milestone than a sewing milestone, but when I gave her this sweater she hugged me. Doesn't seem like a big deal to you, then you must not have a daughter stuck in the awkward years right before the teens. They don't hug, they just scowl mostly.

She loves this sweater so much that she wears it everywhere. She refuses to take it off, much like the winter boots that she insists on wearing in the spring.

So why is this a milestone? It means that I am learning enough about my daughter to make her clothes that she loves. I have said it before, and I will say it again.

You can learn so much about your kids just by studying the clothes they like. It's a window into their personality.

Now back to the sweater. I started with a my own favorite sweater that had become an unfortunate victim of my bad laundry habits. (I just dump the hamper into the washer without looking)  It shrunk to the point where the stretch marks on my belly where exposed for all the world to see, but I couldn't bare to part with it.

After reading this tutorial from Girl Inspired I decided that this sweater still had a few years of being loved left in it. For the most part I followed the instructions with just a few adjustments for my daughters style preferences  She doesn't do ruffles or flowers.

I didn't make any changes to the hood because it had always been a little small on me. I also left the mini sleeve pocket in tact because it's awesome.

The sweater originally had raglan sleeves and I was bored with making them after the Mixed Fabric Raglan Tee so I changed them up. In retrospect, I probably should have stayed with the original design. Other than that I love the cardigan. Ashley loves the cardigan (and me). So the whole project is a success. 

Now all that is left to do is get her to stay still long enough to get pictures!

Last Years Easter Dress Finished Just In Time for This Year

Happy Easter!

I started this dress just over a year ago, when I was less confident with my sewing than I am now. You can see a little bit of puckering where the bodice and skirt meet. At that time I didn't even think about fitting beyond reading the measurement chart, before I started sewing. 

Right before last Easter I had her try on the almost finished dress for hemming, only to discover that she was swimming in it. Very frustrated I ended up tossing aside the dress and begrudgingly learning my lesson about fitting. The dress ended up being shuffled from location to location every time it got in my way. 

Then, the night before this Easter I was digging through my crafting supplies looking for fabric paint, and found it crumpled in the bottom of the bin. I decided that it was more appropriate for Easter that the South Western Pottery Dress, so I had Bella try it on. What do you know, it fit beautifully.

I spent the night hand basting, hemming, ironing and fighting a loosing battle to make the hem lay flat. I think it spent to much time crumpled. The dress also needed buttons, and of course I couldn't find the perfectly matching blue buttons that I had originally bought so I used yellow buttons that matched the overlay instead. Luckily I am not nearly as terrified of sewing buttons holes as I used to be.

When I first started planning this dress for last Easter, I fell in love with the overlay fabric while browsing a local fabric shop and purchased the duchess satin from  Fabric.com to go with it. The Simplicity pattern was already in my stash and the contrasting buttons (not shown) were from my stash as well.

I hope your family had a great Easter. We sure had fun visiting my mother (back, left) along with my niece and nephew (who's mother is still in the hospital, but doing better.)

What Inspires You?

What inspires you? Where do you find inspiration for writing, crafting, and self improvement projects?

For me the most obvious answer is Pinterest. I love that site, but it's not the only place I find inspiration.

My children are getting older and starting to develop their own style. Many of my projects are inspired by looking at the things they love.

I am also a sucker for a good challenge. The Project Run and Play challenges and others like it, are to a seamstress what writing prompts are to a writer. In fact this post was inspired by a ProBlogger group writing project.

Where does your inspiration come from?

Fab Finds Friday - Week 13

Today is week 13 of Friday Finds and my first time participating. 

It's always a little bit of a struggle to find inspiration when crafting for boys, but I think this project would work out great with the right color and quote. I'm thinking "Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish" by Steve Jobs on a blue t'shirt.

Source: lilblueboo.com viaJennifer on Pinterest

I love this DIY photo background. Maybe I can bring a bit of spring inside for my photo's since we sure aren't getting any of it outside.

Source: designsponge.com viaJennifer on Pinterest

Theses little chocolate eggs happen to be my favorite candy in the world. Sadly Easter is the only time of year you can get them. You can be sure I will be finding ways to savor these sweet little treats.

Source: Jennifer on Pinterest

All the fun of paper dolls but much more durable (and adorable).

Source: maureencracknellhandmade.blogspot.com viaAmy Mayen on Pinterest

Southwestern Pottery Inspired Dress

Update: Since I have received so many comments about this fabric I thought I would let you know that I purchased it from Fabric.com . They still have 74 yards left as of today and I am planning to purchase some more myself.

I finally did it! I made my self cut into one of my favorite pieces of fabric. Do you ever do that? Love a fabric so much that your afraid to use it. Luckily an event so big came along that I was able to face my fears and go ahead and cut. This week is the first week of the Project Run and Play sew along linky.

I searched through a bazillion (btw, bazillion is not actually a real number) photo's of famous paintings and loved so many of them, but I got zero (zero is a number in math but in philosophy it is the opposite of infinity and not a number) idea's for a wearable item.

So then I played with the idea of statues. A few things started to take shape in my mind, but I needed some color. Finally I looked at pottery, and there it was my inspiration. The pottery of the Southwest.

Here are a few of my favorite inspiration pieces. 

The fabric is a lightweight cotton sateen with just a tiny bit of stretch to it. I used my ugly vintage pattern as a starting point for the bodice and then lengthened it a few inches and made the neckline just a tiny bit lower. The skirt is self drafted. I left an inch of seam allowance on the top of the skirt and the bottom of the bodice.

To create the elastic casing I began by sewing the skirt and bodice with wrong sides together like you would with a french seam and then I flipped the fabric so that right sides were together and sewed about 3/4 of an inch away from the first seam. Before inserting the elastic I sewed the casing down so it laid flat against the inside of the dress.

My Bella was the lucky recipient of the dress. She can't wait for the snow to go away and the sun to come out so she can wear it some more. I really love the way this dress came out. I am thinking about making another one with pockets. They will make great summer dresses. So are you sewing along this season?

Mixed Fabric Raglan T-Shirt Tutorial

Q: What do you sew for a girl who considers herself a tomboy but still loves the color pink (in moderation) and loves the feel of soft fabrics on her skin? 

A: A mixed fabric Raglan Tee

Do you want to make one for yourself? No problem. Just follow the steps below.

You will need:

• Rib Knit Fabric - You can use any type of knit for the main fabric, but you need rib knit for the collar. The fabric I used is currently out of stock but here is something similar.  Cotton Baby Rib Knit Pale Blue I used about a half a yard with some left over.
• Sleeve fabric - I used a satin fabric with just a tiny bit of stretch for comfort. Again, out of stock but here it is in a darker color. Tahari Stretch Satin Dark Pink You only need about a quarter yard of this
• Thread to match your main fabric
• Paper for Tracing
• Hem Gauge
• A T shirt or tank top that fits well
• Straight edge with a square corner (a sheet of paper will work)

Step 1: Trace your T- shirt or tank top. We will be drawing a new sleeve later so don't worry about that. I chose to use the back collar for a tighter neckline. If you want a lower neckline you can fold the back neckline under and trace the neckline from the front of the tee. Remember we will be adding 3/4 of an inch with the neck binding.

Step 2: Add a 1 inch seam allowance to the bottom for the hem and a quarter inch to the side seam and collar. You don't need to add anything to the shoulder  but I did for a slightly looser sleeve because the fabric did not have much stretch. The easiest way to add the seam allowance is with a hem gauge. 

Step 3: Make the Sleeve. If objects in your house mysteriously disappear and you can't find your ruler grab a piece of paper. Draw a straight line from the point of the armpit to 1 inch from the edge of the collar. Then use the corner of the paper to help draw the rest of the sleeve. 

Step 4: Cut out your pattern. Don't forget to add the seam allowance. Align a piece of paper behind your pattern piece with a quarter inch hanging over the edge. Then, tape in place and trim.

Step 5:  Cut two of your main fabric and two of your sleeve fabric. Then, cut one long strip of your rib knit 1 and a half inches wide and as long as you can make it. We will trim it later.

Step 6:  Pin your sleeve edges to one piece of main fabric and baste. (I know that your eyes just glossed right over the basting part, but if you are using a slippery fabric please don't skip it.)

Step 7: Attach the the back of the shirt to one of the sleeves but not both so it will open up like this. Sew up your seams using your favorite knit sewing method. Press your seams to the main fabric. Remember to set your iron to the setting for the most delicate of the two fabrics. Then flip your shirt and press again. You can also top stitch 1/8 inch from the seam on the main fabric.

Step 8: Now grab that long strip of fabric you cut earlier and fold it in half lengthwise. Press. Line the raw edges up to the raw edges of the neckline on the right side. Now this is the tricky part. In order for the neck binding to maintain the correct shape you have to stretch the binding just a little bit while sewing without stretching the neckline on the shirt. Just take your time and adjust as you go. Trim off the extra.

Step 9: Pin, Baste and Sew your last sleeve edge to the main fabric. Sew all the way to the top including the neck binding with right sides together. 

Step 10: Hem the sleeve edges (I used a narrow hem) and the bottom of the shirt.

Step 10: Sew up your side seams. ( No picture, but its just two straight seems) and try on your shirt!

Some Sketching and Waiting

Almost all of my sewing time has been going to one big project. At least it's big for me. I would love to tell you what it is, but that would ruin the surprise. There are a few other non top secret projects that I am excited about as well, but unfortunately I am still waiting on fabric.

I've tried and tried to organize my huge fabric stash but those stupid laws of physics always get in the way. You can't fit something with a large volume (no matter how you fold it) into a tiny space. 

The most obvious solution would be to sew only from my stash until I cut it down. Yea, I'm not doing that, but I am only buying fabric when I have a plan for it. That means I am doing a lot of planning and then going crazy while I wait for the fabric to get here.

Fabric.com was having a great sale for 20% off any order over $40.00, so I sketched out my plans, picked my favorite and ordered a lot of fabric. All together the total came to $35.00 (after the sale) and I got 7 yards of fabric and a few notions. My planning also includes using up 2 yards of fabric from my stash. 

The raglan shirt below is going to for be for my daughter Ashley. Her style leans slightly in the direction of tomboy. She hates dresses and ruffles and lace, but she does love the color pink.

Update: See the finished mixed fabric raglan t shirt and a tutorial here.

Next up is a project for my son and husband that I am very excited about. We watched Rise of the Guardians as a family and I studied Jack Frost's sweatshirt most of the time. For a cartoon it shows incredible details. You can even see the seam lines. 

Add caption

And finally my ugly vintage pattern remixes. I am planning to get two spring dresses out of this pattern. It is the first on the list to be completed and I will give you all of the details when it's done but here is a peek at what's to come. 

Update : The first dress is done. See it Here

Thanks so much for looking. Feel free to share your sewing to do list in the comments.

My Ugly Vintage Pattern

Update You Can See My Plans For This Pattern Here
If you haven't heard yet (maybe you've been living under a rock) there is an ugly vintage pattern party going on over at Simple Simon. It seems to have taken the blogging world by storm. Almost every blog I click on seems to be proudly displaying the worst of the worst from their pattern collection on there home page. I don't know what it is about these patterns or why we get so attached to them, but it's good to know that I am not the only one. So for your viewing pleasure here is the ugliest pattern in my collection.

Two things scare me about this pattern.

1. It is from the 90's and it's vintage! OMG, when did the 90's become vintage. I feel so old.
2. Had my mother sewn me up something like that sweet little flowery number in the 90's I would have been head over heels with it. It probably would have been my favorite outfit and I would have tried to wear it every day.

That's some scary stuff there. Now, to participate in the challenge all you have to do is show off a photo of your pattern in the linky. You don't actually have to sew anything. However I feel the need to make something out of this. It's like an unspoken challenge.

I have no clue what it is going to be or how I am going to make it into something my children will actually wear...willingly, but I have a few basic idea's floating around in my head. I'll update you when I have more. I hope you will be joining the ugly vintage pattern party as well!