Confessions of the Pink Obsessed

Festival Fun: George + Ginger Capsule Tunic

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 13:00:00 +0000

I love the start of summer - school is done, our daily pace slows down and we try to explore some of the local fun spots we don't get a chance to see during the school year. On top of all the normal awesome activities our area holds, special summer festivals abound! Outdoor concerts, food and wine gatherings, art shows - you name it and you can probably find it in Southern California during the summer months.

I have a closet full of beautiful skirts and practical shorts for more chic or casual events respectively, but I don't have many easy dresses that pair well with my beloved converse. This was the summer I vowed to change that and I thought I'd start by trying to find the perfect t-shirt dress - just in time for the George + Ginger Festival Fever Blog Tour!

I've pinned more inspiration pics than I can count of relaxed fit, short sleeve t-shirt dresses, but I didn't have much luck finding a pattern that was a good match. Earlier this year as George + Ginger was retiring the Capsule Collection, I snagged the Capsule Tunic pattern. It had the shape I was looking for in a t-shirt dress, but it oddly didn't get much love in the G+G Facebook group. I had a feeling it was a hidden gem and I was totally correct!

I chose the simplest of the pattern options as it matched my inspiration pics the best - mid length dress with cropped short sleeves. I traced off my normal size (4 bust, 8 hip) and added a bit of length to make sure it wasn't too short for me. After sewing it up, it was a bit *too* relaxed of a fit for my vision and I ultimately took 1" off each side seam all the way down. I also removed almost all of the length I added and did a 1" hem as suggested in the pattern.

I used a lightweight, striped jersey fabric that is so soft and feels like a vintage tee that you've had for years. It was a great choice for this pattern.

And now I have the perfect t-shirt dress that I've been looking for in stores for years! It's relaxed, but still shows that I have a shape under there. I love that I can pair it with converse, but it's also super cute with flats if I want to dress it up a bit.

I was planning to wear it this past weekend to the Pasadena Chalk Festival, where artists descend onto one of our outdoor shopping areas and create chalk drawings on the walkways all weekend. It is a really cool event and something we look forward to walking through every year.

But, in true So Cal June weather, it was too chilly for a short sleeve dress. No worries though, this one will get a ton of use this summer!

What events do you have on tap for this summer and are you planning to make anything for them? Let me know in the comments and be sure to check out all of the other amazing bloggers on the Festival Fever Blog Tour this week!

Caught the fever? Check out all the amazing looks in the Festival Fever line up!

Monday, June 18
Confessions of the Pink Obsessed | Diskordia’s Curvy Sewing
Our Play Palace | Wild & Wanderful | Bellephant

Tuesday, June 19
Threadistry | Cross Stitches | Middle River Studio
Liviality | Threads of Magic

Wednesday, June 20
Seams Sew Lo | So Sara Sews | Tenille’s Threads
My Crazy Crafty Beautiful Life | Aurora Design

Thursday, June 21
Middle River Studio | The Needle and the Belle
Sweet Mama Life | Sewing Scientist

Friday, June 22
Sewing Ambi | 52 Week Sewing Challenge
Needles to Say | My Sewing Roots

So Today I Did a Thing

And special thanks to our tour sponsors!
Boho Fabrics | Sincerely Rylee | Wandering Willow Design | Aurora Designs

Pattern Testing: George + Ginger Bonnaroo Bundle

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 14:07:00 +0000

While the weather can't seem to make up its mind here if it wants to be winter or spring, I am starting to focus on my summer wardrobe pieces. And if anything says summer fashion, it's a floaty maxi skirt and tank top!

Kristi, the designer behind George + Ginger Pattern Co. is releasing a series of patterns for summer, which are all part of her Music Festival Collection. Think boho chic and perfect for music festivals (obviously), but also outdoor BBQs, days at the beach and generally soaking up the fun summer atmosphere.

I was able to test the first pattern bundle in the collection - The Bonnaroo Bundle - which includes 2 different skirts (gored and hi-low) with 2 interchangeable waistbands (corset and yoga foldover) and a tank with cropped and top lengths. With the variety of options, almost everyone should be able to find something that suits their needs.

I made the gored skirt with foldover yoga waistband and the tank in top length. I ordered several rayon challis prints when I knew this pattern was coming up for testing and while I never intended to use these 2 prints together, I love how they compliment one another. Both were purchased from Fabric.com.

The gored skirt has quite a bit of volume, but feels so light and floaty because it's sewn from rayon challis. Top-stitching your seams is optional, but I like how it keeps everything nice and flat. It can be tricky to cut and sew slippery fabric like this, but it was worth it for the finished skirt.

For the tank and foldover yoga band, I used my favorite bamboo lycra from Mood Fabrics in white. Seriously folks, their bamboo knit is amazing - nice and thick, washes well and feels amazing to wear. It was a great choice for this tank and the waistband.

The tank pattern comes with faux ties at the top of the shoulders that add a sweet touch, but can easily be left off if they aren't your style. The body of the tank is fitted through the bust and relaxed through the waist and hips.

I think this set will be perfect for those hot So Cal days when I want to look cute, but stay cool. And while boho chic isn't necessarily my go-to style, these pieces feel good on and something I will be happy to sport throughout the summer. Sometimes it's good to shake things up and try new styles!

I did not test the hi-low skirt or the corset waistband, but the other testers made some beautiful versions and I already have a lovely kelly green gauze picked out for the hi-low skirt and a vision for styling. Stay tuned!

P4P: Take The Plunge Bikini Hack

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 06:23:00 +0000

For the last decade, J.Crew has been my go-to shop for swimsuits. I liked their styles, their prints, how they fit and how well they held up over the years. Unfortunately, I've been pretty disappointed in their offerings the past couple of years. And while I looked at other designers, I've never found anything that I've liked as much as my J.Crew suits, even with though I'm not thrilled with them either these days.

When I signed up to do the RTW Fast for 2018, the thing that made me the most nervous was "what am I supposed to do about a new swimsuit for our summer trips?!" The idea of sewing a swimsuit was terrifying. I've always said I would never sew swimwear because it's not just a cute piece of clothing it needs to do a very specific job and it needs to do it well! On top of that, everyone will tell you how HARD it is to sew a swimsuit. The fabric is slippery! Getting the right fit is tricky! Sewing elastic is scary! I mean, the whole thing sounded frustrating at best, but if I wanted a new bikini for our Hawaii trip this year, I was going to have to make one to stay true to the rules of the Fast.

For my very first foray into sewing swimwear, I opted to try the P4P Take the Plunge suit (afflink). This is actually a one piece suit with a ruched front bodice and then a variety of mix and match back and bottom options.

I, myself, am a bikini girl, so I set out to make the bikini hack option, that is outlined on the P4P Take the Plunge hacks blog post.

My final selections for my suit were the low cross-back top with a side-ruched bottom. I opted for a deep kelly green swim knit from Joann's for my main fabric and a black lining fabric from The Fabric Fairy. I also used cotton swimwear elastic from Joann's, since I knew that it would be easier to stretch it for the ruching on the sides of the bottoms and a 3/4" clear plastic bikini top closure.

Once I had the pattern taped together and my options selected, I got to work. For sizing, I went strictly by my measurements and cut a straight Small for the top and a straight Medium for the bottom. The only change I made to the pattern was to lower the rise of the bottom by 2", based on comparing the pattern with a bikini bottom I already owned and liked. Ultimately, I wound up lowering the rise of the ruched outer fabric another 1.5" just before attaching it to the lining because it looked better. I didn't make any other changes and followed the pattern and blog post instructions like they were the gospel. ;)

This swimsuit is fully lined with no exposed seams and all of the edges are finished with swim elastic and then topstitched. There is an entire page included that gives instructions on how to add additional support to both the top and bottom. I only chose to add bra cups, but they do include options for adding power mesh for the cups and across the tummy as well as under bust elastic for the cups.

As I've come to expect from P4P, the instructions and tutorial pictures were clear and complete. Again, I've never sewn a swimsuit and I felt like I was led through the process in an easy to follow manner. The only mistake I made was I originally attached the back loops too low on the back bodice. I misread the picture and just mucked it up. I had to unpick the serged seam, fix the placement and then sew it all back together. Don't do that! LOL

And this is where I was surprised. You see, I've been sewing with knit fabrics - some well behaved, but plenty that were slippery messes - for years now and I'm very comfortable with them. I'm comfortable with serging on elastic and then topstitching it down. I know how to ease fabrics together along a curve. I know how to gather knit fabric and then sew it to a non-ruched piece. When I finally started sewing this bikini together - the one that had terrified me for a very long time - I was already comfortable with all of the techniques needed to complete a suit that looks like it is ready to wear. Was it tedious? ABSOLUTELY! Having to baste everything and then attaching elastic to almost everything is time consuming and can't really be rushed. Sewing this suit was a ton of little steps that added up to a big chunk of time. But was it hard? No, not really. The sewing steps were pretty straightforward and things that I had already done several times over with other projects, just not on a swimsuit.

So, while I was pleasantly surprised with the sewing and the aesthetics of the project, we all know that unless it fits and looks good on a person, it doesn't really matter how it looks laying on the sewing table.

I finished the ruched bottom first and the top the next morning. I tried them on together, looked in the mirror and ....

didn't hate it. In fact, I liked it. A LOT.

YOU GUYS, MY FIRST SWIMSUIT THAT I EVER SEWED WAS A COMPLETE SUCCESS!!!

It's been a few days and I'm still in shock. It fits me like a glove. It's comfortable. I love it's sort of retro vibe that also feels fresh and modern for 2018. I can run after my kids in the top and feel completely secure, but I am also excited to lounge poolside with my husband in Vegas and feel chic and sophisticated.

If you are looking for swimsuit pattern, I cannot recommend this one enough. It is such a well drafted swimsuit and one that is flattering on many different shapes and sizes (check out the tester pics on the pattern itself - such a lovely bunch beautiful women!) I have at least one more of this exact suit planned and may even try out the other bikini top option they cover in the hacks blog post.

I'm so glad that the RTW Fast finally gave me the additional motivation to just get over myself and sew a swimsuit already! I had no idea the first one would go so well and now I feel confident in going forward and sewing additional suits in fun prints and different styles. Having the freedom to sew what I want to wear to the pool instead of being tied to whatever I can find in store is a huge accomplishment and something that I will be glowing over for some time to come.

Spring Into Color Blog Tour

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Mon, 05 Mar 2018 17:05:00 +0000

While we've had an extremely mild winter here in Southern California, especially compared to the rest of the country, I'm still excited for Spring fashions and to move into a brighter color palette! So, let's kick it off with a Sewing by Ti Blog Tour with the appropriate theme of "Spring into Color."

The Pantone color palette for Spring 2018 includes lots of beautiful bright colors and a few neutrals to anchor it all.

I find that I always wish I had more short spring and summer dresses in my closet as I like wearing them to meetings and events when the weather is warm. Something that is appropriate for a lunch date or a meeting at church tends to get worn the most, so I kept that in mind as I headed into this challenge.

Last fall, I bought a 1 yard brushed poly panel print that featured cherry tomato poppies against a light blue sky and green grass from Smoogie Fabric and Designs.

This panel screams SPRING to me so I tucked it away with plans to make a dress in 2018. You can find cherry tomato and hints of little boy blue in the print, so this blog tour was definitely the right time to pull it out and sew it up!

I have made a couple of skirts using the P4P Sunshine Dress (afflink) pattern hack in the past few months and have been pleased with them. Pockets can be tricky on me because I carry my weight in my hips and thighs, but these pockets sit flat on the front of the hip and then the front and back of the skirt is gathered around it. It's not only a cute design, but also quite flattering. I wanted to finally make a dress with this skirt, but was looking for something a bit more basic for the bodice than the options that come with the pattern itself.

I've used the P4P Layer Me Up (afflink)shirt as a dress bodice in the past with great results and opted to pair it with the Sunshine skirt to make a LMU/Sunshine Dress mash-up! I found a cherry tomato red organic cotton spandex jersey at Mood Fabrics LA and used that for a solid bodice to pair with the panel print skirt.

This skirt is A LOT of print, but I love how the solid red on the bodice anchors it and keeps it chic.

I hemmed the skirt so that it was above the knee, which tends to be a good length on me. I also made sure to have a sleeveless bodice so that I can either wear it solo or with a cardigan layered over it depending on the weather. Spring weather in LA is a mish mosh and I like having the versatility of different shoe and topper options so this dress would be appropriate across a range of temps.

And did I mention this dress has *pockets*?!? I mean, who doesn't love a dress with pockets!

And now I'm ready to sew all the spring garments! LOL

For more inspiration for Spring sewing, be sure to check out the rest of the awesome bloggers on this tour. You can find the entire month on the list below:

Thursday, March 1st: Sewing By Ti- Intro

2nd: Tenille's Thread

Monday, March 5th: Confessions of the Pink Obsessed

6th: Sewn By Lone

7th: Sewing By Ti, Stylin Stacy

8th: EYMM

9th: Stitched by Jennie

10th: Elli and Nels

Sunday, March 11th: Make it Sew with the Bear and Pea Atelier

12th: Very Blissful

13th: My Heart Will Sew On

14th: Sewing Blue

15th: Seams Like Style

16th: Kate Will Knit

17th: Twinado Alley

Sunday March 18th: Mermaids Den

19th: My Sewing Roots

20th: Our Play Palace

21st: Kathys Kwilts and More

22nd: The Fairy Dust Bin

23rd: Oak Blue Designs

24th: Aurora Designs Fabrics

Sunday March 25th: Flaxfield Sewing

26th: Seams Sew Lo

27th: Ma Moose

28th: Back 40 Life

29th: Auschick Sews

30th: Manning the Machine

31st: Mermaids Den

Pattern Testing: P4P Go To Jacket - Women's and Youth editions

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 21:49:00 +0000

Anybody else love outerwear? Living in Southern California, my need for true coats and heavy sweaters is limited, but I can always use a light- to mid-weight jacket for layering when it is chilly in the mornings or evenings.

The P4P Go To Jacket (afflink)is a staple casual jacket that includes a bomber style as well as a 3-piece hoodie option. Choose from shirt or tunic lengths; inseam or kangaroo pockets; hemmed, cuffed or cuffed with thumb hole sleeves; an optional drawstring and lining for the hood and a zipper guard piece that helps protect your chin from the top of your zipper.

I used a graphic floral quilted poly knit fabric from So Sew English with black ABP accents from Zenith and Quasar for my first tester version - a shirt length, lined hoodie jacket with kangaroo pockets and cuffed sleeves.

I LOVE the 3 piece hood - it fits on the head really well, but also lays nicely on your upper back when worn down. I did add optional topstitching to help the seams lay flat and give it even more of a ready-to-wear look.

The sleeves are relaxed enough to easily layer over a long sleeve top, but not too oversized to look silly if it's only worn over a tank top.

Worried about installing the zipper? No need! The pattern comes with links to 2 videos: how to shorten a separating zipper and how to install the zipper using the zipper guard piece as well as very detailed instructions in the written tutorial. I've installed several separating zippers before this jacket and I think the method included here is one of the best I've seen.

I love this little hoodie so much, that when they were looking for a few more testers for the youth version, I signed up my oldest son. Here he is modeling HIS first tester version - shirt length, lined hood, kangaroo pockets and cuffed sleeves - both fabrics are french terry from Sincerely Rylee Fabrics.

Y'all, his faces about killed me in this shoot - my baby is growing up!

He loves this jacket and I plan to make several more later this year when both of my boys need fall sweatshirts.

For our final versions of these patterns, I knew I wanted to do a Mommy and Me set. I've had some custom cotton lycra fabric from MK Designs in my stash for a year now, just waiting for the right project and this was it!

I used the same options as our first versions because I knew they would get the most use from both of us. These lightweight hoodies will be perfect for cool evenings when we visit Disneyland and need a light layer to keep the chill off.

I have more fabric to make my younger son and husband matching pieces, too, so we'll be quite the sight strolling around the parks. ;)

The Go To Jacket also includes a Men's version, so you can make jackets for the whole family! Grab the Go To Jacket pattern for Women, Men or Youth OR the complete Bundle (afflinks) starting today - the sale prices are good through 3/8 at 11:59 US Central time zone.

Sewing Activewear - Green Style Creations Xpress Tank and P4P Mama Bear Joggers

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 13:00:00 +0000

I really love cute gym clothes - I chalk most of this up to years of dance lessons where creative expression is not only through your movement, but also what you wear. The high end activewear market has been churning out all sorts of interesting and fashion forward workout gear for years now, but I've been slowly dipping my toe in the water of sewing my own.

I love the tie back tanks that are all the rage right now and they seemed like something that should be fairly simple to sew. I can't remember how I stumbled upon the GreenStyle Creations Xpress Tank, but I loved the interesting cross back so much, I bumped it to the top of my sewing list.

I cute a straight S for this tank and used a light weight Athletic Brushed Poly (ABP) from Zenith and Quasar in coral. ABP is a tech fabric that is moisture-wicking, breathable, soft, stretchy and has great drape for the lighter weight version. I've really grown to like this fabric and it's something that I'm looking forward to using for more workout tanks in the future. Z and Q does pre-orders for ABP throughout the year as well as retail sales after pre-orders have been filled. Be sure to keep an eye on their site as the fabrics and colors they stock do change from time to time.

This pattern is *literally* one piece. That's it. The shoulder seams get stitched together and then all of the raw edges are turned and hemmed. The biggest downsides to the pattern are

You absolutely need a full 1 yard cut to make this tank as drafted - I'm a master at playing pattern and fabric tetris, but you just can't do it with this one.
You are pinning and hemming for a while. It says this is a 20 minute project, but it took me longer than that. Maybe I'm just slow at hemming, but this one felt like it took forever.

See? SO many pins.

All that being said, I love the finished product and am planning to sew at least one more. It's light, comfy and feels sporty, but cute for the gym. I might size down in the bust for the next one, but the fit through the hip was great. I've worn it to BodyFIT360 and Groov3 and it works well for both. These pics were taken as I was on the way to the gym, so no cute hair and make-up here - lol!

I also finally got around to making a pair of P4P Mama Bear Joggers (afflink) for the gym!(see the above pic) I used a heavier ABP from Zenith and Quasar in basic black. I've already blogged about my love for the Mama Bear Jogger pattern here and there were no changes except to add a band to my cropped length so they look like a true cropped sweatpant. Aside from the pure comfort factor, the style is something I've wanted for a long time, but could never find in the stores. Another reason why it's so great to be able to sew - you can make exactly what you want, when you want it! While I specifically made them for the gym, I haven't ruled them out as a perfect home lounge pant.

2018 Sewing Goals and January Recap

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Mon, 12 Feb 2018 07:19:00 +0000

Happy Monday folks! I realized after I started writing again in this space that I never wrote out my goals for 2018. I have them in a super cute little sewing notebook, but if I actually put them here, it might be some additional motivation to stay the course.

Love this vintage pattern cover notebook - perfect for all of my sewing lists for 2018

My biggest goal for this year was to join the 2018 Ready To Wear Fast that is hosted by Goodbye Valentino.

What is the Ready To Wear Fast? Great question! I, along with hundreds of others have pledged to not purchase any clothing for 2018 - if I want or need it, I need to make it myself. Kind of crazy, right?! Exceptions include undergarments, shoes, bags, jewelry. The reality is that the second half of 2017 was already trending in this direction for me anyways, but this is a great challenge to really stretch my sewing skills and examine my shopping habits. We're almost 1.5 months in and while I haven't been tempted, I have learned a lot about myself already. More on that later.

In addition to the 2018 RTW Fast, I am also participating in the 2018 Make Nine Challenge. Basically, choose 9 garments/sewing projects you'd like to complete in 2018. I keep lists throughout the year for my sewing, so it was kind of weird to just choose 9 things I really wanted to make, so I tried to stretch myself a bit for these. Here they are in no particular order:

Bathing suit
Men's Raglan
Men's Basic t-shirt
Casual pants for my boys
Jeans
M4M Darcey Cardigan
Woven shorts
Woven blouse
Workout leggings

This list was influenced heavily by the RTW Fast Challenge - we have a couple of trips on the schedule that will require shorts and a swimsuit and I would like to at least try to make myself a pair of jeans since I won't be buying any this year. Eeeeek! I have already tackled 2 of the above with some success and will cover them more in the next couple of weeks.

I'd also like to try at least 1 new to me pattern per month. I LOVE sewing TNT patterns because they are my closet workhorses and always give me a great fit, but if I don't continually try new things, I won't find other patterns that I love.

January 2018 Recap
I had a really strong start to the beginning of the year! Not only do I sew garments for myself, but I also tend to sew quite a bit for my sons and also a fair number of gifts throughout the year. The number of garments I create each month are fairly high and I realized within a couple of weeks of restarting this blog that there is no way I can photograph and blog every single thing I make. Instead, I'll do monthly recaps and individual blog posts for the most interesting garments, pattern tests or the things that have a good story attached to them. Even that will be a challenge, but at least it will narrow down what I feel compelled to share in detail here in this space. Also, I'll post pics of new garments on Instagram (see my feed on the right) as much as possible, even if they don't have a blog post attached to them.

Now let's talk numbers. I made 20 (!) garments in January. A good chunk of that was what I consider utility sewing - basics for me and for my boys that sew up incredibly quickly and are closet staples. They break down as such:

Gifts - 2: a workout tank (P4P Essential Tank afflink) and cardigan (P4P Cocoon Cardigan afflink) for my friend and fitness mentor (the white top was actually sewn and counted at the end of 2017)

Husband -2: yes, I finally sewed my first garments for my husband!! only took 8 years, but here we are. More on this in a separate post.
Boys - 5: all long sleeve t-shirts (P4P Jolly Roger Raglan and P4P YoHo Henley afflinks) that they needed to make it through the rest of winter and into spring.

Me - 11: One pair of casual wear joggers, 3 hoodies, 3 tops for a pattern test and 4 basic tops

I also tried 2 new to me patterns - a pattern test (George + Ginger RuLo Top and Dress) and a pattern that I had purchased last year for my husband (Cole's Creations Jerry's Raglan).

Needless to say, it was a good month and a great start to 2018. What are your goals for this month or for 2018? Drop me a line and let me know what you're working on!

P4P Woman's Henley Shirt

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 11:00:00 +0000

I've had a very productive start to 2018 when it comes to sewing and one of the patterns I used the most was the Women's Henley pattern from P4P. (afflinks) I completely overlooked this pattern originally because I had zero interest in wearing a shirt with a button placket after coming off of nursing my youngest. Once I realized it actually includes a basic t-shirt neckline as well as the placket, I scooped it up! I made 4 tops using this pattern in January and they give 3 very different looks:

Basic Long Sleeve
I started the month by sewing up 2 basic long sleeve versions in some awesome aqua/white and grey/white striped cotton lycra from TKB Prints. TKB is actually known for their star fabric, but I absolutely adore her custom yarn dyed stripes as they are great for both me and my boys.

I had this photo saved on Pinterest and wanted to make my own version.The original is a raglan cut sleeve, but I opted for the inset sleeve of the henley instead.

I sized down for this one because I like my basic tees to be fairly close fitting. I used a plain white cotton lycra for the neckband and for the cuffs (made slightly taller than the pattern calls for) and added a vest because it's cute for winter. I love this look and it's something I wear often during the week because it's simple, comfy and put together.

The grey and white stripe has hemmed sleeves and a neckband in the same strip fabric as the body of the shirt. Super simple, but a great closet basic.

Raglan Colorblock Sleeves
P4P ran a Henley Sew a Long in January on their blog and introduced a free add-on to the pattern for a raglan colorblock sleeve hack. I had been sitting on some charcoal dot and red buffalo plaid french terry from So Sew English just waiting for the right raglan colorblock pattern to come along. I used my measured size for the bust and sized down for the hips for a close fit banded long sleeve tee.

Adding the little raglan accents is pretty straight forward and the blog will walk you through the construction, but you do need to own the Henley pattern for everything to work correctly. I love how the colorblock accents dress up an otherwise plain shirt and it's a great way to use up leftover fabric scraps.

Henley Sweatshirt
I've had this charcoal Blush Lilly Stripe french terry from So Sew English since the fall, but just could not figure out how I wanted to use it. I finally decided on a hooded sweatshirt and opted to use the Henley pattern with hood option. I lucked out and had *just* enough pale pink jersey leftover from another project to use for the cuffs/band/hood lining. It was a perfect match to the pale pink in the flowers.

Again, I cut my measured size for bust and sized down for hips, which makes this a slimmer fit sweatshirt for me (my desired fit for this piece). I also added a kangaroo pocket, which is from the Raglan Add On Pack (afflink), but easily works on any shirt pattern. Can we also take a minute to talk about the stripe matching here! It's hard to see, but it's stripe matched to within an inch of it's life and I'm super happy with it.

This is a casual piece, but I love the fabric and it will be something I reach for often. I'm all about stripes and florals right now, so when you combine them? LOVE!

Needless to say, I love the Henley pattern as a basic long sleeve block that can be customized in all sorts of ways. You know I love my TNT patterns and this one easily falls into that cateogry. I am hoping to play around with a short sleeve version for spring - maybe with a lowered neckline and a cap sleeve. Endless possibilities, I tell ya!

Hacking the Lululemon Don't Hurry, Be Happy Pullover

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 11:00:00 +0000

In 2012, Lululemon released the Don't Hurry, Be Happy Pullover sweatshirt. It was made of a micro-fleece fabric backed in this crazy soft and warm minky type layer and had accents in Rulu (a warm, proprietary tech knit fabric). It came in ivory and black and sold out very quickly. I was able to snag one in ivory and it has been my go-to cold weather sweatshirt for the last 5 years.

Wearing the inspiration piece

The original website photo

I kept hoping that they would release another round, this time in colors other than white and black, but no dice. And while I kept hoping to find similar fabric so I could make my own version, I didn't have any luck in that department either.

This past fall though, So Sew English announced that they would be stocking a new fabric, made just for them, that they were calling "Super Plush" - a smooth, stretchy knit fabric backed with a plush, minky like fluff. I almost fell off the couch when I read it - THIS was what I had been looking for to hack my favorite Lululemon sweatshirt!

I snagged 2 yards of the charcoal super plush and then... a billion other things got in the way and it sat the in the sewing room for months. Ooops.

I *finally* got down to business last week and started hacking the silly thing already. Aside from the charcoal super plush, I also used some charcoal bamboo lycra jersey I had in the stash for the cuffs and waistband. I used the P4P Relaxed Raglan pattern (afflink) as my base, though any relaxed fit raglan pattern you like would probably work. I used the RR pattern as drafted for the body, sleeves and kangaroo pocket (which comes with the Raglan Add on pack afflink). One of my only critiques of the original pullover was that the extremely fitted sleeves/cuffs made it difficult to layer a shirt underneath. I purposely kept the sleeves as drafted for the RR so they would be loose enough for another layer underneath. I also made sure the cuffs were cut looser as well.

The funnel/cowl neck, cuffs and waistband, however, needed some tweaking from RR pattern base.

Funnel/Cowl Neck
The neck piece on the inspiration piece is like a very tall funnel collar that is dreaming of being a cowl neck (just a smidge wider at the top than the bottom). I literally took tracing paper and drew the shape of the funnel neck with pencil and then cleaned it up and made sure it was even. The thing that is hardest to see with this piece is that the front dips down, while the back curves up.

In hindsight, I should have made the top of the funnel wider so it would fold over my shoulders a bit more. It sits fine, just more upright than the original. Since my version is narrower through the funnel neck, I skipped the cording and just turned up the hem 1" and topstitched.

Waistband
The LLL pullover has a 4 piece waistband - 2 outer and 2 inner pieces. The outer pieces are ruched and the inner pieces are just sewn flat. I decided to use a 7"x17.75" piece for the outer layer and then 5"x17.75" for the inner layer (includes 1/4" seam allowances). I used 1/4" elastic cut to 5" and stitched it to the seam allowance for the outer layer, which caused the ruching effect. There might be a better way to achieve this detail, but this technique was successful.

I then stitched the inner and outer layers right sides together and flipped them back out - ruched outer layer and smooth inner layer. You can see here that the join line of the inner and outer layers rolls to the inside, which actually happens with the LLL version as well.

Cuffs
The cuffs are sewn in a very similar fashion to the waistband. The original pullover has a 4 piece cuff, but I simplified my version to 2 pieces - a ruched outer top layer and smooth inner layer. The dimensions I used for my cuff pieces were 9"x8" for the outer layer and 6"x8" for the inner layer. Again, I used 1/4" elastic cut to 6" in the seam allowance for the outer piece to achieve the ruched look. I stitched them together and flipped them over so they could be attached to the sleeves.

I topstitched all of the seams except for the 2 side seams to give it a sportier look and to mimic the inspiration piece. Topstitching tall, slim, cuffs in the round is AWFUL, but I made it work. Ideally, I'd have figured out and used a flatlock stitch for most of this, but since I don't have that skill under my belt yet, the coverstitch topstitching worked out pretty well.

Original:

My hacked version:

All in all, I'm SO happy with this sweatshirt! It's not exactly like the original, but it's close enough for my liking.

I can also see myself using the cuff and waistband pieces on other sweatshirts for myself to fancy them up a bit. They take longer to construct, but I love the ruched details on them both.

Even if you don't want to hack your own Don't Hurry, Be Happy Pullover, I can't recommend this super plush fabric enough for warm and comfy sweatshirts and jackets. So Sew English has even more super plush coming soon in jewel tones and a couple of prints and I have plans for at least one more sweatshirt like this. Yes, I realize I live in Southern California, but I'm often cold during the winter months and this pullover feels like wearing your favorite cozy blanket - but it's acceptable to wear outside of the house!

George & Ginger RuLo Top & Dress

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Mon, 22 Jan 2018 15:32:00 +0000

Now that we've gotten past the holidays, pattern testing is back in full swing! Kristi, from George + Ginger Patterns is showing at NY Fashion Week next month (OMG!!), but has released her first pattern of 2018 before focusing solely on her Fashion Week Collection.

The RuLo Top and Dress pattern is chock full of options that mix and match with one another - there is really something for everyone here. Oversized dolman body, regular set in sleeve body and then several lengths and sleeve options. Take a look!

I tested the Tunic with Shoulder Ruffle Sleeve using a brushed sweater knit from Sincerely Rylee Fabrics. The most time consuming part of this option is hemming the shoulder ruffles as hemming circles always feels tedious to me, but from there it sews up incredibly quickly.

I cut a 4 bust and graded out to an 8 hip, per my measurements. The set in sleeve body is very roomy through the hips, so I probably would have been fine with a straight 4, but I still like how this tunic falls. The shoulder ruffle is super feminine and such a sweet touch to the sweater.

I liked the cut of the sweater so much that I also made a cropped version with basic sleeve from some super soft and drapey poly rayon French terry, also from Sincerely Rylee Fabrics. I don't typically think of myself as a "wears crop tops" kinda gal, but I love this one! I cut a straight 4 here and it's perfect - a little flare at the bottom, but pretty subtle. I thought it would be cute over my gym clothes while I warm up, but I really like it paired with joggers for cute casual everyday street wear.

And Hamilton hats make everything better, even super cute stripe crop tops!

I think I'd like to try one of the bell sleeves next and maybe the dress length. See, so many cute options available. This pattern is 25% off through Friday 1/26 and isn't one to miss!

P4P Mama Bear Joggers - TNT pant pattern that does it all!

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Mon, 15 Jan 2018 12:00:00 +0000

The P4P Mama Bear Joggers (afflink) has become a total workhorse pattern that I've used at least a dozen times in the past year. The funny thing is that I wasn't that excited by it when it was first released. I didn't see myself ever wearing full length joggers and so I sort of dismissed the pattern outright.

I was an idiot. LOL

I changed my tune in the spring when I was looking for a shorts pattern for myself. It was pointed out that the cute jogger style short I was looking to make was very similar to the Mama Bear Joggers pattern, so I bought it and the obsession began. It's become a staple in my closet for 3 very different clothing items:

Casual Shorts
The first time I used this pattern was to try and make a pair of woven cotton shorts that were relaxed, but not super short. While the Joggers pattern is designed for knits/fabric with stretch, I looked at the finished pattern measurements and thought I'd give it a try with some leftover woven madras plaid. I added several inches of length, graded from a Medium hip to Large thigh, and changed the waistband to accommodate a single row of 1.25" elastic instead of 3 rows of narrower elastic. I was thrilled with my final garment!

The woven shorts were so comfy and awesome, that I then went back and made 4 more pairs out of a variety of knit fabrics. The floral french terry shorts (fabrics from So Sew English) are very casual and perfect for running around with the boys. I may not be winning any fashion awards with these, but they are insanely comfortable in the summer heat.

This bright floral liverpool knit pair is slightly dressy and works well when I'm trying to look cute-ish, but I'm melting because it's 100 degrees out.

And lastly, in denim-faced french terry from (LA Finch Fabrics) this pattern makes the perfect faux denim shorts! I wore them with everything, all of the time this summer. I made sure to add contrast top-stitching to mimic real denim shorts and back pockets. Such a classic summer staple!

Sleep Shorts
So, I liked my modified shorts pattern so much that I thought it would also be perfect for PJ shorts, which I desperately needed to replace this summer. I removed the extra length I had added, skipped the pockets and kept the waistband the same. Yup, perfect PJ shorts! (and yes, I do love fun prints for pajamas)

Casual Pants
I might not wear jogger pants to the ankles, but I started to think that I might like a cropped pair of jogger pants to wear with flats or sneakers. Again, I started with my modified shorts pattern as the base and traced it to the full pant length. Ultimately, I removed 2.5" inches of length, added a 2.5" hem and then cuffed them up. Cropped, cuffed joggers are my jam you guys! I made a pair in black french terry in the summer and wore them all of the time. Like, I couldn't keep them in my closet because I was either wearing them or they were in the laundry.

One of my last sewing projects for 2017 and first projects for 2018 were 2 new pairs of cropped joggers - one pair in olive modal french terry and one in medallion print french terry (fabrics from So Sew English). I'm not usually one for printed pants that I wear outside of the house, but this fabric just really looked like it wanted to be pants, so I went with it. I love this silhouette for comfy, casual, but still put together pants and appreciate that they work with a variety of both shoes and tops.

I am always on the hunt for good TNT (tried n true) patterns and this one obviously fits the bill for me. The fact that I can make 3 very different garments from one pattern helps me stretch my precious sewing time a bit farther, which is very appreciated. This will definitely not be the last time you see a garment sewn up using this pattern from me - aside from more summer shorts, I have plans to make a pair of true joggers in an athletic knit for hip hop class. Since I never found my ideal pants for dance class, guess I'll just have to make my own. ;)
Stay tuned!

2017 - the year my sewing hobby exploded

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 08:23:00 +0000

One more catch up post from last year and then we'll get back to mostly current stuff. Good? Good!

I went into 2017 with a renewed love of sewing - so much so that I signed up for a 100 in 2017 challenge. I was ready to sew all the things and I couldn't wait to get started! I continued to explore Patterns for Pirates (P4P) patterns and branched out to a couple of other pdf pattern companies specializing in baby and child patterns, which were perfect for my boys and gifts for family/friends.

There were a series of things that happened over the course of several months, though, that stand out as game-changers:

The P4P/Made For Mermaids/Cole's Creation's Capsule Contests
In the Spring, P4P announced a Capsule Contest (in conjunction with sister sites Made for Mermaids and Cole's Creations) - create a 9 piece mini capsule using patterns or mash ups from the 3 companies and post by a certain date. While it looked like fun, I didn't give it much thought because I wasn't making myself pants yet and that seemed sort of key to creating a stand alone capsule.

Skip to a week or so later, and I had sewn up a couple of tops just because I needed them and decided to finally try to make pants. Eeek! I started with the P4P SOS pant (afflink) and used a cut of kelly green ponte that I'd had in my stash for years. They went far better than expected and it was then that I realized I still had time to make the Capsule Contest deadline. I quickly outlined the rest of my projects, found a cohesive theme and the "Black and White, Green and Stripe" capsule was created.

"Black and White, Green and Stripe"

Finally being able to make pants that were flattering and fit me well was HUGE! This was completely new for me and something that opened up a whole new world of possibilities. In fact, when they hosted their Fall Capsule Contest, I completed TWO 9 piece capsules - "Ballet Street" and "Tunics & Boots". I filled a bunch of holes in my closet and the garments I made are some of my biggest wardrobe workhorses.

"Ballet Street"

Accessories


"Tunics n Boots"

Accessories

Testing for George and Ginger Pattern Company
I discovered George & Ginger Pattern Co. in the spring when I tracked down their site because I loved the patterns I was seeing people make in Facebook sewing groups. If P4P/M4M is my go-to for solid basics, G&G looked like it would be my go-to for basics with an edgy twist. Kristi, the designer, put out a call for seamstress testers in the late spring and I threw my name in the ring... along with hundreds of others. I didn't think much of it, but a couple of days later, I was invited into the tester group and my jaw fell on the ground. Testing patterns has been so much fun on many levels - I've met an amazing group of women who are passionate about sewing, I've learned so much about how patterns are created/the work that goes into making them market ready and my sewing skills and speed have improved immensely. I am still so grateful that Kristi took a chance on me and gave me the opportunity to test for her. I cannot wait to see what she cooks up for 2018!

Road Trip Bodysuit/Daytrip Skirt

Heatwave Hotpants/Daybreak Top

Sincerely Sawyer Sweater

Slash Tunic

Picnic Dress

Winning the P4P Next Top Tester Contest
P4P ran a contest in the early Fall to look for new seamstresses to add to their tester group. They called it the P4P Next Top Tester contest and it was open to anyone - review/edit the pattern instructions, sew up the pattern/look for edits needed, photograph and submit fit and final pictures. Again, I threw my hat in the ring and completed all of the contest steps. I was blown away when at the end of the contest, I was announced as the winner! Not only did I win a guaranteed test spot for the next 3 patterns, but I also won a huge box of fabric and a selection of free patterns. I am still so honored to be testing for the company that is responsible for rekindling my love of sewing and getting me back into the sewing groove.

Walk the Plank PJs with Essential Tank and Cocoon Cardigan

**Wiggle Dresses**

**Ragdoll Raglans**

See, 2017 was BANANAS for me! LOL By the end of the year, I had all but stopped buying ready to wear clothing for myself and was feeling so happy and confident with my clothes and personal style. If someone had told me that the above would have been my year in sewing, I would never have believed them, but I am so grateful for ALL of it.

SAHM Style and how I found my way back to sewing

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 22:44:00 +0000

After having my first son in 2011, I decided to stay home with him permanently. Even with a very rough newborn + infant period, it has been a great decision for our family and I'm so blessed to have been given this much dedicated time with my boys. My wardrobe, however, needed to change to reflect being home instead of sitting in an office.

I didn't sew all that much for myself after having my oldest, mostly due to time, but also not finding the kinds of easy, but stylish knitwear patterns I wanted to make. While I had some great skirt and dress patterns that were perfect for the office, I needed easy separates that could look put together, but made sense at the park, parent group, etc. I wanted to sew basic t-shirts, tank tops, tunics, cardigans - things that were cute and comfy, but I just wasn't excited about the patterns I was finding. I did make a couple of knit maxis that I liked, but that was about the extent of sewing for myself.

Self-drafted maxi from a Target skirt

McCalls 6567 (fit pre and post pregnancy)

After having my second son, I sewed a few things for them here and there, but in the summer of 2016 I really felt the urge to start sewing for myself again. Frankly, I missed it.

I tried a couple of Kwik Sew top patterns because I had good success with their knit dress patterns, but they were just meh. Even after fiddling with them, I wasn't happy with the finished garment. I had never really found shirt patterns that I liked, even after trying several from different pattern companies and I was pretty frustrated.

Around the same time, I discovered the world of custom knit fabric - holy moly! - and was re-introduced to PDF pattern designers. Indie pattern companies were just starting to take hold when I stopped sewing much in 2011 so this was quite a new thing for me. I kept seeing Patterns for Pirates (afflink) mentioned on the Facebook sewing groups I had joined and decided to check them out. I started with their Slim Fit Raglan (afflink) pattern with really low expectations. I graded to my measurements, dug out some knits that had been in my stash for months and sewed it up.

Y'ALL. It. Was. A. Perfect. Fit.

I was completely gobsmacked! I had finally found a basic t-shirt pattern that I loved. I made a couple more because I still couldn't believe the pattern fit me so well and then started to look at their other basic shirt patterns. Suddenly, I had a whole bunch of me-made shirts in my closet that I loved, that fit me well, that made me feel good. It was the kick that I needed to start sewing again regularly and it's why P4P will forever have a special place in my heart.

Raglan in bamboo knit (and some silly children)

Raglan in cotton french terry

At the beginning of 2017, I was like a woman on a mission! LOL I had at least one pattern company that was designing the types of silhouettes I wanted to sew and I was excited to really jump into the world of PDF patterns. Little did I know that I would continue to refine my SAHM style and my sewing hobby would kind of explode.

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 22:38:00 +0000

Tap tap - is this thing still on? So, it's been a minute since I've updated this blog of mine. A new year brings all sorts of new goals and resolutions and 2018 feels like the year to revive this space. Since it's been almost 5 years (wow!) since I last posted, I thought I'd give a very fast update on what has been going on:

My oldest son is now 6 (!), in Kindergarten and just lost his first tooth. He is my mini-me through and through. He is a great kid, talks our ear off and wants to learn about everything.
I had another son in fall of 2014 who is now 3. He just loves life and attacks it with vigor! He started preschool this September and loves school and his teachers.

My "babies" in mama-made shirts

My husband and I celebrated 12 years of marriage in September (17 years together) and still really like one another! Lol With the help of some very generous grandparents, we still get out to Vegas 2x a year for some couple time and it's a great way to still feel like adults while raising young children.

Christmas 2017 (in me-made shirt/skirt)
My sewing hobby took a backseat for a couple of years because having babies is not for the faint of heart, but I started sewing again with some purpose in summer 2016 and my sewing hobby completely exploded in 2017. More on that in a future post. ;)

So, I'm back!! I'm going to mostly keep this sewing related though I'm sure my family and other life stuff will bleed over from time to time, too. I'm geared up for an excellent 2018 and I hope you are, too!

Simplicity 3503: The non-maternity version

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 04:13:00 +0000

So, yeah, who knew that raising a baby was so much work. ;) Needless to say, after my last post, the roller coaster of having a new baby continued on. We had some highs and some very low lows. While I don't think I ever had true post-partum depression, there were some really rough patches, one of which caught me off guard as it hit when J was about 5 months old - after I had felt like I was finally get my feet back underneath me.

J just turned 10 months old this week and we have been in a good place for several months now. I'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight and am fitting back into all of my old clothes (I didn't realize how much this was a contributing factor to my rough mood) and J is just a lot of fun. He's sleeping better and fighting me less on eating, so our day to day routine just feels more relaxed and less frantic. I am so in love with my little man and thank God every day for blessing me with such a dear child.

I did start taking time for myself early in this motherhood gig, but sewing just felt like too much work at the beginning. Getting to the gym to work out my ever evolving set of emotions or sitting down to a book were much more attractive activities when I had some spare time. It was only when J turned 7 months that the sewing room started calling my name again. And holy smokes did I pick a humdinger of a project. LOL Nothing simple for my first garment sewing project in months. No way, no how!

I really wanted to make a casual version of that ever popular Simplicity pattern 3503 - the one that I sewed to death while I was pregnant (3 versions - 1 floor length, 2 short - in all). However, there were some serious fit issues to work out. Namely, the smallest size bodice was a good fit when I was very pregnant (aka - pregnancy chest was in effect), but shrinking back to my normal bra size, I knew that I would need to make it considerably smaller.

To complicate matters further, I chose a beautiful ITY jersey from my stash that screams summer, but is quite a busy print to work into a dress. I knew it would require lots of single layer cutting and playing around with where the print would fall on the dress. I bought it from Mood 2 years ago and I've been dying for it to become something that would live in my closet instead of a stash bin, but had never really matched up the right pattern for it. This marriage of pattern and print felt right though.

I ultimately used the full width of the fabric border for the midriff band, becoming more of a full stomach band. The border was also used for the neckline.

I then arranged the bodice and skirt pieces over the main print of the fabric. It was a total pain to get all of this to match up and it's still not perfect, but I'm happy with it.

It took me a solid 2 months to complete this dress. I worked on it in fits and starts, but it held my interest and was actually a really good project to get my creative juices flowing again. I've already worn it twice and I love it. My inaugural outing in it was to Beverly Hills for brunch and it was perfect. It has a summer resort feel and I felt like a chic woman in it, not just a mom. While it's completely impractical for my new role as a stay at home mom, it makes me happy nonetheless.

I've already got another dress and 2 skirts just waiting for hems and a 3rd dress on the cutting table. See, this project really helped me find my sewing mojo!

And for making it this far, here is a picture of me and J from the 4th of July. Love this little guy so much!

One month

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 21:25:00 +0000

I have no idea where October went, mostly because I've spent the entirety of the month in that lovely new mom fog. ;) Our little peanut arrived late September, on his due date, and he has been keeping us on our toes ever since.

My pregnancy was fairly uneventful and labor and deliver was also great. 9 hours from the start of timeable contractions (and only 10 minutes of active pushing) and we were able to meet our son, who came out with a few loud screams and then quieted down to start taking in the world around him. All the while, holding my finger in his hand. Precious and amazing doesn't even begin to describe it.

After all of that, it didn't seem all that surprising that the other shoe had to drop. Little J had a couple of issues in the hospital, ones that threatened a NICU stay, but thankfully that never came to fruition. Being typical overly-worried first time parents, Jim and I barely slept in the hospital and the first couple of days that he was home with us.

We had a few bumps in the road with nursing, though thankfully those have been resolved. And then the screaming began. Oh, the screaming. This child was never just awake and happy, he was either eating, asleep or screaming. It was brutal. A call to the pediatrician and a quick check and they think the poor little guy has silent reflux - no spitting up, but the acid is still backing up into his throat and making him pretty uncomfortable. Add an insane amount of gas and GI discomfort and he was making his pain known to us in a big loud way. It was damn near impossible to comfort him, which will make you feel like the worst parent in the world. I hit rock bottom when he was 3.5 weeks old - sobbed to the nurse from the ped's office when she called to check in on us, was horribly snotty to my husband and really wasn't feeling very fond of this new little person living with us either.

Thankfully, things started getting a little better the next day and have been generally better since then. He's easier to comfort when he cries. The screaming is less. He has these stretches where he is alert and happy. He's trying to coo and I swear he's working on smiling, though I know at this point it's very likely just gas. Whatever, I'll still take it!

I've loved him from the moment he grabbed my finger in the delivery room, but I'm starting to like him a whole lot now, too. I think he's going to be a fun kid and I'm feeling pretty lucky to be his mama.

I'm sure there is still plenty of rough stuff on the horizon, but we survived the first month with everyone still intact. That feels like a real win at this point and I'm happy to celebrate it.

The nursery

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 04:15:00 +0000

Not that you would know it from the lack of posts on this blog, but I've actually been a sewing maniac the past few months. I've even nicknamed my sewing room Amber's Sweatshop. Unfortunately, life has been hectic and I haven't carved out time to actually post about the projects here. Who knows if I'll ever really catch up, but hey, I'm going to at least try to get a few things posted.

Waaay back when we first told our parents that I was pregnant, my mom and I were chatting and she mentioned that I should sew stuff for the baby's room. I immediately shut her down, saying that just sounded like a ridiculous amount of work for something that I could easily buy, etc.

I mean, we all know how this ends, right?

I looked for weeks for a gender neutral set that I liked, but nothing. The stuff that I thought was priced right didn't appeal to me and the stuff that I thought would be cute was so stupid expensive that it just made me angry.

So yeah. After trolling a few online fabric shops and picking up a fairly classic pattern for a crib skirt, I started putting together a plan to make a lot of the stuff myself. Let's just say my mom has been quite good at not gloating too much. :P

The baby room overlooks the backyard, which features a lot of blues and greens. That plus my recent obsession with orange formed the color scheme for the room. I found a Kaufman fabric that featured the colors I liked and felt a bit retro. I matched it up with a solid orange and an embossed aqua print for the crib skirt. I was able to find solid aqua and orange coordinates from Carousel Designs so that I wouldn't have to tackle sewing drapes or crib sheets. I also knew I didn't want a traditional bumper due to SIDS concerns, however, I saw a great tutorial for adding a little umph to a breathable bumper, which helped to tie the whole set together. Lastly, my friend sewed an adorable blanket for one of my showers, which fits the room perfectly.

After getting the crib finished, my sewing projects weren't done yet. I also whipped up two minky changing pad covers, two cotton/minky boppy covers, 2 stroller blankets, a 6 pack of burp cloths and coordinating size dividers for the closet. I found some adorable prints for the wall from Children Inspire Design by way of Zulily and metallic frames in aqua, orange and lime. Jim's cousin also designed two ridiculously cute prints for the room that we were able to use as well. A slew of fabric bins from Target in aqua and lime are being used to store all of the baby stuff. Lastly, we added a whimsical animal rug that helps to pad the hardwood floor and continues the defacto animal theme we have going on in addition to the color scheme. Oh, and I have a really comfy neutral glider in the corner.

But, enough talk. Pictures, yes?

Changing Pad Covers

Boppy Covers

Stroller Blankets

Burp Cloths and Closet dividers

It was all a ton of work, but I'm so happy with the way it came out. I find myself making up excuses to hang out in there and I know that I'll enjoy hanging out in the room once our little guy arrives. I can firmly say though, that if I never have to sew another crib skirt, it will be too soon. ;) That sucker was such a pain in the arse to sew and while I love the finished product, I have no desire to ever make another. Home dec sewing is really not my thing, I'm much more of a garment sewing kind of gal.

Monkey Around: KS2257 and O+S Bedtime Story PJs

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 23:30:00 +0000

Thank you for all of the kinds words after the last post. My absence here wasn't so much due to the fall, but having a crazy week after the fall, being on vacation for almost two weeks after that and then the mad catch up that comes with such a vacation.

Even before I took a header off the retaining wall, we had planned to celebrate Father's Day with my in-laws the first weekend in June since prior plans would keep us from getting together until way after the fact. While I feel like this Father's Day doesn't *really* count for Jim, I still wanted to do something to mark the first unofficial one since he was quite generous to me on Mother's Day.

My husband looooves monkeys. It's his favorite exhibit to visit at the zoo (especially the crazy awesome enclosure they have for them in San Diego), he has t-shirts depicting their likeness and several stuffed versions in his home office. So when I saw this fabric about a year ago from Moda, I grabbed several yards - some in flannel and some in the regular quilting cotton. I figured it would come in handy eventually.

As soon as we found out I was pregnant, I knew that I wanted to finally cut into it and make a pair of pajama bottoms for Jim (in flannel) and matching pajamas for the little one (in quilting cotton). I figured the print was gender neutral and would work for either a boy or girl. To keep things simple, I re-used the Kwik Sew pajama bottom pattern that I first tried 2 Christmases ago and my TNT baby pajama pattern from Oliver and S. Nothing difficult in the construction here and they both went together over the course of several days, doing bits and pieces a little at a time. The lucky part to this was I finished them about an hour before I took that nasty fall, so I still had something to bring for Jim to dinner that next day. Whew!

We found out for sure what we were having a couple of weeks before I completed these, which made the construction even more fun. What can I say, the idea of matching daddy and son pajamas just makes my heart melt. ;) It was nice to see I wasn't the only one though, as my in-laws about melted into a puddle of goo after Jim opened them.

Jim loved them, even though the print is totally silly. This also marks the first garment that I've made for *my* baby, which is pretty much awesome after making a ton of clothes and stuff for everyone else's babies.

Happy very belated unofficial Father's Day to Jim! If his excitement and enthusiasm during the pregnancy is any indication, then I'm willing to bet he is going to be one awesome dad. :)

How not to spend a Friday afternoon

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 17:45:00 +0000

This weekend was going to be all kinds of awesome - house stuff on Friday, a bridal shower and a family dinner on Saturday and then a full sewing day on Sunday. Friday morning started off great. Got in a good workout and then ran back up to the house so that Salvation Army could come by and pick up a bunch of stuff. Had lunch with my brother that afternoon and after he left, the DirecTV guy came by to add a few more services to the house.

We went outside so I could show him where the dish was on the roof. I was on our back steps and looked up so I could point out the dish. Mid sentence and next thing I know I was falling straight back off the side of the staircase - about a 3 feet drop - onto the concrete below. Tried, but couldn't break my fall, so I landed directly on the back of my head and my upper back. The DirecTV guy lost his head. I, somehow, stayed really calm, even after he started freaking out about how much blood there was on the ground.

He eventually got through to 911 and about 5 minutes later, the fireman and paramedics showed up. Even though I could feel all of my extremeties and never lost consciousness, they erred on the side of caution and off I went to the hospital in on a backboard in an ambulance. I mean, when I injure myself, I go big. :/

Thankfully, after 4 stitches and a trip to L&D, both the baby and I are okay. Well, the baby is more than okay, kicking all over the place during the entire stay. I'm pretty sore and my head feels like a combination of a bad hangover and like I banged it against a concrete floor. Oh wait, that's because I did.

I'm benched from my gym workouts until the staples are removed, which is a total bummer for me, too. But, I'm so grateful that it wasn't any worse than a bad bump and a nasty cut on my head and some icky bruising and swelling on my back.

And because no post is complete without a picture, here is the way Jim found me when he met me in the ER. Kinda looks like I'm an extra for a civil war movie, doesn't it?

When sewing supplies do double-duty

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 05:06:00 +0000

What do you get when you combine a Cricut, some fancy paper, a few scrapbooking embellishments and lace hem tape?

A perfect card for a lingerie bridal shower, that's what.

Lace hem tape may not work for real bras and panties, but it sure is a lifesaver for adding a little pizzaz to the paper variety. ;)

KS 3703 + 3561: The throw it on and go dress

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Tue, 31 May 2011 05:05:00 +0000

The older I get, the more I love wearing dresses. Not only for work, but on the weekends as well. But, my big caveat is I like my dresses comfy, but still cute. For some reason, this seems to be difficult to find in stores. Yay for sewing! ;)

I loved the little racerback dresses I made last summer from KS 3703 so much and wore them to death. I wanted something for the fall/winter that had the same basic shape since it was so flattering for my pear-shaped hips, but that had a plain scoop neck and long sleeves so that I wouldn't freeze in my icebox of an office. Oh, and it had to look cute with boots. Quite the list, eh? I'd like to say that I used a bunch of fancy pattern skills to combine KS 3703 (the bodice) with KS 3561 (for the neckline and sleeves), but the truth is that I totally winged it and somehow wound up so very happy with the result.

The pattern pieces that I wound up with consisted of a fitted scoopneck dress with an a-line skirt and long sleeves. I knew that I wanted to make this out of relatively thin jersery knit fabrics, so I also added a full lining, using the dress pieces. Each shell was sewn together separately and then they were attached at the neckline, right sides together with clear elastic sewn in to provide stabilization. The sleeves were then added to the dress. I left the jersey lining unhemmed, but cut short enough to not show at the bottom and hemmed the sleeves/outside layer of the dress with a twin needle.

My inital test dress (which has since been packed away in the "Yeah, this isn't fitting until after baby" box) was a smidge too short and too tight. I mean, it fit, but it needed a little tweaking to be perfect. I adjusted my already crazy frankenpattern accordingly and cut out the next version in some Missoni look alike fabric that I grabbed from Michael Levine. I lined the dress in a nice, beefy bamboo jersey, which not only added warmth, but also smoothed everything out. It is also so comfortable against the skin - an extra bonus. Sure, I paid more for the lining fabric than the fashion fabric, but in my opinion, it was totally worth it.

To finish off the look, I made an infiniti scarf in some teal jersey using the instructions that came with the Hot Patterns Uptown/Downtown dress. After I finished this one in December, I have since worn it no less than a dozen times. I love the colors, I love the style and I especially love the fit. Oh, and the best part - almost 22 weeks pregnant and it still fits pretty well. Oh sure, it's getting shorter as the bump gets bigger, but it's nice that I'm still able to wear it since our weather is showing no signs of wanting to warm up any time soon.

And a comparison - the same dress at 10 weeks and 21 weeks

I finally got around to making another version of the dress in April out of this crazy loud floral sweater knit, also from Michael Levine.

I didn't realize just how much less stretch this fabric has compared to the teal dress though and really should have added a bit of room in the sleeves and the bust, since it's a bit more snug than I normally prefer. This was my Easter dress this year since it was so chilly and it still fit over the baby bump, so I guess the fit isn't awful. I'm guessing that (eventually) after baby it will be even better.

Simplicity 3503 again

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Tue, 24 May 2011 17:16:00 +0000

And I should just warn you now, this isn't the last of the dress for the summer. The neckline and bodice is really flattering on my ever expanding chest and not having to tweak a pattern again and again is really useful when I feel like I only have limited sewing time.

I bought this really pretty Jones and New York group jersey fabric from Mood last year and just never got around to using it. I had originally planned to make a dress from it for this year's Easter dinner, but after finishing it and realizing the weather was all yucky, it came out for a friend's bridal shower the following weekend instead.

The dress went together super quickly. I made the midriff band a little tighter so it wouldn't just hang from the bodice (one thing that bugged me in the earlier version of this dress) and I cut the front of the skirt a tad longer and with a subtle curve to accomodate the bump.

Please excuse the fact that I look exhausted in this picture. It was taken after the party and well, I was exhausted. ;)

I learned, however, that I really, really dislike the way the skirt gathers in the front and back center not only accentuate the bump, but make me look way more pregnant than I actually am. :/ I don't need to look 32 weeks along when I was only 18 weeks or so. Ugh. By the time I realized this, it was way too late to change it.

I'm planning yet *another* version of this dress for a wedding we're attending in June. For that one, I am going to use the skirt pieces from the tunic I made last month since it's a more flattering shape on me. Third time is totally the charm, right? ;)

Kwik Sew 3611 - Mini Tunic Dress

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 03:53:00 +0000

I've been trying to expand my wardrobe options a bit by making some of my warm weather pieces work for cooler days. I have a mini dress from Velvet (purchased a few years back at Anthropologie) that I love and wear often during the summer. Last week I decided to pair it with leggings, a long cardigan and tall boots and it was a perfect casual outfit for the office. Not only was it cute, but it was so incredibly comfortable, that I decided to make a few more for my closet.

Kwik Sew 3611 was a great base pattern as it already had the right general shape and the upper bodice section was perfect.

I took measurements from the Velvet dress and added a narrow midriff band to the bodice and re-drew the skirt pieces to more closely match the inspiration dress. Instead of the skirt pieces being just plain rectangles, they are now an a-line shape with some gentle shaping at the bottom.

I was able to eke out a wearable muslin using the leftover fabric from this DVF dress I made last year. I forgot how stretchy the fabric is, though, and the midriff band stretched out a bit more than I had planned. While the dress generally fits well, for the next version I will add about a half inch to the length of the upper bodice and will decrease the width of midriff band by about an inch.

All in all though, I really like it and it's great to have another tunic-type dress that will work with leggings and boots or flats. Even though this version is a bit looser than I had hoped, I figure that won't be such a problem in the next few months as my expanding belly fills in the extra space. ;)

Yup, we're expecting a new member of the family this fall! We're very excited and are still in a bit of disbelief that it's actually happening. After a couple of shopping trips this weekend where I started looking at maternity stuff, expect a lot more posts like this. I think I'll be making a lot of my clothing for the next few months - it'll not only be less expensive, but I think I'll have a higher likelihood of actually enjoying what I'm wearing that way, too. ;)

Simplicity 3503 - The silk jersey gown

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 03:38:00 +0000

Note to self - jersey dresses are totally the way to go for formal events with short sewing deadlines. The fitting is easier, the dresses are more comfortable (at least for me) and if you make it in something as luxe as silk jersey, the drape and movement is just beautiful. Needless to say, I was quite pleased with this gown. :)

After attaching the skirt to the muslin bodice, I realized I had actually mis-judged my size and needed to jump down one. Thankfully, re-tracing the pieces was quick and then it was a breeze to cut out the dress pieces from that beautiful silk jersey and sew it up. I did a self-lining for the upper bodice portion and then used a thick beefy rayon jersey to line the midriff band and the skirt. This made the dress feel nice and stable and provided an extra layer of warmth against the legs - especially nice since we had a real cold spell this weekend in Los Angeles. Aside from lining the skirt, I sewed the dress exactly per the pattern instructions. Such a wonderfully drafted pattern and one that I'm sure to revisit this summer.

My friend Rachael, that owns Charmed Beauty came up and did my hair and make-up. After putting in the time on a great dress, it was well worth it to splurge for professional hair and make-up to boot. She did a fabulous job and I felt so pretty and chic.

The event itself was lovely. The food was delicious, the decor delightful and the whole vibe of the event happy and uplifting. Shaun Robinson from Access Hollywood hosted the auction portion of the event and she was great. I always knew she was pretty, but in person, she is tiny and drop dead gorgeous. Wow.

The California Science Center does some amazing work for our community. The science outreach they do to kids of all ages, but especially minority and lower income students is really fantastic and much needed. As a science nerd myself, anything that fosters a love of science in children gets a huge kudos from me.

Here is one last picture from the night with my cutie pie husband Jim. Such a fun evening!

The downside to sewing

noreply@blogger.com (amber) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 16:51:00 +0000

So hi! I'm still here. Hope folks are still reading. Heh. I swear I'm in a post-holiday fit of lazy because unless it's working, hitting the gym or playing in the sewing room, I'm not doing too much. I have cute things to show from the sewing room, but my photographer (aka Jim) has been slammed at work and photoshoots have taken a back burner. Ah well, I'm sure I'll catch up eventually.

Anyways, back to the point of this post. We were fortunate enough to be invited to the California Science Center's Discovery Ball again this year. While I love the dress I made for last year's event, I wanted something new - both because that dress is now a little too big and with food being a huge focus this year, I really want a jersey gown so that I'm comfy from cocktail hour through dessert. ;)

While I've been toying around the sewing room here and there, I was kind of hoping that I could just cop out actually making a dress and just buy one. I had a little extra time before the gym one day and ran next door to Macys, one with a huge dress department. I found dresses that fell into one (or more) of the following categories:
a) OMG, that is ugly as sin!
b) Wait, they want HOW MUCH for that?!
c) Well, that'll only $200 of alterations, but I'm sure it will look fine afterwards

Le sigh. Needless to say, I left realizing I should really just suck it up and make something. Sure, it wouldn't be inexpensive, per se, but it would still be less money than a RTW dress, it would be simple, something that fit me well and that I would feel good in. And that is when I came to the conclusion that as many upsides as the world of sewing has, it pretty much completely removes ones ability to dash into a store and settle on any old garment. Because, unlike most shoppers, sewists actually have options and the make-it-yourself one is most often much better than the RTW one.

The next week I drove my still slightly frustrated self down to Mood and happily found my favorite gal working. She helped me select the fabrics for last year's silk number and has been great fun to work with on other more mundane shopping trips, as well. She listened to my initial thoughts, pretty much confirmed that I was on the right track and 30 minutes later, I marched out with a bag of lining fabric and interfacing and an order for 4 yards of a beautiful navy silk jersey. It's a nice alternative to black, but should look great with my bronze heels and bronze-gold jewelry.

This past weekend, since the fabric is still in route, I made a wearable muslin of the selected pattern - Simplicity 3503, view E.

Save for nipping it in a bit on the sides of the bodice, it fits beautifully right out of the envelope. Love that!! I just have to finish up the skirt on the wearable muslin and then I will have a dress I can wear to work and that will easily transition to spring with a change of shoes and accessories. This design is so well drafted and since it's fully lined, it just feels really good to wear. I am guessing I will be making several more of these this summer.

Now, I just need to get the real fabric, get it cut out and sewn up. Hopefully, by the end of the weekend, I'll have a finished dress and will be all ready for the ball. And yes, pictures of the final look are forthcoming. I'll actually have my photographer at the event, so it should make it easier to convince him to snap a pic. ;)