Gold Star Dress and velvet leggings

I saw this dress by Bengh that I really really like a lot. It´s a jersey dress with a slim fit and three quarter length sleeves with a ruffle. A nice, basic, comfy dres for little girls. What makes it so special is the fabric: a grey jersey with big blue (or red or green, they come in different colors) dots. They remind me of christmas ornaments!   

All said and done, the dress is quite expensive (the whole brand is quite expensive) and were it not for the exclusive special fabric, the simple model is IMHO not worth the hefty tag. Liking the style, I wanted to make someting similar. I drafted a pattern using my favorite t/shirt pattern, the Ottobre slim fit tee pattern (Creative Workshop 301) in sz 122 and elongated it by about 15 cm plus hem. I widened the neckline by 1.5cm on each shoulder as most Bengh tops have a bit of a boat neck. Didn´t want to make it too wide though or it will look weird on skinny little girls necks. So far it was easy. What fabric would give the same holiday atmosphere, and would have the same vintage feel as Bengh. I settled on cutting up and old sweatshirt dress of myself, because it has a nice grayish jeans blue color, plus for the true vintage feel, was already worn in pretty well. I carefully cut up the dress on the seam lines, ironed the parts, and got out my magic little pot of gold (fabric paint, that is). I painted stars on each panel until I ran out of paint, too bad because I was on a gold star mission, could´ve gone on for hours haha. Sewed up the dress, made a little backside pocket using the old kangaroo pocket from the front. Was pondering to add a bow at side of the neckline but did not have the right fabric to sew one, and a ribbon bow looked too flimsy. So no bow. Then to stay somewhat true to the brand inspiring it all, I sewed up a pair of dark blue velvet leggings. We had to toss which girl got to wear the outfit first today, even my pants-only girl likes it that much. ´´Yeah it´s a dress but it doesn´t matter ´coz it has gold STARS!!!´´ Don´t you just love it when your goodies are received in such cheerful manner!

Preppy girls blouse

Peter Pan collars are super hot in womens fashion for this season, but for young girls this style never ever has  been out of fashion.  Never will either I suspect.  I drafted a pattern using bits of everything, for instance the shirred back panel comes from an old Ottobre.  Pretty pleased with the end result.    

The fabric is a gorgeous quality cotton poplin, in a pale blue with cream, brown and medium blue dots.   And tiny Mickey Mouse figures. I suspect this is fabric overrun from Donaldson, I bought it in Belgium for 3 euro per meter. The blouse goes really well with the Oliver+S skirt from last post by the way.

The bad new is, Ms Pfaff threw a hissy fit when it was buttonhole time.  At least ten messed up buttonholes and much cursing further, I got my old Elna from the attic and finished the blouse with her. Ms Pfaff is now being serviced by the dealer.  Apparently there is a problem with the fabric transport.  When making buttonholes, the fabric tend to bulk up under the pressure foot making a big tangled mess.  Also, the two ´´caterpillars´´ sew up unevenly.  If anyone who has the same machine recognizes this please let me know how you solved it.  I have a Quilt Expression 4.0.  Thanks!

Oliver+S boucle skirt and cache coeur shirt

It´s been a while since I last made something, but this adult fabric combination was just begging to be made into a smart outfit for my now 5 year old.  The skirt is the Oliver+S Sunday Brunch skirt which has a small kick pleat in the back as well as elastic in the back part of the waistband.  I ran a double row of stitches along the seam and carefully removed the extra fibers so the hem has a fringed edge.    The shirt is made from a basic tee of which I adjusted the front pattern part into a crossover style.  *You basically draw a full front panel instead of one half only by mirroring the typical shirt front against center front over to the other side. Then comes the fun bit, adjusting it.  I scooped out the neckline at the shoulder a bit (about half an inch - don't forget to adjust the shoulder of the back panel to match), and then drew a slightly scooped line to the opposite side seam. 

 
Cut 2, and attach the shoulders to the back panel.  Then, cut a 2 inch wide strip of fabric, fold lengthwise wrong sides together, iron, serge together, and use this strip to finish the neckline.   The top half is straight, the bottom half of the front is ruched at the side seams - I added about 3 inches of extra length to the front pattern pieces for that.  I realised when it was finished I had to stitch the wrapover part closed as otherwise it would be gaping on a childs chest.  That then insipred me to the tiny velvet bow with the small MOP heart on center front.   DD likes it a lot and insist on wearing it today so I have to go now because I need to dig out dark blue tights and a dark blue cardi since it's just above freezing point today! What are you sewing today?

Ciara puffball skirt with apron

Yay, another design finished.  The ideas  always bubble up quicker than I can realise them with my hands. I am very proud of this one since I did not use a purchased pattern for the skirt - it´s my first own design!  This literally formed under my hands.  It all started with this beautiful palest pink babycord that I had some 70 cm left of.

 Given the amount of fabric left the options were limited so I chose to make a puffball skirt out of it.  While most children´s skirts work with elasticized waistbands, sometimes I want a cleaner look so I sewed in 6 pleats from the waistline.  And cut a fitted waistband to top it up.  Now, the skirt falls beautifully smooth along the hips, and the volume starts happening lower.  For lining I used a cotton knit so the lining would stretch (to create extra puff in the puffball, I cut the lining smaller than the top layer.  Choosing a knit helped creating enough room for movement for my DD when bicycling - this is Holland after all, so one has to be practical!).  Now, this combination of fabrics certainly challenged my concealed zipper skills!  I had enough fabric left to make a cute apron to go with the skirt.  I embroidered it with a blonde Mascha.  And then I figured, if I double it up, it would be a cool purse too! Now DD can tote along all the important stuff (most noteably, Bambi and fairy wand) everywhere.  So, after some fidgeting, rumbling through the remnants box, and testing some fine stitches on my Pfaff (Note To Self- Must Not Forget To Match Underthread To Top Thread When Wrong Side Shows Too), this is the result.  For days when you want to tone the loudness of the skirt down a bit, it can be worn without apron too.  To go with it, I wanted a shirt that would not be too sweet.  I found this old Diesel shirt in my remnants box which had just the right army green color.  You see, when I clean out my closet, anything that has nice fabric and color will not go to charity but to the sewing room.  At the pace my girls are growing, I doubt whether I will be refashioning my old shirts for them much longer though... This one was kinda hard already!  I even sewed the old collar back on, inside out.  I would normally not do that but I simply had not enough fabric left to cut a new neck binding strip.  And since this is the kind of shirt that is allowed to look used and beaten up, I think it turned out quite well. Some cute girly details added (ruched sleeves, a red satin rose) and voila. The leggings are made from Stenzo tricot from my stash.  Nothing new purchased for this project, even recycled two old shirts of mine (the other one went into the skirts lining) to this is truly UWYH (Use What You Have)! Ehm, maybe this just means I have a lot. And, I do. And I´m grateful for it.  In every way.  Stay tuned!

Nonita pants

Finally, they´re finished... These pants took an awful lot of time, not only because I wanted to use a nicky velours because it had the right color (which meant first flat lining certain pattern pieces to stabilize the stretchy fabric with a woven underneath) but also because of the elaborate decorations.  I love it though, every once in a while, to make something in proper Farbenmix style. Last night I hammered in the poppers, argh what a frustration.  I don´t understand why some people see poppers as a lazy womans type of closure as I find it sooo much easier and quicker to just sew a couple of buttonholes.  Anyway, my DD will be grateful for these as they will be easier to manage for her small hands.  When the pants were finished and I showed them to her she said ´´beautiful mommy´´ so hopefully we´ll get a lot of mileage out of these. The Nonita pattern is actually meant to be 3/4 length so I sewed one size bigger hoping she can wear it for two winters.  The pattern is totally cute with its unusual flap front closure.  Will make more!

Tinka Bella fall jacket

Here is the jacket I made for the in between, when it´s too cold for a jeans jacket but not quite cold enough for a full down jacket.  The shell is Tactel fabric, the lining a furry polyester (and the sleeves have a separate stepped lining).  The pattern I used is Tinka Bella from Farbenmix.  The fabrics are mostly from Michas Stoffecke except for the Delft blue detail on the visor and the midriff.

I like to add that little wink to my Dutch nationality wherever I can, and you´d be amazed at how well the Delft blue colors combine with almost anything! You also see that every scrap gets used here as the remains of the purple vichy check served as a backing for the scrappy scarf I posted yesterday.  The pattern is fun to make and the fit is nice. 

By making extra long cuffs these can be simply turned up in year 1, and turned down in year 2 so you get more mileage out of it. The pockets are cute, as is the shape of the hood with visor. And it´s not hard to make thanks to the excellent step by step provided by Farbenmix. I will definately make this again!

Back To School t-shirt

For my no-pink-no-dresses-please girl, I wanted to make a tee that would still be a girls tee without being overly sweet (or pink, for that matter).  What can I say, it´s just a simple t-shirt.  But I had fun making the road go round the back, and the DD loved it. The embroidery design is from Emioli.  The fabric a beautifully soft cotton bamboo blend knit from fabric.com. 
 

scrappy scarf

Sometimes I simply cannot resist the beautiful fabric combinations of a jelly roll.  Then, I do rarely quilt as I find quilting projects simply too big - although the end result can be impressive, I find it hard to stay focused.  So.  I have these beautiful jelly rolls sitting in my sewing room unused.  Then a couple of days ago, I decided to do something totally different with them.
 

I pulled out the ones I liked the most which were all beautiful pink colors, and added pink silk remnants from my wedding gown.  Although all pink or pink-ish, I tried to make the mix sophisticated, not girlie, as I was aiming to make an adults scarf.  Half a day of sewing/ironing/topstitching and embroidery further, here is the result.  This was a fun and rewarding project to do, it was quick and a great way to do something with even the smallest remnants! Note to self: Must Make More Scarfs.  These Make Great Gifts.

Nala goldfish PJs - or how I started sewing

Today a smaller project - a piama for my youngest.  We call it Goldfish PJs because of how the ruffles at the hems remind me of the tail and fins of those fancy goldfish one sees at Chinese restaurants, and obviously because of the color (grin).  Fortunately when she came out of school she went ´´aaaaaah, Mommy, I love it´´.  So now she´s upstairs snoring contently in her new outfit. 

The pattern I used is Nala by Farbenmix although I shortened the ruffle by 2 cm and elongated the sleeves and legs by the same 2 cm.  I have to tell you, I have a special conenction with the Nala pattern as this is the one that got me into sewing in the first place, now about 4 years ago.  I had never sewn before nor taken any classes but was confronted with the never ceasing need to buy more clothes and stuff  in the next size up when my twins were born.  I was simply astounded with the prices some brands sometimes ask for simple stuff.  In addition, it was hard to find the colorful look I loved so much from growing up with Oilily myself.  Therefore I started to explore whether it would be difficult to make something myself.  I came across this pic of the Nala pattern with a Marieke dress and I just loved it.  It shows a bright orange dress with a huge butterfly applique, combined with a hot pink shirt and leggings... Colorful, playful, one of a kind.. ever since I have been trying to retrieve that sometimes wild, sometimes more subdued, but always colorful and playful look for my own kids. 

And yes, I know I can buy velour PJs for 15 Euro at H&M.  But that´s beyond the point, isn´t it?

Bandito hoodie and lazy skirt

 
Here the first Bandito hoodie I made for my eldest.  It is a lovely pattern to make as it gives you ample possibilities to mix and match.  Mine is a true recycle project since the light pink parts were cut from a much beloved and very thick cotton poly hoodie by surf brand Roxy that I couldn´t part with, but that had been sitting in a box in the attic for years.  The light pink trim around the hood is an old H&M cardi from my scrap box.  The band and skirt side panels from Cakewalk fabric from my stash.  Best of all? The front pockets made from a PIP Studio washcloth that I received as a gift.  Not knowing what to do with one washcloth of such beauty, I thought it was best when showcased on the hoodie instead of being treasured but unused in a closet.  So I cut it up.  PIP have such beautiful colorful fabric designs, I still hope these will become available to the home sewist one day.  I think all I bought for this project is the parting zipper. 

Ah, the zipper.  The pattern calls for a zipper in a size shorter than I would like it to be.  Since I bought the zipper based on the specs I was too scroogy to buy another one.  This let me with a gap to bridge between zippers end and hoods end of, well, roughly 4 cm.  So, if you are planning to make this, I strongly recommend buy a zipper 5cm larger than directed on the pattern, and measure and cut your patterns pieces to match that zipper (you may need to add another cm to your pattern pieces).  That way, the zipper will go all the way up to the top.  I for now solved the situation by adding a loop of velvet ribbon on one side and a pretty flower button on the other.  DD does not seem to mind since she never wears it fully closed anyway. 

As I saw the beautiful creations over at Glitzerblumes (who just happens to be the designer of this pattern too) here, here and here, I knew I wanted my girls name on the front as well. All in all I think this has become a lovely hoodie.  Now let´s hope my dresses-and-skirts girl will wear it! To help with that, I whipped up a matching lazy skirt.

Emy dress and shirt

This is the Emy suspender dress from Createdinxland with a Delft blue t-shirt.  The dress is made in a hot pink babycord.  It has about 35 pattern pieces and is therefore THE most elaborate pattern in my collection.  But totally worth the effort; it looks sooo cute on.  And as long as my eldest is still in the dresses-and-skirts only phase, I'm going to indulge her as much as I can because everybody tells me this phase will likely pass sooner than I like.  My youngest daughter is already a ''jeans only'' girl and I find it hard to wow her with anything self made.  The thing she liked best is the Tigger dress up suit I made her well over two years ago ;-). 

Last summer waves skirt and bolero jacket

One of the very last summer outfits... A cotton poplin skirt in rainbow colors with diagonal waves that twirls beautifully, plus a bolero jacket wit a small frill.  The fit is as always with these patterns, superb.  The skirt's drawstring is adorned with a tiny yellow shell and blue fish.  The pattern can be purchased here. 

Hedwig wrist pincushion

Today only a little project but isn´t she cute?  The pincushion pattern and how-to by Studio Tantrum says you should be able to do this in under an hour, well, uhm, maybe the next one?  Read the instructions through completely before starting.  You know you should do that anyway, but do you do it?  Well I wish I had, I forgot to take the pins out of the wristband when I had to turn the whole thing.  I ended up ripping up a part of the seam of the critters body to be able to take the pins out, then restitched, and tried again and it worked like a charm.  Ofcourse. But that was after 20 minutes of trying to trick the system... Go make yours, it´s super cute and super handy too! 

PS not having eyes in my stash, I just drew them on with a sharpie.  See, now she´s even got eyelashes!

Dutch themed dress and soupy leggings

  This is a comfy playdress I made a couple of weeks ago.  It has a jersey top half, like a short t-shirt.  The bottom half consists of 6 panels of a woven Oilily fabric from my stash that I had been sitting on for years, waiting for the right fabric and pattern combination.

I changed the original pattern slightly (pattern from Monny Schnitt purchased from here) - I added a curved seam to the panels plus I omitted the biais tape.  Instead I sewed stretched out elastic to the back of each panel seam to give the skirt a bit of poufing or balloon effect. 

When these fabrics combined themselves, I knew the decorations had to be in Delft blue.  Therefore I framed a scrap of Delft blue fabric into a polaroid for the back (embroidery series by Luzia Pimpinella via Huups! here).  Then, I added a Delft blue bambi to the front (embroidery here).  The flower is made by cutting 1 inch wide strips of fabric from leftovers of the top (easy cutting if you use a striped fabric).  Then run a straight stitch all along the length of the strips, using a large stitch length and perhaps slightly decreased undertension depending on your machine.  No need to finish the edges of the strips!  But you can if you want ofcourse.  Start your flower by tacking down with a few tiny stitches the beginning of strip one.  Then, scrunch up the strip evenly by pulling at the bottom thread.  Stitching down the scrunched up strips´ center a few stitches at a time, start circeling around the center until your flower is big enough to your liking. Then finish off!  This works beautifully on solid colored tops too, by the way. 

To top it off, I found a small Delft blue wooden shoe made of porcelain that will need to be able come off before laundering obviously so I used a ball chain to attach it to a small ribbon loop.  The cherry on the pie (or perhaps I should say soup) are the matching leggings made in a soup can print jersey. 

Blouse Mirte

This blouse is made after the pattern Mirte made by the very talented pattern drafter that founded Created in Xland (link here).  Ms De Rooy makes patterns for the sewing enthusiast - there's always lots of different construction steps.  And sometimes that's exactly what I want.  Take this blouse, it has pencil pleats at the upper arms, a puffed sleeve head, ruffles along the cuffs and of course a double ruffle-plus-mao-collar.  It's just too cute.  And something else I found out during this project: vichy checks are my new favorite fabric!  You just HAVE to sew straight ;-).  It helped a great deal with getting the pencil pleats neat. 

The blouse looked great this summer over white skinny jeans, and will wear well into the winter over either jeans or underneath the dark blue babycord suspender dress I made last year. 

Orchid shirt

Testing, testing, one two three...  As a little warm up I show you here what I did to a purchased basic white longsleeve.  I ripped the side seams open, ironed stretchy fusible interfacing to the wrong side of the front and then embroidered the flower stems (embroidery design purchased here: Kunterbunt).  The flowers are also made on the embroidery machine by stitching loose leaves in a free standing manner, then lateron assembling the leaves into flowers with the sewing machine.