I’ve made a few gifts recently.
1) I used this free pattern and tutorial to make a cute knit racerback dress in size 12-18 months. I just love racerbacks. I think Finley should have one.
2) I made another “Pretty as a picture” dress from Handmade Beginnings. This time I made the 12-18 month size and it was significantly larger than the knit racerback. So, are the baby projects in Handmade Beginnings generously sized? Or does the racerback pattern run small? That is the question…
I used some leftover chambray from my Mariposa maternity dress for the main fabric and lining and Heather Bailey rose bouquet in pink for the accent.
3) I recently broke down and bought the Big Butt Baby Pants pattern. I figure these and the quick change trousers will be my go to project for our new little boy on the way.
I am very happy with my purchase. This pattern comes together very quickly. There are only two pattern pieces! Awesome. I made these two for a baby shower, but I already have some cut out for my own little guy. I think I should also make some for Nash for good measure.
Linen blend from Joann’s with navy chambray.
Light blue seersucker with royal blue kona cotton.
4) I also made a coordinating baby tie with the leftover linen blend. I love how the stripes look when cut on the bias. I followed this tutorial to make the tie. It’s a good one. I make the strap differently though. I am not a fan of velcro or elastic neck straps. I prefer to use bra strap hardware and double fold bias tape to make a very adjustable strap that is still easy to put on and take off, but won’t fall off.
Thanks for reading!
After seeing Inder’s maternity shirt, I was itching to do some maternity sewing of my own. Unfortunately, the Megan Nielsen Ruched maternity tshirt pattern Inder used is temporarily out of print and sold out EVERYWHERE (it is supposed to be back in stock in July, but I am not that patient). After some serious internet sleuthing and emails to various shops (I am kind of obsessive), I found the last.pattern.available.in.America. Seriously, good luck finding another one before Megan reopens her shop.
Once my prized pattern arrived in the mail, I did not make a shirt. I decided that I wanted a dress.
I used a dress that I like as a reference to lengthen the existing tshirt pattern and I am really happy with the result. I also made the sleeves a little longer to create elbow-ish sleeves.
I made the dress with some knit I bought at the LA fabric district for a buck (a BUCK!) last summer. It is nice and stretchy and comfortable; I feel like I’m wearing a nightgown.
My 30 week belly, in all of it’s glory.
I love striped knit fabric, but it really does make cutting a pain if you want to be a perfectionist and have your stripes line up perfectly at the seams. I knew the ruching was going to throw me off, so I lined everything up at the bottom. I figured it was most important to have the stripes line up on the bottom half of the dress and just gave up any hope of the stripes lining up above the ruching. But while I was sewing up the side seams, I noticed the stripes continued to match up even after the ruching. MIRACLE. And then, as I sewed on the sleeves (which I made no effort to cut in any particular way), I noticed that they matched up with the top as well. Aw. It was meant to be. I love happy endings. Don’t you? 
After getting the maternity dress out of my system, I was ready to make a tshirt. I love the contrasting front and back trend (seen here and here), so I decided to give it a go with a random floral knit that I had in the stash and a coordinating solid.
Overall, I really like this pattern and I’m glad I didnt rest until I found someone who had it in stock bought it. It is a VERY quick sew, which is always nice, and the fit is pretty darn great. The only thing I altered was raising the neckline.
Side ruching.
Contrasting zig-zag hem.
How awkward is it taking a bunch of pictures of yourself (while pregnant nonetheless) in the middle of a parking lot for your silly blog? Pretty awkward. I should stick to the kids. They are much cuter.
I recently tried a new pattern from Shwin Designs called the Maggie Mae tunic.
I was excited to squeeze a dress out of a half yard of this precious Heather Ross print.
I usually make Finley a size 7 when I use Oliver + S patterns, so I went ahead and made a size 7. Ummm…I should have measured her first because it’s HUGE! Darn. Mostly, the neck is super wide and falls off her shoulders. Oh well, hopefully it will get a lot of wear in the next few…years. ha.
I do still like the pattern and want to give it another try (in the proper size, of course). I love the buttons in the back and the on seam pockets.
It was really important to Finley that I take this picture. Her modeling is hilarious.
Moral of the story: Don’t be lazy. Measure your kids, Summer. The end.
After making a pair of basic pocket pants for Nash (pattern from Growing Up Sew Liberated), I couldn’t resist making a pair of basic pockets shorts for the summer.
To make shorts, I just cropped the pants pattern, but still made the cuff the same width. I probably should have cropped the cuff a little too. Oh well…next time.
I used Robert Kaufman black chambray for the main fabric and Moda crossweave in blue tan (leftover from the pants) for the cuffs, waistband, and pocket bindings.
Thanks for reading!
Remember how I love pattern books? One of my favorites is Growing Up Sew Liberated: Making Handmade Clothes and Projects for Your Creative Child
One of my favorite patterns in the book is the basic pocket pants. At first, I was only going to make a pair for Nash, but then Finley suggested I make matching pants for her and brother. How could I say no? The pattern only goes up to a size 5 and Finley usually wears a size 6/7, but I threw caution to the wind and made the size 5 anyway without modification. I am happy to report…they fit!! Oh happy day.
Nash’s pants, on the other hand, are too long, but that’s okay because I made them with fall in mind (I can also fold the cuff for now).
Doesn’t he look happy? ha.
I didn’t have enough of the same fabric to make both pants the same. Instead, I used the same two colors to make complimentary pants. Not ideal for Finley, but good enough.
Isn’t Finley sweet trying to love on her brother. Too bad he will have none of it. Little stinker.
I used Moda Cross Weaves in blue tan and green yellow to make the pants. I recently discovered cross weaves after becoming obsessed with shot cotton. Like shot cotton, moda cross weaves are woven with two different colored threads, which gives the fabric extra depth. The difference is shot cotton is very lightweight. I think it works well for blouses and dresses, but I wouldn’t make pants with it. Moda cross weaves, however, are perfect for pants. They are thicker, but still very soft.
Next up? Basic pocket shorts that will fit Nash now.
I finally made Nash some green pants and, boy, do I love them.
I used the Nowhere Man pants pattern by Shwin Designs again (check out my previous pair here) and basically recreated the exact pants on the pattern photo, seersucker pockets, white topstitching, and all. I couldn’t resist.
The main fabric is Robert Kaufman’s Essex linen blend in kelly green. It is the perfect weight for a pair of pants. Not too thin, not too thick. Basically, I love all Robert Kaufman apparel fabric.
I love this kid. He actually stood still and smiled for this one. He must like his green pants too
I’m crossing things off my “to sew” list, folks.
I made Nash another Oliver + S Reversible Bucket Hat (free pattern available here), but this time I made the size medium and it actually fits him. Woohoo!
I decided to go with apparel fabric this time around (black chambray and black seersucker) instead of patterned quilting cotton and I like it much, much better. Plus, it matches with everything.
Of course, I used A Little Gray‘s no hand sew technique again. Once you try it, there is no going back.
Now onto the next project…
I NEED to make this library tote. Soon.
I have a new addiction. Pattern books. I love them.
One of my newest books is Sew What You Love: The Easiest, Prettiest Projects Ever
I have been wanting to make a pool bag to carry Fe’s things to and from swim team everyday (goggles, cap, fins, sunscreen, snacks, and a few toys for entertaining Nash). This bag is the perfect size for that and a very quick sew. It isn’t big enough to hold towels for the whole fam, but I’m okay with that (especially since I made the kids towel robes that they can throw on instead of have me carry…I’ll post pics soon…I’m soo behind on my blogging…ahhhh).
Anyway, I also wanted the bag to be waterproof, so I made the entire bag with laminated cotton. I love that I can set it on the ground and put her wet things in the bag after practice and not worry about the bag getting soaked. The outside of the bag is made with Anna Maria Horner’s LouLouthi Summer Totem Tart that I bought pre-laminated. The lining is Anna Maria Horner’s Mixed Signals and I laminated it myself using Heat’n Bond Iron-On Vinyl.
Using laminated cotton made the project a little more of a pain, but only because turning laminated cotton is pretty labor intensive and the straps and bag both need to be turned. Sewing laminated cotton, however, is a breeze if you cover the bottom of your presser foot with matte scotch tape. Try it. It’s amazing.
To install the magnetic snap I followed this tutorial and had no problems.
Summer is here! The kids needed hats. Enter the Reversible Bucket Hat from Oliver + S Little Things to Sew (also available as a free pattern download 
For Finley’s hat, I extended the brim by 1.5 inches à la A Little Gray and I love it. It makes the hat much more feminine and even offers better sun coverage. I highly recommend it.
I also assembled the hat using A Little Gray’s no hand stitch method because I hate hand stitching.a.lot. It worked like charm.
I used shot cotton in lilac on one side and some random hobby lobby fabric on the other.
I made the size large for Finley. Large is supposed to fit 6-8 year olds. Finley just turned 5 and the hat is snug. I guess she has a larger than average head…to accommodate her larger than average brain, of course 
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Nash’s hat situation is a work in progress. I actually made his hat first. I made him a size small, which is meant for 12-24 months. Nash is almost 2, so SHOCKER, the hat is too small. I’m not sure why I decided to size down on this one…it must have been late. Oh well, let’s just call this my practice hat or future hat for baby boy #2.
I don’t love the prints on this hat. I think I will go the solid color route on at least one side next time. Don’t you think?
UPDATE: I made Nash a new hat. Check it out here.
This stinkin’ cute hedgehog print by Lizzy House is another one of my favorites and I have been trying to figure out what to make with it for a few weeks. I knew I wanted to make a skirt, but couldn’t decide on anything more than that (again, I only had a 1/2 yard to work with). Eventually, I remembered this tutorial on Me Sew Crazy. I knew Finley would love the pockets (since the Sailboat dress pockets were such a hit), so that settled it. Little hedgehog friends, you were meant to be an A-line pocket skirt.
I didn’t follow the tutorial exactly. I cut both the front and back pieces at an angle (instead of rectangles) so the skirt would be less constricting. I wanted a flat front, so I almost doubled the width of the back piece and only used elastic in the back. I also added a pleat in the center of the front piece, but that was only because I accidentally cut the front piece too wide and a pleat was the easiest solution. Meh…it works.
I used Kaffe Fasset shot cotton in lilac for the pockets and store bought bias tape for the pocket trim and hem.
Thanks for reading!
Welcome! My name is Summer and I love to make stuff. Most recently I've been learning to sew -- one project at a time. I'm excited to have a place to share my creations.
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