Shoot Shirt

One of my friends here in Sofia offered to take our family pictures but it had to be this week. I put the girls' outfits based on Katelyn's plaid pink shirt. After I went through Emma's clothes and couldn't find a pink shirt that would look good with skinny jeans, I decided to make something fast. I even was willing to buy a pattern online. I was deciding between Figgy's Banyan Tee and famous Rae's Flashback Skinny Tee. I went with Banyan Tee and do not regret my decision.

I really like how it turned out. It was very easy and fast to put together. I think I spent 30 minutes from cutting the fabric to finishing the shirt. I used one of my stashed knits - I bought it right before we left from Joann's remnant bin. I am pretty sure it's rayon. I usually sew only with cottons but I liked the stripes and the pink that was not very overwhelming.

I am very pleased with the pattern and how fast it came together. The only thing is that, like with Ayashe blouse that I made last spring, Banyan Tee turned out a little short even though I made size 6/7. I am not sure if Figgy's patterns run a little small or maybe my child is a giant much taller than others. So I left the tee unhemmed. Good thing it is made out of knit fabric which does not unravel.

Love projects like this. Fast and easy.

KCWC Fall 2012 Round Up

I am done! I am kind of glad it is over. As I said I wasn't in the mood for sewing and it is hard to do something when you don't really want to. I did make six things over the week and I am glad I did as Emma needed some new things.

I was thinking about why it was so hard for me this time around and I found a couple of reasons. First, is that my sewing room is still not very organized and I really don't like when I cannot find things. Second, this time around I really only had an hour or so to sew after Matt would come home from work. Last spring I'd pick Matt up from his training at noon and I still had tons of energy to tackle my projects. Third, the availability of a craft store nearby. This one is a big one. When I planned what to make I jumped from thing to thing just because I didn't have enough fabric, right colored buttons or an invisible zipper. I am still looking for a craft store here in Bulgaria and even if I find one it won't be as close as it was in DC. Crafting overseas is hard.

On day seven of KCWC I started pajama pants for Emma but was too tired to finish them. So I don't know if I can actually count them as another item made for KCWC because it took me an hour to finish them on Monday.

The pattern is from the Growing Up Sew Liberated book. I don't know if I was tired and made a mistake while tracing but the front of these pants looks a little weird. It "balloons" (sorry, forgot the right word) in front. Otherwise I like how it turned out and Emma was happy to have another pajama pants. She likes pajamas. :)

Oh, and I am proud of myself for using only my stashed stuff. I do have a lot of fabric and I promised myself that I would use most of it before we move again. But apparently I don't have enough things because it seems like most of the things I want to make require something I do not have. Or even better, all my fabric is half yard to one yard cuts which is not enough any more for my growing girls. Bummer.

KCWC Fall 2012: Day 7

On day seven of KCWC I woke up full of energy and ready to tackle one last project before calling it done. I had a pattern traced and cut out for a raglan dress for Alyssa (size 100cm). But after I finished making the dress it turned out a little too big. So I told Alyssa that she needs to do some growing and Emma will borrow the dress for a bit while Alyssa is doing her growing business. It looks like it's going to fit Emma for a while. And she seems to like it a lot so I will have to make another one for Alyssa.

Pattern is from one of my Japanese Books. It was easy to make and not much hassle. The main body of the dress is made out of the knit fabric that I've had in my stash for quite a while. The sleeves, the pocket and the neck binding I made out of one of my old shirts.

KCWC Fall 2012: Day 6

So now, when the KCWC is officially over I can catch up on blogging about it.
By day six of KCWC I remembered that Emma asked me to make her a dress for her coming birthday. I had to oblige.

I had this beautiful japanese double gauze cotton (Nani Iro) that I wanted to use. I only had a yard of it though. Which is obviously not enough for a dress size 6. I went through all my books again looking for a perfect pattern but could not find one. Then I remembered about the Ice Cream dress by Oliver+S. And it worked perfectly.

Emma loved her dress! But who wouldn't?! I wish I had enough Nani Iro fabric to make something for myself out of it. I've heard a lot of good things about it over the years. When I tried it I knew why people love this fabric. It's so soft and sews like butter. And it is very pretty.

The pattern as usual was easy and straightforward. This is my second time making this dress so it went even better this time around. The only thing I changed about it was the bottom layer. It calls for double the fabric but I did not have enough of that purple cotton. So I just cut it longer and hemmed it as a normal dress.

I just hope Emma doesn't hit one of her growth spurts and doesn't overgrow it by summer. I want her to wear it more than once.

KCWC Fall 2012: Day 4 & 5

I worked on this tunic/dress longer than I wanted. My machine kept giving me lemons. My automatic buttonhole option stopped working and I had to figure out how to make buttonholes without it. They all came out wonky but the good thing is that buttons cover buttonholes perfectly.

Notice the sleeve detail. I love how it turned out.

This is a Burda 9503 pattern. I bought it from JoAnn's when K was born and forgot about it. I am glad I found it and decided to make it for this KCWC. It turned out very cute and it would look even cuter from the lighter fabric. I used shirting flannel (is there a thing like that?) for this dress so Alyssa can wear a dress during winter.

Ruffles are always a good touch, aren't they?

On to the day 6 & 7 of this KCWC. I am hoping to make a birthday dress for Emma. We have a lot going on tomorrow but hopefully on Sunday I can catch up.

KCWC Fall 2012: Day 3

On the day 3 of KCWC I tackled another refashion project.

These were my old AE pants. I liked them a lot but they were two sizes too big. I held on to them for pregnancies when my butt grows big and wide and I need bigger pants. I decided I cannot hold on to things and should just make something more useful out of them. Emma needed some transition pants. Her size 6 pants are too long and her size 5 are too short. I made these comfy but still good looking pants for just this purpose.

Because they are 'transition' pants I did not spend a lot of time on them. They have elastic waist and no pockets. It was late last night when I was making them and I decided not to spend more time than needed. She grows like a weed and these pants will probably last her a month or so. Also they are not very warm so when the weather gets colder they go into the warmer clothes storage case.
I still like how they turned out. And the most important thing is that she likes them.

KCWC Fall 2012: Day 1 & 2

I am still looking for my sewing mojo. Have you seen it?
I was tracing and cutting patterns like a mad woman for three days straight. I also got sick with a "head cold" (is that what they're called?) on Monday and had a massive headache that held me from doing anything. Then on Tuesday when I finally got to my sewing room I had weird distractions that kept me from sewing, like I could't find my bobbins, couldn't find fabric cut long enough for Emma's dress, couldn't get my buttonhole foot/option to work, etc. You see, when a mojo isn't there nothing goes as it's supposed to.

I do have something to show you. Project fail perhaps. Ha. You tell me. I wanted to refashion one of my old tops that was a little too tight and a little too short. I decided to make a little tunic for K. In my head it looked adorable. Not so much in reality.

Sorry for the wrinkled look. I tried everything to unwrinkle it but nothing works. I did iron it. Multiple times.

K likes the pocket. I had to put some jelly beans in there for her to stand in one place instead of running away from me.

The pattern is from one of my Japanese Books. I have no idea what the name is but it has a crawling little girl on the cover. Size 90cm. Because it was a refashion I used the existing bottom hem.

The project was easy and pretty fast. Will make it again but closer to summer so she can wear it without a shirt underneath it.

Day Two Before KCWC

I've had a hectic couple years weeks. So after being really excited about the KCWC I got a little overwhelmed by all the things going on right now in my life so I put it on the back burner. I kept thinking about it but every time had something in the way that kept me from preparing for it. Then I organized my kids' clothes to see what they have and what they need. And that is when my motivation went really down. My girls have way too much clothing. Their dressers are pretty full and there is no room for more stuff. Luckily Emma asked me to make her a new dress for her birthday that is coming up. Then Alyssa decided that she needs a cute new shirt. And Katelyn wouldn't say no to something mama-made, right?

So finally today I sat down and chose some patterns that I like. It turns out I like a lot of patterns. I still have no idea what to start with and what to make. I haven't pre-washed the fabric, traced or cut the patterns out. I am really behind this time around.

I am making some progress on my knitting though.