a cozy robe for a cold june

i am hoping that, as i type this, the universe will do me a solid just to prove me wrong. so far, spring has been rather dismal and rainy - at least lately, and that's all the weather one can report on with accuracy. i have a recollection of a few weeks of really nice weather, but it's kind of hazy. ok, now that i said it and made plans for tomorrow that account for the rain, please switch it up universe/mother nature/local meteorologist from channel x.

since we're rolling around inside while it rains outside, i made cole a new robe. flannel lined with flannel - doesn't get much warmer than that! it's from the serviceable book making children's clothes. the book is one i stumbled upon randomly, and while i recommend it, it's with the caveat that the styling is too cutesy for my taste and there are some improvements to be made overall in the assembly and instructions department. structurally, the clothes are great and sized well, but if you have any kind of sewing intuition, use it when you question the patterns on the first go-round.

cole loves his robe. i made it all, save the waist tie, at a crafternoon on the weekend, and when i came home i was excited to show him. he seriously dropped what he was doing and ran over to try it on. gotta love that. i did have to use a little bribery today to get him to pose straightforwardly in it, hence the chocolate mustache (made locally by the delightful samantha of sam made).

self: if you finish one thing, you can start another

i might have to buy a copy of clothing for toddlers because i like the photo of this elf-like child (and the fairly nondescript pants he's wearing) so much. i've only made the simplest of pants using the last (very awesome) japanese pattern book that i bought because i've been somewhat intimidated to tackle the harder, complicated projects in a different language. i'm having a hard time justifying buying this new book, but if i can make something else from the book on my shelf i'm going to reward myself... deal? deal. it's so pleasant negotiating with one's self. ;-)

hey, four eyes!

i am all about the quick projects lately. with our move coming up soon it feels as though all i've been doing is box packing. this can be satisfying, in a box packing kind of way - but it does pose it's challenges. like when, for example, you're in the middle of a few projects and you realize that you've packed your sewing gear in a late night packing frenzy and now that box lies at the back of a room full of boxes.

but the tuxedo t-shirt project from last week left me with a package of iron-on transfers and few ideas, so i satisfied the project fix by making cole another custom tee. specs!

he does love the novelty glasses after all, and i can't resist a good pair of nerd-chic horn-rims. the graphic was designed in illustrator, based on a photo of a pair of vintage rayban wayfarers. i had wanted to put an abbreviated snellan eye chart on the back but figured that amount of lettering would be better done with screen printing. mental note: unpack and try out screen printing kit that santa brought asap!

if you'd like to make your own personal-use specs t-shirt please feel free to use this pdf template. just save, print & iron using the instructions for your particular paper. the graphic is already reversed and printed at 100% on letter-sized paper it would be suitable for a grown-up shirt; i printed it to 70% for cole's 2t size. enjoy, four eyes. ;-)

for those black tie playdates

couldn't resist whipping up a wee tuxedo t-shirt using this awesome pdf template from how about orange. i just happened to buy iron-on transfer paper the other day for another project so all i had to do was find a plain white toddler t-shirt... seriously, apparently it's nigh on impossible to find a shirt without logos, emblems, pockets and other frippery. i actually found this one at old navy. it had a pocket but i plucked it off my trusty clover seam ripper. even better - nothing says elegant like a faux lapels and the pin prick outline of a ghost pocket!

fyi - to fit a small person (this one is almost 2!) i just used the 1 page template and it was perfect.

not that i need another project...

i have been coveting this oliver + s school days coat pattern for a few months now, and i can't decide if i should try it yet or wait until... until? well, until i have time to start something new, until i feel more confident about trying something that looks hella complicated, until fall when i can make it up as a wool coat instead of now as a rain coat. but one thing is for certain - i must try this one. anyone else try it yet?

i love their entire line of patterns for kids, and have tried a couple so far with great results. maybe i'll start by making cole some new bedtime story pajamas, since his old ones are rapidly becoming too small. and i have yet to finish the buttons on a sundress for my neice using the same pattern that this playsuit for cole came from (although i have a while, it's for 12month size and she should be born soon!) and i have a copy of the sandbox pants that i've not even touched yet, so i could go there after those... ok, probably best to wait for fall. is blogging about something you want to do supposed to convince you to wait?

pattern chaos, resolved

i have a desk, which sits in between our living room and dining room (terms used lightly - it's one room) and in that desk there's a drawer filled with patterns. pattern pieces, patterns in packages, my own hand-drawn patterns and traced patterns and cut template pieces. anyone who has a small space knows how precious a drawer can be, and it's irked me that this chaos hogged a whole one. plus, it was none too easy to delve in and find all the parts for anything without sifting through the whole lot...

i had grandiose ideas of a slick box & folder storage system (which would so easily slide onto the empty shelves in my dream office) but really, i don't have anywhere to keep that either. so, while wandering at daiso yesterday i couldn't help raking over their selection of organizing supplies. this great item jumped out at me:

it's just a simple lightweight binderish book containing 40 transparent plastic sleeves, and it was only $2! i love it's cutesy bent polkadot weirdness and language mumbo jumbo.

i've tucked each pattern and related pieces into it's own individual sleeve and presto - organized! i can now tuck this into my craft books shelf (conveniently located near the front door, where it fits) and have a whole new empty drawer! now, if i can just figure out something for the other four drawers...

more last-minute ideas

this afternoon i whipped up a few ties for our little guy, the idea being that he could wear one ironically at christmas dinner. recently i'd downloaded a copy of this cute leila & ben pdf pattern (via magpie patterns, but they also have an etsy shop). it includes sizes from 1 - 5 years and was only $4! i printed it off, gathered a few japanese linen/cotton scraps and got to work. each tie took about 10 minutes max, including cutting & ironing. so fast!

it could not be easier - raw edges, elastic tucked in, topstitch around and you're done! i also created my own variation (elephant print, in front) with finished edges. i'm going to have to make these for all the little guys i know - so cute!

weekend project: bedtime story pajamas

i'm so excited to have finally made up a pair of real pajamas for cole using the fantastic bedtime story pajamas pattern from oliver + s, the best kids pattern line in forever.

every pattern is that perfect combination of modern and classic, and thankfully for me, not by nature a reader of instructions, they are foolproof. well designed, simple and illustrated, the step-by-step instructions are easy to walk through. this was a quick project - about 2 1/2 hours start to finish.

they're mainly constructed using a 1 metre piece of funky monkey flannel (similar options here) that i've had in my stash for a while. turns out though that i didn't have quite enough... so, rather than try to drum up more or shelve the project, i dug out enough of a different flannel to make contrasting sleeves and ties.

since they're called bedtime story pajamas, i thought it would be appropriate to get a photo of cole during his actual bedtime story... it started out well enough - he loves to read together, but it soon turned into an episode of mug and wrestle. good to see they don't impede his movements! ;-)

weekend project: a wee bunny

recently, while catching up with the lovely crafty blog so happy, i was drawn to an adorable baby bunny made from a free wee wonderfuls pattern. it looked like such a sweet little creature, perfect the nursery - handy since we're in the midst of another family & friends baby boom! of course, once i downloaded the pattern, i had to make one right away:

this one is made from japanese linen/cotton on the back and a panel of the softest unbleached organic flannel on the tummy. the nose and mouth were embroidered freehand and the eyes are painted on using non-toxic fabric paint. it's stuffed with organic cotton filling. oh, and i added a little touch of blush to the cheeks for fun.

it was a quick project - just an hour or so - just the thing if you need a last-minute but perfectly thoughtful baby gift.

weekend project: smocked sundress

spotted this smocked dress how-to over in etsy's the storque. it's a step-by-step guide to making the adorable sundress from heather ross' weekend sewing, using the instructions and diagrams right from the book! there's still a bit of summer left (or a lot, depending where you live!) so there's no time like the present to try this one.

i made this dress recently and was so surprised by how easy it was. smocking ahoy!

how to: knit a cute baby hat

spotted this awesomely adorable little baby hat over in the etsy how-tuesday archive - how to make a stella pixie hat. seriously, how cute is that hat? the pattern is from kristen rengren, author of vintage baby knits.

i'm a very beginner-level knitter, despite having learned to knit about four years ago. i have no problem with the basic stitches, making ribs, even knitting in the round, but i have such trouble if the pattern involves anything more than the same repeated rows. i just can't seem to get past the scarf stage! while pregnant with cole i did manage to make a couple of super-simple knit hats and must make some more before fall since his head's grown quite a bit to accommodate all his new little smarts... this hat looks a little more complicated that the ones i've made, but it is just so cute i don't think i can resist trying...

then again, i thought it might actually be something i could reproduce by cutting up an old sweater... i think that would work? must try - if i do will post results. considering it's july and wooly hat season is at least as far off as the list of things i have to do now is long, i'll probably not tackle either for a bit. ;-)

two new craft books & one seriously adorable hat

oh the happy day that new books arrive in the mail! and even happier when the books exceed your expectations and inspire you.

first up: weekend sewing from fabric designer heather ross. it did not disappoint - chock full of unique ideas and beautiful illustrations it's fantastically photographed and was designed by brooke reynolds of inchmark. can't wait to whip up a wee person smocked sundress for at least one of the five folks i promised to make things for this year. and i need the sweet house slippers, the baby kimono, the gardening gloves, the apron... well, you get the idea. check out several of the project photos here.

also got a copy of lotta jansdotter's simple sewing for baby. it's fantastic! i love her whole minimalist, scandanavian sense of style and conversational writing. i have and love both of her earlier books, but this one is the best of all three, i think. i usually go through a new craft book with a post-it pad and mark the patterns i want to try right away. well, after flagging nearly every page i figured i should just forgo the stickies and get cracking. had, had, to make this right off the bat for cole, despite the fact that it's july:

adorable! micro-fleece and just some random woven ribbonish stuff. it seriously took about half an hour, from cutting the pattern to putting it on cole's head.

sewing for little girls

is there anything like making clothes for a little girl? if you're looking for something quick & easy and sure to please, check out this free oliver + s lazy days skirt pattern. found while reading one of my favourite blogs, and one that i find so positive and inspiring, soulemama:

it looks dead easy - something you could whip out in an hour or so. and really, is there anything more satisfying that sewing something that's this cute and that fast? looking for ideas? there are many interpretations of this one simple skirt pattern in this flickr group.

i adore the whole line of patterns from oliver + s - wee little pants and jumpsuits and dresses, the most adorable coat ever... it's so refreshing to find patterns for wee people clothes that are not straight out of 1980 (and not in that cool quasi-ironic way!).