Vintage May 2014

I was actually quite surprised to be invited to the great series Vintage May - hosted by the two lovely ladies Jess from Craftiness is not Optional and Kristin from Skirt as Top.

I consider myself having a fairly modern/contemporary style but I certainly do have some vintage elements mixed into my style and I will forever be a shirring and puff sleeve lover, ha.

And being surprised by the invite did not mean that I even for a second considered turning it down.

No, I was certainly honored to be in such good company! Have you checked the posts so far?! Holy smokes....amazing!

The decision to make this dress was sort of a no brainer. I mean duh, the pattern is self-drafted but inspired by a vintage dress (photo below). 

I made the pattern for my spring/summer 2007-collection when I had my women's line in Denmark and it has since been one of my favorite designs (with some help from the vintage dress - thanks vintage dress for being made with 100% polyester so I felt the need to make a new one, ha).





Here is a close up of the neckline. I think this is what you call smock - because it is not made with elastic bobbin thread. My version is shirring and the elastic is pulling the neckline apart - which actually ended up with a design that I like better than the original. It makes it a bit more feminine.

When I start drafting a pattern the design usually takes a few twists and turns before I am finished which for me is all part of the fun. Sometimes things change because of technical difficulties/challenges , other times because of new ideas along the way.

I actually changed a detail for this version. I normal have a Mandarin type of collar like the original but decided to draft a narrow fitted band instead, so it looks like the bias tape from the front goes all the way around. I really like that new little addition.

Here is a closer look of the neckline and front.

I am absolutely obsessed with this French blue/cream stripe cotton from Fabric Mart.
I would probably not have thought of making this dress in this fabric without the Vintage May invitation and I am sooooo happy I did.

This is not the first time I blog about this pattern but it is the first time I am showing a woman's version that I have sewn.

I have made several kids' versions HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.
Both as a shirt dress and shirt. I do also have a woman's version of a shirt but have never showed it on this blog....yet.

Sorry for the above photo but I could not help myself.
My husband walked by when I was editing the photo, did sort of a quick stop and asked "is that you???" 
I did not ask him if that was meant in a good or bad way, no reason the destroy the illusion, right!

Don't forget to hop over to my good friend Celina's blog Petit a Petit and Family. She is also posting for Vintage May today and you do not want to miss it!

Thank you again Jess and Kristin for inviting me!

The Ash Jumpsuit by Willow & co / Petit a Petit and Family

Ohhhh, today I have one of my new favorite patterns on the blog. The Ash jumpsuit from Willow & Co - designed by my lovely and mega multi talented friend Celina from Petit a Petit and Family.

It might seem a bit overwhelming to sew a jumpsuit - the fit has to be right because otherwise it simply won't work....and guess what? The fit is perfect - roomy yet fitted at the same time. THAT is a hard balance to find so kudos to you Celina.

My girls LOVE their jumpsuits but more about that later.

Even though it might looks slightly complicated there is actually not a single difficult technique involved in this. The hardest part might be to close up the facings/elastic casings and Celina is giving you three choices how to do that in the tutorial - depending on your skill level (or sewing personality, ha).

On Evelyn's jumpsuit I choose to make the facings/elastic casings visible. It does not require any changes to the pattern....just a matter of sewing them right against wrong, instead of right against right. 

The fabric is this very subtle Hello Kitty for Liberty Fabrics. I guess you can call it a parent/child compromise print. The blue cotton voile ties in with the blue flowers on the Liberty print.

The fabric I used for Wilma's is this aaaaamazing (and kind of pricey - around $18) thin, soft cotton denim with a tiny bit of stretch and small white flower print from Hancock Fabrics. The lady at the cutting counter looked at me for a looong time to be sure I really wanted it after she saw the price, ha. And I really did!

There is a little bit more sewing involved than the average garment but it can all be done in a fast tempo. A super fun sewing project actually.

Which was lucky for me because I had to make two right after each other. Something I rarely do. Yeah, I am lazy like that and I get easily bored doing the same things over and over.

Some of you might already have read about this little incident on my Facebook page.

I finished Wilma's size 6 and wanted to try it on Evelyn, who is 4 years old but kind of same size as her sister - except in height of course. So I figured if I one day wanted to make her one I could just shorten the size 6 pattern that I had already traced (yeah, I will do anything to avoid tracing patterns).

BUT what happened next was that Evelyn flat out refused to take the jumpsuit off. Just plain NO! So I literally had to go back to the sewing room, start finding fabrics, cutting and sewing another one. And she is now a very happy bunny....even though she (of course) refused to try the new one on when that was done. Arghhhhh kids!!!! Luckily that did not last long and since photo shoots always involved treats and now also a flat $1 payment she gave in.

 

 

I give this pattern my warmest recommendations! And so can my girls. They both wore their jumpsuits to preschool and school (with sort of tight t-shirts under) today and when I picked up Evelyn she said: "Mom, everyone was so nice to me today." Oh, that's nice, why was that?" "They all said I looked good in my jumpsuit."

Awwwwwwwwww!

The Willow & Co Glamping Tour is going on at the moment and several of the participants have made this jumpsuits - all with amazing results and rave reviews.

See for yourself:

Jess - Me Sew Crazy, Alida - Alida Makes, Tara - Girl Like The Sea, Alexia - Lexi Made,  Chelise - Chelise Patterson.

If you are still a bit scared to make a jumpsuit (even though you really shouldn't), the pattern also have a separate top and pants option....that might be a good place to start. Separates can also be practical for the younger ones. And the result is just as cool. Just look at this post from Heidi & Finn or this from Do Guincho.

You can get your hands on your own Ash Jumpsuit pattern HERE.

Thank you!

The Aster Cardigan + The Clover Shorts by willow & co.

I am going to continue showing you what I have been doing the last couple of months....testing willow & co-patterns. 

Today I am showing you both the Aster Cardigan by LBG Studio and the Clover Shorts by Mouse House Creations.

Both patterns are the fast kind but both with a great and 'finished' looking result. 
The type where you immediately get 10 new ideas for versions when you finished one.
I love those type of patterns (together with the complicated ones, ha).

The Aster Cardigan is made for mid weight knit with limited stretch (around 25-25%).....so types like interlock, French Terry etc are perfect. That makes doing stitches and button holes almost as easy as if you were sewing in woven (phew). 
It has the cutest Peter Pan collar and has an option to add a faux piping as you can see here. The model is cropped and has 3/4 sleeves.....in other words PERFECT to wear with dresses or shorts for a chilly summer day/evening.....OR entering public places anywhere in American where freeze blast temperatures apparently are the only option in summer, (whyyyyyyyyy?) Okay, rant over!

The Clover Shorts have side pockets, front pleats, a cuff, belt loops, elastic waist and options like a waist ruffle and a sash.

These are made from quilting cotton and the fabric was Wilma's choice. I sort of have a love/hate relationship with this fabric but I must say I love how it looks in this model.

I am obviously dying to make some in some color block versions in some thin corduroy, denim etc which is even more my style.

BUT for now I am just happy that Wilma is thrilled with her new shorts. 

BUT do you know what is even MORE exciting than me posting about Aster and Clover? Yeah, I know....that is a tough one to beat, ha.

Do you remember our amazing lookbook? (If not, I am posting it right below.)

Did you also drool over the amazing fabrics that the models were sewn in? 

Well, from today you can buy most of that fabric in our shop. The quantities are extremely limited so hurryyyyyyy. The quality on the other hand is unlimited. I sewed the Lily Fawn and Hawtorne samples for the lookbook and I can honestly say that the fabric is TOP quality and a joy to sew with (and look at!). I can highly recommend it, really!

Here is a link to our SHOP where you of course also can buy all the amazing willow & co patterns including the ones I have showed you today.

The Mulberry Tunic by willow & co/Kid Approved.

Today I have the original version of the Mulberry Tunic from willow & co/Kid Approved on the blog.
You can see my slightly remixed version HERE.
Olga from Kid Approved who designed it, originally made it for boys but it turned out to TOTALLY work for girls too.
The only change I have made here is to pull some elastic through the hem of the sleeve because that always adds an extra girly dimension without having to change anything in the pattern.

 

I had no doubt that I wanted to use the hood option, and the in seam pockets are always popular with my kids too. Sometimes two hands are just not enough compared to all the little things kids wants to drag around. 

 I love the narrow back yoke that screams for color block.

Here are a few shots of the awesome details. The neck seam is beautifully hidden with a binding....AND you can do the stitching for the front placket and neck in one go. I stitched down the in seam pockets and played around with different thread colors. And then I added some playfulness with two colors of snaps to match the dots in the fabric.

And where is the chest pocket you might ask? Ehhhh, I forgot....yup, no fancy design solution or anything like that, I simply forgot to sew it on. 

You can see many more versions of the Mulberry Tunic in THIS post on willow & co's blog. When you are over there please notice how insanely versatile the pattern is. From dress up style to everyday play and school style.

I have so many plans for this pattern.

The next version is definitely going to be remixed into a dress.

And you can buy the pattern HERE.

Thank you!

Kudzu Cargo Pants by willow & co

Oh, such a happy day today. The Kudzu Cargo Pants are ready and is now for sale in the willow & co shop. We have literally worked day and night (together with our amazing testers that turned into express testers - THANK YOU!) to get them ready, since we like a week before launch date decided to go in a different direction with the pattern. And we are soooo happy with the result and I will try to show you why in this post.

We decided to limit the fabric to woven with stretch. That way we could get the fit we wanted and not get different results depending on which fabric type was used. In certain more loose fitting garments it would not be a big deal to use one or the other but when you are talking tight fitting pants you kind of have to choose (.......we realized, ha. Sometimes you miss the obvious when you are as busy as we have been the last many months). Another lesson learned!

The Kudzu Cargo Pants come in a straight (but still slim fit) and a skinny version like you see above. Both versions can be made as shorts too.

It is designed with kids in mind and has no zippers or buttons. The waistband is a knit rib and easy to pull on and off.

It has front and back pockets plus a side cargo pocket. The long versions has knee pleats. And the pattern also has options for adding some cool diagonal seams that is screaming for some color blocking, he he.

The stretchy fabrics makes them soooo comfortable. Almost like jeggings (yikes, did I really use that word, ha). Don't get me wrong, I love jeggings but have a hard time with the actual word.

 Here you see the straight version made in the most soft and delicious stretch denim I bought at Mood Fabrics. I rolled up the hems to make them ready for spring.

The back pocket also have diagonal seam options and I could not handle the color block temptation anymore.

You can also see the rib knit in this photo. 

The pattern's tutorial shows you how to put elastic in the rib so they stay up. 

A close up of the cargo pocket. The pattern does not come with a color block option for that one so I guess you can say I did a bit of a pattern remix there.

And here you can see a full side view of these great pants.

I cannot not wait for fall so I can make them in sweatshirt fleece - YEAH!

I know....you need these pants in your life and you are in luck because you can buy the pattern right HERE.

Please do not miss the aaaaaaamazing lookbook with all the willow & co patterns.

One last thing....don't forget that the Designer Tour starts today on willow & co's blog.
All the pattern designers present their pattern this week (two posts a day) and show their amazing testers' creations.

Thank you!

Calling All Kids!

Oh, I love this series and especially the story behind it. The lovely Alida who blogs over at Alida Makes has four kids and her youngest daughter Ellie is a bit of a cool cat (and a total cutie pie too - I have met her, oh yes I have!). She does not like ruffles, or pink or anything else very traditionally girly......aaaand a series is born. 
A series where the challenge is to make boys wear purple and pink (for example) and girls to not (okay that is the short version but I am sure you know what I mean, right!).

Since I totally prefer non pink, purple, ruffled stuff for girls this was not a hard challenge for me. THAT does not mean I did not have fun doing it. I mean who does not like to make the style they like the best. AND I still had one challenge - making something this lady would like to wear afterwards too. She can be convinced to other colors but pink and purple is probably on the top of her list. Luckily she is not as strong willed as my youngest one and was totally happy with this. Okay, the pants are a bit tight on her which is my fault completely (yeah, I guess measuring the child before sewing really is a good idea, ahem.) 

So what did I made? 

Oh, you know, I just made my BFF Olga's (Kid Approved) first pattern The Mulberry Tunic (with slight alterations) which is part of the new pattern collective Willow & Co that launches their first collection on next tuesday the 22nd of April. I knooooooooooow!!!!

AND not to forget my first pair of Titchy Thread's Small Fry Jeans. First, you might ask? Yes, well I did participate in the awesome blog tour but that was my second pair - ha, tricked ya'. Because as soon as I finished these ones I knew they were perfect for Calling All Kids and then I made another pair for the Small Fry Tour (see them HERE).

So what slight alterations did I do to the Mulberry Tunic? I added a bit of gathering to the lower front piece. The back already has a pleat, which I gathered instead, plus I added a bit of extra gathering. When I say 'added a bit of extra gathering' I really mean that I cut the fabric a bit wider, which I then gathered to make it fit the seam you are sewing it to. The pattern pieces are cut to fold and I simply moved it like  2.5 cm / 1 inch away from the folding line and cut.....and voila you have a slightly wider piece that can be gathered a bit more. And then I sewed two rows of elastic shirring in the sleeves to give them a bit of a feminine touch. I KNOW I was suppose to do the opposite but since this pattern is already quite masculine (but totally works for girls too) I wanted that little touch. Sooorry.

The fabric is this super thin cotton shirting (I guess?) with woven in stripes and I was planning all along for her to wear a tank top under.....or tater tot as she calls it (????)

The buttons were not my choice - and NOT because I do not love them....I mean they have red dots, what's not to love.....but I probably would have ended up with something different for this top and color.... but  Wilma comes in, sees them and well, the rest is history as they say.

Buttons from Lots of Buttons.

I love the narrow back yoke and show me a kid that does not like hoods. The pattern also have a hood-free option....in case someone actually do have a kid to show me that does not like hoods.

I am not going to say a ton about the Small Fry Jeans except that it is an amazing pattern and you should totally go buy it....like now! In case you actually do want to read more about them I have a post just for you right HERE.

I love this striped hmmm denim, twill...not quite sure. I bought it in Mood Fabrics during Fabric Weekend, LA. I have definitely been saving it for the right project and this was for sure it!

This is the shorts version with a little slit in the side seam.

And then little sister came by for a hug dressed in classic Evelyn attire. Some sorts of short sleeved t-short, ballet skirt and leggings (in winter we (okay, I) add (okay, insists on) a cardigan and replace the leggings with tights). She dresses herself and wear this 5 out of 7 days....the other days she wears one of the many knitted dresses I made her. NO pants. Yeah I knew she was not going to model for this series, phew that would have been an uphill project. BUT I am glad she made her way into this post anyway.

Yeah, I think we got it all covered, right!
The awesome hat is (of course) from Target and that has definitely also been saved as photo props for the right project...again...THIS was it.

Thank you SO much Alida for inviting me.

Make sure you do not miss the other amazing posts in this series. Today is last day and you can catch up on them all on Alida Makes.

Cool Shoe Decorations - Tutorial.

I have been waiting to bring home this last post I did for the Sewing Rabbit back in December until spring started....choosing to do that on the longest winter ever is just bad luck I guess, ha. 

Well, it is April and officially it IS spring so here we go.

You might remember the golden wings that people put on their roller skates in the 70ies. Well, they are back and being produced by Shwings. I picked some up for Wilma at H&M who is always quick to copy trends, and I realized they are super easy to make.

I was determined to make something in this category that I have not seen before and one of the ideas I got was to use this ultra cool fluorescent vinyl. (You might remember THIS rain jacket from my participation in Project Run & Play.) You can buy the vinyl HERE.

And yes, that is star spangles I have put inside. Loose glitter would work too.

I have a mini tutorial further down for the version for velcro but the concept is the same. And most of you probably don't even need a tutorial. Pretty simple but great effect, right.

Here a pink heart version with big and small spangles inside.

Sorry, this pink vinyl is crazy hard to photograph. They are easier to see in real life.

I also made a version for shoes with velcro.

(sorry the dirty shoes but ahem no time to wash them before photo shoot).

Here comes a mini tutorial:

1) Here you can see the materials I use. I cannot draw at all so making the star was actually really hard for me, ha. Now I wonder why I did not just search for a free printable somewhere? Oh well. 

Cut two layers of vinyl, put the spangles in between and stitch the two layers together - using some sort of teflon foot (as you can see in photo 4) or rolling foot. I used a neon embroidery thread for the stitching but anything will do. You can even use normal thread and sew all the way around twice for a more visible stitch if you don't have any thicker thread on hand.

2) Now take the finished star and mark the hole for the velcro.

3) Stitch a square using the marks you just made.

I have no photo showing this but I used a sharp knife to cut out the square 1 mm from the stitch.

And you are DONE.

But this post is not done yet, woohoo.

Next up are letters.....

I chose to make my daughter's initials W and B as you can see above. But HI or YO or, well you name it! Or their age in a number on just one shoe...or on both for 10 years and up.

I used black pleather, gold eyelets and gold iron-on triangles (all supplies from Jo-Anns). And even though the iron-on triangles looks good it might not have been the best idea to put on pleather because they fall off easily because of the pleather's ultra smooth surface. Studs would have worked better! Or use some stronger glue since the pleather is not really happy to have a hot iron nearby for too long. BUT they made it through the photo shoot and here you can see the result and I am sure your head is already spinning with alternatives, right!

Last but not least I have made some pleather bows for you.

I purposely made them look sort of hand drawn and yes, one side is a bit bigger/crooked than the other for that reason. Or actually they ended up like that when I drew the bow and I decided not to correct it - what can I say, it seemed like a good idea at the time, ha. Luckily you are making your own pattern/stencil and can make them perfectly symmetrical if you prefer that, right! 

Mini tutorial below:

1) I used a textured silver and a smooth black pleather plus I added a layer of some thin batting to give the bow some structure and make it a bit more three-dimensional looking.

I simply sewed the black pleather directly on the silver and kept the seam raw (since it is pleather). The two black stitches symbolizing the knot is made by sewing with normal black thread like three times on top of each other to be more visible.

2) Sew the front and back side together - right against right. Leave an opening in the side. I made my pattern with 0.5 cm since most was going to be cut of anyway so no reason to waste material.

3) And here you can see how much I cut of the seam allowance to make sure the curves and corner are nice and smooth when I turn the bows inside out.

4) Finally I stitch all the way around the bow which both gives stability and also closes the opening in the side. And lastly the stitch works instead of an iron to flatten the seams.

Then you put four holes in...and no this crooked mess is not on purpose and should we just leave it at that, ahem. Luckily the tie bands will hide it, phew.

5) Add your preferred eyelets and you are done.

These can of course be added anywhere on the shoes, not necessary on the top the way I showed you. They would be super cute on the front of the shoe too.

Like I said...endless possibilities!

Have fun, thank you!