spring kcw :: palos verdes shearwater kaftan

Okay, it’s technically still KCW according to Pacific Standard Time, so I’m squeezing in this one final project – a Mini Shearwater Kaftan from Make it Perfect. Toni released this pattern (it’s a kids’ version of her Shearwater Kaftan pattern for women) a couple weeks ago and was kind enough to send me a copy.

This is a comfortable, breezy shirt, perfect for spring. The sleeves can be worn long or rolled up and secured with sleeve tabs, which are my favorite part. It’s a digital pattern and comes in two size ranges (0-5 and 6-10) – I made a size 5, which was a good fit for Lila.

Toni suggests something light and airy such as double gauze (like her beautiful Nani Iro version), voile, or lawn, and the minute I saw the pattern I thought of Palos Verdes voile from Cloud9 Fabrics. I’ve been drooling over this line for quite some time, and seeing and feeling it in real life only confirmed my belief that it’s positively divine.

It was hard to choose from all the beautiful prints, but I went with Malaga Cove (from LiMa Sews – she has the whole line in stock). And if you’re looking for Palos Verdes inspiration, the new Oliver + S Lullaby Layette was made up in this voile for the pattern cover. It’s perfect.

I was happy to discover that last year’s chambray Class Picnic Shorts still fit – they turned out to be a nice match. I think a pair of Sailboat pants would be awfully cute with this top, too.

Incidentally, the weather has been glorious here. See? Sun.

Bye KCW, see you this summer…

Read Full Post »

a little peacoat

I’m not sure what it is about coats and jackets, but they’re among my very favorite things to sew. I knew I wanted to make Oscar a coat as soon as he started walking – there’s something about being upright that raises the cuteness factor on a little coat like this. He’s still pretty tentative and falls down every seven steps or so, but he’s earned his big kid coat!

The pattern is the Dear My Kids Unisex Trendy Pea Coat. I don’t see this one in their Etsy shop anymore ((update: it’s available! Thanks, Ashley!!)) – I bought it over three years ago to make for Lila, after seeing this version from Adelaide Lemonade. And since then I’ve admired Tara’s coat from Girl Like the Sea, as well as the many versions sewn by Ashley of Everything Else We Do.

I was finally ready to make it myself after coming across some Robert Kaufman Chamonix Cotton Moleskin at my local Fabric Depot – this stuff feels downright amazing. It’s an unbelievably soft, sueded cotton with a very substantial weight, all of which made it seem like a good candidate for coat fabric. Plus it came in gray, which is probably what put me over the edge.

I picked up the lining from LiMa Sews – it’s from Eloise Renouf’s Bark & Branch collection for Cloud 9 Fabrics. The whole line is beautiful and I was immediately drawn to this print (Passing Clouds in Gold). You know, because of the clouds and all. This coat should go well with the weather around here – we’ll see plenty of gray and cloudy for the next six months. Hopefully it fits him that long.

Speaking of which, I made the 12 month size and added an extra 1/2 to the length, based solely on the fact that I live in constant fear of things ending up too short. I think it came out about right.

The pattern itself was good, and everything came together pretty easily – there’s a lot of great detail and information included in the directions, but it’s missing a few little things in my opinion – like notches (I can’t help it, I miss notches when they aren’t there!), and basting stitches on the sleeve caps to ease the sleeves into the armholes. No big deal if you’ve set plenty of sleeves in your day, but if it happened to be your first time, you might be a little confused.

And one thing I might change next time – it has a sort of flared, swingy shape, and I think I would cut it straighter next time, for Oscar anyway. Lila says he looks like a girl in it, but I think it’s plenty masculine for his 14 month old self. And overall I think it’s a pretty adorable coat – I love the wrist bands and the big, boxy collar, the fit is great, and the construction was really simple and straightforward. Plus, I used a pattern purchased 40 months ago. Based on that fact alone, I’m calling it a success!

Read Full Post »

on the go with up, up & away

Last month some beautiful fat quarters from Cloud 9 Fabrics arrived in my mailbox. I’ve had my eye on Up, Up & Away for the longest time – the colors, the clouds, the tiny dots – it’s such a gorgeous line. And I know it’s Portlandia of me, but what can I say, I still love a good bird print. With Skinny laMinx behind it all, you can’t go wrong.

I’m usually in a clothing mindset, so coming up with smaller scale projects that use fat quarters is sometimes a challenge for me. But I had the perfect pattern fresh in my mind, one I used a few weeks back which has now become a favorite – the Gingercake On the Go Organizer.

My first two organizers were made with teacher gifts in mind, but there were a few minor imperfections in that round – nothing serious, just your run-of-the-mill-getting-used-to-a-pattern stuff. They’re completely suitable for home use (Lila has claimed one and filled it with her scented markers, and I’ll happily be using the other) but I couldn’t let those little flaws out of the house. Besides, I needed three. And so, enter Up, Up & Away.

We filled them with pens and chocolate bars and notebooks – I bought the plain 5×8 kraft paper variety and let Lila watercolor the covers, a task she took very seriously.

There you have it, three completed teacher gifts with 11 days to spare! It’ll never happen again.

Thanks to Cloud 9 for the fat quarters…and if you’re looking for Up, Up & Away, LiMa Sews just listed the whole collection! And an update :: as part of Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day, LiMa Sews is giving away a fat quarter bundle of Up, Up & Away – visit their beautiful new blog and leave a comment by 12/13 for a chance to win!

Read Full Post »

lounging in fanfare

If you haven’t seen these fuzzy little foxes yet, they’re part of Cloud9’s new Fanfare line by the fabulous Rae (of Made by Rae) – the prints are so sweet, and it’s the the softest, plushest flannel I’ve ever felt – no lie. Over the next week or so, Rae is having a little blog tour to show off some Fanfare creations, and I’m kicking it off today along with Deborah from Whipstitch!

It’s most definitely flannel season around here (lots of that non-stop pouring rain we’re famous for), and Oscar is very cozy in his foxy new Fanfare duds.

I’ve made lots of these little sets – the pants are from the Oliver + S Bedtime Story pattern, and the top is a store-bought tee with an appliquéd patch. It makes a cute little outfit, and the whole thing takes well under an hour to complete. Easiest lounge wear ever.

I chose the gold foxes and paired them with a gray crosshatch from Architextures.

And a cozy flannel crib sheet was also in order – in the gold Bunting print, to match. I’m a sucker for those triangles.

I used the super simple MADE tutorial (same as my last crib sheets) – the directions say your rectangle should be 45 inches across, and after washing the flannel it was about 41 inches wide, but the finished sheet still (snugly) fits our mattress. You could also use a crib sheet pattern with side panels (Amy Butler’s book Little Stitches for Little Ones has one, I know), if you want to add a little extra width.

And I love using organic fabric for crib sheets – I figure he spends a good 15 hours a day with his face pressed against that sheet…it’s probably a good thing. 🙂

Thanks to Cloud9 for the fabric, and to Rae for letting me in on the fun! If you’re on the hunt for Fanfare, Rae has compiled a list of retailers here. And stay tuned for the rest of her blog tour for more Fanfare projects!

Read Full Post »