Scarf Neck Cardigan

I did it (nervous smile)! I set aside my fear of being in front of the lens and stepped in front of the camera. I guess its kinda hard to participate in Selfish Sewing Week without doing so ;)  And it is all thanks to this fabulous new pattern by Paco Bean: the Scarf Neck Cardigan.

I still have a hard time believing that this is the first clothing pattern by Paco Bean. It is PERFECT! I love every detail from the scarf neck, to the princess seams, to the relaxed fit. I don't think I could improve it if I tried...those who know me know I like to modify and personalize the patterns I sew.

I used this yummy white hemp blend slub knit. It is so soft that it is almost buttery! *Love* <3

I think I need to work on my modeling a bit though! Hehe 0_o

I am not quite sure what that look is on my face but I like how this picture shows the profile of the cardigan. It has a fun asymmetrical bottom hem...which I chose to leave unhemmed. Since it is made with knit it doesn't need to be hemmed; and I really like the rolled edges of unhemmed garments.

I did, however, hem the arms. For more of a cuffed look I folded the bottom of the arm up 1.5" then stitched with a twin needle. Maybe I have short arms, IDK, but it turned out just as I was hoping.

My first attempt at this cardigan was this gray one. I made it a little too big, but I love this knit too much to scrap it. It is hard to see but this is made from a tissue weight jersey blend with a beautiful flower texture. It makes a perfect layering garment!

Aahhh, here I am soaking up the beautiful Autumn sun here in southern Oregon.

For this cardigan I cut the sleeves at the half sleeve mark then added a cuff. The sleeves are pushed up a little here, but adding the cuff makes a perfect 3/4 sleeve length.

I have much enjoyed seeing everyone's Selfish Sewing this week. And I am happy to have made something for myself for a change. I generally only sew for others, but making something for myself was quite rewarding. Thank you for giving me the push I needed to step in front of the camera Rachael, from Imagine Gnats, and Jill, from Made with Moxie! I will try not to be so shy in the future ;)

The fantastic Fedora Hat pattern by E&E

Elegance & Elephants is having a blog tour this week for the Fedora Hat pattern. Since I already had this pattern all cut out when I heard about the tour I figured it was the perfect time to move it out of the ever growing UFO pile (UnFinished Objects). I am not cool enough to actually be in the tour, but a girl can dream, right?

I used the good 'ol houndstooth again. It is a nice stiff bottomweight and lent itself nicely to this pattern. This fabric very versatile indeed (Remember the purse I made with it? And the two vests?). I do hope you aren't sick of seeing it already, because I am not done with it yet...  ;)

This pattern was fun to make. It came together rather easily too. I did have to do a little shaping with the brim. Nothing a good steam iron couldn't handle though. I simply steamed it up good, then molded it the shape I wanted and let it cool. It is interfaced with Pellon Craft Fuse, which I have grown to love! I think I am going to need to start buying in by the bolt.

When my son saw me sewing it up he knew what it was going to be right away. Then came the "Who are you making this for?", "I want it!", and "Who does this look better on: me or Jonas?". He was super excited about it to say the least. But when picture time came I got this look...

I really wasn't sure if he decided he didn't like it after all or if he was giving me a solemn modeling look on purpose. But then it was followed by this...

And this...

Yes, that is a good sign. Ha! He definitely likes it!

Head over to Elegance & Elephants to check out all the fedoras on the tour. And, while you're at it, pick up this awesome pattern for 15% off using the code FEDORA15. But it is only on sale until the 27th! Find it here - http://bit.ly/181m693

Hooray for awesomeness!!!

Thanks for stopping by :)

BBC Vest pattern double flip

When I started planning family portrait outfits in my head I knew right away I wanted to use the BBC Vest pattern by Shwin Designs. It was part of the most recent collection, the Alphabet Collection, by Pattern Anthology. The great thing about all these patterns is that they unisex.

So, being that the BBC Vest can be made for boys or girls, I did a double flip. No, I am not a gymnast. I flipped this pattern as part of the series by Frances Suzanne; twice!

Excited? Oh, yeah!

(And because no post would be complete without a trip to the "gun show"...LOL)

The boy and girl looks are both very unique yet from the same pattern. *Love!*

I had fun playing with all the little details.

Now I'd like to show you the vests off the kids so we can look more closely at those details.

The changes I made to this vest for Jonas are mostly subtle.

First, I had to enlarge the pattern. The sizing goes up to an 8 but my big guy wears a 10/12 already. I also omitted the back belt and went with a slightly more fitted look.

Next, I made it reversible. There is houndstooth on one side for a more modern rockin' look, and a blue suiting on the opposite side for a more traditional look.

Then I made the collar thinner and brought the bottom center of the vest up a little.

And lastly, I added the guitar. That design took me a good ten layers to achieve! I used my Cricut to cut out the guitar on freezer paper. The freezer paper can be ironed to the fabric to create a stencil. The background of the guitar was made using dye and spraying it on, then splattering fabric paint over the top to give it more depth.

For Keilana's vest I, again, made it reversible.

Then I widened the collar and used lace to make a contrasting look. I just love how the lace complements both the houndstooth and the medalions!

Also, I shortened the bodice and tapered the sides giving it a more fitted look.

Then I added a longer circle peplum instead of the short pleated peplum.

And lastly, I made a princess seam on the bodice. This detail is subtle from afar, but I just love it dresses up the look! Do you see the pretty pearly button? It looks lovely with the lace.  :)

I was swooning over this pattern from the moment I saw it, but I think I love it even more after making it! There is definitely going to be more of these in the future.

Okay Jonas, on that note, I am off!

Thanks for visiting today! 

Don't forget to head over Frances Suzanne to check out all the other flipped looks from the Alphabet Collection.

Apple Lunch Box free pattern and tutorial for The Cottage Mama

Today you can find me over at The Cottage Mama. I put together this super fun apple lunch box with a free pattern and tutorial.

I will tease you with some pictures, then you can hop on over to The Cottage Mama for the full tutorial and pattern ;)

The Rosie Crossbody Bag

Rosie is the latest and greatest bag pattern from Paco Bean Patterns, and she is so sweet!

Rosie is the perfect everyday bag. This bag has a sleek, clean look that would go well with any attire. It could be made with a nice solid for more versatility, but I wanted to have some fun with this one!

I made mine with a navy houndstooth...a little bit boyish...a little bit edgy. Then I paired it with this beautiful floral...totally girly. It's perfect for me :) I love how the soft floral offsets the graphic print of the houndstooth. And, this pattern has some great features! Let's look at them.

On the back is a zippered pocket. I am excited that I won't have to go digging inside my purse anymore for my cell phone or car keys. They will be right there without even having to open my purse.

And inside there is a simple slip-in pocket on one side.

On the other side is another zippered pocket.

You don't have to make all those pockets, of course. But who doesn't love pockets!? The pattern is well written, with easy to follow drawings, so the all the pockets are really an easy add-on.

This is a crossbody bag with a fully adjustable strap. So, if you prefer, you could adjust the strap all the way down and wear it over one shoulder instead of cross your body.

 See the strap there? Pretty sweet, huh? In case you were wondering, the hardware is from Strapworks.com

This bag pattern really is one of my favorite so far. And the fabrics I used are my newest inspiration...hint, hint. You may be seeing more of these fabrics soon!

Let's take another peek inside the purse.

Yep, another awesome pattern!

You can pick up the Rosie Crossbody Bag pattern here. You're gonna love it!

Two little Bumblebees

It's Friday; which means it's time to make some noise!

Have you heard the buzz about the Bumblebee Dress pattern? It is the debut pattern by the super sweet Sewing Mama RaeAnna...and it is ADORABLE!

You may have seen other Bumblebees buzzing around... like this awesome one by Suzanne Winter of Winter Wonderings, or this cute dress and this tunic version by House of Estrela, or even these beautiful ones by Pris Sewn.

Well there is more to buzz about now because RaeAnna is extending the sizes up to size 12! Woot, woot!

I was lucky enough to be able to test the new sizes. But I couldn't stop there; I had to make two!

 For Zoey I tested the size 8. I made view A and used piping on the bodice in place of ruffles. The fit is great. My super picky niece really liked it, which doesn't happen much. So I am giving it a BIG thumbs up!

For Keilana I sized up in hopes that it will fit for a while. These kids just grow so fast!

I made a size 6 (she fits right in to a size 5 right now). It is a good fit, yet still has growing room. Perfect!

 You may notice the sleeves on Keilana's dress are a little bit different. I made a simple bell bottom sleeve instead of the ruffle. There may be tutorial for how to make this coming... :)

I also added seam pockets to both dresses using the tutorial by House of Estrela.

The girls found this beautiful flower head just sitting on a bench. They just had to show it to the camera <3

 SO, catch the buzz and pick up a copy of the Bumblebee Dress pattern! You are going to love it! The extended sizes will be released soon ;)

And congratulations RaeAnna on your debut pattern! It is awesomely awesome!