I have been on a “Robert” kick lately. I made six pair in two days. Six lined pairs. So basically I made twelve pair. I’m not 100% sure what caused this…I’m going to blame pregnancy because that’s what I do these days. Each pair of shorts required only about a half a yard of fabric so I was able to use a lot of remnants that were too big to toss and too small to make a dress with. It was so nice to use the fabric that otherwise would have just sat on the shelf and stared at me. I made the pants and shorts more “girly” by adding…
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Christmas Craft for Inspiring Sewists
In another life, I taught biology. I am a teacher by nature. I have transitioned from teaching biology to high schoolers to teaching life skills to a toddler. One of these life skills is called the Pincher Grasp. Apparently it is critical to help your child hone their pincher grasping skills in order to prepare them for writing and feeding themselves without making a huge mess of things. Making this beautiful garland is a fun, relatively safe way to help your toddler practice this life skill. Maria has watched me sew for a long time and always wants to “help.” Her helping usually involved playing with and stacking…
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Inspirism…my new word
The majority of my sewing inspiration comes from my instagram feed. IÂ often find myself looking at images of boutique brand outfits and trying to figure out what pattern they used to create them. Its a game to test my knowledge of patterns….I’m a sewing nerd…possibly just a nerd. So I’ve come up with a new term to describe my style of sewing: Inspirism. IÂ Â Â look at dresses made by various companies or individuals, figure out the pattern they used, and improve on their design by using various techniques that I’ve learned or learn to make my dreams reality. Here is an example of outfit I’ve made using this technique.…
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Coordinated Christmas
I want to sew outfits for everyone. All the time. Its a bit of a problem. I have to convince myself it is not entirely necessary (nor financially wise) to make every extended family member their own pajama pants, bishop dress, and matching bonnet. However; around Christmastime my self control dwindles. Christmas is an exception. Christmas is pretty. People should coordinate….making sure to conform to the image in my head….right? This year I have kept my sewing to one side of the family. I have even narrowed it down to children! Here’s what I came up with. I have a petite nine-year-old niece who delighted in choosing her own dress…
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PSA- Peter Pan Collared Shirts!
Little ones in collared shirts look….clean. That might be a bit dramatic but its true! A peter pan collared shirt immediately elevates a Jon Jon or Jumper and it is a practical, warming addition to almost any ensemble. I have made my own collared shirts for Maria. I use woven fabrics (usually imperial broadcloth) and one of several patterns. The shirt included in the Children’s Corner  Johnny Pattern is very sweet. However; for daily wear I tend to reach for the ones made of knit more often than I do my woven options. Now-the question is: to make the knit shirt or to buy it? Since this is an item my child…
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Knit Nightie with a Smocked Insert
I am all about super soft and warm fabrics right now. Something about having a winter baby makes me want to sew with nothing but flannel, corduroy, brushed twill and knit. Probably some evolutionary need to keep the new baby as warm as humanly possible. Isn’t it crazy how hard-wired we are sometimes? Anyway, I LOVE the Children’s Corner Knit Nightie. You can find it here https://goo.gl/8SWfPR. Its available as a digital download! It is a quick sew, and in the newborn size you can usually get two of the actual gowns out of one yard of fabric (it takes some inventive fabric folding while cutting but it can be done!) I have…
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Children’s Corner Jamie…in knit!
I am on a bit of a knit kick. Well, not really just a knit kick, a Sea Island knit kick. I can’t sing enough praises for this fabric y’all. It is the perfect fabric for newborns. Heck; it almost feels like a newborn. Part of the reason I got into sewing with such a vengeance involved the absolutely absurd prices of baby clothes made out of good quality fabrics. Brands like Kissy Kissy and Magnolia Baby make the sweetest, softest clothes at a not-so-sweet price point. I have found that I am able to make similar clothes with the same fabrics for about half the price…with the added…
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Convert any Gown into a “Converter”
Let’s get one thing straight, I am a mom ALL day and a sewist for only a few glorious nap-time hours. Because of this all day mom-ing, I like to sew items that are first practical and second adorable. I know that there is no way I will grab an item for my child to wear that is impossible to get stains out of, extremely uncomfortable for her, or an impediment in any way to the car seat. Perhaps in the future, if I’m lucky enough to be a grandmother, I will allow myself to follow my every whim in the sewing room (sigh…). Until then; I’ll spend the extra…
