Sewing to Rebuild

In response to the tornado that devastated Moore, Oklahoma, last week, a project called "Sewing to Rebuild" has been launched over at Pattern Revolution. The goal is to make handmade items (especially basics) in order to show support and to help people start to rebuild. You can read more about the project by checking out this post.

There are several pdf designers offering free patterns to be used, though you can use other patterns as well. They are asking for clothes for boys and girls (especially older children and boys), and there are also links to some bag patterns, as folks need those as well.

I am going to try to sew as many items as I can before the deadline (June 21). I do want to make Samuel a shirt for his birthday, but besides that I plan to focus my efforts on this awesome project.

Samuel loves Cars and I'm going  to use the fabric on the
right for the first shirt I make him

I've already cut out 2 pairs of Too Cute Ruched Shorts (I fit a 2T and a 4T out of the leftovers from Danielle's birthday dress!).

Source: Too Cute Ruched Shorts Pattern via ColesCreations on Craftsy

And I'm cutting out a High-Low Ruffled Skirt in a size 11/12, though I have to make a seam in the front because I totally messed up on my fabric estimate.

Source: Hi Low Ruffle Skirt Pattern via ColesCreations on Craftsy

I also want to make some of the free patterns that are offered--the cute tanks from Fishsticks Designs, and shorts from Designs by Moo.

Oh, and I'd like to make some Sassy Knit Peplum tops as well.

Source: Sassy Knit Peplum Tank Top sizes 8-16 via ColesCreations on Craftsy

I'm not trying to be a total advertisement for Cole's Corner and Creations, but I think her patterns are cute and modern and yet still basic enough to be sewn quickly. I also think that older girls will like them, and I really want to send clothes that kids would wear, and not just use up leftover and/or ugly fabric :)

A House Tour -- Sewing Style

Last post I realized I had been lacking variety in my photos lately. I don't have as much free time as I'd like, so I usually take my photos indoors, at night (gasp, I know!) I have tried to move around my house in order to shake it up a bit, and I realized I have actually given you a pretty good tour of the house over the past year or two. I thought it would be fun to compile some previous projects in order to give you a virtual house tour, sewing style.

Let's start at the front door, shall we?

Knit peplum top, pattern by Cole's Corner

Now, in case you are an Internet stalker and not the kind, sewing-sister-of-my-soul that I imagine, I'm going to jump around. Otherwise I might as well post the blueprints to my home and leave the door unlocked...

This is our couch. Samuel is nearly as big
as big as it. Just kidding. Sort of.

This mocha is an accent wall in my living room. I need to hang pictures, but if I do, I will lose my clutter-free background.

Raven's dress

Guests in our home our welcome to use our downstairs bath, which is equipped with monogrammed towels and a silhouette wall-hanging, neither of which I have pictures of IN the bathroom. Picture them to the left of the sink.

My MIL's dog Norman was kind enough to model his Thundershirt knockoff in the eat-in portion of our kitchen, so you can see the travertine tiles and golden walls. It's part of my Mediterranean-inspired kitchen, which features a ceramic sun plaque from Cyprus and some street-artist paintings from Portugal.

Here's a closeup of the business-side, though the towel resides in another state, with my sister.

Topsy Turvy towel, free tutorial at Embroidery Library

We also have yellow in the kids bedrooms (for now). I actually just painted Samuel's room blue and Danielle's room will be pink. Stereotypical colors, but my little girl insists that pink and purple are her favorite colors, and I am working with a car theme in the boy's room.

Summer PJs

This next backdrop has made quite a few appearances--it's my sewing room floor! The ball-headed pins I use are easy to find when I drop them (and it helps that I can hear them fall) and the location is pretty convenient for photo shoots.

Embroidered shirt

My sewing room has been rearranged since the last time I shared pictures. I will post some updates once I finish a few projects I have planned in there (sewing machine covers and a new valance.

Aw, this is a classic. The closet door in my daughter's bedroom. I actually don't have a single wall in my home that is white, so I try to squeeze in photoshoots in front of doors when I want a white background.

crocheted Owl Hat

Or, if it's still daylight, I can use the back porch. The composter likes to photobomb, though I was able to crop it out of this shot.

Peekaboo Ruffle dress, pattern by FairyTale Designs

Here's a glimpse of the backyard:

Ice Cream Dress (before I started blogging)
pattern by Oliver + S

And one of the front yard:

Too Cute Ruched Shorts, pattern by Cole's Corner

This is my favorite colored room--the master bedroom. Before you judge my husband for sleeping in a purple room, he got to have one room painted hunter green, *shudder*. It's actually more like a billiard green, as they don't really make hunter green anymore. Or peach accessories. Thank goodness! Although mint and emerald greens are big right now, so you never know. We don't take pictures in the green room.

Lulu Dress, pattern by Popolok Designs

This little cutie is modeling our front porch swing. Oh, and the shirt I made him. I have a bunch of button-ups planned for him, and he's becoming quite the cheeser, so I hope to post more of him soon.

Varsity Cowl

Here's another shot of the front porch/yard:

CeCe Dress, pattern by Popolok Designs

 And now we've made a full circle, back to our foyer.

Pirate outfits and embroidered shirt

That was a fun tour for me, I hope you enjoyed seeing my home and projects as well. Thanks for looking around!

Nelia Dress, Short Sleeve Version

If you happened over to my blog because you saw the ruffler tutorials on the Pattern Review blog--welcome! And thank you so much for taking a look around:) This is the latest dress I made for my daughter. It's the Nelia by Popolok Designs (who happens to be Alviana on Pattern Review!).

Alviana, as usual, has offered a ton of options with this great pattern. There are 3 lengths (top, knee-length dress and maxi), 3 collar options (Peter Pan, pussy bow and no collar) and 3 sleeve options (long, short and sleeveless). But Angie, you say, that's TWENTY SEVEN patterns in one, how can that be? I know, it's crazy! I made the short sleeve, knee-length dress with the pussy bow collar. (Obviously).

You know else is crazy? I just realized all my pictures tend to be vertical shots.  It makes sense, seeing as how I am used to taking the front, back and side shots of garments for Pattern Review. But it doesn't offer much variety for blog posts, does it? If I had more time, I'd love to stage some really cute, interesting photo shoots. Instead, I have to go to work, to make money for my family (and my fabric habit). But, I have not left you without options! Here is a non-vertical picture:

Okay, so I cropped this one differently just to make a point.

I've also been getting some better poses out of Danielle. Now that she's a little older, I don't have to just chase after her, snapping pictures as fast as I can and hoping that one of them turns out decent.

I wish I had thought to take pictures of some of the details of this dress. The finish on the front is really nicely done (not surprising, with a Popolok pattern), and the tie collar is really sweet and unique. I thought the fabric and the collar made for a slightly retro look which was fun. And lest you think it's a bit serious for a little girl, the skirt is pretty full and has some twirl factor.

We are still having some chilly mornings off and on, though, so this dress fills a gap in my daughter's wardrobe. But I definitely plan to make a sleeveless maxi for the summer and a long sleeve dress for the winter.

Pillowcase Romper

I have a backlog of projects to post about...how did that happen?

Maybe it's because modeling is sooo hard :)

I know it's no secret that I love pattern testing, but one of the things I love most about it is that the deadline really helps me focus my time in my sewing room. I've been pattern testing so much this year that I have been sewing at least one item a week (and I definitely haven't been blogging that regularly!) Here's my latest project, just finished last night:

I'll be honest. I did not think I was going to like this style. But this was my first opportunity to test for Fairytale Pattern Designs so I didn't want to turn it down. I LOVE the end result, so I'm so glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone! There are only 6 pages to tape together and the pattern is on sale for 30% off right now! AND it includes doll sizes!

This was a quick sew and I was really pleased with the fit. Granted, there's not a lot to fit with a pillowcase romper, but there was just the right amount ease in the body so it doesn't look poofy. And the length is really cute. I don't think I'd like this if it was full length pants, but I think the drafted length is just darling. And a contrast tie and leg band and the ruffles at the bottom add just the right amount of detail for this mama :)

Boy, she was on fire last night!

I think this is a great item to wear with our climate here in the south (it will transition well from hot and humid outside to air conditioning inside)--I hope I have time to make a few more for the summer!

Twin Chevrons

Shortly after I told my sister I wouldn't really be able to sew for her girls anymore (time management is very different now that I'm not staying home with my kids), I noticed she posted a picture on Facebook of a cute peasant dress with a big bow. It was made from a print I happened to recognize and I thought I would surprise her by making something similar.

Little did I know that my sister would start posting LOTS of pictures of boutique clothes. You know, the "share it to win it" photos?  Needless to say, I didn't sew dozens of garments to match the other photos she posted. I also didn't know how difficult it would be to try to line up chevrons, so my "quick and easy" project took longer than anticipated. I thought I matched them pretty good though.

Because the side of the dress is angled, the
chevrons can't all line up along the seam

I even found what I thought was the exact pattern that was used in the inspiration dress. And I paid way too much ($7, on sale) for what I think is the WORST pattern I have ever used. This pattern, from a well-known shop, consisted of a single pattern piece. Not only was it hand-drawn, it was POORLY drawn. I wish I could post a picture of it. The lines were seriously sketch-y looking--the designer didn't even bother to draw a smooth, final line for each size! I ended up using a peasant dress pattern I already owned, and only made the bow from the horrible pattern. The instructions say to safety pin it on the dress. Really? I ended up stitching the bows to a pin back, so that my sister could remove the bows to wash the dresses.

The instructions did make a pretty cute bow

Oh chevrons, you were such a challenge. I had to make the chevrons run in opposite color order on the dresses because the stripes ran along the length of the yardage, not from selvedge to selvedge like I anticipated when I order the fabric. This meant I had much less length to work with and I had to make short sleeves instead of longer, shirred sleeves like the inspiration. It all worked out though, and my sister thought they were really cute. Now she just needs to send a picture of my gorgeous nieces wearing them (hint hint Shawna).