Scrap Busting and Swimsuit Sewing

I made DD another sun hat from the same pattern I've used before. Didn't retrace, although her head has grown; I just cut the pieces a bit bigger and it's fine.

If you're looking for a pattern I really recommend this one (BWOF 4/2009/142). It can be worn brim up or brim down, and when it's down provides good shade for the eyes, which can get important when children are too little to wear (or keep on) sunglasses. Besides, it's cute! And, as the title says, perfect for using up scraps.

This girls' top wasn't made from leftover scraps, but all the same used so little fabric that there's a couple of tops left in those fabrics for me. I didn't use a pattern, just cut around an existing top. DD started giving me that "Where's the pink and violet, and where's my glitter??" look, so I hastened to add a yoyo. Now I want the same top for myself. Too bad I'm not four anymore.

(Seeing this I realize I also made DS a sleeveless tee but forgot to take a picture. Oh well. Not half as cute. Poor, poor boys.)

Speaking of age, I must be this town's oldest H & M shopper (other than in the kiddie department), but I'm always very lucky (although I'm not buying a lot these days) and their stuff fits me. The same used to be true for their swimsuits. Well, not anymore. All of a sudden I loathe all their designs and colors. What ...? The same thing happened a couple of years ago with popular music radio stations. A sign that middle age is encroaching, I guess. What's a sewer to do?

Right, spend several hours of beautiful summer weather that will never return, staring at the screen researching swimsuit patterns and supplies. I ordered from no less than three sources and spent 50 € which doesn't sound so bad unless you consider that I got two suits for 10 € each at H&M last year. This had better become the suit of suits, so to speak. (FYI, I'm making the more covered view A. Yes, DH would also be very happy with the others. I'm saying I'll make those for DD in a couple of years!)

Let's hope I didn't jinx the project by making a public announcement beforehand... But I'd love to hear your input and tips if you've sewn a swimsuit before. Other than that, please wish me luck!

Girls' Pants and Pinafore Top

First of all, thank you for the many lovely comments on my blouse and last post's girls' pants! I decided to follow your advice and wear the blouse for a bit to get used to it. Wouldn't you know it - I received quite a few compliments, so of course now I have to keep wearing it!

Also, instead of giving up I got stubborn and sewed another pair of girls' pants. Quite a bit tighter, and with fewer details. It went fast, it fits, whew.

Another thing DD lacks is sleeveless tops. I got it into my head that a pinafore top would be perfect, as it is wearable over a t-shirt as well as for a sleeveless top.

(To be honest, all I really want is a pinafore dress for myself, ever since I saw this gorgeous number on Casey's blog. Not being sure whether the style is right for me, and where to find a good pattern in my Burda mags, I did some vicarious sewing for DD.)

I very roughly followed the Ottobre 4/2009/11 pattern "Viola". I left off the buttoned front and pockets, cut front and back on the fold, added a side zip and raised the front between the straps.

I also made my first fabric covered buttons. Being too cheap for the pre-packaged covered button-making pack, I used simple shank buttons, interfaced the fabric, cut circles, stitched running stitches all around and after inserting the buttons added a few more criss-crossing stitches in the back. Viola! They seem quite stable; ask me again after the first few washes!

Today I played with the new Blogger design options a bit. Do you like it?

Girls' Pants or: Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Once Removed

To start: my son, who has more fashion sense than I do apparently, noted that DD has a purple dress, albeit dark purple. So I was given free rein of the purple fabric.

As intended, I made a pair of girls' pants from the basic pattern/sloper I made a while ago. I did verify the inner leg length (yup, grown a bit) but didn't think to check whether the sloper really matched the (well-fitting) turquoise pants I thought I'd made from it. Um, no.

I happily went ahead, put in a few more seams (like a yoke and separate waistband) and some decoration... And, in a pattern I recognize only too well (see DS's last pair of pants, or just about any kids' pants at first try), finished a nice pair of pants that DD can wear... when she's six or so (currently 4 1/2)! (You'd think I have a sewing blog for noting this kind of thing. Well, I've noted it now. Remains to see whether I will read this before the next attempt!)

Do I have no sense of the children's true size? Or am I so afraid to cut out something that will turn out too small? This doesn't usually happen with my own garments, but then I try on a lot. And I really dislike having the children try something on. It just invites too many opinions...

Well, here's the finished piece, and on to new shores. Happy sewing!

Blouse Burdastyle 3/2010/124

Whenever I finish a post, I think, "Next time I'll write it up better. With good pictures."

Whenever I finish a garment, I think, "Finally it's done, let's get a post, any post, out there and be done with it."

Just so you know why my often-promised improved photography is so slow in coming!

(To clarify any color confusion: I am not this pale. And the blouse is navy blue with aqua dots and light blue buttons.)

Would you believe I mulled over the collar, something's not quite right, why is it standing up at such a sharp angle... and even ripped it out and redid it, without figuring out I'd sewn it together wrong? Because I hadn't sewn a stand-up collar before, I automatically sewed together the collar pieces on the short side... And I'm ashamed to say I did not go back and do it over. It's a bit victorian now, but fine by me! (I also didn't have any fabric left to recut the collar, having squeezed out 1.25 metres worth of blouse out of 1 metre fabric (and a light blue poplin for the inner yoke). Design challenges...

This blouse has a hidden buttonhole placket from the middle down, but shhhh... Burda doesn't let on, not even in the German version. Only after reading the instructions about 100 times I understood. Pretty, though.

All in all it's a bit prim and proper, and I'm not sure I love it. I laid it on top of a pair of DH's faded jeans, and it looked just right. Sadly, I neither have nor wear distressed denim.

I'm also not sure I'll continue with the blue SWALP. It's such a different colorway from all my other clothes, and not my best color at that. Maybe there are ways to get a little variation without changing my color style so much. On the other hand, I have everything on hand for the planned navy trenchcoat. (And there's even a Trenchcoat Sew-Along going on! If only I could figure out how to get in...) Hmm. Opinions, ladies?

Me-Made-May and Budding Fashionistas

1. Me-Made-May:

As you remember, I loved the idea of Me-Made-May (Lite) when I first saw it. Although I managed to follow through from beginning to end, wearing at least one me-made garment every day, I'm a bit sad I didn't have the time or energy this month to sew more new garments (still working on that first SWALP blouse) - build more diverse outfits - accessorize better. Then again, this isn't a fashion show but a sewing blog. Sew I did (if not much), and I wore my stuff, too. Success!

Here's the last six days in me-made:

Me-Made, top left to bottom right: skirt, shirt, shirt, shirt, jacket, skirt.

What I gained from MMM: I think I need to cull my me-made garments. If something didn't get worn this month despite the small selection and "having" to choose me-made 31 times, maybe it needs to go.

2. Budding Fashionistas

Our daughter is four years old, and very opinionated. She tells me often, and emphatically, which colors she likes (pink, violet, gold) and which she doesn't like (gray, black, brown, denim being "gray"). She needs more pants, and I decided to humor her and get some soft purple linen mix fabric. It would go well with a colorful poplin print from last year's fabric market.

(I had to put in a blue checked piece so the violet looked true to color.)

Today, I showed her the fabric. "Would you like some pants from this fabric?" - "No, I want a dress!" - "But you have about ten dresses. You need pants!" - "But I don't have a purple dress!!"

Flawless logic. Who needs pants when you don't have a purple dress yet.

Me-Made-May and Cap "Coconut" Ottobre 3/2010/39

MMM Days 20-25:

The first four days. I realize I'm missing day here, but I wore my lounging pants and didn't feel like taking a picture (lazy day).

Me-Made: Tangerine top, gray skirt, red and white dress.

Today and yesterday (my picture software didn't want to change the pictures).

Me-Made: Today's outfit is all me-made, a first this May! (Top and skirt.) The skirt is my official pentecost fair skirt; I finished it just before going to the fair last year, and wore it again this year.

What I gained from MMM these days: Stamina?! Halfway through I didn't think I'd make it through May. Now reaching for me-made has almost become second nature!

The cap:

I made the cap as a last-minute birthday present for a two year old boy. (Actually, I made the cap because we had a lot of social activities going on last week, and I really needed a creative time-out. Shhh. Don't tell!)

It went together fast and easy, and looks really cute on. DD said, "Oh, it's a riding cap!", and it does have that shape. For materials, I recycled DS's pants that were cut off his leg after he'd broken it. Brand-new jeans (RTW, grandma bought them), what a shame! Now they found a good home.

I lined the hat with the quilting fabric you see on the car appliqué. The other appliquè was what happened after a mistake, umm, design challenge.

Summer has arrived here, which has been nice but not so good for sewing. I know. I shouldn't complain.

That's it! Happy sewing!

Me-Made-May: Days 17-19

Tissue anyone? (In case I'm boring you to tears.)

I have a new favorite skirt! (As if you couldn't tell.) It's SO comfy, warm (wool stretch), allows for long strides, and combines well with just about everything else in my closet!

Me-made: Skirt, skirt and jacket.
What I gained from MMM today: I'm still reaping the benefits of finally finishing the skirt!

A couple of notes on the skirt I forgot last time: I drafted a lining. (The only skirt I like without a lining is a very casual warm-weather skirt.) I don't quite understand why Burda has you make this skirt without a lining. Maybe they didn't feel like adding two more pattern parts. I drafted the lining like this (highly unscientifically!): taped the upper skirt patterns together, and used this for the upper part of the lining (minus the facings) down to the hips. Below that I just drew on a basic A-shape. This worked just fine!


I also made my, cough, first machine-sewn blind hem. Not as delicate as a hand-sewn hem which I usually make, but perfectly acceptable.


I somehow feel I should show more diversity in my Me-Made-May outfits. But it is a fact of my life that I repeat my favorite outfits again and again. This made me think of a highly unlikely variation on Me-Made-May: Sewing a SWAP wardrobe and wearing (only) this for a month. Do you think it would be possible?

Have you ever sewn a SWAP? How often do you/did you wear those garments?