About oliver's fancy

I am wife to a patient husband named Ian and stay-at-home mom to a busy little boy named Oliver. When not running around after him, I enjoy dabbling in all sorts of craftiness. I am a self-proclaimed fabric-aholic and proud of it! I have started this blog to document my journey of bettering my sewing/ crafting skills and show off occasional pictures of my little man and superb culinary creations:).

A Negroni for Easter: plus more family pics than you ever wanted to see…

Posted on May 2, 2014 by oliver's fancy

Update: We had family pictures taken this week and got them back much sooner than I anticipated so I got permission from our photographer (check them out here!) to use these pictures for the blog post. Why not take advantage of having a professional shoot the shirt, right? So deleted the pictures that I took and put in these. Enjoy some great pics…and I might have thrown in a few extra just because they turned out so good! 🙂 Which is a miracle considering the antics that Oliver was pulling during the shoot.One of my goals for Easter this year was to have each of the 4 of us in something handmade. I’m not sure why I had this in my head, but I just thought it would be something special. I already had my Easter dress made several weeks ago, and I cheated a bit with Eliot because he fit into Oliver’s handmade vest from his first Easter. I knew I would be making the Hosh pants for Oliver, so that just left Ian as the final one who needed something.

I had promised him another dress shirt after I made his first Negroni button down for our anniversary last year. He really wanted a version with a button placket and traditional collar. I picked up this navy and white pinstripe shirting at Joann. It is such a nice weight for the shirt! c2014jacphotography-crook009

The shirt construction was fairly easy because I had done it before. Pattern is the Negroni available here. Thankfully the size M fits Ian perfectly so I didn’t need to do any pattern alterations. I followed this tutorial for the button placket. The only change I made is that I interfaced the button plackets. c2014jacphotography-crook024

I continued along in the tutorial to attach the yoke to the shirt body and draft the collar and collar stand. Unfortunately my brain stopped working during the “burrito” part of the yoke attaching and I had to seam rip and reattach like 3 times…grrr…grumbledy, grumbledy, blerg. Once I finally got that down, the rest of the shirt was super easy.

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I used another of Ian’s shirts as a template to draft the collar and was v. proud of myself when it worked perfectly. Still cannot believe my luck on that one! Might be in danger of getting a big head. 😉

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I cut the pockets on the bias to add a little interest. FYI my walking foot was a life-saver here to keep the bias-cut fabric from stretching out of control during construction! Contrast facings are a joel dewberry plaid that Ian picked out. I love the little pop that they add to the shirt.

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All in all, it was a very successful sewing experience and I already have requests for several more shirts! Got quite a bit to get done before that happens though so don’t hold your breath to see any more anytime soon. I am pretty happy with myself that I finished a project for Ian on time! I am so bad about his projects that I tend to get them done months after I said I would. I may or may not have been completing the buttons on this shirt at 11:00 Saturday night, but hey, I made my deadline! 🙂 And below are a few more pictures for any who wish to view…feel free to not scroll down if you’re sick of us already!

Handmade birthday club

Posted on April 29, 2014 by oliver's fancy

Those of you who are on Instagram may have seen references to the handmade birthday club. I missed out on it for the first signup round but when my friend Lisa (@modern_balabusta) posted another signup list for a late to the handmade birthday party, I jumped on the train. Basically you have a group of makers who agree to send a handmade item to each other in their birthday month. The group is arranged with only (mostly) one person per month so the participants don’t get overwhelmed.
Lisa’s birthday was April 27th and I got my gift mailed off a few days late but it was the first gift so she cut us all some slack. It was so fun to get to make something for a fellow sew-er who I know will enjoy the value of a handmade gift! Based on Lisa’s list of preferred fabrics and after perusing her Pinterest boards, I made her this mini quilt as her main gift item. Isn’t it so cute?

I’ve always wanted to make a plus quilt and it was quite easy once I sat down to do it. I didn’t follow any pattern; just cut out 3.5″ squares and arranged them on my design wall until I liked the arrangement. Then I sewed them together- making long rows, then sewing the rows together. I decided on a straight line quilting pattern down either side of the seam allowances using the side of my walking foot as a guide (about .5″ from seam). The finished quilt measures at about 18″x24″.
I picked up a few fun office supplies at target to coordinate with my gift and threw in one of my hoops that I had made up already. I think it’s a fun gift and I hope Lisa enjoys it!

Oliver is three

Posted on April 28, 2014 by oliver's fancy

We had a birthday party for Oliver this weekend. Can you believe my little boy is three already? Wow that’s crazy! Anywho, we didn’t have a party for him last year, but now that he’s old enough to enjoy parties and such, we thought it would be fun to something with his friends. We invited a few of his little buddies (and parents, of course) to the park for a morning of play. It was a gorgeous day and they all had lots of fun.

Eliot could be found roaming underneath the picnic table trying to steal everyone’s snacks! lol Of course a birthday wouldn’t be complete without a handmade number shirt from mom, which I conveniently matched to his number shorts. He looked so stinking cute in his outfit. Shirt pattern is Raglan Tee from Sewing for Boys. I cut out the letters and appliqued them to the shirt after constructing it. I bought the orange Robert Kaufman laguna jersey from fabric.com after reading several bloggers’ comments on how nice it was. And it really is nice! I’m definitely going to be buying more of it in several colors. It just has such a nice feel and drape! And I’m very close to Fabric.com’s new warehouse so it is so tempting to buy from them right now- I get my order within two days of placing it! Shorts were previously blogged here.

Another fun part of the birthday party were the lightsaber favors. I am such a Star Wars nerd, and it’s too fun to pass that nerdiness on to your children! Oliver is at that impressionable age and loves anything we push as cool right now. 😉 He thought these were great. Ian made them the night before the party with pool noodles, electrical tape and duct tape. Easy, quick, and cheap! The kids had fun playing with them at the party and then got to take them home when the party was over.

So, this kid. He’s got a lot of his mommy in him and it both frustrates me at times and yet completely endears him to me. 🙂 It’s so fun to watch him grow out of the toddler stage and full on into little boyhood. Can’t wait to see what three has in store for you, buddy!

Sugar Pop Top

Posted on April 24, 2014 by oliver's fancy

I finally got a top made during the Spring Top Sewalong! And this is a good one! I got to pattern test a new top pattern for Sew Caroline this week called the Sugar Top Pop. Isn’t that a fun name? I have been hoarding this Koi fabric for a while just waiting for the perfect top and the peter pan collar won me over!

I really like this new top. It has quite a few fun features: a subtle hi-lo hem, a flutter or cap sleeve option, and the peter pan collar. While I am having fun collecting apparel-weight fabrics, I liked that this top looks good made in a quilting cotton. It is also pretty awesome that the fabric happens to match my turquoise pants.

I made the size L based on my bust measurements but then graded down to a medium at the bottom to fit my hip measurements. I used the cap sleeve option but added a little bit of a gather for a pretty effect and to make it easier on myself to set the sleeve in. I love how the sleeve and neckline are finished with bias tape- making such a clean finish! I wore this top out to church the same evening I finished making it, and I got so many compliments on it. It really was quite fun. And I may or may not have worn it again today so I’m thinking I should probably make myself another one! It’s a great top for summer because it’s a breezy style and you don’t have to wear a tank under it.

I have it on good authority that this pattern should be releasing next week sometime, so you will have time to get it and make yourself one before spring top sewalong is over! It is definitely one that I would recommend you add to your repertoire. Caroline does a great job with her pattern! I’m already plotting out which fabric I want for my next one (or two 🙂 ).

Happy Blogiversary to me!

Posted on April 21, 2014 by oliver's fancy

Today is my two year blogiversary! Hard to believe it’s been two years since I started this blogging experiment. I thought it would be fun to go back and look at a few of the very first things I blogged. This is back before I really knew anything about photography so please excuse the lack of great photos…

First sewing project blogged: my Tova Tops that I sewed along for Rae’s Spring Top Sewalong 2012… This was my one of my first selfish sewing experiences and I have learned so much since then! I am hoping to try that pattern out again sometime because I really like that shirt style and think I could do a better job now that I know more about clothing construction.

Then it was the spring 2012 Kid’s Clothes Week Challenge when I made Oliver’s first birthday outfit: appliqued onesie, treasure pocket shorts and a birthday crown. Look at little baby Oliver- sniff!

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Another pair of treasure pockets was next on the list…

The last project I wanted to show is my favorite quilt to date: my hand-quilted pinwheel quilt. All that hand-quilting paid off because it’s still my favorite quilt to snuggle up under on the couch! So that was a fun look back (in my opinion at least 😉 ) at the beginning of my blogging journey. Even though I know that I have much to learn still, it is encouraging to see how my writing and photography skills have improved. Excited to see where another two years will take me!

Perfect Pattern Parcel #2: Hosh Pants

Posted on April 18, 2014 by oliver's fancy

Have you heard of the Perfect Pattern Parcel? It’s a really unique way to bundle and sell independent patterns. They collect a group of sewing patterns and offer them as a bundle for a two week period of time. When you check out, you choose how much to pay and based on that, a portion of your payment not only goes to the designers, but also goes to support children’s education though Donor’s Choose. Parcel #1 was a collection of women’s sewing patterns and Parcel #2 is a collection of clothing patterns specifically designed for little girls. And boy am I bummed to not have any little girls to sew some of these patterns for!

How cute are those patterns? amiright? So you’re thinking, what do I have to do with this sale because I only sew for boys? Well just so happens a few of these patterns work for boys as well so I got the opportunity to sew up the Hosh Pants by Lou Bee Clothing as a part of the blog hop.

I used some stretch gray twill for the pants. I like how they look like dress pants but are comfy like yoga pants. And Oliver likes that he can take them on and off by himself. The pattern was a cinch to sew up, and I really like unique way she constructed the waistband pieces to make it very easy to use buttonhole elastic and also have a flat front.

My only complaint is that the backside is way to big for Oliver. I had to cinch the elastic super tight to get the pants to stay up so now he’s got some funny-looking gathers back there (which thankfully you don’t really notice under a button down shirt). This is my fault because I made him a 3T when based on his measurements he could have fit into a 2T. I would not recommend sizing up on this pattern! Next time I will make the 2T with the 3T length and maybe still take a bit of the rise out of the bum. I think this is only a problem with super skinny little kids (poor O has no bum!) as most people have not had this problem with the pattern.

I was going to make him some chambray shorts for his Easter outfit but now I’m thinking he will wear these pants because it will probably be a bit chilly at our outside sunrise service (hopefully we can get ourselves and both boys out the door that early! lol). The orange button down and shoes are from baby gap as the other part of O’s Easter outfit.

So you see, you can get double use out of this Parcel for your girls and your boys! It’s only available through tonight and then the bundle will be gone forever so go check it out!

spring kcw wrap-up

Posted on April 15, 2014 by oliver's fancy

I’m back for my final wrap-up for spring 2014 Kids Clothes Week. I made a little collage to show off my total clothing counts. Click on the collage to go to a list of all my kcw blog posts.

I really enjoyed the push to make as much of Oliver’s spring wardrobe as possible within a week. I was actually sad to not get more sewing time because I kept getting more tee and short variation ideas.
My main takeaway from this week was how much easier and quicker my serger made things. Don’t know why I waited so long to learn to use it. I even re-threaded it twice! (pats self on back). I also think it took my sewing to the next level and made my clothes look more store-bought. And lest you think I’m a sewing machine (see what I did there? 😉 ) by Monday afternoon, my kcw adrenaline rush had worn off and I collapsed on the couch during the boys’ naptime! I have got quite a busy sewing/blogging schedule the next month though so I am glad to have gotten my energy back today and gotten back into things! I’ll be back on Friday with something fun to share.

spring kcw: red geometric raglan and khaki shorts

Posted on April 13, 2014 by oliver's fancy

Whew, I just barely got in my hour today. With us having church on Sunday, it tends to be a crazy day, and in the past I don’t think I’ve ever gotten my KCW hour in. But I was determined to do it this spring because I had one more outfit I wanted to get done! In taking the photo shoots this past week, I realized that Oliver needed a pair of plain khaki shorts that would match with all his colorful tees. I got this finished right as the sun was going down, and we ran outside to snap a few pics before we lost all our light.

For the shorts, I (yet again) used Dana’s kid shorts pattern with the flat front and patch pockets. I really wanted to do something fun with the pockets and add some piping or bias tape like I did with the numbers one, but then I realized that would defeat my purpose of making shorts to match with every outfit. So they’re kinda a bit boring but practical. At least they have some pockets for treasure-keeping. I may go back and add some patch pockets to the back to give some more interest. The material is from an old pair of Ian’s pants that were in the upcycle bin. We really got some use out of that upcycle bin this week! Glad that I can now justify keeping all those old clothes around “just in case!”

The shirt is one of my faves from this week. (do I say that about every one? lol) I got the abstract geo print from the Fabric Fairy using a gift card (incidentally at the same time I got the stripes for this tee). The fabric is a cotton lycra blend and I really like the weight and feel of it. I have been collecting different types of knits over the last few months and getting a feel for the type I like and the type I am not as fond of (basically not a fan of poly blends even if they are cute).

I used the raw-edged raglan pattern from Sewing for Boys for the tee but made it without the raw edges. I added the white raglan sleeves to break up the abstract print a bit and then freezer paper stenciled the camera. I knew I needed to add the stencil so that my husband would be ok with the tee since he wasn’t a huge fan of the red print. I just knew it would look good though if I used it the right way! Glad my intuition was right this time. And he agreed that it looked cool once it was all finished.

And that’s a wrap for kcw y’all. It was a fun week and I made a lot of cute clothes. I think O’s wardrobe is looking pretty good for this spring/summer. I am surprisingly not burned out from sewing like a mad women, but I am looking forward to not having the photo-shoots/picture editing/blog writing every evening! I’ll be back in a few days with my final thoughts on this kcw and a roundup of all my clothes! Hope you had an enjoyable week, and even if you didn’t get done all you wanted that you learned some things and enjoyed the kids clothes sewing community! Make sure you check out the community website and browse all the fun clothes made this week!

spring kcw: triangle tee and number shorts

Posted on April 12, 2014 by oliver's fancy

Y’all I am in love with these shorts. I know they are just a wee bit crazy, but seriously, soooo cute! Right? Please just answer if you agree with me, ok? 😉 Shorts are made from this fun Citrus Numbers quilting cotton print I got from Tactile Fabrics after winning a giveaway from Sew, Mama, Sew. I wanted to make a few pairs of easy, lightweight play shorts for O, and this fabric just jumped out at me begging me to be shorts. 🙂

I used Dana’s kid shorts pattern again (3T) but this time just did a full elastic waist since they are meant to be play shorts and not dressy. I also happened to have this orange bias tape in my stash, and I think it adds the perfect touch to the shorts. Easy, fun, done. (Boba Fett shirt blogged here)

Shirt is the flashback skinny tee but tweaked just a bit to be color-blocked. Guess I’m kinda into that now, huh? I also added the aqua pocket for just a pop of color. Thanks to all those who weighed in on my IG post asking for advice on this one! Really happy with how it turned out. Triangles are the infamous Girl Charlee triangles- made quite popular after winter kcw and the Bimaa hoodie. Black fabric is from an old dress of mine in the upcycle bin. (Hey, I’m really using this mini me theme, aren’t I?!)

When making the shorts this afternoon, I was really hoping they would match with the tee because I wanted to take pictures of them together, but even O couldn’t pull off this duo! So separate photo-shoots it was. Thankfully he was a good sport about it. And I tried to majorly cull the number of pics I put here so you don’t have complete photo overload of the two outfits. You know, I am actually kinda sad that kcw is over after tomorrow because I keep getting more shorts and tee ideas to make. However, my husband and my house will be very happy when Monday rolls around to be sure!

spring kcw: the mini accountants

Posted on April 11, 2014 by oliver's fancy

Well today I had my first sewing casualty- cut off the end of my finger with the rotary cutter. Not cool. 😦 Thankfully I already had these shirts finished before that happened so I did manage to get my hour in today. Sure hope it heals quickly because it seriously cuts into my sewing mojo. It is also surprisingly hard to type with a bandaged index finger.

My husband recently starting working for a really cool group called The Iron Yard as their bookkeeper/accountant guru. This is a casual/somewhat hipster environment so everyone wears tshirts and jeans. Ian was able to get some extra-large shirts, and he thought it would be fun if I made shirts for the boys from them. I immediately thought how perfect would this be for our mini-me kcw theme- especially if I could get some photos taken of the boys “working” in daddy’s new space. kcw spring 2014= fb tees

I used the trusty Flashback Skinny Tee for the tees. Oliver’s is a 4T and Eliot’s is 18 months. I lengthened E’s by an inch but otherwise they are as-is. Btw did you forget I had another son? I know he’s gotten sadly neglected this week but as the curse of the younger brother, he has so many clothes while O had none. Enter one shirt made for the little brother= mother guilt assuaged for now. Also please ignore E’s blotchy face. My sensitive skinned child is having a reaction to the pollen flying around outside.

Whew, I’m exhausted now. Photoshoots with two kids- not so easy as those with just one! Still two more days of kcw left to go and I’ve got two shirts for sure to show you and I’m hoping for another pair of shorts! We will see. Don’t give up over the weekend- find that hour somewhere!