Why I sew

Posted on May 19, 2014 by oliver's fancy

I”m over on the Kid’s Clothes Week blog today talking about why I sew and sharing some details on my sewing journey. Here’s a sneak peek of what I say…click on over for the full post…

“Why would I make that when I can go to Target and buy it for$10?” “That’s nice for you, but I don’t have time to sew.”
“How do you find time to make all those things?” “That’s a lot of work. Not really worth it in my opinion.”

Have you heard any of these? I get these questions from people quite regularly as a matter of fact. I have a few sewing friends in town, but not many. Many of my friends and acquaintances appreciate the sewing I do, but from afar. They just don’t quite “get” me. Ya know what I mean? That’s what I love about this online community. There are so many like-minded people who totally understand my fabric hoarding tendencies, crazy urge to sew last-minute gifts and messy house because I’ve spent all week sewing kid’s clothes.

Go here to read the rest of it…

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!

KCW Spring 2014 Day 1: A Mini-Me- The husband version

Posted on April 7, 2014 by oliver's fancy

Ok y’all I am getting really pumped about this Spring’s KCW because I am having so much fun coming up with ideas for O’s summer wardrobe. Today I tried out Dana’s shorts pattern and give it two thumbs up. Seriously, it makes short-making a breeze. I love a good basic pattern with multiple variations where you can make quite a few pairs and they will all look different. Also I am using my serger on clothing for the first time this week, and it has changed my life! Why did I wait so long to learn how to use it? The first thing I did when husband came home was show him the inside of O’s shorts because they look so stinking profesh! I must say he was suitably impressed- or pretended to be at least to make me happy. 😉For the shorts, I used an orange seersucker from Joann. I made Oliver a 3T (without measuring him- living dangerously, I know) and ended up cutting off about 1/2″ off the bottom. Other than that, they fit perfectly. This pair is made with a flat front and lined patch pockets cut on the bias. They really are the cutest shorts. My husband wasn’t so hot on the fabric when I brought it home, but he gave the completed shorts two thumbs up. I’m just pumped you can’t tell they are handmade. These were so easy to make that I may never buy another pair of kid shorts again! It’s gonna be #makealltheshorts. KCW Spring 2014

KCW Spring 2014 In keeping with our mini-me theme, the shirt is an old t-shirt of Ian’s that had gotten too small for him after many washings. Mini-me in my case will most likely equal mini-husband (that’s ok, right?). I sized up my trusty Flashback Tee pattern into a 4T because this fabric does not have much stretch in it. It definitely gives him some room to grow, but that’s good since I want this to fit all summer. However if I use some stretchier knit for his next shirt, I think I will go back down to the 3T. In addition to using my serger to finish off the seams, I also took Rae’s advice and bought some stretch thread for the hems. It was very easy to use, and I love the look of the straight stitch on the neckline instead of the stretch stitch that I’ve used before. KCW Spring 2014

I really wanted to get some pics of Ian and Oliver together with their coordinating converse tennies and graphic tees to cement the mini-me theme, but, alas, tax season is finishing strong over here, and I doubt he’ll have time to get in on any photo shoots. 😦 I’ve got a few more mini-me items up my sleeve though so I’m hoping for at least one group shot of all my boys before the week is out! KCW Spring 2014 How about you? How has your week begun? Any completed projects to show or still tracing patterns and cutting out fabric? Can’t wait to finish up this post and go peruse the KCW site and IG pool!

WIP Wednesday: A dress, a quilt, and some fabric piles for inspiration

Posted on April 2, 2014 by oliver's fancy

So the sickies hit our house this week and the kids and I have been down for the count. I’m going to apologize in advance that all my pictures are IG pics. Just the way life is sometimes. So many projects brewing in my mind, and so little time to get them done! I am *almost* finished with my second Bianca– this one is going to be my Easter dress! I just have a teensy bit left on it and hope to finish that and get some pics for you by this weekend. Here’s a sneak peek from my IG feed (@oliversfancy). I took the plunge and cut into my Nano Iro double gauze! And its gonna be awesome!

I am also hoping to finish the binding on Oliver’s quilt this week so I can finally cross that project off my list! Can’t wait to show you the finished product. Btw did you know that quilt and myself made it into our local paper? Yep, I am now famous. 🙂 A reporter came to check out our quilt guild at the March meeting and ended up using my picture for the front of the article. Pretty cool. I ran out and got the last copy of the paper at a gas station and think I shall frame it in my craft room. Hey, my first time in print has to be special, right? Here’s a link to the article if you want to read it.

my attempt at a picture of the actual newspaper article.

Don’t forget, next week is Kid’s Clothes Week! I’ve been making all kinds of plans in my head and am getting antsy to begin. My goal is to have all my patterns prepped and fabric cut out by Monday morning so I can spent next week sewing. Here’s my IG capture of my new knits purchase…got some pretties from Girl Charlee in preparation for KCW. I also took the plunge and bought Dana’s shorts pattern since it came highly recommended from my sources. And last, but not least, I bought some stretch thread after Rae recommended it so highly. I’ll be sure to let you know how these all work out for me.

As I was writing this post, it unintentionally morphed into a WIP post…funny how blog posts take on a life of their own, huh? So I’m linking up over with WIP Wednesday at freshly pieced for the first time today.

Spring 2014 KCW Plans

Posted on March 14, 2014 by oliver's fancy

Did I mention that I am a contributing blogger for this Spring’s KCW? Well I am, and I’m very excited to be there! Today I’m over on the blog talking about my plans for April’s challenge week. Yeah, I know April seems like forever away, but in reality, the next KCW is only a few weeks away! I discovered that I like the push to plan in advance this time because it takes me a while to think through what patterns I have and what clothes my kids need. Now I’ve done all the hard work of pre-planning and can just have fun sewing during the challenge week!

If you are interested to see my sewing list head over here to the KCW blog to check it out…plus you get to see this adorable picture of Oliver that I had forgotten about. Funny story behind this picture- I was searching google for a pattern picture of the raglan tee from Sewing for Boys and my own picture turned up in the search results. Why I guess I could use my own picture, couldn’t I? 🙂 FYI this picture is from Fall 2012’s Project Run and Play sewalong…you can read all about it here if you’re interested.

Kid’s Clothes Week Final Wrap-Up

Posted on February 3, 2014 by oliver's fancy

Days 5-6: I spent so much extra time finishing up the Bimaa hoodie on day 4 that I kinda burnt myself out, so I took a bit of a break for 2 days- figuring 3 hour’s work on one day = 1 hour of work on 3 different days.
Day 7: I wanted to finish strong this KCW so I managed to find an hour on Sunday and pulled together these Valentine’s Day shirts for the boys. I made some Valentine’s outfits for the shop a few weeks back and felt bad that the boys didn’t have their own versions. Love how these turned out, and I think they’ll be pretty cute in them. This was the perfect, quick and easy final project. Sorry I wasn’t able to get a picture of them wearing the shirts so an Instagram picture will have to suffice.

My final wrap-up thoughts:
I wanted this KCW to be about experimenting with different knit fabrics. Especially when buying online, you really have to know your knits or you will end up with the wrong type for your project. I have done some upcycling with knits in the past but not much with knits bought from the store. I really enjoyed this learning curve and am inspired to do more playing around with knits in the future. They are not nearly as scary as they are made out to be. 🙂 Plus they normally result in practical, comfortable clothing for the boys.
Some tips that I have discovered when sewing with knits:

Use your walking foot- so helpful!!
Lower your pressure foot pressure (keeps the fabric from getting all wavy while sewing).
Always use some sort of stretch/ballpoint needle.
If you want a good resource for knit helps, check out Rae’s Kniterviews– solid gold mine there!

Here’s my collage of finishes from this past week: clockwise-beginning with top left: Valentine’s Tees, Flashback Tee and Fancy Pants Leggings, Bimaa 2, and Bimaa 1

Go check out the Flickr group and KCW website to see all the other goodness that was made last week. There’s some pretty amazing things in there. Looks like the Bimaa was the project of choice this time around. I think it’s always fun to see which pattern is going to be the popular one during the week. And that’s a wrap until spring. What were your thoughts this KCW? Did you get to all your projects on your list? Next up on my agenda: serger and knitting classes. I’ll be sure to keep you informed of my progress in each 🙂

KCW Day 4- Bimaa hoodie take 2

Posted on January 30, 2014 by oliver's fancy

Well you knew I couldn’t just stop at one once I’d been hooked onto the Bimaa train, didn’t you? Here’s another one for Oliver made from some cotton jersey I got from the Fabric Fairy (using a gift card I got from a Sew, Mama, Sew contest).

Since this jersey was similar in stretchiness (or lack thereof) to the triangle fabric from Bimaa 1, I sewed up a 4T this time and I love the fit throughout the body. The hood is a wee bit big- we think he kinda looks like a jedi knight with it pulled up. It doesn’t bother O at all though- in fact, he cried when I tried to take his hood off for a few pictures. If When I make another one, I will probably still make the 4T size but do a 3T in the hood. The hood lining fabric is from an old knit dress of mine that was in the upcycle bin.

O was up from his nap when I was putting the finishing touches to his hoodie, and it was so cute because he kept asking if I were done, so he could put it on and go play in the snow. 🙂 He’s getting the hang of this blogger child thing…and the fact that photoshoots normally come with some sort of bribery. Lol. Ok, you northerners don’t laugh at our pitiful amount of snow on the ground. He doesn’t know any better!

Once again, major photo props to the husband. So glad I have him around to get good pictures for me. 🙂

KCW Day 3: Flashback Tee and Fancy Pants Leggings

Posted on January 29, 2014 by oliver's fancy

nope, pants aren’t hemmed yet…had to get the photoshoot in while the getting was good!

Lest little brother feel neglected, I made Day 3 of Kid’s Clothes Week all about him. This little guy is growing at a faster rate than his older brother, and, as a result, all of his hand-me-down winter pajamas are a bit snug. Why buy more when you can make them? Especially when you have such great fabric sitting around.

E’s top is the trusty Flashback Tee in size 12-18 months. (yes he’s 7 months old, why do you ask? 😉 ) and bottoms are the Fancy Pants Leggings- also in size 12-18 months. This was my first time sewing this leggings pattern, and I can see myself coming back to it quite often to make pj pants and shorts for the boys. I would say this pattern would be great for a beginner because the designer really holds your hand throughout the entire construction process. The only changes I would make next time would be to make the rise higher in the back because it was way too low on E’s big cloth-diapered bum.

And now that I’ve made 3 garments from the same fabric, I think it’s time to move on to something else. I have in mind another Bimaa for O from some cool red/blue stripes I’ve been saving. 4 more days left in this challenge so still lots of opportunities to sew! Make sure you head over to the Flickr pool to see all the fun clothes everyone has been making. Also check out the #kidsclothesweek hashtag on Instagram for even more action shots.