That Whole Two-For-One Special - Starring the Family Reunion Pattern!

Do NOT look closely at the wacko ruffle stitching!!  I twinge looking at it!!  I might have to fix it.

I have to say this straight off - the Family Reunion is an easy cheese cream pie pattern!!!  I like that from Oliver and S, which can be soooo detailed sometimes (which is also great....otherwise, why would Camden's closet be full of their patterns??).  It's funny, now that I have more experience with sewing - and especially with sewing Oliver and S patterns - I'm noticing that there are so many directions I can totally ignore.

Now.

I SAY that, but really, I still take a peek, because I'm that person who misses things alllll the time, so, I like to be extra careful....when I'm actually thinking about it.  And speaking of....with this particular pattern, I certainly DID mess up, as I though the facing pattern pieces were INSIDE the dress, but that was alllll a lie, LOL.  I didn't even know the term "facing" could mean something is on the OUTSIDE. I should go look that up.  The point is that I totally wasted time, thread, fabric and facing by cutting out the facings on shot cotton....because if I'd known it was an outside piece (meaning, if I had even LOOKED at the picture, aha!), I would have used the main fabric, as I wanted these projects to have a pretty clean look.  Suffice to say I decided the shot cotton would work on the dress version - but NOT on the top version, so, I re-cut, etc.

Sometimes, with Oliver and S, I remember to look up errata for a pattern, but I didn't happen to check this time, and everything went together smoothly (minus the facing mis-hap).  Pintucks clearly take some energy, especially because there are NINE just on one garment...and I was doing TWO garments.  So, I assembly-lined that shiz, and all ended well.

I again (I say this alll the time, I know!) used stash fabric.  Well, let's not get hasty - I did that for the top (I just hadn't know for the LONGEST time what to do with the ONE yard!) - but I bought the flower fabric for the dress just last October, actually planning to use it for a coat.  Oops ;)  (And now that I'm thinking on it, wouldn't a VEST for the Art Museum pattern be cute with that???)  I had to purchase new buttons (seriously...I have soooo many great buttons; why does NOTHING ever work for a given project???  I guess y'all should refer to THIS post from last year) today on the cheap - coupons at
Jo-Ann Fabric Store.  Tiberius and Camden helped out, and a nice customer at the store chatted us up while we did picked them out.  (Side note:  I have a beef with Jo-Ann Fabrics.  Why'd you change up the button situation???  I swear they removed a line of buttons and replaced it with an even cheaper-looking line, which is a dreadful thing!)

The only modification I made to the top was to lengthen it by an inch, as I know how that story will end if I do NOT lengthen.  And, as seen in the pictures, I chose to use the button tab for the dress and the ruffle for the blouse.  You may have guessed by now, but I'm not super frilly and into ruffles, so, this was stretching it for me, and I think it works....???  Jazzes it up a teeny bit?

I did my most BANG-UP sewing job EVER on the snaps, too - check it out!  I have a weird thing about sewing on buttons.  I refuse to sew them on by machine, as I think I make a tougher anchor than a machine (I'm weirddddd), and I sort of like doing it, even though I'm straining my eyes and all hunched over (no, seriously, I was pretty sure I threw my back out for a split second while sewing those buttons).  I was super impressed, though, by my snaps.  When you have to use snaps as an anchor point, it can be tricky trying to finagle the sewing of them under a decorative button.  I'm not sure how any of y'all do it, but I want the snaps to be secure....yet not UGLY, right???  Check it out, though!

I am nit-picking over my finish/edge-stitching here, but whatevs, I guess

Size-wise, I did the 5 - at this point, I'm sadly just trying to get things SEWN for Camden, so, fun and fancy isn't in my vocabulary; I didn't want something difficult (I honestly felt bad for NOT using the main print as the facing....and then adding piping with the shot cotton, but I told myself to slow my roll), so, I'm sort of the pumping-things-out mode.  You can see the dress definitely looks big on her, which is obviously no fault of the pattern - but add to it that I used a heavier-weight fabric on the dress, which does that awkward thing where it looks stiff/doesn't quite fit right.  I like to think she'll grow into that.  The shirt fits beautifully, even if the photos on a COLD, WINDY morning don't capture that well.

All in all, a lovely pattern, and I'm glad I sewed two of them - bang for my buck and all ;)  Next up???  Likely the School Photo dress....in HEDGEHOG fabric - holla!

Seuss Rides Again: A Modkid Bailey Romper

For some reason, Camden LOVES the Modkid Bailey romper.  She adored it the first time, and she was super excited when she could change out of her yellow dress INTO this romper.

Circa Spring 2013

The new version is just as fun and was just as easy to sew (I mean unless you count all those annoying rows of shirring, aha!)!

Weirdo girl!

In this 2014 version, I made sure to lengthen the top, as I found the first time, the bodice was too short.  I lengthened it a smidge, and I may or may not have used a smaller seam allowance where the bodice meets the waistband (I also used a 1/4" to 3/8" SA on the cuff attachment).  It fits better than her last one did.  Also, the only other thing I changed was in using a button hole this time around, rather than sewing on lame snaps.  I don't have cool snaps and a snap press or anything, so, when I did it the first time, I wasn't super pleased with the wee metal snaps.  I do NOT love the D-ring, but in Bend, I only have access to Joann Fabrics and the like, so, I used what they had, though I'd prefer a rectangular ring.

As always, I love Modkid patterns, so, I have nothing fancy to say about this one - though I stilllll wish people would stop going PDF-only.  I want more paper patterns :(  Just thought I'd throw that out there, LOL.

Telling me she wanted to pose

Funny how the difference of a chair sure spiffed up that smile!

Josephine and Whitney - So Classy!

aha!

You're all, "Wait, Autumn!  I've seen a Josephine somewhere else recently."

I'm all, "Toooo right!  You have - why just the other day, you saw not ONE, but TWO Josephine dresses."

Today's feature includes the blouse version and the Whitney pants, also designed by Violette Field Threads.  I have allllways loved this outfit, and this is only Camden's second version.  This was pictured in the last blog post, but for your loving eyes, here is another shot:

I talked up the Josephine pattern quite a bit in the previous blog post, but in summary, the button holes make me a bit crazy because of the thickness of the fabric in the button/ruffle band.  I believe I did manually sew the top button hole, rather than using my automatic button hole feature, as I sewed the blouse before the dresses.  Lesson was learned after this :)  This mama does NOT enjoy doing a manual button hole :O  

Your basic Joann Fabric buttons!

You can probably note in the pictures that this year's blouse was definitely sized up, so, it's a good inch too big in the chest, if not more.  I always find it funny how Camden needs to size UP in Modkid and Oliver and S - and others - yet these VFT blouses are quite roomy for it.  I think I did the size 4 this time, but again, I sewed this before Christmas, and finding the pattern sheets right now sounds like NO FUN.

For the Whitney pants, I cut them as follows (this I know, because HEYHEYHEY I GOT TO SEW TODAY!!!):  size 4 rise, size 5 width, size 4 plus 3/4 inch for length.  I also hemmed them at 3/4 inch and the next fold was at 2 inches, so, I could hypothetically let them out if she doesn't exceed the rise (my bad, though - I didn't think about his before hemming them with the machine, as I normally hand-sew the hem when I plan to let something out).  

Sewing these pants is so stinkin' easy, of course - four total box pleats and then a few other seams.  I DID sew the waistband differently than the pattern calls for, if I remember right:  I sew the pants together completely before sewing the waistband in a circle.  THEN I attach it, leaving an opening for the elastic in the back.  I sewed (well, normally, I sew it shut; I forgot this time, aha!)  the opening closed after I do this, and I serged the seam, though I know folding it under would be fancier.  Essence of time and all that nonsense.  VFT calls for the pant's side seams to be left un-sewn; you then sew the waistband on the front and on the back separately.  That sounds NOT pretty to me, LOL.

Also, my first official day back at sewing couldn't go without at least ONE problem:  I did manage to sew a right and wrong side today - AND serge it....nice, LOL.

I promise these were JUST pressed!!!

As for fabrics, I used Aneela Hoey once again - and the pants fabric is a remnant from some Colette Juniper trousers I made a couple years ago (I can't remember the fabric name AT ALL, but it was maybe a cotton/linen blend and is a BEEEYOTCH to cut; it does this weird warping, so, I had to be careful).

Had to show off the freshly painted nails :)

Allllll sadness and coldness

To elicit smiles in the following pictures, I had to ask Camden what kind of face she'd make if she saw certain friends....

This is if she saw Lizzie and Jack

This is if she saw Greta

This is if she gets to see Elora

Siblings, just chilling yesterday!

So.  Since I was able to sew today, that meant the wee boy was fed by his dad and his big sister - how cute!!!

His first bottle

Tired times after that bottle ;)

Truffula WHAT??? A Modkid Quinn!

So, first things FIRST:  I think this dress is beeeeeyond cute!  Second things SECOND:  I think there some details/construction ideas left out in this pattern, which is a first for a Modkid pattern for me.  But I could be nutso; there is always that.

I did do the size 4 in the Modkid Quinn, as chest size-wise (23 inches, finished measurement), it should have been the right choice for Camden.  However, this sucker isn't going to fit her for very long, sadly.  (Interestingly, I feel the back fits quite well - just that the bodice pieces should have come in more, and I'll remember this - I hope! - when I make her next version.)  It's quite snug, and one thing I did to try and fix that problem, though it may have been silly, I suppose, is to widen the button band that is attached to the main dress.  And speaking of this very button band, I do think the attachment method is weird.  From what I understood in the pattern, it is to be attached, right sides together, then turned out, away from the dress - the seam serged...?  Not sure if that was clear.  I chose to attach the button band, widened, as I mentioned, pressing down the back side of the band and top-stitching it closed, after fold it to meet the original seam line.  That is much neater in this sort of situation.

Also, I do think this dress should have called for interfacing, which it did not.  If I had been foreward-thinking when constructing the bodice, I just would have added it, per the norm.  Not sure why I didn't think of it.  I DID think of it when I stared at the skirt, which is ONE layer, and realized I would be attaching BUTTON HOLES to that sucker!  :O  Well, that's no bueno at all, in my humble opinion.  So, I created a wee facing, which isn't the prettiest thing, but it'll do.  My machine would have eaten the fabric ALIVE, wasting Seuss-like resources, if I'd added button holes to ONE LAYER.  (Not sure if you are reading my amazement at this oversight in pattern construction!!!)

So.

Other than those issues and the fit issue, it is SUPER cute.  I'd had this Seuss fabric since the early Spring, I believe, and I'd used some of it on another Modkid pattern, the Bailey, which Camden loves.

I do prefer adding elastic in the arms to get the desired ruffle effect, rather than using elastic thread in the machine - it's longer-lasting, and neater, I find.  The general construction of the dress is clearly super easy, and I have actually had the dress done for a couple weeks, buttttt.....!!!!  I was moping about, thinking I HAD to suck it up and buy buttons from a big chain store, when it came to me!  I messaged Tessa Ann on Etsy to order Lorax buttons - holla and hello!!!  They were able to make some super cute teeny Lorax and truffula tree buttons for the dress, and they came out soooo well-done!

So, I squeezed Camden into this sucker, and she had a grand time, jumping about in the melting snow!

And.....looking at these last several pictures, you can't TELL there is snow, aha!  Maybe a wee bit ;)