Covered in Cats! Oliver and S After School Outfit

Finally, a pair of pants!  Camden has informed me that she pretty much won't wear pants, but I have informed HER that is just silly, as I have a few pairs I need to make her, and I'm sure she'll quickly change her mind as the weather keeps cooling down. 

I last made her this same outfit in October of 2017, it appears, but I guess I never blogged about it, though I have two photos below.  Here is my LAST blog post about the After School Outfit by Oliver and S. 

It is a fun outfit, relatively simple to sew.  The ONLY trick is in remembering which side is the front, LOL.  Labeling during sewing is fine, but I never use labels, and with this particular yoke, it is SO close, the similarity between the front and the back.  I have a secret on this version, though:  my button holes are accidentally a hair too close on the front side, so, it'll be easy for Camden to remember ;)

Other than that, I did lengthen the pants and top, as usual.  I can't recall if I always lengthen the actual pants, but it IS important to remember to lengthen ALL four pants pieces.  I don't know if I failed to lengthen the top side panel, but I had to do some trimming as I was putting the sections together.  Ah, well.  They are a nice length right now - perfect for a bit of growing room without being too long.

I did use a gorgeous fabric from Cotton and Steel, and I knew that would be the trick into convincing Camden to sometimes wear pants - use a cat fabric!

I do feel like I'm oldy moldy - often sticking to old school paper patterns by Modkid or Oliver and S, but y'all, they really are my favorites, and I still wish more people would keep designing in paper.  I am trying to catch up with the times, as you saw in yesterday's post, but it's a work in progress.  Sitting on the floor and taping things together breaks me, LOL.

Here is what we have been up to!

Drawing swords instead of working

Even bad guys and superheroes need sleep

Meeting up with dad and visiting his work

                                      

Response here and picture below of their monsters

Camden's letter to her possible monsters

Music Class Ensemble! For Sewing Class!

Here's the deal!  Poor Camden needs to represent this week!  I may have said so in my last post, but Camden attends a sewing class at Modern Domestic, and it's her FIRST sewing camp, for which we are BOTH excited!  But I was aghast to realize it was coming up so quickly, and not only did she not have a fun Easter outfit, but she didn't have any new handmade clothing for her sewing camp.

First-world trials and tribulations, y'all.

It's rather easy to pull together the Music Class set by Oliver and S, as it calls for low yardage.  I have only ever once made the blouse with long sleeves, and I wanted to say I've made this a few times before, but I can find NO photo evidence of this fact :O  Well...other than the version I made back in 2013.  But I'm going crazy, because I know it exists.  Anyway, I used the Tokyo Train Ride fabric by Cotton and Steel.  I can't recall what I originally bought it for, but it works here, and this seller still has some in stock.  You NEED this print.  Orange does it for me, though, aha!  Samesies with the skirt, as it calls for low yardage, and I'm so crazy with my cutting techniques - which often leaves me with fabric leftovers, and I'm all, "What do I DO with this???"  LOL.  So...good and bad having leftovers.

The pattern itself, as usual, is quick and easy enough to put together.  If you plow through those pintucks and pleats, everything else is a breeze.  This was actually the very last outfit I made before shutting down sewing room operations.  I hope that this time, there isn't such a long stretch between sewing sessions.  When we moved in the summer of 2016, I packed things up in probably May, and then I wasn't able to sew again until November, essentially.  I mean, I guess I could have set up shop at the kitchen table or something, but that is a whole slew of other issues.

I know everyone and his/her mother has made this outfit, as it's an oldy, but if you have NOT, you need to!  I have nothing new and special to say about it, other than my usual:  ALWAYS lengthen Oliver and S patterns for longer wear.  I made the size 10 this time (though an 8 would have been fine), and I lengthened even that, so, since Camden just turned 8 a few days ago, I'm hoping we'll get use out of it until she's partway through her 9th year.  We shall see!

And some days in the life of....

A quick birthday poster before we ditched town!  And she has new sheets for her new room!

More presents from us - and grandma and grandpa!

Grandma prepared a couple of fun posters!

As usual, Matt adds the Darth Vader touch!

When I have kids with me at my massage appointments...

At this point, the fabric is mostly off the shelves, too!

New sewing room!  After trim is finished, I'll go in and paint it up!

LOL at this photo

Gifts from grandma in Michigan!

They always look forward to their singing cards!

New School Duds: Pairing Zonen Jacob with Figgy's Ayashe

SERIOUSLY.

I get TOO happy when I see this outfit on Camden!!  I don't know if you recall, but I made Camden a Figgy's Ayashe blouse back in December of last year, and I maybe mentioned that I'd also made two others....to pair with Zonen Jacob pants (their FB page).

Well, yay - I finally did!  Better late than never???  All is well in the end, as this is the perfect back-to-school outfit.  You can see in the December post that the first blouse will also pair with these pants perfectly.  I was pretty intentional at the time - rare for me, I think.

I'm pretty excited - this pairing, to me, is great - simple and cozy!  I love Ayashe blouses on Camden, and shame on me for having not made Camden a pair of Jacob pants since this pair a year and a half ago.

The pants turned out delightfully, but I subconsciously chose laziness when sewing them.  I didn't include a fly, because, for some reason, I assumed I hadn't on the last pair, and it turns out I HAD.  Ah, well - saved me some time, aha!  I did use a cute contrasting fabric as a pocket liner on the front pockets, though the pattern does not call for a pocket liner on the front OR the back.  I didn't line the back pockets, but I did make sure to fold down the top edge twice, though the pattern doesn't call for that either; it just makes me feel better deep down inside.

I have nothing riveting to say about either pattern, as I've blogged about them both before, but LOOK how CUTE the outfit is - well, either, really!  The pink flowered blouse is a gauze, and the other is a super lightweight fabric - possibly a lawn, but I can't recall.

She needed me to photograph this map she drew from Calvin and Hobbes

I also made sure to sneak Camden's green socks into the photos, too!  And speaking of hand-knit socks, I have a pair on the needles for Camden - and a pair for myself.  I suppose I should search for a yarn to use for Tiberius, but in the meantime, I'm working on the re-knit of the Antler sweater for Tiberius...and a Christmas in July for Camden (first version blogged here).  (I'll soon blog about about a Tallulah I just finished for Camden, too!)  So, I have a lot of plans, but I'd also love to cast on a new shawl soon, and I'm thinking I'll have a hard time, as I'll want to choose yarn first - THEN shawl pattern, which can be tricky for me.

And...basically a DAY in the life - probably our last warm ocean visit for the year!

That face, aha!

And this doesn't do the regional air quality justice...it was BAD...and still isn't great