Something Flowered and Something Blue - Figgy's and Zonen Combo

I am THIS PLEASED with this outfit!!!

These pants fit Camden so well, and it's one of my best zipper-fly installations (like, the whole shebang, fly-guard, zipper, waistband/button and all!), which really gives it major points.

Also awesome???  Brianne of Ali Cat and Co. sent me this lovely fabric - a blue corduroy and a vintage-looking flowered (super light-weight) fabric.  I knew I wanted to use them together when she sent it to me months ago, and I had the pants cut out a few months ago and only got around to sewing it all up right before Christmas.  So glad it's all done!

I wasn't sure at first which pattern to use for the shirt, and though I know a different pattern would have worked overall better for the fabric and style of the outfit, I chose laziness because I needed it DONE and wanted to use a pattern I already had (always gotta save those duckets, yo).  I will say I am glad I didn't choose something that needed buttonholes, as my machine may have totally eaten the fabric :O  Whew.

The pants and top went together quickly...especially as I had the pants cut out so long ago.  The sewing was nice and easy, and as with the last time, I cut out a pocket facing for the front pockets...wishing I knew a way to do that for the back side.  I'd have to sew up/prep the outer pocket piece and then make a pocket lining after.  I don't like having that raw edge that the directions give you (unless I missed something, aha!) on the inside.  I REALLY want these pants to work for Tiberius in the future, as that was part of the pattern decision-making process for this fabric.  I love the style of the Jacob pants by Zonen, and the directions are great!    As for the fly installation business...????

Clearly not a crazy-detailed picture, but you get the idea!  I hope :O

I kept the Ayashe blouse by Figgy's simple and only used elastic in the sleeves.  The mandarin collar sewing process was about the same as usual.  I always struggle with perfection on getting the corners to sew up nicely.  It will be a great blouse, too, for when the weather returns to normal around here (meaning, HELLO, could we have warmer temperatures any day now???)

Bottom-line, y'all???  A quick sew, and I adore the style - especially with her mittens, aha - and dotted Vans.  Our pairings always crack me up.

Some early January happenings....

Same day as above pictures...Community Day, Monday, January 4, 2016

Practicing from THIS book!

Cats and mice!

Helping dad make fry bread

After-School Pants....AT School!

The After School pants and top by Oliver and S are pieces I've sewn before, and I love the pattern!  This go-round, I made a couple of weird decisions, one of which is totally uncharacteristic of me...both which I regret.

The pattern itself is great.  I'm not sure if there is any errata, but if so, I don't notice it.  I will say it's tricky trying to remember which side of the shirt is the front/which side is the back, as it's such a minor difference.  For the top, I used a lovely lawn (I think it's lawn, anyway) that I had in stash and which was originally meant for pillow cases, aha!  I think I purchased the pants fabric from fabric.com last year.  Overall, it's a pretty light-weight outfit.

I can already tell it isn't a favorite for Camden, which is, of course, a bummer, but she does generally prefer dresses and skirts right now, anyway.  Personally, my least-favorite parts are where I made the horrible choice to use decorative stitching on the back pockets (that is TOTALLY a #whatwasidrinking move, for real).  That choice wouldn't have been TOO bad, except that I had also chosen to use contrast stitching on the pants, which is generally an okay idea - except that the thread is SO loud, compared to the color of the fabric.  I just am overall not happy with these decisions, and I'm a bit sad.  I should have spent the time to go back and rip it all out, but I sadly did NOT.  I'll just pretend that when she's wearing it, nobody will notice  ;)  Also, I totally accept the judging you are doing right now, aha!

WHY??????

Anyway, the pants are a bit long, clearly, but we'll go with it for now, as they basically work when she is wearing her shoes.  And I DO envy her with her new, soft blouse...but I almost think the fabric would be cuter if it's been on a slightly more fitted style.  Ah, well - the outfit of complaints!

Honestly, people...

You might think the camera caught a bad shot, but this is a weirdo face he makes....

On another note - days in the life...

Best rainbow EVER the other day! 

Just put the tree up last night, and the faeries have attacked!

Sewn Up in One Day! A Music Class Set

I'm so glad I had prepped a few projects, tracing-wise and cutting-wise.  It makes it that much easier to start sewing when I push the kids and their dad out the front door.  Last weekend, they went to Skylight Cave for a couple hours while I got my sew on.  I pulled out the fabric for the Music Class top and skirt by Oliver and S.  I feel like it's the third time I've sewn the top, but it's definitely only the second time I've sewn the skirt.

First full incarnation of this outfit...Summer 2013

Other than sewing up the twelve pintucks, LOL, the outfit goes together quite fast.  I love that the skirt is stinkin' cute but super simple.  The top takes longer, of course, as there is hand-sewing at the collar.  I'm not sure if it's my cleanest finish, but I'm always trying to get that placket/collar join better every time I sew it.

I used stash fabric for both items... The Alice in Wonderland print is something I've had for a few years, and there was only a yard, so, I was never quite sure what to do with it, but yay - a solution!  I was originally going to pair the shirt with pink corduroy, but I couldn't handle all that blinding pink in one outfit, aha!

My, my, a little homeschool girl

As always, I lengthened the top by a full size or two, and I did lengthen the sleeves this time, too, even though they're short.

I will have to WAY apologize for the disappearing ink NOT disappearing.... YIKES.  I had "washed" it out before leaving the house for Camden's Community Day, but it reappeared, of course.  And I'm not a magical faery elf creature with fancy photoshop skills ;)

Simple as that, though - easy outfit, cute results, yay for one more outfit out of the way!  I thought I'd get a chance to sew up the Zonen Jacob pants, too, but that didn't happen....maybe this weekend!

And....recent times...

Second week of Community Day

A day at Shevlin Park

Warm for Winter....In Daphne Knickers!

Some sort of Peter Pan thing???

I think this is at least the second time I have mixed up my seasons recently!  My bad ;)  The Daphne knickers by Violette Field Threads are a project I wanted to sew a few months ago, sadly.  And rather than wait for warmer weather once again, I said, "eff it" and sewed them up.  We'll just pretend that it's warm out, of course, then Camden can wear them once again next Spring (as long as her crazy body doesn't get too tall!)

This is my first time sewing this project, and they were super easy.  There is that bit of bias tape to sew into the keyhole, but that worked out rather well, surprisingly.  These can be girlied up or played down a bit, and I took the middle road, I think.  I did NOT do the ruffle at the cuff (though I think it's cute), just to simplify things, but I DID do the ruffle at the waistband.  I LOVE that there are only three pattern pieces - and if you add in the ruffles, you simply have two more.  In fact, if you want to get crazy, you can add side pockets, but you'd have to do a bit of pattern hacking.

As always, it's COLD out

I just used a quilting cotton that was in my stash - and here is me, being lazy and not seeing if I still have selvedge lying around with the fabric line's name.  It is definitely a couple years old, though.  I did the size 5, and I will say the awesome-possum thing is that you can totally get away with not a full yard of fabric.  So....bonus for not needing to run out and spend money - as it's usually more likely you have random fabric in smaller yardage lying around.

One thing that I think is nuts is that the butt seems insanely roomy.  Camden has NO rear end, as I've mentioned, but these are definitely on the roomy side, so, if I was more interested, I would have figured out how to take that in.  Clearly, though, I wasn't that interested, LOL.

Lots of butt wiggle room???

I don't think I had four buttons of the style I used for the cuffs; otherwise, that would have locked the cuff overlap in place a bit better - and would have been cute, of course!  I love those buttons and used them HERE last year.

I will say, also, that I did not follow the pattern as written.  I have no idea if what I did matches up with the directions, but I definitely did the bias tape first, then I sewed the main pants together and added the ruffle TO the pants before adding the waistband.  I wasn't sure about the elastic situation - maybe the directions laid out adding a row of stitching to make a smaller casing (I have NO idea, as I apparently didn't want to read yesterday), but I DID add a row of stitching to the back side to make for a snug casing.

Elissa, over at The Rarest Bird, taught her how to whistle with an acorn top!

Lastly, I sadly did NOT make this shirt.  It's one Matt and I picked up when Camden was - NO JOKE - a BABY.  We have a pair of wool pants to match, but they're still SOOO long (she can't help she's a shortie, yo).  Anyway, she'll outgrow the shirt first, and it was a miracle of miracles yesterday when I realized that we did, INDEED, have a shirt to match the capris/knickers.

Oh, wait!  Speaking of miracles....I organized my patterns yesterday - HOLLA!!!!!  (Honestly, though, this just means they're hopefully in the right binders.)

Also, we visited Portland a week or so ago, and Camden was able to meet up with her Vancouver besties, LOL....

Might as well leave off with a picture of the tiny guy....with his dad!  I'm finishing up his Anders sweater, but I sadly  will run out of yarn before I can finish the second sleeve.  I am a bit annoyed about this.  I tried checking through Ravelry stashes, but to no avail.  I will have to buy a full skein of yarn, though I only need maybe ten. grams, LOL.  Such is life.

This is what Tiberius was doing while the other kids were playing....