Ottobre 3-2009-22 Morris necktie

Ottobre 3-2009-22  Morris Necktie

Pattern Description: A real necktie sewn from cotton fabric.

Pattern Sizing: S, M, L

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Looked exactly like the picture.

Were the instructions easy to follow? The instructions were fairly easy to follow. This tie sews together quite quickly.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I really liked how easy it was to make this "real" tie. It looks very dashing on my son (with the vest). I didn't like how short it ended up. I wrapped the pattern pieces around my sons neck and it looked like it would be okay but it ended up too short. I was still useable because it would be under a vest. Only the top would be seen anyway.

Fabric Used: Quilting cotton

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: The first tie I made was a size Large for my son who is about 146 cm tall. When I made a second one for my other son (about 134 cm tall) I lengthened each pattern piece 4 inches. The length was a bit long for my shorter son (we just tucked the small end up inside the bigger end) but would be great for my older son.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I would definitely recommend this pattern. It makes a very nice tie. I am sure that it would turn out nicely in many different types of fabric.

Conclusion: A great tie with added length for taller boys if you want a standard length tie. The shorter is fine if worn under something to keep from peeking out the bottom.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy sewing!

Ottobre 6-2012-38 Herrasmies tweed vest

I know that has been a while since I have posted to this blog.  I cannot belive that it has been almost three years.  So much has happened and of course I am not going to bore you with any of it.   Before my blogging break I was spending more time reading about sewing on other blogs and blogging than actually sewing.  So, I wanted to spend more time focusing on sewing.  But, recently I was searching Pattern Review to get some sewing advice on a few patterns I was interested in making.  I so appreciate all the time that people take to review what they make.  I decided that I really need to get back to reviewing what I make.  It might help someone out someday.  I also really enjoy when people review on pattern review and then link to their blog with more pictures and thoughts.

So, I thought would review some of the great patterns I have sewed up lately.  Right now I probably won't do much more than reviews on this blog.  Once in a while I might do a tutorial.  I have a single welt pocket tute in the works.

So without further ado, here is my review of  Ottobre 6-2012-38 Herrasmies tweed vest.

I loved making this vest.  It went together beautifully!

 

Pattern Description:
The front of the vest is cut from salt and pepper tweed and the back from a satin with slight stretch. Th front is detailed with small watch pockets.

Pattern Sizing:. 128-170 cm

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?. Definitely!

Were the instructions easy to follow?. The instructions were okay. I almost always find that I have to read Ottobre instructions a couple of times to understand them. The most confusing part for me was the order of stitching the shell and lining so that I could turn it inside out. It took me a bit but I finally figured that you stitch the shell and lining together at the neckline, front, and front bottom. Then you stitch the armholes. Now, you turn it inside out and THEN you sew up the side seams. Lastly, you pull the bottom through a hole you leave in the lining side seam and sew up the bottom. (I made three sleeveless garments using this method and only on the third one did I remember to not sew up the side seams.)

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?. I really liked how easy the welt pockets were to make. I was a little apprehensive at first so I made a sample. The sample went together so beautifully I plugged on with the real thing.

Fabric Used:. Wool flannel from Pendleton for the shell, a stretch cotton for the back and Ambiance lining.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:. I made two of these vests. One the back was stretch cotton and the other was all wool. This turned out to be quite short. I just went with the measurements and made the size that should fit my older son. I didn't actually measure the pattern for length. Silly me! Luckily, I could pass the first one on to my younger son and made another one adding 2 1/2 inches for my older son. It ended up working out perfectly.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? This is a great pattern. I loved the look of the vest when it was finished. I probably wouldn't make it in the near future because my boys don't wear dressy clothes very often. But, if they need a vest in the future I would definitely use this pattern.

 This is a close up of the watch pocket.

Hopefully, I will finish that tutorial for this single welt pocket soon.

Thanks for reading!

Happy sewing!

Ottobre 01-2005-22 T-shirts For My Boys

My boys have been wanting me to make them something and I have tons of high-tec knits in my stash so I decided to make them some long sleeve t-shirts. Of course I headed straight to my Ottobre mags to find just the right shirt. This was a great t-shirt. It was very easy to sew up and my boys love the fit. I ended up making 3 (the other one is black with grey contrast) and my son who is in the pictures wants more. I think I am done with this shirt for now. Some short sleeve shirts are in order now. Summer is coming and it might be warm enough to wear them. :)

Pattern Description: Long sleeve t-shirt with shoulder yokes cut from different fabric. Bound neckline and contrast cuffs.

Pattern Sizing: 104-128
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, my garments looked like the picture.
Were the instructions easy to follow? I found the instructions were pretty easy to follow. I did have to make sure that I marked the shoulder line. More of the contrast goes to the front than to to back. The first shirt I made I attached the shoulder incorrectly. I put more of the contrast in back. For the other shirts I made sure I marked the shoulder line well.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? It was a great pattern. It went together pretty well. I didn't understand why they put in a zipper. I didn't put one in my shirts.

Fabric Used: high-tech knit from Rose City TextilesPattern alterations or any design changes you made: I removed the zipper. I also used contrast knit fabric for the shoulder yoke instead of the woven the pattern called for.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? DEFINITELY! My youngest son has asked for another one.
Conclusion: Great t-shirt pattern. I like the interesting detail on the shoulders. The shirt sewed up very quickly.

Just thought I would leave you with two more pictures. This shows what Alaskan kids do on the first nice day that comes along after a long winter. It is sunny, 45-50 degrees outside, there is still snow on the ground and my kids are having a water balloon fight. My kids are so anxious for summer. Can't you tell. :)

Thank you for stopping by. Have a great day!

Until next time...

Another "Sweet Sunday" Ruffle Dress

I made this one almost the same as the last one for my niece. You can go here to see that review. The only change was in the sleeve bands. I made one continuous band instead of having a tie. I tried to make a tie but the velvet ribbon I used for the band was too bulky. I really like the simple band.

Ottobre 6/2009 #23

Sleeve Band

I love the fabric for this dress. I picked it up at Joann's a few months ago. They actually had quite a few nice corduroy prints this fall but this one jumped out at me and said take me home. I couldn't resist. My daughter really likes the print too which is a plus.

I am now working on a shirt that was supposed to be part of my wardrobe. I might have it finished in the next couple of days. It has been slow going. Hopefully I can get to fit right.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day!

Until next time...

A Christmas Dress for My Niece

I made a dress for my 6 year old niece for Christmas. I immediately loved the picture of the "Sweet Sunday" Ruffled Dress in the Winter '09 Ottobre magazine. I knew that I just had to make this dress. I thought this would be a perfect style for my niece. I liked how the pattern was so unusual. I had so much fun making this one. I want to make another one for my daughter in a bit more sophisticated fabric. She absolutely did not like the picture once she saw it but I had her try on the one for her cousin and really liked it. YEAH! I get to make one for her too.

Front
Back

Note: You might be interested to know why my son is modeling this dress. It was part of his punishment. He decided to mess around with a permanent marker (which is not allowed for obvious reasons) while his brother was trying on the dress for me to check the fit (my youngest is about the same size as my niece who doesn't live nearby). I think you can imagine what happened next. YES! He got black permanent marker on the dress! I am sure you know how upset I was. He missed out on going to a movie with his grandparents and had to model the dress. BTW, I was able to get out most of the marker with rubbing alcohol. You would have to look very close to see the disaster.

On to the full review:

Ottobre 6/2009 #23

Pattern Description: A girls dress that has a well fitted bodice in contrast to the fullness of the skirt with its three overlapping ruffles.
The sweet ruffled dress is sewn form velveteen. The bow, sleeve bands and neckline trim are cut from shiny satin. The underskirt of the dress, to which the two lowest ruffles are attached is also cut from satin. The sleeve edges are gathered to bands the ends of which are tied in bows. The dress has an invisible zipper on the back.

Pattern Sizing: size 92-128 According to my niece's measurements she was a 116 chest and waist with a 128 waist. I made a 122 and I thought it ended up a little big. I think this dress is kind of roomy.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? My dress looked very much like the pictured dress.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes they were easy to follow for an Ottobre pattern.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I really like the style. It is different than what you see in RTW but yet very RTW looking. I immediately love the shape of the neckline.

I did have a little difficulty stitching the middle layer to the satin because it so slippery. Before I read the instructions completely I thought the skirt was 3 separate full layers. I was disappointed it wasn't because I wanted to take off the top two layers to make a less ruffly dress for my daughter who didn't like the frillyness. They way they have you construct the dress makes for far less bulk and probably more twirliness (is that a word?).

Fabric Used: I used a stretch cotton woven fabric that I picked up from the back wall at Denver Fabrics.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I didn't add the bow. I also used knit for the neckline ruffle and the sleeve bands. By using this heavier fabric I couldn't tie the bands into bows. I had to just knot them and cut and resew the ends so they weren't so long. My neckline ruffle falls forward a bit so I had to tack the facing down.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Definitely! I already have the fabric and permission from my daughter to make one for her.

Conclusion: I love how cute this one turned out. It is so different and stylish. LOVE IT!

Thank you so much for stopping by! Have a great day.

Until next time...

PR Wardrobe Contest Fall '09

I never thought I would be doing something like this. Before I never thought that I would have enough coordinating fabrics to make an actual wardrobe. The other day I decided to read through the contest discussion. I was so inspired by all the fantastic wardrobes. It looked like so much fun. I thought it might be fun to take a peek through my stash and see if I could pull together something that would resemble a wardrobe. Surprisingly, I was found enough coordinating fabrics to make up a fun wardrobe. I got a few of my favorite fabrics in the mix and some that have been in my stash for years. I am very excited to make the Ottobre and Burda pants.

This wardrobe is a huge challenge. Every pattern is new except for Jalie 2804. Even though this is very ambitious I wanted to end up with a wardrobe that I was proud of and very excited to wear. I didn't want to pick easy things just to get everything completed by the end of the contest. I will be so happy with myself if I get them all finished. I am going to try very hard to get it done by the contest end on November 30th.

The requirements:
5 tops
4 bottoms
1 topper

All tops and topper must go with all bottoms.
There must be at least one print.

I think my wardrobe fits these requirements. I still need one more bottom (brown cord skirt I think). I am up in the air with the topper. Burda 8-2009-119 was originally going to be the topper. It will go over everything except the pink fleece. I might go with a brown check wool coat.

I am off to get started and trace some patterns. It all seems so overwhelming right now. I just need to get started.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day.

Until next time...

Ottobre 6-2008-38 Color Me Happy Quilted Jacket Finished (Finally!)

Finally I was able to get a picture of my daughter in her coat. I didn't want to post without her so I waited. All the rest of this post was written on Tuesday just after I finished.

It feels like I have been working on this one forever. I know in reality I haven't but it sure feels like it. I think it turned out very nicely and my daughter really likes her new jacket.

Actually, finishing this one is very satisfying. This is one of a very few projects that was a real need to make. My daughter really needs a fall jacket. This wasn't simply something that I wanted to make. It was a necessity to clothe my family and that makes me feel great about my ability to sew.

This project turned out to be quite tedious. Since I didn't line it I had to finish all the seams. I wanted to make sure that the inside looked very nice since I know my daughter will be tossing it hither and thither. The way I chose to do it, I ended up sewing up each seam three times. Talk about making a project take longer! PHEW!

Here is my full review:

Pattern Description: Ready-quilted fabric with vivid zig-zag pattern inspired us to design this winter jacket for schoolgirls. It is equally suitable for city wear and ski slopes. The pockets are inserted in the panel seams and there is a zipper down the front. The collar can be worn either up or folded down. The jacket is lined with slippery outerwear fabric.

Pattern Sizing: 128-170 I made a size 128. I did make the shoulders a little wider since my daughters shoulder measurement was quite a bit wider than the size 128. I also lengthened the sleeves.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? It looks very much like the picture. Were the instructions easy to follow? I only used the beginning of the instructions for the shell since I made it without a lining (I didn't have any). They seemed pretty straight forward.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? The construction of the pocket was explained very well. I was able to get some nice looking pockets without any trouble.

Fabric Used: Polyester quilted/embroidered fabric from Joann's

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: I didn't line the jacket. Instead I finished all the seams. I used a mixture of trims because I kept running out of stuff. I had quite a few yards to begin with but you need a ton to do this. I think I had 5 yards of teal FOE, 5 yards of woven foldover and still had to bind the hem with fleece.

Inside Front
Inside Back

Finishing all the seams was not too difficult but it was tedious. Every seam ended up being sewed three times. It took a while but the result was nice. To do this I: 1. Sewed the seam. 2. Sewed the FOE (flattened out) right along the very edge on top of the seam. 3. Folded down the FOE and the seam allowance and stitch right along the very edge of the other side so the seam allowance was completely covered. I also "bound" my zipper (and pockets) with woven foldover. This was simple. I just sandwiched the fabric and the zipper in the foldover.

Bound Zipper


Topstitching

My other alteration was to take out 1" from the height of the collar. I didn't think that my daughter would want it up past her chin. By taking out some height it became a length that was more comfortable for her.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I would recommend this pattern. I think it turned out very good. I may or may not sew this again. It was a nice pattern and it is not so distinctive that you would know it is the same thing out of different fabric.

Conclusion: I am pleased with this jacket. It was tedious because of the way I constructed it. But even the instructions have you topstitching most of the seams. It is simple yet striking.

While I feel like this jacket took a lot of time it really was quick to sew up as far as making jackets goes. I am very happy with it and so is my daughter!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day.

Until next time...

Brown Velveteen Pant--Ottobre 4-2007-32

This is the first pair of Ottobre pants I have ever made. I know that I already posted my son's pants but I made these first. It just took me longer to get pictures of these. These pants were quite a project. They weren't really difficult. They just took careful precision in order to make them look great. I really enjoyed the challenge of making these. I think this is the first real pair of pants (jean, cargo style) I have ever made (I am not counting easy elastic waist pants).

This is my daughter again on her first day of 4th grade. She is wearing the Velveteen pants along with her tunic top I already posted about.

While making these I used techniques that I have never done before in order to be very precise. In order to place the back pockets in the correct position I used tailor tacks. Prior to this project I never wanted to bother with using these to mark my fabric because they were time consuming. This time I didn't want to mark up my fabric with anything so this was the best option. The other thing I did was thread trace my darts. Again, I never bothered thread tracing due to taking too long. It really didn't take too long and it made the darts so easy to sew.

There was quite bit of topstitching on all the seams and pockets but it sure made the pants look great. It is difficult to pick up all the details in the pictures. I tried to lighten up the pictures enough so you can see the details. The actual color is a dark chocolate brown.

Ottobre 4-2007-32

Pants Front

Pants Back

Pattern Description: These pants are pepped up with lots of topstitching, bar tacks and bottom-leg trims with rows of buttons. The back-pocket facings and facings for the leg-pocket flaps are cut from printed floral cotton poplin. the knee panels are gathered at the sides, both for looks and added comfort.

Pattern Sizing: 134-158 I made a 134 width and 146 length. I knew this would be big in the waist but thought I would put in an adjustable waist band.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? My pants looked just like the picture.

Were the instructions easy to follow? They were fairly easy to follow. I had a little bit of trouble with the fly zipper because no measurements were given.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like all the details in these pants. The pockets are so cute.

Cargo Side Pockets
Back Tulip Pockets

I was even successful with the tulip back pockets with their method of application. I found it was important to edgestitch very close to the edge so that my light colored facing fabric didn't show at the edges.

Fabric Used: Polyester that is like velvet on the right side and slippery on the wrong. It is a very drapey fabric. I am not sure the exact name for this fabric.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: I didn't add the bottom leg trim. I also didn't follow their instructions for the waistband. I stitched the waistband and top of pant right side together and turned to inside. Then I stitched knit binding on the bottom edge of the waistband,turned it to the inside and then stitched the waistband from the right side to finish it off.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I would certainly recommend this pattern. It makes an awesome pair of pants that look very RTW. I didn't think these were difficult but I did have to take my time and be as precise as possible.

Conclusion: The extra time put into these pants was well worth the great result. Attention to detail is very important for making these pants a success.

These are great pants I probably will make another pair. Next time I will remember to put in the adjustable waist before topstitching the whole thing. They are a little big on my daughter now. I took some large tucks in the waistband in order to get them to fit her. You can't see the tucks at all since her shirt is so long.

Thank you so much for stopping by! Have a wonderful day.

Until next time...

Funky Flower Tunic--Ottobre 4-2007-31

This is another pattern that I have been wanting to make for quite a while. I thought this would be a perfect first day of school outfit-short sleeve since it is still kind of summer and cute pants. I will write about the pants in a later post. My daughter really like this and was actually excited for me to finish. Here she is on her way to her first day of 4th grade.


Ottobre 4-2007-31



Pattern Description: The tunic with sweet puffed sleeves can be worn on its own or paired with a turtleneck. a single-jersey belt tied around the raised waistline highlights the empire cut of the tunic.

Pattern Sizing:116-152

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes! Mine was longer because I added length.

Were the instructions easy to follow? This is very simple to put together so I didn't use the instructions too much. The seemed very easy to follow when I read through them.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I liked the styling.

Fabric Used: Knit blend probably poly, rayon or something. It is a thin knit that is very drapey. This pattern would work well with many different types of knit from lightweight to heavier. I bought it from the Michael Levine upstairs room full of boxes of extra fabric in Los Angeles, CA.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: None

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes I would sew this again. It is very cute.

Conclusion: A very quick top to sew up that turns out very well. I like the longer length so my daughter can wear it with the pants (I also made the ones pictured with this tunic in the magazine) or leggings.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a great day!

Until next time...

Ottobre "Kalle" Outdoor Pants

I have been very busy the past few days sewing, sewing, sewing. My children started school today and I finished some things for them to wear on their first day. This first post will be about my son's pants. There will be posts to follow the next couple of days about my daughter's outfit.

My 7 year old son told me a week or so ago that I needed to make something for him. Well, of course I am going to make something for him. Ottobre has so many awesome patterns for boys so I turned there first. Actually, I knew exactly what I was going to make for him. I had been wanting to make these pants for quite a while. While I was in Portland in March I made sure I went to Rose City Textiles because I wanted some fabric for these pants. I ended up finding some fantastic dark grey Supplex in the Annex.

Ottobre 4-2008-24 "Kalle" Outdoor Pants

Front
Back

I thought these would actually be harder than they really were. This project took me about 7 hours from tracing to completion. This pants were a joy to make even though the side seams and hip pockets had 5 rows of topstitching and all the other places had three.

Front Pocket and Topstitching

I am actually in awe that I finally made a pair of awesome boys pants from Ottobre. I can't wait to try another pair.

My complete review:

Pattern Description: The pants sewn from lightweight outerwear fabric have logs of beautiful details, including pleats on roomy back pockets, knee pleats on pants front and bar-tacks stitched with contrast-color thread. They also have multiple topstitching in various colors.

Pattern Sizing: 104-134 My son is taller and thin (his height is b/w 122-128 with his waist/hip between 104-110. Thank goodness for multiple pattern sizing. I cut the top at 122 with the width 116. Then I cut out 128 at the bottom. The pants ended up fitting him great. Next time will cut all length 128.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? My finished product looked very much like the photo except my knee pleats don't hold in quite as well. They still look good though.

Were the instructions easy to follow? The instructions were good. These seemed to be more detailed than some other Ottobre instructions I have used.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I love these pants. They have such great details. I love the pleats and all the topstitching even though it took a bit of time the effect was well worth the time.

Knee Pleats

Back Pocket Pleats

Fabric Used: Supplex from Rose City Textiles in Portland, OR

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: I didn't change anything except I didn't put on the belt loops.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? This was a fun pattern to make. I love how the details you spend time on really make a difference in the look of the garment. I would (and probably will) definitely sew these again. They didn't take too long and look great. It took me about 7 hours from tracing to completion (a lot less time that I originally thought).

Conclusion: Fantastic pant and my son really likes them so they are a definite winner.

Thank you so much for stopping by! Have a great day.

Until next time...

Garments in My Sewing Queue!

While I have been sick I haven't been sewing but sickness certainly didn't stop me from thinking of sewing. I decided to go through my Ottobre and Burda mags and make a list of the garments that I wanted to sew up. As I was going through I limited myself to only picking patterns that I most likely have fabric now to use. This is the measly list that I came up with. Note: This list does not include Jalie or my big 4 patterns.

For my kids:

Ottobre 3/2004
#22 pants for my boys

Ottobre 1/2005
#29 high cross front shirt for daughter

Ottobre 1/2006
#37 eyelet cross over sleeveless blouse
#16 basic dressier pant for daughter

Ottobre 4/2006
#16 Star hooded fleece sweatshirt for son
#17 slim corduroy pant for son
#23 trench coat
#31 T-shirt with cross neckline for daughter
#32 hooded vest for daughter

Ottobre 5/2006
#33 belted jumper
#32 shirt with cute shirring on the sleeve

Ottobre 4/2007
#21 Jacket with shawl collar
#20 elastic waist a-line short corduroy skirt
#29 denim pant for boys
#34 hooded sweatshirt w/ front pocket for daughter
#32 velveteen pant/ jean--finished
#31 tunic w/belt--finished

Ottobre 4/2008
#26 raglan t-shirt for boys
#24 cool pants for outerwear fabric for son--finished
#35 shirtdress w/belt
#38 raglan t-shirt with hood for son

Ottobre 6/2008
#29 sweater with mock button up shirt for son--finished
#26 outerwear vest for son
#36 jacket w/sweater knit for daughter
#38 light outerwear jacket for daughter

Ottobre 1/2009
#22 raglan t-shirt w/contrast long sleeve and cuff for son
#18 t-shirt w/ contrast yoke, sleeve, and shirred front for daughter
#35 tunic with button front
#32 leggings
#24 polo shirt for son

Ottobre 3/2009
#33 flared t-shirt with criss-cross in back
#24 t-shirt for son with contrast cuff and stripe on shoulder
#27 t-shirt w/polo color for son
#19 jersey jacket w/gathered yoke

Burda 8/2009
#139 short plaid jacket
#141 dress
#145 cuffed skirt

For Me:

Ottobre 3/2004
#41 hooded fleece jacket

Ottobre 1/2005
#38 high cross neckline t-shirt
#40 quilted outerwear vest

Ottobre 2/2006
#3 collared pullover shirt
#18 sweater cardigan with tie
# 5 basic button up shirt (no pockets)
#1 v-neck t-shirt

Ottobre 5/2007
#10 jeans
#19 hooded sweatshirt

Ottobre 5/2008
#5 cargo pant
#13 jacket

Ottobre 2/2009
#1 cami

Burda 8/2008
#129 long blouse w/tucks at shoulder

Burda 2/2009
# 107 skirt
# 101 dress

Burda 5/2009
#103 wrap v-neck top
#112 shirt jacket w/zipper
#110 blouse

Burda 6/2007
#129 wrapped top dress

Burda 7/2009
# 122 wrapped top w/tie

Burda 8/2009
#104 ruffled blouse
#119 jacket w/interesting collar
#107 pleated skirt and buttons


Now I certainly don't expect that you did any more than skim through the above list. The only reason that I typed it out is to keep a list for myself. Also, I couldn't believe all the garments that I could make that I already had fabric for. Of course I already knew that I had a large fabric collection (that I don't feel guilty about) but making out this list really put my fabric collection into proper perspective. I guess I really don't need to buy any more fabric for a while. I think that I will keep very busy.

I am so glad now that I didn't do any clothes shopping for my children this year. Earlier this year I purchased some things for really good sales. My plan was to sew up anything they would need. I certainly have the resources.

What have I done so far? Tonight I traced a Ottobre shirt and a pair of pants for my daughter. Tomorrow I will hopefully get around to cutting them out and sewing up at least the shirt and maybe the muslin of the pants. Before I do any sewing though, I have to have my daughter try on all her clothes to see how much she really needs. No need for me to sew up more than she needs when I could be sewing for myself. :)

Wow, what a lot of rambling.

Just so this post isn't pictureless I leave you with a picture of my children climbing on this really neat rotating climbing wall. We went for the first time to Pump It Up, an indoor inflatable playground. They had as much fun on this wall as they did all the big blow up stuff.


Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day.

Until next time...

Update 8/13: My daughter tried on all her clothes. She has plenty! What is a sewing mom to do?! I am going to have to finish her first day of school outfit then sew for my son (who does need some things) and then for me. But I have so many cute things to make for her! I am heartbroken!

I have a question for you moms. Do your children outgrow their clothes because of their width or height? All of my kids outgrow things because of their height. Width wise my kids can wear clothes 3-4 sizes smaller than their height. For my daughter this means that all her shirt sleeves become 3/4 length and she can wear them another year or two. She has had a couple of things in her closet since 1st grade (she is going into 4th). My 7 year old son can wear a size 4 t-shirt or short but needs size 7-8 to be long enough for his arms and legs. How do your kids grow? Are mine weird or just normal?

Ottobre Pekka T-Shirts

I needed another quick t-shirt for my son during their Spirit Week at school for Space Day. I know, that was a long time ago. I am finally getting around to posting about these shirts.

I found some perfect space fabric at JoAnn's. At first it was going to be just another plain t-shirt but then I found the red rib knit at home and decided to make a double sleeve t-shirt. Ottobre had the perfect shirt. I used the Ottobre Pekka T-shirt pattern (04-2008-25). It was perfect.

I made the space shirt for both of my sons. My younger son just had to have something made for him too. Since both boys are the same size around I made them a 122. This length was perfect for my older son but I had to shorten the length for to a 110 for my younger son. Unfortunately, I forgot to shorten the arms also for my younger son so they are a bit long. I could still do it but probably won't. They are fine rolled up. Sorry, I don't have a picture of my younger son in this shirt but it looks exactly like this one. They both like these shirts and actually wear them!


I also had this striped fabric laying around that I thought I would use to make the same shirt since it also went with the red rib knit. I didn't like the result that much (I don't think my son actually likes it that much either. He hasn't worn it yet and I had to beg him to put it on for a picture). I decided to embroider the front to give a bit more interest. Whoops! Something happened while I was embroidering my older sons shirt and I ruined it. I only partially messed up my younger sons shirt. He can still wear it but it certainly isn't my favorite. A solid sleeve would have been much better.



Full Review:

Pattern Description: The long-sleeved two-in-one T-shirt combines solid colored and striped interlock knit. It has double layer sleeves.

Pattern Sizing: 92-128 I made a 122 for both sons in the width and shortened to 110 length for the younger son.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes

Were the instructions easy to follow? They were very easy to follow.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I liked the easily the double layer sleeves went together. The whole shirt was very easy to put together.

Fabric Used: For the older son I used an inexpensive waffle knit. For the younger son I used an inexpensive maybe jersey knit. The contrast red in both shirts is rib knit.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: I bound the short sleeve edges in the rib knit and I did not put the stripes on the short sleeves.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? DEFINITELY!!

Conclusion: This is a fantastic basic shirt. You can do so much with this style shirt. You can use this pattern over and over as a basic starting point and make many different looking shirts. I will get tons of use from this pattern. Oh, next time I would be more careful not to pull the binding too tight on the sleeves.

Thank you so much for stopping by. Have a great day!

Until next time...

Ottobre Kaiku Cross Front Tunic

My first attempt at an Ottobre pattern was this tunic. It is from the Fall 2008 issue (4/2008). Tracing out the pattern was not as crazy as I thought it would be. The lines were fairly easy to follow. The instructions were good too. I picked this because I thought it would be fairly simple to put together and didn't have too many pieces. Remembering to add seam allowance was a little challenging and I had to catch myself a couple of times. But all in all it was a great project and I am excited to try another pattern. I have so many planned.

My review:

Pattern Description: Long sleeve cross front tunic for girls with contrast neckline binding, waistband and cuffs.

Pattern Sizing: 116cm-152cm: My daughter is tall and thin so her measurements were not even close to fitting into one size. I made the size 122 width with size 134 body length and size 140 sleeve length. The finished garment fit her perfectly. Their pattern sizing seems to be very accurate.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? yes

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes. I picked this to be my 1st ottobre pattern because I thought it would be fairly straightforward. The directions were clear and easy to follow. I liked the detailed directions when to use a sewing machine straight stitch and when to use the surger. I might not have done it their way originally but I am glad that I followed their directions because I liked the finished product.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I liked the clear instructions and the method of gathering with the elastic at the edges of the bodice.

Fabric Used: A very slippery knit that I purchased in a remnant box so I do not know the fiber content. The black binding was a cotton poly blend from Joanns that did not have as much stretch as the main fabric. Due to the different stretch fabrics I had some challenges.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: None yet. I think that I will stitch the front piece to the back piece of the bodice from where they cross to the side seam. This seems to sag a bit on my daughter.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Definitely. My daughter loves the shirt even though is is a bit wonky.

Conclusion: Next time I make this I will make sure that I have two fabrics that have similar amount of stretch or if not I will add length to the neckline binding, and waistline. On this shirt the contrast had to be stretched to fit too much. This caused a bit of puckering. It works but not as nicely as it could it the fabrics were more similar.

Oh yes, a picture. My daughter is being a goof and so the shirt does not look its best but oh well, you get the idea.
I love this fabric. It is so fun but it was a huge challenge for me to work with. I have never sewn with something so slippery. My surger had quite a time keeping it under the presser foot. I used my coverstitch machine for the hem and boy did I have trouble keeping it straight. In fact, the hem is quite hilarious. You can't really tell because it is such a drapey fabric.

I bought this in LA from Michael Levine's remnant store across the street from the regular store. Shopping there was quite an experience. I only had a few fabric shopping hours in the LA garment district so I want to make sure that I spent time in good ones (Christina blogged about the fabric stores they went to after the LA PR weekend which gave me good direction). My mouth dropped as I walked in the door to the upstairs store. It was a large room and the floor was covered with large boxes FILLED with fabric remnants. The was barely room to walk between the rows of boxes. I was like a kid in a candy store. It was all $2/lb. It took me a bit to get over my shock of all that fabric. After about a half hour of casual digging I really got into it. I found quite a few fabrics (some great knits which was what I really wanted to find) and only paid $25. I wanted to go back so bad later in the trip but unfortunately I ran out of time. I will be back though. I don't know when but I WILL BE BACK!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a great day!!

Until next time...