PAW.1: Hospital Gown Chic

It may, because of the post title, sound like I've got something going on. No. I just made a choice of fabric and then pattern that ended up looking a little more like a hospital gown than actual gown. After looking at this picture you will quickly see the error of my ways.

I love this fabric. It has all the great things going for it. Lightweight, subtle print, chambray! But what to make out of it. I've been sitting on it for about 6 months and was stumped. With the hot weather upon us, and wanting to make something quick (this came together in about 4 hours), I chose to make this shift dress. See, it even says "Very Easy".

I whipped this thing together, serged my edges, and even added pockets. There was some nice top-stitch detail, so I went for a little punch and made it fluorescent yellow. This was a stroke of brilliance as you will see later on. Once I tried it on, the man said it looks like a hospital gown, and I must agree, it did. Maybe a belt.

In the end, I tried a few of my belts and then remembered the fluorescent yellow belt I bought years ago. Yay! It was perfect. The dress came together and was perfect for the hot Seattle day. I gave the belt a twist to hide the buckle, but that skinny little thing pulled this out from a near disaster and waste of such a great fabric.

PAW: Week Zero

I call it Week 0 since I had decided that I was going to start this project and make something for my expectant friend. So this is kinda a gimme. Yay me!

Let me start off by saying that I am so stoked she is having a little girl! I love little boys, too, don't get me wrong. My nephew is the greatest kid I know. But, aside from sewing him a fun costume, boys clothes are basically pants and t-shirts. The creativity comes in with the styling, but the patterns aren't that different. Girls patterns have a lot of pieces and techniques that make them more challenging to create.

That being said, I saw this pattern and knew I was going to make it for someone. I mean, look at the ruffles and the little mary-janes. How adorable.

I think what really spoke to me was the fabric on the package. It isn't overtly girl-y and looked modern. I ended up choosing to make the romper with limited ruffles on the rear, more of a playsuit if you will. But, the tiny bows kill me.

Fabric choice was critical. I was making this for a friend, after all. Ultimately, I ended up with a great cotton quilting fabric. It was a nice non-traditional girls color with great floral. I knew it was perfect. One 50% off coupon later, a couple yards were mine!





So the cutting, pinning, and sewing began. Overall, it was pretty easy to put together. I had to make some adjustments so I could do some finishing with the serger to keep the woven fabric from fraying after washing and wearing. One of the things I got to do was put in snaps. I remembered the story my mom tells about putting all the snaps in our baby overalls and loving it... or at least that's how she recalls it. I'm sure it was the memory of sitting with my grandma and doing it together, not the actual process of squeezing every snap together.

It's the first time I made shoes, too. Those were tough. Keeping all those little pieces in place with sewing through them was a small challenge. I think they turned out pretty cute and I want to make more. Believe me, I have a pattern for that!






































I am so excited to see her baby in this soon, since she is due next week! I will be sure to update with a picture of her in it. I'm nervous and hope it fits (at least for longer than one wear)!

Week One is next and I already know what I'm going to make. Woo hoo!

Pattern-a-week

I have a weakness and it is patterns. If Joann's is having a sale, I go in and buy 10 patterns (or more) at a time. This means that I have a rolling pattern cabinet to rival the fabric store and the fabric to go with it. Btw, if you want a really cool cabinet, check out the Habitat for Humanity Store in south Seattle. They had the best prices.

Starting this week, I'm embarking on a quest to sew at least one pattern a week. That means finding the time, cleaning up my work area, and actually doing it. I'm kinda looking forward to it.

One thing that sewing has taught me over the last few years is that:

1. I really like to do it. Each pattern is like a puzzle that I'm putting together. It may look really weird for a while, but in the end it comes out pretty neat.
2. Technique is important. I like to get "it" done, otherwise it may go into the craft closet of no return. Sometimes I short-cut and the garment never looks quite right. I have learned to take my time, even if that means ripping out a seam (more than once).
3. Sewing for others can be more satisfying than sewing for yourself. I find I spend more time getting the details right if it's more someone else. I also like the reaction of the receiver. There is nothing better than a handmade gift from the heart (oh, my. so corny!)
4. Sergers rock! If you are a sewer and don't have one, save up. I was lucky and got mine as a gift and I LOVE IT! There is nothing like the finishing touches that a serger adds. Keeps all those pesky wovens from fraying everywhere! 

My goal is to improve my skills, one pattern at a time. If in the end I have 52 new things, I'll be pretty stoked. There may be some new tips along the way or some longer term projects that get mixed in (like the quilt I started a year ago). The majority of things that will get done will be from my collected patterns, but I'm open to requests, if there is anyone so brave to want something handmade by me.

Now, on to the hard part.