Crafty Mamas
While I wait for the remainder of my corset hardware to arrive in the mail, I'm making my 3-year old Nels a coat. I know, odd considering this weather, eh? The thing is, with my Wardrobe Refashion committment I have to think a bit ahead on the family's raingear - especially since I live in about the rainiest damn place, ever.
And before I get to sewing - speaking of my Wardrobe Refashion work, I made a little tool to track what clothes I need to sew and what I've finished. Download a blank template here: [ pdf ] (2 pages)
So on to today's work. Last fall I fell in love with this zip-back parka:
(shoutout to Ottobre Design, my favorite Euro pattern mag. For $40 a year I get more patterns than I could ever hope to sew - in all sizes for children and women.)
I've always loved zip-back coats because they are cute as hell and, well, that's a good enough reason, eh? I also could just picture Nels' little gnome-face poking out of this hood and him using the front pocket to carry things - his favorite pastime is foraging on our many walks.
Here are the fabrics - from left to right, a yummy Malden Mills fleece (color "chili", 100 wt), a super-soft Alexander Henry bullfighter's cotton, and an awesome, supple middleweight twill that is also weatherproofed (but you wouldn't know it to feel it). The coat will be lined with the bullfighting print which is underlined by fleece.
Cutting. A rotary mat and equipment make for fast cutting. I don't pin since my tracing medium is cloth-like (and slightly "sticks") and because I'm rather experienced and find I don't need it.
It takes 27 cut pieces to make this coat! Just something to think about the next time you want to say, "Oh, you should MAKE THOSE and SELL THEM!" Because if I did *that* in any quantity, I'd find no time for anything else, let alone sewing my children's winter gear.
So whatchoo all up to?
"Macaroni - let me finish! - salad."
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I just realized that one of ur events is next weekend so I might have to make up a couple of outfits for Ike for HOT ASS weather.
This was my last pad, made for some HM'er...
We could have saved the Earth but we were too damned cheap.~K.V.
I sewed the top to a layer of flannel first, then sewed the pad in and then assembled the body. Otherwise the edge has a tendency to wave with the stretch of the jersey. I guess it was like stay-stitching to an interfacing. Thanks for making me figure it out. I sure wasn't going to send the sewing goddess a funky wavy pad.
We could have saved the Earth but we were too damned cheap.~K.V.
I sewed 4 pairs of pants!
I call them "sustainable summer pants" as they are made from a recycled Indian tapestry, a really soft thin gauzy cotton. I made one in each size from 1T to 4T; they're gonna be sold at a local store. I already made a pair of these for dd a year ago, and just decided to make some extra cash with the rest of the tapestry. If they don't sell, my little boy will have some for whatever age I have left! (Plus the ones dd outgrows). I love them.
one long rectangular piece with a black center and green edging. I just cut the pattern so the legs would end on the natural edge of tapestry, giving them the green bottoms. I picked it up at a thrift store in the fabrics department. It had a tiny rip in one part of it. Bad for a wall hanging, great for sewing fabric!
He's going to be stinking cute in that. Nice choice.
I didn't realize what a deal that Ottobre was...might have to look into it.
Sewing machine is away right now but I've been making bowls out of records for gifts, funny decoupage gift bags for them to go into, and got a new order from sublime stitching in the mail so am working on embroidering two bibs and a kitchen towel, all for gifts.
In my efforts to expand my crafty repertoire I stumbled upon them and have been teaching myself how to embroider. Their transfers are fantastic!!!
for you and lucky violet. plus, i joined a temari swap online. oh, and i'm doing the current hipmama swap too. haven't started anything for that yet.
i perused the Ottobre website....i absolutely love the kids' clothes. but, i am a very inexperienced seamstress (the only article of clothing i've made is a pair of pajama pants for the husband, and i managed to first sew the wrong legs together; corrected that, but then i made them kinda short). so subscribing to that mag wouldn't be a great idea for me.
your garment plan worksheets are very cool. good job. and good luck with that awesome coat.
Shout out to alexander henry fabrics. I made my current hipmama swap out of the red calaveras fabric. It was hard... I covet that line of fabrics, but since its for a fellow hipmama it was worth it 
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color me SOOO excited!
How did the jersey sew up?
"Macaroni - let me finish! - salad."