7 Hudson (Sweat) Pants

There are only 6 pictured but I made 7 ! Two yellow, two pink, two blue and one pirate. Four of them were for other kids. I have a lot of fabric to get rid of so I used up all this Oliver + S polka dot knit ( I was able to squeeze out one short pair and one long pair from each polka dot fabric). 

The pirate one is from a friend in Germany. She gave me a half yard which after receiving it I thought, what the hell am I going to do with 1/2 yard of this fabric?? Well probably a year later I found something! This pair is for my friend Kristine's son Hans. All of these are size 5 with no changes to the pattern--only the amount of elastic used in the waist.

As you can see, the shorter ones on Emily are too short. They really should start below her knees. And the long ones could be longer but the fit around waist and thighs is perfect (like I said, all of these are size 5). Emily is 9 (25" hip, 52.5" tall) and Ava is 7 (25" hip and 45" tall) for reference.  

for this blue pair above I didn't have enough for the pockets so I used a totally different knit. It's more stretchy and thinner but it worked.

I enjoyed making all of these and they went fast. Soooo easy. The pattern was written well and I can't think of any problems I had...

I did it all on the serger (it took me 20 years or so to realize you can do knits on the serger easily!)Except the waist band channels; those were done on the sewing machine.

Ice Cream Dress/Top

 Oliver + S Ice Cream Dress/Tunic. I made a size 5 with an 8 size length. Ava's measurements are: 25" chest, 24" waist and 25" hip. She is 7 and about 45" tall. It's a perfect fit with not much room for growth. The fabric is Anna Maria Horner Voile from the Little Folks line.

This is my first time making it and I liked it a lot. Easy and so cute. 

I've been in a sewing slump. I don't know what it is. The tiny apartment that's like a cave maybe or that I talk myself out of things. I spend way too much time going through my patterns and fabric trying to make a match and then can't decide. I do have stuff to show and blog though just not like I use to. 

Social Climber Badminton Top

A Badminton Top from the Oliver + S pattern and fabric is by Anna Maria Horner called Social Climber with a little bit of linen blend from Joanns (the teal fabric). I used two layers for the flutter "sleeves" with the under one being slightly longer than the other and the edges left raw. 

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At first I didn't like it. In fact I made this many many months ago. In Germany. Like last September maybe! I thought the colors were too harsh and just didn't care for it. Now I love it. It's the frayed shorts and Emily's hair up and the relaxed look of it. It just looks so cute on her!  

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Here is the first time I used this fabric. I loved that top.

um..yes her shirt is not hemmed...and yes I think I'm going to leave it like that. 

Unless you say it looks horrible?!

Badminton Top

*fabrics used: blue lamb fabric is Woodland Trails by Sherri Berry Designs and Fly a Kite by October Afternoon both are Riley Blake

The Badminton top from Oliver + S. 

I have been anxiously awaiting this pattern!! I love all the detail of this top. Love it! I do not love that I misjudged the size. I made a 7 because well Emily is almost 7. But Emily is tiny. I mean tiiiinnnyyyyy and apparently I am new to making her things? Let me give you an example of how tiny she is. Her friend Cheyenne who just turned 7 is wearing size 8-9 and Emily is still in a 5-6. Cheyenne is 50" tall while Emily is 45". I don't know Cheyennes measurements but I do know Ava's: Emily and Ava who are 6 years and 4 years are the exact same size (23" for chest, waist and hips). EXACT measurements except for height (Ava is only 38" tall).and they are 2.5 years apart. Crazy! Either someone is chunky or someone is small.....

So I made the wrong size as you can see by the clip in the back and the arm holes are over powering her. I'm thinking I should have made a 5 but with the 7 length.

I found the pattern to be something I had to turn Grey's Anatomy off for as I could not read and make while watching t.v. It's just a lot going on to get all this detail. Next one will go faster and I'll be able to watch t.v. while doing it:) I did make a fabric tie for the front as opposed to using ribbon. I cut 2, 15" strips on the bias at 3/4" each strip. Fold RST, sewed a scant seam and turned. Oh and I almost forgot, Emily chose this fabric!! I would not have chosen it as this type of print can make a garment look home made but I think paired with denim it looses that. Now if I paired it with Capri's out of the same fabric with a big-ass ruffle at the hem, well then, it would SCREAM homemade! Right? Right!

Penguin Pack-Packs

This is another of the things I made before we flew back in December. This is the girls at the Frankfurt airport wearing their Oliver + S Little Things to Sew back packs. It's actually two patterns. The one I just mentioned for the penguin part but the size and actual pattern is the Made by Rae toddler back pack the larger version (it's larger than the original one she put out by about 2" all around making it able to fit regular size folders). She sells this add on to the pattern on her blog.

I made the zipper ...two headed? Double ended? What do you call that? I can't think of the word for it right now. It has two zipper pulls and I like it.

These were taken with nothing in them so you can see how the peltex holds the shape.

I did the front pockets two different ways. Ava's has piping all around hers and I just can't decide if I like it..in fact I started to unpick it as you can see in the photo then decided I just didn't have time as I started both back packs a week before we were to leave.  

When looking through the Oliver & S flickr pool for inspiration, I noticed that all the back packs had one thing in common: they all dropped and had no structure. So I added Peltex in the front, back,sides and bottom but not the zipper part. I also added piping around the whole thing but that had nothing to do with structure. Well actually it did. I thought it might make the front not look all puckery and caved in when stuff was in the back pack. In the 1st photo Emily has hers stuffed with thick heavy coloring books and other stuff so it does cave in at the top...really I have no idea if the peltex helped; I just liked the sturdiness of it in the end.

They really loved the back packs which makes me happy. I have a feeling though that if I rolled some dirty fabric around an empty toilet paper roll they would ew and ah. Simple kids. They get that from Jon's side of the family.

Music Class Bouse Giveaway!

Oliver + S Music Class Blouse Giveaway!

BUT!!!

There are no buttons or button holes-you have to do those yourself!

Size 6

(I accidentally wrote size 5 on the post where I originally posted this)

Measurements when laid flat are:

arm pit to arm pit all the way around: about 27-28"

hip is about the same

shoulder to hem: about 15.5

see here how it fits my almost 6 year old.  

Fabric is Denise Schmidt Hope Valley in sage green.

The fabric was pre washed and then washed again after I made it.

Rules:

All you have to do it leave a comment on this post!

And tell me (so you have something to say) if you pee in the shower. I do. But if you think it's gross, then I obviously don't! Gross!

I will leave it open till Friday May 6th at 7pm my time (Germany time)

I will ship internationally.

~Good luck!~

Music Class

Music Class Blouse pattern from Oliver + S size 5. Fabric is Denise Schmidt Hope Valley. As you can see, there are no buttons on it. I made this months ago and it's just been hanging, waiting for buttons but I'm not sure I even like the shirt so why waste time with buttons? I probably won't even put it on the girls. It's just not that cute. Maybe it just needs the buttons and a good press to the seams or maybe it's just the wrong fabric? Or I have it paired with the wrong thing? Anyway, it would be good made from a white fabric for her school uniform. The shirt has everything I love (except gathered cap sleeves) pin tucks & a peter pan collar so
I should love it!
ohhh, I know, I should have a giveaway! Can I do that with clothing made from Oliver + S patterns? I'm not selling it.. so I should be able to, right? I just checked to see what number post I'm on and this will be #446. I thought maybe I could wait till post 500 but who knows when that will be?? What do you think?

A girls best werewolf

The Bear Carrier from Oliver + S, Little Things To Sew book.  Which is holding Emily's Transforming Werewolf. This is the coolest doll! As you can see, he transforms from a lumberjack to a werewolf!! The girls love him...loooove him! He's not super easy for little hands to transform but they love him.

They just ask me to do it;)

As for the Bear Carrier, I used Heather Ross, Far Far Away 2 fabric and a pastel polka dot for the lining.

Picture of Bear carrier from the book and Transforming Werewolf from here.

Reversible Bucket

The Reversible Bucket Hat made from the Oliver + S book, Little Things to Sew. For both fabrics I used quilters cotton and the interfacing is Stacy woven interfacing. I made a size L because both Emily's and Ava's head measure 20.25" and the Large is supposed to fit approximately a 21" head. I liked the way the pattern went to together and thought it was easy but I'm basing that on my own skill level and can't really judge what's good for beginner's and what's not. How do they determine that anyway? I have tried other hat patterns a loooooong time ago and they never ever came out like they were supposed to. But those were patterns from the major companies (McCall's, etc) they were always homemade looking and usually way to large. I knew this one from Oliver + S would come out. I did! Because it's O+S and their patterns are truly the best. I'm just saying...

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Thanks everyone for the get-well wishes. I did not feel better till yesterday evening and Ava seems fine but has had 4 major diaper blow-outs (up the back of the shirt)  2 were while we were out and then once in the bathtub. That was disgusting. And trying to get her to say whether it came from her butt or mouth was like talking to a....3 year old!!! I finally had to smell her mouth and then knew it came from the other end.