This is the life.

I had wanted to make these "cloaks" since I saw them made up by Dana.  They seemed so fun to play in.  So I made them for Christmas presents and I love the way they turned out.  I contemplated whether to buy the new book for awhile and finally took the plunge.  Growing Up Sew Liberated.  I think I will probably make a few things from this book.  I have a pants pattern traced and the pattern cut so that might be the next project. 

The pattern was super easy to follow.  I made the bigger one first and there are a lot of little errors manipulating the satin fabic     But it ended up fine.  The smaller one was a bit easier since I had experience. 



 
I am never sure what my kids will actually play with when I get them stuff.  Especially my daughter. 

But they have flown around the house a few times already. 

Happy Make Believe! - Clover

She really did make me do it.



That is Made by Rae.  She came out with this pattern a couple months or so ago and I thought "Oooohhhh" But I knew S wouldn't really like it because it has "stuff" up around the neck and its 3/4 sleeves.  But I kept thinking about it, and thinking about it, and damn I kept thinking about it.  I started to think maybe I could entise her if I made it in flannel and I let her help me.  Ah Ha.  Surely she will love it.  So I bought the flannel and got busy.  I did cut it on the bias and didnt really measure her for the size I just cut the size 5 and hoped for the best I knew if anything it would be too big.

Well I tried it on her before I stitched up the elastic around the neck and hemmed it all.  Boy am I glad.  She was so excited to try it on after helping me sew on that ruffle.  Before it was even all the way on screaming ensued.  Pulling at the neck and general hatred.  Well really I wasn't suprised. So what am I to do??  I ended up adding four inches of elastic to the neck line and When she tried it on....Success. She liked it and wore it the rest of the day.  It is a bit challenging when we need a jacket on cause of those big sleeves but she looks fantastic in it and....she likes it, she really likes it.

Do blondes really have more fun?

Gotta love the bias cut swing. 

Can I officially call this sun flare??

Well, how about you.  What are your latest triumphs?



I have an "Innocent Crush" on Anna Maria Horner

As usual I have been sewing away.  Maybe a bit slower than normal.  We have all had cold after cold. Then Thanksgiving and of course Sophia turning five!  It has been a busy month and at night time when I usually hide away and sew I have been sitting like a blob on the sofa and then going to bed a bit earlier than normal.  Which in itself has been a good thing.  I think I am a lot nicer when I have the right amount of sleep.  Or at least way more tolerant of every ones craziness over here.


I really have been obsessing over Anna Maria Horner's fabrics.  Every collection that comes out I initially look and go ok thats nice.  But the more I look at it the more I start to fall in love with it.  She is brilliant.  Here colors are just perfect.  All of them.  So I started making some of her figure 8 scarves and I think they are just the perfect project to really show off some fabric.

This is the one I chose for myself to keep.  It is a little wide and long for me who is slightly more petite but it is really striking against a plain colored shirt and even though I usually dress very simply I love it and feel great when I wear it. 

This is the second one I made.  It is a gift for someone for Christmas .  These are more "my" colors but they are the recipients as well.  It is gorgeous.  I made a second of the one I am keeping to give to someone else and also have a fourth waiting to be finished that is another combo of colors.  It is a rather simple sew except the voile shifts a bit.  I think at some point I will have to invest in a walking foot.  For now I pin, pin, pin and go slow.  The hardest part of it is hand sewing the last seam with a blind stitch.  I am HORRIBLE at hand stitching but I am getting better with each scarf.

The next project was so much fun and again an easy sew.  I am really trying not to be intimidated by knits.  They really are very forgiving.   Especially in children's clothing. 

She was posing "nicely" so she could get back to watching her show.

The back.  I debated on the ruffly leg bottoms but I like it.

The leg doesn't sit weird like the picture.  They actually fit fantastically.



The pattern is from LilBlueBoo the Sienna Dress and it is so easy and has so many possibilities.  I am also obsessed with her blog.  I never took any art classes ever.  I never considered myself artistic.  I was the math and science kinda girl so I am learning all kinds of cool techniques that I would love to try.  I found this shirt at the thrift store quite awhile ago and I new the only way to get her to wear it was to add pink so I used some of this interlock I got at a great price when the local fabric boutique store went out of business.

Well there are a few more projects I completed but I think this is long enough.  Hopefully I can post some more soon. 

-Clover