Calling All Kids!

Hello!

I am crazy excited to be a part of a fantastic series today - Calling All Kids!

Calling All Kids is a super thoughtful series from a gal we all know and love -  Alida of Alida Makes!

"Calling All Kids is a series that explores children’s clothing as it relates to gender. When I'm shopping for clothes for my kids and I see the same old pink fare for girls and the same old super hero fare for boys, it makes me crazy! This is one of the main reasons I sew for my kids. Now, there is nothing wrong with the clothes that are out there necessarily, but our kids deserve more variety!"

I couldn't agree more!

Like I said in my last post, Emmylou is not a girly-girl by any stretch.  Homegirl has a fashion sense that is distinctly hers - and it's changing and evolving every day.  Always on top of the checklist though?  Comfort!

So for Em's Calling All Kids outfit, I made her the COMFIEST outfit I could think of - wide-leg linen pants and a supremely soft plain white tee.  Em has started picking through my fabric stash and choosing the 'cozy'est fabrics... She loves knits of any type, and all of my cottons and linens.

These red pants are actually Hosh Pants!  I know!  Wide-legged Hosh Pants!  Don't tell anyone, but I'm planning on taking the Hosh Pants off the market soon to tweak them, and to add a wide-legged version!  Fret not - if you already own the Hosh, or are planning to buy them - you will have access to the new version as soon as it becomes available... That's just how I roll.

For ultimate cozy points - I incorporated a knit fold-over waistband; which I plan to include in the Hosh update as well.

Emmy approved!

The white tee is the Celestial Tee from Figgy's.... and I loved making it! It's a crazy fast sew, and by blending in between sizes, I made Em a custom fit, perfect-for-her tee shirt.  She wore this shirt for like 48 hours straight.  True story.

BOTH of these patterns are available right now through Perfect Pattern Parcel - a choose-your-own-price sewing pattern bundle which supports indie designers and charity.  Do check it out - it's an awesome bundle for an awesome cause:

Notable!  I've made a bunch of the Perfect Pattern Parcel patterns!  My September Tunic is HERE - one of my most FAVORITEST makes ever; and my Prefontaine Shorts are HERE and HERE.  Hey, that second pair were made using the very same red linen as these wide-legged Hosh!  *calls husband to report that I do in fact use my stash fabric thankyouverymuch*

I must make the Caroline Party Dress and the Hanami Top ASAP. Adorbs!  The Perfect Pattern Parcel (please do check it out - it's truly for a great cause) ends this Friday!

Em, needless to say, loves her new super comfy outfit!  A happy girl isn't always defined by fluff and ruffles, swirls and rainbows, sparkles and glitter.

Sometimes, a gal just needs something comfortable to wear when she's rolling around in the grass, chasing Papa;

daydreaming, exploring...

and just being a kiddo.

Thank you for having us, Alida!  This is such a great series - one that Em and I can TOTES appreciate!
♥
CHEERS, all! Happy sewing, and may your stains be those of grass, always!

KCW and New Pattern Preview

Good morning!

Exciting news today...  Kids Clothes Week Spring 2014 is just around the corner - next week to be precise!  LouBeeClothing is an official sponsor for this edition, and I am PSYCHED.

Psyched not only to be a sponsor of this glorious quarterly sew-all-the-things bonanza, but to also announce that my newest pattern - the Shandiin Tank & Tunic is in testing and will be released next week!

Take a peek:

The Shandiin (Navajo for 'sunshine') is a tank or tunic (or dress!) with options like a button front, solid front, elasticized hem, drawstring hem, and HEAPS of fabric-combining possibilities.  It will be a Summer staple!

I will share pics of other variations, and some *adorable* tester shots next week.

I'm so excited about this one, guys!

And the Kids Clothes Week blog is hosting a giveaway for, among loads of other things, my entire pattern collection - all 4!  Doli, Hosh, Bimaa, and Shandiin!  You can enter to win those, and goodies from all of these fab sponsors:

HEAD OVER TO ENTER THEM ALL! Cheers, all!  Happy sewing!

Kids Clothes Week - Days 5, 6 and 7!

GOOD DAY!

I can't believe Kids Clothes Week is officially over!  What a whirlwind.   I'll do a recap post next week to show you in more detail what I whipped up!  :) 

Here's what I worked on the last few days of KCW!  

This is the ridiculously adorable Ballet Sweater from Heidi & Finn.

The cuteness!

Here it is hanging up, looking like weird pants: 

Emmy loves this sweater!  She just started gymnastics (squee!) so this will come in so handy on cool mornings when we head into the gym.  It's so great because it's a mock-wrap - easy on, easy off!  No fuss at'all.  I'll be making more of these, you can count on that!

This one is sewn in a space-dyed sweater knit, from where I can't recall!  I'm getting so bad at that, I need to start keeping better track of where I procure my fabs.  Yeah, me and fabric are so tight, we have nicknames for each other.  

Then, in between all the kids sewing, I snuck in a little selfish-sewing pattern test for Sew Much Ado!  Stay tuned for THAT action.  I wore this top all day yesterday, then to work today.  Yeah.  It's good.  

Then, since my serger was still loaded with grey thread from the sweater (lol), I opted to make ONE MORE Skater Dress!  This is number 4, people.  Here's one and two, and here's three.

This one is in a slinky grey knit, with neon yellow lightweight sweater knit binding:

This dress.  THIS. DRESS.  I can't say enough about it and it's designer, Amanda.

The Skater Dress is the dress for us.  Not frilly, yet still feminine; not hard to make, yet still great-looking.  Best dress ever.  

So that's a wrap!  I had so much fun participating in Kids Clothes Week this season, and I can't wait to do it again.  I was so much more productive just in knowing it was coming - I cut out so many things in preparation!  I've still got things to sew!  Ari has dubbed it Kids Clothes Millennium and I think that sounds about right! 

Come back tomorrow for another round-up of awesome LouBeeClothing sightings from around the interwebs!  SO thrilling to see them popping up!

Love to alllllllllll,

Kids Clothes Week - Days 3 & 4!

Good morning, all!
So, here is Kids Clothes Week, days three and four.  I've been super tired this week, so I didn't try and force myself into any one-night-marathon sewing... Slow and steady, right??!  :)

But slow and steady resulted in this super cute Skater Dress!

Love it!  

Like the other Skater Dresses I've made, I added a sort of faux piping along the waist seam:

Neato, right?!

This fabric is from Denver Fabrics, and I can't remember exactly what it is... it's either modal, bamboo, or rayon Lycra - but whatever it is, it's soft as ALL GET OUT.  

I love this pattern so much, can't recommend it enough! The amazing Amanda is even working on a big girl Skater Dress tooooooo!!!!  :D

Ok peeps, gotta run!  Happy sewing!

Kids Clothes Week - Day 2!

Good day, all!  Happy day two of Kids Clothes Week!

I have to keep things short and sweet again, so here is day two's offering!  

It's a cloudy, dark day here in Massachusetts, so no matter WHEN I took these photos they weren't going to be great!  Ehh, win some, lose some.  :)

This is the fantastic Roly Poly Pinafore from Imagine Gnats!

It's such a great pattern.  It's fast, and it showcases your fabric without any fuss - my DREAM pattern.

Also - It's reversible!  TWO TOPS IN ONE!  Less laundry, amiright?!

Front

I already have a second one of these cut out, so I'll do a more detailed post once Kids Clothes Week is wrapped... I truly adore this pattern, and will be making several of them!  

Back

Tired model is tired.
Have a good night all!  Hope you're having a blast sewing ALL THE THINGS!

 

Love to all,

Kids Clothes Week - Day 1!

Good day, all!
Did everyone get tons of sewing prep done this weekend?!  I know I did!
Let's jump right in!  My KCW posts are going to be short and sweet - I work full-time and usually take all my blog photos on the weekend, so these are going to be over-edited, early morning iPhone pics, k?  K.  :)

This is the Little Pleated Tunic by one of my all-time favorite pattern designers, Heidi & Finn.

Except in lieu of the center pleat, I cut the bottom pattern piece just about in the middle, and spread it apart about 2-3 inches to add side gathers.  Like so:

The fabric is a delicious ivory linen (I think it's a blend though - doesn't winkle as hardcore as 100% linen - hooray).  I bought this fabric at Joann's last summer!  They often have stuff just like this though... Linens or 'linen-look's.  It's such a dream to sew with.  

I love how right now it's a dress, but it will grow with her all summer, and probably be a top NEXT summer!  Excellent!

Ok, happy sewing all!  Gotta go!