Category: Sewing for Kids

A Little Koi

Warp & Weft Sewing Society
A Warp & Weft Sewing Society project

As soon as my kids saw these fish, they were in love! They wanted fish pants.

“Fish pants? Really?” “Yes, yes, yes!”

The print is Don’t Be Koi from the Koi collection by Rashida Coleman-Hale for Cloud9 Fabrics, and is my latest Warp & Weft Sewing Society project.

I wasn’t sure if I could do the whole pants purple koi (maybe a bit too rock ‘n roll), but a tuxedo stripe sounded fun.

I used the After-School Pants pattern by Oliver + S. It was a breeze to sew. I made size 6 and 7 in a medium-weight twill, with koi accents, of course. I had originally planned to use quilting cotton, but after patching yet another pair of pants, decided on something just a little tougher.

After-School Pants sewing pattern by Oliver + S, in Don't be Koi. Sewn by The finished Garment. A Warp & Weft Sewing Society project.
After-School Pants

The only changes I made to the pants were to add a bit of extra top stitching, to make them look a bit more like jeans, and to use the koi print for the side stripes, interlined with the same twill. I though quilting cotton alone might not hold its shape well enough, when combined with the twill.

After-School Pants sewing pattern by Oliver + S, in Don't be Koi. Sewn by The finished Garment. A Warp & Weft Sewing Society project.
Pocket detail on the pants
After-School Pants sewing pattern by Oliver + S, in Don't be Koi. Sewn by The finished Garment. A Warp & Weft Sewing Society project.
Front detail on the pants.

I originally had not planned to make anything else. Fish pants seemed pretty distinctive. But while the pants took four long stripes of fish, but there was still a little fabric left over. And of course, it’s gorgeous, so I had to do something fabulous with it. I only had one yard of the Don’t Be Koi print, but I still managed to get four garments out of it.

Roller Skate Tunic sewing pattern by Oliver + S, in Don't be Koi. Sewn by The finished Garment. A Warp & Weft Sewing Society project.
Roller Skate Tunic (view C)
Prepster Pullover sewing pattern by Blank Slate Patterns, in Don't be Koi. Sewn by The finished Garment. A Warp & Weft Sewing Society project.
Prepster Pullover
Prepster Pullover sewing pattern by Blank Slate Patterns, in Don't be Koi. Sewn by The finished Garment. A Warp & Weft Sewing Society project.
Pocket detail on the shirt.
Boy's outfit, in Don't be Koi. Sewn by The finished Garment. A Warp & Weft Sewing Society project.
Boy’s outfit.
Girl's outfit, in Don't be Koi. Sewn by The finished Garment. A Warp & Weft Sewing Society project.
Girl’s outfit.

So I made up the Roller Skate Tunic by Oliver + S (view C), which I’ve made once before. I cannot tell you how much I love this pattern. When it first came out, I wasn’t sure I liked it, but it definitely grows on you. It is a really quick, easy sew, and there are so few seams to finish, which is always a bonus. I used some more koi, and some white shirting that has been in my stash for ages and ages. It’s actually older than my oldest daughter (so embarrassing!). The tunic is lined in soft cotton batiste. I made no modifications, beyond colour blocking the tunic.

Roller Skate Tunic sewing pattern by Oliver + S, in Don't be Koi. Sewn by The finished Garment. A Warp & Weft Sewing Society project.
Love the colour!

For my son, I used the Prepster Pullover by Blank Slate Patterns. I first thought about making a button-down shirt, but my son is not a fan of those. So many buttons for little hands! This shirt is easier to get into, so he gave it the thumbs up before I got started.

Prepster Pullover sewing pattern by Blank Slate Patterns, in Don't be Koi. Sewn by The finished Garment. A Warp & Weft Sewing Society project.
Check out that contrast collar.
Prepster Pullover sewing pattern by Blank Slate Patterns, in Don't be Koi. Sewn by The finished Garment. A Warp & Weft Sewing Society project.
Checking the inside collar for extra fish.

I used contrasting fabric for the placket and collar, modified the pocket to add some extra koi, and lengthened the hem on the sleeves. I also changed the construction order. The pattern has you put in the collar at the end, after you’ve sewn in the sleeves and attached the sides, but it is much easier to do earlier on. There’s a cool article on the difference between the two construction methods here.

Prepster Pullover sewing pattern by Blank Slate Patterns, in Don't be Koi. Sewn by The finished Garment. A Warp & Weft Sewing Society project.
Counting fish.
Prepster Pullover sewing pattern by Blank Slate Patterns, in Don't be Koi. Sewn by The finished Garment. A Warp & Weft Sewing Society project.
Check out that stripe.
Roller Skate Tunic sewing pattern by Oliver + S, in Don't be Koi. Sewn by The finished Garment. A Warp & Weft Sewing Society project.
Flowers!

Unfortunately, the Koi collection is almost gone, but you could get a similar effect with the Charley Harper collection or the Beyond The Backyard collection. Anything bright, with some good contrast would work well.

Summary

Pattern Reviews:

Fabric:

Beige twill, white shirting (poplin?) from my stash, and Don’t Be Koi from the Koi collection by Rashida Coleman-Hale for Cloud9 Fabrics, courtesy Warp & Weft.

Sizes: 6 (pants and pullover) and 7 (pants and tunic).

Sewing Level: Pants and tunic: advanced beginner. Pullover: intermediate.

Modifications: I colour blocked the tunic. I interlined the side stripes with twill and added some top stitching to the pants. For the shirt, I used contrasting fabric for the collar and placket, changed the pocket, lengthened the sleeve hem, and changed the construction order.

Results: Excellent! I especially recommend the tunic, which I’ve made once before.

Roller Skate Tunic sewing pattern by Oliver + S, in Don't be Koi. Sewn by The finished Garment. A Warp & Weft Sewing Society project.
Yes, there is another kid photo bombing in there. And a caterpillar.

Spring PJs

Spring is finally here (sort of). And that means the great clothing change-up. But when I brought out all the spring clothes and put away the winter clothes, what was missing? Spring pyjamas.

Bedtime Story Pajamas Sewing Pattern by Oliver + S, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
Pyjamas in all the sizes!

This time I let the kids do the fabric shopping (sadly, I still had to do the paying). And they picked some great prints! So cute. The girls all chose prints from the Picture Pie collection by Ed Emberley for Cloud9. And my little boy chose Little Birds from the Havana collection by Monaluna. Cute, cute, cute.

Bedtime Story Pajamas Sewing Pattern by Oliver + S, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
These are a size 4, in fish.
Bedtime Story Pajamas Sewing Pattern by Oliver + S, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
Size 18-24 m, in raccoons.

I used the Bedtime Story Pajamas sewing pattern by Oliver + S, for the bottoms, and appliquéd an animal from each print onto store-bought t-shirts for the tops. I’ve made these pants seven (!) times before, so obviously, it’s a great pattern. I hardly even need to say it do I? But as always with Oliver + S, the instructions are super clear and the sewing is a breeze, and this would be a great project for beginners.

Bedtime Story Pajamas Sewing Pattern by Oliver + S, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
Good thing these are so quick to sew!

The photo session, however, was an exercise in frustration? comedy? Four little kids at bedtime are hard to wrangle sometimes.

Bedtime Story Pajamas Sewing Pattern by Oliver + S, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
Is someone missing?
Bedtime Story Pajamas Sewing Pattern by Oliver + S, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
The first signs of trouble.
Bedtime Story Pajamas Sewing Pattern by Oliver + S, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
Get back in that photo!
Bedtime Story Pajamas Sewing Pattern by Oliver + S, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
Tears!
Bedtime Story Pajamas Sewing Pattern by Oliver + S, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
“All right, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.”

 

This post is part of the Kids’ Choice sew along organized by Elegance & Elephants.

 

Elegance & Elephants

Summary

Pattern Review: Bedtime Story Pajamas by Oliver + S.

Fabric:

Picture Pie in Raccoon, Fox and Fish by Ed Emberley for Cloud9 (organic).
Little Birds in Blue from the Havana collection by Monaluna (organic).
Sketch in Grey by Timeless Treasures for the waistbands.

Sizes: 18-24m, 4, 6.

Sewing Level: beginner, intermediate if not just the pants.

Modifications: I lengthened the pant leg and folded twice to hem, instead of binding the leg hem.

Results: Excellent! I’ve made these 7 times before. I would highly recommend this pattern.

Bedtime Story Pajamas Sewing Pattern by Oliver + S, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
“Where did everyone go?”

Lotta Jansdotter Challenge & Giveaway

Warp & Weft Sewing Society
A Warp & Weft Sewing Society project

I know I’ve mentioned that I’m part of the Warp & Weft Sewing Society before, but this spring Esmari, the owner of Warp & Weft organized something really fun for us – a sewing challenge.

And there’s something for one of you too, so don’t forget to enter the fabric giveaway at the end of this post.

There are seven of us in the sewing society, and we each got six fat quarters from Lotta Jansdotter’s latest collections MorMor and  Sylvia. Then we had to sew something related to spring.

Esmari has made a lovely, bright quilt. Sherri made some cute tote bags. Carla made a beautiful set of bags. And there are still three more days to go.

Everyone got a different bundle and you can see what mine looked like below. The fabric is so pretty! And perfect for spring.

My Lotta Jansdotter fat quarter bundle from Warp & Weft
My Lotta Jansdotter fat quarter bundle from Warp & Weft

Unfortunately, mother nature has been taking her time delivering spring, at least where I live. So I decided to do something a little different.

Instead of sewing something that celebrates the joyous bursting forth of spring with flowers and vibrant colours, I created something that celebrates the moment before – the time where  spring appears to be still on it’s way. There are no visible signs of spring – yet! – but everything is slowly building underground. It’s the part of spring when you have to have faith – that spring will come, the flowers will bloom, the birds will return and the cycle of like repeat once more.

I made a baby quit, using just two fat quarters and a grey background. It’s a bit monochromatic for spring, but that’s what spring looks like here right now.

A monochromatic baby quilt sewn by The Finished Garment.
Front detail on the spring quilt.
A monochromatic baby quilt sewn by The Finished Garment.
The in situ shot.
A monochromatic baby quilt sewn by The Finished Garment.
The backing is a bit random.
A monochromatic baby quilt sewn by The Finished Garment.
The rectangles are supposed to look like garden patches.
A monochromatic baby quilt sewn by The Finished Garment.
The wavy lines ended up making the quilt very crinkly – way more than I expected.

So that left me with four fat quarters. Actually that left me with three fat quarters, because I cut one up for the quilt and then changed my mind. We all make mistakes sometimes, right?

So I took the two coral fat quarters and made a tunic for my littlest. This is the Roller Skate Tunic by Oliver + S. It was a dream to sew. I think I finished the whole thing in just over two hours, including the cutting. 

The Roller Skate Tunic sewing pattern by Oliver + S, sewn by The Finished Garment.
The Roller Skate Tunic – front.
The Roller Skate Tunic sewing pattern by Oliver + S, sewn by The Finished Garment.
The Roller Skate Tunic – back.
The Roller Skate Tunic sewing pattern by Oliver + S, sewn by The Finished Garment.
Button detail in the tunic back.
The Roller Skate Tunic sewing pattern by Oliver + S, sewn by The Finished Garment.
So cute!
The Roller Skate Tunic sewing pattern by Oliver + S, sewn by The Finished Garment.
“Is it spring yet?”
The Roller Skate Tunic sewing pattern by Oliver + S, sewn by The Finished Garment.
Seems to have passed the quality assurance test. 😉

Quilt Summary

Pattern: my own.

Fabric: Trassel in Mist from the MorMor collection, and White sufi from the Sylvia collection, both by Lotta Jansdotter for Windham Fabrics.

Size: 36″ by 36″.

Tunic Summary

Pattern : Roller Skate Dress and Tunic by Oliver + S.

Fabric: Little Blomster in coral, and solid coral from the MorMor collection by Lotta Jansdotter for Windham Fabrics.

Size: 18-24 months.

Sewing Level: Advanced beginner.

Modifications: Colour blocked.

Results: Great!

Fabric Giveaway

Enter to win 12 Fat Quaters from Lotta Jansdotter’s latest collection MorMor and  Sylvia, generously provided by Warp & Weft.

In order to enter this Giveaway please follow the Rafflecopter instructions and leave a comment on this post.

You can obtain 7 entries in total by leaving a comment on each participating blogger’s Lotta Jansdotter Challenge post.

The winner will be announced April 28. Good luck!

Blog Hop Schedule
Esmari – Warp & Weft:  April 21
Sherri – Thread Riding Hood:  April 22
Carla – My ½ Dozen Daily:  April 23
Shannon  – The Finished Garment:  April 24
Cathy – Blueberry Patch:  April 25
Cynthia – cynthiaf:  April 26
Lysa – Lysa Flower:  April 27

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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A monochromatic baby quilt and tunic sewn by The Finished Garment.
My Lotta Jansdotter challenge sewing.

Spring Showers

Well, it’s not quite spring here, but mother nature is working on it. So this pattern came along just in time.  It’s the Spring Showers Jacket by Elegance & Elephants (yay! Canadian content!) and I was lucky enough to be a pattern tester.

The Spring Showers Jacket sewing pattern by Elegance & Elephants, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
The jacket is a big hit and fits well with room for layers underneath. And yes, this is what April looks like in Montreal.

It’s a lined, zip-front, hooded jacket. You can make a version with a cinched waist, but I like this version better.

The Spring Showers Jacket sewing pattern by Elegance & Elephants, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
I’m pretty happy with the results.
The Spring Showers Jacket sewing pattern by Elegance & Elephants, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
I used bright turquoise quilting cotton for the lining.
The Spring Showers Jacket sewing pattern by Elegance & Elephants, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
Requisite action shot.

I was going to make a waterproof/water-resistant version, but the one day I could get to the fabric store…. snow storm! So I shopped my stash instead. I used a (hard to photograph) navy, 100 per cent cotton twill for the outer fabric and quilting cotton for the inner fabric. I thought about using lining fabric on the sleeves, to make them easier to slide on and off. Montreal may be Hoth in the winter, but it’s Tatooine in the summer. Cotton breathes better, so this will be a better summer jacket this way.

The Spring Showers Jacket sewing pattern by Elegance & Elephants, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
I did all the top stitching in turquoise to make it a bit more fun. And I used the biggest zipper I could find – easier for little hands.
The Spring Showers Jacket sewing pattern by Elegance & Elephants, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
The sleeves ended up a bit long, but I kind of like the folded over look.
The Spring Showers Jacket sewing pattern by Elegance & Elephants, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
A better look at the cuff.

I made the size 4/5 for Kid No 2. Usually he wears a size 5, and the fit of the jacket was just right. Room to move and grow and layer over whatever he’s wearing.

The Spring Showers Jacket sewing pattern by Elegance & Elephants, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
And photo session over!

The pattern is really cute and practical, and I’ve already had a couple requests for more from Kid No 1 and Kid No 3.

The Spring Showers Jacket sewing pattern by Elegance & Elephants, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
Little sister decided to try on the jacket when no one was looking.

Summary

Pattern Review: Spring Showers Jacket by Elegance & Elephants.

Fabric: Navy twill (100% cotton) for the outer fabric and Ziggy in Aqua from Timeless Treasures for the lining.

Size: 4/5.

Sewing Level: Average.

Modifications: None.

Results: Great. I hope to make this again. Next time I’d like to add snaps to the pockets and a zipper flap to the outside.

Disclaimer: The pattern was generously provided by Elegance & Elephants, in return for testing the pattern. As always, my opinions are my own.

You Should Be Dancing

My husband saw this shirt and told my son that he should be at the disco. So true! I don’t think he even knows what disco is, but Kid No 2 definitely looks like he has some dance moves in this shirt.

The Charlie shirt sewing pattern by Zonen 09, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
The Charlie shirt in retro stretch velvet (which is impossible to photograph).

This is the Charlie shirt, a 1970s-inspired knit shirt with lapel collar with short or long sleeves. The pattern is by Zonen 09, an independent Belgian pattern company that specializes in patterns for boys, with a retro feel. The patterns are available in Dutch, English and French, though not all patterns are available in all languages.

I made this in the same super-stretchy stretch velvet that I used to make dresses for my daughters. It’s perfect for this retro shirt, and super soft and cozy. I had nothing to coordinate with this fabric, so for the lining and collar I up-cycled a t-shirt that my husband had from a conference.  The velvet was leftover from a costume and the jersey was up cycled, which means that this stash-busting project was (almost) free.

The Charlie shirt sewing pattern by Zonen 09, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
My son loves that there are no buttons.

I did have to buy the pattern (of course!). The instructions are good. Unfortunately, I did have a couple of minor complaints though. First, the pattern is made to be printed on A4 paper, the standard in Europe, but it was really difficult to print this on 8.5″ x 11″ paper here in North America. Also, there are no grid lines on the printed pattern, only marks on the edges of the sheets, which means that it is hard to match up the pages when the edges were cut off by my printer. The pattern does come with one of those big, print-at-the printer versions though, so I might try that next time. But I was in a bit of a time crunch this time around. Maybe I’ll just buy some A4 paper…

Second, you don’t get the fabric requirements until you buy the pattern. Lots of smaller indie patterns do this, but, uggg, it’s so annoying. I needed a pattern that would work with this piece of fabric, so I had to take my chances. Luckily it worked out. Yay!

I wasn’t sure which size to make, so I went up one size. I’m really glad I did. The shirt fits quite narrow, even on my son who is a bit tall and lanky for his age. This was especially true of the waistband. If you sew this up, depending on the stretchiness of your fabric, and the size of the belly it goes around, you might want to test the waistband before attaching it.

In case you are curious, the shirt is lined in the bodice, both front and back, but not the sleeves.

The Charlie shirt sewing pattern by Zonen 09, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
The shirt is super soft and cozy.

My son loves the shirt and wore it the first chance he got. I like a collared shirt, and my son hates buttons, so this was a huge hit. It’s always nice to have something that looks a bit dressy, but feels super comfy.

So overall, a nice cute pattern, that has my son dancing like it’s 1976, or thereabouts. (And yes, that’s the year You Should be Dancing by the Bee Gees was released.)

This shirt is part of the Kids Clothes Week  Winter Challenge (a little late),  and the Stashbusting Sew-Along (The Love Challenge), and the Sewcialists’ Blue February Sew-Along.

Summary

Pattern Review: Charlie shirt by Zonen 09.

Fabric: Deep blue stretch velvet, and grey jersey.

Cost: €7.50 (about 11$ CDN).

Size: 122 (which is close to size 7).

Sewing Level: Average.

Modifications: None.

Results: Great. The shirt is quite narrow, so I’m glad I went up a size. I hope to make this again.

Blue Velvet Valentine’s Day

Everyone needs a new dress for Valentine’s Day, right? I made three.

The Hopscotch Dress sewing pattern by Oliver + S, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
Here is the littlest dress.

Years ago, I made myself the Ever After dress, as a Halloween costume (never blogged). It was lots of fun, but there was so much fabric left over afterwards, including 1.5m of wide, dark blue stretch velvet. For Halloween it was great, but it’ not really my style for everyday wear. And so it sat in a box.

The Hopscotch Dress sewing pattern by Oliver + S, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
The fabric is really very stretchy and extremely difficult to photograph.

But I have recently made a mini inventory of the fabric in my stash, and yikes, there is so much of it. I counted up the meters of fabric, but no, I am not posting it here. Too embarrasing. I am determined to remove some of the largest, oldest pieces of fabric. This was definitely a “what can I do with this?” project, but it turned out quite well.

I made three versions of the Hopscotch Dress by Oliver + S in sizes 18m, 4 and 6. It’s a simple, knit A-line dress with some gathering in the front, and can be made as a dress or top, with long or short sleeves. I made the long-sleeved version because I thought it would look better in velvet.

The Hopscotch Dress sewing pattern by Oliver + S, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
I made three versions: sizes 18 months, 4 and 6.

This is the first time I’ve sewn knits on my new machine (a Pfaff), and it was a dream. I don’t have a serger, but it wasn’t really necessary with this pattern. My regular machine worked very well.

As always with Oliver + S, the instructions were wonderful. The sewing was also quite quick. And the fabric, which is quite stretchy, worked very well.

The only thing to keep in mind with this pattern, is that it is quite fitted and fits very true to size, while I find a lot of Oliver + S patterns are a little big. Unfortunately, that means the dresses might not last past spring, but then the kids won’t be wearing velvet in the summer anyway. And really, I am just happy to see so much fabric out of my stash and in wearable form.

I ended up with three dresses that are very comfortable to wear, but look quite dressy – perfect for Valentine’s Day.

The Hopscotch Dress sewing pattern by Oliver + S, as sewn by The Finished Garment.
I only had one willing model. This is size 18 months.

And don’t worry, Kid No 2 who is not much into dresses, got something nice too. Blog post coming soon!

This dress is part of the Kids Clothes Week  Winter Challenge (a little late),  and the Stashbusting Sew-Along (The Love Challenge), and the Sewcialists’ Blue February Sew-Along.

Summary

Pattern Review: Hopscotch Dress by Oliver + S.

Fabric: Deep blue stretch velvet.

Size: 18 months, 4, 6.

Sewing Level: Average.

Modifications: None.

Results: Great. The dress is very fitted though, so I would go up a size next time. I plan to make this again.

Indigo Linen Jump Rope Dress Redux

Does this dress look familiar? If you read my blog, it might.

The Oliver + S jump rope dress sewing pattern, made by The Finished Garment
Another jump rope dress, this time for Kid No 1.

This is the Jump Rope Dress (view B) by Oliver + S. The shirtwaist dress features cuffed sleeves, gathered patch pockets, collar and front placket. I made view B which has long sleeves and an a-line shape. I made the size 7.

The Oliver + S jump rope dress sewing pattern, made by The Finished Garment
I used contrasting fabric for the placket and pocket trim.

This is the second time I’ve made this dress, and this version is almost the same as the last one, but larger and with different contrasting fabric. The main fabric is a cotton linen chambray. I really like that the pattern and fabric work well both for summer and winter.

The Oliver + S jump rope dress sewing pattern, made by The Finished Garment
Love the pocket style.

I only made two changes. The dress was very long, so I turned up about two inches and made a wide hem that I can lengthen later. I also finished the cuffs so that they are wide and can be turned up with a nice seam finish.

The Oliver + S jump rope dress sewing pattern, made by The Finished Garment
I made wide cuffs that can be turned up until she grows.

This dress is part of the Kids Clothes Week  Winter Challenge,  and the Stashbusting Sew-Along (The Love Challenge), and the Sewcialists’ Blue February Sew-Along.

Summary

Pattern Review: Jump Rope Dress (view B) by Oliver + S.

Fabric: Cotton linen chambray in Indigo Washed by Robert Kaufman. The contrasting fabric is  FloraDots in Violet from the La Dee Da collection by Erin McMorries for Free Spirit Fabrics.

Size: 7.

Sewing Level: Intermediate to advanced.

Modifications: I made a wider hem and cuff and used contrasting fabric for the pocket binding and inside front placket.

Results: Great. This is the second time I’ve made this pattern and I will definitely make it again.

Mittens!

I didn’t quite get all my Christmas sewing done on time, so this year, all my kids received New Years’ mittens.

Mittens by Oliver + S, sewn by The Finished Garment.
These are the mittens from Little Things to Sew by Oliver + S. This is the extra small. So small. So cute!

The pattern is from the book Oliver + S Little Things to Sew
. I made four pair, in sizes extra-small, small and medium. They are a bit big, but in a nice way.

Mittens by Oliver + S, sewn by The Finished Garment.
Tops of the mittens.
Mittens by Oliver + S, sewn by The Finished Garment.
Bottoms of the mittens

As always with Oliver + S, the directions were a breeze, but I did make one major change.

Mittens by Oliver + S, sewn by The Finished Garment.
These are the small size.

I live in Montreal, where it is cold. Very cold. This week it was an icy -38° celsius (that’s about -37° fahrenheit). That is not a typo. Too cold to go for a walk. Too cold to go to the store. Too cold to go outside. Too cold for single layer mittens.

Instead I made a dual-layer mitten. I used super-soft white fleece for the inside. Then I used another grey fleece with a soft berber texture for the outside. I encased the elastic between the layers.

Irene over at Froo & Boo has some great photos on how to do a two-layer mitten with this pattern. She used nylon and PUL to make a waterproof outer layer.

I was more concerned about cold than waterproofing. The extreme cold makes everything incredibly dry, even the snow. And these mittens are cozy.

It was a little tricky sewing together the two layers, with such thick fabric and such tiny mittens, but it didn’t take long.

Mittens by Oliver + S, sewn by The Finished Garment.
Christmas loot.

The fit is great. Even with double laters, you can still pick things up.

And just a quick note about fabric requirements: the pattern calls for 1/4 yard of fabric. I bought two yards of each type of fleece. In the end, I cut out six pair of mittens, and four hats (coming soon), and still had a yard of each left over. If you aren’t sure if you have enough fabric, or are thinking of squeezing these out of scraps, these mittens take up almost no fabric at all.

Oliver + S, Little Things to Sew
Oliver + S, Little Things to Sew

If you already own this book, there is Little Things To Sew: Cover to Cover Challenge that runs until August 2014. The sew along is organized by Lightning McStitch over at Bartacks and Singletrack.

Summary

Pattern Review: Mittens from the book Oliver + S Little Things to Sew.

Fabric: Two types of polar fleece.

Sizes: XS, S, M

Sewing Level: Beginner.

Modifications: I lined the mittens in a second layer of fleece, and encased the elastic between the two layers.

Results: Great. I would recommend this pattern and plan to make more.

Mittens by Oliver + S, sewn by The Finished Garment.
Apparently, mittens are a favourite food of dinosaurs. Who knew?

Note: This post contains affiliate links.

Stashbusting for Kids

Gastroenteritis folks. It’s done two rounds at our house. The laundry has been Sisyphean. The sewing, minimal. The sleep? Well, let’s not even mention the lack of sleep.

I have managed to eek out a super quick project though.

The Sunday brunch skirt by Oliver + S, sewn by The Finished Garment
The Sunday brunch skirt by Oliver + S, sewn by The Finished Garment

Ages ago I bought a few yards of chocolate brown baby cord. After four pair of kid-sized pants and  my Ginger skirt, I was left with just under a yard. Cue kid No 1 complaining about having no winter skirts “at all”. Hmmm, possibly a slight exaggeration. But in any case, we couldn’t have that, so I whipped up this skirt the same evening.

The Sunday brunch skirt by Oliver + S, sewn by The Finished Garment
Back of the Sunday brunch skirt.

This is the Oliver + S  Sunday Brunch Skirt. It’s a simple, straight skirt (though the pattern is described as a-line), with elastic waistband, pockets and a black kick pleat. I made this in a size 6 and it fits just right.

The Sunday brunch skirt by Oliver + S, sewn by The Finished Garment
The skirt has a cute kick pleat.

As always with  Oliver + S patterns, this was a dream to sew. The instructions were so very clear, and I finished the whole thing in under 3 hours. That includes tracing the pattern and cutting the fabric. If I hadn’t added piping, it would have been even faster.

The only changes I made were to add an inch to the length and add flat piping in a pretty lavender print. The skirt definitely needed that extra inch. And the piping will match a top that’s in the works.

The Sunday brunch skirt by Oliver + S, sewn by The Finished Garment
I added flat piping.

Kid No 1 was in the skirt the next morning and out the door to school, so I would have to say that this was a highly successful project. Unfortunately, that left very little time for photos, and it was dark and dreary so these are not my best. Another skirt for Kid No 3 is on the way, if only I can get the laundry done.

The Sunday brunch skirt by Oliver + S, sewn by The Finished Garment
The skirt is a big hit. Yay!
The Sunday brunch skirt by Oliver + S, sewn by The Finished Garment
Side view of the Sunday brunch skirt by Oliver + S,

This project is part of the Stashbusting Sewalong.

Summary

Pattern Review: Sunday Brunch Skirt by Oliver + S.

Fabric: Baby cord. I used quilting cotton for the flat piping. The print is  FloraDots in Violet from the La Dee Da collection by Erin McMorries for Free Spirit Fabrics.

Size: 6.

Sewing Level: Beginner.

Modifications: Added an inch to the length and used flat piping for trim.

Results: Great and fast. I would recommend this pattern and plan to make it again. In fact, I’ve already cut out the fabric!

Four and a Half Bats

Lots of swooping!
Lots of swooping!

“What do you want to be for Halloween?” I asked.

“I want to be a fruit bat”, announced my three-year-old, “a baby fruit bat”.

“Yes, yes! I want to be a fruit bat too!” kids No 1 and 2 agreed.

Umm, ok then. My kids had been waffling over Halloween costumes, and nothing was really getting them excited about dressing up. Until this. So fruit bats. Hmmm.

Flap, flap, flap!
Flap, flap, flap!

I decided to start with the Red Riding Hood pattern from the book  Oliver + S Little Things to Sew. It is sooooo cute. Ack! I’ve been waiting for a good excuse to sew it. So off I headed to the fabric store, three-year-old in tow.

Oliver + S, Little Things to Sew
Oliver + S, Little Things to Sew. There is the Red Riding Hood on the cover.
I cut the bottom in a scalloped pattern.
I cut the bottom in a scalloped pattern.

I was hoping for a black faux suede, but there was only grey or brown available.

“Feel this, isn’t it soft?” I said. “Would you like to be a grey or brown baby fruit bat?”

In response I got a “no” that was  part determined, part horrified and the look that I will one day get when I have to pick her up from high school. Sooo embarrassing, mum!

“I want to be a black fruit bat.”

So we tried another store, this time with all the kids in tow.

“Would you like to be a shiny bat?” I said, showing off the faux leather. Oh, the horrified looks!

I managed to find a faux suede/velvet with a herringbone pattern that met with approval. I was worried it would look a bit odd, but it was great. It was incredibly easy to sew with, and no black fluff everywhere! A first for fuzzy Halloween costumes!

This pattern is so easy! And fast! Of course I had to make it four times, so fast is a relative concept. But if you are lucky enough to only have to make one, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Four bat costumes using the Oliver + S Red Riding Hood pattern from Little Things to Sew.
Four bat costumes using the Oliver + S Red Riding Hood pattern from Little Things to Sew.

I skipped the arm openings, lengthened the capes by about two inches, cut the bottoms of the cape in a scalloped bat-wing pattern and hand sewed on ears. I used fine elastic for the button loops, which I thought would be less choke-y with a lot of bat-like swooping. I also added elastic loops at the end of the wings to make it easier to swoop without having to grab onto the wing tips.

I hand sewed on some pointy ears.
I hand sewed on some pointy ears.
I used elastic for the button loop.
I used elastic for the button loop.

The pattern comes in medium and large, so I graded a smaller size for my smallest. I found the pattern fit large, perfect for bats, but maybe I would go down a size for each kid, if it were for real life clothing.

A tiny one-year-old baby bat.
A tiny one-year-old baby bat.
The cape is a bit big, but good for bats.
The cape is a bit big, but good for bats.

The capes got a lot of use, and we even took the kids to the bat exhibit at the zoo so they could say hello to the real fruit bats, dressed as bats. Fun!

Check out the wings on that bat!
Check out the wings on that bat!

Then my husband asked where his bat cape was. Doh! And then I got the flu. So next, year I have a huge head start on his half-made bat costume (ahem). Still, Halloween was a blast, and then we all got the flu.

Do bats eat candy?
Do bats eat candy?

But that just meant that there was one more day of swooping bats today (though only two bats were willing to swoop) so that mummy could blog her sewing.

Wings wrapped around.
Wings wrapped around the bats.

Summary

Pattern Review: Red Riding Hood from the book Oliver + S Little Things to Sew.

Fabric: Faux suede with a herringbone pattern. Some sort of synthetic.

Sizes: S, M and L.

Sewing Level: Beginner.

Modifications: I added bat ears, elastic loops at the wrists, used elastic for the button loop, and cut the bottom of the cape in a scalloped pattern. I lengthened the capes by about two inches. I graded a small size for my smallest, since the pattern only comes in medium and large.

Results: Great. I would recommend this pattern and hope to make it as real clothing.

Three-year-old approved bat costume using the Red Riding Hood pattern from the book Little Things to Sew by Oliver + S
Three-year-old-approved bat costume using the Red Riding Hood pattern from the book Little Things to Sew by Oliver + S

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