Sewing for Kauai

After five years of nagging my husband for another trip to Kauai (the nagging commenced approximately 48 hours after returning from the last trip), he finally relented when I discovered a $322 air fare deal (thank you Hawaiian Airlines!). As a result, in early May we spent 10 days in paradise. Our adventures could easily span several blog posts, but I'm trying to keep this particular blog sewing-related, so I won't go into the details of snorkeling, visiting a different beach every day, enjoying some delicious locally grown food, or touring a dairy farm (all of which were amazing). 

I have been collecting Hawaiian-themed fabric over the years in preparation for a much-wished-for trip to Hawaii, and finally, here was my chance to use it. The first fabric I pulled out was my Alexander Henry Lei Hula Girls fabric, which I just adore. I love it so much that I almost used it to make a bag for myself, but decided it would probably look cuter as a dress for my girl. 

Pattern: Modkids Isabel

Fabric: Alexander Henry

Another fabric I've been hoarding forever is this Aloha Harajuku Girls fabric. I love this fabric, but I had a heck of a time figuring out what to do with it. The problem is that it is a really thin jersey, more suitable for a t-shirt than anything else, but I really didn't want to waste it on just a plain t-shirt. I finally decided on a double layered dress. The end result is OK - not quite what I envisioned, but not a total waste of fabric either.

Pattern: Farbenmix Whitney, modified to be a dress

About two days before we left, I was digging through my fabric and found some Michael Miller Pua Wahine fabric, which I had totally forgotten about. Aack! I didn't have much time, but clearly I HAD to make something out of it. Thinking I was being very clever in allocating time properly, I chose the super easy Girly Skirt pattern from Pink Fig. Except that when it was finished, I decided it really needed a cute, embroidered top to go with it, and not just any embroidery, but the Hula Girl embroidery from Urban Threads which is gorgeous but takes something like 75 minutes to stitch out. The point is, my super-quick, last-minute project turned out to be anything but quick, but I do love the end result. As an aside, the bamboo french terry takes embroidery SO well - probably the easiest fabric I've ever embroidered on.

Skirt Fabric: Pua Wahine from Michael Miller

Skirt Pattern: Pink Fig, The Girly Skirt

Top Fabric: White Bamboo French Terry from Bamblue Fabrics

Top Pattern: Farbenmix Whitney

Embroidery: Urban Threads

Another UT embroidery that I absolutely had to use for our trip was their "Big Island" design. I had initially envisioned using it in some retro, OP-ish way for one of my boys, but decided, wisely, that neither of them would appreciate the "girly" flowers incorporated into the design. So, my daughter got another dress.

Pattern: Klein Vlieland

Embroidery: Urban Threads

Fabric: Oatmeal & Lavender Stripe from Bamblue Fabrics

Of course my boys needed some new duds for the trip too! First, some basic, but much needed shorts for my oldest. I made a couple of these for him last year, and they are his absolute favorites. He would happily wear this style everyday, throughout the year, even in the freezing rain if I let him. These are an Ottobre pattern which sadly does not go up to his new size (ie, "gargantuan 9 year old").  So, I just lengthened them and, instead of using a grosgrain ribbon on top of the side seam as trim, I added a side panel. Worked like a charm - the fit is quite good. I used the heather gray and heather indigo bamboo french terry for these - so soft and comfy!

Pattern: Ottobre 3/10, #17

Fabric: Bamboo French Terry from Bamblue Fabrics

Ages ago, I bought this striped t-shirt in a thrift store, with the intention of cutting it down to size for one of the boys. But my oldest is going through a phase where he likes all of his shirts to be tent-like in fit. I tried to talk him into letting me cut it down to a size more suitable for a skinny 9 year old than a fully grown mountain troll, but he was having none of it. So, I left the shirt as is, but added the Urban Threads tiki embroidery to it.

The embroidery, which took nearly two hours, stitched out like a dream. I always hold my breath during these long embroidery designs, thinking that for sure my machine is going to go into diva-mode in the final minutes of the design and ruin the whole thing. Luckily that did not happen. Breathing a sigh of relief, I stitched the embroidered panel onto the shirt using my other (usually complacent) machine - which ate the fabric on the final turn. And I do mean "ate" - the fabric was so jammed into the feed dogs that I had to rip it out, leaving a hole approximately 1.5 cm wide. Hence the lizard button in the corner.

Embroidery: Tiki Mask from Urban Threads

I think I became Urban Threads' best customer in the weeks leading up to our trip. My little guy also got a shirt featuring a UT design:

Pattern: Farbenmix Quiara

Embroidery: Urban Threads

I even made something for my husband. A dear sewing friend of mine (who has the incredible luck of actually LIVING in Hawaii) gave me this fabric a couple years ago, and my husband promptly claimed it for himself. I made him a Jalie button down shirt, which I will never make again, because the collar is hellish. But my DH seems to really like the shirt, as he wore it several times on our vacation.

Pattern: Jalie

I also made a few things for myself, a few of which I showed on my last post. My favorite of all, though, is this dress. I plan on making MANY more of these, because they are so easy and comfortable!

 Pattern: Kwik Sew 3703

Fabric: Cotton/lycra from my stash

I can't resist adding this picture, even though I actually made the green Farbenmix Lore below a year ago. The embroidery on the back says "dream" which I thought was appropriate given the setting!

And finally, as anybody who sews understands, I can't go anywhere without checking out the local fabric stores. Kauai has some great ones! I got most of these at Vicky's Fabrics in Kapaa. Now I'm fully stocked for another trip!

Burda 7828, Vogue 1224 and Simplicity 3503

Now that my part time job reading applications to graduate school is over for the season (yay!), I have a lot more time to sew (double yay!). I've been getting in some seriously drool-worthy fabrics for Bamblue lately, and could not wait to get them sewn up.

I started with Burda 7828. I love the idea this pattern: a mock wrap dress pattern that does not leave you vulnerable to sudden gusts of wind. I tried it first in this supremely soft supima cotton fabric and loved the look and fit so much that I made the top version in hemp right afterward.

Pattern: Burda 7828

Fabric: Floral Supima Cotton Knit from Bamblue Fabrics

Here's a close up so you can see the pretty fabric:

And here's the top version. I did lengthen this one by 1.5-2 inches, and I'm really glad I did.

Pattern: Burda 7828

Fabric: Asian Turquoise Print in Hemp from Bamblue Fabrics

I have a lot more of these planned: short sleeve tops and long sleeve dresses, sleeveless versions...this will definitely become one of my go to patterns.

I also wanted to give Vogue 1224 a try, as it made the Best Patterns of 2011 list on PatternReview.com. For this one, I used the floral burnout supima cotton. This stuff gets so incredibly soft after you wash it - it is  just as soft (dare I say it?) as bamboo jersey. I'm pretty sure this is what a cloud feels like! This being a burnout fabric, the pattern was perfect because there are all those gathers in the bodice and the bottom part is double layered. 

I'm not totally sure at age 40 I can pull this off as a dress; I just can't see myself picking up the kids from school wearing this. However, it makes a great beach/pool coverup, or I may wear it with leggings or denim underneath. I decided to leave the bottom unhemmed, as the fabric curls rather appealingly.

Pattern: Vogue 1224

Fabric: Floral Burnout Supima Cotton from Bamblue Fabrics

Finally, I really wanted to make some things to take on our Kauai trip which is coming up in a few weeks. I thought Simplicity 3503, the halter view, would be the perfect choice. I used this polyester print that I've had around for awhile, as I thought it looked suitably tropical.

Pattern: Simplicity 3503

Fabric: A poly knit from my stash

Well, that's it for now. I've got a ton more patterns lined up to sew for Kauai, although how much I actually get around to is up for debate.

An Easter Elodie and a Zakka Style Bag

We spent our Spring Break in Illinois, visiting my family. The trip was fantastic, but rather exhausting! Our kids are finally old enough to enjoy all the wonderful museums in Chicago, so we spent a couple days touring the Field Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry.

The trip also coincided with Easter, which happened to be my daughter's 7th birthday (April is a very busy month for us!). I have been dying to make an Elodie since the pattern was first released, but something about the dress intimidated me. I think it was the zipper - I couldn't quite figure out how a zipper would work in a peasant-style dress. But, armed with a Google translation of the German instructions, I set out to conquer this thing. It was nowhere near as difficult as I had imagined it would be - quite simple, actually. I'm positive I did not do the zipper the way the designer intended, but no matter - it works and it looks fine.

The Elodie is fantastic for twirling.

Pattern: Farbenmix Elodie

Fabric: Robert Kaufman

My mother had a birthday a few days before we arrived, and I didn't want to show up empty handed. I made her this little bag from the Zakka Style book, which I just adore. This was so much fun to make! I used a piece of vintage 60s fabric, on top of which I stitched on a twill tag, stamped with a flower (I used heat set ink). Inside the bag, I put some birthday cards that the kids had made for her.

 

In a previous blog post, I had mentioned that my nephew's wife had a baby boy recently, and I made a little outfit for him (which you can see here). The little guy has a big sister (who, incidentally, is the cutest thing in pigtails), so of course I had to make her something as well. I chose the Modkids Isabel pattern, which I've made a couple times before as it's a great, easy pattern. I'm having a little remorse about putting the dark green ribbon on the pocket - the color was not exactly right, but it has hedgehogs on it! I was torn, but decided the more hedgehogs the better.

Pattern: Modkids Isabel

Close up of hedgehogs and offending, non-color-coordinating ribbon:

As I said, our trip was a little manic, but wonderful all the same. Now I'm madly sewing for our next trip: Kauai! I finally get to use all the Hawaiian themed fabric I've been hording for years! Plus, it's a great opportunity to sew up some of the new fabrics I've been stocking lately. I've already sewn several dresses and a top; I just need to take some pictures. New blog post coming soon!

Paris je t'aime

To say I've been busy lately would be the understatement of the century. I have 3 kids, two jobs, and wonderful machines that sit around all day and tempt me with promises of a crafty good time. I don't get to indulge my creative needs nearly as often as I'd like, but I give in to temptation at every possibility. It helps when friends and relations have babies or need a birthday gift, as then I can indulge without feeling too guilty!

My lovely niece had a birthday not long ago. I gave her the link to Huups and told her to pick whatever she wanted. Thoughtfully, she chose the very embroidery set that I had been dying to try - Bonjour Paris. I love everything about this set, including the absolutely spectacular bag made by Anja in the design examples. I normally try very hard not to copy someone else's design elements so overtly, but her execution of this was so flawless I couldn't help myself. She takes all the credit for these! 

I made one for my niece and one for my daughter. I carry the stripe in Bamblue Fabrics. The twill tag is birdie-stamped with fabric ink that I heat-set with an iron.

 

 

Pattern: Lotti

Fabric: Red and Gray Cotton Knit from Bamblue Fabrics

My niece's birthday was also an excellent excuse to play with my Cricut machine and do some card-making. I made the "Love" card using the Groovy Times cartridge. My kids made the other three using the Wrap it Up cartridge. So much fun!

 For a long time, I had purple in my serger and given my ridiculous lack of free time, I didn't really have an opportunity to change colors so I strategically set up purple sewing projects. Two of these did not turn out very well so will not be pictured here, but I do like these. To make them, I took advantage of the new purple-y bamboo colors I have in stock at Bamblue Fabrics, which are divine. 

 

Pattern: Ottobre 1/12

Fabric: Deep purple, aubergine, lilac and almond bamboo jersey

from Bamblue Fabrics

This one is a Burda pattern that I previously made using my chevron crochet knit fabric - you can see that version here. I was originally going to make my new version in bamboo jersey, but I used up most of the jersey I had ready to go in my daughter's dress, so I decided to try it in bamboo french terry. I was concerned the terry might be too thick for this double layer top, but I love the end result. so soft and cozy! I wear this constantly on cool days.

 

Pattern: Burda 8/10

Fabric: Aubergine and Lilac bamboo french terry from Bamblue Fabrics

My sister has recently been blessed with not one but two new grandsons! Pouncing on the opportunity to do some much-missed-and-sentimentalized baby sewing, I whipped up a couple of NCBE's. Good heavens, I had forgotten how quickly and easily these come together. 

Pattern: New Conceptions Baby Essentials

I loved the fabric combinations so much that I decided to make a few shirts my Skoober. I also used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out some heat transfer vinyl. I've had mixed results with this stuff in the past; the vinyl kept peeling off in the wash. I finally figured out this was because I had used fabric softener when washing the fabric after purchase, and it was affecting the adhesive. I re-washed my stripes without it, tried again, and boom! Problem solved.

 

Image: Dog Long Short

Pattern: Farbenmix Quiara

 Image: Four cars

Pattern: Farbenmix Quiara

 A friend of mine needed a birthday gift for a mermaid loving girl, which meant that I finally had a wonderful excuse not only to sew, but to purchase this mermaid embroidery from tausendschoenes.com. I already have several mermaid embroidery designs, of course, but how could I possibly resist this one? Love it!

 Pattern: Farbenmix Henrika

Embroidery: tausendschoenes.com

Fabric: Turquoise bamboo jersey and red wavy dot supima cotton,

both from Bamblue Fabrics

And finally, we have some more fun-with-the-Cameo sewing. I love the variety of images one can find at the Silhouette Online Store - so many great options, even for older boys. I thought this rock star smashing a guitar over his head would be "cool" enough for my 3rd grader. Again, I used two colors of heat transfer vinyl for this.

 

Pattern: Ummm..not sure. Possibly Otto, possibly Farbenmix

Image: Rock Star

Fabric: Yarn dyed hemp from Bamblue Fabrics

OK, I think I'm all caught up now. Next on my sewing table is a Modkids dress for my grand-niece and a Farbenmix Elodie for my daughter's Easter dress. Which I sincerely hope I can finish before Easter!

Using Fabric Interfacing with my Silhouette Cameo

I ADORE my Cameo. I did not think it was possible to love a machine more than my Babylock Ellegante, but the Cameo is a strong contender. Sadly, I have not been able to use either machine much because in addition to my fabric business, I also have another job that sucks up pretty much all of my time. I enjoy the work and I'm lucky to have a job, so I can't complain too much. But my machines have been sitting neglected for far too long.

Luckily, my daughter's best friend had a birthday party today, so I had a very good excuse to carve out some sewing time to make a special gift for the birthday girl. I pulled out my much loved Farbenmix Henrika pattern and considered my options. Gorgeous bamboo french terry? Check. Adorable (but expensive) European jersey knit from Stenzo? Check. Embroidery? Or fabric cut on the Silhouette? Oh, the decisions!

I eventually went with the Silhouette because, quite frankly, I just didn't have the time to do an intricate embroidery. I'm also out of cutaway stabilizer, which pretty much sealed the deal. I'm still experimenting with heat transfer vinyl and flock (I'm finding that neither stays on through the wash), so decided to give Silhouette's fabric interfacing a try.

I really debated the necessity of using Silhouette's fabric interfacing vs. the much-easier-to-come-by Heat N Bond. Now, having done both, I think the Silhouette product is better. It makes such a clean cut! The drawback, of course, is that for this particular product, you have to sew it on, which vastly reduces the type of image you can cut with it. Very intricate patterns are just not going to work. They do make a different fabric interfacing that supposedly has a stronger adhesive that sounds better for intricate designs, but it is for "items that don't need to be washed." Obviously, that does not include children's clothing, so I went with the sew on type.

I used a simple flower graphic that I purchased off the Silhouette site, cut it out using some Euro fabric scraps, sewed it on and added a button.  I just love how it turned out.

 Pattern: Farbenmix Henrika

Main fabric: Bamboo french terry from Bamblue Fabrics

Flower file: Basic Layered Flower from Silhouette

I am dutifully brainwashing teaching my daughter about the joys of sewing. She recently sewed 100 scraps of fabric together to commemorate the 100th day of school. After completing this project (I was bursting with pride!) she announced that she wanted to make another one for her friend's birthday, in addition to the dress. I had just purchased some wonderful vintage fabric scraps from AbbyHareVintage on Etsy that were just perfect for this doll quilt. She chose the fabric and sewed everything herself, including the batting between the layers (I did the cutting and pressing. And the embroidered tag on the back). She is going to be out-sewing me in no time!

Both gifts were well received, but of course the doll quilt made the biggest splash!