The Winter Sewing Blues

Not blues as in "depressed, wanna curl up with a vat of ice cream and cry myself to sleep" (what? isn't that what everyone does when they are down?). No, I just mean I've got blue in my serger and I'm too lazy to change colors.

I switched to blue for the sole purpose of sewing this:

Pattern: Simplicity 2603

Fabric: Navy and Steel Gray Stripe Rayon Jersey from Bamblue Fabrics

This is a very popular pattern, and for good reason. It is ridiculously easy to sew, has only 3 pattern pieces, and is very much on trend. And what luck! I have the absolute PERFECT fabric to use with it. This rayon jersey, from LA designer Ella Moss, is TDF. It is very lightweight and ephemeral, which is just what you need with this pattern. I rolled the entire hem of this cardigan, which gives it a bit of a lettuce edge...makes it more romantic and feminine, in my opinion. Love it.

My 6 year old daughter lives in dresses. I've made her countless shirts and tunics and hoodies that she never wears. All she wants are dresses, and I'm absolutely sick of seeing her wear her favorite: a pink velour Henrika that I made her two years ago and miraculously still fits her. I decided a new Henrika was in order. I pulled out one of my cherished fabrics, light blue polka dots on periwinkle cotton lycra. I know, I know, polka dots are not exactly HTF - but just try to find this colorway anywhere. Impossible!

Anyway, I'm beyond thrilled that I didn't mess this up. This is now my favorite knit dress that I've ever made for her (and I love how it looks with her adorable Beeko boots, too).

Pattern: Farbenmix Henrika

Embroidery: Huups

Freakin' Adorable Boots That I Wish They Made in My Size: Beeko

And more blue! I've had this fabric for ages, thinking I would make a dress for me out of it, but couldn't decide on which pattern. I gradually came to the conclusion that the print looks a little juvenile for a 40 year old woman like myself, so I decided maybe just a top, rather than a dress. 

Pattern: Jalie 2805

I had enough of the fabric left over to make my daughter a dress too, although she flat out refused to model it. So, we have to make do with this horrible picture. Believe me, the dress is WAY cuter in person.

Pattern: Onion 20026

As I said before, my daughter is firmly in the dress-wearing, girly girl camp. I told her I was going to make her a dress out of a thrift store Tigger t-shirt, and she took one look at the navy blue fabric and turned her nose up. "It looks too boyish!" I did it anyway. I think it's cute, although my lack of a willing model is really working against me here. You'll have to take my word for it. 

And, finally, I've been dying to use my Silhouette Cameo again for sewing purposes. I finally decided to do this long-planned but much put off doggie shirt for my youngest. I was so fixated on careful Silhouette cutting (so as not not to waste my $4/sheet vinyl) that I did not pay much attention to what SIZE I was cutting out for the shirt itself. I accidentally cut out one size too small. !@$%!! I didn't realize this until it was half-way sewn up. Dangit! I briefly debated sucking it up and cutting out another one, but then I had the brilliant idea to just add a hem band and some extra length to the sleeves. The extra doggies along the bottom looked cute as I envisioned it, but in real life? Not so much. Did I mention.....!@%!!!? Well, I'm not doing it over. I'm just not.

Pattern: Farbenmix Antonia (which runs one size too small! I can't believe, given the number of times I've made this pattern, that I forgot this little nugget)