Selfish Sewing

         Recently I treated myself to a couple of meters of dreamy Cotton & Steel fabric- remember last week when I shlepped through the rain and wind to my favourite sewing lounge Spool Of Thread? I simply could not resist this yummy criss crossed navy cotton- it fit in nicely with the handmade wardrobe I already have and although I had no idea what I would make with it I knew it would be good.

      Entre in my sewing time last Friday- I took one of my favourite loose tunics and drafted a pattern off of that- I like how it turned out but would definitely change the arms a bit- I'm not in love with how these tapered arms finished but they will do for now. I have been trying to make more sewing time for myself of late- which is tough when sewing for my Littles is just so much cuter! My new rule of thumb though is that I'm not making any spontaneous purchases- if I really want something I need to figure out if I can make it first- with the exception of jeans and shoes- always shoes!

       I'm loving how easy and breezy this tunic is- it really fits with almost everything from hiking boots and boyfriend jeans to ballet flats and skinny jeans- from the woods to the art shoppe this top is about to become one of my go- to staples. My wardrobe is slightly lacking these days- I am working hard to build myself an interesting and non- Mom uniform- easy basics that still reflect my creativity. I think it is easy to fall into boring basics- instead of reaching for my trusty grey t-shirt in the morning I can reach for this tunic instead!

PS- I had to take a picture of the frost- sure sign that winter is on the way!

Simple Sewing

   
              The other day I had a few hours and two meters of fabric on my hands so I decided to do something completely radical- sew something for myself! Shocking! I haven't done much sewing for myself in quite sometime as my Littles grow so quickly and constantly seem to be in need of longer garments on a constant basis. So this fall I decided to make my own wardrobe a priority and jumped in with this easy little tunic from one of my favourite Japanese sewing books Simple Modern Sewing.

          What I like about this book is as per the title the items are simple and basic- just what I need in my day to day life. While the fabric and styling may be cute I can bring in little details like the ceramic flower button to make things a bit more interesting- this fabric has an interesting texture to it so I really didn't want to overwhelm that.
         

             Aside from the patterns this book is so well styled and a pleasure to look at for leisure- lots of great wardrobe building tips- in a restrained manner- not too much but just enough. I am working to build a uniform or look for myself- something I can just throw on at a moments notice and not really think about- this top fits the guild lines I have set for myself. Simple Modern Sewing- great basics!

Seam Allowance: Tova Tunic

 
      It has been a little over seven months since I decided to take the Seam Allowance Pledge- well in spirit anyways because I don't live in Berkley- where they hold the monthly meetings- on the second Sunday of each Month at A Verb For Keeping Warm- that would be quite the commute. To refresh your memory the pledge was to make at least 25% of my clothing- that is a goal of making one out of four items in my wardrobe- that I actually wear.

     It has been a bit of a struggle between sewing for Miss Lo and The Boy- who just keep growing- I don't know somebody must be feeding them some good food or something- often my own sewing gets passed over. Case in point this great turmeric coloured tunic- it is the Tova Tunic from Wiksten- sewn out of some completely random fabric- it's gauzy with a slight sheen in an interesting basket weave- and the colour! How could I resist? At any rate although the fabric was a steal of a deal it has been sitting on my desk for over a month now- yesterday was the day to get this project going!

      The pattern it's self was very simple and clean- easy to assemble- although I did encounter some issue with fitting the collar. The fabric- regardless of being fantastic in every way- was perhaps not the best choice- as you can see the Mandarin collar does not want to stand up- I do actually like the open neckline so it's not an issue for me. This is a soft and breezy top- perfect paired with shorts or jeans for the Summer. 

     I am digging the Seam Allowance Pledge- if anything it has made me much more mindful of my purchases and consumption- where goods are made and how they are constructed means more to me now than a year ago. Instead of conveniently shopping at the mall I have managed to either sew, buy second hand or swap for almost every item of my clothing since October. I'm not looking for a pat on the back- instead I am just trying to share the possibility- of consuming differently- of craftsmanship- of patience. 

    If nothing else then I am just trying to share what I made- this super cute top- an easy tunic pattern from Wiksten that I will most definitely be making again- pledge or no pledge!

     

P.s.- yes I did buy these jeans- with a gift certificate from Anthropology during boxing week- guess how much they cost me? Just guess! $14.99! Marked down from over $150.00- how is that even possible? Should I have bought them? Probably not- then again I'm not perfect!

P.s.s- thank you to my friend Alison for snapping these pictures of me after preschool pick up yesterday!

Seam Allowance

     I have had this yummy, organic, gingham check yardage from Merchant & Mills in England sitting in the studio for more than a few weeks now- earmarked to become something Springish for this Momma. Of course there was birthday week, school and all the other business of life- so there that fabric sat- and sat- and sat- until finally I decided to put aside sewing for others and make something for myself! Spring is coming you know!

     If you are a regular here to this little space you might remember a blue chambray shirt dress I sewed for myself last fall- I decided to use this same Merchant & Mills pattern but hack it slightly. I shortened the dress into more of a tunic (perfect for wearing with shorts), I raised the "bib" up about 3" and added handy pockets- you know for my chap stick and coffee money- the necessities. The thing about hacking something is that you need to be flexible for when the pieces do not fit together properly- hence I became pretty intimate with my seam ripper.

    

     I love this pattern but seriously almost pulled my hair out several times over the past few days- my lack of attention may have something to do with not enough carbs but that is a story for an all together different post. Needless to say when I sewed the sleeve on inside out - twice- I was ready to throw the entire project off the deck! The pockets proved challenging on their own and I almost scrapped the idea of them- but the thought of those cute little bows kept me moving forward- lets just say that there will be no close up shots of the button holes!

    It is so easy to find examples of beautifully finished projects- and it is easy to get frustrated with the constant perfectness of Pinterest taunting your every malformed button hole or inside out sleeve. As someone pointed out to me last weekend blog envy is a real thing- I had not thought about it before because surely readers know my life is far from perfect! I wanted to share that although I love to sew sometimes it does not just happen perfectly- I struggle- I throw things on the floor- I also have a basket of shame- full of unfinished projects!

    So since it is Friday again- Spring is in the air and as of Saturday evening I can eat carbs again- life is good! I hope whatever you get up to this weekend it is fun and filled with friends and delicious bread! Happy Friday Friends!

These kids- they are growing like weeds!

     My babies are growing up- figuratively and literally. I know this is what everyone one wants is for growing healthy kids, but all this growing does come with a modicum of sadness for me as I see my little ones growing out of wee little baby clothing into massive big kid clothing. I pack away their cute little clothes, I remember when I bought them and sigh, I give them a final sniff and put them into the box of things I can not bear to part with.

   These babes of mine are no longer babies hey are full on kids, something my 2 year old has been telling me since she started talking; " I no baby, I big kid" was and still is Lo's favourite saying. This one in particular is growing like a weed, clothes that I bought too big last year in anticipation of getting more than one season out of have gone into that box. That brings me to my decision to garb these babes of mine(for really they will always be wee babes to me) in as many home sewn garments as I possibly can.

   






















    It just makes sense economically, at this size a pair of shorts is half a meter of fabric and an hours worth of time. At this age is makes sense to take advantage of dressing them in home sewn goodness as they are not remotely aware of the mega giant retail industry who is out there lurking waiting to convince some hormonal mother to spend $78 on baby jeans- yes I briefly considered them, they were very cute!

    I love Oliver + S patterns, once figured out they are very straight forward and easy, plus insanely cute! I have made the Puppet Show Tunic only once but am planning a few more for the fall. There are a heck of a lot of steps and tailors tacks but it all comes together beautifully. Plus the length is perfect for a gal on the go!

   The bottoms that go with the Puppet Show Tunic are the easiest shorts I have ever made! They have cute little gathered pockets and are really more bloomer than short. Lo paired them here with a vintage chemise that I found at Community Thrift and Vintage. Her hat was found on sale at the Gap- some things are necessarily a justified purchase!

ps- the benefits of home sewing are enormous and political, I could go into depth all my reasons behind home sewing but I chose to focus for the moment on the pretty details like my Grandmother's vintage buttons that grace the back of the Puppet Show Tunic