21 KCW: Sherpa Raglan

 Well this past week was an epic fail for my KCW projects 

*boo*

I've been working more hours which leaves sewing time next to nil. It sucks. Talk about having serious sewing withdrawals... anxieties, insomnia, bolts of fabric dancing in my head...

*sigh*

At least I managed to get one project done. Better than none, right?! Right.

 This picture pretty much sums up how much Lala loves this dress.

My inspiration was this lovely via Pinterest.

I used pattern 3/5 from Simple Design Boys and Girls Clothes (you can get it HERE) as my foundation and it worked like a charm.

The sleeves are a super-uber soft sherpa like stretchy knit I found at one of my local fabric shops,  the main fabric is bamboo terry knit (mmmm.... yummy) and the cotton ribbing is from one of my L.A. trips. 

 I made it a bit big so that Lala can get a lot of wear out of it. I'm guessing this will last well into spring. Stretchin' that dollar bill, yo!

I'm very curious how the sherpa will hold up after a gazillion washes. If it holds up, I'm buyin' me some more... sherpa for everybody! What do ya think... sherpa underwear? No?

*chuckle*

Maybe not a wise choice.

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24 Hoodie Scarf: A Revised Ear Tutorial

Hi folks!

You may have seen my 'new and improved' hoodie scarf over at Tasha's blog (HERE) and I thought I'd share with you the changes I made to make the perfectly placed ears. Nothin' like a good set of ears, no? 

If you haven't read the original tutorial, please do so as this tutorial is a supplement. For hoodie lining, scarf and supplies  please refer to the original post(HERE).

Alrighty...

Let's begin!

Above are the hoodie scarf pattern pieces you will need (scarf pattern not shown). Pay particular attention to the cutting directions for the 'center strip' piece.

For the main fabric center strip piece, you will need to add 3/4" to the length. Measure 3" from either short end of the strip and cut. This short strip should be the same length as the top short edge of your 'front side pieces'.

With right sides together, stitch your short strip to the front side pieces.

Your front hoodie scarf piece should look something like the diagram above.

Next, follow the directions in my previous tutorial (HERE) to make the ears. From the center of the back edge of the front hoodie scarf, measure the distance you would like your ears to be apart. ***A 2" distance in-between worked best for me, but you can increase or decrease the measurement to better suit you.*** Pin and baste in place with right sides together. Set aside.

Starting from the top edge of the side pieces, take your long center strip of main fabric and with right sides together, stitch in place. This may be a bit tricky for some, so take your time! Trim off any extra fabric from the center strip.

With right sides together, stitch your front piece to the back piece. Flip front piece over.

Flip ears up and press seam allowance forward. Topstitch about 1/8" from the seam to secure the seam allowance in place. This step will help keep the ears upright.

Yahoo!

You have yourself a perfect set of ears!

For the remaining steps, just hop over to the previous tutorial (HERE)and you got yourself one purrrr-fectly sweet hoodie scarf!

Make someone happy... make a hoodie scarf!

***

P.S. Don't forget to share your creations on our Flickr group (HERE). 

7 Craftgawker Make: Window Clings

I love Craftgawker.

I found this awesome tutorial via Pink Stripey Socks on how to make your own window clings using contact paper and paint pens.

I thought this would be a perfect project for Mr. to do. He says he's not creative...

huh... really.

 

 We added some Halloween gummy clings from Target to give a little more pop.

A perfect Daddy and Lala project.

Folks, you gotta check out Pink Stripey Socks for some awesomely crafty tutorials. Make sure to say hello for me!

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0 Ghastly Doings

Happy October friends!

There is some ghastly doings happening over at I Seam Stressed blog.

So hop on your broomstick,

turn into a bat,

slither your way,

whatever you have to do... just get THERE and see what I sewn to kick off the Halloween season!

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21 Do Guincho Bubble Shorts

Hi everyone!

Thank you so-so much for all of your sweet comments and encouraging emails from my last post. To have support and share similar situations meant a lot to us. BIG hugs to all of you!!! Lala is doing much better. There is still residual rash and the doctor said it can take up to several months for it to completely heal. A tremendous improvement from where we were and Lala is back to her mischievous ways.

Don't let her cuteness fool you!

It's sooo good to be back and what better way to get back into the swing of things with this awesome Bubble Shorts pattern from Marta of Do Guincho. THIS, my friends is a must-have pattern.

 I have sewn different versions of bubble shorts seen HERE, HERE and HERE, but this version is my most favorite-est by far. When I first saw Marta's shorts HERE, I instantly fell in love.

With detailed instructions and graphics that were easy to follow I literally had no problems sewing this baby up.  I had several fabrics in mind to use and decided on this one, "Ziggy" by French Bull for Windham W Fabrics.

Perfect for my little joker!

 An of course I had to accessorize... nothin' completes an outfit without a mask and wand.

Time to pay my model for her hard work. In the meantime, check out Marta's shop HERE, for her bubble shorts pattern.

Thank you Marta!!!

***

43 interruption

Hey there.

Not exactly the photo you'd like to see at the start of a long weekend or anytime for that matter, but I wanted to share this with you in hopes of anyone who's experienced this can shed some light or at least know they're not alone. For the past month, we have been in and out of our pediatrician's office, seen multiple dermatologists, went to both urgent care and the emergency room and finally a pediatrician dermatologist. It started out with a small rash behind the thighs, but gradually spread throughout the entire body from her scalp to her feet. The doctors were baffled. Multiple diagnosis from Gianotti-Crosti syndrome to Pleva to Scabies to the most recent, a Gianotti like Coxsakie A6 virus and the countless prescribed medicines from steroid creams to antibiotics to anti-inflammatories.

It has been a nightmare.

The picture above was taken at the start of this virus and has gotten much worse. I'll spare you the pictures. The last doctor (the pediatrician dermatologist) feels confident with his diagnosis and has seen this in many of his patients in the past year. The good news: it's self limiting and will resolve on its own. The bad news: it can last as long as 8 weeks. We're halfway through. I believe ( I pray) we have gone though the worst of it this past week. 

The question I'm sure you're wondering is, is it contagious? Yes. Apparently in the the first week or so it is contagious through interaction with other small children and can also be airborne from a sneeze. It's most contagious in small children. Adults and older children aren't susceptible due to our immune system and apparently once you get it, it is highly unlikely you'll get it again. Lala is well past the contagious stage, but her appearance can be alarming to those who don't know.

Speaking of public reaction, people can be cruel. I understand they're scared because they don't know, but to stare with disgust, especially when Lala is greeting you is just downright uncalled for. Some parents cringed and some (bless their hearts) smiled and carried a conversation with her. It was so hard to hold back the tears.
So kindly excuse the interruption. I'm stepping away for a brief moment to just hang out, play, nurture, love and help Lala get back to her usual rambunctious self.
See you soon!
***

21 Hanami Pattern by Straight Grain

Hello folks!

Let's start the week with a new pattern by none other, An from Straight Grain.

*applause*

This woman is amazing, but I'm sure you already knew that! I just love her approach to little girls' clothing... simple and feminine. It's refreshing to see her timeless designs in an otherwise trendy world of fashion. So when An asked for pattern testers for the Hanami pattern, I pounced on the chance! I mean look at this pattern... how adorbs is this?!

The pattern has the option of a dress or top, crossed back or zipper, collar or no collar and ruffle sleeve or tulip flutter sleeves. I opted for crossed back top with tulip flutter sleeves. Crazy options, ay?

I sewn up a size 3Y which is equivalent to a 3T here in the US.

Isn't the back darling? This is what got me hooked. If I was to see this on a hanger, my first thoughts would be the back being the front and I honestly would've thought nothing more of it, but it's not.

 THIS is the back. 

Now, I have a little secret.

I don't do zippers.

I know-I know... it sounds ridiculous and especially coming from someone who has sewn for such a long time, but I just don't care for it. I'm a bit intimidated by it actually but if my buttonhole maker keeps misbehaving, I just might give in and start sewing zippers.

I added contrasting fabric to the sleeve lining... a cute little surprise!

 The fabric is the Briar  Rose collection by Heather Ross (loooove!) and the buttons are from a local fabric shop (they have a big chest full of buttons).

Now here's what I did differently.

I made the top into a wrap versus a pull over with snaps on the inside. The reason I did this was because Lala is... how should I say... slightly above average in the weight category, so when I initially made this into a pullover and tried to put it on, it was anything but easy. I am loving this change. LOVE-LOVE-LOVE! And with the overlapping of the ruffled flounce just adds to the cuteness factor.

The top took less than a day to make and An's step by step instructions along with great photos made the whole sewing experience a pleasant one. You could probably get by just by looking at the photos!

Overall, this pattern is an A+ in my book. Easy to follow instructions, great photos, a plethora of style options and a classic design... how can you go wrong? Check it out for yourself! The pattern is available HERE. If you're still not convinced, check out all the other bloggers who tried the pattern starting today and throughout the week.

You too will soon agree that the Hanami pattern is 'ichiban'!!!

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