Swingset skirts.

Did you see?  Oliver and S just released the swingset skirt in a giant size range, and better yet, all in the same file.  Previously it only went to a 5, now it goes to a 14!  Seriously a 14!   I am super excited about that especially as Abby is nearing size 10/12 in them.  While I am firmly a #teampaper kind of girl, I knew there wouldn't be too many pages to tape together as I have the smallest sizes in paper.  

I started with one for the twins, and since it's still so unbelievably hot here I styled it for summer. This is a size 4.

As soon as George saw it, she claimed it as her own.  Then, she said 'mommy, can we puhweese take a picsha so I kin wear it?'.  She knows the rule, can't wear it until it's officially photographed, haha!

I took a chance and showed it to Abby, I was so happy to see when Liesl introduced the pattern she included it on older girls, that's what sold it to her.  I still wasn't convinced she'd actually wear it, though, so I made it out of my go-to cheap fabric.  My magical hardware/fabric shop has this poly gingham that is so cheap and doesn't wrinkle, it's fabulous.  I used the rest of this awesome pre-made bias tape I have been slowly working my way through.  I nearly went neon pink, but I am glad I went with this.

She likes her skirts at least to her knees, so I went with the size 10 and used 14 for the length.  She LOVES it.  Put it on immediately and plans to wear it tomorrow to school, that's the highest form of praise from her.

I also made her a School Bus Tee size 12 with length.  I went with elbow length sleeves and added a cuff.

Lots of basics.

Still playing lots of catch up here, I need to or else I wont remember the details as I have been slacking with adding size tags- oops!  

I have been really (surprisingly) enjoying making my kids basics.  The Oliver + S School bus tee has been getting so much use lately.

One of Ben's friends posted on facebook about going with his wife to a Taylor Swift concert, but don't worry, he wasn't loosing his indie cred.  He put this on a shirt and posted it.  I loved the graphic, and he was kind enough to share his source.  So I used some transfer paper and Abby picked the color she wanted.  This is one happy chickie, this shirt gets so much wear.  She was excited that it also struck up a conversation between her teacher and student teacher, apparently they both approved.

She measures in to a 10 in this pattern, but I have been making her 12 (as this one is), longer wear isn't a bad thing.

Sammy is wearing an 18 month here, also with his 12 month Lullaby pants from last year, and they are still big enough he will get quite a bit more wear from them.

I had a vision in my head of an outfit for Jack.  Since it was a new to me pattern, I decided to work out the kinks in a smaller size, luckily.  This is the Peekaboo pattern Great Outdoors Vest.  Sigh, it needs work.  The pattern didn't even line up at the front and back bottom, and the instructions aren't great.  Luckily I didn't want a zipper because I would have pulled all my hair out.  The batting I chose was too thick.  It only addresses choosing batting by saying the thicker, the puffier.  Which is true, but it didn't even cross my mind at how hard it would be to feed through my machine, even with a walking foot.  The pockets don't have a placement mark, just general directions of approximately where to place them.

Glad I didn't make my real one the first go.  On the bright side, my new machine takes topstitching thread like a boss.  Here I come Field Trip Cargos!

So for the second one.  This is the fabric I want to make Jack one in, I am going to break my no matching self-imposed rule.

These vests are both a 2t as per what Sam's chest measured.  I evened out the pattern pieces and instead of folding the arm holes under and sewing together like the first one, I used bias tape turned to the inside to finish.  Much better.

I made this one after seeing the post for the monochrome project.  I had this planned already, it just bumped it up my list.  Happily, these are another pair of Lullaby Layette pants from last year.

Another size 18 month with slightly lengthened sleeves, and if you're interested in the faux sleeve look, I did a tutorial for them.

This is a size 7 with 8 length, and quite a bit of length added to the sleeves.  I guess my kids have super long arms?

It is made from the very last bit of fabric that I also used for one of his favorite shirts from a few years back.

Size 7 + length.  I ordered him this minecraft panel and made the mistake of telling him I did.  He asked me every day (literally) for over a month if it had arrived.

I colorblocked the tee as the panel wasn't big enough for the whole front, he chose the shade of blue (and the fact that it was blue) on his own.  He wore it to bed and then to school this morning, I think he may have been a leeetle excited.

 I made Jack a pair of mini hudson pants, size 7 with 8 length.   He still wears his size 6's all the time, but they are getting a little short and tight.  I used french terry that is just dreamy, that was his first remark 'they are so soft, mom!'.  I could live in this stuff.  In fact, I have some things planned for me in other colorways.

And he decided his lion shirt isn't that bad after all.  That's usually his game, he hates things at first, then likes them and eventually loves them.

One more delicious french terry item.  I made Sam a hoodie using the School Bus tee.  I sized up to a 3t width, 18 month length and added cuffs, a hem band and a hood.  I did a tutorial, if you're so inclined.

Book nerd.

Girlfriend has been requesting some comfy pants for a while now, and she is on the verge of outgrowing her mini hudsons from the spring so I have been looking for a replacement.  

I used the Oliver and S Parachute Sweatpants and sized up to a 12.  She *probably* should have had a ten, but I figured she wouldn't mind them being a bit baggy at first and for them to last for a while.  I found this rad double sided knit at Joanns last week, they had it in a few different colorways and I also picked it up in raspberry.  

I changed it up a bit by adding a cuff instead of the elastic in the cuffs, but that added length.  I really should have waited until she was home from school, but I am a naptime/impatient sewer, sooooo these ones will be extra long.  I do like the look of the cuff, though, when she pulled the pants up a bit.  So next time I will take off some length and do the cuff again.

I also made my TNT, always go-to, Field trip raglan.  I used a white cotton lycra and a Riley Blake spotted knit.

This outfit got her seal of approval, which is a big deal as of late.

Cocoon Dress.

I have been craving a pretty little dress to sew, lately I have been making lots of shirts and some pants, it was time for a dress.  

So I chose the Heidi and Finn Cocoon dress.  I wasn't going to buy the pattern initially, but then I saw an adorable plaid version in the facebook group and it changed my mind.

I made both the girls a size 4t with 5t length.  Since I was only going up one size in length and the lines were fairly close together in width, I graded out from the 4t to a 5t right where it starts to curve, so the chest is a 4t width and the curve width is a 5t.

These tights are ridiculously big on her.  To be fair, I had planned for Iz to wear these, but George wanted to wear these boots, so she got this one (for today).  They are also big on Izzy, but not *as* big.

The pattern calls for heavier fabrics to hold the unique shape of the garment.  For this dress, I used a heavyweight stretch denim I bought online forever and a day ago, before I learned how to buy fabric online (pay attention to how many ounces!).  It sat in my stash for so long, but it was like it had just been waiting for this dress all along.

The pattern calls for an exposed zipper, but also has a button closure option.  I really dig the look of the exposed zipper, but couldn't find any cool ones.  Then it hit me, jeans zippers.  They were just the right length and I found some pretty rad ones at my local hardware/fabric shop.  It is hard to tell, but this zipper has a diagonal blue and white stripe.

This dress is made from a ponte de roma, and while it is one of the heavier weight knits (the pattern specifically recomends stable knits), it still doesn't hold the shape quite like the denim does.  But it isn't a bad thing, I quite like the way it moves while she's wearing it.

I just adore both these dresses, they will be so fun to layer up in the fall.  Now they just need cute cardigans or jackets to go with them.

I changed up the zipper a little from the pattern.  It instructs you just to lay it down and sew it, but I wanted a cleaner look, so I tucked the bottom raw edges under.  Much better, in my opinion.  In fact, I completely unpicked the zipper in the blue dress to change it as it was the first one I made.  That's saying a lot, because I hate my seam ripper.

They are so much harder lately to photograph together, ugh!  Luckily they are pretty adorable...

Lane raglans.

I am currently in the middle of an obsession with the Hey June Lane Raglan. I love elbow length sleeves, and now that it's *sort of* transitioning in to cooler weather (read: under 100* most days) they can be worn without dying.  I can get the sleeves in just about a half yard, so I have been rummaging through my stash to see what isn't too little kiddy.  

Recently Raspberry Creek Fabrics came out with their own line of fabrics, and they are fantastic.  Diana has a facebook group and she is just the sweetest, also she has fantastic prices, great selection, great customer service and fast shipping.  No, I am not being paid or anything for saying this, I just want her to stay in business so I can buy all the fabric.

Anyways, a gal in the facebook group posted a nearly identical top (her's had a gray neckband) and I knew right then I wanted to copy her.

I love this one, I think it's my current second favorite.

This was actually my first one, I still wear it, but this is a size bigger than the rest so the neck is too big on me and can sometimes show a bra strap.  That's what I get for panicking when choosing a size.

I added a few inches to the length to make up for not doing a hem band as I was trying to quickly make this before a vacation, but it was unnecessary.  Apparently I am short, I should have remembered that.

Not much to say here... just documenting for myself, haha.  Oh, and Riley Blake knits are rad.

This one is my current favorite.  I added a sleeve cuff to this one.

On all of the shirts, I left off the hem band.  I added one to my gray and floral, but it hit me at a weird place, so I cut it off and just hemmed it.

 This is the Raspberry Creek french terry, the top shirt was the jersey.  I should have sized up on this one since this french terry doesn't have a lot of stretch, but it's just motivation to keep up on my exercising, I guess!

The only change I made, was to line the hood.

So, in conclusion, I super love this pattern.