Favorite Wardrobe Staple- Jumpers

If I were asked what my favorite item in a little girl's wardrobe is I would say the jumper, no question. I literally  start with jumpers and build my girls' wardrobes around them every season. They are so versatile and can easily be worn year round. In the fall I pair them with a blouse and little cardi, winter a turtle neck and tights. When spring rolls around a feminine little T and in summer the jumper can stand alone. I have to say fall is my favorite time to make jumpers because of all the fabulous fabric choices. This year I did many in corduroy as well as some wool tartans and cotton flannels that have the look of wool but wash and wear like cotton, gotta love that. I also plan on making a jumper in velveteen for each girl in a deep scarlet red that can be worn for the Holiday season as well as through to Valentine's Day. Last week I stopped by Joann's to pick up some basics and saw that they had all their Fall/Winter plaids 60%!!!!!! I LOVE, I mean LOVE plaid, it is by far my very favorite print and I use it all the time in both my wardrobe and the girls', so I nearly passed out when I saw this. I normally am not a fan of Joann's fabrics and rarely buy fabric other than muslin and utility fabrics but this was quite the fantastic find. Here is a pic of my haul!

There are hundreds of jumper pattens out there and a lot of them are pretty much the same so which do you choose or do you just sketch one yourself onto pattern paper? Most of the time I select the most simple and clean design, unless  I am wanting  something trendy and of the moment I always gravitate toward timeless and classic. I do like a lot of boutique pattern but for something like a simple a-line jumper why spend the extra money? For  the following two jumpers for my two year old I used one of my go-to faves New Look 6578 and customized it a bit in size and leaving the applique off.

So here are my finished projects in size 3 for my 2 year old. I think they turned out great. Two more adorable pieces to add to B's wardrobe!(excuse the horrible photo of the bottom jumper)

Vinatge Children's Patterns

 Lately I have been so inspired by vintage children wear designs.both modern takes on retro styles like Oliver +S,  and actual vintage pattern designs. I've spent the last two nights shopping for them and purchased several. I am counting the seconds until those weathered envelopes holding fabulous little designs arrive!
 I have discovered several fantastic sources for vintage patterns. The first of course is Etsy, THE place for all things vintage. Three of my favorite Etsy sellers for these gems are Sew Much For You, SewUniqueClassique, and Vintage Vice.
 I also found a couple of website that carried a great selection of children's. Among them isVintage Stitching. So far this is the best site I've found for selection and price. I found a couple of other sites (so vintage patterns,Betsy Vintage.) that have a great selection but the prices are Waaaaay higher than etsy and Vintge Stitching, by $20+! HERE is a link for a list of vintage pattern vendors.
  In all my research I've learned a few things. First off is that you will be hard pressed to find unused, or uncut patterns and if you do the price is high! This doesn't bother me personally, I enjoy imagining who that person was and who she was sewing for. I find myself wondering if they were a mom like me and if she too loved that  sense of pride that comes from creating one of a kind clothes for your child.  Something else I discovered is that many of the patterns most from pre-80's are not multi-sized which is kind of  bummer! I also learned that sizes are MUCH different now and that MEASURING your child is KEY!!! I actually learned this years ago when one of my favorite things to do was scour consignment and resale shops for vintage designer and couture pieces. Oh just imagine my horror to be looking for a vintage size 10(!!!!) when I wore a 4/6. Here is the size chart from the dress I chose for my younger daughter.

  

  It seems there were only a few pattern manufacturers that offered designs for children, the vast majority were made by Mc Call's and Simplicity. After looking at hundreds of patterns I got a feel for where my taste lies and most of my favorites were designs from the 1960's. I did like many from the 1950's however with their very full skirts and fitted tailoring they seem a little "period piece" to me and more difficult to make modern. My favorite children's wear designer of the time is Helen Lee and Mc Call's produced patterns of some of her designs. Here are a few of my top picks from Helen Lee

Her coats are simply incredible! I just love how these designs are absolutely timeless, they transcend time and fads and are just as stylish today as they were then. With just the right fabric you can make a modern classic that is all yours.

 So maybe you are wondering what patterns I chose for my very first "modern vintage" project?  I Chose two actually, one for each of my girls. For N(my 5 yr old) I chose This 1967 Mc Call's jumper with an inverted pleat fromThe Vintage Taurus on Etsy.

And for my two yr old I selected this adorable little a-line dress from Simplicity bought fromKimtedrow on Etsy.. THIS is my most favorite of the patterns I purchased, it is beyond cute. I will be making the red dress view.

So now my goal is to pick the perfect fabrics to bring these stylish pieces to the present. I'm thinking that N's jumper would look great in a print, possibly  plaid, wool maybe? For B's I had velveteen in mind. What do you think, any ideas for me?

Oliver +S (Part 2) Freebie!!!!!!!!!!

I think I'm a little late to the game so most die hard children's ware sewers already know about the fabulous free patterns available that are already out there, though I will continue to blog about my favorites.

Oliver +S has several fabulous FREE pdf patterns available on their site. My favorite is The Lazy Days Skirt and I'm counting the days until my girls can wear this skirt made in an airy lawn or voile fabric.

I have my eye on THIS fabric for the skirt, Anna Marie Horner's Little Folks in voile.

Stay tuned for more on this project.

Heirloom Sewing for Children, my new obsession

It all started with a desire to make the perfect little monogrammed jumper for my two yr old. In my opinion there is nothing sweeter or more stylish than a crisp little a -line jumper or pinafore in a classic gingham check on a little girl. When I got my new Bernina Machine with embroidery module my plan was to make my girls several of these. So I started asking around in embroidery circles about the perfect high quality gingham and checked fabric. Again and again I was told Fabric Finders Fabric was what I was looking for.

So online I went to look for my ideal fabric, and yes I quickly found that indeed Fabric Finders made exactly what I was looking for. They make high quality, long lasting classic children's fabrics. Too many adorable tri checks, ginghams and plaids to count, not to mention the sweet and feminine piques and batistes, heaven! I found a list of retailers that carried their fabrics and happened upon a new passion, heirloom sewing, I heard the words over and over again on just about all the sites I visited. Heirloom sewing is creating classic children's design in high quality "heirloom" fabrics, many times involving smocking but I'm not quite to that just yet. In my humble opinion it is the perfect antidote to the overly mature styles for girls that are so popular.

Here is a  my first "heirloom" project, the Kayla Jumper by Bonnie Blue designs

Here is a example of it that I am considering, but without the scotties. I'm thinking cord or velveteen with the tri check lining and covered buttons.

I am also going to make this dress for my older daughter for Spring

Fabric finders paisley lawn, perfect for the "Shelby"

I found an amazing site that carries everything you need to start making heirloom quality garments for your child. Farmhouse Fabrics is incredible! It was there that I discovered two lines of patterns that are to die for gorgeous, classic yet very sweet. Bonnie Blue Designs and Children's Corner. Don't let the old fashioned illustrations fool you, these are classic timeless deigns that you can easily put your own modern take on. Here are some of my faves all available at Farmhouse Fabrics.

Bonnie Blue Designs
                               "Kitty" My FAVE!!!

Children's Corner

                                                              

Needless to say I'm in love with these adorable styles, I can't wait to post pics of my Kayla Jumper!

Today I am inspired! Oliver +S (part 1)

Today while nursing yet another migraine I parked myself on the sofa with my netbook and just surfed fabric and sewing sited. I happened upon some really great shops and blogs in the process, among them the Oliver +S.

If you're not familiar with Oliver +S  you're really missing out. They produce the most fabulous line of retro and vintage inspired children's clothing patterns, they also have recently launched a fabric line for Moda but more on that a little later. I am a bit embarrassed to admit that while I have scooped up and brought home several of their patterns I have yet to make a garment from one. It's not that I don't have the desire it's that when I bought them I  was so excited I just grabbed them without a firm plan. I  LOVE patterns, the promise they hold, the anticipation, I think that's why I started sewing in the first place. I will admit that I am a bit of a pattern hoarder and I often write checks my already crazy schedule cannot possible cash and without an actual project in mind, complete with fabric and a free afternoon or evening, many of my patterns are doomed to an eternity in one of my many "had to have it, I'll get around to it" pattern baskets. Here are the patterns I have in my stash,

Sailor Top and Skirt/Pant

Ice Cream Dress

Birthday Party Dress

Given the season I think I've decided to start with the Birthday Party Dress because I can pair it with a long sleeved t or turtleneck and top it with a classic little cardi.


After spending some time on the site and blog I was excited to go and dig out my Oliver +S patterns and start shopping for fabrics. Normally I would NEVER choose a fabric from the collection that is featured on the website. Choosing your own fabrics and making your own one of kind piece is really the whole point of sewing isn't it? It is for me especially when it comes to sewing for my daughters, to save them from the mass produced cookie cutter outfits that anyone can buy at Janie and Jack at your local mall(did that sound snobbish?) I think I'm going to make an exception this time because the new City Weekend fabric colloction by Oliver +S for Moda is simply amazing! I recently got a chance to see and feel the fabrics firsthand at A Common Thread, a local sewing and fabric store that I just adore. Not only are there tons of fantastic printed wovens in the collection but there are also yummy super soft knits. I seriously love them all, they are a welcome departure from your typical children's fabrics but I think I am leaning toward the coral on top on the stack paired with the aqua pindot.

Check out these a-ma-zing prints!

City Weekend by Oliver +S for Moda

What do you think, any favorite fabrics you're loving right now? Got any ideas for me? How about on these patterns in general? Have you worked with any of their patterns or fabrics, what did/do you think? I'd love some input. In general I could talk endlessly about sewing, especially for my children so I welcome all your comments and opinions :)

And now for something totally different

I'm a bit of a craft flake, I admit it, I almost embrace it. When I feel uninspired or blocked I quit. I put the project aside and revisited it from time to time. I would rather finish it later with a renewed sense of creativity than right then simply to get it done.

I've been feeling a little insecure about my work on the sewing and embroidery machines the past couple of days. Seems I can always find someone who's work blows me away and makes me feel like I have a lot to learn, but I think that's the point, right? To always keep learning and improving. So after reading the latest issue of Creating Keepsakes I thought it would be the perfect time to take my new Photoshop 8 out for a test drive. By the way CK has an awesome link to an adorable free Valentine's Day font. Here is the linkPorcelain Font
So here is what I did, a layout of Nat at Disney.

It was a layout I found in my half done folder on my computer. I tweaked it a bit and I think it came out nice. Understated and not overdone.

I heart templates!!! Part 1

I love anything that jumpstarts creativity and for me templates do just that. They also help save time and as a busy mom that is always a bonus so I thought I share my favorite resources for scrapping templates(sketches) for both paper and digital scrapping.

Let's start with paper. (I will cover the wealth of digital templates out there in Part 2)

There are LOTS of great places to find sketches. The three major scrapping magazines, Memory Makers, Creating Keepsakes,and  Scrapbooks etc., all have a monthly column in which they have new sketches and offer a few originals where they show how a scrapper made it there own. My favorite is Scrapbooks Etc and their website is incredible!
http://scrapbooksetc.com/

I want to tell you a little about all the fantastic things I found on their website. First there are the page sketches(click here to take a look) 
You can scroll through the sketches and then when you find one you like click on it and download it. I love to print out these download because the format is awesome! It gives you a large photo of the sketch, an original and a box for notes. I printed out dozens and put them all in a 3-ring binder and anytime I feel blocked I grab it and can find a great sketch to get me started. I rarely literally interpret it but instead I usually switch it up a bit.
Another thing I found on the Scrapbooks Etc. site was photo collages, they are GREAT! These are blank  collages which hold multiple  photos, they look like this

and here is the link to where you can find them. http://www.scrapbooksetc.com/layouts/collage/downloads/

I adore these! Seriously, I love the look of mutiple photos but get  bogged down in trying to place them all and keep my creative flow, these are the answer. Once you download them you can use them with your photo editing software and fill them in.( I use Photoshop 8) Easy easy easy, simply drag your photo in, Ctrl G and marquee the excess out. I sometimes use a slot for journaling, which I put in either using my software or by hand after it is printed out. I also like to reserve a spot to put patterned paper or cardstock. Here is a sample of a page I made using one of their collages.

I resized it to 8X8 and used the largest spot for patterned paper to unify the look of the page.(all products in this layout are My Mind's Eye) They have square, rectangle and shaped templates.

I also have  several books that I rely on for inspiration when I need help getting started. Below are the titles, if you click on them it will take you to the site to take a closer look and purchase.

Scrapbook Page Maps by Becky Fleck
Best of Becky Higgins Sketches for Scrapbooking
Designing With Recipe Book- Autumn Leaves Books

Of those my favorite is Page maps. It is very cool, the first half of the book shows all the sketches and shows several originals for each sketch, the second half is punch out laminated cards and pouch to hold them. Each card has a sketch on one side and an original on the back like this.....

So there you have it, some of my favorite resources for paper scrapping templates. Part 2 will cover a few of my favorite digital scrapbooking template resources and will be here soon. Have a great day!

A Pirate's life for me!

My latest projects are appliqued baby gifts. I have recently learned of the millions of designs for embroidery that are available almost instantly via download at thousands of sites. Oh boy, I have to restrain myself! I could sit and browse designs for days. There is a never ending supply of adorable girly designs however finding cute boyish designs is way more difficult. My favorite site at the moment, The Embroidery-Boutique, has many cute designs for boy items and I recently purchased all their pirate themed applique designs. Here is a shirt I made today using the Pirate Hat design.

I did something a little different on this shirt, rather than applique the design directly on the shirt I used two layers of thick stablizer and made an applique patch then adhered it using my favorite fusible material, Heat N'Bond.  I decided to try this because my daughter will not wear the items I've made her using machine embroidery because the stitches in the back irritate her skin. This way the stitches are not touching the child's skin only the soft cotton shirt. It worked great, I just did the whole design on the black and whit gingham then very carefully cut it out with very sharp embroidery scissors.

http://embroidery-boutique.com/index.php

How to- Cut fabric with your Cricut

I've had lots of people as me how I cut fabric with my Cricut, well it's easy but it took lots of trial and error to figure it out. I had been told and read some incorrect info on the subject but I did eventually figure it out. Here's how I do it.........

1) press your fabric using a bit of spray starch.
2) adhere your fabric to HEAT N BOND ULTRA, this is the most important thing, make sure it is ULTRA. I tried every type of fusible material and had no luck until I used Heat N Bond Ultra strength.
3) peel of backing
4) stick to NEW Cricut mat
5) use NEW blade(i reserve a blade and mat I use only for fabric)
6) cut your design

Voila!

A blog about all things crafty!

I decided to turn my personal blog, as opposed to my family blog, into a place where I can talk and share endlessly about my passion for crafting.

I am a huge craft geek, you name it I've tried it. Through trial and error I have found a few that I truly am passionate about. Paper crafting is my first love as far as crafts go. Cardmaking and scrapping I find to be more than just a hobby, I honestly find them to be theraputic. I picked up scrapbooking at a very difficult time, during the diagnosis and early treatment of my son's Autistic Spectrum Disorder. It was a way to focus on my son in a very positive and uplifting manner when most days were hard just to simply make it through.

I use scrapbooking not really as a way just to catalog and caption our family photos but to capture moments in time both big and small. I normally use only one or two photos in a layout and tell the story of a moment in time. I know some people see shoeboxes of photos and simply want to scrap them in order to "get it done" or because they want to "catch up", and that's cool for them but I know if I looked at it that way it might feel like an obligation or chore and I know I would never be caught up! I scrap whenever and what ever I feel inspired by at that moment meaning never in chronological order and or one project or album start to finish. Sometimes I find a photo from my childhood and a story and scrap that, sometimes it a photo from yesterday that inspires me or often times it is products that inspire me!

Oh how I love paper! I plan on using this blog to also share my favorite new paper crafting products and tools and which sites and stores I'm loving at the moment. Right now I'm all about my Cricut, I recently purchased the cartridges "Sweet Treats" and "A Walk in My Garden" both of which I'm using at the moment for making fabric appliques for children's wear, T's, bibs, burpie cloths and onesies.

About a week or so ago I sort of became burned out on scrapping and cardmaking and decided to bring out my embroidery and sewing machines. I was inspired to do so by BABIES!!!!!! Honestly babies and children are my biggest inspiration in all my crafting but reecently it seems like all my friends are either pregnant or have just had a baby. So out came the racks of threads the bins of fabric and the packages and packages of plain baby products to embellish.

I plan to share all the details of crafting for whoever shares my passion, so here we go......................