Oliver + S Sandbox pants | Camo Style

I've been waiting to use this pattern for some time.  It's a downloadable version of this now, vintage, pattern of Oliver + S.

 

The top is one I made from stash from an outlet store on 22nd Street and Ave W some 20 years ago!  It was a perfect match to the trousers.  It's KS3234 - very soft fabric that could also be used for ribbing.

 

                          Front                                                            Back

 

 

Used twill tape instead of self done tie.  It's attached to elastic in the waistband.

 

 

Of course a 'little special something' tag at the back.

 

 

Cute back pockets, leaving off the buttons.

 

  

The fabric is left-over scraps from my mum making one of my 'little' brothers pants (some 30 years ago).  I didn't have quite enough to but length-wise so I cut them width-wise.  A little nontraditional, but better that, than no pants at all!  You can kid of tell the camouflage print is a bit different (running up and down, not across).

 

Oliver + S Sandbox Pants pattern.  So cute - they have like paper dolls you can dress up.

 

 

 

 

Happy Halloween | KS2704

So I asked the kids what they wanted to be this year, and neither really knew.  So I went downstairs to see what I had on hand to make into a Halloween costume. 



 

 

 

I had some interesting (like what was I thinking when I bought it), shiny velour leopard print polyester knit...perrrfect for a cat costume.  I used scrap of the black jogging fleece (Alistair's costume) for the tummy, just reversing so it was fuzzy. 

 

Then Alistair said "I want to be dead" so I interpreted as a skeleton.  I 'stole' the idea of sticking on the bones from my friend Jill.  I used black jogging fleece for the main body.

 

So both are PJ pattern with a hood.  I added ears and tail for the cat.  Then for the skeleton, I got some help from Simon in cutting out bones in white felt.  Then used fusible web to attach.  Done...so cute and scary!

 

Beetlejuice | KS3234

Yes Halloween is coming very soon to spook the pants off us all.  In the spirit of the time, and the fact Alistair has few warm tops (mostly hoodies), thought time to make a spook-tacular top.

 

 

 

This is from the crypts...aged from, well the time of Beetlejuice of 1988.  Really it's all about the bats on the shirt, as he has no idea of who Beetlejuice really is!

 

I used this pattern, making a size larger around and adding ribbing at the bottom (shortening a bit to accommodate). 

 

Summer Bow Top | Sil 500

 

 

So now that I had a great summer skirt, I needed a top to match.  So I headed downtown to Unique Textiles and found a great quilting cotton that was fun.  

 

 

I only put in bust darts, no waist darts on front-back, as I knew I was going to wear with a belt.  Otherwise, this stiff fabric (quilting cotton) would look like a sack.

 



I wanted it to be simple to showcase the fabric yet fun...so I added the neck bow.

 

 

I copied this from a pattern that I made years ago - from memory. It was a V-notch in the neck where ties were sandwiched between the facing and fabric.

 

 

You can see the notch here from the inside.

 

 

You can see here the bow is a separate piece.  All edge-stiched.

 

 

I don't care for the full-armhole-facings.  They always don't match exactly and pull.  So I did a little facing in the armhole, then a bias self-fabric facing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Silk Gift - Thanks Michelle L | S2258

My dear friend in England, Michelle, gave me a piece of silk a few years back.  It was kind of a sage green.  Not a colour I typically wear.  But it was so pretty...looks like silk dupioni, but had the drape of raw silk.  Don't know what to make quite yet.  In the storage stack it went.

 

Now comes 2012 and I've lost a size and none of my summer skirts fit.  Need some cute skirts to take on our summer holidays.  Out comes the sage green silk.  I stared at it for a while...and then it was so obvious -- I could make myself the same skirt I made Sherrie!  Ta Da...

 

 

I made it look a bit more casual by doing double top stitching on the hem and pockets.  While I have a tie belt for it, I haven't actually used it. 

It matches some quilting fabric I picked up this summer at Unique Textiles here in Saskatoon that needed to be a cute top to match...see my next blog about the bow top.

 

 

Birthday Gift | Ayla

I love doing birthday gifts.  They are fun, fast, creative fixes.  In this case we made a 'pink and purple' skirt.  Imogen picked the book from our Barefoot Books collection for gifts.  Really like these books from the UK (my friend Jenn is a rep for here in Saskatoon). 

 

 

This is a quilting cotton I received from my mum's stash.  The bottom purple fabric is from a previous skirt I made Imogen, purchased at our local Periwinkle Quilting shop. 

 

 

The rick-rack was the perfect thing to finish the skirt off -- and ensures the 'pink and purple' theme is strong. The rick-rack was purchased this summer at a very cool shop in Minneapolis called Sewtropolis.  I found this store through another blog Pattie the Snug Bug, who used to work there.  I went there when visiting my friend Kathy on our way home from Madison, WI.

 

 

Oh and we can't forget to personalize the gift with the birthday girl's name.   

 

 

I made a gift bag (couldn't be matching, as I had no fabric left from the skirt) so I picked this one.  It's made from a fat-quarter my mum gave me and lined with some soft blue fabric from my days at Fabricland.  Back when remnants were buy 1, get 3 free.  They really needed to clear them out.  It was perfect for this project.

 

 

Again personalized the bag, so there is no doubt who it belongs to!

 

Bedroom Curtains - Olivia

I made these curtains for a friend, who has fabulous taste.  She picked out this cream fabric that has a slight sheen and a horizontal rib/slub going thru it.  Stunning. 

 

 

I LOVE the glass hardware at the end of these rods. The wall paper doesn't hurt either. So elegant, just love how it all goes together so effortlessly.

 

 

The challenge is it was floor to ceiling (almost) curtains - that's a lot of fabric.  I might add the fabric is quite heavy when you add in the blackout lining.

 

 

I believe the beauty of these drapes is the hidden tabs.  No grommets or tab-tops.  Just simple, elegant folds.  All accomplished by placing the tabs on the back side.  AKA copying curtains from Pier One!

 

 

So to give a better idea of the size of the curtains, here is one side being fitted properly for the top hidden tabs. 

 



 

 

See how they still look fab when drawn.

 

 

Fabric and rod are from Fabricland.

 

 

 

On my knees for Cars

Well not exactly.  More like Alistair wore out his jean knees and we had some Cars scraps to fix those holes!

Lightning is different on each knee - just to be a bit more fun!

 

This one looks happy...

 

 

 While this one looks very determined - just like Alistair!

 

 

 

Capes for Cousins

We had a request from our cousins Anna and Clarissa for some capes.  So I emailed a photo of the fabric available and they selected which ones they wanted.    They also gave clear instructions as to what was to be on the back. 

Anna
Wanted shiny silver fabric with a star with the letter A in red

 

 

Velcro closure so the kids can easily do it themselves.

 

 

Totally reversible with 'storm' fabric on inside -- picked out by Alistair.

 

Clarissa

Teal blue with a dog on the back (from Cat Kid Sew-It book).

 

Closer up of the dog.

 

 

Using the Velcro closure again.  So easy!

 

Reversible to a cool purple colour.

   

 

Two extra capes - Philippa and Daniella (or friends)

I wanted to send over a few more capes for the older sisters or friends to play with. 

The shiny teal is super wide, thus the full-circle capes. It was sold as slip fabric at Fanny's Fabrics, when I worked there in Uni. 

 

I used scrapes the finish the neck edge and fasten hoop-and-loop tape so the kids can easily take it on and off.  I found a tie is pointless -- the kids don't know how to tie!  And it can get caught on stuff while playing.

Even used my pinking shears to do the edges - it's a knit after all, so it doesn't fray but needed something to finish it off.

All the fabric is from stash.  All sew with love and anticipation of the fun to be had wearing them.