Rowan Tee

November 20, 2014November 20, 2014 ~ hungie gungie ~ 30 Comments

Want the best kids T-shirt pattern your money can buy?

Well, here ya go!

The Rowan tee is designed by the fabulous Laura of Craftstorming and Titchy Threads. If you’ve ever sewn with one of Laura’s patterns, I’m sure you’d agree that they are some of THE best out there. I honestly do not think any other indie patterns that I own are as thoughtful or precise as Laura’s. It is obvious, the amount of work she puts into creating her designs. Her Small Fry Skinny Jeans would probably win the sewing blog equivalent of the Grammy’s ‘song of the year’.

She’s a smart cookie, and it shows in her work.

The Rowan tee is awesome.

It offers plenty options. And by plenty, I mean 144 different ways to change up your Rowan. From hood, short sleeves, long sleeves, cuffs, hems, stripes, patch pocket, kangaroo pocket…It’s like ordering a coffee drink at Starbucks. All about the customization, y’all.

Oh, and it’s sized from 6 months-12 years. Holy size range!

Laura asked the tour participants to each choose a different variation. I went simple, and chose the short sleeve, hemmed, full-stripe option.

I made Coco (she’s 2 1/2) a size 3.

The fit is EXACTLY what I want in a tee for my kiddo. It’s somewhat relaxed, but it’s not a baggy fit. It’s just the right length, just the right width.

I used a lovely cream-colored cotton/lycra knit from my local fabric shop, Les Fabriques. I bended the rules here by using a woven print (Geos in Deep Marina by Leah Duncan) instead of knit for my stripe, and I loooove it.

Great way to use up some favorite fabric scraps, no?

p.s. I love kids in jeans. Coco became a slouchy teenager as soon as she put them on.

I’ve been sewing a lot with knits lately, and I wanted to share what works for me. I find a walking foot helps me immensely! I use a ball point needle, and I really like using the stretch stitch on my machine. Ever since I started using that stitch (as opposed to a small zig zag or using just the serger), the garments have held up great- no snapping stitches at all. The stretch stitch sort of locks back and forth 3 times, enforcing the seam as you sew. It takes a smidge longer than it would if you used a serger or zig zag stitch- but for me, the clothes have turned out so much more professional looking. I’ve also used spray starch on the hem before pressing it up and sewing and it really helps to get a clean finish.

Don’t let that pocket deceive you- it’s gold paint! The one I used is by Martha Stewart and it’s sort of an all-in-one craft paint. I’ve used it before on fabric and it holds up really nicely in the wash. I made a simple pocket shape on freezer paper (you could probably even trace the pocket pattern piece supplied in the Rowan pattern), ironed it on, and used a sponge brush to dab on the paint. So easy.

One thing I love that some PDF pattern makers are doing now, is offering the sizes in layers- meaning, you can just print out the size you need, instead of printing all of them and then having to decipher which line to cut out for your particular size- which we all know, can be a pain in the ass sometimes. I appreciate that Laura offers this in the Rowan.

I cannot recommend this pattern enough. It is chock-full of helpful tips, great photos, and very extensive instructions. This would be great for a beginner who is ready to try sewing knits, or for the seasoned sewer looking for a legit tee pattern.

Get your Rowan in the Titchy Threads shop! If you subscribe to the newsletter, you’ll receive a discount code. Sweet! And check out the other Rowans on the tour today over at Chelise Patterson and Begin with B.

Thanks for reading!

-Erin

Sunday Picnic Dress

November 5, 2014November 5, 2014 ~ hungie gungie ~ 18 Comments

Well, hey there!

I’m so happy that Suz invited me along on the Sunday Picnic dress blog tour– she is one of the sweetest gals I’ve never met, and I’m such a fan of everything she does!

I fell in love with her Little Debbie dress pattern long ago (both of the ones I made were heavy rotators in my girls’ wardrobes), it’s a great pattern so I knew her newest baby would likely be as well.

The Sunday Picnic Dress is a clean design, with clever details like the crossover neckline and the curved pockets, and an optional pointed collar.

I chose the most basic options here- sleeveless and collar-less. I wanted to make something for Corinne that could be layered over a tee for extra comfort and warmth now that it’s getting chilly.

I followed Suz’s chart to determine which size to make 2 1/2 year old Coco- she’s long and lean. A size 2 was the perfect choice. Fits like a glove.

(p.s. this pattern goes from size 12 months to 10 years! patterns with a wide size range always win me over.)

The fabric is yarn-dyed Essex linen in black, I got all technical and made my own piping using this lovely stuff, and added some leather buttons. The sweet trim is from Joann’s.

It had me at, “Hey, girl. Buy me, STAT!”

I was originally going to sew it to the bottom of the dress, but decided it’d sort of break it up a bit if I put it at the bodice/skirt seam.

Coco would like to take this party outside. Cool?

Our new neighbors just put up a big wooden fence. Soon, they’re bringing their horses in and a couple of cows, including a new calf! I love animals and have already asked if it’s okay that we visit them with carrots and apples. Maybe I can bribe them to be in my next blog photoshoot?

My only problem with sewing this dress was the zipper. I failed to read in detail about which type of zipper to buy, so I just grabbed a couple at the store. Not the invisible kind. Whoops. So unfortunately, I was unable to follow Suz’s (clear and detailed from what I could tell) invisible zip instructions. Instead, I made my way through a few random regular zipper installation tutorials online. It’s functional, but not perfect-looking on the inside.

(fact: this is a my first zipper EVER. so, I shan’t be too hard on meeself.)

Those pockets… my fave! Hers too.

I hope you’ll check out this adorable pattern. Like the other Sewpony Vintage patterns, each step contains a photo which is why I love most PDF patterns. Good for people like me who do better with a visual.

Thank you, Suz for sending it my way!

For the duration of the tour, you can buy the Sunday Picnic Dress pattern at a discounted price in the Sewpony Vintage shop– use code SUNDAYTOUR15 for 15% off.

You can also visit the other lovely dresses on the tour today by clicking on their links below. They’re all so great!

A Jennuine Life:

Made by Sara:

Gracie Oliver:

Thanks for stopping by!

-Erin

Peplum for Coco

August 29, 2014August 29, 2014 ~ hungie gungie ~ 22 Comments

For the girl who wears nothin’ but hand-me-downs…

A perky peplum!

Using Dana’s First Day Dress pattern, of course. As stated in my last peplum post, I am not a “peplum person”.

(Quick! say that 5 times fast!)

But I deem this style to be totally adorable and appropriate for small people. It’s just straight-up cute! Right??!!

Minus the big wrinkle down the front. Whoops.

The fabric is Large Flowers in Charcoal by Alison Glass and I think it’s perfect for this top.

Such vibrant color! A joyful top for my joyful girl.

I lined it in Cotton Couture in gold, which seems to compliment the colors in the print pretty well.

I went up a size this time around, and sewed a 3T. She wore her polka-dot one the other day and I almost had to call the Fire Department to come with the Jaws of Life to remove it from her. Oh. My. Gersh.

Just trust me here… if in doubt, go up a size.

This top is fitted, so it does require the kid to put her arms straight up so you can tug it off, which might just be harder for a 2 year old to suffer through for more than 3 seconds without having a full-on panic attack. a-hem.

Instead of cutting the slit in the back 4 inches, I’d consider cutting up to 5 inches next time around- and my Corinne has a skinny head. Or, I might cut the neckline out a bit larger. Dana does have you cut a 5″ slit for the larger sizes, but I think it might be something to consider for the smaller sizes too.

(Note: I really do love this pattern- just giving you the heads up! Gotta be real.)

Aaaannnd a little vintage button on the back to finish her off.

Next Tuesday, Coco starts preschool two days a week.

She is SO excited to play with the baby dolls and baby strollers- her favorite things in the world right now.

And I will not lie- I am looking forward to some free time. Strolling (quietly) through the grocery store, getting my ridiculously overgrown hair cut, sewing to the sounds Pandora, and the occasional morning nap are all on my list of things to do.

Now go forth, my people. Sew the peplum!

-Erin

Kids in Hats

June 17, 2014June 17, 2014 ~ hungie gungie ~ 7 Comments

Last month I stayed up way too late making a bucket hat for Ellery. The next day at school was “H” day- they were counting down the days of school with each letter of the alphabet- and I was damned if she was going to wear the ratty purple dollar store witch hat that she layed out before going to bed.

She loved the hat, but wouldn’t ya know… she wore the goofy purple witch hat to school. OF COURSE.

This pattern is a free download from the Oliver + S website, though you can also find it in Liesl’s book, Little Things to Sew. Luckily I had this pattern cut out in every size (thanks again, old self!). A couple of easy modifications were done: I widened the brim AND skipped the hand-stitching a la Jessica.

I used some Echino mochi dot linen in charcoal for the outer layer, and mint cotton for the lining. I also made one for little sister using some more Echino linen. BIRDS y’all. Ellery got a size large, and I made Coco the medium… I recommend that you go a size up with this pattern.

This was not a day for bucket hats…

Look at that sky!

Ellery always dresses for the weather. She looked outside before going out and decided a corduroy jacket was in order- even though it was in the mid-80’s. Silly girl.

Oh look! It’s my semi-annual Hungie Gungie photo of Grant!

He was so cute trying to sneak into their pictures. Remember the first bucket hat I made? It was for this boy when he was just a squishy little 1 year old…

This hat is technically reversible, but I gotta say, the inside is not super pretty. I’m not very good at sewing around curves and this pattern has plenty to fit together and sew. Plus, I maybe should’ve interfaced my lining pieces instead of the linen, because the linen was then extra thick and the lining was very thin, and it just took a lot of fiddling around to fit them together nicely without tons of puckering.

These hats are just so cute and so practical- my girls wear them outside playing all the time!

Hope you are all enjoying the beginning of Summer!

(oh, and thank you all for your nice comments about my etsy shop! XO)

-Erin

KCW: The End

February 2, 2014February 18, 2014 ~ hungie gungie ~ 25 Comments

Like I said the other day, I’m feeling super-charged this week. Kind of like Jessie Spano on the Saved by the Bell when she was on speed for 72 hours straight… (“I’m so excited, I’m so excited, I’m… so…. scared!”)

Only, I’m not high on speed.

I’m high on knits.

(and if you know the episode I’m talking about, let’s be best friends.)

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So, I’m back with a couple of outfits for the kid who needs them the most. Ellery is growing out of pretty much everything.

Above is yet another Flashback tee. Yup, still addicted. I modified it to be A-line, and also cut it about 3-4 inches longer.

Then.

The Geranium hijacked the Flashback.

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I used the ruffle sleeve pattern piece from my beloved Geranium pattern (zigzag’d the edges with gold thread) and basted it to the curve at the top of the sleeve, and then continued on as usual. The fabric is Cotton Couture in Cinnamon and it’s really a neat neutral, but still interesting, color. I like the contrast of it with the eggplant jersey (from Joann) and the greige (grey-beige y’all)sleeves- repurposed from a top of my own.

The leggings are made with the same brushed knit I showed you the other day. They are so cozy. I’ve been calling them her Polar Vortex leggings. Oh, and in true Ellery style, she slept in them last night- which is always a good sign, right?

I used the Oliver + S Playtime Leggings digital pattern, and I’m in love!

Now. Do yourself a favor: buy this pattern.

(It’s now being offered as an individual pattern, so you gotta check it out!)

I cut a size 6 for Ellery, and I would say they are a pretty perfect fit, though I’m not sure it’s the perfect legging fabric. It didn’t seem to bounce back quite as well as I’d like, but still totally wearable (and sleep-able!). And hey, if these end up as pajama bottoms…it’s okay because I’ll probably be spooning her whenever she wears them.

Moving on to outfit number 2.

Remember the other day how I said I’d be taking care of Ellery’s high-water leggings with the worn-out knees?

I think these are a pretty great solution. What do you think?

Things really started clicking as this pair came together. Great stretchy fabric, not to thin. And concise, straightforward directions that Oliver + S fans have always raved about. Sewing is fun. Sewing leggings is the most fun.

Oh, and can I mention how FAST they are to sew? I started this pair at 2:15 one day (I distinctly remember looking at the clock) and by 2:35 when I walked down the driveway to get Ellery off the bus, all I had left to do was pull the elastic through the casing and sew it shut. Boom. Leggings.

With heart knee patches!

Here’s a quick look at my patch placement in case you’re interested:

(My heart patch is about 3″ wide at the widest part, and about 3 1/2″ long. The point is about 7 3/4″ up from the bottom edge, and about 1 1/2″ to the left of that edge on the right. I fiddled around with an old pair of my daughters leggings to get an idea of where they should go, but maybe this could be helpful if you’re making a size 6 as well. note: I cut my pattern a tad longer – maybe 3/8″, though I think it’s plenty long as it is.)

The knee patches are 2 layers of red cotton knit just stuck on there and top-stitched. We have thrown out several pairs of fairly new pairs of store-bought leggings (I’m talking to you, Old Navy) because of holes in the knees. Just thin fabric I guess. Or maybe she plays too hard.

For the tee, “I took a little help from the store”, (as Rachael Ray would say with her pre-shredded carrots) and bought one from Target. I then thought of a fun V-day saying, then I googled it to see if I was clever enough to have invented it (no, I’m not), and freezer paper stenctiled away with some gold, red, and black fabric paint.

I printed the I’M WITH on my computer and traced it, but tried my best to free-hand the Cupid and arrow.

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Oh, hey! Cupid’s awake!

I think the only way for me to participate in KCW (and what I did this time around) is to plan ahead, cut out fabric, set aside patterns in the days before, so all I have to do is sew. It’s just too much of a disorganized mess if I go between cutting to sewing to cleaning up… etc.

I hope you all had fun sewing along for KCW, and if you didn’t, well… there’s always the Springtime!

-Erin

**Oliver + S kindly supplied me with the Playtime Leggings pattern. Several patterns are not being offered as single PDFs. You can check them out in their shop!**

KCW day three: linen apron top

January 29, 2014January 29, 2014 ~ hungie gungie ~ 10 Comments

I’ll keep it short and simple today since I have a sick baby to tend to (well, she’s five… but aren’t they always babies when they’re sick? I mean in like a sweet, helpless, cuddly way of course!). We also had a snow day today so we’ve been cooped up inside making a mess of the place.

Here’s a top that I’ve made a couple times before, so it was fairly quick for me to put together with the pattern already cut out in Coco’s size. The most time consuming part was making the bias tape, which I needed about 3 yards of.

This is a bit large on Corinne, but she’s pretty slim. I’m sure she’ll be able to wear it over a shirt and leggings for an entire year.

I call that a win!

Pattern: Butterick B5019

Fabric: Yarn-dyed Essex in red

Size: 2

As always, thanks for stopping by our blog! Happy Sewing…

-Erin

January Junebug

January 13, 2014 ~ hungie gungie ~ 17 Comments

Happy New Year Gungie readers! Resolutions anyone? Mine are mostly just project lists for each room of our house. The challenge for me, since I seem to have design ADD, is to just commit to one room, and finish it. I’m starting with the parts of our home that are exposed to the most general traffic. I think that’s a smart way to begin. Hopefully, I will have the nerve to show you the progress as things move along.

As for sewing, well, isn’t it always about stash busting? Use what you have, and avoid spending on new fabric! Also, pattern busting for me. I have been psyched to buy several patterns, but then I strangely avoid them. I don’ t know why. My Washi pattern is giving me the stink eye right now! I’ll get to you, dammit!

First up for both pattern and stash busting is the sweet, vintage inspired, Junebug Dress. Sewn in Tanya Whelan Delilah Dots, and lined with some pretty floral that I can’t place.

This was my first time sewing one of Jessica’s patterns. It went perfectly! Really well written with lots of pictures. I sewed the 18 month size for a dear friend’s first baby, with the thought that she can wear it next spring when she will be walking. That must be such a strange thing to imagine for the mother of a two month old! Her teeny little girl will be up and walking this time next year. Its wild!

I definitely considered doing the bodice in the floral print, but I waited until I had all pieces constructed to decide. It came down to the piping. Doesn’t it always? I loved the turquoise piping with the turquoise buttons, and those features just wouldn’t pop against the floral fabric. So red dots all the way!

I was hoping Corinne would be up for modeling this, but I caught her too close to nap time. Wes was my next choice, but I just couldn’t do that to him again. It’s still too soon. So, on the hanger it is.

Ah, it feels good to have one sewing project under my belt in the new year. What will be next? Unfortunately, I think it will have to be some theme sewing for Jet’s 7th birthday party. I haven’t yet seen fabric Minion bunting on Pinterest yet, so I’ll have to think it up myself.

Tell us what projects top your 2014 list!

~Caroline

She’s an Uptown Girl

November 4, 2013November 4, 2013 ~ hungie gungie ~ 26 Comments

I almost feel a little silly posting about jackets today since we’re still in long-sleeve weather this week (update: I just went outside and it is COLD!). I grew up in Connecticut, and I remember that snap of cold air that swept through in October every year. Not so in Virginia! It’s definitely slower paced here. And beautiful!

Anyway, I am always so excited for Fall so it’s no surprise to me that I had this corduroy and flannel jacket for Ellery whipped up by the first week of September.

This is the Uptown Girl Jacket by Make it Perfect.

And I love it.

The Uptown is a reversible hooded jacket that closes at the top with one button. It has a curved yoke, and little gathers in the center back, at the top of the sleeves, and in the center of each front panel. Small, but sweet details. This is the ‘Big Uptown Girl’ for ages 6-10, but there is a sister pattern (aptly named the ‘Little Uptown Girl’) for sizes 0-5. I sewed a 6 for my 5 1/2 year old and the fit is spot on.

Ellery hasn’t been able to wear this yet since for more than 5 minutes since it’s still warmish out. Actually, I didn’t originally plan on lining this with flannel, but once I put the two fabrics together (corduroy from Jo-ann, and this Anna Maria flannel), I was kind of feeling it. And then I decided to ‘go big or go home’ by using fusible fleece inside instead of the suggested lightweight interfacing. Why? I dunno… but there’s a heft to this little coat that is pretty darn perfect.

I apologize that you can’t get an idea of what this looks like from the front. Ellery was in total silly mode while I tried to take these photos.

Girl WOULD NOT TAKE DIRECTION FOR SQUAT. There goes her child modeling career.

(p.s. that skirt she’s wearing is one of three circle skirts I made using this tutorial from You and Mie. She wears one of them to school almost every day. No joke. It’s a good thing they’re reversible.)

We still aren’t totally sure about the button (see, no buttonhole yet?). The one below is a basic wooden one that I painted gold. I’m still on the lookout for the perfect one- I’ve even raided my mom’s gazillion color-coded button jars and could not settle on one. Though I did pocket some other cool ones when she wasn’t looking. Thanks Kate! 😉

Back to Ellery being in silly mode. She thought it’d be amusing if she took a sip of my coffee.

She could barely swallow it since she was giggling so much.

In the middle of sewing this jacket I knew it’d be a while until she could wear it, so I quickly started another in some lighter-weight fabrics.

Some plum pinstripe from Jo-ann (I think linen-like?) and an old stash favorite, like 3 years old, some sort of no-name cream colored poplin with stars on it.

It was so easy to put together since I had the pattern handy. I think I sewed most of this in under 2 hours. And that was with a toddler at my feet.

The weight of this one has been perfect for brisk mornings on the way to school.

I highly recommend this pattern to someone who’s had a few successfully completed patterns under their belt. The directions are short and sweet- just the way I like ’em. No, telling you to iron after each little step, or to trim your seams- something I was surprised about at first, but really that becomes common sewing sense once you’ve got the all of the basics down.

Here’s Ellery trying to button it with her eyes closed.

Whoops.

Gotta work on that.

That awesome button above is acrylic with glitter in it. She’s pretty into it.

I should mention that I was on the hunt for a little jacket pattern like this for ages, and was inspired by seeing Gail’s (her post shows a Little Uptown and the Serendipity coat- another from Make it Perfect) and Carolyn’s (hers is quilted!) versions within weeks of each other.

Those are two ladies whose opinions you can trust.

I was sold.

Seeing her wrapped in mama-made warmth is pretty darn satisfying.

-Erin

When I Was Young

October 13, 2013October 14, 2013 ~ hungie gungie ~ 3 Comments

This is me circa 1979.

Hop on over to Sewpony to see how I recreated this photograph and the outfit I am wearing for Suz’s awesome When We Were Young series!

Is Avery my doppelganger, or what???

~ Caroline

This Worked Out

August 27, 2013August 30, 2013 ~ hungie gungie ~ 19 Comments

I kind of can’t believe it myself. This upcycle was a major success!

A few simple steps, and I turned a tired maternity shirt into an adorable back-to-school dress for Aves!

Here’s the before:

We headed to Gee and Poppy’s for the photo shoot. But, bear with me, my model was, how-do-you-say, not in the mood.

She said she’d do it if she could wear the Mardi Gras mask.

I know, the mask is really cool, but focus on the dress. How cute is that?! It was so simple that I’m kicking myself for not taking in-progress photos to show you how!

Besides the cute pintucks, its your basic buttondown. You could probably just as easily do this with a men’s shirt. Actually maybe even easier since you wouldn’t have to worry about the bust darts making it wonky.

To make the dress, I cut the sleeves off the shirt and then cut up the side seams, keeping everything else intact. Then, using my Music Box pattern as a guideline, I cut away at the front and back until they were in A-line unison. I borrowed the buttons that came from the sleeves and added them to the placket. You probably could skip that step if just using a men’s shirt. All the raw edges were then encased in the red bias tape. No hemming, word!

We left her grandparents’ house and headed to the park, in hopes of finding a sunnier attitude.

Nope. Not gonna happen. Forget the kid, let’s check out the back.

The material is a lightweight denim. It drapes really well. As evident in this slouch.

Ha ha. Someone needs school to start! (That someone would be me, of course.)

I took my time with the bias tape, sewing it to the wrong side first, and then flipping it over to the right side, and carefully topstitching. It takes more time than just sandwiching your edge and going for it (like I usually do), but its a more reliable finish. I can see Avery getting a lot of wear out of this dress. She actually really likes it.