waste management

Mae is obsessed with garbage trucks. He refers to our garbage man as 'his dude' and waits for him religiously. Monday was the first day of the week he learned, simply because that is the day our garbage is picked up. His birthday cake was definitely a garbage truck. Just last week he said his favorite part of Thursday was that he saw two garbage trucks in our neighborhood, even though it wasn't Monday. Maybe obsessed isn't a strong enough word?

So a month or so ago when we started talking about Halloween I really wasn't surprised when he said he wanted to be a garbage truck. After the preschool party fail last week I quickly got to work making his truck and even made a shirt to go with it.

The best part is, he loves it.

keeping it real

You win some:
We went to Iowa to visit family. My boys LOVED it there. Machinery heaven plus five days of family loving on them, what more could they ask for?

You lose some:
After said trip to Iowa we headed to drop Mae off at school and walk in to realize it's the Halloween Party. Every kid (and parent) is in costume and there is food on every table for the potluck. Mae's costume was still in fabric form on my sewing table and his lunch was in his lunch box. He lost it. Complete and utter meltdown and really I don't blame him.

This being mom thing is tough.
Thank goodness there is grace.

pr&p week 6

Final week of Project Run & Play this week. One of my favorites: signature looks.

Recently I saw a girl. This girl had a bag. The bag was awesome. Black, leather, and woven like a basket. The gears started turning and I couldn't get the image out of my head as I raced home to create. And this tee was born.

These pants have a different story. A much longer birth. They have been living in my sketch book for weeks just waiting for the right fabric. A week ago, while cleaning, I came upon this green and black tee. Perfect. Lacking the fabric for a whole pair, a green dino tee was also recruited for the job.

The hat. The texture of crochet completes this look.

If I had to pick one word to describe my designs it would definitely be quirky. I love to think about prints and textures. Details and comfort. And often find myself in front of a stack of upcycled clothes, looking for inspiration.

This look sums it up perfectly.

one & three

Late last month our boys got a year older, their birthdays being a day apart.

We had the joy of having Tien back to take photos and, my goodness, this girl is talented!

Incredible right?!
Thank you again Tien!

If you need pictures and are in the area you can find Tien HERE!

kcwc day 5

Mae started a new school. It's at the local gymnastics academy so they get to do an hour in the gym daily! Needless to say the kid wants to wear nothing but 'comfy' pants, especially on school days. I don't blame him.

So here is another pair to add to his collection.

I found this bright yellow jersey sheet at the goodwill the other day and used the existing hem for the bottom of the pants. The pattern was self-drafted, just sized up from these pants I made for Case during spring kcwc. I loved the idea of a sweatshirt pocket that Sophie of Cirque du Bebe had used in these pants. But I really wanted the pocket to stand out so used this blue owl knit from a tee that had a hole in it.

ouch!

pr&p week 5 and kcwc day4

I was really unsure what to design for the challenge this week. As I thought about the holidays I was immediate drawn to Halloween and then remembered Mae two years ago. A little baby candy corn. The pants and tee he wore were some of my very first garments sewn. So I took on a challenge of my own: recreate the look for Case to see my growth over two years.

The pants. A self drafted pattern to highlight the lines of the corduroy that were dyed to create the mustard color.

The shirt. Flashback Skinny Tee by Rae with a self drafted v-neck using a snap closure. Also used a couple different orange fabrics for detail.

The hat. Crocheted using this tutorial for a gnome hat but edited the pattern to create a teeny point.

Mae - Oct 2010

Case- Oct 2012

mingling

I'm over at Bag of Pretty today.

Come check it out HERE!

Also working feverishly to get my look for week 5 of PR&P done.


Has been a crazy week, lots of sewing, but loving these moments as well.

kcwc day 3

Case wears a bandana everyday. Seriously. Usually more than one a day.  This kid drools more than any kid I know!  So I drafted a quick pattern to make him some more and thought I would share.

Create your own pattern using the diagram below. 

Cut out two pieces, one front and one back. I usually use flannel on the back for better absorption. 

Place pieces right sides together and sew around outside with a 1/4 inch seam, leaving an inch gap for turning. Clip corners.

Turn right side out and press then sew all the way around very close to the edge. Ensure you close the gap as you sew.

Attach a snap or sew on velcro.

Make a few more. 

Done!

kcwc day 2

Kristen over at Skirt as Top took on a challenge to create things from Rae's list for KCWC. I decided to  join them. One thing on the list was to create a catalog-inspired item. This was the dress I fell in love with and created my own.  

source

The biggest change was to add long sleeves, with it being fall and all. I wanted to keep the raglan type sleeves but really this could be made with any tee shirt pattern. I drafted my own pattern based on measurements for a 3-6 month old baby but think I might make a bigger one using Rae's Flashback Skinny Tee Pattern. 

MINI TUTORIAL:

Use any tee pattern or draft your own from a baby tee. Lengthen pattern to dress length, flaring out to create a-line. 

Need to wrap it up for baby Finley!