Happy Homemade View J (V-Neck Dress) in Nani Iro Double Gauze

Next up in my crazy flurry of blogging is this incredibly soft and sweet dress from the Japanese sewing pattern book, Happy Homemade: Sew Chic Kids (affiliate link). This is View J, the V-Neck Dress with modifications.

I originally decided to make this as a nightgown for Harper after seeing my friend Monica's version. But really, it works for anytime wear. It's superbly soft and breezy, so it's the perfect hot-weather dress. And boy, have we been having some hot weather!

I *think* this is the mint colorway of the Pocho print Nani Iro double gauze? But I'm not positive, and I can't find my receipt from when I purchased it. It's been in my stash for quite a while! I only needed one yard with the bodice modification I made.

I made this in the smallest size included in the book, a 100, and it's absolutely perfect. Everything I've sewn from this book has been spot-on for the measurements given.

Side note: this book is now available in English, but I actually used the Japanese version with absolutely no problems. The illustrations in these books are so good, any intermediate or advanced beginning sewist should be able to figure them out. I also don't find the pattern pages to be as confusing as some would assume. Once you take a deep breath and realize how clearly labeled they are, tracing them is a breeze. Even adding seam allowances is no biggie once you wrap your head around it all.

As for my modification, I lined the bodice and used a button loop in the back instead of a tie. I hand-sewed the bodice lining to the skirt to give a nice, clean finish. I'm not sure what got into me as I'm usually a stitch-in-the-ditch kinda gal, but this fabric demanded to be hand-sewn.

Have you ventured into sewing from Japanese sewing pattern books yet? If so, do you love it as much as I do?

Swingset Tunic by Oliver + S in Cotton + Steel Shibuya Violet Lawn

Okay so FIRST: In case you are wondering, I am NOT staying up at all hours sewing. Most of the things I've been blogging in recent days have been in regular rotation for weeks or even months. I just haven't gotten around to photographing and blogging them. Plus, Harper has only recently decided that she enjoys tolerates photo shoots. If she decides she doesn't want to do it anymore, or if I start feeling weird about it, who knows...maybe we'll stop. But for now, how cute is this top?!

This is the Swingset Tunic by Oliver + S, and I'm embarrassed to say this is the first of their patterns I ever sewed. It's kind of hard to believe since Oliver + S is so well regarded (and has been around so long)...but for whatever reason, I have only recently purchased some of their patterns.

They seem great in terms of fit, style and construction, but I am a little sad that Harper is already at the top end of the size range for the patterns I purchased (most of them go up to 4 or 5 and then have to be re-purchased for the higher sizes). Plus, they are quite pricey, and the PDF versions aren't laid out the best for at-home printing. I know others have complained about this, however, so hopefully they are listening and fixing this in future releases.

BUT, this top did end up extremely cute, and I love the fit on Harper. I made a size 3 since I'd heard these patterns run a tad large, and it is perfect right now. She'll definitely be in a 4 by next summer (or even higher). I found the way the bodice was constructed at the buttons in the back to be a bit fiddly, but it turned out okay. I might try to do it a different way the next time around.

The fabric is Cotton + Steel cotton lawn in Shibuya Violet. If you look closely, you'll see that I cut the front skirt portion in the wrong direction as the little kitty cats are upside-down. But hey...I won't tell if you don't. ;)

This fabric is quite lovely and is a perfect alternative to quilting cotton when sewing garments. It has a much better drape and is more lightweight. I lined the bodice with Robert Kaufman Cambridge Lawn in Thistle. This fabric is very similar to the C + S lawn and also works great when lining Liberty of London fabrics.

As for the shorts which you can see in the first photos, they are the Clover Shorts by Willow & Co. I previously blogged about these here, and they still fit since I made a size 3 for growing room. Vanessa made this exact same outfit combination (Swingset Tunic + Clover Shorts) and blogged about it here. I think they go perfectly together!

What do you think? Have you sewn with Oliver + S patterns? Do you love them? Have you noticed the same things I mentioned above?

Charlie Dress by Mingo & Grace in Nani Iro Sen Retsu

I love simple little girls' dresses, especially when using a prized fabric. The Charlie Dress Mingo & Grace is perfect for highlighting the richness of this Nani Iro Sen Retsu double gauze (France colorway). And with all the 95-degree+ days we've been having here in Portland (WTF?), it's great for staying cool, too. Just perfect.

Don't you think?

I have only good things to say about this pattern. I sewed a size 4 as suggested by the pattern, and I think it's a great fit for Harper with just a little room to grow. (She is on the small side of the 4.) It sewed up quickly and easily, and I was able to get the entire thing out of one yard of this unexpectedly narrow fabric.

Speaking of the fabric...isn't it lovely? You can't tell in these photos, but some of the flowers have what looks like metallic gold paint on them. I was happy to get these hand-me-down Saltwater Sandals from my friend Anneliese since they are the perfect complement to the dress. It's also amazingly soft...so soft this could double as a nightgown. But it's too pretty to only wear at home!

I used a pretty butterfly button from my stash to finish this dress. And apparently, I forgot to clip my threads as evidenced above. ;)

I will let the photos do the rest of the talking! And when you're done here, go get this pattern for a special little girl in your life!

Enjoy! xoxo

Kids' Clothes Week: Day Camp Set by Peekaboo Pattern Shop

Today, I bring you more blurry photos with direct, middle-of-the-day sunlight! I took these the same day as the ones for my last post, so don't judge. Instead, feast your eyes on this handsome little man in his Day Camp Set by Peekaboo Pattern Shop!

Both the tee and shorts are FREE and come in sizes 2T-5T. I made both in a 2T for Ezra who is 20-19-21, about 34-35" tall and 27-28lbs. He typically wears 18-24mo in Gap/Old Navy clothing and is quickly moving into 2Ts. You know how I like to make my kids' clothes with a little room, so if you're questioning whether to size up if in-between on these, I'd go up. I've found that Amy's patterns are usually very true-to-measurement with little growing room. That's a great thing if you want a trim-fitting, nice-looking garment. The only modification I made was to lower the front neckline of the tee by about 5/8-3/4". As you can see, it's spot-on for him.

The yellow jersey (tee) and twill (shorts) are both from Fabric Depot in Portland. The geometric jersey was something I had left over from another project and came from Wanderlust Fabrics. The ribbing is from my stash. I did some decorative coverstitching on my Janome Coverpro 1000CPX. I regret not taking some close-ups of the stitching, but oh well. Such is life!

I actually made three of these tees in different color/print combinations, and they all look fabulous. I made the shorts in gray, khaki and navy. Perhaps I'll get around to photographing them all at some point, but for now, I'm just trying to get caught up so I can get back in the swing of blogging regularly. :)

SO, if you have a toddler/preschooler, go grab this free pattern! Both the pieces could work for a girl, too, with simple modifications (or exactly as they are, really).

Kids' Clothes Week: Oliver + S Swingset Skirt & Girls' Flutter Sleeve Top by It's Always Autumn

Whoop, whoop - Harper has finally decided she likes having her picture taken! And I finally decided to get my camera out! And no, I didn't sew and photograph this all in one hour! I made it weeks ago. But I digress. First, let's talk about...womp womp womp...my photography for this post.

A long, long time ago (last summer/fall)...in a far away land (Salt Lake City and surrounding)...I took great photos. Well, I took decent photos. I knew all the great spots and had golden hour figured out LIKE A BOSS.

Enter Portland. We moved last November, and despite my efforts to set up a little in-house studio, my photography has gone downhill really fast. There are several reasons.

1. My camera has basically been missing in action since November. I mean, I've known where it is. But I haven't used it much at all. When I took the pics for this post, I basically put it in auto and went with it. I had limited time, and I was so excited Harper was cooperating, the thought of figuring out manual again was the last thing on my mind.
2. I haven't figured out the lighting situation here just yet. Obviously, these photos were taken in the middle of the day - BAD, bad, bad...I know. But I did what I had to do considering I am now 38 weeks pregnant and basically can't get the kids to the park without help. Golden hour here is truly magnificent - especially on the rainy-turned-semi-sunny days, but you know...it comes kind of late now, and my kids go to bed at 7:30...and, well. It is what it is.
3. I also haven't scouted out any great locations. I mean, I'm surrounded by them. Portland is GORGEOUS. But I need to find those *perfect* places that are semi-secluded and that I can get to easily with two (soon, 3) small children.

So yeah. I know you guys get it. But let's talk about this out-of-focus outfit, shall we?

The top is a FREE (yes FREE!) pattern by It's Always Autumn called the Flutter Sleeve Top or Dress. It only comes in size 4, but that was perfect for us. I did shorten the neckline elastic a little because I found it was a little too spicy for my narrow-shouldered girl as directed in the instructions. Super easy to sew - super fast to sew - looks great - check, check, check.

The skirt is the Swingset Skirt by Oliver + S. I have only recently started sewing O+S because I don't know why...but I am loving the patterns. I think that maybe I find their pattern cover artwork a little distracting - like I can't really see what the garment looks like as they're drawn? Maybe. I'm more of the line-drawing-and-simple-photo kind of sewist when it comes to picking out patterns.

BUT: I'm so glad I started using them because they really are as great as people say they are. Harper's measurements are all-over-the-place for O+S; she's 21-20-22 which translates to anywhere from a 12-18m to a 2T, but her height (38") puts her pretty squarely in a 3T. (She is almost 4 and weighs around 32lbs in case you're trying to compare your kid's size/age to mine.) I had heard O+S patterns run big, but I am one of those annoying people who errs on the large side when sewing for my kids, so I went with the 3T. I also lengthened the skirt a hair - maybe 5/8" - but as you can see, that probably wasn't necessary. The great thing is that the skirt has a drawstring waist with light elasticity, so she will get to wear this one for a long time without looking sloppy.

The trickiest part of sewing the skirt (and I use that term loosely) was lining up the buttonholes in which to feed the elastic/drawstring. They are pretty tiny buttonholes, so that could be a deterrent for some. You could probably substitute some grommets there for a different look if you so chose. I love doing buttonholes though!

Both garments were quick and easy, and I highly recommend either/both.

I'm going to keep this short and sweet so I have some time to go back and read my camera manual tonight (hahaha), but I've been sewing a ton for the kids these last few months and hope to have some more to share with you soon.

Until next time...

TOP FABRIC: London Calling (voile) in SWEET by Robert Kaufman SKIRT FABRIC: Lightweight denim in Bleach Indigo Wash by Robert Kaufman SHOES: Cherokee Brand Joan Glitter Sandals @ Target (the similar-looking ones from Old Navy are of inferior quality! Trust me!) All fabrics purchased at Fabric Depot in Portland, Oregon.