Why I Sew

Hey lovely readers! Today I am over Kids Clothes Week with my last contributor's post for this Spring 2015 season... I can't believe it is over!... It was so much fun! If you have followed me there too, a big thank you!

My post is about why I sew. I have three main reasons for sewing for my kids, and none of them is because I want to make them beautiful or cool clothes, or because I want to save money. Want to know why I sew? Head over here and read all about it! :) And please let me know why you sew too. I would love to know!

Happy sewing!

My Sewing Mistakes!

Hi! Today I am over Kids Clothes Week blog with the most humiliating post ever. :) I am sharing some of my sewing mistakes and you can read all about it here! 

Have you ever wondered if my sewing is perfect? It isn't. Just look at that photo above. It was more than one year ago and I think it was my first time sewing a peter pan color. Needless to say I never made that mistake again. :) Things are getting a lot better with time! Practice does makes perfection when it comes to sewing. Although there is one mistake I always make: sewing right side with wrong side when I should be sewing right sides together... :) 

Jump to KCW's blog to see the things I don't show on my blog posts. :) And while you're there have a look at the other's contributor's posts since they are also sharing their sewing mistakes.

 Do you relate to any of our mistakes? :) 


Happy sewing!

Dinossaur Hooded Scarf

Hi! How is Kids Clothes Week going on for you? I must say it was a completely disaster for me this time, in terms of finished things but I am managed to sew at least 1h/day (except for these two last days) so go I guess I am fine. :)

Today I am sharing a super cool Dinossaur Hood I made a couple of months ago for a pattern testing, but was actually still a WIP because I hadn't yet placed the snaps. So I placed the snaps and finally got the chance to blog about it. It's great that it fits this KCW's theme - Wild Things - so much! And since the snaps were put this week that's got to count as a KCW make, right? :) 

Bubble Shorts

Hi! Kids Clothes Week is here! I am super excited! I have so many things already cut and ready to sew, let's see how many I can actually manage to finish this week... I am always just a tad bit ambitious... :) And this week is shorter to me since I am going to be away on an extended weekend, so I may leave for my mini vacations a bit sleep deprived in order to get everything done... :) 

These are the Bubble shorts - pattern by one of my sewing/blogging best friends, Marta from DoGuincho - and I can't tell how many I have made so far in the last year. I haven't blogged about all of them - I sew a lot of things that don't make it to the blog just because I'm lazy :) - but you can see my first ones here and my favorite ones here. :) 

Kids Clothes Week - contributor's post II

Hi! Today I am over Kids Clothes Week blog with a curated post with some a.do.ra.ble ideas on how to add cute animal ears to your kids wardrobe! Jump in here to see it!


Olá! Hoje estou no blog Kids Clothes Week a partilhar várias ideias a.do.rá.veis sobre como adicionar orelhas de animais nas roupas das vossas crianças! Os links que partilho são quase todos para moldes gratuitos ou tutoriais, mas também podem encontrar alguns moldes pagos que já vêm com as orelhinhas fofas. :) Dêem um salto até aqui para verem todas as muitas ideias!!


Happy sewing!

Kids Clothes Week - Contributor's post I

Hi! Today I am over Kids Clothes Week blog with my first contributor's post for this Spring 2015 edition of Kids Clothes week. (aka the most amazing kids sewing event :) ) 

The theme for this edition if "Wild Things"! So cool, right? 

I am sharing a curated post of ideas - patterns (both free and purchased), tutorials and fabrics - for making clothes for your kids inspired by woodland animals! Think bunnies, foxes, bears and deer. You can see them all here!



Olá! Hoje estou no blog Kids Clothes Week com a minha primeira contribuição enquanto colaboradora desta edição de Primavera 2015. 

O tema desta edição é "Seres Selvagens"! (um nome pomposo para dizer animais :) ) Super giro, não é?

Nesta publicação estou a partilhar uma série de ideias - moldes (tanto gratuitos como pagos), tutoriais e tecidos - para fazermos roupas inspiradas em animais da floresta! Pensem em coelhos, raposas, ursos e veados! Podem ver tudo aqui.


Happy sewing!

KCW January 2014 wrap-up

What a great season of Kid's Clothing Week (KCW)!

Foi uma boa semana de Kid's Clothes Week (KCW)!




I l-o-v-e KCW! But I have to be honest... KCW is always a mixed feelings event for me... It motivates me to create and to challenge myself to try new patterns and to be more productive but sometimes I get discouraged with all the amazing things that some very talented moms are able to do in one week! But it just ends up inspiring me to do even more and better! I love this event and I am so happy it happens once in every season of the year!

Eu gosto muito deste evento, mas tenho de ser honesta... é sempre um misto de sentimentos... Por um lado motiva-me a criar e a desafiar-me a tentar novos moldes e a ser mais produtiva, mas por outro, por vezes, fico um pouco desencorajada ao ver tantas mamãs talentosas a conseguirem fazer tantas coisas tão boas em apenas uma semana! Mas no fundo isso acaba apenas por me motivar ainda mais! Gosto mesmo muito da KCW e fico muito contente por acontecer várias vezes no ano (uma em cada estação)!

Last season (Fall season - October 2013) I was able to make a Bubble skirt and two Kaleidoscope tops.

Na temporada passada (Outono - Outubro 2013) fiz uma Saia balão (Bubble skirt) e dois tops Kaleidoscope.



This season (Winter - January 2014) I was able to make just a bit more:
Esta temporada (Inverno - Janeiro 2014) consegui fazer apenas um pouco mais:

• Bubble shorts (size 3T)
• Pippa peplum (size 5)
• Refashioned top and Skirt (from size 12m to size 5)

There were a few more things on my to-do list for this week that I didn't got to make (I already knew that was an ambicious list...), but I am very happy with the overall result of this week. Even more because the Pippa peplum was featured on day 4 in the KCW blog! (How exciting is that!)

Tinha mais algumas coisas na minha lista de a-fazer para esta semana que não consegui fazer (já sabia que era uma lista ambiciosa...), mas estou muito satisfeita com o resultado final desta semana. Ainda mais porque o Pippa peplum foi uma das escolhas do dia 4 no blog da KCW! (Não é espectacular?)


One of the things I love most about this sewing event is the opportunity to just be inspired by some great women all around the world - the patterns they use or self-draft, their fabric choices, their photo styling... Amazing!

Uma das coisas que mais gosto nestes eventos de costura é a oportunidade de ser inspirada por algumas mulheres muito talentosas, desse mundo fora - os moldes que usam ou desenham, os tecidos que escolhem, as fotografias que tiram... Muito bom!

Some people share great tutorials and free patterns! You may want to check these:

Algumas pessoas partilham até passo-a-passos e moldes grátis! Talvez queiram espreitar estes:

• Phus Phus skirt by Widi
• Heart Argyle applique by Heidi & Finn

Portugal had (again) some great participants!

Portugal teve (outra vez) algumas participações muito boas!

• Pink and Blue upcycled sweatshirt e Baby Lounge Coat by Inês Melo
• Winter tartan quilt skirt by Ana Sofia (from S is for Sewing)
• Infinity scarf by Marta (from doGuincho) 
• Baby shorts by Daniela (from Bonito Serviço).

Can´t wait for next KCW! (Probably happening sometime around April...)

Mas posso esperar pela próxima temporada da Kid's Clothes week! (Que decorrerá provavelmente algures em Abril...)

It's Refashion time!

Today my sewing time was all about refashion!

I think it is wonderful to give a new life to non-fitting or out-grown clothes. This week is Kid's Clothes Week and Refashion week for Project Run & Play, oh and January is the Refashion Month sew-along at House of Estrela, so I definitely had to do some refashioning!

I was raised since a child to give away all the clothes that don't fit me or don't suit me anymore to someone else (usually to low income families or friends). I still do that with my kids clothes. So, when I first thought about joining this refashioning sew-alongs I was sad because I knew that I wouldn't have any old clothes to refashion... But then I remembered that I had a found a lost box of my kids clothing on our recent house move! And I was able to find a few pieces that were suitable for refashioning. Oh happy day!

Project #1 - From dress to top!

Before!

This was a 9-12 months corduroy dress that first belonged to my middle one and then to tiny. 
It is as new as it was not much used mainly because although it was a piece of garment for Winter it had cap sleeves and a gap/ opening in the front and so it always seemed to me that they were going to be cold even with a sweatshirt underneath... 

I love this thin corduroy and the color! So I was really happy to be able to refashion it to a top.

I took the cap sleeves away and redrafted the armscyes to make them larger. 

  Then, I just added lace to the edge and to the gap! 

I also changed the button (ballerina shoes, of course!) and the button placement. And that was it! 

The funny thing is that it fits both my girls (they are 2 and a half years apart, but the oldest is really thin...)!

Project #2 - From dungarees to skirt!

Before!

This was a 12 months size denim dungarees skirt.

First I have cut off the chest and back pieces. 

All separate pieces!

Then I took off one of the skirt's ruffles layer (the smaller, upper one) and took some width off of the remaining main layer (from the center and from the sides). Then I have joined the smaller ruffled layer to the bottom edge of the skirt to add length to it.

This was the harder step... Hello seam ripper and hello broken needle! 
To sew it back together was an huge test for my sewing machine as it had to sew several (I have counted 6!) layers of denim.

Waistband + main layer (with less width) + previous upper layer now at bottom edge.

I have add an adjustable waistband and voilá!

I am being inspired by several wonderful people (mainly by Magda!) to make new clothes out of used ones and I think it will be my new hobby! 
I keep finding myself these days looking at my kids clothing and thinking about ways to refashion them...

If you want to be seriously inspired check Magda's blog and all the refashioning she does every day, along with all the amazing people she invited to join her this month and stop by Project Run and Play's Refashion Week and by Kids Clothes Week (there are a lot of refashioned garments around there too)! 

Believe me when I say that you will want to join this refashion movement!

The Pippa Peplum

Another project for Kids Clothes Week (KCW)!

Since the Pippa and Penelope Peplums patterns have been released I knew I had to put my hands on them. I love Kate's (See Kate Sew) patterns and I have tried the Bubblegum Coat (I was lucky to test it, here) and the Kaleidoscope Top (I did two for last season of KCW, here).

January is being a month so full of sewing fun! And one of the many events that are tooking place is the Pippa and Penelope peplums sew-along and pattern tour- see it here.

I have been wanting a chance to join and here it is!

I used a jersey knit with red flowers print on a brown background. 
I usually don't use fabrics with dark colors for my kids clothes but I chose this one because I want to match it with a Swing Skirt from Compagnie M. that I am going to make out of a red twill - it is in my to-do list for this season of KCW (let's see if I find the time to actually make it...).

The pattern is really easy and fast to sew! And,by the way, you don't need a serger to sew knits (in case you were wondering).

It has two sleeve length options (cap or half sleeve) but since the temperature is very low these days I decided to draft a full length sleeve. 

I will have to do one for tiny, has they love to dress matchy-matchy! 

Bubble Shorts

It is Kids Clothes Week - Winter season (January 2014)! Yeah!

Actually it is KCW and PR&P week, so I am in a sewing marathon (drafting, tracing, cutting, sewing, taking pictures... you know the drill...)!


Day 1

Although I did some preparations last week - choosing patterns and fabrics, printing and assembing PDF - I still have a lot to do... So day 1 was basically a day for tracing patterns and deciding where to start...

I seem to have a full agenda for this week and I can say I won't be able to do everything, but I I am OK with that... I always rather to have several options just in case something doesn't go the way I want.


Day 2

It was a productive day. I managed to sew one Bubble Shorts (great pattern by Marta from DoGuincho) for my tiny.

They were on my to-do list since September last year and I was a bit sad that I would have to wait until summertime to sew them... 
One day when I went to my local haberdashery to buy thread I saw this beautiful thin corduroy that looked a lot like a Liberty print and it immediately came to my mind it would be p-e-r-f-e-c-t for a Winter version of the Bubble Shorts! 

I asked Marta if corduroy would be suitable for the Bubble Shorts and the answer was "yes"! I was thrilled! 

It is a great pattern, quick to sew, and very suitable for beginners! 

There is one tricky step but it is perfectly manageable. And Marta is always available to help!

 I think they are so cute! I am totally in love with this pattern.

And so does she!

I will definitely be making more of these (and I will add an adjustable waistband). 
Can´t wait to sew a couple of them for my girls to wear in the Summer!


(And now... back to sewing... day 3 is here!)

Kaleidoscope Top (KCW Fall 2013)

Second project for KCW: two Kaleidoscope tops, pattern from See Kate Sew! 






Recently I have tested a new pattern from See Kate Sew, for her last collection - The Nostalgia collection, before it was released. I enjoyed it so much (see my post about it) that I bought the entire collection once it was released!
The Kaleidoscope was a favorite! I just love that bow (which is optional).

My daughter I. is starting her ballet classes this Friday, so I had to chose a ballet themed print for the bow! (I don't know who the designer is, so if you know please let me know! I would love that!)




And because I like to dress both girls alike, I had to make one Kaleidoscope top for R. too. This print from Riley Blake (from the Fly a Kite collection) was just perfect!




The pattern is very easy to sew. I think it is p-e-r-f-e-c-t for beginners. 

Sewing knits is always a challenge to me, since I don't have a serger... But luckly my sewing machine has a stretch sewing mode and I also used an appropriate needle for knits (ball pointed), so that helped.

[I am sorry for the terrible photos but the weather was really cloudy and rainy today and I couldn't take pictures outside...]

Bubble Skirt (KCW Fall 2013)

I am so excited to be part of this season's Kids Clothing Week!

I was planning to join KCW for all last seasons but there was always something that kept me for having time and energy to go for it. So this is my first time ever at KCW! 

I have been preparing this for two weeks now, going through patterns and pattern magazines and books. I think I have too many projects that I would like to sew through this week! [So many ideas so little time... Know the feeling?] Oh well, lets see how this goes - no pressures, I just want to have fun! That is the point of KCW, right?

So this is my first project for KCW Fall. A bubble skirt!

While I was searching for inspiration I looked through my fabric stash. Once I pulled this blue cotton with large white polka dots I knew it had to be used on a bubble skirt.

I drafted the pattern for this skirt - a basic skirt pattern with a bit more width and length (I will try to put it on paper as a free pattern, once I figure out how to turn a pattern into a pdf file...). It turned to be a bit too large for my skinny 4 year-old (as you may notice from the picture above). I guess she will only be wearing it next Spring!

I added a few details to this basic pattern, such as: an adjustable waistband (I found it really easy to do), piping and a fabric flower on the side. 

This KCW is just starting, so I am off to my next project! See you!

WIP

Em cima da minha mesa... Dá-me sempre gozo ir buscar tecidos guardados já há algum tempo e utilizá-los, transformá-los em algo.

On my table... It always makes me glad to grab fabrics that were forgotten and make them into something.