The mini fashionistas infinity scarf

Project Run & Play - season 9 kicked off this week. It happens that I am on a pattern testing marathon these last two weeks so I was left with very little time to make an elaborate outfit...

The solution was making one of my all-time favorite projects: infinity scarves! I love the way they just add a bit of a flare to a simple outfit.

It is easy and quick to make! Who doesn't love an instant gratification project?

This week's theme is "Put me to the zoo" and the concept is to create something inspired from our favorite or our child's favorite animal.

When I asked my girls about their favorite animal they started "humm..."... "haaah..." I must be doing something wrong as a mom because my girls don't have a favorite animal... Can you believe that?! I had to go and grab all animal books in the house and read them to them... And I finally got an answer: butterflies and kitty cats! Ok, so now we had a starting point! (Thank you!...)

Now, the next problem was... I had no butterflies or cats fabric... So I had to run to my local fabric shop and luckly they had just one butterfly print (a very soft quilting cotton) and I could actually like it but they had no cats print...

When I was heading home I thought "Humm, cats are felines so... maybe I could use a feline print of some sort..." So I used this kind-of feline knit I had just bought a few weeks ago from an end-of-bolt bin.

I decided to add a cobalt blue ric-rac to match the butterflies print and a neon pink pom pom trim  to add color to the feline B&W print.

They are wearing store bought blouses but the leggings and the skirt were made a few weeks ago. The leggings were made from the Go To Leggings pattern (Andrea Pannell) and the skirt was drafted from this repurposed skirt I made for season 8 of PR&P (for the Refashion week).

So here they are: my little fashionistas ready to go to the zoo with their animal inspired infinity scarves!

I will be posting a tutorial for the infinity scarf this weekend, so stay tuned!  Tutorial published here!

Bags!

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Sim, eu sei que já vamos a meio do mês mas ainda há tempo para nos juntarmos ao Sew Crazy Challenge deste mês! Ainda por cima o tema é muito bom: Bags!

Há várias opções de bolsas, bolsinhas, carteiras, etc. E o melhor de tudo é todas têm moldes e tutoriais grátis!

• Linen and Lace Bow Clutch (uma carteirinha "da avó")
• Flower Power Zipper Pouch (uma bolsinha com fecho zipper)
• Messenger Bag Tutorial (uma bolsa grande com pala, de tiracolo)
• Cross Body Tote Bag (outra bolsa de tiracolo)
• Reversible Messenger Bag (uma carteirinha para as crianças)
• Ou um dos vários tutoriais para bolsas e carteiras aqui.

Vejam tudo aqui, as regras e o prémio deste desafio, no blog da Crazy Little Projects!


I know it is mid March but we still have time to join this month's Sew Crazy Challenge! And I love this challenge's theme: Bags!

There are several options for bags, pouches and cases, and the best of all is that they all have free patterns and tutorials!

• Linen and Lace Bow Clutch 
• Flower Power Zipper Pouch
• Messenger Bag Tutorial
• Cross Body Tote Bag 
• Reversible Messenger Bag
• Or you can choose one from several other options here.

Check this sewing challenge here at Crazy Little Projects!

Sew-alongs and Challenges for March

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Fevereiro já passou?! A seguir alguém vai dizer-me que quando dermos por ela já estamos na Primavera... Espera! Mas estamos mesmo quase na Primavera e isso é BOM!

Consegui cumprir quase todos os meus objectivos para o mês de Fevereiro e fico feliz com isso. 2014 está a ser um ano produtivo até agora, e isso sabe muito bem.

Participei no Project Sewn nos 4 desafios (#1, #2, #3 e #4), o que foi mais do que inicialmente tinha pensado conseguir fazer...

Em Fevereiro tinha a intenção de participar no The Monthly Stitch, cujo desafio do mês foi "Smarty Pants!" - fazer umas calças. Mas não consegui ter tempo... Comecei a fazer umas calças com um molde feito por mim, mas ainda é um projecto em andamento, e espero terminá-las agora em Março.

E os planos para Março?

Vou começar o mês a testar um molde novo para uma designer de roupa de criança, mas não posso dizer mais... 

Estou a contar participar nalguns desafios de costura de roupa para criança agora em Março. Há várias opções e, mais uma vez, não sei se conseguirei participar em todos... Mas aqui ficam os projectos (e respectivos links) caso queiram também participar:

Sew All 26 - letter P, letter R, letter S, letter T.

Secret Squirrel

Take One Dress

Flip This Pattern

E... A próxima edição do Project Run & Play vai começar lá mais para o fim de Março! Não é bom? Diverti-me tanto com a última edição que mal posso esperar para que esta comece!

Também estarão a decorrer alguns desafios de costura para roupa de senhora. Aqui vão:

I dream of Jean-ie - Para quem sempre quis costurar os seus próprios jeans/ calças de ganga, têm aqui uma boa companhia com a Sew a Straight Line e a Melly Sews.













Miss Bossy Patterns, promovido pelo grupo "The Monthly Stitch".

Mad Men #3, promovido pela Julia Bobbin, para fãs da série Mad Men!

Há por aí mais desafios ou séries de costura a decorrer em Março? Se sim, digam!


Where did February go? Is March here already?... Are you serious? Next you are going to tell me that Spring is coming soon... Oh, wait! It is coming this month and that is a GOOD thing! Yeah!

My sewing goals for February were almost all accomplished and I am happy with that. 2014 is being a productive year so far and that feels great.

I entered Project Sewn in all 4 challenges (#1, #2, #3 e #4) which is more than I have thought I could...

I wanted to join The Monthly Stitch challenge for February - Smarty Pants!- but I didn't find the time... I started to sew a self-drafted pattern but I couldn't finish it on time... It is WIP and I am planning to finish it this month.

I am thinking of joining a few kid's clothing sewing series going on in March. 
That are several options and I not sure if I will be able to join them all, but here they are just in case you want to join a few too:

• Sew All 26 - letter P, letter R, letter S, letter T.
• Secret Squirrel
• Take One Dress
• Flip This Pattern
• And... Project Run & Play next edition is going to start late this month! Isn't that great? I had so much fun last season that I can't wait for this one to start...

There are also a few sew-alongs for women clothing:

• I dream of Jean-ie
• Miss Bossy Patterns
• Mad Men #3

Any other sewing series, challenges, sew-alongs going on in March? Let me know!

Blue, Birds and Flowers

I joined weeks one, two and three of Project Sewn but I was not planning to join this week's  challenge.
I sew so little to myself (a lot more for my kids of course...) that I honestly can't say what my "Signature Style" is because I think I don't have one yet...

As always - when I don't know something... - my brain kept thinking about it and gave me no rest until I was able to find my style... or at least a style I own or like... 

First I went to my closet. After all, the colors and prints and styles of the clothing I wear should say something about it, right? The first findings were: I wear mainly blues and reds (followed by black and pink), and I wear flower prints (what?... that many? I didn't see that coming...), polka dots and plain color blouses and tops (and these outnumber jeans + trousers + skirts all together).

Then I looked at my garment fabric stash. It seems that I have been hoarding fabric for blouses and tops... (Once I make something out of them all I will have a different top or blouse for every single day for several months...) And most of them is in (can you guess?) a flower print , followed by... bird prints! (Really?... Did I really have to buy so many flower prints?... And birds? What was I thinking?...)

After considering these findings I would say my style is: blue and red, flowers and birds, blouses and tops. (Can't say I am totally happy with that, but it is what it is... and I don't want to think much now about what does it say about me... Shhh... Don't say it!...)

So, it was almost lunch time this Thursday when I decided to join this week's challenge... Meaning I had just a few hours left to make something... It had to be simple...

The pattern is really easy to sew and quick to make (which seems also to be one of my signatures...). 

It is self-drafted (after models I have seen here and there) using my body measurements and has only 4 seams (two on the shoulders and two on the center sides). It has a drape look on the sides and I like that.
I have made one before (here) and I am really happy about the way this pattern looks and fits. And I get a lot of compliments on this...

I used a silky fabric in navy blue with flowers and a bird (it is hard to see it in this pictures though...). I have finished all the hems (all around) by hand (don't tell me about it...) with a blind stitch because I don't like the look of topstitching on silky fabrics...

So, this is it. I am pleased with the result! And I have to admit I love this print... 

Tiny hearts peplum blouse

February's pattern for the sewing series Flip This Pattern is the Josephine Blouse and Dress by Violette Field Threads.

It was my first time sewing this pattern and I loved it! It is available in sizes 2-10 and comes with several options: blouse or dress, long or flutter sleeves, pintucks, collar, optional ruffle button tab and waist sash.

When sewing for this wonderful series I try not to flip patterns so much that one cannot recognize the original pattern... I always keep some of the original features. In this case I chose to sew a blouse, with collar, pin tucks and flutter sleeves. 

My flipping was the following:

• No ruffles or button placket in the front bodice
• An opening in the back closing with a button and a fabric loop
• A change in the collar (it was divided in two)
• 4 rows of pin tucks (instead of 3)
• I shortened the lenght of the blouse and
• Add a peplum!

Back detail. Button and button loop.

Front detail. Pin tucks and peplum.

For the changes in the bodice front: 

Since I chose not to do the whole button placket piece I had to chop off of the pattern the 3/4'' + 3/4'' of the button placket (I just folded that width of the tracing paper), and cut the fabric for the front bodice part just once on the fold (instead of cutting 2 separate pieces)

For the changes in the back bodice: 

I ironed the back piece folded in the middle and cut about 4'' down the middle line so I could add an opening (since I haven't had any opening in the front).

I made a bias tape out of the same fabric so I could finish the back opening edges and do the button loop (I folded the bias tape in a 1/8'' width and topstitched right in the middle of it).

For the peplum:
I used the peplum pattern for the Pippa peplum knit top (by See Kate Sew). I have used it here before.
It was just perfect! And I loved that I was able to combine two pieces of separate patterns! I think this can be a simple mash up!

Easy peasy!

I was choosing the fabric for this project when my 5 year-old daughter came and asked me what I was going to sew. I told her it was a blouse for her and asked her if she wanted to choose the fabric for it. The answer was an obvious yes! I add several tiny flower prints, a red polka dots print on a navy blue background and a tiny-hearts-framed-with-tiny-pearls print on a blue background. You can guess what a 5 year-old little princess chose, right? Hearts!

When I needed to choose a button I grabbed my button collection (except for the vintage ones) and again I asked for her help. She was so glad! And I was so... "she is taking so much time next time I'll just do it myself..." But I can't blame her, really... I always take a lot of time choosing buttons... or find a matching set! (Thankfully this was not the case.)

I am loving the Flip This Pattern series and I am just a bit sad that I am not being able to join every month... (Last time I joined was November FTP and you can see my flip here) 
But I already have March and April's patterns and ideas on flipping them are rushing in my head!

Make sure to stop by Frances Suzanne blog to check all the amazing things other talented people (more talented than me for sure!) are doing. 




Project linked to:

Pink and shades of blue!

I have several favorite colors. Red, Pink and Blue. But f I had to choose just one that would be... blue! Or... pink! 

I am finding myself these past weeks facing some of my sewing fears...

At the beginning of January I made my first pair of jeans! Although I have been sewing clothes for a couple of years now this were the first pants/trousers I have ever made because I was really scared of sewing trousers (don't ask me why...)... I used the Small Fry Skinny jeans pattern by  Titchy Threads (it is amazing!) and they were great!
Then I refashioned two pieces of clothing of my girls - usually I just give them away and I was afraid of spoiling them while trying to repurposing, but they were OK!
And I just keep making things with knit fabrics without a serger... (some here and here) 

This week I made this top. Well, actualy I made it today in just a couple of hours...

It is a very simple top. I drafted it from a Burda Style pattern with a few changes. I will be posting the (free) pattern and tutorial for this top so stay tunned! 

I used a lightweight jersey knit fabric. I was so glad to have found this pink & blue knit fabric in my stash! I really love the colors and the way it looks with jeans. 

And again I was able to match all the side stripes! I realize now it is just a matter of paying close attention when cutting the fabric - both front and back pattern pieces have to be cut at the same level with stripes matching -, and pinning (or basting) the side seams with all the stripes matching and being careful not to stretch the fabric when sewing so the stripes won't move up or down on one side...

This week's theme of Project Sewn is - Make it Pink!
And I also made it thinking about the sewing challenge Shades of me - my shade being Blue!

February sew-alongs for Women Clothing!

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Este mês de Fevereiro há alguns sew-alongs (um dia destes vou começar a dizer "cose-comigo" como dizem as costureiras brasileiras - é que na verdade é isso, e não conheço outra tradução melhor...) que vale a pena ver! 

Bem sei que estamos quase no meio do mês... Mas isto tem andado muito atarefado aqui por estes lados, e o tempo para estar aqui tem sido pouco!... 

Não havendo tempo para participar em todos individualmente, há sempre a possibilidade de fazer uma peça que dê para conjugar em dois ou três!

Alguns deles já tinha mencionado aqui, mas outros ainda não, por isso aqui vai a lista toda!

Project Sewn - Feb. 3-24

Shades of Me - Feb. 3-14

Sew Yourself Some Love - Feb. 1-28

The Monthly Stitch - Smarty Pants

There are a few sew-alongs for woman clothing this month that you may want to check!

I know it is almost the 14th... but I have been really busy with life and having not much time to be around here...

If you don't have the time to sew something for each one of the sew-alongs you can always make something that can be linked to 2 or 3 of them (I see a lot of people doing that already).

Some of them I have already mentioned here, but others not so here it is the complete list.

Sew Crazy Challenge - February

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Está revelado o desafio do Sew Crazy Challenge para o mês de Fevereiro!

Home is where the heart is!

A ideia é fazermos alguma coisa para a nossa casa, e podemos escolher um dos vários projectos propostos:

#1 Fazer uma pega para o forno (em forma de coração ou a clássica, tutorais aqui) 

#2 Fazer uma almofada (com duas opções, tutoriais aqui)

#3 Fazer um puff (tutorial aqui)

#4 Fazer uma peça à escolha que tenha um vivo (tutorial sobre como fazer um vivo aqui)


Gosto muito de almofadas, e até fiz umas para a decoração de Natal da minha sala. Se calhar vou fazer outras... 

Algum projecto favorito?



And the Sew Crazy Challenge for the month of February is...

Home is where the heart is!

It is time to sew something for our homes! 
We can choose from the following project options:

#1 Make a oven mitt (heart shaped or classic, tutorials here)

#2 Make a pillow (two options, tutorials here)

#3 Make a bean bag chair (tutorial here)

#4 Use piping on a project of your choice (tutorial on how to make piping here)

I really love pillows and cushions, and I even made a few for my living room's Christmas decoration. Maybe I will sew a couple of them again... 

So, any favorite?

Fashion Icon - Project Sewn

This week's theme of Project Sewn is: Fashion Icon!
The challenge is to create a piece (or a complete outfit) inspired by our fashion icon.

Early this week I was trying to find out who my fashion icon was I immediately thought of two great classy ladies I have always admired because of their overall style: Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly.

It was a hard choice to choose between them so I tried to find something they would both have in common. 

They both had glamorous sophisticated looks on one hand, but on the other hand they both had a simple everyday look. Think sweatshirts, simple trousers or jeans and ballerina/ flat shoes - I realized this is pretty much my everyday style too. Being a mom of three little kids I like to dress practical pieces yet stylish.

Audrey Hepburn (Image sources here, here and here)

Grace Kelly (Images source here and here)

I didn't had much time to go for the glamorous style (so many sewing projects in hands...) so I had to go for the everyday look and I found they both have in common a simple striped sweatshirt! 

This is the Plantain shirt - a free pattern by Deer & Doe. It is very easy and quick to make. 
The Plantain comes with three sleeve lenghts (short, 3/4 and long).

Sewing knits is always a challenge because I don't own a serger... I have to improve my skills on topstitching (not always perfect...) and hemming.

I was able to match the stripes on the sides, on the shoulders and on the sleeves! I am really happy with the result as this was my first time matching stripes.

I was very careful when I was cutting the fabric. I displayed the pattern pieces carefully on the fabric so the stripes would match, so I guess that helped...

Oh, by the way, if you need great (I mean awesome!) tips on how to sew knits check the amazing guest post series at Made by Rae - the KNITerviews!



O tema desta semana do Project Sewn é: Fashion Icon! (ícone de moda)
O desafio é criar uma peça (ou um conjunto completo) inspirado no nosso ícone de moda.
This week's theme of Project Sewn is: Fashion Icon!

No início da semana, estava a pensar quem seriam os meus ícones de moda e lembrei-me logo de duas mulheres cheias de classe que sempre admirei: Audrey Hepburn e Grace Kelly.

Seria uma escolha difícil ter que escolher apenas uma, por isso tentei encontrar alguma coisa que ambas tivessem em comum.

Ambas tinham um lado super glamoroso e sofisticado, mas também tinham um lado simples, de dia-a-dia, bastante prático. Pensem sweatshirts, calças simples ou de ganga e sabrinas! Apercebi-me de que este é basicamente o meu estilo do dia-a-dia (ainda que ande mais de blusa do que de sweatshirt, mas o aspecto geral é praticamente o mesmo). Sendo uma mãe de 3 filhos pequenos gosto de me vestir de uma forma prática mas com algum estilo.

Não tinha muito tempo para costurar alguma coisa do estilo glamoroso, por isso tive que escolher uma peça do dia-a-dia, e descobri uma que ambas tinham em comum: uma simples sweatshirt às riscas!

Usei o molde da Plantain shirt - um molde gratuito da Deer & Doe. Muito rápido e fácil de fazer (num par de horas). A Plantain tem 3 tamanhos possíveis de manga (curta, 3/4 e comprida).

Coser malhas é sempre um desafio porque não tenho uma corta-e-cose... Tenho claramente que melhorar o meu pesponto (nem sempre perfeito) e a costura das baínhas.

Consegui que as riscas ficassem lado-a-lado, nos ombros, laterais e mangas! Fiquei muito satisfeita com o resultado, já que foi a minha primeira vez a costurar riscas.

Tive muito cuidado a cortar o tecido, dispondo os moldes cuidadosamente em cima do mesmo de forma a que as riscas batessem certo entre as várias peças (devia ter tirado uma fotografia...). 

Ah, já agora: se precisarem de bons (óptimos!) conselhos sobre como costurar com malhas vejam esta série de publicações da Made by Rae - as KNITerviews!