Kids’ Clothes Week started really strong for me and went downhill around day 4. First, Harper was a bit under-the-weather. Second, my serger broke. And third, we went out of town on Saturday for a little impromptu family bouldering trip. BUT, I did manage to get this last little gem completed before the end of the week. The pattern is the V-Neck Cardigan by Peekaboo Pattern Shop (affiliate link). I’ve had this pattern in my stash for quite a while, but I hadn’t sewn it up because of my buttonholes-on-knits-especially-rib-knit-aphobia. It wasn’t so bad though. The main garment was constructed in minutes. MINUTES I tell you! Seriously, so quick and easy with a serger. After that, I nervously sewed my buttonholes (no big deal – stabilize, stabilize, stabilize!). Finally, I sewed on the buttons while on our way to Joe’s Valley on Saturday. Harper actually wore the shirt there as soon…

My poor girl has come down with a cold, so she was a reluctant model today. She still looks pretty cute though considering how she was feeling! This pattern started out as the Heidi & Finn Urban Unisex Hoodie, but it evolved into something that only remotely resembles the original pattern. There was nothing wrong with the pattern, but the “sweatshirt fleece” I bought at Joann had ZERO STRETCH. What kind of sweatshirt fleece has ZERO STRETCH?! And what kind of sewist buys it? Me, apparently. I made the size 3T after reading several online reviews that said the sizing ran small. The 2T would have been great if this fabric were stretchy, but the 3T was perfect for my modifications. Hopefully I can find some high-quality french terry or sweatshirt fleece WITH STRETCH to make more of these adorable hoodies for both Ezra and Harper. I (think) I love the…

One thing I love about sewing and knitting for children is that it allows me to practice skills on a smaller scale before doing them on larger, more expensive pieces of fabric. That’s what I’m telling myself, anyway, since I’m not particularly happy with some of the details of this dress. Namely: the button placket. Lessons learned: 1) Use dark interfacing with dark fabrics. 2) Take into account the depth of the buttons I plan to use, not just the diameter. 3) Sew the buttonholes before seams are bound up in an unruly conglomeration of eight layers of fabric. The dress is certainly wearable as-is, but I am a perfectionist…and there are things I want to do better next time. As far as the pattern goes (Burda 9503), there were a couple quirky things about it. The sizing was a little odd, for starters. This is the 86cm/18mos size. Harper…

Remember how I complained a few weeks ago about how my 2-year-old was impossible to photograph? Well, we seem to have turned a corner. There are going to be a lot of photos of the same shirt in this post because…well…I am just so damn proud of how they turned out! This fantastic pattern is the Bimaa Sweater by Sarah Haag of Lou Bee Clothing. I am not exaggerating when I tell you this might be my favorite thing I’ve ever sewn. It fits Harper absolutely perfectly (I made size 2T) which is very rare since she is so petite. It has plenty of length for her to grow a bit, but it’s fitted and looks “grown up” without being too mature. See that pose above? Lately she “models” for me on command complete with hands on hips and flirty smile. I just can’t get enough! The fabric is a…

…AKA quite possibly the worst photos I’ve ever taken. Can we talk about two-year-olds? At 8am? Harper goes to preschool three days a week, and those mornings can be a little chaotic with a young infant around needing milk, diapers changed, etc. You know how it is. We’ve been trying to give Harper more responsibility to get herself ready and packed up, this adorable Toddler Backpack by made-by-rae is perfect. It fits her lunch and sippy cup and any other little goodies she wants to take, and it’s not too heavy or cumbersome for her tiny, 25-pound frame. These photos weren’t even worth trying to correct, so here my kid is in all her green-faced glory ^^. I promise she is cuter than this in real life. But not at 8am. Oh no. She is quite the grump at that time. How do you like the cat photobomb?  The fabric…

If you’ve never sewn an Ottobre pattern before, you’ve really been missing out. I was recently turned on to these Finnish sewing pattern designs by a friend, and they are just fabulous. I’m not sure why more American sewists don’t use them – I can only imagine they are turned off by the layered pattern pieces (all pieces stacked on top of each other to save space) and the necessity of tracing and adding seam allowances. I have to tell you though…if those things have been holding you back, get over it!! These patterns are so worth a little bit of extra time (and it really doesn’t add that much!). Perhaps the brief instructions and lack of photos/drawings to guide the sewist step-by-step are turnoffs, too, but again…GET OVER IT! The instructions are so good, you don’t NEED the detailed images. Even if you are a beginner sewist, I still…