Jurassic Hoodies

It's been a long time since I've done much sewing for the little boys that didn't involve a Halloween costume or Christmas Eve pjs, but I've had this dino fabric sitting in my stash for almost a year now.  It was a pre-order from Saskatchewan based Blended Threads last spring and since the boys were obsessed with anything Jurassic Park/World this seemed like the perfect fabric for them.  I meant to make them hoodies last year and then got distracted by a million other projects and left it sitting in my fabric bin thinking I'd get to it "next".

Well, I finally got to it just before the Easter weekend. Now I should do something with the batman, hockey, wildlife, etc lengths of fabric I've bought for them over the last two years too... When I mentally take stock of all that fabric I've bought with all the best intentions I realize how really bad I am at this "stick-to-it-ive-ness" thing when it comes to plans.  LOL

Baby steps.  We'll go with that.  One fabric at a time... So starting with the dino fabric, which is the same great quality as all the fabrics I've bought from Blended Threads, I decided to make the New Horizons*  Summit Peak Hoodie.  The Blended Threads Facebook group had recently done a Summit  sew along and I was feeling pretty inspired by all the great hoodies I had seen during it.

Having not made any kids patterns from New Horizons before, I thought it would make sense to make the 12 and try it on both boys first and see how the sizing looked before making the second one, figuring it would be easy to go up a size or down a size depending on which kiddo that the first one didn't fit. In the end it fit both of them pretty well, so the first one became Baby Boy's and while it's a touch long on him, it actually fits really well.  I also made a size 12 for Little Man, but added length to it, because although he's slender, he's long and lanky, gets taller by the minute and if it fits him around, it's almost guaranteed to be short on him in no time at all.

I had two metres of the dino fabric and then a yard of the charcoal grey from The Fabric Snob and a yard of the khaki green from Midnight Mountain Fabrics.  Both are a cotton/lycra blend and both are the same nice quality as the cotton/lycra dinos.

I had initially planned on doing both the hoodies with the green, but then decided to go with the grey partly because I was worried I'd be cutting it close with the amount of fabric (I think I figured I'd be short by about half a waistband if I remember correctly) and having a slight difference would save a whole lot of "HE'S WEARING MY HOODIE" type arguments.

I love how the hoodies turned out.  More importantly the boys love them!  Being cotton/lycra they've been perfect for the on again off again spring weather we've been having too! They were really quick to sew (always a bonus!).  The instructions were really straight forward - I did do a bit of head scratching at first over the pocket, but then watched a quick YouTube video on how to sew it, and after I watched it of course the instructions seemed perfectly clear and I have no idea why I was confused in the first place.  I think it was a case of over thinking things too much.  I put eyelets in the hoods for a draw string, but haven't managed to actually thread one through yet.  I should really do that one of these days.  (I was just planning to cut a strip of the solid CL and yet somehow as simple a task as that is, I haven't quite got around to it... )

I do have all three of the Summit Peak Hoodie patterns so want to make the adult sized versions too.   I want a pullover hoodie for myself and have quite a nice stash of floral french terry I could use (my french terry Halifax hoodie, that I'm pretty sure I never blogged about, is one of my most worn tops - in fact I'm wearing it today as I type this - so I'd love another design in french terry!).  For my husband, I think I'll do the zip up version and need to order a suitable cotton lycra or french terry for his.

First things first though. I'm in the middle of a pants sewing endeavour right now and must focus on that before I dive headlong into any new projects.  Someone get the mental blinders on me quickly so I don't get distracted by all the other ideas floating around my head...

Plitvice

It's been super hot here lately with day time temperatures in the +30 range - temps on Saturday were even hotter in the mid 40s with the humidex - so I've been trying to beat the heat by either being in the swimming pool with the boys or by hiding in the basement.  We don't have a/c in our house, and we've got fans in every room upstairs working double time, but the basement is always cool.  I should really spend the time down there sorting through toys and clutter and cleaning it up, but instead I seem to be ignoring the housework and gravitating towards my sewing room (which also is in dire need of a thorough sorting and cleaning).  Big surprise there.  LOL.

I saw this online one day on Pinterest and thought it pretty fitting. ;)

All that being said, hiding from the heat and not working anymore has given me a bit more sewing time lately.  So here I am with my third post in a row about a new Itch to Stitch pattern that I tested over the last couple of weeks. Today's top is the Plitvice Top*, a sweet little cowl neck tee that once again can be made either casual or dressy depending on the fabric you choose.

Let me just caution you here on fabric choice a bit!  You will want to follow the fabric suggestions fairly carefully when it comes to amount of stretch and drape.  I first chose to make one out of what was advertised as "Hacci" sweater knit.  Now I don't know about you, but I've never met a hacci that wasn't drapey and the one I bought was no exception... until I washed it.  I don't know what kind of fabric it really was but it managed to lose most of it's softness and most of its drape.  To make matters worse it smelled like some sort of ghastly petroleum product when wet.  I don't know why I still went ahead with sewing the top.  Suffice it to say, that particular disaster will not see the light of day any time soon.

I was feeling a bit discouraged at that point, but I forged on and rummaged through my stash trying to find something better to use.  What I finally chose was a drapey jersey blend that I had purchased from Blended Threads a couple of years ago and had sewed up into the most horrendous dress ever.  (You never saw that one either - the style, fit and every other aspect were ALL wrong so it's sat hiding on a shelf in my sewing room for the duration)  The skirt alone had enough fabric for my Plitvice pattern pieces, and the ditzy floral print looks so much better as a top, than a dress!  The gathers fall in soft, gentle waves and the cowl drapes gracefully just as one would hope with a top like this!  Win, win for me!  I got a nice new top and got rid of the dress of shame! I love when I can repurpose something so that it doesn't go to waste!

Like the previous two new releases (Nottingham and Crystal Cove) that I've tested for Itch to Stitch, Plitvice was quick to sew up.  The cowl neckline is finished off so nicely compared to a few other cowl neck patterns I've done in the past and it was really simple to get that nice finish on it!

I think I may try another, grading up at the bust but I've not decided yet - for this one I did a straight 18 down to the waist then from waist to hip graded down to the 16.  I also added 1 3/4" on the lengthen/shorten line as I seem to  have to do with all patterns no matter what brand.  I always tend to think that my height is in my legs, but it turns out maybe not because I've noticed a lot of patterns from other designers have an average 8" side waist length - I measured the other day and mine comes up at 10 1/4" - not wonder everything always turns out so short waisted on me.  Full disclosure - I haven't actually measured the ITS patterns to see what the standard side waist length is, nor have I ever asked Kennis... I should do that out of curiousity's sake! That's a pretty hefty difference and a good reminder that even if a pattern is drafted for someone that is 5'6" (which I am just shy of) we are all proportioned uniquely.  But really it's just another good example of why you should take up sewing your own clothes, I'd say!

I have to laugh at this photo - I wanted to show the back of the top and I forgot I don't have long hair anymore.  There's no need to lift a tonne of hair up and out of the way for the garment to be seen and yet I still automatically do it.  Same if I need to get help zipping the back of a dress.  LOL.  Someday I'll get used to this short hair business I guess!

I definitely recommend adding this one to your rotation of quick to sew summer patterns!  If you head on over to the Itch to Stitch site the pattern is on sale for the release week - and as always, Kennis offers a volume discount, so you can save even more if there's a couple a patterns you have your eye on!

Next up in craftiness and avoiding housework/heat, I think I may finish my SOI Eve dress and then really get cracking on my Untangling Knots 2018 OAL outfit.  I'm really missing my knitting mojo so am nowhere near where I'd like to be with my top and I've not got any further than printing out the pattern for my shorts.  But we'll see - I tend to make a crafty plan then get easily distracted.  Ooooh!  Look at the new shiny thing...

The Jessi Hoodie

Ages ago - I feel like maybe as far back as late fall - one of the sewing groups I belong to on Facebook was hosting a sew along for the Jessi Hoodie by CoEmi.  I snapped up the pattern, bought the paper needed to print it off (It's a European pattern so required A4 - I made do with 8 1/2 x 14 " to accommodate the extra length needed and it worked just fine), printed and then assembled it all in short order.  Then proceeded to have zero time to sit down and trace the pattern out, add seam allowances and cut fabric out, let alone sew it up.  So it sat in a big pile on top of my desk until the beginning of March.

I've seen this pattern everywhere on Facebook for months now. It seems like ALL the custom fabric group sewists are especially crazy about it.  I really liked the look of it and thought it would be perfect for work, so I finally dragged my roll of tracing paper out and set to the business of tracing and adding seam allowances to all the bits and bobs.  It really wasn't an onerous task and now that it's done and I'm so happy with how it turned out I wonder why on earth I waited so long, other than time was, as always, at a premium.

I decided that my peached herringbone jersey from Blended Thread Fabrics would be great for the main fabric and instead of buying a co-ordinate for the rest, I decided to make do by utilizing as much of the charcoal Fabric Snob jersey from my ill fated New Horizons Vermont cardi that I'd made earlier in the year. (You never saw that one.  It was a complete fit disaster on me.  I don't know why I strayed from my beloved Blackwood Cardi in the first place).  So the cowl contrast was cut from the back of the cardi, the front side panels from the cardi fronts.  I cut the cuffs off and used them as is, and did the same with the cardi bottom band, so cuffs and band weren't exactly as the pattern measures, but did the trick nicely. I was pleased that the only "waste" left over from the cardi was the front bands which were so bizarrely stretched out of shape they were garbage anyway, and the sleeves, which I'll save for contrast on something for the little boys.

I have really loved wearing this top and reach for it so very often on cooler days, so I thought I'd make another version.  This time I used a panel from the custom print company, Midnight Mountain Fabrics which is located in the city. Being from the flat as flat can be prairies, I've always been drawn to the mountains. Some might even call it obsessed with them. I love their majesty, ruggedness and beauty, so I couldn't resist the panel when the pre-order went up a few months ago.  I combined it again with a jersey solid from The Fabric Snob.  This time since I was starting out from scratch I used the pattern pieces for the cuffs and measurements for the bottom band.  I like the bottom band's width, but the cuffs feel just a bit too long and too snug for my liking.  I'd probably like just an extra quarter of an inch width and a 1/4 of an inch shorter for my personal preference.  I'm not sure if it's the difference in fabric, or if I totally used the wrong seam allowance (How on earth do you do that when you're the one that added the seam allowance in the first place...The mind.  It boggles sometimes! LOL), but this one turned out really relaxed and verging on baggy.  I've taken it in some on the side seams and will wait until it's gone through the wash a couple of times in case it shrinks then I may leave it in it's still "relaxed fit" state, or may take it in more - I just feel that the minute I take it in, is the minute that it's going to shrink like a beast in the wash and I'm going to be living in a world of so much regret.  So for the time being it stays as is.

I used the "BIG Jessi" pattern. (Wow!  Not sure how I feel about the naming of the pattern - thanks for pointing out the obvious there CoEmi, because we larger ladies might not realize we're bigger than your regular pattern size range already.  But whatever.  Slight annoyance aside, I wasn't going to let myself be put off by that.  Maybe it's a translation thing.  I don't know.) As for the nitty gritty pattern details, the fit is pretty good (if you follow your seam allowance choice you made...), and it's a nice flattering design.  It has one heck of a huge cowl - if you feel the need to hide your head in a shell like a turtle, this is your pattern. LOL!

Or if you'd rather, there's a nice big hood option as well. You also have options to put in pockets (I didn't bother) and if you're a nursing mama, the pattern tells you how to add hidden zippers along the princess seam lines to make it breastfeeding friendly. Certainly not a feature I'd need anymore, but might be quite handy for others.  I like that you can mix and match fabrics and that it's a perfect way to use those fun custom print panels that are all over the internet that I seem to be acquiring but haven't previously had a hot clue what to do with.

I'm am pretty much delighted with both my versions and am currently pondering if I should make a third version, but this time with french terry and just a regular jewel neckline instead of hood or cowl.  Although, the weather has been glorious, so maybe I should just turn my thoughts to spring sewing instead... we shall see!

It's All About Comfort

It's been cold a lot here lately.  Even when we have a ridiculously warm temperature in the forecast it'll go something like this, "Thursday's high -3C... with a windchill making it feel like -35C"  What?!?!  Why can't we have anything nice??? Quit playing with us, Mother Nature.  At this point it's just rude.

So along with cold comes a great need for cozy, comfortable clothes.  I'm all about jerseys and pontes these days!  I had some quilted jersey from Blended Threads that I wanted to use for possibly another Grainline Linden, but then one of the Facebook groups I belong too was planning a sew along for the Hey June Halifax Hoodie.  Since I have a Linden already, I thought I'd branch out.  I made view E of the Halifax, but lengthened it significantly (too much maybe?), because while I really loved the cowl neckline and the interest of the front diagonal seams there is no way that I'm doing a hi-low hem.  I really can't stand them at all on me.  It just always feels weird, so I spend all day tugging at the front of my top and feeling awkward.  LOL

I'm pretty happy with my Halifax although I've discovered that the quilted jersey collects lint like a beast (as does the ponte that I used along with it) and it also seems like it's going to have a tendency to pill a bit.  I also feel that the black is a bit strong (does that even make sense?) and wish I'd gone with a charcoal instead, but I was using up stash so, whatever.  It's cozy and comfy and so I'm perfectly fine with its couple of downsides.

After all was said and done, I still had a bit of Ponte left in the stash and a hankering for another Linden, because I absolutely adore the striped floral one I made at new years.  I went hunting through my stash of leftover bits and bobs for the sleeves and settled on quilted jersey left over from my last year's Jasper Hoodie.

I'm super happy with how it turned out and again, other than the lint collecting factor of the ponte, this was a complete wardrobe win for me.

My final make is a bit of a dud.  I think I mentioned how my husband bought me a Silhouette Cameo for Christmas - best new toy ever - and I wanted to try doing a shirt with a logo on it.  I had bought a light grey tee from Walmart for the purpose, but it was ridiculous on me. First off the fit was weird.  Next problem it was tissue paper thin.  Nope. Nope. Nope.  So $5 worth of poly blend jersey from Fabricland and my "TNT" Molly Top pattern seemed the best route to go.  The saying, "Don't Make Me Use My Hockey Mom Voice" is a reference to the fact that one of the other team moms and myself are sort of a bit ... ahem... infamous for our loud cheering.

Now before you start thinking we're that kind of obnoxious hockey mom, we're definitely not.  We cheer everyone on for pretty much everything. You're skating?  We're going to cheer.  Your stick touched the puck?  Cheer.  Got a goal? We're hooting and hollering like a couple of lunatics.  So we are super encouraging to our little players, but just happen to be a bit loud whilst doing it.  I blame it on my years in cadets as a teenager, calling the squadron out onto the parade square and giving drill commands.  That whole comes from the diaphragm, not the throat thing apparently stuck and I am just loud.  Can't help it.  LOL

The tee is fine.  Except it was like Goldilocks and the freaking bears with that neckband.  The first one was TOOOOOOO big.  The second one was TOOOOOOO small.  The third one?  Well it's ok. Certainly not just right, because in the meantime all the ripping out and re-doing stretched the heck out of the neckline.  Then I actually burnt the fabric a tiny bit right in the front trying to beat the darn thing into submission. (Hello polyester!).  So it's not great, but it'll do.  Then there's the logo.  I think my placement is a touch off.  Maybe a bit lower? Maybe more line spacing? Maybe a bigger font?  I've no hot clue.  I just know it looks off to me.

In amongst the sewing, I've also been knitting, spinning, playing with the cutting machine and generally avoiding dishes, laundry and other sundry housework when I'm not at work or the rink...