I’m am so honored and thrilled to be an add-on to her fantastic Nesting series with my spin on fabric wall decals.  Delia’s blog is one of my absolute favorites and you’ll see why if you take a few minutes to browse around.  I guarantee, you’ll be hooked!

Check out the tutorial and you can download my first free pattern for this sweet hedgehog and mushroom decal set!

So what are you waiting for?  Come join me for some nesting with Delia!

But really, I think this outfit captures a lot of my signature styles.  Most of my children’s clothes is inspired by adult clothing.  I tend to like clothes that doesn’t look like it’s for kids, but is still totally wearable and appropriate for little tykes.  I like to make clothes for Yuki that I would wear myself.  I think my style leans towards classic, simple, and modern, but can also be soft and feminine.

I decided on three pieces: pants, a top and a light pullover.  Although it’s still on the chilly side here in San Francisco, in my head, I’m in spring mode.  I’m ready for warm weather and wanted to make something for a day at the beach.

We totally lucked out with AMAZING weather today for our photo shoot.  It was perfect for a day at the beach and I had so much fun taking a ton of pictures.  Get ready for a photo overload!!

I’ll start with the top.  Besides some issues with the fit, I really like how it came out.  I was inspired by the fabric.  I had this GORGEOUS double gauze fabric by Nani Iro that I bought awhile back and when I noticed it in my stash I thought it’d be perfect for a spring/summer top.  Double gauze is amazing fabric.  It’s super soft and light and breathable.  It’s meant to help you keep cool in hot weather.  If you ever see some at the store, please buy it and make something beautiful with it.  It’s pricey, but so worth it!!  I can’t find a link to any of this particular fabric online, but just do a search for “double gauze nani iro” and you’ll see some of the stuff I’m talking about.

Anyways, back to the top . . . I just threw in some fun elements like the pintucks and the keyhole in the back to add a little interest to an otherwise simple piece.  I wanted it to look soft and clean so I made sure to have no visible stitches.  It was a fun challenge and I like the finished look.

The second piece is the pullover.  I actually LOVE the way this came out.  I don’t think I’d change anything about it.  I used a cotton/linen blend and wanted to make something to wear in the spring/summer as a cover up when it gets chilly or to put on over a bathing suit.

I decided to line the hood with linen stamped with stars.  Yuki is OBSESSED with stars right now, it’s her favorite word and every time she sees the shape or anything that vaguely resembles it she says, “staaa!  STAA!”  I think it’s awesome because I LOVE stars and had a slight obsession with them myself when I was in high school/college.

So I carved up 2 star stamps and mixed some fabric paint to match the pants fabric and stamped it randomly on some white linen.  I cut out one of the extra stars and appliqued it to the pocket.

I don’t really know what to say about the rest.  I like the loose fit and the star and stitching details.  I can imagine Yuki wearing this a lot.

As for the pants, they came out ok, but I would change them if I could.  I love the color, but the fit, well, skinny pants may not have been the best choice.  For me, I prefer bootcut jeans, or maybe a straight leg, but these came out a bit toooo skinny!  I did have a lot of fun with the details on these though, like the pocket stitching and the faux fly.

And that’s it!  The three pieces that make up my “signature look.”  I’ve had a ton of fun sewing along with Project Run & Play for the last 7 weeks and will probably talk more about that later, but it feels good to be done with my final outfit.  I hope you like it!

Here are my bloopers from today’s shoot.

Ewwww!

And I can’t even tell you what’s going on in this photo sequence, but this is her new favorite move.

Our little yogi/dancer

I just have to say a huge THANK YOU to Hideko and Yuki for being such big helpers and super troopers through, not only this photo shoot, but the whole Project Run and Play season.

And thanks to you for stopping by and checking out my sewn creations week after week!

Yipee!

In other news, I have not sewn ANYTHING in over a week!!  I think I really had some sewing fatigue, but now I’m rested and ready to get back to it!  I have an idea for my Project Run & Play signature look and I have all the fabric, so I just need to get started!  Wish me luck!

Haha!

Anyways, I made this other one for Hideko’s cousin’s baby, Saya, who is about to turn one next month.  It’s a really simple pattern that produces a very cute top – what more could you ask for!?

I like it as a tunic or a top, but if you add a little extra length to it, it can easily be made into a dress!

(back)

I’m also going to try make this top for Yuki’s cousins, who are 7 and 9, so we’ll see if the pattern can be converted to larger sizes.

Anyways, if you’re looking for a quick top to make for your little one or a nice present for someone else, this may be the perfect pattern for you.  Try it out!

And then, there was THE ANNOUNCEMENT.

Project Run & Play is extending the Sew-along to include a signature look as well!!  And we have until February 16th to submit it.  Part of me just doesn’t know if I can do it (I have mad respect for the actual competitors who have been giving it their all for so long)!  I was definitely sad to see it end, but I had accepted it and was ready to move on to other projects.

But part of me cannot resist.

And that part will probably win.  So now I’m trying to figure out what my signature look will be.

And all those other projects will have to keep waiting.  I’ll try to share a project or an update or a tutorial over the next week, but between sleeping and sewing, I can’t promise you anything.

Except that I love you.  I can promise you that.

(I think I’m a little delirious )

Now I know there are a billion fabric flower tutorials out there, but why not one more?  I’m really sorry for the horrible pictures – I work at night in my poorly lit crafting area.

So here’s what you need:
Wool felt
Hot glue gun
Pin back
Scissors, thread and needle

You can definitely use different fabric or even polyester felt, but I LOVE wool felt for this pin.  It’s nice and thick and gives the flower great shape.

First you’re going to need to cut your felt into little 5-petal flowers.  These are actually going to be the petals.  You’ll need 4 that are about the size you want the finished flower to be.  Then you’ll need 2 that are slightly smaller.  You’ll also need 2 circles – one that is smaller than your flower pieces and then one that fits inside the pin back.

(ignore the finished flower, but you can see how the smaller circle fits perfectly inside the width of the pin back)

Here’s how I cut the 5-petal flowers shapes.  First I cut the felt into circles slightly larger than I want the finished flower to be.  Then I slowly go around the circle and cut 5 little divots to make the petal shapes.  If you want, you can draw the design on first and then cut slightly inside the line.

Before you start, you may want to thread up a needle and tie your knot at the end, so you’re ready to sew.  Now take one of your large petal pieces and fold it in half.

Then fold it in half again.  It should look like this (side and top view).

Take the larger of your two circles and place the tip of your folded petal piece in the center of the circle.

Starting from the back side, put through needle through the tip of the folded flower and stitch it in place.  Don’t tie off or cut the thread, continue using it for the entire flower.  Repeat with the other 3 petal pieces arranging them around the circle to cover the entire circle.  It should look something like this.

Now take one of your smaller petal pieces and place it on top (without folding).  Put the needle through the flower (from the back) slightly off center and then back down a millimeter or two over.

When you pull your thread tightly, it will pull the center of the flower in and the petals upward (because of the small space between the stitch).

Now, for the center of the flower, you’re going to take the last petal piece and fold it in half.

Then roll it into a cone.

Insert your needle back through the center of the flower and through the tip of the cone.  Pull the needle through the cone and back down the center of the flower.  Stitch it into place a few more times, then tie off the thread at the back of the flower and snip.

The back of your flower will probably look something like this, messy stitches and knots all over.  Heat up your glue gun and adhere the pin back to the center of the flower.

Take your smaller circle and hot glue it to the back covering the pin back (and all those unsightly stitches

At this point, I didn’t totally like the shape of the flower and it’s petals, so I took some scissors and trimmed it a bit.  Then you’re done!!  Add it to anything for a fun finishing touch.  I used it on this blazer, but I love that I can add it to any other coat, or a bag, or a headband, etc.

There you have it!  One more flower tutorial for ya!

]]> http://youandmie.wordpress.com/2012/02/06/tutorial-felt-flower-pin/feed/ 1 cheriemie Felt_flower14 Felt_flower1 Felt_flower11 Felt_flower0 Felt_flower2 Felt_flower3 Felt_flower4 Felt_flower5 Felt_flower6 Felt_flower7 Felt_flower8 Felt_flower9 Felt_flower10 Felt_flower12 Felt_flower13 Felt_flower14 Blazer4 Blazer7 http://youandmie.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/blossom-by-blossom-dress-special-occasion-for-prp/ http://youandmie.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/blossom-by-blossom-dress-special-occasion-for-prp/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:03:35 +0000 you and mie http://youandmie.wordpress.com/?p=1083 Continue reading →]]> For winter’s rains and ruins are over,
And all the season of snows and sins;
The days dividing lover and lover,
The light that loses, the night that wins;
And time remembered is grief forgotten,
And frosts are slain and flowers begotten,
And in green underwood and cover
Blossom by blossom the spring begins.

-Algernon Charles Swinburne

Well winter certainly isn’t over yet, but I thought the poem was fitting.  The dress has winter imagery, but spring colors underneath and flowers blossoming all over, so I immediately thought of winter turning to spring.  Hence the poem and the name

So here’s my entry for this week’s Project Run and Play Sew-along.  The theme is Special Occasion/Party Wear.  I had fun making this dress.  I can’t say that it’s a super original idea, but it was definitely a new challenge for me.

I started with the idea of finding a sheer patterned fabric to lay over a solid fabric.  I used this curtain, and though it was much more opaque than I had originally imagined, I liked the tree branch image.  Because I had a “sheer” fabric, I thought an illusion neckline would be something fun to try.  It turned out to be barely noticeable (because of the nearly opaque white fabric and the light colored green underneath), but that’s probably much more age appropriate for a toddler.

I wasn’t planning on making the main body of the dress two different colors, but the idea sprouted from my indecisiveness at the fabric store.  I would usually never pick a nearly neon green, but it went so well with the purple and I figured it would be hidden under the white anyways.  But once I started playing with it, I really liked the colors and made each one peek out a little bit.  They really shout “spring” and “fun” to me!  It was a nice contrast to the stark white and bare branches of the curtain material.  The fabric is a cheap nylon.

I hand rolled and stitched the neckline and armholes, which was new to me.  I don’t really know if I did it right, and it doesn’t look super clean, but I wanted the hem to be as small as possible.  They are still not nearly as small as pictures I’ve seen online, but I guess I’ll keep working on it.

I finished it off with a bunch of flowers and petals cut from the curtain fabric and handstitched to the dress.  I just can’t resist putting fabric flowers on anything!

I like the way the fabrics look, but with hindsight, I wish I had chosen something different.  These fabrics are synthetic and stiff and unforgiving.  I sew at night when Yuki is sleeping and I’m horrible at using measurements (a major weakness), so last night I realized that the bodice fit ALL WRONG.  It was super baggy in the front and perfect in the back.  The neckline was too big and almost falling off her shoulder.  So I added some pleats to the front and had to take in the bodice a bit.  Now it’s a bit of a squeeze to get her arms through .  I really don’t know how to get that perfect balance of fitted, but still fits.  If the fabric had even a little give, it probably would not be so bad.  Oh well – live and learn!

The shoes are kind of a fun story.  I realized last night that Yuki didn’t have any shoes to wear with the dress.  I felt ridiculous buying shoes JUST for this outfit, especially since this girl has an outrageous amount of shoes for some reason.  But I went to Payless and these gladiator sandals, originally $12.99, were marked at $4.  They have a buy one get one 1/2 off promotion, so I thought I’d buy something else and these shoes would be $2.  But when I went to check out, it turns out the sandals were on clearance for $2 so with the half off deal, they were only $1!!  So then I didn’t feel so bad.   I didn’t particularly like the silver flowers they had on them, so I made a few more flowers with the curtain material and hot glue gunned them on.  I think they look great and match perfectly with this dress now!

I also made a petticoat with tulle to give the dress more body, but I think I actually prefer the dress without.  I guess it’s a good thing to keep around though.  It can be paired with any skirt or dress and since it’s kinda huge, she can probably use it for a long time.  This morning she just wore it around the house like a tutu and turned around in (very slow) circles.  Where does she learn this from!??

(Please ignore how crooked that top row of tulle is.  I was in a super rush )

For our photo shoot today we went to the Palace of Fine Arts.  Just another gorgeous spot in our city.  And the weather was amazing!!  It actually felt like spring!

Well, I guess that’s it for this outfit AND the Project Run & Play Sew-along.  I think next week the three actual PR&P contestants that are left will do their signature look.  It’d be fun to keep playing along, but I feel like it’s time to move on to other projects that are calling my name.  I’ll have a few tutorials coming up and a reflection on this sew-along challenge coming up, but for now I’ll just say that it has been so much fun participating.  I have learned so much, been so challenged and am so inspired!

I leave you with two outtakes from the photoshoot:

I told Yuki to lean in and smell the flower.  I think she’s either kissing it or nibbling on it.  Yum.

And this picture is SO our daughter.  You can put the girl in a dress, but that doesn’t make her act “like a lady!”  She was climbing and picking up rocks and scraping her knees the whole time.  That’s my tomboy!  She makes me proud

Linked up this project here:

Thanks Melissa!!

This could be fun for a hippie costume or if you just like wide leg pants!  Here’s what you need:

Pants (you’ll want to use something that is pretty fitted on top, baggy pants won’t look as good)
Fabric for the inset (either a decorative fabric, denim, or something that will match your pants if you want a less noticeable look)
The usual sewing necessities (sewing machine, scissors, thread, ruler)

First, you want to hem up the bottom of your inset fabric.  To figure out how much fabric you’ll need to hem, just decide how wide you want the bottom of your inset to be (my little toddler pants insets were about 4 inches wide) and then double that (because you’ll need two) and always add a couple inches for good measure.  I skipped this step because I left the bottom of my pants unhemmed, but if I had, I would have hemmed about 10 inches of my inset fabric.

Then, cut the outside seam of your pants up to the point where you want the pants to start flaring out, usually right below the knee.  I just cut as close to the seam as possible on one side, and then cut up the other side of the seam and trim the seam to remove it.

Now we’re going to cut 2 triangles from our inset fabric.  The hemmed side will be the bottom of triangle (again, I didn’t hem, so just pretend ).  You want your triangle height to be about half an inch taller than the cut you made in your pants’ side seam.  I cut about 8 inches up the pant leg, so the height of my triangles are 8.5 inches.  As for the width of the bottom – that’s up to you.  The wider the triangle base, the wider the flare.  You decide!!

Now it’s time to sew!  Line up one side of the triangle with one cut edge of the pants, right sides together.  You want the bottom seams lined up.  Pin and sew starting from the bottom with about a 1/4 inch seam allowance (my inset fabric looked the same on both sides, so there was no “wrong” side, but make sure your fabric is wrong side facing up).

When you open it up, it should look like this on the right side.

Now turn your pants inside out and line the other sides up, right sides together.  Pin and sew.  You want to try and get your seams to meet in the middle at the top of the triangle.

When inside out, your pant leg should look something like this.

Turn the pants right side out and iron.  Repeat with the other pant leg and you’re done!

I hope your little hippie enjoys their pants!!