Professionalized

And here, a switch from child's wear sewing- an actual adult sized piece just for me.

Since my work clothes consist of denim, t-shirts, and big draping chef coats, I have been more motivated to step up the dress code for days off. This was made out of necessity and an incredible grip of inspiration. I have been slowly upgrading the regular line up of staple pieces and wanted to make a blazer that was styled just so- dressy but casual, not too fitted or boxy, and in a versatile color.

 

 Thus, a deep jade twill- unlined, french seamed - semi fitted blazer with generous lapels and white cuffs. Think I covered all the criteria, and I am kind of loving it.

KCW: Hanami Trench

This little number may be late to kids clothes week due to our vacation and subsequent resettling time, but I thought it was worth mentioning anyways.

I made this with cool spring mornings in mind, with a bold color and clean cut to liven up Phia's outerwear line up and add a touch of class to simple school day outfits. 

 

The construction was simple- just a basic little coat with a mandarin color instead of the regular lapels. And the inside has a pretty little lining fit for spring in Jersey- a vintage cherry blossom bed spread that needed to be used.

 

Better late than never, I always say. 

Wichita 101

If you follow me on instagram you might know we took a little vacation in Kansas at the end of April. Whenever our Jersey friends asked us what we were doing over spring break and I told them our plans, they looked puzzled with a not-so-subtle expression that I could easily read- why of all places, would you visit Kansas? 

I hail from the sunflower state, and since it was my first home, it will always be a special place where everything was simple and familiar. To my delight, the kids love Wichita too, and their visits there have been as magical as mine were after we moved away when I was nine. Just like when I was a kid, they loved spending time with cousins & aunts & uncles, checking out the zoo, and eating at Ah-so.

But mostly visiting with their Ma.

And just for fun, here is a little gem from my early days. I had big plan: "When I grow up I will paint pictures and be an artist." Anyone else have any childhood dreams with adulthood predictions?

Why is Phia crazy excited?

Kids Clothing Week, of course!

And why am I crazy excited? Oh, just guest posting about a particularly cute pattern over on KCW to ring in another completely inspiring week of child sized handmades. Check it out!

Details Dress Shirt

I am always in awe of stellar boys clothing since sewing for boys can definitely be a challenge. You have a lot more leeway with girls fashion, and boys clothing requires much more attention to detail.

Case in point- this little dress shirt I made for Ori. Lines have to be clean and seams have to be straight. Buttonholes have to be even and collars have to be aligned.

But that's kind of why I enjoy it- the finished project always looks so finished. 

This checked material was a 50/50 pillowcase- I love that it is more graphic than straight plaid. It was perfect for a dress shirt, but I did have to stretch it by using the gray chambray for the back and lining.

Fun boy fashions? Check out: 
Petit Ferris
Celebrate the Boy with Rae & Dana
Little Lebowski
elsiemarley's inspirations
verypurpleperson's amazing sarouels
delia's signature look

Updated

While I was posting the last set of pictures I realized it has been a while since I did an overall update of this blog. I had two days off this week (and they were consecutive!) so I thought it might be nice to tune some things up.

You can check out the creative places I frequent by people that I think are cool in the links. Check them all out, they are all that good.

And this is a peek at my newest piece up on etsy- I am pretty much in love with this chevron print.

Studio Top

 Sewing has been hit or miss lately. There have been more unfocused and tired days than there have been inspired and limitless days. For a while I have been trying to plan every single stitch I make to stream line my process, but have realized that that is just not how I function the best.

I made this color block top after seeing the fabric laid out next to each other. I think the challenge of making a stylish color block top is less the choice of colors and more to do with the proportion of the blocks. I wanted to keep this one sweet and simple for phia so I kept the middle band slim and higher up the bodice.  

 

I used stiffer fabrics- a pale pink poplin, black kona cotton, and a 50/50 teal bed sheet which were pieced together, and the front and back of the top are joined just below the black stripe at the armpit.

The front has gentle pleats at the neck and the back has a line of three buttons.

And since I personally love seeing pictures of handmade clothes flipped inside out, here is how the piece is lined. The back has a rounded little placket to accommodate the button closure and hits just at the seam of the middle stripe. 

ps: Happiest birthday wishes, Ma! Love you!

Brighten Up

Last week we pulled the shovels out to clear over a foot of snow. I won't harp about the shoveling- I actually kind of enjoy it. The crisp snow up on the trees and the beautiful drifts piled so perfectly across the yard- it's magic those first couple days. But since then we have watched it become slushy and spent, and have been cooped up indoors on dreary, sleety, windy days.

Thus, I needed something to lift moods and brighten palates. This is what I found that did the trick- lemon and parsley vinaigrette salad. I ate it over a potato pancake for good measure, and it was sort of amazing.