Namesake

When Danny named our newborn son for a constellation known as "the hunter" I wasn't quite sure if the name fit our baby boy. Now I couldn't imagine him with any other name- it is truly part of his identity and he is always excited to see his name on star charts and elsewhere...

...more frequently than one would expect.

He is always so proud to point out his constellation and always reminds us that we are gazing at his belt. Knowing this, my dearest grandma made his day by sending him a care package of space goodies including this little patch.

 

Needless to say, it had to find a way into his wardrobe. Inspired by this, I made Ori this little bomber jacket fit for a particularly cold fall.

 The shell is a twill with a layer of cotton batting and a golden 50/50 sheet lining. 

 

 The construction was pretty standard- more or less comparable to this oldie.

The only tricky part was figuring out how to work in the rib knit hem to the zipper- that was a bit of puzzle which I solved through a bit of sewing meditation. Deep breathes, deep breathes. And it turned out it worked for me- and it works for him too.

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

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!

Tee Time

New tee's for the new year? Sure thing.

 These were so superly simple to whip up. Two different cuts, made to tunic length for the hip drapey style, or the tucked into skirt look.

 

The knit stripes were found at Hancock whilst vacationing in Wichita last year, and the vintage floral knit was an etsy purchase.

 

I am loving these quick little projects- instant gratification is so....gratifying. And sewing is one of my priorities this new year- I am really trying to ease back into it, and have been relearning how to plan out and execute projects as thoughtfully as possible. If only we could keep from being sick I think I would really make some strides with my sewing goals. Lately, every time we feel like we are recovering, some new bug sneaks in. Hoping for more stitching and less ailments!

Scout's Honor

Confession: I always wanted to be a girl scout. As a child everything they had to offer appealed to me; crafts,  camp fires, and cookies. My sister was a brownie scout and although it was an early and very apparent desire of mine, nothing ever came of it. I just held tight to the idea that I would probably be an awesome girl scout if need be.

So when a friend asked if Phia might want to join I had to admit that I had been waiting for the invite for a while. The girls in her troop are so sweet and spirited, and she is so excited for Friday night meetings. In December the girls were in a town parade and they marched holding a banner that I made for their troop. The banner got some sweet compliments and the girls looked so proud. Really made the appliqued lettering worth it.

I could go on, but I will just leave you with these scouting links.
souting on pinterest
Famous Scouts -
Something Funny- cookie commentary by John Mulaney

And then...

Of course this is a little late, but I just wanted to do a little follow up from project run + play.

While it was a little sad to be voted off, being part of the contest was worth every minute I spent sewing to stay in it.  After I started a very taxing full time job last year the things I loved doing were kind of put on the back burner, and sewing definitely dropped off of my to-do list. I probably turned my machine on four times over the summer. Project run + play made me work through a list of designs and ideas I have been wanting to find time to put together for months. It gave me a spark- it was invigorating to be pushed creatively, and I feel like no other outlet would have motivated me the same way. And sewing along with the other talented ladies in the contest was an honor, and I really enjoyed that opportunity. And to have such amazing friends and family who voted for me, and to meet such sweet people and to read all of the lovely comments and messages- that was really special to me, and I appreciate it all so, so much.

Last night I had to make a last minute Halloween costume. When I put it together I felt completely confident- it was a reawakened feeling that had been missing for some time. I am glad it's back.

Gilded and Gathered

This little number represents exactly how I want to dress my girl for Thanksgiving. My vision of perfect Thanksgiving attire is sweet and classic without being too much of an overstatement. You don't want to make your relatives feel underdressed, and at some point you are expected to stuff yourself.

The dress is made out of a golden silk that has been gently pleated on the bodice and sleeves for a very delicate and unique texture. The bubble skirt of the dress is a brushed poplin with a golden sheen- it was given some substantial pleats to give it a lot of "umph". The little bolero is a deep golden knit with felt leaves. 

The dress was all about texture and tones- the pleats on the golden silk were subtle but striking and the vibrant bolero just makes the whole ensemble pop. The colors really came together freely and the style is definitely more simple and chic with touches of whimsy. If you have a minute, check out project run and play and don't forget to vote!

A Handsome Homecoming

For this weeks boy challenge I decided to make something appropriate for my little guy's return to school- new dress duds fit for picture day and his very own letterman jacket.

 

The jacket was made with sweatshirt fleece and it is set to become his new go to when running out the door. The dress shirt is made from a bed linen with faint yellow stripes, and the pants are a stretchy red suiting material that look perfect dressed up or down. I loved the vibrant red color for boys the cut is a comfortable skinny style- casual yet dressy.

The jacket is definitely the piece that stands out in this look. I knew I wanted to make it royal blue for Ori's future school's colors and settled on either red or yellow trim. Yellow just happened to be the trim I found while thrifting- I cut up and salvaged what I could from an old sport wind breaker and then backed it with ribbed knit. It took a great deal of fiddling to get just the right amount for the neck, cuffs and bottom hem.

Speaking of a great deal of effort- these smiles did not come easy. I realized during this little photo shoot at a nearby high school that Phia is a much more manageable model to work with. It took me about 15 minutes to figure out exactly what I could bribe Ori with. He turned down the already promised trip to red mango, and held firm with the agreement that I download "bad piggies" once we got home. And for that cheeky grin, I will conclude that was .99 cents well spent.

If you have a chance, check out project run and play and cast your vote!

Stella Style

Let me start with a thanks for all the votes and sweet comments from the last round! Very excited to take part in the icon challenge, especially because I picked Stella McCartney as my inspiration.

I love Stella Mccartney's style and designs- she melds modern and vintage so perfectly with clean lines and sweet details. I swoon over anything she has a hand in, and love the way she incorporates classic pieces and makes them hip.

The band jacket was a must for me, and with lace details and gold buttons it has a hint of femininity. The "maestro" style top was a labor of love with all the pleats on the bodice, and the capris are perfectly tailored to accentuate the shape of the tops. From the trimmed cuffs to the pleats in the pant leg, little details really gave this look the Stella touch. 

I was pretty excited as this look came together as I had envisioned- especially once I pulled the painters tape off of the freshly spray painted rainboots!

So now is the time where you can head over to Project Run + Play and vote on a favorite look- check it out and let me know who inspires you!

Summer School

We have had quite a few absurdly hot and crazy rainy days this summer. And this year, since we opted to go the summer without camp for the kids, we have had to step up the indoor entertainment. With hours to mull around paintings on the porch, I really wanted to jump start that creative spark that is kind of overlooked during the school year- for that our art collection is growing.

Favorite resources include these hits from our library:

Ed Emberley's Make a World -  All About Drawing from Micheal's - Art Lab for Kids - Sewing School

And some really cool lists and ideas for creative projects for kids:


The Artful Parent Kids' Arts and Crafts
Poppytalk Summer Crafts for Kids
Elsie Marley's Summer Journal

July-ish

We are thoroughly enjoying summer. The warm nights have been pretty outstanding for firefly hunts.

Phia is pretty skilled in the art of getting her hand in the jar, coaxing the bug off her hand and keeping all other temporary inhabitants content, while Ori is a pretty fierce firefly tracker.

Go, team work.

Color Theory Top

The thought process on making this top: chevrons are in, simple is better, and we need more airy tops for this summer-ish spring.

 

And since Phia is a five year old girl, she is all about rainbows.

A Very Useful Accessory

Here's my first kcwc project to be finished:
A reversible vest all fit for Ori. It was a simple little project that came together really quick- I love how motivating instant gratification always feels.
But, I had to use the power of persuasion to get Ori to like his vest. I might have told my train obsessed son that it is the same vest that a certain railway controller wears.
And for anyone who would like to put one together, here is a little walk through.

Works of Art

At the beginning of the school year I signed up to give Phia's kindergarten class a little presentation on Andy Warhol with one of the other mothers. If the focus is on pop art, you have subject matter that is definitely fun and appealing for little art enthusiasts. Celebrities, canned food, and a mouse in bright colors- how could you go wrong with that?
After the presentation the kids had the chance to make some personalized pop art. I did a little tinkering with their class photo, and came out with some high contrast black and white portraits for them to color in to their liking. As predicted, they loved coloring in their own faces- almost all of them had a little lipstick, glasses, and mustaches. My favorite: lightning bolt scar
This is Phia's mulligan- I asked her to color this one in at home for framing purposes. While there are some other really neat tutorials ( 1,2) on how to make Warhol-esque portraits, I took the easy way out- I cropped the face, erased the background, increased the brightness and contrast, played with the curves, and then changed the picture to black and white.

Part of Your Balanced Breakfast

This is definitely the most important meal of the day when Ori looks that excited before devouring it.Even though little man loves yogurt to start with, its always a treat to watch him "oh & ah" and dance around a bit when we dress it up with some fruit.
What gets your day started? Lately my day begins with coffee- a habit I am trying to get out of.