Spring Bow Ties

I'd love to pretend that I had Easter apparel all finished in time for the Holiday, but I didn't.  I got around to sewing these lovely little bow ties earlier this week.

Clark's bow tie comes from the Retro Pointed Bow Tie, by Cheri of I am Momma Hear Me Roar.  You can find the pattern here.

Jake's bow tie is from the David Bow Tie pattern from Burda Style.  It is available for free download.

 I used a medium weight decor fabric for these, nothing special, just something that I had on hand.

Tips Tricks and Techniques: Make Reusable Pattern Pieces

Do you have a favorite paper pattern or template that you use all of the time?  I have several, but the problem with having favorites, is that they receive quite a bit of wear.

A cousin of mine shared an idea for preserving personal patterns.  This works best for small pattern pieces and templates.  Simply purchase some inexpensive drawer or shelf liner at the dollar store, cut your template to size, and use and reuse it.

The foam/plastic material makes it waterproof.  I do a lot of sewing in my kitchen, and on more than one occasion I've laid down a paper pattern piece on the counter, only to discover that there was a wet spot waiting for me.  

I also love the small holes in this material.  You don't need to worry about damaging your pattern with pins.  

You can also write directly on the material with a magic marker. I've made bib templates, burp cloth templates, baby bootie patterns, and even headband patterns out of the material.

 

Hip for the Holidays: The Toddler

Hip for the holidays is winding down, and I hope that you've enjoyed a few of the things that I've shared.  I'll pop in tomorrow with a tutorial for a simple hair accessory, and Friday I'll feature some of my favorite projects from the Hip for the Holidays link party.  If you have any projects that you want to share, please feel free to link them up.

This is somewhat of a repeat from yesterday, but I am pleased with the results so I thought that I'd share.  Before I made the newborn baby cords, I made this pair of black cords for Clark.  He seems to be growing like a weed, and his Sunday wardrobe is seriously lacking.  I decided that he needed a new pair of pants, and that I was going to make them for him.

I had some medium weight black corduroy that my mom picked up at a garage sale earlier this year.  It was a very nice weight for a pair of pants, and should hold up well.  I picked out Clark's best fitting pair of pants from his closet, and used them to draft a pattern.  I'm not very experienced in sewing pants, so this was a whole new experience.  I had to make my guest guess at creating the fly, and the pockets, and the belt loops, but these are all details that I feel "make" a pair of pants.

Hip For The Holidays:For the Little Lady

Today I'd like to introduce you to the project that prompted this holiday apparel series, but unfortunately she doesn't have a name.  I found this remnant piece of patterned corduroy at Joann's a few months back.  I liked the print, but it felt overly winter like to me.  I almost didn't pick it up, but I am quite pleased that I did.  I love what it became.

  The pink, gray, and white floral medallions remind me of snowflakes, and I think that they are very appropriate for the holiday season. I have a little niece that will be celebrating her second birthday in a couple of weeks. I hope that this little jumper will help her celebrate her birthday, and the Christmas season in style (without being painted red and green).   

I used Simplicity pattern 2574 for the jumper.  This is a croquis kit pattern, allowing you to design the jumper you want by selecting your own skirt, bodice,  yoke, and embellishment details. It kind of reminds me of those fashion plates that I played with as a little girl....does anyone know what I'm talking about?  They were little plastic plates with different costume elements.  You'd select a skirt, a top, and a model, and then place a piece of paper on top of the plates and create a rubbing of your fashion creation. They were fantastic, and so are these croquis kit patterns.  Sorry I got a bit side tracked.  

The pattern also comes with a shrug pattern.  They have featured shrugs in faux fur on the pattern package, but I opted for corduroy.  Faux fur could be a nice choice for a holiday outfit though.  I just wanted this dress to be versatile, and to be worn frequently.

I know that this dress is a bit on the casual side when it comes to holiday apparel, but there is a lot more that goes on during the holidays than just photo shoots, church meetings, and skirt twirling.  I think that it is nice if a little girl can feel all dolled up while she runs around. I chose to make a simple pair of knit leggings to be worn under the jumper, after all it is winter here in Idaho.

For a great tutorial on making simple knit leggings visit Dana of Made. I'll also be turning those pink leather bows into either hair clips or a head band.  I like that they will repeat the bows from the dress.

Do you have any holiday apparel or accessory projects that you want to show off?  Link them up to the Hip for the Holidays Link Party. If you think that it is about time for some adult holiday apparel, hang in there, it's coming.

I'll be linking up here.

Hip For The Holidays: Day Three- Bow Ties For The Boys

 It's day three of Hip for the Holidays, and I thought we'd spend a bit of time accessorizing the boys in our lives.  It seems that it is always a bit of a challenge dressing up a little boy (or big boy for that matter).  Shirt and tie with dress pants is about as dressed up as they get.  So why not play with what we have to work with.  Instead of the traditional neck tie, let's try a bow tie.  Recently I fell in love Cheri's (of Roar, and I am Momma Hear Me Roar)  Retro pointed bow ties.  She has some fantastic bow tie patterns for the little men in our lives.

The retro pointed bow tie is a fresh twist on the slightly ubiquitous bow ties that can be found around bloggerdom. I think that this bow tie is just what every little man needs to complete his holiday outfit.

I was thrilled to try out Cheri's pattern for Hip for the Holidays. The pattern was very easy to follow.  She does a fantastic job with all of her tutorials, and this pattern was no exception.  

I was a bit fearful that Clark would refuse to wear the bow ties, but to my delight he was more than willing to wear one to church last week, I think he's trying to charm the ladies in his nursery class.

Cheri recommends using cotton fabric, which I did with the tree fabric, but I also used up some scrap decor fabric that I had in my stash. I really liked experimenting with the different fabric weights.

The pattern is extremely reasonably priced, and requires very little fabric, making this a very economical

  (and fast) project for the holidays. You can find the pattern here, and her fantastic blog over here.

After making Clark a few ties, I thought that my husband might need one to match.  When I mentioned making him a bow tie, he looked less than thrilled.  I found a free pattern for the grown men in our lives at Burda Style.  Sadly, it's not retro pointed, but it is still a nice change for the holidays.

 The pattern is called the David Bow Tie.  It was also easy to follow.  This pattern does call for the bow tie to be cut on the bias, requiring a bit more fabric.  It was a quick and easy sew. You can find it here.

My bow tie tying skills need a bit of work...HELP.

 I think that my husband has the perfect build for a bow tie, and he can totally pull it off.  He wore his bow tie to church on Sunday as well, and I'm pretty sure that he's converted.  He hinted toward the fact that he was interested in having a few more.  One tip, I think that bow ties look great when paired with vests and cardigans.  My husband wore his with a vintage three piece suit, oh he looked handsome.

Remember to link up your holiday related projects at our Hip for the Holidays link party.  Anything that you would wear during the holidays to get a bit dolled up (jewelry, hair accessories, clothing, dresses, ect).

I'll be linking here.



This post dedicated to Scott Franson and his incredible bow tie collection.

Bouclé Skirt: Simplicity Pattern 0499

I recently made a  new skirt for myself.  I used Simplicity Pattern 0499.  I was quite excited to make the skirt when I found this bouclé fabric.  I love the mustard yellow nubs on the neutral background.  The fabric itself is a bit too heavy for the skirt design, but I am still content, not thrilled, but content with the results.

I wish I would have been able to get the fabric to cooperate in the  bow detail, but it wasn't going to happen.

Another issue that I'm having with this skirt is trying to decide what color of tight to wear with it.  My pasty white legs look horrible with the oatmeal base color of the skirt. Any suggestions, I'm not sold on the black.

I'm linking up here.

Checked Off The List: Plum Colored Dress Project Runway 2403

This is a project that I started way back in August.  I've had the fabric cut out and waiting to be turned into a lovely dress.  I used Simplicity Pattern 2403, and set out to make the dress on the right. Here is what I ended up with.  Slightly different than I envisioned, but a learning project none the less. There are several things about the dress that I like, but several things that I wish would have done differently.

To read more about my sewing adventures and mishaps click read more below.