Shorts on the Line - Viewer's Choice Voting Begins

Wow!  There is so much going on in Blogland today!  Two of my designs are among the entries for Viewer's Choice for Shorts on the Line.  If you'd like to head over to vote, that would be great!  My entries are #42 Contempo Capris, and #47 Pocket Shorts.  My vote went to the Pocket Shorts #47 (sorry, Contempo Capris...ha,ha).  There are a lot of entries to choose from, so take a look and vote for your favourite.  If you do vote for mine...THANK YOU, although I don't expect you to...there are just too many great options! :)

Guest Post at Melly Sews for Sew in Tune

   

If you have a boy or sew for boys at all, you must check out this series at Melly Sews and Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy!  They are featuring looks for the little men in our lives until August 17.  There is also an opportunity to win Melissa's amazing new E-Book called Blank Slate Basics.  

Click to see my guest post for Sew in Tune:

How I Resized a Vintage Pattern

Last week I was faced with a challenge as I was working on my outfit for the Sew in Tune series.  Part of the look was going to be the pajama top from a vintage pattern I bought on Etsy (my first vintage pattern purchase, by the way!).  Problem was, it was the wrong size (size 6, my boy is size 4)  Not a huge difference, I know, but at the same time, adjustments had to made if it was going to fit him.  Plus, this shirt has a somewhat tricky tab opening on the front.  At first, I was just going to cut the pattern pieces a little smaller, but there's more to it to correctly grade a pattern than that (how much smaller, which sides to shorten, etc).  So, while there's probably several ways to do this, I'd like to show you what I did.  Who knows, you may be faced with the problem of re-sizing a pattern, and may find this useful!  

Here's the pattern...(I made #4).  

Basically, what I did, was aligned the pattern pieces as they would fit together on the garment, and measured how far the edges were from each other.  

Then, I took a shirt that fits my boy to trace the body and shoulders.  I was a little generous with the sizing because I wanted it to be comfortable for sleeping in.

Added some for the hem...

I traced the shape of the neckline from the original pattern. 

Then, directly on the front piece, using the measurements from comparing the pieces on the original pattern, I used a fabric pen to mark out the tab piece.  

Then a little connect-the-dots...

traced the tab piece...

...and had my tab pieces!

Here are some more pics of how everything came together: 

 And here is the happy boy with the finished project!

The entire look, including a tutorial, will be featured in my guest post over at Melly Sews a little later on today.  

Thanks for stopping by!

How to Make an Elastic Waistband

1.  Serge or zigzag the edge of your garment (or fold the edge under).  Iron.

2.  Stitch leaving a small section open.

3.  Insert your elastic with a safety pin attached.  Feed it through.

4.  Stitch the ends of the elastic together.

5.  Stitch the opening closed.

6.  Stitch over the elastic several times, stretching it as you stitch.

Paul & Paula and Sew in Tune

Today you will find me guest posting at my absolute favourite international blog, Paul et Paula.

If you have not seen Paul et Paula...you must!  This kids design & lifestyle blog has been a constant source of inspiration for me ever since I stumbled upon it some months ago.  I have been introduced to so many incredibly cool kid-friendly designs and ideas there, and I'm sure you will, too!  I can't thank Peggy enough for posting my little project there!  I'll be sharing a little something I made for Tobias.

And

today is the first day of 

so make sure to check out all the boys only styles that will be featured during the series.  My boy's outfit will be posted this Friday so stayed tuned for that! ;) 

And the Peek-a-Boo Pattern shop giveaway winner is...

entry number 62.

Congratulations to Priya!  And thank you to everyone who entered.

True Random Number Service

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

62

Sporty Skirt Tutorial

I'm busy this week sewing my boy's outfit for the Sew in Tune Series at Melly Sews and Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy.  It's going to be a great series devoted exclusively to boys!  I'll tell you more about that on Monday when it starts.  Until then, forgive for me for the lack of new content, and bringing home another guest post.  It was originally up at Project Run & Play.

Last year, I made this pair of shorts for my boy and I love how they turned out.  What a great tutorial!  So, this year, I decided to come up with a skirt version of it for my girl...and who knows...I may even have to sew one for me!

You will need:
jersey knit fabric
elastic 
bias tape
thread

(I used 42cm/16 1/2 in of elastic,

but measure according to your needs.)

To get the right size, you can just cut around any short, narrow skirt that currently fits whoever you are sewing this for.

Told you it was easy...all done!!

Bayern Sundress Tutorial

Here's the tutorial for the Bayern Sundress that was originally posted over at Melly Sews...

I'm so excited to be here today and show you the little sundress I made for my girl.  

While I dabble in many homemade projects from cooking to crafting, my greatest passion lies in sewing for my children Anja (1 1/2 years) & Tobias (4 years).  I specifically love classic, vintage stylings, which led me to decide to share this particular dress with you.  It is inspired by a dress I bought in Germany years ago, for a friend who was expecting her first baby.  

I am so drawn to the classic lines, simplistic details, and versatility 

(throw a long sleeve shirt underneath, and this could be worn in winter!). 

You will need:

Fabric (you may opt to use a contrasting lining as I did)

1" wide elastic - cut two pieces, 6cm/2.5in long

5 buttons

Thread

This is about a size 2 years, and fits my 25 1/2 pound (11.5 kg) daughter.  

I tried my best to accurately include imperial measurements for my neighbours to the south, but please forgive me if there are any discrepancies.

Please excuse (and don't be confused by) my change in fabric!

**When you stitch to the lining, make sure to leave the bottom of the bodice & the back yoke open, so you can turn it right side out later**

Whew!  All done.  If there is any clarification needed, feel free to contact me.  Head over to Elegance & Elephants for a couple variations of this dress, with tutorials.  

And don't forget to check out the latest giveaway while you're there, too!  

Thanks again for having me here at Melly Sews!