Finlayson in Indigo Interlock

I rarely sew for my husband.  Despite that, he's always been supportive of my hobby (obsession?), never commenting on how much I spend on material and even scouting out fabric shops for me to peruse when we go on family trips.  Yep, he's a keeper!  So when this fabric arrived and it wasn't exactly the colour I was expecting but happened to be the colour of his favourite hockey team, I knew what to do with it.  (side note: you can now get a swatch card for this fabric line, which is great because it's often hard to get a true sense of colour from a photo).   

So I told him I was making him a sweater and consulted him on pattern choice.  Well, kind of -- the Finlayson from Thread Theory is the only mens sweater pattern I own so I asked him if he would be okay with that style.  Thankfully he said yes!    

This fabric really is lovely --  very soft and a perfect weight, not too thick but definitely not flimsy.  It's easy to work with, too, with since it doesn't curl or shift like some knit fabrics.  Being able to get good quality coordinating ribbing is also fantastic.   I used the ribbing for the cuffs and waistband and it matches perfectly.  

And I can attest to the durabilty of the interlock --  I ordered an extra metre because I knew I wanted to make something adult-sized so when I was cutting out the sweater I was thinking about what I could do with the "scraps".  They ended up being big enough to make a pair of shorts (Jalie 3351) for me so I sewed those up right away.  I've been wearing and washing them at least once a week since then and the fabric has held up well -- no pilling or stretching.  They look just as good as when I made them back in February!  

Of course I really should have made the sweater first because it took me awhile to get back to it.  I don't think my husband quite believed that I actually would finish but he's happy that I did!   

As I was taking pictures, I realized that both of these are totally Canadian projects -- the fabric is manufactured and produced in Canada and sold by a Canadian retailer, both the patterns are by Canadian designers and they were sewn up by a Canadian.  Pretty good, eh?   

Patterns: Thread Theory Finlayson Sweater, Jalie Swim Shorts (both used before)

Fabric: Interlock from l'oiseau 

I received 1 metre in exchange for a blog post, I purchase the 2nd metre + the coordinating ribbing ~$24

Blaverry Gracie

K. has a massive wardrobe of clothes and definitely doesn't need anything new. She's so enthusiastic and appreciative whenever I do make her something that I get a lot of joy from making her new things, though :).  And I knew she would love the Gracie dress by Blaverry.

It's a quick sew and, because of the slim fit, doesn't require very much fabric.  The heart fabric is a super soft, cozy sweatshirt fabric from l'oiseau (it was a presale and is not available any more but they have lots of lovely retail fabrics and another presale event coming up).

This is a straight size 8 and the only change I made was to sew up the side seams using a 1/4" SA instead of 3/8".  The sweatshirt fabric has a bit of stretch but I didn't want it to be too tight.

As you can tell, she likes it :)

Pattern: Gracie by Blaverry given to me free of charge in exchange for this promotion
Fabric: Falling Hearts from l'oiseau, used approx 1/2 yard $8, blue cotton lycra approx. $6
Total: approx. $14

Decklyn in Denim

Decklyn was the first pattern that caught my eye when I first came across Blaverry but somehow it never made it to the top of the sewing queue.  Until now that is; I was given the pattern to promote for the "Blaverry Blasters" group and sometimes deadline can be a wonderful thing :)

Am I ever glad I had the opportunity to sew this up; my daughter has told me several times (daily) just how much she loves it. In fact last night, she told me that when she outgrows it, she'd like another one just the same.  I was afraid a jacket like this would be frivolous -- depending on the season, my girls either wear a winter coat or go out in just a t-shirt -- but that hasn't been the case at all.  J's worn it everywhere she's been in the past week, under her winter coat and in place of a cardigan or sweater. Only much more fashionable :).

According to her measurements, J. (age 10) would be about a size 8.  She doesn't like things to be too fitted and I thought it wouldn't get worn until spring (silly me!), so I traced off a size 12.  We talked about fabric options and I showed her some different ideas but she had a her heart set on denim.  No contrast, just denim with a matching navy lining, some bright topstitching and two of the fancy buttons we'd just received from a friend in Korea.  Perfect, I had all of that already in my sewing cupboard.

What I didn't have in my stash were the zippers.  My local shop didn't have the right size matching metal zips so I made do with what they did have.  I think it would look so much better if they all matched but my daughter doesn't mind.

My shop also didn't have a 16" navy metal zip so I bought an 18" and then lengthened the jacket by an inch and a half to accommodate it.  It turns out I didn't need to do that since the designer recommends folding the excess zipper at the top to fit the length of the jacket.  My daughter likes the longer length in any event so it worked out for the best.

She was very patient as I tried to get some decent pictures in some not so good light

but this is her "enough already Mom, I have stuff to do!" face :)

Pattern: Decklyn by Blaverry, free in exchange for this promotion

Fabric: stretch denim, used approx. 1m, $8

Lining: stash

Zippers: Fabricland, $7

Buttons: Gift

Total: $15

Princess Anna Coronation Gown

This was one of those ridiculous projects that I convinced myself had to be done.  My daughter is in Brownies and when I first found out the troop's winter sleepover camp was Frozen-themed I vaguely thought about making a dress up dress.  I dismissed the idea though since it was camp after all; not a place for dress up clothes!  But then the week before camp, the leader sent out the itinery: it included a coronation feast in which the girls were invited to wear their fanciest dress!

So I started on Monday night and finished the final steps (the painting on the bodice) just before we ran out the door to camp on Friday.  I work full time and am not a fast seamstress so I was just happy to get it finished.  And now I'm trying really hard to ignore the fact that the sleeves don't match up with the bodice and the pleats are uneven, lol!

Pattern: Vogue 7681, cost $9.03US

Fabric: cotton velour from Fabricland, approx. $20, chiffon for the sleeves $1.70

Zipper, elastic, gold accents: stash

Fabric paint: on hand (Canucks green from a shirt I made for my husband plus some purple and blue)

Total: approx. $30

Blaverry Finn

A couple of weeks ago I received an email asking for applicants to join a marketing team for Blaverry.  I had often admired the clean lines and modern aesthetics of this pattern company and I figured my girls would love them too so I applied.  The first pattern I was given to make was the Finn Top.  It's a knit top with a three sleeve options (short, long and 3/4 length) and a waterfall peplum.

I normally consult my daughters before I make anything for them but my eldest was at a sleepover and my youngest doesn't need any clothes so I just went ahead and made it.  J.'s measurements put her in a size 8 so that's what I made, with an extra 1 1/2" added to the length of the bodice.

The pattern is a PDF and comes in layers so, if you choose, you can print off only the size you need. However, it goes up to size 16 so I printed off all the sizes.  I'm much more likely to make something a second time if I don't have to assemble the PDF again and I can definately see myself making other versions of this!  I was pleased to see that the pattern lines for the various sizes are different colours, which made tracing super easy.

The main fabric is a really lovely merino wool/tencel blend I bought through a local facebook group. The only reason I didn't hoard it all for myself was because I have 4m so plenty to make something for me too :)  The contrast sleeves are made from a scrap of French terry.  

I think it looks super cute and is a great "tween" style.  J. however feels the bodice is a bit tight and she's not sure about the peplum :(.   

So Miss 7-year-old-of-the-overflowing-closet was pleased to take it off her hands :)

The pattern is well drafted and the instructions are brief but sufficient.  There are no notches on any of the pattern pieces but I didn't have any difficulty putting it together.  I look forward to trying other Blaverry patterns!

Pattern: Finn by Blaverry (free in exchange for this promotion)
Fabric: navy merino wool/tencel from OOM ethikwear approx. $9.50
Total: $9.50 

My new "uniform" - the Mila Shirt

I've made four Itch to Stitch patterns so far (the Angelia Shorts, Irena Knit Top, Liana Jeans and of course the Mila Shirt) and am now a dedicated fangirl :) (and also an affiliate, all of the above are affiliate links).  Kennis' patterns are well drafted and the instructions are fantastic.

With a two piece collar, placket, sleeve tabs, cuffs, etc., the Mila Shirt is not exactly a quick sew but it is a satisfying one.  I love the two that I've made so much that I think they might push my (multiple) Tovas out of top spot for my "uniform" of choice.  With the gathers at the front and the pleat at the back, the Mila definately trumps the Tova in comfort.  Of course, having the different cup sizes included in the pattern helps, too.   I've never done an FBA but I should really learn how.  Or I can just use patterns that are drafted for a D cup :)

I made this one out of a navy linen-rayon blend.  Which proved really hard to photograph, it's not shiny in real life, I promise!

I had to cut my head off this one, I don't know what I was doing with my face!

I will likely usually wear this with the sleeves rolled up but I did add 1 1/2" to the length sleeves to account for my monkey arms in case I want to wear them down.

My 7 year old insisted on the square sparkly buttons and I think it was a good choice!

Pattern: Mila Shirt (free in exchange for testing)
Fabric: Linen Rayon blend from Dressew $15
Buttons: stash
Total: $15