... and here's the outcome!

Thanks for the suggestions!


I added about 10" to the length (may take a bit off, as it feels just too long).


Then I sewed on a tapered inset neckline, just used a twin needle to sew it under the already finished neck edge. After that, I just cut two 6" wide strip of the teal at a random length, pressed it in half, tapered it into a semicircle, then sewed it under the armhole edge. I think I could have put them in a bit tighter though, as they poke out a bit much.


Does it need anything else? I have a small piece (about 12" x 30") of the teal left.

Any ideas for me?

I found this dress at Walmart for $9 yesterday.

I'm really needing something cool like this to fit the bump, but it's about tunic length on me. I thought to make it a little more interesting with some colour and lengthen it also, so tried this (pinned at the moment):


I'm not sure I'm a huge fan of this. Will be a sort of prairie style, I guess. I could do less gathers, or no gathers, or pleat it?

Also, I want to pull in the teal on the top, but am fairly uncertain what to do there. I thought maybe a ruffle along the v-neck, or just make a teal fabric rose or two to pin on, with possibly a fooler neck as the v is a bit deep on me.

Any ideas??

Upcycled Men's Dress Shirt...

...to boy's dress shirt!!

This was my husband's favourite button-down shirt, but his wide shoulders strained the seams so they started pulling apart. It's a very soft, drapey fabric. I used the Pox Couture Kid's Summer Shirt pattern. I placed the collar pattern on the existing collar, and made a centre back seam as it would have been too long otherwise. Placed the shirt fronts on the original button and buttonhole plackets, minus the seam allowances. Unpicked and used the original yoke and back. If I do this again, I'd upcycle a shirt with an existing pleat at the centre back already, then I could just use the whole back.


The pattern is fabulous! Amazingly detailed instructions with line drawings, just 4 pages, the pattern pieces are very professionally done, with seam allowances marked on each piece. Lots of great tips in the pattern for construction of a couture garment. The fit is great too, not as boxy as a lot of the Big 3 patterns I saw. I did the 2T size for Benny, who just turned 2. He was almost exactly the measurements the pattern listed.

Still has the printed care tag in the back!

Summer Sale at Lil Bean!

Lil Bean is having a summer sale this week!! Everything in stock is 25% off with coupon code "SummerSale" at checkout. (excludes custom items) Check out Lil Bean at Etsy.

Some items currently in stock:

Comfy Sleep Set and more stenciled tees

Had an impromptu craft night with a couple of friends last night. I started on this Comfy Sleep Set for baby girl and finished it this morning. It went together like a breeze once I figured out how to use a twin needle with Wooly Nylon in the bobbin for the hem.

Pattern: Comfy Sleep Set (Fishsticks Designs)
Fabric: mocha 100% cotton interlock
Trim: pink cotton/spandex interlock




I also stenciled another tshirt, using the "negative" of the stencil I cut for Ian's blue power symbol tee. It's a size 3. I fused the stencil on, then used a spray fabric paint.




And this is one I did a while back at Suzanne's - my first try at the spray paint was a little uneven in spots. Oh well, still cute...

More knitted things for baby girl

I've slowed down some with the knitting lately, as I'm finally feeling a little better this pregnancy - enough to get out more and do other things. But here are the last two finished items, which were waiting for buttons till last night.

This is the dress I posted about a while back - I chose the hearts fabric. I think it's about a size 6-12 mo (stretchy bodice because it's knitted).

This little sweater is the free Autumn Leaves pattern. The yarn is some I dyed when I was first experimenting with "breaking" Wilton's icing dyes. This lovely seafoam and lilac colourway was dyed on a Patons Classic wool white base with Wilton's Delphinium Blue, which is a gray-blue. This is the colour it's supposed to be:
When I added acid to the dye, it broke into it's component colours, and this is what I got:

Freezer Paper Stenciled tees

I did some more freezer paper stenciled shirts for Ian today.

Angry Birds red bird stenciled tee:

Power symbol tee:

Ian just HAD to try on Daddy's rock star costume when he saw Henry come home dressed up!
This year he's rowing for the Stollery Children's Hospital again (Row For Kids), and today at his work they put on an '80s Rock Star themed barbeque. He went as Billy Idol.

Embellished hoodie

I picked up this little hoodie a long time ago (I think when I was expecting Benny, before we knew he was a boy) and found it in a box the other day. It needed something to pretty it up. I'm not sure if it's complete yet or not. I have to get an idea of what's cute for a little girl and what's too much! After sewing for boys, this is totally different!

Fishsticks Designs shorts

Now I've sewn from all three of the Fishsticks Designs patterns I got in the mail this week! Thanks for great patterns, Bonnie!

Pattern: AJ Bottoms Fishsticks Designs, shorts option
Fabric: flannelette, waistband black interlock with internal FOE
Sizes: Rockets 4T, traditional rise; Puppies, 2T, diaper rise

In a hurry, cut one leg of the puppy print upside down, but they're sleep shorts and to try out the size anyway...

Here's Benny in his:





Pattern: Inside or Outside Pocket Pants Fishsticks Designs, shorts option
Fabric: cotton twill, internal FOE for waistband
Sizes: Green 4T and Charcoal 2T

[ETA pic] Here are the boys in their new Sunday shorts!

Help me decide which fabric to use!

I'm almost finished another little dress for baby Widgette (due in Sept). The pattern is robe d'été en tricot et liberty. This is the designer's version:



Here's my problem - I can't decide which of these two fabrics would be better for this dress. (Maybe I just need to do a second one!)

Apples (background is a pale pink, almost peach, but some of the apples are the bright red)


Hearts (background is light cream)