Inspiration: Outdoor Music Festivals via The Fabric Shopper

The Fabric Shopper blog has a very neat post about fashioning your own cool clothes to wear to summer festivals. They give two examples for a rock & roll festival and a jazz festival. But I thought there was one glaring omission...didn't the hippies invent summer music festivals? So here is my suggestion...

I couldn't find a good inspiration photo but I'm thinking a long tiered skirt and a tie-dyed cami.

Do it yourself skirt with this free pattern from j caroline creative:


My selection of fabric for the tiers (picking fabric for this skirt is great fun!):


1. Garden Bright from the London Calling collection by Robert Kaufman
2. Jackie Blue from the Pretty Please collection by Jennifer Paganelli for Free Spirit
3. Libby Royal from the Dance with Me fabric collection by Jennifer Paganelli for Free Spirit
4. Unicorns Purple from the Far, Far Away fabric collection by Heather Ross for Kokka

Then, sew up a white cotton cami using Simplicity pattern 3882 and tie die using these instructions from Rit Dye. (I suggest a single complimentary color to the skirt or you may end up looking like a crazy person!)


And maybe a headscarf to complete your look?

I am soooo not the hippy but this post was fun to play in...thanks Fabric Shopper for the inspiration. AND for the giveaway win! I won an American Pastimes fabric bundle! I can't wait to get the package in the mail to see what fabrics were selected from the collection. As you may know, I'm a big Red Sox fan so I'm particularly happy to win some of this baseball inspired fabric.

Dank

That is what the weather has been like here for what feels like weeks. Maybe it has been that long. It's been raining or about to rain constantly. The house smells funny from all the humidity. It's been too wet to leave the house much (I really don't like going out in the rain). You would think that I would have gotten more sewing done but, see, I started reading those Twilight books and...well...that along with taking care of the baby meant no extra time for other things.

I have completed two projects and both of them are on my To Do list! I'm very excited to cross stuff off already.

The photos are poor from the lack of sun to help my tired camera along. And I also embarrassingly didn't realize that I had left the manual focus turned on. So I've been taking pictures thinking that the camera was focusing on it's own and then swearing at my camera when I saw the blurry images full-size on my computer screen. My camera thinks I'm crazy.

I made the baby boy some modified "Kimono Style PJ Pants" from Amy Butler's Little Stitches book. Rather than adding the extra wide trim at the bottom, I just used some homemade bias tape. I was looking to make shorts but these are more short pants. Next go-around I will make them a bit shorter but in a bigger size. He's is going to grow out of these very quickly.


And the second project is a play mat, also for the baby. This is the only photo that was in focus (!) so I will try to take them again once the sun makes another appearance.


I used this tutorial on the "katie did journal" blog. Have you seen this blog? Katie makes some beautiful clothes for her two little girls...gorgeous stuff. She has a little boy now as well so I will be looking out for ideas on sewing for boys. (Why is it so much harder? Are dresses really all that much more exciting then pants?)

The play mat is just two solids -- blue and dark tan -- plus batting quilted together in a free form zig-zag pattern. I added some patchwork to the binding just cuz. The mat is about 30x35 inches. And I call it a mat because that is what it's job will be but it could also make a very nice baby blanket. Thanks Katie for the nifty idea!

Little toes

The first project since the baby was born was to make him some cute little booties. I used the pattern from Amy Butler's Little Stitches book. I liked that they completely covered the foot and held together with velcro so they wouldn't slip off. But they ended up being a little too tight around the ankle and the velcro peeks out under the flap. So I'm thinking of making another pair where I alter the pattern to accomidate a fatter baby leg and use a smaller bit of velcro. I really hate to redo a project.

Jacket Inspiration

Doesn't look so hot does it? Kinda blah...boring...bland. Well, take a look at the lovely ladies on the cover of this magazine:


Can you believe that all of the outfits in this magazine were made from that cheerless pattern above?? Well, maybe you can. But it amazes me. I have had the pattern traced to make this jacket for months now. I'm going to forgo making a winter version from wool and will make a light weight denim one for spring instead. Hear that, internet? Now I have to do it.

PS: Check out another terrific version of this pattern at Erica B's D.I.Y. Style blog.

Skull Pants

Kinda big. They had really nice cuffs at the bottom with red trim but the pants were so long I had to hem the cuffs to smithereens. Sean approves though...very comfy. And skully.

And ANOTHER Built By Wendy top for myself! ('Scuze the crummy mirror photo.)


Thank you to everyone who voiced their opinion on the sashing debate. With each comment I changed my mind again and again. So anyone who hasn't spoken up, please do so! We are not ready to declare a winner.

And Jacquie came the closest on the vacation guessing game. Even though her final answer was Tahiti (!) she did mention Florida. We are going to Orlando! Disney and sun is not our usual cup of tea but I got a super deal on a hotel...and lounging around poolside sounds pretty good to me.

Kimono

There have been a bunch of great sewing books released over the past year and I've been perusing them online and in book stores trying to decide which ones to buy. When I saw In Stitches and counted three, four, five projects in it I wanted to make, I bought it.

One of the projects I counted was this cool kimono bath robe:


And when I spied this fantastic Japanese print at the fabric store, I knew what I would make with it...a short summery skirt. Duh! Then I remembered the kimono. Yes!

I'd love to have this made for our vacation in early May but I also promised Sean (husband) that I'd have his pajama pants done by then and April is flying by! And I wanted some more Built By Wendy tops by then too! I think I need a prioritized list of projects to complete by then. Buying a new bathing suit is number one though.

The things you do

I was at a certain large craft store this weekend to pick up some gingham for another Built By Wendy top when I spied this crazy skull fabric and remembered a request from my husband: to make him a pair of pajama pants with skulls. I don't get it, but I'll do it. Cuz I'm a good wife.

I made my shirt first though.

Built by Jen

From a pile of fabric to a fancy new shirt in one afternoon.

Pattern is Built By Wendy (Simplicity 3835)...only THE MOST POPULAR PATTERN IN ALL OF BLOGLAND. I finally made one for myself.

Because of the heavier weight fabric I chose (basically a quilters-cotton weight), I lengthened it and added side slits. I thought it would be more like a tunic this way and the fabric wouldn't end up being such a bad choice. I may still add darts.

I'll make the top again...maybe with the 3/4 length sleeves with the cute ties...but I'll try a different type of fabric. Some thing a bit drapier.

Clothes Sewing Projects

I am in a wedding a year from now and will have a few events to attend where I will need dresses. I fell in love with this pattern (Simplicity 3867, view A) when it was featured on the cover of a Sew Stylish issue. I attempted the blouse version but gave up after realizing that the fabric I had was a bit heavy for all that gathering and I sewed the "skirt" portion on inside-out. It's still hanging like that in a closet.

I recently saw a beautiful dark blue eyelet version on flickr and am totally inspired to try it again. I have all the pattern pieces traced out already (I like to do that so, if I end up liking a pattern, the pattern lasts longer since it's on heavier paper. I'm also not afraid to alter the pattern this way since I know I can always start over again with the intact original. More work but worth it.) All I need is some fabric.


I bought this pattern last weekend (Simplicity 3835) and some pretty purple fabric for a new shirt. I found time to trace out the pattern but didn't get to cutting or sewing yet. I stalled once I realized I had forgotten to buy the elastic! Maybe this weekend I'll get to it.

The Red Sox are playing a game at a normal time tonight! After the trip to Japan and then the west coast -- where the games were 6AM, 10PM or in the middle of the day -- I can finally go home and watch a game at 7:05 ET. I'll be sitting on the couch hand sewing my hexagons while it's on.

Fancy Pants

Made my second pair of summer PJ bottoms this weekend. I got a bit fancier this time with different fabric cuffs and ties.

And continuing in my series of 'things I love about my house', here is a picture of one of our living room radiators. I love the radiant heat and the marble toppers.

To see my collection of photos of Things I Love About My House visit my flickr set.

Back to where I started

Way back in the infancy stage -- might even be considered the in-utero stage -- of this blog I stated that my expectations were to start sewing clothing for myself. Well then I found myself on about a million different craft blogs and I started making things...bags, softies, pin cushions. And lately I have been absorbed by quilts and patchwork.

I love working on all these different things but I think it's time I headed back to my roots! With spring just about here I think it's the perfect time for sewing cute skirts and pretty blouses. Winter clothes sewing is just more complicated with linings and heavy weight fabrics. Anyway...I got plans.


First on my list is one or two (or three or four) pairs of light-weight, short pajama pants. I NEED these. For sleeping in the summer, I end up with a, hopefully, long t-shirt and no pants. And then I try to walk around the house that way because it's hot and I'm just going downstairs to get some water. I need pants!

The cover of the pattern has both the words "easy" and "simplicity" on it so I was confident I would not swear while making these. And I did not, I swear.

(Simplicity Pattern 3947)


Happy St. Patrick's Day!