Manly joggers - True Bias Hudson

It's pretty well documented that I very rarely sew for anyone other than myself. I mean, as a full-time working mum with a toddler, I struggle to find the time to sew as it is. My rationale for being so "selfish" (in quotation marks, because I don't think it really is selfish) is that sewing is there to help me unwind from my busy job, rather than adding to my list of tasks as some kind of chore. 

But the lockdown and the pandemic is doing crazy things to the brain, in mysterious ways! I voluntarily decided to make a pair of joggers for my husband, and for no special occasion! I was feeling a bit sorry for his lack of lounge wear for his new work from home routine, plus (the real reason) I already had grey threads in my overlocker 😅 Anyone else relate to this? 

Sleep hair don't care

New PJs you say, mummy? 

With a face like this, who wouldn't want to sew more for little Freya? 

This Minerva Maker project has come just in time for a growth spurt, and I'm so grateful for the super funky fabric! The pattern combo is the Elm T-shirt by Poppy & Jazz, and the (FREE) Lightning Leggings by Made by Jack's Mum. Find out more on the Minerva blog! 

Time for another Grand'ourse

Hello, my name is Alice, and I'm addicted to sewing the Grand'ourse jacket by Ikatee. Even though Freya is only 2 years and 2 months old, this is the 5th time I've made this pattern. How is this even possible?! I promise that I don't have too much time on my hands. Previous blogged versions are here, here and here, and I also made a cosy version for one of Freya's friends. 

The problem is, when I get my hands on a lovely fabric, this amazing pattern pops straight to mind. I guess that's what an addiction feels like! 

And this is exactly what happened when I managed to grab this cute Native Arrows brushed back sweatshirt fabric from a recent sale from Guthrie and Ghani.

I told myself, Freya is just about growing out of her other Grand'ourse jackets. Could I really cope with her not having one of those?

Colour blocked Sapporo, and has the update addressed all the issues?

You'll have to take my words for it when I say that I finished this project in July, ahead of the crazy heat wave we had in August, and certainly ahead of Autumn, the season for which this is intended. My dad's reaction said it all: "Why have you sewn a jacket? It's too hot to wear it right now!" 

The thing is, I hardly ever sew ahead of the season, especially for Autumn. Sewing summer clothes has just been more tempting. Oh wait - I've even confessed this 5 years ago here!

Unfortunately, the heat wave, and the swollen eyes and other allergic reactions that have been bothering me since then have made photographing this quite challenging. So you can probably imagine my joy when my eyes improved somewhat (as mysteriously as they deteriorate) this week, which gave me a short window to snap a few pics. I know that my eyes still look tired, and probably add a few decades to my face, but I just couldn't wait any longer!

Ta Dah!

I've always liked the design of the Sapporo. It's no surprise - I've enjoyed using a couple of Papercut patterns before, and like their modern style. I won't lie - their beautiful packaging may have something to do with my affection, too. 

Leopard print matching joggers

There are few things in life that make me happier than twinning with Freya with me-made outfits. Naturally, lockdown called for more lounge wear, so a few pairs of leopard print joggers are in order. 

Guys, these are some of my favourite makes to date. The only thing that I kind of regret is not adding knee patches to my pair, because they are so adorable! 

I used the tried and tested Papercut Anima (tweaking for a couple of things) for my pair, and the amazing Mini Modern Joggers by Brindille & Twig for Freya. In fact, I enjoyed making Freya's pair so much so that I made another contrast pair from the remnant! 3 pairs of joggers in 1 metre each of the plain maroon and leopard French Terry, plus 0.5m of matching ribbing. Can you get more efficient than that! Warning - DO not try this at home, at least without lots of time spent planning first! In all honestly, I ended up with absolutely zero remnant of the French Terry, and just a bit of the ribbing. So much to love about this project! 

There are lots more details over on the Flamingo Fabrics blog - pop over to find out my review of the Mini Modern Joggers pattern, the changes I made to my second pair of Anima, and alternative patterns to consider. Enjoy! 

A little update and a tutorial (easy hacks for a FREE T-shirt pattern)

It’s been a while, my dear readers. I’ve been sewing (colour-blocked Sapporo jacket anyone?), but not quite blogging about them just yet. Truth be told, I’ve been struggling health wise since Aug, where my eyes are swollen and red all day long due to a suspected allergy to an unknown allergen. Sigh. It’s uncomfortable to say the least, and not very photogenic at all! Initially I thought that it would pass within a few days, then a couple of weeks, and now over 2 months have passed… you know how it is! On the plus side, I am seeing specialists and trying all sorts of things to put this frustrating chapter behind me.

That’s enough doom and gloom for now! We are all otherwise doing fine during these crazy times, and consider ourselves very lucky to be staying safe, and enjoying quality family time together.

This brings me to my next point – I have a little tutorial to share with you today, which features cute photos of Freya. She is over on the Flamingo Fabrics blog today, modelling some easy hacks that you can make to their FREE kids T-shirt pattern. Yep, you read that right – there is a FREE (via newsletter sign-up) T-shirt pattern in town! It’s lovely (though to be fair, any T-shirt pattern with a seam cover detail gets my vote), and I’ve shared a few ways and ideas of jazzing it up.

Enjoy and stay well!

What a Pocket dress

The sew-jo is still in full swing, and I've got another project to share with you. Would you look at the size of that pocket?!

Just posing to show off my pocket...

This is another Ellie & Mac pattern, the Be Independent dress. You'd be forgiven to think that I had become some kind of brand ambassador for Ellie & Mac. It seems to be all I sew at the moment! The truth it, I'm hooked with their Wacky week promotion (a silver lining of the current situation), and the opportunity to pick up fantastic patterns for $1 is just too hard to resist. But no, I'm not affiliated, and actually don't do any affiliate links (at the moment anyway - perhaps one day I will give it more thought). 

Toddler harems

Harems are a must for babies and toddlers. They are comfy, easy to slip on and off, and have the added benefit of being the easiest sewing project ever! 

I am by no means a fast sewer (in fact, the thought of speed sewing makes me break out in cold sweats), but I can knock these out in less than a hour. Side seams, cuffs, and waistband, and you are done!  

So when Freya had her little growth spurt recently, naturally I decided to have a go at making some harems. Actually, I was really surprised by the realisation that I hadn't already made these for her! Having bought the Snowflake Jumper from Ellie and Mac for the grand total of $1 on their Wacky Wednesday offer a few weeks ago (see my discovery and love for WW here), I knew I had the perfect base. 

I made 2 pairs making slightly different modifications, and actually love how they both turned out! 

Misusu Rowan Tee (a free pattern)

Who doesn't love a free pattern? I first discovered Misusu through Zoe's Free Pattern Friday feature, and the Rowan tee has been on my list for a while!

A slightly oversized boxy tee with short dolman sleeves, you say? Count me in! Given that we often find ready-to-wear clothes a little on the tight side, an oversized look was a welcome change. Something that doesn't cling to the body is also perfect for the little heat wave that we are having here in the UK.  

With very few pattern pieces (front, back, neckband, optional pocket and optional long sleeves), this is certainly a pattern to show off cute prints. And just how cute is this pineapple cotton jersey? The colours just scream summer, and has that effect of instantly putting a smile on my face. 

The Everywhere Dress (Ellie and Mac)

I'm not kidding when I told you that my sew-jo is back. I am on a roll! Freya was in need of more all-weather dresses, and I even tried out a new pattern designer this time. 

This is the Everywhere Dress by Ellie and Mac, and it is so so adorable! 

I only discovered Ellie and Mac (EAM) recently, and they are a PDF only designer. I must admit that I was first drawn in by their Wacky Wednesday offer, where selected patterns go on sale for the grand total of $1 every Wednesday! Yep, you read that right! They are practically free!! I took a gamble, and am so pleased that I did. The rest, as they say, is history. Nowadays, waiting for Wacky Wednesday has become a bit of a ritual, and I'm a proud owner of a few EAM patterns now! 

During the "lockdown" period, EAM is running Wacky Wednesday all week long! Check out the $1 patterns that are currently on, and the selection changes each Monday. 

The Everywhere Dress was a no-brainer when it came on sale one Wednesday. I loved everything about it: the colour blocking, the pockets, and even different sleeve length. The sizing also covers a whopping 12 months to 14 years (which will actually be too big for me, though there is a matching adult version available in any case). I see opportunities for more twinning :D

Peter Rabbit dress

Hey guys, I hope you and your loved ones are all keeping well during these turbulent times! 

The current situation is not great by any means, but one silver lining is that it's helped me get my sew-jo back! I hadn't sewed since Christmas, and making this dress really reminded me how much joy I get out of making outfits for Freya. 

She got distracted during her daily walk... 

It's the Pansy Dress by Poppy and Jazz, and another project for Flamingo Fabrics, where this amazing Peter Rabbit fabric is from (it always sells out so quickly). You can read all about the ups and downs of this project here. Spoiler alert - it was not all plane sailing! 

Look at her little face! It fills my heart with so much joy seeing her in a (slightly too big) mummy made outfit. 

Now that my sew-jo is back, be warned! I-sew-lation here I come! 

Sewing with knits – what I wish I knew 5 years ago

Guys, it’s been more than 5 years since I started sewing with knits! Can you believe that?

5 years in, a lot has changed. For starters, I had an amazing little girl Freya, who truly brightens up every single day of my life. If I thought that I felt smug with my ability to sew with knit fabrics when I was pregnant (ever expanding tummy = appreciative of the quality of stretchy fabrics), I was overcome with smugness when I had a fast-growing baby and now toddler on my hands! Almost Freya’s entire wardrobe (home-made and shop bought) was made of cotton jersey/French Terry, and for good reason: there is nothing more comfortable for a growing and active child to wear!

I’ve learned lots about sewing with knits, though I would in no way suggest that I know everything about it. In addition to the lightbulbmoments that I shared with you when I first started, I wanted to share with you a few more things that I’ve learned. Sharing is caring, after all.

Double gauze cropped top

I'm back guest blogging for Minerva with this simple cropped top. I absolutely love the double gauze by Rico Designs, and enjoyed sewing up the Butterick 6182 by Lisette again (last version not blogged). Here's a little preview:

Check out all the ins and outs of this project here! 

Floral culottes

To me, sewing sometimes means stepping out of my comfort zone. After living in pregnancy and breastfeeding friendly clothes for almost 2 years, I was ready to embrace the loose fitting/casual chic trend by making some culottes. 

My blog post on this little number (and the cropped linen top) is live today on the Minerva blog! Go check it out! 

This jazzy pair of culottes has got quite a lot of wear already (and they work a treat with my boxy top, too). The only regret that I have is not adding pockets to them. Maybe next time!

Mermaid toddler raincoat

I'm absolutely loving all the new fabrics that Rico Designs have brought out recently. Naturally I couldn't resist this quirky mermaid coated cotton, and wanted to make Freya a little raincoat. I turned to the tried and tested Ikatee Grand'ourse pattern again - see my last version here. 

This is another project as a Minerva Maker, and I'm so happy to be a part of the team! Read all about the project, including tips on working with coated cotton fabric here!