Appliqued Messenger Bags

I think that I will start off this post with a glowing recommendation for Oliver + S patterns. I don't own as many as I would like because they are so expensive but for my birthday a couple years ago I received Little Things to Sew and have found many favorites in the book.

 

The pattern that I have made the most is the Messenger Bag, they come together so quickly and professionally. I have made both the large and small bags:

 

I've made an Owl Messenger Diaper Bag

 

A small Shark Messenger Bag

 

and one that I attached to my bike

 

My newest bags are small ones for my daughters to carry some toys with them for when we are running around town this summer.

 



 

I appliqued one of the gray bags with a monarch butterfly.

 

 

I used the same butterfly template I sketched out for the Rainbow Butterfly Skirt I made last year. But instead of putting the rainbow colors behind the black butterfly cut-out, I put just plain orange fabric. The white dots are just white fabric paint.

 

 

I lined the bag with the same orange- I love the sharp contrast of the monochrome bag with the bright orange.

 

 

The second bag I made I chose to honor my Texan roots and applique the state flower, a Bluebonnet, onto the bag.

 

 

I used the same technique of placing the colored fabric under the black cut out of the flower before zig-zaging around all the raw edges.

 

 

I lined this bag with the middle shade of blue (used in the flower applique).

 

 

I am in love with these bags and am brainstorming right now what to applique on one for me that won't be too kid-ish.

 

Hope you all are having a great summer!

~Jessica

 

Cynthia Rowley, Simplicity 1873



 







 So I made my annual road trip from Texas to South Dakota for our family reunion again this summer. For such an occasion I thought I needed a new dress for church on Sunday.

 

 

I choice the Cynthia Rowley Simplicity 1873 pattern and a black and red pinstripe fabric.
 

 

I used version A of the pattern- the longer skirt and the short sleeves but I liked the neckline on version C better so I swapped out the bodice.

 

 

 

 

The unique part of this pattern are the pleats. There are pleats EVERYWHERE! Even on the sleeves (my favorite part). The pleats on the skirt are confusing and I had to repin them a couple times to get them right.

 

 

 

Another unique attribute to this pattern is that the bodice and sleeves are completely lined. It made the dress warmer than a summer dress in Texas should be but mostly because the pinstriped fabric I chose was thick.

 

 

The dress came out exactly as the pattern cover and was true to the measurements on the back. I would suggest taking your measurements and checking the sizing because the size I made was 2 sizes bigger than what I am wearing in commercially bought clothes.

 

After I finished the dress I thought it needed a belt. I used New Look pattern 6144 just for the belt (I haven't made the dress from this pattern yet).

 

 

The belt looks good with the dress and it turned out to be a really comfortable, easy to wear dress that I should be able to wear to work also.

~Jessica

Oliver + S After School Shirt Dresses

 

I love Oliver + S patterns. They are really expensive or I think I would own all of them. I do own this After School Shirt & Pants Pattern.

 

 

I have made the shirt pattern into a dress this winter for some versatile dresses that my girls got A LOT of use out of (you can check it out here).

 

 

So I thought that a couple spring dresses would be worn just as much.

 

 

 

I love the pattern, it is simple and comes together quickly. I changed the sleeves to 3/4 length and increased the length of the shirt (using one of their existing dresses as a guide) into the length of  a dress.

 

 

 

The dresses are perfect for play because they are lightweight and non constricting. And they are perfect for spring with a bold color on the yoke and sleeves and a fun stripe print with contrasting bright and subdued colors on the skirt.

 

It was chilly the day of these photos but the dresses look cute with no leggings and sandals also.

 

~ Jessica

Colorful Birthday Dress (Simplicity 1949)

I like to make my kids something special to wear in their birthday photos every year (it is getting more and more difficult to do with my son, who just turned 9).

This March my youngest turned 4 and here is her birthday dress for this year....

 

I used Simplicity Pattern 1949 with the 3/4 length sleeves.

 

 

This isn't the first time I did this pattern (Hand painted Earth Day Dress )...

 

 

But it is the first time I did the 3/4 length sleeve.

 

The pattern is easy to follow and came together quickly. The unique way the pleats cris-cross across the front are my favorite part of the pattern (it is easier to see the pleats in the solid color earth day dress above).

 

 

I like the solid color top and sleeves with the print on the bottom, it keeps the dress from getting too busy. I also sewed a large ric-rac ribbon across the bottom of the top yoke because I thought it needed "something" to add visual interest to the top half of the dress.

 

 

The back closure is 3 buttons, instead of a zipper, which I find easier to do.  So the dress didn't take long at all and turned out to be a great dress for spring.

~Jessica

Oliver + S After School "Shirt"

 

Oops, before the Christmas gifts post I have Oliver + S winter dresses!

 

 

I used the "After School Shirt + Pants" pattern but made the shirt into a dress by increasing the length.

 

 

The pattern, like I have found with other Oliver + S patterns, was really easy to follow, came together perfectly and looks very professional.

 

 

Because the dresses were so close in size (size 4 and 5) I couldn't tell them apart, so I embroidered their names on the front of the dresses.

 I used a blue and brown fabric for the skirt portion that has little reindeer and snow flakes on it. It is winter themed without being too "in your face" about it.

 

 

The back of the dresses have the same 2 button yoke.

 

 

They turned out really cute, so cute that they wore them in our family photo this year... 

 

 

to a Christmas church musical...

 

 

In school Christmas Choir performances....

 

 

And even family reunions!

I love these dresses.... probably would love it as a shirt too. I will put that on to my to-do next list :)

 

~Jessica

 

 

A Dress for Me and a Realization....

So I have been making so many kids clothes these last couple months, I thought I would make myself a dress that I could wear to church at the family reunion in South Dakota next month.

I went with Simplicity Pattern 2444. I choose the short sleeve variation with the cool 1950's stand up collar.

The pattern is fantastic and I will be certainly using it again. It is really simple with no lining or millions of pieces and it went together fast and easy. I even finished it in one night.

I will say that the pattern runs really small, I mean really small. I looked at the measurements before starting the dress and thank God, because I usually just go with the size I normally wear and then adjust from there. But I had to make this dress 2 sizes bigger than what I normally wear and it fits perfectly.

I think that the stand up collar is really cute and adds some interest to an otherwise plain dress/design.

And this is when I realized something... how different my taste in clothing is for myself and for my kids. I mean look at this dress. This is what I always wear, solid colors in simple traditional clothing.

But for my kids, esp my girls, I love to think of every piece as a work of art. How I can make them stand out... while I make my clothes to blend in. I mean really, I have 3 navy blue dresses now that I have made myself in this last 2 years!

So I am going to try and be more adventurous in my clothing... maybe not applique superheros on to my dress or a huge rainbow butterfly on my skirt but I am going to at least try some patterned fabrics and some different color combinations!

So watch out skirt week, my next project is to make myself a stand out skirt!!