Small Fry Skinny Jeans sewalong - my version

I've always heard it's better late than never, and that's what I am doing again. I've been slowly (more than expected) sewing along with Laura from Craftstorming, for the Small Fry Skinny Jeans. She was so kind to share this pattern (size 2T only) for FREE, and has put a tutorial in a few separate parts, which is so easy to follow. It's a boy/girl pattern, but I went with the boy's. Yeah, I know I have a two year old girl, but I planned this one for a boy I know. 

What to say? Same as many of the sewalongers... they're too large to be skinny. It looks huge on my daughter (I've tried it on her to see how big they actually were - she didn't allow me too many shoots, but I got a few, I think you can see how big they are), but I hope they will fit the boy there were made for. I think they are perfect for skinny and tall children. 

As for mine... I refashioned! YEY! I didn't refashion for a while, I missed it! I used a large women's corduroy pants as main fabric and when looking for a contrasting fabric from my stash, I picket another pair of pants. A worn out and stained stripped brown jeans that I wasn't wearing anymore (I actually cut the leags off and saved the rest for shorts!). 

I follow the tutorial, didn't make too many changes until I got to the loops. I used 5 instead of 6, because I reused the ones from the original pants. And there was no way my machine would topstitch them down, so I did that last step handsewn. Yeah, I know I need a new machine, my old little Brother (LS-2720) isn't up for my sewing anymore! We've been together for about 10 years now, it was my first sewing machine, and she's been up for all the sewing in those years, but I start to feel it's too basic for my sewing skills level right now. 

Anyway, back to the jeans (I get lost so easily!)... here's a few details:

Don't you just love my button?! I know I do! I bought it as part of a cat's themed pack and haven't used a single button from the back until now. They are all so cute and you know, it's the waiting for the right project kind of thing. I really enjoyed this project and I hope to do a few more, including a pair for my daughter but maybe next year only, since she's too small for it to fit her yet. 

Operation Project 0$ 2013 & My Inspiration Boards

Did you know? Suzanne, over Winter Wonderings... Wanderings and Whatnot is hosting what might be one of my favourite series from the sewing blogosphere. And I am so honoured that she thought of me to make part of this, I'm a big fan of hers. It was actually really funny (for me at least), because I had posted something about creating a Fall/Winter collection for me and baby G. like two days before Suzanne contacted me. But that was posted in my portuguese mommy blog, which I don't think she follows. 

Check out this line up!

CathGrace

Feather's Flights

House of Estrela

Sutures and Sandpaper

Shaffer Sisters

Simple Simon &Co

Chasing Mermaids

Hideous Dreadful Stinky

Stitched by Crystal

Sewing Mama Raeanna

Welcome to the Mouse House

Alida Makes

Max California

Frances Suzanne

You can read about the origination of Operation Project $0 HERE or about this year's HERE. 

So, isn't that a great line up? 

Aren't you excited to see what all of us will create for the closest to 0$ we can get?! 

For now, I am sharing my inspiration boards. 

This is the one I made for myself. Going through all I already have I realised there's one item I really need, which is a coat. And I'd like to make myself one similiar to any of the three I've attached to my board, though I admit I have a special thing going on with the brown one. I realised I don't need to get myself anything else, but I must learn how to use what i already have, since I tend to just grab the first thing and go. 

I also went through my daughter's clothes to better see what she needed. Let me tell you, this girl's got the wonder wardrobe many of us would like to have. First of all, I am sharing the inspiration board for her. Yeah, there are mainly robes! A costume and a fur vest. 

I will tell you why! I took all of her Winter clothes, at least the ones she had until a couple of weeks ago (yep, she's got some new ones already that won't be shared in this post!), and try to count everything up. You'll be surprised. As surprised as I was! She's got hell too many clothes already. She gets a lot of hand-me-downs from her cousins (because turns out she's the youngest), and from friends too (everyone around me has a little girl slightly older than mine, so I can consider myself pretty lucky). And then, she's a girl right? Who doen't like to get new girly clothes? Everyone, of course. And she always gets a lot for Christmas and Birthdays. So, for Fall/Winter 2013-2014, here's what she already has:

Skirts, romper dresses, dresses... 

Sportwear and pajamas

sweaters, dresses, hats, etc

Coats, jackets, boleros, etc... 

Pants, leggings, more sportswear, shorts...

So, that's not much I really need to make for her. I am sure I will be sewing pretty clothes for her, for the next couple of months though, because, let's face it: I love sewing for her. There is Project Run & Play coming soon, oh so soon, and I have a few more things going on that request sewing for her... =) 

I just hope you'll stay around to see what I'll make her for Operation Project 0$ and I hope you'll like it and get some inspiration from us all. 

Oh! If you're wondering what's with the fur vests in our inspiration boards, I tell you. I got a huge vintage fur coat that belonged to my mom and I'm dying to turn it into matching vests for us. I didn't in 2011 because she was too little and would easily grow out of it; I didn't do it in 2012 because she got a purple fur vest that year already, and I might or might not do it in 2013 because the damn purple vest still fits her. 

Now, get inspired and link your inspiration and ideas HERE

Featured!

Featured once again!

I can't express in words how happy I get when I see that any of my creations has been featured in other people's blogs!!!

The Coffee Date Dress Sew Along

Humpffff! It is all I can say right now!

I just finished my Coffee Date Dress, the pattern that us ladies are sewing along at Project Sewn this time. I was all in and out, about sewing along, i started printing the pattern soon enough, but apparently there were other things that kept me busy until that moment when I was having a hard time falling asleep last night, I needed to make it, I wanted to link my version to the party too. 

Yeah, right! That sounds wonderful, but I was left with just a few hours to finish it... Although technically it is already saturday around here, the link party is still open. Yes, it is nearly 2 am, I just finished a dress, took a few quick snaps, still am wearing it and now I am blogging about it. JUST because I love this sewing community and want to join. Crazy, hum?

Well, I did a few changes to my dress, I didn't use the ruffles, just like my niece I'm not a ruffles girl. I used self made bias tape to finish arm holes and neck, and get surprised now!!! I even used a visible zipper. Did I ever tell you I'm not a huge fan of them?! Well, happens that when you're sewing from your stash, you'll avoid buying whatever you need, so at the lack of an invisible zipper, I thought, why not? Maybe I'll like it... and it's on my back, I won't have to look at it. 

Using an existing zipper was hell... it some how came out (that little annoying thing to pull it up and down) and I lost nearly 1h just trying to fix it. But I did it and even learnt a new easy technique to do it. The dress isn't even on the top of the back, but I will fix that tomorrow... I just thought I better sleep today. And then I will take better and closer pictures to it, because my zipper isn't red, I just used a cute decorated bias tape I had (in my stash!). 

I used white satin underneath and a polyester fabric on top. Of course, they both were on my stash forever. 

Now, don't forget to come back soon because I will have much better pictures an details from this dress to share. 

Small Fry skinny jeans Sewalong: I want in!

Visiting Max California blog, I got to know that Laura of Craftstorming is currently doing a sew-a-long for the Small Fry skinny jeans. I am a bit behind to join, but I want to, so I have downlouded the pattern already, must print it yet and then get started (tomorrow, of course!)

Little things that make me smile...

winning a giveaway...

being featured ...

The Bumblebee Tunic

In my previous post, I shared a few pictures of the tunic I made using the Bumblebee dress pattern. I was thinking about doing the "view A" version of the pattern at first, I even cut the fabric for the sleeves, but then I got thinking. This was my niece I was going to make a dress for. mmmm... a dress with ruffles on it. Ok, wait! I couldn't make a dress with ruffles for that 6 year old tom boy... I swear to you, she's worth than boys playing football, she's got a bulky voice, much too bulky for her small body, she doesn't play with dolls... so... you get the point. Don't get me wrong though, when she wants to, she likes to dress really girly... but no ruffles! So, I changed my mind about the desing half way the cutting. 

Since the days are still burning hot over here, and she likes tunics, I decided to make her one. This pink fabric was perfect for her. She likes pink unlike myself. This fabric was in my stash for a while now, mother-in-law gave it to me... but do I have to say it again? I don't like pink (you wouldn't tell according to my latest posts right?!). 

Anyway, I don't exactly know what material this fabric is made of, but it is a light, a little creasy, and fresh. When I chose to go for the tunic, I hesitated for a few seconds, if I'd use the lining or not. It was late and all I wanted was to get it done so I could take it with me the next day and have her modeling it. 

We had a quick photoshoot just before I had to leave... she didn't even change the shorts she was wearing while playing out, and she wasn't wearing shoes... But you get an idea of how it looks on my just turned 6 year old. She wore it out with leggings the evening before. 

Changes I made... I've left the sleeves off, used buttons on the front and used a single piece as back, I skipped the folded seam and I sewed a narrow short zig-zag to finish. And, I also used 3 buttons to close the bodice. And, of course, I added seam pockets (see tutorial here) on the sides. They turned out a little bit too small for her hands, but are cute anyway. hehehe I don't know if you can tell by the picture, but those buttons are pinapples I happened to have in my buttons stash for a few months too. 

Tutorial: How to add a seam pocket

I guess I started to really like RaeAnna after we competed together for The sew Off. After I was voted out, I was crossing my fingers for her. I'm glad we have been in contact after that, and I was really happy that I was able to test one of her patterns as I told you in my previous post. 

That said, I have to admit that I am terrible happy to announce that she has released her newest pattern:

The Bumblebee Dress

Visit her blog to know more about it. 

I have made 3 already! Yes, three dresses using this pattern. Well, one is actually a tunic, but that's just a small detail. The first you were able to see in my previous post, second and third were done with the final pattern, which is the one you get when purchasing it. I loved working with this pattern. 

I will save the third for another post and jump to my third version, for a little reason: I have put a tutorial together on how to add pockets to this dress - in my case, tunic and would like to show you already.

I will only meet my model later today, so for better pictures of it, you will have to wait until tomorrow or a little later. Besides, although it looks finished it isn't. I still need to make button holes and sew my buttons to it. I was just feeling too tired to do that almost at 1 a.m.

Shall we move on to the tutorial now? Read more about details and changes made to the pattern HERE.

I did a couple of changes to my pattern, being one of them adding seam pockets. And here's how I made it!

To draw your own pocket, just place a piece of paper on top of your skirt (on one side) and free hand a kind of half-heart-shaped figure, turned upside down like in my image number 1. I placed my pocket beginning at about 2" from the top seam and it worked just fine. 

Repeat for the other side and you've got your pockets in. If you have any doubts about this tutorial, please feel free to contact me.

If you are making your own Bumblebee Dress, don't forget to share it in the flickr album. There's a link party for this pattern too.

Got to test a pattern!

I've been wanting to test patterns for a while. And now that I have, I realised I love testing more than I had imagined. It's such a fun way to learn, and the rush of having it done by the deadline is what I really need to keep me busy. Like my V. says, I always work better under pressure... or almost always. 

So, I got to test Mama RaeAnna's latest pattern... The Bumblebee Dress, which you'll have to admit is a.w.e.s.o.m.e. and will be available to purchase soon. I tested "view b" (there is "view a" as well) size 2T and no doubt this was the better fitting sizing-age appropriate pattern I have tried for my little girl. 

On to the dress... since it was a test dress, and I wasn't really sure how I'd work with a test pattern (first time remember?!), I didn't want to use one of my most loved fabrics. Instead I went for pink. I don't usually like pink, actually I usually avoid pink unless I am asked to. I don't even know where on earth my mind was when I bought the heart themed fabric - actually I know, I was a new mommie, my hormones were crazy and the hearts pattern was cute... not to mention I bought a good quantity very cheap. I've been thinking I could dye the rest... Anyway, the problem with this fabric is that it is heavy, and to make it even harder for meI decided to pair it with a fuscia pink that I had left from a knock off dress I was ordered last year, which is very light.

All this plus, little rest and August weather tiredness, made me take a lot longer than expected to do the dress. I kept making mistakes. Believe me, this pattern isn't complicated to follow, the instructions were clear (and they got even better after I had mine), but still I kept making really stupid beginner's mistakes. Of course, I would get so mad at myself to have to unpick and redo a lot of the steps. There are days like this.

On the other hand, this was the perfect excuse for me to sew... I have been much uninspired lately. I did sew a pair of Harem pants for my little niece but pictures must be takin still. 

I didn't change a thing about the pattern as I thought since it is a test, I should follow isntructions as it is. Turns out I can do so much out of this pattern, there are so many variables possible. You can even make it reversible - use front as back and back as front. I'm just pretty sure everyone will love this pattern! I am sure I will make a few more out of this, and will surely try to top stitch the neck ruffle down on my next one. 

Extra: f you want to do a Bumblebee dress with pockets, make sure to visit me later this week... I will have a tutorial for you. 

And by the way, G. loved the feeling of wearing a long dress, she kept dancing all the time. And just because I love it... here's a less thoughtful picture we took of her in it. 

Made by my mother I

For my niece's birthday my mother made her this cute little crocheted bag. It's made of a wonderful dark green, with some of the girl's fake jewellery, which I believe, gives it an adorable look. 

My mom came in for help to me to finish this though. She needed some fabric for the linning and a zipper too. Of course, not only did I handle her the materials she needed as i ended up cutting and sewing the lining as well as adding the zipper. 

My niece loved it and has been using it proudly! Sometimes I wish I knew how to knit and crochet the nice way - I can do a few stitches but I am definately a cheater when it comes to these, but then again, I already have so much with the sewing... 

Blue & Green Diaper Pouch

I haven't got much to say about it today. It was just an order I got, my client wanted a diaper pouch, not too big, just to carry two or three diapers she said. She sent me a picture of something similar to what she had on mind, but wanted the handle to be slightly different. I finished it yesterday and sent her a picture. She approved it, it was exactly what I expected she said, so I am really happy. Like I always am when a client is satisfied with the work I made. That's one of the most important things for me. 

Lovely Surprise (featured!)

Pam from Threading my Way left me a comment telling me she was featuring my onesie refashions in her blog, what she didn't tell me was that House of Estrela, was her week featured blog! Such an honour!!! Thanks again Pam! You made my day!

PR&P Season 7 is coming!!!

Did you read the news? A new season of Project Run and Play is around the corner, and the ladies over there are looking for a designer to fill one spot left. When I read it I was excited, I've been hoping for a new season soon since I really need some motivation to sew lately. I have a few ideas but it's been hard to turn them real. 

Anyway... I can't wait to know the themes to start working on it!!! When I read about that one spot to fill, I first didn't think of joining, I probably (most certainly) won't be selected, I mean, I'm sure there will be amazing people that will try to get that spot, and although I know I have about 3 pieces I made that could possible make it, I don't feel that confident. 

But I will link one of my outfits still. Most of all, because that will bring new people to visit my blog, and I love "meeting" new bloggers. I loved all the interaction from the previous seasons that I sewed along, so I can't wait for all that excitement again. 

If mine is, by any chance selected, I will freak out as I have been so little motivated that I don't know if I'll be up to the challenge. But then again, if you know me, you know I love a good challenge, right?! So, I am entering the ladybug inspired outfit I made in June for my daughter's second birthday. 

To see more photos and details, please click HERE you might want to take a closer look at those shorts!

JULY Refashion Month Wrap Up (and flickr features)

This month has come and gone so fast. All through July, I had creative and talented guests sharing a refashion project they have made, a tutorial (or a few of them together), their own fave refashion projects... you name it!). Today I am sharing a wrap up, just a few pictures from what's been shared, make sure you go through all the links to check all the posts.  

Week 1

|day 1| House of Estrela |day 2| Max California |day 3| Alida Makes |day4| Feather's Flights |day 5| Nelesc Designs |day 6| Kid Approved

Week 2 

|day 8| Threading My Way |day 9| Serger Pepper |day 10| Refashionista |day 11| Mammy Made |day 12| Carissa Knits |day 13| Photosarah Crafts |day 14| House of Estrela

Week 3

|day 15| DoGuincho |day 16| Sewing Mama RaeAnna |day 17| Made with Love by Hulibug |day 18| House of Estrela |day 19| Winter Wanderings Wanderings & Whatnot |day 20| I Seam Stressed 

Week 4 

(and a what's left...)

|day 22| Theresa's to Do's |day 23| Mellysews| day 24| Mikelina Makes |day 26| Sew Chibi| day 29| Wunderbar |day 30| Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy Crafts

Unfortunately something went wrong and it wasn't possible to have Sally from Charity Shop Chic. She's the second refashion diva I told you about and was oh, so happy that she was part of this amazing group! She's such a talented lady, and her refashions are beyond amazing. I am so sorry if you were expecting to see her. 

Also, during this month, there has been a flickr group for anyone who wanted to take the challenge and sew along with us. 

Here's some of my personal favourite picks:

by Vera Luna

by Nutta!

by I Seam Stressed

I hope you've all enjoyed it as much as I have. I am sad though that I didn't get to refashion more pieces, but I got 5 new ones, so that's pretty good already! What about you? 

From Refashion Co-op

My brown pants refashion was featured as the second most viewed link from Refashion First Friday!