Refashion Month |Giggles & Beans|

If you're looking for the giveaway, please click HERE. 

Hi everyone! I'm Shelly and I blog over at Giggles & Beans where I share my sewing adventure mostly
 involving my two lovely ladies, Ava and McKenna! I'm thrilled at the opportunity to take part in Magda's series and excited to be kicking off Refashion Month. Here is a peak at my Men's Shirt Vintage Refashion which you can see here.

  

 

Challenge Create: Adult Edition |week 3|

What a week! What a theme!

When I first knew the themes, I was very excited with them all. Then I started to feel depressed about this third week. Vintage... a hint of it... so many possibilities, so many great things I could do... if I wasn't pregnant. No matter what time from the past I'd pick to get inspired by, there were always garments I was sure I couldn't turn into maternity wear. This would be the week I'd go back to the era of the corsets. Did I ever mention how much I love them? I am pretty sure I did. But, there's no way I can fit into a corset right now. I went for a 50's inspired look after all... Just a bit... 

I tried my best to fit the look with the make up and hair, ahahaha... I have a lot of hair, and it's pretty wild, I rarely can make anything out of it on my own, so I am pretty happy with how it turned out after all. I've always, always loved the pin up look, but never believed I'd look good on it, because I'm so skinny. Being pregnant though, I'm having just a few extra weight and that makes a huge difference. I felt so good with the entire look, and I guess is shows in the photos. I had to sit for this photo, it was a request from my daughter. 

My main (vintage) focus was the skirt. I didn’t want to make a very complicated one. I wanted something with some twirl, suitable during pregnancy and after. And I was sure I wanted to use the red plaid fabric I had in my stash for years. To get this look all I did, was to sew a fabric tube, hem it, shirr the top of it and attach to a rib knit band. Skirt done!

To complete my vintage look I needed something for the top. And at 26-27 weeks long, I started thinking not so much of only flowy clothes to wear during pregnancy, but also something, I could possibly wear after, suitable for nursing too. Yes, I believe nursing is important, and having clothes that allows an easier nursing period even better. Especially, when you’re not a huge fan of button up shirts, which is where I fit. I’ve had this idea in mind for quite a while and was sure I wanted to use it during the challenge. It’s not my own idea though, I’ve seen it a couple times online. SO, what was it? Making a top, with access to nursing, by adding two openings on each side.

I drafted the top pattern out of one of my store bought shirts. The original had some puckering on the front, a circle collar and was about my waist long. For my own, I wanted the collar to be slightly squared shaped so the openings would look better. I did the openings with this technique here, and used snaps to close it. And I made it much longer, as a tunic. I like it so much I've been wearing it for two days already. 

Although this was the most fearful challenge for me so far, we got the best photoshoot after all. All the photos had something we loved and it was hard to select which ones to use. I guess having my little miss literaly telling me which poses I should be making, made it a fun family event (daddy was taking the photos). 

Quite a simple outfit this time, that works just great for me and my figure at the moment. For this photoshoot I’ve used a belt, but I can also wear it without it, works well both ways. And I totally can wear the tunic in a less formal way, with a pair of leggings. You ca see the three ways I’ve been wearing them below.

After having enough photos of my own, we finally let her join in the fun (she played the photographer as daddy was taking these photos, but she was wanting to join me too), and we got all this sweet mom and daughter shoots. How great is that?! 

Now go and vote for your favourite look HERE!

Maratón Telaria | 1. retro |

The Maratón Telaria has started last week. We had until the 27th to join the sewalong flickr group with the first theme: RETRO. So, guess when I decided to sew my piece?! Exactly, the 27th. Which meant I had to sew my dress, take pictures, and edit them to enter. 

But, of course I did it. I spent all this time convinced I wanted to do a rockabilly look for G. but then, as I got lost online, I chose to get inspired on those lovely short 70's dresses. Mine wasn't so short though and I'll tell you why. 

front and back view of dress - it closes on the back with snaps. 

As I've been saying forever, G. has got way too many clothes that fit for now. When I say she doesn't need anymore, I mean, I don't know where to keep anymore clothes, there's no space for them, really. That's actually something that has been keeping me unmotivated lately. I mean, I have been sewing, behind the scenes, but I'm not really in the mood to get too creative. 

So, back to the reason why this isn't as short as I wanted. It is simple, I made it hoping this would be a great fit by spring, so next year. The sleeves are wide enough for her to comfortably grow into this, I hope this will last as a tunic when she's even older. 

The pattern I used was the one I drafted from an existing dress and used for the Sad Cat Dress, can you remember that? The only changes I did this time, was on the seam allowances, this made this dress narrower than the previous on the neck line. Even though it looks like it is shorter than the other one, it isn't, it just happens that kids grow a lot in just 7 months passed. 

Contrary to the Sad Cat dress, this isn't lined, instead I used homemade bias - actually I made it from left overs from the sheet I used as lining to the cat dress - on the neck line and bottom seam. To finish off the sleeves I used a vintage lace I had selvaged from an old shirt I was given a while ago. 

So, after all, what makes this look retro? In my opinion, and intention... as I said before, I was inspired in the 70's. The features I tried to bring back from that period were the line of the dress, the lace, the width and the plaid of course. I wanted to include a peter pan collar to it too, but I was attaching the bias already when I suddenly remembered "the collar! Oh gosh, I didn't cut the collar!" - well, too late my dear, I'm not doing that. But, even though the day was rather warm, she wore a white shirt underneath the dress, which -look so convinient - had a peter pan collar too. 

Just before we left the home, I managed to make her a matching hairclip. I tried to do her hair inspired in the 70's pictures too. I love it! This isn't much of my style, but I confess I'm satisfied with it. Plus, I needed this kind of quick and simple sewing. 

The only thing I seem to feel sorry about, is that the lace isn't as white as the bias. It works though. Once again, I only used fabric and supplies from my stash and it feels good. 

This week's theme is knits. I still have no idea what to sew! Any suggestions?

Peques de Cine II

more about it HERE 

This challenge, consisted in creating a knock-off from a movie or series that we like. And then, after recreating the look, we should try to recreate a scene from the movie/series. So, as you can guess, I couldn't do that with a sick kid. I mean, she doesn't always collaborate when she's ok, wonder how it'd be with her sick?! Besides, I would never bother her with my sewing obsessions when she's not feeling well, 'cuz no matter how much I love those internet "things", I'm a mom first and have to care for her.

I chose the movie Pan's Labyrinth, which I love to death! I remember watching it on the cinema with V. back in 2006, and we were the only ones in the room. People thought it was a kid's movie... can you believe it? It's a brutal movie that mixes up a world of fairies and the Spanish Civil War. It's not a movie for kids, for sure. 

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I knew I wanted to choose a child character for my project after I did a few researches through Tim Burton's movies (he's the man, what can I say?!), and was madly in love with Christina Ricci's character clothing, specially the black and white dress from Sleepy Hallow.

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I mean, I'd love one of those for myself. I also adored, Sweeny Todd's wardrobe, but they weren't kid appropriated and I didn't have a light on how to make them look like so.

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I then thought of some movies I enjoyed that had kids on it, and of course, Pan's Labyrinth was my final destination. Ophelia (the character I chose), is a girl that dresses simple vintage dresses, with enchanting details... pleats, slight ruffles on the cuffs and necks. I had three picks, and I went for the nightgown she wears most of the time on the screen. Only because it was the one I could get clear (or clearer) pictures from.

That was also my choice, because the nights are getting warmer and I thought that a nightgown would be something she would wear. I mean, I am sewing to save, right? So, there's no point to sew something that wouldn't be wearable on a daily basis.

I made it a size 3, when she's not yet a 2, but I wanted to make sure it'd last for a while.
I addapted a pattern from an old french Burda magazine, it was from a plain dress, and it had a zipper on the back, so I had to adapt it to have a button placket on the front of the bodice and shape the collar into a peter pan collar too. I had a little trouble with it, and had to do and undo the collar a few times until it got just perfect.

I used a small white lace to embellish my collar. Other details I added was the piping on the cuffs, and the waistband. The sleeves are puffier than the original, because I didn't make any changes to the original pattern on that matter, and I like it better this way. It even looks more puffier on her, because it's still a bit too big for her. The skirt has some pleats but it was kept simple, since I couldn't really tell how the original was made. And I even watched the movie again, especially for this challenge. 

And to finish, here's an overall look G.'s new nightgawn. 

I didn't want to push her too much, she's still not feeling 100%. And besides that, she's still too young to understand why she should pose this way or that way. It was just fun to see her walking around with it, and realise she enjoyed it. 

While I was sewing it, she was asked What's mommy doing? - Pants! She answered. lol

If you liked this, check out the flickr group too.

Peques de Cine I

Have you noticed this button on my side bar?

Well, it is another fun sewalong from Maria's Loca por la Costura blog. I commited to sewalong too, but after all, I missed the deadline. It was two days ago, and I actually finished mine yesterday, but couldn't take any pictures, or pretty much do anything else.

My little girl got worst last monday...I think she's finally getting better, but still not quite fine. At least she ate something that didn't get thrown away... finally!

I'm planning to share my project though, as soon as she's recovered, so stay tunned!

Here's a peek...

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