The Train To Crazy

Make It Wear It Thursday

Welcome to Make It Wear It Thursday! Link up anything you made (sew, knit, crochet, glue, glitter) to be worn. Accessories count! Just add your blog link or flickr photo link to the inlinkz form below. It's super easy and we love seeing what you made!

There are a lot of reasons to be sewing right now! Kids Clothes Week is in full swing. As is the Spring Top Sew Along. I haven't really been sewing. I've been doing internet searches for houses. For the record, it is incredibly hard to figure out where to live if you've never been to somewhere. 

P.S. MASSIVE sale in the pattern store for the Grand Reopening! Go check it out! 

A new home, a new bag for me and features for you!

I'm so sorry I didn't get last week's features up on Saturday! I've been working around the clock for a couple weeks getting Go To Patterns settled into a new comfy home and I'm happy to say it is finally here!! Woohoo!! I couldn't love it more. I still have a few kinks to work out but wow oh wow I love it.  Please go look and let me know what you think!! We now accept Paypal and each listing has a full size chart and licensing information available. Plus you can search by designer, size, type, skill level or season!

I also made myself a little something last week. A new Rebecca Bag! I LOVE it! I'm sharing all about it over at Eat, Sleep, Make for their fun new series, Made It For Me.

See more details at Eat Sleep Make!

Busy busy and a handy little "where is she now" map

I feel like this blog gets neglected a lot. I rarely show off what I'm making anymore. I think things will slow down a little soon and I'll be able to write a little more. As I alluded to yesterday, I'm working on some big changes at Go To Patterns. I'll share those next week but that's what I've been up to. SO ready to be done with that project! But I'm also beside myself excited about it. 

We also just found out we are moving. Again. This is me for the last 17 years since I graduated from high school:

My oldest daughter just turned 8. When we move this summer it will be her 5th state. If that's not bad enough, my 4 year old will be on her 4th state. It really isn't as bad as it sounds. We were on this last star nearly 3 years...

Have a great weekend!

Make It Wear It Thursday

Welcome to Make It Wear It Thursday! Link up anything you made (sew, knit, crochet, glue, glitter) to be worn. Accessories count! Just add your blog link or flickr photo link to the inlinkz form below. It's super easy and we love seeing what you made!

I haven't touched my sewing machine in 2 weeks. I know for some of you that's unthinkable. I've been doing some behind the scenes work on the pattern shop and all those changes should be live next week. Fingers crossed! We've been working around the clock to get it completed and I'm ready to move on to the next project!

This week there were some fun Casual Lady sightings! Kirsten from Kojo Designs made this simple and adorable version. Of course, everything she does is amazing. Cute belt! Go see the rest of her photos. 

Speaking of amazing, Stefanie from Girl, Inspired also made a Casual Lady. Love this one. It looks fantastic in this print. And THANK YOU to both of you ladies for sharing this cause and helping raise money for She's Worth It. Mwah!

Featuring You

Thank you for linking up to Make It Wear It! I love featuring you! Here are just a few of the nearly 100 amazing things linked up this week! From sewing to knitting and refashioning there was SO much. It was hard to choose!

hamiltonchicklets knitted this amazing "gramps" sweater. That yarn is amazing.

Sweeter Thank Cupcakes made an amazing twister shoulder detail in this girlie shirt.

I Want Fabric giveaway day returns!

My #iwantfabric giveaway was so popular in January I'm doing it again! This time Bev from Flamingo Toes is joining me! Yay! We'll be shopping in L.A. all day Friday and giving away fabric to YOU, live while we shop! Entering to win is super simple this time.

I Want Fabric day is brought to you by Go To Patterns. 

Make It Wear It Thursday

Welcome to Make It Wear It Thursday! Link up anything you made (sew, knit, crochet, glue, glitter) to be worn. Accessories count!

Thank you to so many of you who are posting about the Casual Lady!! Here are some of them I've spotted this week:

 

On left: Casual Lady by Veronica from Sew Very. She's a busy lady! Have you seen all the amazing things she's been sewing lately? Wowza!

On right: Cathy from Crafts, Etc. made this cute Casual Lady with chevron fabric from Girl Charlee. Cathy wrote the sweetest review. Thanks!

On left: Casual Lady by Heather from The Sewing Loft. Love her cute pattern weights! If you're not familiar with The Sewing Loft you're missing out.

On right: Amanda The Funny of Kitschy Coo fame made a reversible Casual Lady. What? This is like the best shirt for moms of newborns. Ha! If you aren't familiar with Amanda your life isn't complete. Hop on over and check out her awesome blog and shop. If you're looking for incredible (colorful) knit fabric she's got you covered. 

Unrelated: Are you following the She's Worth It Facebook page? Many of the bracelets and zipper pouches you've made are being handed out by Brandi right now. (She's also selling separate bracelets for the cause so don't get confused when she asks if you want to buy one!). She's taking short videos daily and sharing about India, Thailand and Cambodia. (note: we have tons more that didn't get sent on this trip and I'll be giving more details about everything in a full post soon!)

I can't wait to see what you've been making! I love checking out all your posts!

Casual Lady tour stop: Alida Makes

Woo Woo! The Casual Lady is stopping over at Alida Makes today! Isn't this a great top? She hand printed this pattern with a fabric marker. You must go see! I'm so impressed!

Thanks, Alida!!!

Limit your kid's screen time without whining or complaining

My kids haven't been watching much TV lately but they play a lot of games on the ipad or their old leapsters. Right now they're really into playing Life on the ipad. That was one of my favorite games as a kid, so I get it. Fun game. But is it so great that you should play it two hours a day? No, not really. 

If you're like me you may want to limit your child's screen time (ipad, video games, TV, etc). You could just use a timer and a set amount of time each day or you could do something a bit more fun.

Enter the Screen Time Express tickets. Earn these by completing your daily tasks without whining or complaining (see the free printable chore chart). How you use them is up to you! Hand them out daily or weekly. Give as many as you like. As long as you're consistent with enforcing no screen time when they run out of tickets this system will work well!

Laminate them if you want or just print and cut. There's a place for a name so you can be sure they aren't being traded as a commodity. Unless you're fine with that!

Do you have kids that complain they're bored and don't know what to do? Post a list of ideas! Often they just need a little reminding of all the great things they CAN do instead of playing games or watching TV. Here's a fun list to get you started:

1. artwork
2. write a story
3. play a board game
4. make a fort
5. ride a bike
6. make an obstacle course
7. clean your room
8. make something for someone
9. build something with supplies from the recycle bin
10. read a book
11. quiz yourself with flashcards
12. learn something new
13. play with toys
14. hunt for bugs
15. act out a story
16. build a scupture with clay
17. help a neighbor
18. build with legos
19. cook something
20. make a map

There are so many great things to do! I'm sure if you sat down with your kid(s) to brainstorm they could come up with 100 possible fun things they like to do!

Download Media time tickets

How do you limit screen time at your house?

Skater Dress Tour

One really fun part of the online sewing community is getting the chance to sew up other people's patterns and tell you about them. It's no surprise to anyone that I love to sew knit dresses. My friend, Amanda, recently came out with a great knit dress pattern. I love the shape. Easy wear bodice and a fun skirt that can twirl. I was am so happy to be joining the pattern tour! I give you The Skater Dress.

Super cute, right?? The Skater Dress pattern comes in sizes 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, and 7/8. With just 4 sizes to choose from you can't go wrong! I used size 3/4 and my daughter is usally a solid size 4. The bodice fit perfectly! I shortened the dress about 3-4" to fall right at knee length for her.

I actually didn't cut the excess off the dress I just hemmed it up. That way I'll be able to let it down as she grows. Awesome.

I found this houndstooth knit at the Michael Levine Loft in January. They have great knits. I get a lot of my fabrics there. This one would look great for this dress.

When most people think of a skater dress I'm pretty sure they think ice skating. But here in the OC it's just skateboarding that comes to mind. She bought this skateboard with her Christmas money. Got to start them young!

Make sure you stop by Kitschy Coo and check out Amanda's blog and shop. Besides great patterns, she also sells AWESOME knits. She's in the UK so if you're there you're in for a treat. Of course, you can buy them from anywhere if you want to pay the shipping. You won't find knits like these anywhere else.

Linking to Flamingo Toes, Sew Chatty, Sew Country Chick, Girl Inspired

Featuring YOU

Thank you for linking up to Make It Wear It! I love featuring you!

First, we have my friend, Stacey, from Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy. She usually blogs about boy things. Shocking, I know. She's an amazing seamstress and I love the things she makes for her three little guys. But this week she was on the Casual Lady tour!! Yay! Thanks Stacey!

I love the dress she made! And clearly, she is taller than I am. She'll hate that I said this, but I once heard Adrianna from Crafterhours say Stacey is the most beautiful person she's ever met. Whoa. Such a compliment. Go on over and get to know Stacey!! Thanks for joining the tour! Read more about the pattern here.

  Somehow Mouse Mouse Crations managed to pull off chevrons on a boy. I'm shocked that I love it! I'm not a huge chevron fan (I don't mind them) but this is super cute.

the Anywhere Dress (SALE ALERT)

My most recent sewing pattern was born from my desire to make a dress that was QUICK, no fuss and easy for beginners. The Anywhere Dress pattern for girls fits that bill. No gathers, ribbing, stretching or elastic. No zippers, buttons or extra pieces. This is just a simple, knit dress for girls with four sleeve options to suit every seasonal need.

The neckline is fully faced. If you don't know what that is, you'll be glad to learn! I just press mine well and don't even topstitch or understitch. 

A fun fabric print makes the dress more exciting but even a simple solid is adorable.

Summers by the pool

Where I live it is just about time for beach weather. Beach weather means beach towels and fun and backyard lounging! I thought I'd do a little roundup of fun things I'd love to have (or make!!) for the beach or pool. 

But because I'm a bit of a nerd, I can never leave well enough alone. So I'd have to find some cute towels and turn turn them into something even more fun!

Hooded Beach Towel Backpack Tutorial
Beach Towel Dress (cover up) by Dana Made It
Beach Towel Tote by Alissa Burke
Hooded Beach Towel Dress by Crafterhours
Beach Towel Poncho by Small Fry & Co

So I found some cute towels!!

Make It Wear It Thursday

Welcome to Make It Wear It Thursday! Link up anything you made (sew, knit, crochet, glue, glitter) to be worn. Accessories count!

I'm excited to share a few things I've been working on! You can read about the FREE Simply Lovely dress pattern and the Casual Lady pattern for teens and women.

 

The Casual Lady is road trippin'

If you enjoy reading sewing blogs then you'll enjoy theis stop on the roud trip. Call Ajaire sews for herself and her little girl and everything is always cute! Here are a acouple of her recent projects.

Aren't these cute? She chooses great fabrics! So hop on over and see what her Casual Lady looks like! Thanks Ajaire!

the Casual Lady top and dress pattern for women

Ok! I can finally share a little about what I've been working on! I released two patterns this weekend. One is for sale and the other is FREE! The Casual Lady top and dress sewing pattern is for sale! But here's the catch, I created it to support She's Worth It. I thought a sewing pattern was the perfect way to raise money for a sewing collective project. If you don't know anything about She's Worth It  you can read more here. Who doesn't want a great fitting shirt AND to help a great cause?

Even better? All proceeds from Peekaboo Patterns, Blank Slate Patterns and The Sewing Loft paterns in my shop are benefitting She's Worth It! So if you've been wanting to go on a shopping spree head over here to see the patterns that are participating!

Everything on this page is being donated to She's Worth It today only.

I have to say, I LOVE this shirt. It is so comfortable and flattering. And I'm not just saying that because it's a self design. I've seen it on a lot of other testers and it looks great on everyone! You can't say that about a lot of patterns.

New Menswear Patterns Available!

After my Sewing for Men series and my Man Shorts I started getting discouraged by the lack of good patterns for menswear. Seriously. So I set to work and I'm so excited to announce my new menswear pattern line!! The Casual Man is the first pattern I'm releasing. It is made from knit fabric and the neckline is fully faced so no worries about messing with ribbing! No bias tape or swearing involved!

You can find the Casual Man pattern over at Go To Patterns. It's half off for a limited time so make sure you hurry to get your copy!! A pattern tour is coming and I'd love to include any and all of you. I can't wait to see all your men wearing the Casual Man!

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April Fools

P.S. I also released the Casual Lady yesterday. All proceeds support She's Worth It so there is absolutely no reason you shouldn't go pick yourself up a copy of that pattern! And that's no joke.

Featuring You

Another amazing week! As always, thank you for linking to Make It Wear It! I've selected a handful of my favorites! Please click through and leave them comments or follow their blogs!

If you're looking for the best of the sewing blog world this week head over and see my Weekend Sewing Inspiration post on GoToSew.com today! My goal is to round up the best posts from the week so you don't have to waste time and can get right to the good stuff!

This week's highlights

Adirondack Inspired made this beautiful Geranium Dress

Refreshing your home for SPRING

It may not quite feel like Spring where you live but the sun is definitely shining here and all the usual feelings with the change of season are starting to pop up. It's time to clean (read: get rid of junk) and rearrange furniture. I started selling a ton of my fabric a couple weeks ago and I've been slowly getting rid of things in every room that we don't need (a million toys, anyone?). And now I'm adding in little things here and there to brighten up the rooms! 

Make It Wear It Thursday

Welcome to Make It Wear It Thursday! Link up anything you made (sew, knit, crochet, glue, glitter) to be worn. Accessories count!

I feel like I say this every week but it's been another busy week for me but I can't share what I'm making! I will, hopefully, have a few new patterns out next week for you! And speaking of patterns, I have a free one for all my newsletter subscribers! Make sure you sign up! I'll be sending it out in the next week.

Sun and Surf now available individually

Hey friends! Just a quick note to let you know the Sun and Surf Collection is now available individually!

Buy the patterns at Go To Patterns individually HERE. As always, buy more and save. If you purchase 3 use code BUY3 to get 10% off. If you purchase any 5 patterns use code BUY5 to get 15% off. 

Have a great week!

Teach your kids to clean (printable chore chart)

If your kids are like mine, they tend to be a bit messy and prefer to do most anything other than put their shoes away or clean their room. With four children, our house can go from perfectly clean to looking as if it was ransacked by thieves within five minutes. It's incredible. Please tell me you can relate so I feel better.

Teaching kids to clean doesn't have to be like banging your head on a wall over, and over, and over again. Though it will be if you let it. But anyone can teach their children to take responsibility and clean without resorting to nagging or whining (them or you).

1. Give them short tasks

If you tell a younger child o go clean his or her room it might not get done how you would like. Be specific. Say, "It's time to clean your room. First, go pull everything out from under your bed." Then once they've accomplished that they can move onto the next step in the chore. Tell me your kids stuff things under their beds as well. 

Featuring YOU

Your talent never ceases to amaze me! As always, thank you for linking to Make It Wear It! I've selected a handful of my favorites! Please click through and leave them comments or follow their blogs!

If you're looking for the best of the sewing blog world this week head over and see my Weekend Sewing Inspiration post on GoToSew.com today! My goal is to round up the best posts from the week so you don't have to waste time and can get right to the good stuff!

This week's highlights

Who says sewing for a teen is difficult? Falafel and the Bee sews up a winner.

Melly Sews designed another adorable dress.

Baby Kina Sweeter from Mama G & Co

Siestas & Sewing made these Dolman tops. Cute!

Have a great weekend!!

Calling All Kids

Happy Friday, everyone! Pst. You can find me over here today.

Beachy Boatneck pattern found HERE

Go To Leggings pattern found HERE

Tips for adding COLOR to your living space

I love that color is trendy right now. Cheerful Spring colors are so much fun, especially if you live somewhere where winter is long and dark. It's easy to brighten your living space with just a couple pops of color. Fight your desire to pick out a couple floral pillows and call it good!

1. Mix geometrics & florals

Embroidered Pillow, geometric patterned pillow

Don't be afraid to mix it up. By combining floral and geometric (stripes, shapes, patterns) you're adding interest to a room. If you have a striped throw, add some floral or or patterned throw pillows. It is good to always include some patterned accessories!

Make It Wear It Thursday

Welcome to Make It Wear It Thursday! Link up anything you made (sew, knit, crochet, glue, glitter) to be worn. Accessories count!

This week I've been busy sharing things I made last week. I've made 5 Beachy Boatnecks so far. The three I made for my son took only 90 minutes. And it is seriously one of my favorite patterns, ever. Then on Monday I shared a couple Carousel Tops I made my daughters. The Carousel Tops were seen in their natural habitat. Tuesday I shared a couple Boardwalk Skirts. I forgot to share this one. It is pretty much my favorite thing ever.

When I was making it I was a bit unsure about whether any of my girls would wear a skirt with kitchen gadgets on it. The always wise, Katy Dill, told me to attach a cute little charm to the skirt that can be hidden in a pocket. Well, I never got to the pocket but they love the key! You can find the Boardwalk Skirt pattern here.

Shells and parmesan recipe

A simple homemade mac n cheese recipe seems to be a staple in many households. I don't personally like it but my children are mac n cheese fiends. A few years back I searched for an easy recipe that my kids loved but nothing seemed to appeal to them. I eventually came up with with our shells and parmesan recipe that all the kids like. 

This recipe is quick and easy and not full of complex flavors so it's great for the pickier set. 

 

Parmesan Shells

 

8 oz. dried pasta shells or 12 oz dried mini shells (4 cups of pasta)

3 1/2 cups water

12 oz. evaporated milk or heavy cream

2-3 Tbsp. butter

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese plus some for the finished product

1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

 

In a large pot combine the water, evaporated milk, butter, pasta and salt. Bring to a boil. Boil uncovered for 9-12 minutes, until pasta is tender. Stir frequently. Remove from heat. DO NOT DRAIN. Add the parmesan and Italian seasoning and mix well until cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let sit so sauce will thicken for a few minutes. Serve with freshly grated parmesan. 

If your kids are like mine they'll enjoy this and you'll have leftovers for the lunchbox the next day. Win win! Let me know if you try this. I'd love to hear what you thought!

Boardwalk Skirt

I'm continuing my tour through the Sun & Surf Collection. Sunday I showed off four of the Beachy Boatneck shirts I made for my son and daughter. Monday I highlighted a few of the Carousel Tops I made for my daughters. I think I forgot to mention that the pattern goes up to size 12 yrs. Today I'm showing off a couple Boardwalk Skirts I made. The Boardwalk Skirt has a wide range of sizes from 6 mo—14 yrs. If you're looking for a skirt with some flounce and twirl this is for you!

I love both of these. The one on the left is a Lizette lawn fabric with a crochet trimmed underlayer. The one on the right is a MoMo fabric with a ruffle trimmed underlayer.

That's the Santa Monica Cinch and Sunshine Dress on the right.

This skirt pattern comes with an easy elastic casing waist option or an elastic back drawstring option. It is designed to be easy enough for beginners. We think it's a fantastic twirling skirt and the bottom layer has less "twirl" so your girlie's little buns will stay covered. Yay for that!

This pattern is currently only available in the Sun & Surf Collection but will be available individually when the collection sale is finished!

UPDATE: All patterns are now available individually HERE.

Happy sewing!

Carousel Top

When I design a pattern I get so nervous to hear what people think. That's how I feel about the Carousel Top. I'm not sure why but I've been nervous about this pattern. Thankfully the reviews have been great so far!

I thought I'd share a few of the Carousel Tops I've made.

I love this one. The fabric is a slinky knit blend of some sort. I got it from the Michael Levine Loft so I have no idea what it is made of. She wears this as much as possible.

There it is. The Carousel Top on a carousel.

Make the neckline with a button or without.

This pattern is rated as intermediate but if you've worked with knit before don't be afraid to try this! It really isn't difficult!

More Carousel Tops around the web:

Sewing Collection Giveaway

I'm excited to introduce this amazing giveaway that I'm proud to have donated to! Jessica from Me Sew Crazy put in an insane amount of time organizing this giveaway and procuring prizes. Are yo uready for it? A Pfaff Ambition sewing machine. I am pretty much head over heals in love with my Pfaff and still wish I could win this prize. But that's not all. There are SO many great prizes. This is not a giveaway you'll want to gloss over!

SIX winners will win over $2,000 in prizes!!

With warmer temperatures around the corner, we want to help you get inspired for Spring!

The day I made 3 Beachy Boatneck shirts in under 2 hours (plus 2 more)

Last week I started sewing up some of the great patterns from the Sun & Surf Collection. I began with the Beachy Boatneck sewing pattern. I love the 3/4 length sleeves, boatneck, curved hem and generous length. I was so excited to sew up this pattern for both my boy and my girls!

I started with one for my middle daughter (I'll share later in the week). Then I decided to make a handful for my son. I cut three out and once they were cut they only took me an hour and a half to sew all three. And that was with little distractions here and there. Pretty sure this one of my favorite patterns.

  

This was a size 2T. It fits perfectly and it's adorable on him. The green stripe fabric on the left was some leftover I've had from this adorable green dress that was one of my first internet sensations a few years ago. It was from JoAnns. The middle fabric was from Michael Levine Loft in L.A. and the fabric on the right was from SAS Fabrics in Hawthorne.

Then I made one for my oldest daughter. She's a size 6 but she has been for a couple years. I'm hoping she's got a growth spurt coming soon so I made the size 7. She is very picky about neck holes that are too large so I made the neck opening a little smaller.

I love this shirt. The fabric was from Michael Levine Loft.

Featuring YOU

Your talent never ceases to amaze me! As always, thank you for linking to Make It Wear It! I've selected a handful of my favorites! Please click through and leave them comments or follow their blogs!

If you're looking for the best of the sewing blog world this week head over and see my Weekend Sewing Inspiration post on GoToSew.com today! My goal is to round up the best posts from the week so you don't have to waste time and can get right to the good stuff!

This week's highlights:

This Blog is Not For You paired the perfect fabric with this Burdastyle pattern.

Make This Look: Designs By Sessa

For our final guest this week for Make This Look, Vanessa is here to show off the entire outfit she made! She made it all! So impressive!

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Hi! I'm Vanessa, {a sassy lady, Christian first, wife, mama to one, adopting mama, part-time fabric store employee, sewing blogger}, and I'm so glad to be here today! I'm LOVING my new hand-made outfit and I'm so excited to share it with you! I'm thankful Andrea asked me to be on her amazing blog! We are working together for She's Worth it! a campaign to stop human sex trafficking among women and young girls, and we'd love your $10 donation more than ANYTHING else! Find out more information here! It really does matter and your $10 does more than you know! The Inspiration: This fall/winter, I have been very inspired by the fur vest trend, perfect paired with leggings and a long sleeve tee. It just adds such an aspect of sass to any regular outfit! These are my pinned inspiration photos, in particular the chevron fur vest by Armani Exchange for $200!!!

1/2/3 

My hand-made look: 

 All images taken and copyrighted by PhotosOfGrace Photography (Please give credit where it's due!)

Make This Look: Little Kids Grow

Today's Guest for Make This Look is the talented, Shannon from Little Kids Grow. She was inspired by a ready made dress design and used the draping method to create her own unique look. So impressive!

Good Day "Train to Crazy" Friends!

(It's 6 o'clock in the morning as I write this post. Early. Very Early. The kids are asleep, and I'm trying desperately to squeeze my wintery comfort foods body into this cute little number. Ha! Ha! Priceless.)

So here's my little secret: Most of the clothes that I make/ design for myself have never been out of my closet. Why you ask? I do like what I make, . . . usually. :) It's just that most of it is just not very practical.

Make It Wear It Thursday

Welcome to Make It Wear It Thursday! Link up anything you made (sew, knit, crochet, glue, glitter) to be worn. Accessories count!

I took a little blogging break last week but now I'm back at it! Did you see my cloth napkins tutorial over on Go To Sew last weekend? Would anyone do me a favor and pin it? I also showed them off here where I affectionately coined them "lapkins". You'll see why. Then Monday I announced the HUGE NEWS of my new collaborative efforts with Kate, Shauna and Melissa in creating PatternAnthology.com. Our first pattern collection is now available and I think you'll enjoy it! Then Tuesday I asked for advice about an Easter table and I could still use a little feedback. And most importantly, Tuesday kicked off the Make This Look series here! So far we've had Miriam and Justine share and I can't wait for the rest!

Come link up!

Make This Look: Sew Country Chick

Tolday for Make This Look, Justine is here to share an amazing dress she made. You'll love this. Perhaps some designers saw her dress first and decided to make this look! (it happens! designers follow blogs too!)

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Hi I'm Justine from Sew Country Chick. Thanks for having me visit Andrea!

And thanks to my daughter Isabelle for modeling this dress for me.

She has some serious attitude.

Make This Look: Madmim

The amazing Miriam from Madmim.com is here with us today to kick off the Make This Look Series! She's taken the basic idea from a fantastic shirt and made it her own. Thanks Miriam!

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Hello Peeps (I've got birds on the mind)! I'm excited to talk about recreating looks we love, and being inspired by all the design bounty that's out there. I'm a huge sucker for making designer looks on the cheap, but it's not very often that I let myself make a straight up knock off, as I usually like to take one or maybe two style elements I love and translate them into something Mimish by playing with the design, texture, color, scale and on and on and on. But every now and then I come across something that's already pretty magical, and I want to just recreate that bad boy in all it's glory. To be totally honest, this shirt wasn't one of those times. I mean I really like it, and I think I even pinned it, but it wasn't until I saw my sister Eirene knock it off that I truly saw it's Mim-potential. So this is a knock-off of a knock-off, if you follow me. The original beauty, upon investigation, has some really lovely details that are worth talking about. First of all, we can all agree it's a great print. Also the color is pretty and the boat neck is nice. But the sleeves really steal the show for me, I love how the pleats and gathers are actually sewn into the seam, it's very cool.

My $2 version: it's not like I-can't-tell-which-is-which close, but it is pretty straight forward. I used this soft buttery orange jersey, and self-drafted this tee pattern (so happy with it!) with a round neck and a-line silhouette. I like the fit of the original (and if I were really going for an exact copy I would have used my trusty Renfrew), but truth be told I'm just a bit more comfy in an a-line silhouette, and I think it's a touch more flattering on my very happenin' hips. It seems like I just can't stay away from hand-printing these days, and I once again used my reversible stamp technique, which is really a barrel O fun. I also added a nice rounded hem because I'm into them lately--they allow for more mom-bending, which heaven knows I do a lot of.

Easter Brunch

As Easter approaches I've been considering a table setting for an Easter Brunch. The problem is, I don't usually do fancy. Table settings and centerpieces aren't something I think about often. So I made a mock Easter table and now I need your help!

I thought I knew how I wanted to set the table. When I started photographing I decided I didn't like what I had envisioned in my head. So I switching things around. Then switched them around more.

I used my square white dishes. These aren't our every day dishes. Those are melamine. Because everything here breaks. I hope we aren't the only house like that. Though I do love the white dishes and look forward to the day we'll be able to use them daily. They are heavy and sturdy and we've had them for years. They say Target Home on the bottom but during a recent trip to Target I noticed they are now branded as Threshold from Target.

You'll notice my new lapkins. These cute egg cups are from the dollar spot. That's moss. It did not deter anyone from eating those chocolate eggs. I love the little nest. Perfect addition for any table with children.

Sun and Surf Collection is HERE!

If you follow me on instagram or facebook you have probably seen sneak peeks of this fun new collection that I collaborated on with Kate, Shauna and Melissa.

We've been working out the details on this since last Fall. It has been so much fun putting all the details together and collaborating on our designs!

So, without further ado, may I present The Sun & Surf Collection. 8 patterns by 4 designers. UPDATE: Buy the patterns individually now HERE.

We've started our website, Pattern Anthology, to showcase our collections. We hope you'll love them as much as we do!

And we're kicking off a pattern tour!

 

Sun & Surf at Sew a Straight Line | Sun & Surf at It's Always Autumn | Sun & Surf at Elsie Marley | Sun & Surf at A Girl and a Glue Gun | Sun & Surf at Mama Says Sew | Sun & Surf at Girl, Inspired | Sun & Surf at Groovybaby and Mama | Sun & Surf at The Cottage Home | Sun & Surf at Craftiness is Not Optional | Sun & Surf at Skirtastop | Sun & Surf at Straight Grain | Sun & Surf at Me Sew Crazy | Sun & Surf at Delia Creates | Sun & Surf at Max California

Make This Look: a miniseries

I'm so excited to announce this month's miniseries! It's all about sewing for ourselves. I am always inspired by ready to wear outfits and ensembles I see on Pinterest and thought it would be so fun to have a Make This Look series. I've gathered 4 amazing seamstresses and bloggers and we'll start sharing on Tuesday!

Tuesday: Miriam from Madmim.com

Miriam is always inspiring.
She blogs mostly about sewing womenswear and childrenswear and she always does so well with the details. She uses different media to transform fabric into something unique and lovely.

You'll enjoy her envelope clutch where she used Shibori bleaching to make this beautiful effect on the fabric. 

She also used bleach or paint to stamp roses, unicorns, or even camels.

I adore this little boy's wool suit jacket. Those elbow patches are the best.

She also co-lead the amazing Stretch Yourself series. I think this Lola Tunic was one of my favorites but this Drafting and Sewing a Maxi Skirt is a close second. And if you ever sew with knit you'll love this post about cutting knit fabric.

Wednesday: Justine from Sew Country Chick

The time I made "lapkins"

I needed to make napkins for an upcoming dinner and found myself only liking one fabric out of my stash for the job. This is remarkable for two reasons. First, I have a million fabrics. Second, I have a million fabrics. Though, in my defense, most of them are knit or bottom weight so they aren't exactly napkin material. But the bummer was that this particular fabric was only 1 yard. And I needed to make six napkins.

So I cut my yard into 6 equal pieces. 12"x22". That's a pretty long rectangle. I considered cutting the yard into 9 pieces. 12"x14.66". That's a small napkin. Perhaps more of a cocktail napkin? But I didn't do it. I made the long rectangles. I used my mitered corner cloth napkin tutorial.

That's when the Lapkin was born.

It's perfect for little laps (bigger ones too). And it can fold nicely for dinner or substitute as a placemat, if you're desperate.

Featuring YOU

Your talent never ceases to amaze me! As always, thank you for linking to Make It Wear It! I've selected a handful of my favorites! Please click through and leave them comments or follow their blogs!

If you're looking for the best of the sewing blog world this week head over and see my Weekend Sewing Inspiration post on GoToSew.com today!

This week's highlights:

Circle Top by Mend and Make New

Make It Wear It Thursday

Welcome to Make It Wear It Thursday! Link up anything you made (sew, knit, crochet, glue, glitter) to be worn. Accessories count!

I took a little blogging break this week. It's been nice! Last week was a busy week with all the menswear posts. Did you see them? I'm especially proud of my Man Shorts. But make sure you check out the menswear roundup. So many fun projects people have blogged about!

I have another fun series starting next week. You'll have to check back Monday to find out what it is!

Come link up!

Featuring You

Your talent never ceases to amaze me! As always, thank you for linking to Make It Wear It! I've selected a handful of my favorites! Please click through and leave them comments or follow their blogs!

This week's highlights:

Shift Dress by Sew Caroline. Her favorite garment she's sewn!

Sewing for MEN: inspiration & what YOU made

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this Sewing For Men week but I'm so happy about the outcome! Monday's button up shirt, Tuesday's bike jersey, Wednesday's reversible pajama pants and Thursday's zip fly shorts were all so fun!

Thank you to those of you who added things to the flickr pool! There aren't many but I hope you keep adding things when you make them! I'll be featuring them from time to time and I'm thinking we're going to need another Sew For Men week in the fall! 

Here is some more sewing for men inspiration to get you excited.

This Simplicity 5581 by Threadsofgray looks like a great starter pattern.

Feather's Flights shows us how to shorten a sleeve on a button up shirt. Probably a more practical sewing project for most people.

Running with Scissors made a Negroni shirt for her husband. 

Feather's Flights shares 6 steps for altering a men's suit.

Sewing for Men: Man Shorts

When I decided to sew something for my husband I considered something simple. Perhaps a tie. But I've made him one of those and he never wore it. And I already made him pajamas a few years ago. He still wears those a lot. Then I considered athletic shorts. But I didn't feel like searching for the right material. Then I decided to look for shorts patterns. And without much thought I decided to sew him some shorts. I still can't believe I sewed man shorts. 

I used this BurdaStyle shorts pattern. The pattern is definitely for more advanced sewists. If you've never inserted a zip fly or a welt pocket I suggest a different pattern. 

What I liked:

• The style of shorts is great. Flat front, zip fly, welt pocket. 
• Great shape.

Make It Wear It Thursday

Welcome to Make It Wear It Thursday! Link up anything you made (sew, knit, crochet, glue, glitter) to be worn. Accessories count!

This week I've been sewing up quite a storm. I can't share a lot of it with you yet but soon! There will be new patterns released in March that I think you're going to love!

So what have you been making?

Time to link up!!

Sewing for Men: After Dinner Pants (aka. pajamas)

Today we have the wonderful Rachael from Imagine Gnats joining us for Sewing For Men! Thanks Rachael!

*****

hello, train to crazy readers! rachael here, and i'm so happy to be sharing my sewing for men project: after-dinner pants! you might know them as pajamas, but doesn't after-dinner pants sound so much fancier? and we're all about fancy in the gnats household... as long as it's comfy, that is, and preferably handmade. you can check out more of our handmade antics on my blog, imagine gnats .

it's been a while since i sewed up something for my husband, Nick (affectionately known as mr. gnats), and i've never actually sewn a garment for him. for last father's day, i made him a sturdy apron from duck cloth with some help from our littlest girlie (you can check that out here). i've made him this nook cover, there was an echino messenger bag before that, and some roll-up tote bags.

Sewing for Men: Men's Cycling Jersey

Today's Sewing For Men contributor is Carolyn from Fake It While You Make It! She's sharing this awesome cycling jersey she sewed. Wow.

*****

First of all, I'd like to thank Andrea for inviting me to be part of this series.  I am constantly amazed by the fact that someone else would want to hear me babble on about my sewing projects.  So thank you, Andrea!  And I can't wait to see what the other ladies have made!

Of all the things that I've made over the last decade or so (and there have probably been hundreds), I've made only three things specifically for my husband. I blame this on the fact that I was probably a bit put off when Ben accidentally destroyed the very first thing that I made for him - a knit hat made out of some ridiculously expensive Italian merino yarn that he accidentally threw in in the washing machine thereby shrinking it up to about the size of a yarmulke.  Needless to say it was years before I made him something again and when I finally got around to it I was much smarter.  

Sewing for Men: Men's Button Up Shirt

Welcome to the Sewing for Men Series! Kicking us off is Melissa from Melly Sews with this wonderful men's button up shirt! It's perfect and she wants to know if you want the pattern for it. Read on!

Hello, Train to Crazy readers! Today I'm here to talk about the fun and challenges of sewing for men.

I'm Melissa, and I blog over at Melly Sews