36 Secret Squirrel: Stop #2 - Sewpony to Suburbia Soup

Hello fellow Secret Squirrel enthusiasts!

SURPRISE!

Secret Squirrel has chosen me for the August challenge.  The Secret Squirrel series is a year-long sewing journey created by An from Straight-grain and Suz from sewpony.  Read all about it HERE. Secret Squirrel contacted me via Suz from sewpony and gave me these five acorns of inspiration....

With much delight I solemnly swore to secrecy and obliged to fulfill my duties. It was a long taxing flight for Secret Squirrel from Melbourne to San Diego and under the cloak of darkness, he made it safe and sound.

5 acorns of inspiration... a very tricky mix to say the least.

It was a bit taxing on the brain to think how the heck I was going to create a cohesive outfit that would fill the criteria and still be wearable (not "costume-y").

Hmmm...

we thunk 

and thunk

and thunk some more.

And with a little help from my colleague (aka: MR.), we devised a plan.

Can you spot all five acorns in the previous pictures?

Let's venture some more and I'll break each one down for you...

Such a cute and simple top, no? Hmmm... yes, I would even go as far as to say, "basic".

But look closely friends...

ABRAH-CAH-DABRAH!

*poof*

What is a seemingly basic blouse, it has a hidden pouch!

I cannot take full credit for this. Mr. had the brilliant idea of incorporating marsupials and thus the pouch was born. Lala loves toting her friends around and this is perfect for when she wants to have her hands free for other things.

I have used this pattern before, but with a different type of pocket in front seen HERE. With a little cutting here and adding there and after 6 muslins, I managed to create the hidden pouch. The only real pain in this was aligning the plaid. That in it itself almost drove me bonkers.

The plaid fabric was a God send. Another "angels singing and light gleaming" moment. It's a thrift find several years back of a bed sheet. I loved the colors and just kept it hidden away for future use. So when I dug through and found this, you can imagine how tickled I was to not only find something old, but with the tangerine color in it.

Yessss! Yeah, baby!

Okay, before I move forward, I gave up on aligning the darn plaid on the sides. My sewing ADD took the better of me.

Now moving forward...

I changed up the back. I wanted to somehow include a petticoat, but I didn't want to go all crazy by adding ruffles and making it super poofy, so I went with a simple lightweight eyelet fabric in white, did a simple gathering and added "flaps" to mimic an apron or skirt. The flaps also help balance the weight in the front when a little friend is along for a ride in the pouch.

Now when I first read Suz's post for the next Secret Squirrel challenge and saw "Anne of Green Gables", as an inspiration, I chuckled. I just remembered watching the show and reading the books. SO-so long ago. The one thing that comes to mind when I think of Anne Shirley is her hat and braids. I had to have the hat. Finding it was another story. I found something very similar on line, bought it and hoping it would get here in time, to only put a kink in my plans and long story short, it never came. Just when I thought I was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, I had to search for a replacement. Visiting three hat shops and almost buying a hat for $40, I found a hat in the most unlikely of places... a craft shop. *face palm* Duh! Of course... why didn't I go here in the first place?! And the price? Get this... $1.99!!!!

My last acorn... "patch".

With time to spare, I decided to make an unofficial honorary Secret Squirrel patch. This is my first official attempt at hand embroidery. Oh sure, I've done little things like stitching words, but not anything of this size and certainly not satin stitching. So it's not the best stitching, but it definitely fulfilled my mission. 

For anyone who is interested in stitching up a patch of their own, feel free to grab this pic and stitch it up! Or if you like, shoot me an email and I can send you the PDF.

And there you have it, SS Comrades!

I have fulfilled my duties and successfully completed the mission.

*salute*

Venus from Suburbia Soup, signing off and delivering the next five acorns to the next SS Comrade:

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If you would like and join Secret Squirrel on his journey, leave a comment on this post and check your inbox in a week’s time… you may be the chosen one to pass on the baton of creativity that is SECRET SQUIRREL!!!

If you don't receive a message from Secret squirrel, you can still sew along (link to ss flickr group -http://www.flickr.com/groups/secretsquirrelsewalong/)  Prizes are being organised and are going to be super cool!!

Kind Regards from SECRET SQUIRREL (AKA Suz and An).

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16 Wiksten Overdue

I'm reaching into the vault here and I'm finally showing my Wiksten tops.

*eesh*

I made this over a year ago. I know-I know! So late. When I saw Irene's Nani Iro version (back in November) I even commented that I was going to share mine soon. Shame on me. 

So here is my Nani Iro Wiksten. Double gauze and extra yummy. I made it into a dress, but after a few wears and pairing it with tights, the fabric would cling to the tights. Not a pretty sight.

So the answer to my problem... I'm gonna chop the length, make it into a top and if there's enough leftover, I'll make a skirt for Lala. If not a skirt than a scarf. *ugh* The thought of cutting this wonderful fabric makes my tummy turn...Oh the carnage!!!

Okay... now this one is even older than other one, but I had to show you it.

All lace with lining only in the front. Woohoo! A little bit of sexy doesn't hurt.

HA!

That's me being a dork. It's so awkward taking pictures. Thank God my photographer is just as big of a dork as me.

*note to self: wear shoes.*

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1 Hip-Hip-Hoorah!!! It's Friday!!!

I have this song in my head.I can't stop whistling.HAPPY FRIDAY!!!***

4 You Call It Pants Roundup

Check-check it out! YCIP in da house... WHOOOAAA!
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1. Cookin' and Craftin'  2. Nutta!  3. Anna Dungay  via Flickr Group 4. Sew Emotional via Flickr Group  5. Everything Else We Do  6. Polka Dot Elefant via Flickr Group  7. Sanae Ishida  8. Don't Lick the Floor  9. Anna Dungay via Pinterest  10. Sanae Ishida  11. Isola Bella via Flickr Group
More YCIP on KCW blog HERE and at Adventures of a Subversive Reader HERE and 19Nullsieben blog HERE.

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KCW is nearing to to an end, but it's not too late to get a last minute sewing project in by the weekend.

Get the pattern HERE and HERE and show off your pants HERE.

If you already made a pair, let me know! Leave a comment with a link.

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Have an awesome weekend, folks!!!

20 Apron Shorts

I was really hoping to make this for Shorts On The Line sewing series, but alas time was not in my favor.

Drats! 

But things have a way of working out in the end and so I have it here, just in time for KCW. 

On our last romp to our favorite Japanese market for ice cream crepes and ramen (yes... ice.cream.crepes), I was skimming through Cucito's Spring 2013 Magazine and a pattern for apron shorts caught my eye. You can see Yifarn's review and pics of the magazine HERE and see the actual photo HERE.

"should I buy? Shouldn't I?"

Waffling back and forth wether or not to buy, I regretfully did not.

But the picture was forever etched in my brain. I had to make it.

Oh gosh, bubble shorts + apron = baby yumminess.

Give my kid a bowl and what's the first thing she does?

*nom-nom-nom-nom*

Well if there's no food in the bowl. Wear it.

I didn't have the pattern and so I self drafted one. I found the fabric at JoAnn's. Who knew! 

 The front band of the apron is actually the front band of the shorts and the apron ties are sewn in between the front and back waist band.

 Because the apron is so tiny and the ruffle detail is microscopic, I opted to just serge the edge versus killing myself folding a teeny hem.

I think next time I'll make the apron an inch shorter. The shorts came together quick and easy, and I can definitely see more of these in the future.
So this is my contribution for KCW. *sigh* I wish I had more time. Lily Moon and hubby are going to Comic-Con Friday and Lily wants to dress up. She wants to go as Party Poison. *shaking head*
Teenagers.
Such an interesting breed of creatures.
If I get some time, hopefully I can squeeze in another outfit for Lala. We shall see.
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16 Compagnie-M Pattern Test

Marte from Compagnie M was calling out for pattern testers for this fabulous frock.

I jumped at the chance and was one of the lucky ducks to to get first crack.

 The pattern was fairly easy to sew. It had plenty of pictures which is a big plus for me (i'm a picture kind of gal) and the pattern consists of 5 pieces which is another plus for me (too many pieces = too much work). The only difficulty was figuring out the metric conversions, but working with Japanese patterns for so long, it was really nothing at all.

Overall, I give the pattern two thumbs up! A great pattern!!!

I remember in Marte's previous post, she was trying to find a name for this blouse. Wanting to have more reader participation, she asked, "What do you think?". There were a few readers who mentioned the idea of naming it after a place or city and I couldn't agree more. 

Now the fabric you see here was by chance. I was digging through my stash, trying to find the right one. It came down to two options, but I wasn't completely sold. So I dug deeper... lo and behold, deep in recesses of my fabric bins, I found THE fabric!

Yummy, no? The fabric is, Etchings by 3 Sisters for Moda.

100% quilting cotton... 100% FAB-U-LOUS!!!

As I mentioned earlier, this is a great pattern, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to change it up a bit.

I widened the bottom opening at about 3/4", giving the blouse a slight A-line cut (Lala needed a little more tummy room).

I then gave the hem a soft curve both front and back

and did a soft inverted curve along the sides.

VERY minor details and almost unnoticeable, it was more of necessity to accommodate ones "healthy" build. *wink*

In the midst of all the children sewing hullabaloo, I'm sure you have one word on your mind...

"WHEN".

Soon, my pretties! Very soon! In the meantime, be sure to visit Marte's place for more inspiration and FREE patterns, yes... FREE!

Check it out!

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30 Baby Slip Dress Pattern

Do you remember this outfit?

It was made during the fall of 2012 after KCW. You can read more about it HERE.

Here's another one, just in time for Valentine's Day. (post HERE)

I ain't gonna lie... it's a great design. Simple, classic and easy to wear, BUT...

there was one itsy-bitsy flaw. It was tricky to put on. So after revisiting the pattern and making minor revisions, I have a new and improved pattern and

boy, am I happy.

happy.happy.happy.

SO deliriously happy that I'm offering the pattern to you

for FREE!!!

Yes, you read it right.
FREE.
Just in time for KCW and perfect to make for your little princess warrior.

The dress comes in sizes 6mos - 6yrs and the instructions has lots of photos to help you out.
Nothing gives me greater joy than to make lovely things for my girls and to be able to share this with you is just icing on the cake. A lot of time and love goes into making these patterns so pretty please... feel free to follow my blog, post pics of your dress(es) HERE and when you do get a chance to sew one up, come back and leave me a comment and tell me whatcha think.

So hop on over HERE for the pattern and get to sewin'!

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