Baby gift sewing and Simplicity faves

Hello everyone!

Today I am back with something you probably wouldn't expect--baby sewing!

I had the pleasure of sewing for my cousin's daughter.  They live in Germany, but have come to visit the United States for a couple of months.  Her daughter is 6 months old, and I fell in love with her the moment I met her.  She is adorable, with cute chubby cheeks, and dark brown hair.  I knew right away that I wanted to make some kind of outfit for her before they returned home.

So, this is what I came up with:

I put this adorable set together while browsing through the 3/2016 issue of Ottobre Kids magazine.  It is the Tiny Triangles tunic and Tiny Toes bottoms.  I loved the keyhole back feature on the tunic, and imagined that both pieces would be easy to sew, according to how they were rated.

The tunic called for jersey for the bodice, and viscose for the rest.  However, I decided to use a cotton interlock from Joanns (here) throughout the entire garment.  It had a small amount of stretch in it, and I thought it would work well for this project. Since I sewed this after visiting with my cousin's baby, I did not have easy access to be able to take her measurements.  That meant I had to do some guessing on the size.  After some careful thought, and size checking, I went with a size 68cm.

The back of the tunic dress has a lovely keyhole feature that finishes with a narrow hem.  Originally I took out my narrow hem foot, and practiced this stitch on a scrap piece of fabric.  No matter how much I tried, my edge was hit or miss.  Sometimes I could get it to catch, and other times I could not.  I decided to turn to my old faithful instead--glue, lol!  I used a glue stick to turn a scant 1/8" twice and stitched it down easily.  I hope to get better with my narrow hem foot in the future.

The rest of the binding went on easily.  It was a lovely coordinate rib knit I bought at Joanns as well. For the snaps, I used sew-on ones.  It was my first time using those, and it worked out beautifully.  

Turning to the under pants, you can see that the original design includes a cute ribbon detail:

My modification here was to leave off the ribbons, and keep the under pants simple.  Besides, they would surely get covered up by the tunic!

I used a contrasting fabric for the facing to the leg openings, so it created a nice effect to balance out some of the butterfly print.  I don't like to overwhelm with prints, but that also means I sometimes don't know when to stop editing!  In this case, I am happy with the result!

As you can see, I guessed on the elastic length for the leg openings as well.  I hope I came close without overdoing it.  I plan on mailing this outfit to my parent's house, and hope to get a photo once they try it on baby girl.  Only then will I see if all my approximations have paid off!

Overall, I am always curious as to whether Ottobre's pattern ratings live up to their name.  In this case, both of these patterns do.  The dress and under pants were easy to construct, and an advanced beginner could put these together without any issues.  Also, who doesn't love all the cute little details that Ottobre offers?  I will have to revisit these patterns for my baby boy soon.

The final piece is a headband I have made before.  It is by Coral and Co., and it is a free download that you can find here.  It is SUPER simple to make, and looks so cute when you are done.  I made it once before for my best friend's baby shower, and this will continue to be my go-to headband.

Now that I am finished with this, I plan on turning my attention back to the Kalle tunic, and sewing it up in the lovely fabric I showed you in my last post:

I will work on a few simple adjustments, and go from there.  A big part of me is really excited, but another part is a little nervous because I REALLY like this fabric, lol!  Anyhow, I plan on jumping in and seeing if I can get it done before the month is out.  If I do, I will work on a few unfinished garments before we move into September.  For this version, I am thinking I might try the pocket...

Moving on, I am patiently waiting for a Simplicity sale so I can snatch up some goodies I have been eyeing since the Fall pattern release.

Here are some of my thoughts:

YES!!!!!! I have been wanting to sew my husband a button up shirt for a while, but I wanted to practice on myself first, lol!  He was reluctant to this idea at first, but is starting to warm up to it as he has started to see some of the more recent things I have sewn.  Btw, just so you know, my hubby is  picky.  He is very supportive of things I sew; however, he has always been extra picky on things he buys or receives.  But, regardless of how he feels, I am getting this pattern!!!!!

This one is all about the top for me.  I like the pants, but the top is just so cute!  I have lots of lace, and I am always looking for ways to use it.  I love the angle of the placement for the insert, and think it will be perfect for Fall.

Now that I have been wearing more skirts (I still have two pencil skirts I haven't blogged), I have been drawn to skirt patterns.  I absolutely love the waist detailing on this skirt, and the optional sash version too.  The length gives it a lot of drama, but the shorter length seems a bit more playful.  There are lots of good options here.

When I saw this cardigan, I immediately thought of a bathrobe.  Yes, I fully admit that! However, after I really looked at the line drawing, I began to really like it.  Then, I have no idea how, but I had a vision of this in a gorgeous houndstooth print with the hood and all.  I have to make it!  I mean, I never get visions of patterns dancing in my head.  It must be a sign, lol!

If I can ever get back to working out on a regular basis again, this pattern is a necessity.  I know I will purchase it and store it in my pattern binder for just the right time.  I LOVE the color blocking, and the strip of color going down the side seam of the legs.  Such a great pattern!

My last choice is another Mimi G pattern.  This one is a maybe.  I LOVE the coat, but have a feeling I already have a similar pattern in my stash.  Since I plan on sewing another jacket or coat this year (I am starting a yearly tradition), it would be a good option to have.  This is such a classic piece that would serve me well year after year.

So, come on Simplicity sale!  I have some goodies to buy!

Alright, I hope to see you back again soon with a finished Kalle!  

Stay sew-filled!