Lego my Batman!

I'm not even sure how we ended up with the DVD for Lego Batman - maybe one of the kids picked it out at Wal-mart - but around our house, that movie is a huge hit. So when this fabric came across my FB feed, I knew I had to order some.

I've been feeling guilty that all summer long, I sewed dresses for my daughter, but my son always seemed to get the short shrift. It helped that his superhero shirt from last year still fit, but... It's been time for something new for a while.

Enter the Max & Meena Max Raglan - this hoodie is all the rage in my custom fabric circles, and for obvious reasons. It cuts a really nice silhouette, and the pockets are pretty eye-catching and unique in photos. I bided my time and waited for a sale, and on Labor Day they offered 25% off, so I splurged and downloaded the pattern.

Once I got it, I realized I hadn't anticipated the following complaints:

1) 1/4" seam allowances. Yes, I'm from a quilting background. I still hate 1/4" seams on knit.

2) Pocket lining attaches with a seam straight across the front of the shirt. I don't know where I'd THOUGHT the pocket linings would attach, but "through my center design" wasn't it.

3) "Double sizing" - ie, 2T/3T = one size, 4T/5T = one size, etc. I guess they're room to grow when the kid is on the small side, but they're scary in an bigger-end kid.

So... not the panacea I had hoped for, but hey: I'd admired it long enough that I couldn't give up without actually MAKING one. So...

I'm glad I did!  This hoodie was very nicely proportioned, all the parts went together without a hitch, and the pockets really DO look sharp in practice. I did fussycut the heck out of my fabric to get the batmobiles on the sleeves just so, and the art on the hood where I wanted it to be.

I also altered the stitching line on the pockets to avoid a line through Batman and Robin's feet. The green line indicates where the pattern WOULD have had me put a stitch line, but the red line is where I actually put it.

Lowering the bottom stitch line on the pockets put it very close to the band, so I just caught the pocket lining in the band rather than make a separate stitch line. It made for a slightly roomier pocket, but my son doesn't seem to mind. The pockets still work fine!

And my son seems to love his new hoodie. I did size up from what was recommended (he measured a 2/3, I made a 4/)5, and the fit is (IMO) about perfect. Using the featured print on the raglan sleeves and the hood is quite eye-catching; with the stitch line modification above, the front showcases the panel quite nicely.

I'm also lucky that I ended up with JUST ENOUGH extra panel to make the sleeve bands, and pocket lining. I'm also lucky that the Royal Blue solid I bought from Purple Seamstress (used on the back and in the hood lining) was such a perfect match.

So despite my complaints with the pattern, this is a definite make-again. Here's to a happy (and well-dressed) kid!

So Awesome

My daughter might be a My Little Pony Fan, but she's got NOTHING on a friend of hers, N, who found out last year that she was going to be a big sister. N (who has received 2 zombie dresses from me already) watches the My Little Pony Movie every day, and can sing most of the songs from the movie.

When I bought these panels, it wasn't clear if N's sibling was going to be a boy or a girl. But, N's dad is a bit of a Brony himself, which made the artwork a pretty safe bet. It wasn't until well after purchasing these panels that I learned Baby #2 was a girl.

As is usually my way, I was still working through OTHER backlog projects in my queue until about 2 weeks before the Baby #2's baby shower. Sewing dresses with a panel is pretty easy - but I was loathe to repeat my mistake with the BubbleGum Dresses and try a new pattern with a deadline looming. Longtime readers of this blog will already guess what is coming: yes, the Tie Dye Diva Easy Peasant Dress (Pattern Link).

I'm lucky I had plenty of Purpleseamstress CL solids left from other projects. Both dresses were blocked and backed with black to keep it simple, and for Baby #2's sleeves I went with a Rainbow Dash blue to add a pop of color. The diaper cover is also a Tie Dye Diva pattern, which typically drives me nuts in woven but actually turned out not half-bad to make in knit.

For Big Sister N, Purple like Twilight sparkle was the way to go.

If anyone is still counting (I am, assisted by my blog) these are TDD dresses 10 and 11. They were gifted in late September but sized so to be worn early the following spring. N already loves hers, and we'll see what baby #2 thinks when she arrives!