Golden Sun Finale

Everyone in my family enjoys Small World every time they go to Disney. But when it comes to the art of small world, the biggest fan in our family is definitely my mom, their grandmother. My mom and I both quilt (see her blog here), and one year she and I spend a long while admiring a small-world inspired quilt at a garden quilt show, so now when I think of the ride, I also think of her.

So clearly, after making all those outfits for my nieces and nephew, I HAD to see if there was just *one more* family member I could squeeze in.

This project would probably have laid fallow for a while, except that in September of 2019 my daughter had an unusually-timed school break; we used that opportunity to plan a whirlwind Disneyland trip. At the last minute I thought mom might enjoy matching her grandkids (on my brother's side, alas) so I added this to my sewing queue.

This make is a modified Patterns for Pirates Basic Tee, only I shortened the scoop a little bit (for modesty) and added some self-drafted flutter sleeves using an online tutorial. I added about six extra sections at 1.5" each, and it wasn't *quite* as luxurious and drape-ey as I'd envisioned. But, my mom was still pleased with her gift nonetheless.

Here she is with my nieces/nephews during our Disney trip, showing off their coordinated outfits outside of Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Certainly a world of laughter here! You can read more about our trip on my mom's travel blog here.

A Not-So-Small Sibling Set

Sometimes a print just grabs you. So it was with this lovely design from one of my favorite fabric groups - the clock tower reminds me of the Small World ride, the geometric shapes tickle my inner quilter, and the bright blue background made it surprisingly boy-friendly despite all the glitter and rainbows. 

The flexibility of this print - plus its Disney-esque feel - made it a perfect candidate for my nieces and nephews in SoCal. Everyone loves a good sibling set, so that's what I set out to make.

The girls were easy; my SIL favors timeless, classic silhouettes, and so I've been collecting Violette Fields Threads patterns for quite some time with her in mind. Normally I mostly use knit fabric (it's softer and more forgiving), but for my nieces' dresses I really wanted to work in Woven. Woven takes a lot more work, in my experience. But it has more structure, it's typically what you think of when you think of a "timeless" or "classic" silhouette, and most importantly, it lasts longer. My SIL loves dressing her kids in things *she* wore as a baby, and so I wanted her to be able to pass that gift along to her kids: knits can lose their elastomeric tendencies (stretchiness) over time and in hot storage, but a good woven fabric can be stored indefinitely as long as isn't stored wet.

For this particular sibling set, I settled on the June and the Ruthie for the girls. I wanted each recipient to have her own unique style, and I felt those were the patterns that would best suit the girls' sizes/ages and my chosen fabric. Plus, both patterns have tie closures in the back, which I thought was a nice unifying element.

Baby W was a little bit harder. After much consternation, I did go back to knit for the 'baby' (see: soft & forgiving). I settled on the Brindille & Twig Polo Romper because I did really like the romper + the collared neckline.

Over the next few days, I've got some posts scheduled for how each of the pieces went. Check back tomorrow to hear about the girls' dresses!

Christmas Train Set Complete!

After completing the Halloween Shirt for my brother with... 2 weeks to spare, I decided it was probably wise to get a leg up on Christmas. This particular artwork has already been featured on a shirt for my dad and a shirt for my brother, but I wanted to get my Mom in on the action. I had a package going to her house anyway, and I'd been hoarding this fabric for about 2 years.

To make this holiday beauty I chose the Patterns for Pirates Basic (Now Favorite) Tee. I had already test-driven the pattern once for Mom's Small World Top, but this time I elected to go with 3/4 sleeves for the winter. I only had one yard of the double border print to work with, so I had to be particularly careful with my fussy cutting. Fortunately the pieces *just barely* interlocked without any overage on my 58" wide fabric. For the sleeves I used a PurpleSeamstress Solid. 

Overall, I was very happy with the way this turned out - initially I worried that the "featured" part of the print didn't go high enough (it's a 14" border an my mother is 5'4"), but my mother accessorized with a nice necklace and the height of the print was perfect. I also really liked the effect of the contrast sleeves - it really makes the train pop, and it differentiates the look from all the storebought stuff out there.

This tee went out in October 2021 alongside my brother's Halloween tee, but it took a month or two before the timing was right to wear it. Here my mom is sporting her new Christmas tee alongside my Dad, whose train shirt I made in 2019. Quite the matched set! Next year we'll see if we can nab a picture with my brother in the shot as well.

2019 Completions

2019 was a pretty productive year for me, sewing-wise. First off, my MIL moved just down the street from us, so I had a few more options for kid-entertainment when I sewed. Second, falling in love with and following some pretty amazing professional seamstresses online encouraged me to branch out. I bought a New-to-me used Babylock Imagine, which paved the way for some more ambitious sewing adventures and kept me excited. With my new, easier-to-use serger I got back into woven, and even tried out Tulle and organza skirts for my creations. Plus my first local nephew was born, and of course having a baby to sew for is always fun.

In addition to baby clothes, 2019 was the "year of the set" for me. I made sibling sets, Father/son sets, a mother-daughter set, and even Grandma got in on the action with one of my "sibling sets" turned multi-generational. I also managed to lure my daughter in for a *little* bit of sewing - she made a skirt and some shorts - but I think she's not quite ready for the speed of the sewing machine yet (she's 7). My family also made a last-minute trip to Disneyland (weekend commando raid), which provided the inspiration (motivation?) for a three-week sewing blitz that ended in cute Disney outfits for my husband, son, and mother.

And finally, it was the end of an era on my Oz quilt. A decade after I made the first pillow, and about 6 years after I made the quilt, I finished the last pillow and gifted it to my MIL. It's kind of crazy to think that I have been sewing for over a decade (and actually now that I think on it that means this blog will also be ten years old in 2020), and to realize that when I started that project, my husband (and the father of my children) was just my boyfriend and I hadn't made a single quilt yet.

At any rate, without further reminiscing, here are my completions from 2019:

Here's Your Frog Hoodie (link)

Completed: Jan 2019

Pattern: Megamax Raglan (with CKC Haven Pocket)

A Fun Hoodie for my son, whose favorite color is green. A fussy cutting masterpiece!

Aurora Fun Dress (link)

Completed: Jan 2019

Pattern: Girl's Fun Tee + SLPCo Isla

My daughter fell in love with this panel, and though it was cut off at the bottom, we found a way to make it work!

Fairy Tale Birthday Shirt (link)

Completed: Feb 2019

Pattern: CKC Esther

My first commission! My MIL picked out the fabric and pattern, and we gifted this shirt to my niece on her birthday.

Pajamas of WarCraft (link)

Completed: Feb 2019

Pattern: Brindille & Twig Baby Kimono and Footies

A gift for my local Nephew, who was due Valentine's day.

Pokemon Baby Set (Blanket) & (Outfit)

Completed: Mar 2019

Pattern: Brindille & Twig Baby Kimono and Footies

A set for my local nephew, gifted shortly after he was born.

A Collaboration with A (link)

Completed: March 2019

Pattern: Math!!!

Lots of straight lines made for a good first project for my daughter, who made this skirt mostly by herself!

The Happiest Dress (link)

Completed: March 2019

Pattern: Peekaboo Violet

Gifted to a Friend whose family was making their fist trip to Disney World.

Midsummer LOLs (link)

Completed: Feb 2019

Pattern: Striped Swallow Designs Midsummer's Dream

My Daughter had to have this fabric, and this was a quick summer-y sew!

Final (!) Oz Pillow (link)

Completed: April 2019 2019

Fabric by Quilted Treasures

The final pillow in a 7-pillow series, for my Wizard of Oz loving MIL.

Stormtrooper Father/Son Set (link)

Completed: April 2019

Pattern: Cole's Creation Jerry Raglan (Dad)/ Max & Meena Max Raglan (Son)

A quick set of raglans so the RLQ men can match!

Guardians of the Galaxy Father/Son Set (link)

Completed: April 2019

Pattern: Tie Dye Dive Zee's Tee/ Stitch Upon a Time Huntsman

One good turn deserves another.

Strawberry Shortcake Sister Set (link)

Completed: May 2019

Pattern: SLPCo Isla

Gifted to the children of a close friend over 1500 miles away! My first effort with a Double Border.

A Christmas Shirt for Father's Day (link)

Completed: June 2019

Pattern: Peekaboo Yukon

A Christmas shirt for my train-loving Dad, gifted when he came out to visit for Father's day.

Rainbow Brite Mother/Daughter Set (link & link)

Completed: July 2019

Pattern: Striped Swallow Designs Desert Breeze

Because why should the boys have all the parent-child fun?

Small World Sibling Set (Intro Dresses Romper Finale)

Completed: July 2019

Pattern: Violette Fields Threads June, Ruthie; Brindille & Twig Polo Romper

For my Brother's kids who live just a hop, skip, and a jump from Disneyland!

Zelda Set for Baby W (link)

Completed: August 2019

Pattern: Brindille & Twig Polo Romper

A Sequel to the Pokemon Set.

Back to School Creation for A (Top Shorts)

Completed: August 2019

Pattern: Violet Fields Threads Ruthie & Allie

A Ruffled back-to school shirt from mom, and some shorts she sewed herself!

Should You Need Us... (link)

Completed: August 2019

Pattern: Hey June Lane Raglan

Gifted to a friend who had recently lost a pet.

Golden Sun for Grandma too! (link)

Completed: August 2019

Pattern: Pattern 4 Pirates Basic tee (modified sleeves) 

A last-minute project #1 when we booked a surprise trip to Disneyland

Star War Mickey (link)

Completed: September 2019

Pattern:  Cole's Creations Jerry's Raglan (Dad) / Max Raglan (Son) 

A last-minute project #2 when we booked a surprise trip to Disneyland... this one was really down to the wire!

Descendants Hoodie Dress Repeat (Dress & Socks) 

Completed: October 2019

Pattern:  CKC Haven's Hoodie 

A sized-up version of one of my Daughter's favorite dresses from 2018

Rainbow Cheetah Tulle two-piece (link) 

Completed: November 2019

Pattern:  SbPP GIrls' Fun tee and CKC Delaney mash-up (with original tulle skirt)

Inspired by trends at some of my favorite designers, a "test effort" with Tulle 

Frozen Premiere Dress (link) 

Completed: November 2019

Pattern:  SbPP Girls' Fun Tee 

Using Organza, another 2-piece creation, the top can go with Jeans or a fluffy skirt!

Boys of Frozen (link) 

Completed: November 2019

Pattern:  Max Raglan

A Frozen premiere outfit for my son, with a matching shirt for his friend!

101 Dalmatians Raglan (link) 

Completed: November 2019

Pattern:  Cole's Creations Jerry Raglan 

A Christmas gift for my youngest brother

Christmas Train Mickey Raglan (link) 

Completed: December 2019

Pattern:  Cole's Creations Jerry Raglan

A Christmas present for my youngest brother to turn my Father's Day gift to my Dad into a Father/Son Set

Glad Tidings (link)

Completed: December 2019

Fabric: Glad Tidings by Henry Glass

Made with love (and help!) from my mom, using a panel we picked up in Houston in 2017

Zombie Hunting Princesses (link) 

Completed: December 2019

Pattern:  CKC Haven's Hoodie

A Christmas Gift for my niece and her Zombie-loving Dad!

Call Me Khaleesi (link) 

Completed: December 2019

Pattern:  SbPP Girls' Fun Tee

A Christmas Gift for my niece nicknamed "Princess"

Stats:

Garments: 37

Woven vs knit: 4 vs 33
Kids vs Adults: 26 vs 9
Garment Sets: 8
Baby sets w/ Blanket: 2
Other projects: 1 (pillow)

WiPs without any progress in 2018: Star Wars II, Christmas Traditions. Quilting is shelved while there are so many fun outfits to be made!