Simplicity 8723 Harry Potter Halloween Costume

Harry Potter. This costume feels inevitable. I think we have been reading HP continuously since 2015. We're reading book 7 at bedtime now, so each of us will have read the entire series individually and together. J is not a big fan of dress up (unlike his sister), and usually asks for a completely impossible costume like a black hole, or dark matter (made it, but never posted the full costume). This year I tried to steer him toward a classic like a ghost or Dracula, but Harry Potter was the only idea that resinated. The second he put on the robe and had the wand in his hand he caught the Halloween spirit enough to forget that half his costume was his catholic school uniform. :)

The robe pattern is Simplicity 8723, it's got the entire size range, and I suspect I will be sewing this pattern again in the future. I used stash buttons, and a hair tie to make the closure, and the Gryffindor patch is from Amazon. I altered the pattern to make full underlining pieces for the front and a deeper facing for the back. I know my HP would want to rush off in search of horcruxes or candy and I didn't want the 4 inch front facing giving him away as a fraud. I hand stitched the lining and the facing. If I had planned ahead I could have done more on the machine but it was late and I was flying by the seat of my pants. Next time I would deepen the arm opening. It's pretty snug for something you're supposed to wear a sweater and button-down under. I also deepened the right pocket to accommodate his 11" hand whittled wand. His is ancient and mysterious lilac from the backyard at the farm. He also peeled the bark with his pocket knife (they're not as dangerous as you might think).

The exterior fabric is gabardine suiting in solid black from Fabric.com*. I had black Kona cotton in my cart, but changed my mind at the last minute. I hate how polyester it is, but I love the weight and drape. It really feels like real clothing feel of the finished robe. I'm telling myself the polyester is authentic school uniform material. The lining is Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton in Crimson* from Fabric.com*. I bought and used a full 2 yards for the hood and lining. I think the color is the perfect Gryffindor shade of burgundy. 

Robe Pattern: Simplicity 8723

Robe Fabric: Gaberdine Suiting in Solid Black from Fabric.com*

Robe Lining: Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton in Crimson from Fabric.com*

Gryffindor Patch: Amazon

*Fabric.com links are affiliate links.

Sewing White T-Shirts

Here is another installment of what I did last summer (actually the summer before that, even). I made 3 white t-shirts using two different sewing patterns. White t-shirts are often overlooked for more complicated projects but I think summer is the perfect time for easy, breezy, fast sewing projects.  

I made this white t-shirt during #simplesummersewing that I hosted a few years ago with Petit a Petit + Family basics like this took center stage. A simple t-shirt is perfect for hot weather, quick to sew, and gets lots of wear.

I’m wearing a short sleeve v-neck Lark Tee by Grainline Studio. The kids are wearing School Bus Tees from Oliver + S. J is wearing view A, and L is wearing the more feminine view B sleeve options. I came across some really high quality jersey knit at my local fabric shop in Philadelphia. Fabric this good had to be made into t-shirts immediately! They are the simplest of summer sewing. If you're in the market for a new white tee my new favorite jersey is the Telio Organic Cotton jersey*. It's a bit lighter than this fabric, and has a really nice drape and recovery. 

Adult T-Shirt Pattern: Lark Tee from Grainline Studio
Boy's T-Shirt Pattern: School Bus Tee from Oliver + S
Girl's T-Shirt Pattern: School Bus Tee from Oliver + S
Fabric: Telio Organic Cotton Jersey (substitution) from Fabric.com*

*Fabric.com links are affiliate links. Opinions are my own. 

Seersucker Polina Dress & Sunny Day Shorts

We are spending the long weekend as the founding father's intended, road tripping to a family reunion. I feel duty bound by a time sensitive color scheme to get these outfits documented before the last charred sparkler sticks cool. This is the Polina Dress from Coffee & Thread, and the Free! Sunny Day Shorts from Oliver + S.

In the evolution of gratuitous holiday sewing ideas, the dress came first. The moment I saw Rachel's beautiful chambray dot Polina I bought the pattern. It's not the first pattern I've purchased under her influence, and I'm sure I'm not alone! I was envisioning a patriotic twirly skirt worthy of L's now discontinued Molly doll. When the skirt gets moving it could steal the show from any PA legal bottle rocket.

In the spirit of embarrassing both children equally (a principe on which this great nation was founded), I picked up a slightly thicker stripe in the same seersucker color way to make J some summer shorts. Now we have star spangled matchy matchy outfits to dazzle at picnics, unless they fall victim to a cherry popsicle along the way.

I sized up on L's measurements to be certain she had some room to grow. Otherwise, I didn't change a thing. Even the hem length is exactly as the pattern specifies. The main fabric is Robert Kaufman Classic Seersucker from Fabric.com*. I used light weight chambray for the underside of the ruffles. It's whisky light and doesn't compete with the seersucker. I also used it to bias bind the neck, armholes, and hem (the easiest way to hem a circle skirt). 

These are the Sunny Day Shorts from Oliver + S made with Robert Kaufman Breakers Seersucker from Fabric.com*. I added length, as shown in my own tutorial from a few years ago, and Pockets as shown in the Skirt as Top tutorial. For the front and back pocket I mismatched the stripes to add some detail. This is a great versatile pattern that I'm sorry J has nearly outgrown. I made him the biggest size, and he's got precious little room to grow. This may be his last pair of Sunny Day Shorts!

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Details

Dress Pattern: Polina Dress from Coffee & Thread

Dress Fabric: Classic Seersucker from Fabric.com*

Shorts Pattern: Sunny Day Shorts from Oliver + S

Shorts Fabric: Breakers Seersucker from Fabric.com*

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*Fabric.com links are affiliate links. I purchased this fabric.

Buffalo Check Country Earflap Hat

First order of business: today is my first post for Petit a Petit + Family. I'm sharing a pattern for a sewn pixie bonnet called the Blizzard Bonnet. I must knit a million pixie bonnets every Christmas, how did I not think of sewing one sooner?! Cute. Fast. Seasonally appropriate if your city got slammed with 22" of snow over the weekend. Go check it out.

In the spirit of fairness, and toasty ears, I made J a hat too. You can never have too many in the dead of winter when things get lost between home and school, or coat closet and front door. This bright buffalo check is not likely to be mistaken for someone else's in the school coat room. So, new hats for both kids made with the last odd pieces of Robert Kaufman Mammoth Flannel in Red Buffalo Check left over from my Tamarac Jacket. I can't rave enough about this flannel, sturdy and soft all at the same time. Perfect for outerwear. I used what sherpa fleece I could get at Joann, but I don't recommend what they have on the shelf. The quality is pretty poor and not equal to the flannel. I recommend the Shannon Fabrics Sherpa from fabric.com. It is thicker and warmer, but still acrylic so it's won't retain moisture from melting snowball fights. 

The pattern is the Country Earflap Hat by Worthy Goods. This hat is fun to sew and fun to wear, possibly explaining why this is my fourth one. I used black corduroy from my local fabric shop for the bias binding, and the underside of the brim. The pattern is not written for bias binding but I wanted the detailing to have something in common with the Blizzard Bonnet. 

Maybe you noticed that the mittens match. If the kids ever go back to school I will have the mitten pattern to share, too. 

Things are getting out of hand. I think it's time to go home. 

Credits:
Pattern: Country Earflap Hat by Worthy Goods
Main Fabric: Mammoth Flannel by Robert Kaufman
Lining Fabric: Shanon Fabrics Sherpa Fleece from Fabric.com
Bias Binding: Self Made with Black Corduroy from Fleishman Fabrics on Fabric Row

Pixie Bonnet Pattern in all the same fabrics on Petit a Petit and Family today!

Men's Hudson Pants

I never buy clothing for my husband. He is way to hard to please. Once I bought him 4 black fleece jackets for Christmas in the vain hope that one of them would be "right". He returned all 4. (At least that's how I remember it, if he wants to tell his side, he'll have to get his own blog) Given my low odds of success, sewing for him seems like an exercise in futility. I would love to sew the Jutland  Pants, or a few Strathcona Henleys, but the stakes are way too high. When the Men's Hudson Pants came along, I knew they were the perfect project for me to try out sewing for men. The time investment is relatively small (pdf printing to finished garment in less than 3 hours), and the loungewear look means if they never leave the house I can still count it as a success. This was definitely a great opportunity to hash out some of his complex specifications. 

The Men's Hudson Pants are the newest addition to the True Bais pattern line up, and Kelli's first pattern for men. I tested this pattern, so I guess I should mention that I got it for free, and give you a chance to temper my enthusiasm accordingly. Keep in mind, I had already made half a dozen pairs of Mini Hudson Pants when Kelli asked for volunteers, and I threw a few elbows (or would have) to get the chance. 

The Men's Hudson Pants are a quick sew, and a reliable fit, just like the kid's version. If you need one pair, you probably need 3 and can whip them all up in an afternoon.  This fabric is a perfectly soft sweatshirt knit with 40% stretch from Fleishman Fabrics on Fabric Row. If you live in Philly, hustle yourself on over there, a light heather gray and navy were in stock a few days ago. Either would be perfect for this pattern. 

The thing about Hudson Pants is that they seem to multiply almost on their own. While rummaging for sweatshirt fleece, I came up with enough to make a few pairs of Mini Hudson Pants for the kids. For J's I used some delicious sweat shirting from Fabric.com. It has very little stretch, so I went up a size and added a bit to the length of the cuffs and waistband. 

For L's I used an uber discounted berry pink sweatshirt fleece from Surplus City. I actually made this pair first, and forgot to make the cuffs longer to compensate for a total lack of stretch. I didn't have enough to cut new cuffs so I found some coordinating jersey knit, ironed some knit interfacing to the back, and made a decorative patch. Not a bad looking mistake. 

A whole family of Hudson Pants, these guys are ready for some serious holiday lounge time.

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Pattern: Men's Hudson Pants by True Bias
Fabric: Sweatshirt Fleece from Fleishman Fabrics
Pattern: Mini Hudson Pants size 10 by True Bias
Fabric: Charcoal Sweatshirt Fleece from Fabric.com
Pattern: Mini Hudson Pants size 7 by True Bias
Fabric: Sweatshirt Fleece from Surplus City

Railroad Stripe Sunny Day Shorts

{Please forgive the clothing continuity issues between this photo and the rest of the post. I didn't think of this combination until well into our 48 second photo shoot, and I didn't have any Smartees to bribe my model whose patients gave out around the 32 second mark. I am please to have even this one image. Liberty Theo info here.}

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Does this picture look familiar? We've found our shorts sweet spot, and when we get something right we do it again, and again, and again.  I made the same style for my expert shorts modeler last year. Same everything, but different fabric. They are lengthened using my tutorial for Oliver & S.

The fabric is the delicious Robert Kaufman Railroad Denim from Fancy Tiger. It's the perfect weight for summer shorts. I love everything about this fabric, infact I've already ordered more.

Sewing this simple is all about the details, I top stitched the pocket edges and the side seams, and I did a double line of stitching at the hem just to add a little interest. These pocket details never get old. I used a little piece of micro houndstooth inside the front pockets, and a little scrap of yellow Kona Cotton for the Theo-esque back pocket.

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Pertinent Info:
Pattern: Sunny Day Shorts by Oliver + S
Fabric: Robert Kaufman Railroad Denim Indigo from Fancy Tiger Crafts
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You can also find this project:
Kollabora Shorts on the Line

Reversible (sort of) Ole with Hood

I used to think I didn't like to make the same thing twice. I was so wrong. I am a process person. Since I restarted sewing last year, I can't seem to make a one off of anything (some of the seconds don't reach the blog). When I finished the first Ole by Zonen 09, I didn't feel finished. Sure that single garment was stitched, labeled and in heavy rotatoion, but I wasn't finished with Ole. 

The Ole pattern has many different options for pockets and collar, and the fabric combinations are endless. This Ole has a hood, side pockets, snap front, and the lining fabric was chosen to wear the inside as the outside sometimes. After faking my way through the construction of the first one, this one is constructed 100% as specified (okay, I cut the cuff as one piece so it would look more like a classic sweatshirt hoodie), with very satisfying results. You may notice the bottom edge of the button band was a little saggy on the my first version. With the second I used Sharon's sew the corner first method, resulting in a much nicer finish. Note to self: you get good results when you read the instructions. 

PATTERN: Ole by Zonen 09. (More pattern review) My last Ole was a cardigan made with two lighter weight knits, but this design works great with sweatshirt fleece. The combination of a heavy main fabric and a jersey lining takes this from a middle layer, to a full on spring jacket. All we need now is warmer weather.

FABRIC: The lining is cotton jersey from Raspberry Creek Fabrics. Love it, would be perfect for spring (if it ever comes) t-shirts, am annoyed I didn't buy more. The shipping is lightning fast, and the customer service is just as speedy. The sweatshirt fleece is from Girl Charlee. I still have trouble (but am getting better) at anticipating the weight of knits purchased via the interweb. Sometimes I'm disappointed when the package arrives and I realize its not right at all for the planned garment. This sweatshirt knit far exceeded my expectations. So buttery soft, it was almost a shame to line. I bought extra, there may be some Mini Hudson's in J's future.

FIT/SIZE: I sewed a 128 Standard (which is an 8, I think). The Zonen 09 cut tends toward long, lean, and modern. I sized up for longer wear, you can see he has some room to grow in the length.

This design is meant to be completely reversible, and I intended to make it that way, until I realized I could't squeeze the sleeves out of stripes. Some heather gray from my stash makes a nice substitution and isn't all bad on the outside.

Ole 1 and Ole 2 planning some sort of bed-headed conspiracy against the camera lady. 

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Pattern: Ole by Zonen 09
Main Fabric: Sweatshirt Fleece from Girl Charlee
Lining Fabric: Jersey Knit from Raspberry Creek Fabrics

His & Hers Mini Hudson Pants

You may have caught a glimpse of these little numbers in the ol' instagram feed a few weeks ago. His and Hers Mini Hudson Pants by True Bias. Mid-sew I decided pants this cute and comfy should be Christmas gifts, thus the radio silence until now. I doubt my kids would spend their precious computer time catching up on my blog, but...you just never know.

Because I've already given the Mini Hudson Pants the full pattern review treatment (found here), and because my mind is going a thousand mile an hour on other projects (new valentine pins, so many KALs so little time), I'll keep this brief. Mini Hudson Pants Pattern by True Bias. LOVE. Pattern that works for both kids. Double LOVE. So into them that I've made three pairs. Triple LOVE.

SIZE/FIT: For him an 8, for her a 6. I made L (her) a 5 last time and went up a size for extended wear. Honestly, these pants are so speedy to make, I should have stuck with the 5 for a sleeker fit.

FABRIC: The heather gray is a cotton jersey sweater knit (if there is such a thing) from Joann, that I can't quite identify online. I bought it for its sturdy softness, that really lends itself to bottoms. The accents are from various other projects (His here, Hers here).

Yes, that is an unblogged Bimaa on L. It's super cute, and a little matchy, matchy. Meet me back here tomorrow for the details. Until then, let's revel in the visual symmetry of this blog post.