SEWING || PATRICIA COWL & SASCHA THE DRESS FORM

patricia cowl by luvinthemommyhood.com || fabrics used from bijoux by bari j for art gallery fabrics

i recently got my hands on some of the fabulous bari j's new line "bijoux" from art gallery fabrics.  this fabric line is gorgeous and so fun!  i love the bohemian vibe and the colors are just drool worthy!  you will definitely not get bored with this fabric line. i honestly couldn't choose my fave print. but i was able to decide what to make with it. i knew as soon as i saw bijoux that it had to be a patricia cowl (you can find my tutorial to make the patricia cowl here. it's fast, fun & a great sew!). it just screamed cowl to me and it also screamed a pressie for a certain friend of mine.  she's been waiting a long time for this so i'm so glad to finally get it blogged and hopefully mailed out to her next week.  hannah - merry christmas...lol. hugs! lol.  hope you love it and sorry it took me 5 months too long!

isn't it pretty? i just want to throw it on with a white tank, some cute jeans, a bangle and my flip flops. so lovely.  wait...what's that you ask..."who's that sassy grey gal wearing it"?  well...let me tell you.  she's new to our house.  she's funny, a tad shy, curvy, purdy and is my new friend.  her name is sascha singer. she says hi!  nice to meet you.  she's bff's with poppy the pfaff.  lmao. ok...ok...ok...in all seriousness you know how i love naming inanimate objects i adore in my home right? i know it's a tad weird but whatevs...it's fun!  anyhoo, her name is sascha singer but she was born singer 151, in the US, at Joanns.com.  she came to us a few weeks ago and we have loved her ever since.

VINTAGE MAY || THE SALLY DRESS

the vintage vibe is in the air! can you feel it? that's right everyone - it's vintage may! i was so excited to be asked to join in for this fun series hosted by my pals kristin of the awesome blog - skirt as top and the equally as amazing jess of craftiness is not optional. i knew as soon as i got invited i could not pass this one up.  a dress had to be made.  a vintage inspired one at that.  this is right up my alley! luckily i had recently gotten just the right fabric.  bright, a modern yet still vintage vibe and an oh so cheerful color for my little one. 

>> vintage may on craftiness is not optional <<

>> vintage may on skirt as top <<

the print i decided to use definitely reminded me of my inspiration - sally draper of the tv show mad men. i looove mad men and i love the clothing from the show.  i thought it would be fun to use sally as my jumping off point.  can't you just see her in a scene wearing this cute frock? the fabric i used is floradots in saffron by erin mcmorris for free spirit.  i also have some in a blue/grey tone that i hope to use to sew my oldest a sally dress as well with some fun add ons. the bodice and pockets were then lined with hidden treasure gold from indie by pat bravo for art gallery fabrics. such a great print too!

when doing my original sketches i knew i wanted big pockets. but not just any pockets - pockets that show. easy ones to throw hidden treasures in - my little ponies, dolls, shells, rocks...you name it - my girls will carry it.  they are constantly storing goodies in their pockets so this time instead of me finding it hidden in the wash i figured i wouldn't miss them in these big ol' pockets. plus, well, pockets just plain rock!

i also knew when designing this dress that simplicity was my goal.  i wanted no closures - thus the square neckline.  and yes, that's right - there is no zipper or buttons.  you just pull it on. love it!  and so does she!  the bodice is fully lined as are the pockets.  the pockets also go right down into the hem for optimum toy storage! i also knew i wanted a higher waistline, gathered skirt and a shorter length than normal.  it's hard to tell from these pics but she could easily wear this as a tunic.  i might have even gone a bit shorter if she had stood still longer for me to pin more accurately.  darn 3 year olds...lol...don't they want mommy to make them stand on a stool wearing a piece of fabric with pins for 10 minutes while i measure over and over again? no way.  she's a trooper though.  she's getting there.

the best part of the whole process - that smile! she loves it and that sure does my heart good.  such a doll this one.  she just melts my heart.

what do you guys think of this dress?  i've got so many fun variations of the sally dress that i'd like to try. in fact i'm leaning to making this one a pattern available. any interest?  would you like to see a pattern for the sally dress?  sleeves? long or short?  i'd love to hear your thoughts!  it's a fun dress to make and you guys know my style - if it's fun/rewarding to make, allows you to customize and shows off my fave fabric crush it's a winner in my book.

a huge thank you to kristin and jess for having me along as part of vintage may.  please be sure to check out all the other bloggers involved in this fun series. there is a TON of amazing lovelies being made and it's not to be missed.  you can find all the vintage may goodness below:

>> vintage may on craftiness is not optional <<

>> vintage may on skirt as top <<

|| FABRICS USED ||
-  floradots in saffron by erin mcmorris for free spirit.
- bodice and pocket are lined with hidden treasures gold from indie by pat bravo for art gallery fabrics.
|| PATTERN USED ||
- self drafted.  may become a new pattern release in the near future if you dig it <3
|| VINTAGE MAY INSPIRATION ||
- sally draper of the tv show mad men.

SPRING TOPS, TANKS & TEES KNIT ALONG || EXTENSION ANNOUNCEMENT!

vintage alarm clock from things with soul

alrighty - you all voted! the winner of the timeline extension poll is...1 week!  wahoo!  you've all got an extra week ladies! it was sure close! remember - you don't have to finish your project to qualify for the fab giveaway.  we just want you knitting and having fun so don't stress - this should be fun!

the new deadline for the tops, tanks & tees kal is:

>> may 28th, 2013, midnight, pst <<

make sure to upload your finished pics into the finished project thread in our ravelry group so i can put together our starring you post!  some of you have already been showing your first and 2nd finished projects! you're on firrrreeee!  so jealous!  my knitting has come to an abrupt halt due to some other deadlines.  not sure if even i'm going to make it to the finish line this time round gals but i'm going to give it my best shot :)

FABRIC GIVEAWAY || ELLA'S COTTAGE

happy go lucky fabric fat quarter bundle - img src: ella's cottage

yum, yum, yum, yum! who's in the mood for some fabric fun? i am, i am!!! yahoo!  one of our newest sponsors - ella's cottage is offering up a lovely fabric giveaway today!  i love me a good fabric giveaway!

happy go lucky fat quarter fabric bundle - img src: ella's cottage

i have been a long time reader of the blog "simplicity" of camille roskelly and love her fabrics and quilt patterns.  i was excited when i saw the prize leigh anne of ella's cottage was giving away! this is a sweet one!  the happy go lucky line is the newest range of fabrics from bonnie and camille for moda.  it's bright, happy and oh so lovely!  perfect for that new quilt you've been dying to whip up! need some inspiration? you can find some of the patterns that camille has designed for this line of fabrics HERE. 

in the mood to win some?  click to find out how! 

EVERYTHING OLD YARN || HAPPY STREET OBSESSION

happy street by veera valimaki

have you ever spotted a pattern and fallen head over heels in love? well you all know what a big fan i am of veera valimaki's patterns and when her newest shawl - happy street popped up a few weeks ago i got bit real bad.  i mean the kind of hours of mad hunting for the exact same yarn colors kind of bad. i'm the kinda gal that just can't seem to resist short rows, grey and bright neon pink in a shawl. i was and am obsessed.

i was also out of luck. for a brief moment that is.  i could not find the same colors of madelinetosh yarns that veera used anywhere.  luckily my friend em of everything old fame lives in the same city as i do and we all happened to be discussing our new happy street obsession when she revealed that she was working on a new yarn weight - solo sock....yessss!!! a  super soft, 100% superwash merino, sock weight, single ply,  that she so sweetly and kindly offered to dye me up some in the same colorways as veera's happy street. yahoo!!! problem solved!

haar, november and pinkie pie in solo sock from everything old

truth be told i much prefer my everything old's "solo sock" over my madelinetosh merino lite i just used for my stripe study.  the yarn is way softer, has great drape and helloooooo...could that pink get any more friggin' awesome!  the yarn just shines! it's beautiful! the best part about the pink besides the rockin' colorway is that em called it "pinkie pie". i die.  for reals...pinkie pie?!

we love my little pony in our house. like really love it.  so my girls made me swear that i would take a pic of the yarn starring the oh so glamorous pink pie herself...lmao! i know, i know....i'm sorry em, i couldn't resist the lure of the pony. she batted those darn eyelashes at me and i just couldn't resist.  she looks good with it no?  the greys are also equally as gorgeous.  both haar (the darker blue/grey tone) and november (lighter grey) have depth, and are both lovely shades of grey. i love me a good grey people!  and even though em rocks with her colors her greys all stand on their own as well. the girls got skillz!

if you've been looking to get your hands on some yarn for happy street look no further. em has some of the same colorways dyed up and ready for you to bring on home!  you can find her new weight of yarn "solo sock" for sale now and the colorways i purchased "haar", "november" , and "pinkie pie" in her shop now! trust me in that you won't be disappointed. we all covet em's yarns here and they are gorgeous!!!!  thank you again em, for being so awesome and for allowing me to indulge in my latest obsession. xoxo

you can follow and find out more about everything old here:

shop  ||  blog  ||  ravelry  ||  facebook  ||  twitter  ||  instagram

what about you?  are you a veera fan? addicted to her shawls as well?  are you planning on making happy street?  what colorways are you using?  and what about everything old! are you a fan too?  let's chat some yarn goodness!  wishing you all a lovely and handmade kinda weekend.

p.s. off topic... the online crafting community was saddened, shocked and devestated to hear of the loss of kathreen of whipup yesterday. she will be missed greatly. she touched the lives of so many - mine included.  for those of you inquiring on how to help the children an Education Fund has been set up and you can find more information here on whipup.  any help you can do to spread the word is so greatly appreciated. thank you in advance for your time and generosity.

SPRING TOP, TANKS & TEES KNIT ALONG || DEADLINE IS LOOMING

pattern: levenwick by gudrun johnston 

oh man....my spring tops, tanks & tees knit along projects has come to a dead halt for me.  i'm now sitting and typing this post, staring at my project and drinking a venti (yes venti) coffee from starbucks (it was my free drink so don't judge..lol. who doesn't order a venti when it's free right?). the fear of running out of yarn has taken over my excitement for the finished project.  i spent 4 hours knitting with my gals on sat night and i'm still not at the bottom of the cardi. i'm now into the 3rd skein and only have 1 left! 1 left to do the button band, a pocket and 2 sleeves?!!!!!!!! CRAZYTOWN people!  crazy. it's keeping me up at night. lol. die hard knitters will understand this dread and concern. i'm fretting big time but too darn lazy to search for more yarn and too darn stubborn to give up my hope that i can indeed perform a miracle and salvadge the project without more yarn. oh my...someone slap me out of it.  or at least tell me i can do it. one or the other..lol.

my plan of attack is to finish the bottom, do the button band and then weigh what i have left.  then do the sleeves dividing up the portion of yarn left over and see how far i get and then at that point order and hunt for more yarn.  darn it all.  i highly doubt i will make the deadline......but speaking of deadlines how are you all doing?  are we leaning towards an extension like normal? would you like 1 or 2 more weeks? let me know and we'll make it happen.  i need an consensus though peeps and because i'm all diplomatic and stuff (i just voted for our election last night - what a gong show that was but i digress) i've added a little poll into this post just for your voting pleasure.  let me know your thoughts and i'll do my best to make the end of the kal a happy one for us all :)

i'm hoping the poll will distract from the fact that i did indeed promise a shot of my cardi on my human body and not my dream size dress form (she's a 34" bust - i'm 41..lmao!). i did not get a pic taken. i'm hoping for next week. it just may happen.  i gotta nag the hubs and you all know how our photo shoots go.  they always end in me drinking alcohol to calm my nerves.

this week has been a weird one for my kal project. instead of knitting on my project i've been worrying about it which has been deterring me from working on it so i then in turn distract myself by watching knitting podcasts.  now watching podcasts is a bit new for me.  i'm slowly building up my faves.  this week i found 2 new to me ones that i really enjoyed!  the first one is hosted by a gal in our kal who knits one handed!  she's such a sweetheart and her podcast is shot in hawaii! ummmm...can i come live there with you? so gorgeous!  you can find her podcast "singlehandedknitter" on her website and her ravelry group of the same name here. thanks for the shout out melissa in your most recent podcast!

i also stumbled up on the "must stash" podcast. love these gals!  beware though...once i started watching i wanted to watch them all in a row. such a fun duo these gals are!  i was excited to see one of them was making jane's pattern grace! yay! check it out if you're looking for one filled with yarny goodness! you can find the must stash podcast here and all of their social media and ravelry info is on their blog.

so in the true manner of allowing me to continue to self soothe and procrastinate what are your fave knitting podcasts to watch?  fill me in!  i'm thinking it might be fun to put a fun list together in our ravelry group as a resource. whatcha think? 

POLL FOR DEADLINE EXTENSION

remember to vote in the poll about the deadline above!  i've also got coffee and tea on the go for you all...so pull up a seat, come cry with me over my sweater and then i can cheer yours on cause judging by the pics in our rav group you gals are doing AMAZING! DROOLWORTHY! some people are on their 3rd projects!!! thank you for knitting with me :)

>> JOIN IN & SIGN UP <<
- sign up for the knit along by clicking "here".
- get inspired by checking out our kal pinterest board & our pattern roundup post
- take part in all the fun conversation & make new friends in our ravelry group
- find out more and find all the posts and info "here" on our kal homepage.
- remember to tag your instagram pics with #tttkal, same goes on twitter.

>> OUR LOVELY SPONSORS <<

MOMENTS IN THE MOMMYHOOD || THREE

my baby is turning 3 today.  i had a hard time sleeping last night.  for some reason this bday has affected me so much more than 1 or 2 did.  i just cannot believe she is 3. where has the time gone already?  my little angel has just gotten so big and is so not a baby anymore..lol.  i miss the baby days.  harper is such a gift.  she is the most darling little thing and she has her momma just wrapped around her little finger. i mean how could you say no to that face right?  she's my little buddy and comes with me everywhere.  she's so precious and i just can't wait to see what 3 has in store for her.

i have spent a lot of time in thought since xmas about this blog, my creative passions, goals and of course, my family.  what and how to balance my time, energy and attention to and when.  i haven't succeeded in finding the answer but we're slowly getting there.  i don't want to miss the last 2 years i have home with her. i want to cherish them because once she's in kindergarten that's it.  that part of my life with my girls is over.  as much as it is exhausting and challenging i love being able to work from home and be with my girlies.

over the last few months things have changed a bit.  i feel the urge to have some more "evening" time free for me to create instead of being on the computer.  i want to spend time with my husband and i want to have time to actually sleep...lol.  this blog has been such a special and important part of my life and it's not going anywhere - i'm just trying to find a new balance that allows me time to have a healthy home life with my girls, time to take care of myself with exercise and healthy food, time to design and create and of course, time to document it all here with all of you. i hope you all understand and have continued to enjoy the blog this year so far as my family and i transition into a new phase of my dreams and goals.  this momma has to shift things around a bit to make sure i'm not spread so thin i can't enjoy any of it.  my health suffers and so does my family life.  blogging is damn hard work (more than i think 70% of the population is aware of) and mixed with being a full time mom it leaves little left over.  i swear i work more than my hubby :)

my little harper has helped me to realize that i need to balance things better or before i know it another year will have flown past in a blink of an eye and most of it will be spent with mommy and daddy working instead of us all having quality time together. i hope i can try to succeed at least a little bit in all the areas i would like to.  i want to put quality content out here on the blog but i also want to work on my other goals of pattern designing and books.  i hope you'll join me in the journey.  it's so amazing to know that so many of you have been reading since mackenzie was a baby and throughout all of harper's journey.  there is something so amazing and special about that feeling.  i truly love and appreciate every one of you for reading and for being my friend.  thank you from the bottom of my heart.

and to my little girl - mommy loves you. to the moon and back and the stars too.  may all your wishes come true my special angel.

any of you in the same boat with struggling to balance it all? are you an emotional bday person too?  please tell me i'm not the only one doing serious reflection and crying on my toddler's bday..lol.

GIVEAWAY & BOOK REVIEW || SEW PRETTY T-SHIRT DRESSES

sew pretty t-shirt dresses by sweet seams

are you getting ready to through your closets now that the nicer weather is starting? does anyone else get bit by that bug right before summer starts? i always feel the need to purge/clean and re-organize all the clothes in our house before a new season rolls in.  so when i got a chance to review the book "sew pretty t-shirt dresses: more than 25 easy, pattern-free designs for little girls" i was so in.  perfect thing to do with the hubs old tshirts, or ones that have gotten too short or stained for the girls and so on.  it's been a while since i repurposed anything and this book got my wheels turning again.

sew pretty t-shirt dresses has a pattern for every taste level.  from simple and fun to way girly girl.  the book is filled with bright, fun and colorful photos, clear instructions and a section i think we would all appreciate entitled "t-shirt dresses 101" with tips, techniques and more on sewing t-shirt dresses.  the ladies behind sweet seams did a great job putting together 28 patterns!!!  wowsa!

i really enjoyed the layout and found the book concise and easy to follow.  the book is suitable for every sewing level and features projects that would be easily customizable for a more advanced sewer. i think a beginner could jump in using their how to sections at the front of the book and have some fun with these patterns. all the patterns look fast and all begin with 1 t-shirt.  i think it's a great way to create a unique garment for that special girl in your life!

would you like to win one?  find out how to enter below!

Images from Sew Pretty T-Shirt Dresses by Sweet Seams Studio, published by Sixth&Spring Books. Photography by Dan Howell and dress design and instructions copyright © 2013 by Sixth&Spring Books/Soho Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

SEWING || OPEN WIDE ZIPPERED POUCH

open wide zippered pouch tutorial from noodlehead ||  fabric from bari j's splendor 1920

it was recently my mom's 60th bday this week.  among the other gifts we gave her i made her a special pouch to put her knitting and/or hand quilting projects in for working on the go.  my folks love to camp and i thought this would come in handy for her fireside projects.  my mom is a pure die hard and seriously hand quilts her quilts from start to finish. not even her binding is sewn with the machine. it blows my mind every time i see one of her finished quilts.

we both started learning to quilt at the same time - i with the machine and her with her hands :)  i have now happily learned to enjoy sewing my binding on by hand (one part of it anyways) and i'm still working away trying to get her to try her hand at doing a bit on the machine.  in the meantime though i thought she could keep all her wee pieces in this cute pouch to pull out when she wants to work on them.

my mom is also my favorite secret weapon. she's got an eye like a hawk. she lovingly, painstakingly and very carefully edits and proofs all of my tutorials and patterns. she never misses a thing. i love that i always have her and my dad to send my pdf's to for a thorough and intense proofing.  it's so fun to have them be a part of my wee business.  

when i had decided to make my mom a new pouch i knew i wanted to try a new style of zippered pouch instead of the basic rectangle one that i usually make. i remembered my friend anna from noodlehead's free "open wide zippered pouch" tutorial.  this pouch is soooo fun to make!  with 3 sizes available i'm dying to make myself a trio of pouches!  i have so many projects on the go i'm still running out of pouches/bags/totes...lol. which in turn means i create more pouches, which means more projects being made. crazytown i tell ya. somebody stop me!

SPRING TOPS, TANKS & TEES KNIT ALONG - WORKING IT OUT

it's tops, tanks & tees day!  i recently went on a mini vacay to tofino, bc on the weekend and knit like a mad woman the whole car ride there. i'm happy to say i'm almost at the bottom of my levenwick.  what i'm not happy to report is i'm worried about running out of my yarn. yep. bad planner i am.  you see i had purchased my yarn in the hopes of making a tee. then decided to make levenwick instead. i was a tad short on the yardage but figured i could shorten my sleeves which i tend to need to do anyways.  but now i'm almost at the bottom of the cardi and am just about done the 3rd skein out of my 5. eek! i still have a large gorgeous button band to do (that replicates the collar) and both sleeves. not sure if i'm gonna make it......cross your fingers for me will ya?

take note that the dress form this cardi is hanging on is a very teeny size and def not the size large i'm making.  it looks like a freaking tent on this form but hey...that's what you do when you can't get a shot of yourself in it easily and your house is a disaster, your kids are crying for dinner and you just...well...need a pic. hopefully next week i can take a progress shot with it on me and not on my teeny dress from which i absolutely do not use for making clothes for myself (hint, hint...i bought a new one! she just arrived! i can't wait to introduce you all to her! more to come on that soon).

levenwick by gudrun johnston for wool people

i know i'm not the only one having some ttt kal project issues though.  remember if you need help or have questions please feel free to ask our ravelry kal group.  we love to help out and give support!  there are also lots of helpful posts listed here in our knit alongs home page.  you can easily peruse through the old knit alongs as well for guest posts and tips on the problem/issue you are having.  i know some of you are starting to finish your projects (you go girls!) but for those who are coming up on some special techniques like pockets, picking up stitches or getting ready to do seaming i wanted to remind you all of some of our fave helpful posts from previous knit alongs!

|| HELPFUL POSTS ||
- seaming with guest kelly of celtic cast on (this has videos! it's awesome)
- how to knit pockets
- picking up stitches tutorial from guest jane richmond
- how to pick up stitches tips post

also i just have to say one of my absolute favorite thing about this kal (besides all the awesome conversations going on in our ravelry group) is instagram! i adore that you are all using the #tttkal hashtag! i so look forward to watching your progression shots on there! it's bee so fun!!! i'm trying to find a way to showcase some of the pics on here...or at least get a screenshot or something. we'll see if i can finagle something.  if you're not on instagram join in - it's one of my fave forms of social media. you can find me on there under "luvinthemommyhood" and you can also keep up to date with my instagram shots on the sidebar at the bottom as well if you're not on instagram.

and just a reminder if you are done your ttt kal project please feel free to post your finished pics in our FO thread for the ttt kal as well.  that way i can make sure to include you in our "starring you" post at the of the knit along!

alrighty...fill me in! how's your project coming along? did you blog about your project this week?  have you hit any roadblocks?  go on...pour a cup of coffee & let's chat!  

>> JOIN IN & SIGN UP <<
- sign up for the knit along by clicking "here".
- get inspired by checking out our kal pinterest board & our pattern roundup post
- take part in all the fun conversation & make new friends in our ravelry group
- find out more and find all the posts and info "here" on our kal homepage.

>> OUR LOVELY SPONSORS <<

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