Mini Boden Inspired Pants

I love the style of mini Boden's Heart Patch Trousers and have long wanted to replicate it. So, when MG needed a pair of brown pants (the other pair has become BK's) I decided to give it a try.

I started with the Oliver + S Sandbox pants pattern and did a little tweaking to get the look.  The biggest change...the inset pockets.  These are a little differently shaped than the other inset pockets I've done so I went ahead and drew up a pattern for size 4 pockets.  You can get it HERE.  Hopefully, the link works.  Disclaimer:  I am by no means an expert in computers.  In fact, what I know about computers and software is just enough to get me in trouble.:)

When you print the pocket pattern off, make sure you have the printer setting at "actual size" and that "landscape" is marked.  Double check with print preview to make sure the whole thing is going to be printed.  The gray square should measure 1" by 1"...though my cutting skills are in question so it's not a perfect square.  It should look like this:

*warning* This is only a picture of the pattern piece.  You'll have to access the above link to print off the correctly sized pocket.

The concept of this inset pocket is the same as the original tutorial I shared.  You'll need to alter the pants' front pattern piece with the printed off pocket pattern minus the starred area.  The pocket facing is the entire pattern piece.  The pocket lining pattern piece is minus the starred section.   There are step by step photos in the original tutorial that show exactly what you need to do.

Part 2 of the original tutorial shows how I sewed the pockets.  On this pair, I chose to roll the pocket lining out.  I skipped the understitching step and eyeballed how much of the lining I wanted to show. 

The other details are the heart knee patches, topstitching, and the knit waistband.  The hearts are made from 2 layers to make sure they are sturdy.  There's nothing fancy about the hearts...I drew a heart in the approximate size I wanted and cut 2 out for each knee.  Sewed them right sides together leaving a space for turning, turned them right side out, pressed, pressed, pressed, and stitched them to the pants before I stitched the inseams.  To mark where the hearts needed to go, I held up the pants to MG while they were under construction (ie the pockets were in and the outseams had been stitched).

The waistband is a rib knit with elastic inside.  I cut a 3" wide band approximately 22 inches long and sewed the short ends together to make a circle.  I folded it in half and pinned it to the top of the pants, lining the seam up with the center back seam of the pants.  I then attached it with a 1/2" seam.  I finished the waistband seam with a serger before pressing it towards the pants and top stitching.  The rib knit wasn't quite enough to hold the pants up on MG so I went back and unpicked the center back seam of the waistband so I could insert 1" wide elastic.  I hand stitched that seam closed. 

MG was at birthday party sleepover last night and I don't think she got much sleep!

If you're interested in making a similar style of pants, I hope this helps.  I know it's not as clear as my other tutorials.  While sewing these pants, I made it up as I went along so trying to go back and write about exactly what I did wasn't easy.  Let me know if you have any ?'s and I'll do my best to help!

linking up to: 

Signature Look

Yes, I know I said I was done participating in Project Run and Play's sewalong at home to focus on what needed to be sewn.  However, the outfit I finished this morning for BK embodies what I would call my "signature look" so I'm going to go ahead and put some pictures in the flickr pool. 

It's no secret that my family likes the beach and spending time outdoors.   My signature look falls right in line with our lifestyle.  Casual, comfortable clothing that stands up to a hard day of playing and getting dirty.  For the younger girls, I like to add a little bit of whimsy to their outfits.  Whether it's an applique or embroidery or maybe even a fun print!

Sunshiny Days Outfit

 

Jeans:  Ottobre Design 01/12 #18 Pipe Leg Cargo Pants

Tops:  Oliver + S Hopscotch Top

and

Oliver + S Class Picnic Blouse

The jeans are made out of left over stretch denim from K's Slim Hip jeans.  I made a size 110 but did slightly smaller seam allowances than the 1 cm I had added to the pattern as I was worried the pants would be too small on BK.  I also put buttonhole elastic through the back so that MG could wear the pants. 

I had fun adding detail!  First, on the outseam I did 2 rows of contrast topstitching in yellow and orange.  The buttons I used on the cargo pockets and waistband were given to me by a friend (Thanks, Claire!) and have holes all around the outside that you can add embroidery floss to.  Lastly, I used a free embroidery pattern from Wild Olive to add a little cheer to the back pockets.

The first top is the Oliver + S Hopscotch  sewn up in City Weekend Interlock.  It's a great basic top with a little interest in the neckline and gathers. 

This is an easy top to sew...from cutting it out to the last stitch=1 hour and 15 minutes!  I did a faux coverstitch on the hems for detail...

and because I was too lazy to switch over to my other machine that's permanently set up with a twin needle.:)

The Hopscotch top is perfect for layering under another Oliver + S shirt:

The Class Picnic Blouse

This top is made from a quilting cotton, Sandi Henderson's Meadowsweet Meadow Dot Citrus.  I sewed the side and sleeve seam allowances at 1 cm instead of 1/2" to ensure that the top was loose enough to have a layer underneath.

"Are we done yet, Mom?  I want to run around and play!"

rolling down a hill

The dirty knees of the jeans attest to the fact that this outfit has seen a lot of playing time!

Not so Basic Sweatpants

Sometimes, I'll get a new issue of Ottobre Design and it'll sit.  Not that I don't like the patterns that are in there...they are just not what the kids need need right then. 

But the latest issue (01/12) filled an immediate need.  More pants for MG!

 Ottobre Design 01/12 #23 "All-Time Favorite Cargo Sweatpants"

The fabric is left over sweatshirt fleece from K's Saija sweatpants.  MG likes soft pants but doesn't really like to wear leggings.  These were a happy compromise as they are soft and warm with a slim fit but not as tight as leggings.  This pair is a 104 in width and a whopping 122 in length.  I was taking no chances on these being outgrown in a week!

I liked the details on these, especially the cargo pockets on the side of the legs.  The pocket bags in front and the lining of the cargo flaps are yellow dotted City Weekend interlock. 

Miss M is all ready to go run and play!

And little sister had to get in on the fun this morning...

Utilitarian Sewing

I like to sew fancy or stylish outfits as much as anyone.  But there are times when useful pieces are needed to fill a void.  That's what this week has been about.

Ottobre Design 04/11 #33 "Longicorn sweatpants"

K is preparing for the upcoming track season and needed some more sweatpants to do her conditioning in.  I didn't have enough suitable fabric so I cut up a pair of her dad's old sweatpants (don't tell on me!).  I used a size 146 and had to add 3 1/2 inches to the leg length. 

The waistband is left over rib knit from my Billy Cardi and the pocket bags were cut from an old t-shirt of mine.  The ribbing is really a dark purple and not the almost burgundy that it comes across as in the photo.  I skipped doing the button holes and drawstring but might go back and tack a little bow on the front. 

I'm going to be searching the big box stores for men's sweatpants to cut apart for another pair and to replace my husband's.:)

Ottobre Design 06/11 #37 "Boxer shorts"

Another pair of pajama pants for P, just like the pair I made at Christmas.  These had been cut out for way too long and my son has been complaining that he didn't have enough long pants for bed.  Done and Done.

I really like the button fly on these.  It adds a little detail to an otherwise boring pair of elastic waist pants. 

I know some people prefer to spend their sewing time on fun projects and skip the utilitarian stuff.  I don't mind sewing the practical (like sweatpants and pjs)but I do find it hard to get motivated enough to sit down and do it.  This week, I would have rather worked on the blouse I'm smocking or the embellished pair of jeans I'm constructing for B.  Both are projects that I don't normally do so they are a bit of a challenge.  And then, I'm always planning the next project.  What about you?  Do you skip sewing the basics?

Remarkable Raven

I'm completely doing a Nicole on the Clever Charlotte sew-n-show post title.:)

I think it's fair to say that I like the Raven pattern.

This is my third pair of the pants (such a quick sew!) and now I've conquered the hoodie.

The pants are a size 4 with the length of the 5 and are made from the dark teal corduroy sold on Clever Charlotte's website.  The hoodie is a size 4 also and is a Valori Wells Jenaveve Tribal Floral in Teal on one side and a natural color linen blend on the other. 

The linen teal isn't quite a match to the cord.  There's a little more green in it. 

I really took my time lining up the print to ensure a balanced look.  My fussy cutting didn't extend towards the tie however.:)

Despite my model's less than enthusatic expression, she does like the outfit.  She doesn't have many tops that will coordinate with the pants and hoodie but I'm hoping to remedy that soon.  Today, she wore a white rtw long sleeved tee that Grandma embroidered just for her.

 

It's such a little thing...

But it makes you feel like you're not talking to yourself!

Tara over at True, Pure, Lovely  emailed me a few days ago to let me know that she had passed on the Liebster Award to me.  What is it, you ask?  The Liebster Award is given to recognize and spread the word about blogs with under 200 followers.   I think it's a fun way to expose people to blogs that don't necessarily have as high a profile as some of the others out there.  I'm a sucker for finding new sources of inspiration as the # of blogs in my reader can attest. :)

Tara has some interesting happenings on her blog for 2012.  She's doing a:

 

Every month she'll be highlighting a new book.  February is Girl's World by Jennifer Paganelli and there's also a giveaway so go check it out.

 

The rules of the Liebster Award are:

 

*choose five up and coming blogs with less than 200 followers

 

*mention them on your blog

 

*let them know by sending them a message that

 

 they have been nominated

 

Pretty Simple!  Most of the blogs I follow are smaller.  I like to think that they are a lot like me...busy moms who like to create and have a blog in order to have a record of those creations plus interact with other like minded people.  On to my nominees (Drum Roll, Please!)...

 

Uta at little el:   I'm quite impressed with Uta's Me-Made and Self-Stitched posts as sewing for myself isn't something I've done much of.  She also sews  clothes for her children. I love this pair of jeans that she sewed.  The reverse applique flower is adorable!  Uta is getting ready to do a Fabric Embellishment-along soon which sounds like a lot of fun. 

 

Nicole at Five & Counting:  If you've seen Nicole's work, it speaks for itself.  She has the most amazing eye for detail.  She generously shares how she sews together patterns so you can get the same wonderful results.  Lately, Nicole's been showing how she constructs the Clever Charlotte Chickadee blouse.

 

Sandra at Sugar Cubes & Spice Cakes:  Another lady with a great sense of style.  She has a knack for putting the right pieces together to create outfits that are pleasing to the eye.  And she recently slipcovered her couch!! 

 

I wish I had the time to give a little shout out to every blog I read.  There truly are some hidden gems out there.  But due to being without our computer for the past several days while it was being repaired (using my iPhone just isn't the same!), I have a ton of catch up emails and such that are part of my regular life to deal with.  Plus I have some sewing to get to!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

70 degrees and BK

Yes, it is February 1st but it feels more like April 1st!  BK wanted to go to the beach but instead I made her pose for pictures of the Little Things to Sew Bear Carrier that is destined to be one of MG's birthday presents in March.  

 

I had plans to sew this up eventually but wasn't planning on tackling it in January even though it was the project of the month in A Little Gray's LTTS Sewalong.  But then I looked at the fabric requirements and realized I could use up some of my larger scraps.  The stripe fabric is a home decor weight that I used for my everything tote and the dots are left over from MG's Family Reunion dress.

Buttercup the Webkinz  Chihuahua fits in the carrier.  Though I do think one of his companions with longer legs might fit a little better.

The straps criss cross nicely in the back so that the carrier stays secure.

A larger doll (or animal) fits even better.  This baby is 18" tall.  There are two sets of buttons to adjust the height depending on who is riding in the carrier.  On this one, I put 3 different patches of velcro so that the width could be adjusted.

I think I'll be sewing another one of these for BK's birthday in May.

And one last gratuitous photo of my little grumpy girl wearing the Amanda blouse and jumper on Sunday...