Fast Pants! {some stitch swap fun}

Hello again!  I know it's been practically forever since I've written here.  I made the tough, but necessary, decision to close my custom sewing business for the summer after I realized the time was flying by and we had it packed full of family fun and other commitments.

Needless to say... with the sun shining (a somewhat rare occurrence in the Pacific NW), kiddos growing, family vacations, and a BIG focus on health & fitness around our house - I haven't done very much sewing the past month, almost two!

BUT - before I made the decision to take a "breather" - I signed up for a fun "Stitch Swap" with a great group of bloggers.  We got paired up and sent our partner a random / surprise yard of fabric for them to work with!  Some partners asked questions so that they could decide what to send - Danica from The Sewing Sparrow totally got her pick for me SPOT ON!  (Thanks so much Danica!)

She sent me this awesome fabric - so perfect as a mama to two boys who LOVE all vehicles!

Our boys LOVE wearing elastic-waist pants (can you blame them?!) - and it warms my heart that their FAVES are ones I've made!  So I knew I wanted to make some shorts or pants for one or both of the boys.  I was leaning toward shorts, but the hubby reminded me that the sunny days will be gone again soon (and even the sunny days are often followed by cooler nights) - so I went with some pants!

 

Time was definitely NOT on my side with this project.  Thank goodness I had the super-quick, simple-to-follow Taylor's Pajama Pants pattern from Create Kids Couture (available on fabric.com)

I'm not kidding when I say that I got them done in 25 minutes.  And that included printing, assembling, and cutting the pattern piece!

Sure enough he LOVES them!  He was so excited when I held them up - "Mommy are those for MEEEEE?!  Did you MAKE them?  Thank you mommy!"  Melt.my.heart.

So a BIG thank you to Danica for picking out and sending the PERFECT fabric - and a thank-you to Stephanie from Swoodson Says for hosting this fun little swap!  It was the perfect "excuse" I needed to get a little bit of sewing done!

Want to see more swap posts?  Check out the schedule below!


Monday July 21st
Stephanie -- Swoodson Says
Jamie -- Salutations Louisville
Ashley -- Sewing Sober
Kathy -- Handmade Dress Haven

Tuesday July 22nd
Tasha -- Friends Stitched Together
Janelle -- Emmaline Bags
Kim -- Sew & Tell with Mama Eggo
April-- Open Sky Creations

Wednesday July 23rd
Amy-- Friends Stitched Together
Danica -- The Sewing Sparrow
Bethany -- Two Novembers
Jessica -- The Berry Bunch

Thursday July 24th
Chrissy -- Muse of the Morning
Fenna -- Fabulous Home Sewn
Melissa -- Rebel and Malice
Irene -- Sugaridoo

Friday July 25th
Jess -- Gracious Threads
Emily -- Tangible Pursuits
Roxanne -- Pensebrox
Megan -- Upcycling? Refashion That Idea.

WIP Wednesday 6/18/14

Yesterday I shared some peeks at the SewCanShe sew-along blocks I was working on.  Today - - - I have an (almost complete) quilt top to share!

Isn't it cool how those two blocks work together to create a completely different look?!

I'm loving it so far.... but thinking I want to add a border or two before the top is officially complete.

What do you think???

Right now it would be approximately 36" x 45" if I finished it without any borders

Linking up with WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced - can't wait to see what everyone else is working on!

Quilt top in progress

This weekend I got the "bug" to do a little bit of fun sewing - I had worked on a few items for a birthday party and had a bit of a lull in custom orders (none paid, all in the "design" phase right now).

I probably *should* have worked on getting caught up on some BOMs / sewalongs - or started my Avatrix Medallion quilt..... but I had seen the SewCanShe Classic Blocks: Fresh Fabrics post for this month (check it out HERE) and remembered really wanting to sew some up.  I loved how the two blocks came together to make something totally different than what they look like apart.

Saturday I was able to sew up a bunch of 9" 9-patch blocks (excuse the cell phone pics.... my camera battery ran out and I can't figure out where the charger is!)

Fabrics are from my stash - pulled to go with that pretty aqua paisley fabric!

Then I was able to squeeze a little bit more time in Monday morning before the boys woke up (yeah for alarm clocks that go off at 4:30am and lots of coffee!) - to get the snowballs sewn up.

  

 Thinking I'll have to sew up those little triangles and maybe piece them into the back - or a border?!

 

 Pressed and stacked!  Next up: figuring out the layout and sewing them all together!

Want to see more sneak peeks - my sewing process, family, fitness goals - - - I share them all over on Instagram!  @MamaEggo is me!

Birthday sewing!

Since the very beginning of my sewing business I have had the fun of making some pretty special birthday shirts / onesies / outfits.  Over the last 3+ years I've made hundreds of them - and it's always a really cool thing to know that someone trusts me to make such a special, important item for their kiddo(s).

Last week, I had fun sewing up a birthday dress for our friends' daughter who turns two today!!!

Then because I knew she was pretty obsessed with Thomas - and figured it was probably pretty tough to find girly Thomas stuff - I sewed up another dress and a tunic for her birthday gift.

She was SO cute as she tore through all the gifts - doing a GREAT job of picking up each item and showing it to everyone - quickly - then moving on to the next gift!

One of the things that is the biggest bummer about custom sewing is that it is pretty rare that I get to see the items I make ON the kiddos I make them for.  They go in the mail and are (hopefully) loved when they arrive at their new home.....

But things look SO much cuter on kiddos than hangars!

So you can imagine how FUN it was for me to see that two kiddos (birthday girl and another friend) were wearing items I made at the party!

Crummy cell phone pic.... sorry! :)

Still a WIP

A month and a half ago, I shared a bit about my personal journey - as I am a WIP.  This past week, I have hit a few more milestones / completed a few goals - - - so what better time to share that with you than another WIP Wednesday?!

May 31, 2014 I completed my last run for the couch-to-5k training program - and 9 weeks prior I was sure I wanted to attempt it, but not so sure about my success.

That day, I ran 4.28 miles (not the 3.1 (5k) plus warm up / cool down "required" by the program).  One friend kindly pointed out "you realize you ran more than a 5k, right?!" :)  Yes!  Was it purposeful?  Partially..... I had plans to run at least the 5k - maybe a bit more.  But I also drove and parked my car just outside of town and then ran through our small city - and got a bit farther away from my car than I realized - - - so I had no choice, I had to run back to it!

The feeling of accomplishment - it's empowering!  I was NOT a runner 9 weeks ago.  I hated it.  I was making HUGE strides in my fitness goals - - - using awesome HIIT workouts / strength training..... but running?  Yah, right.

But when others tell me "yah, right" I see it as a challenge - so I finally decided it was time to see my own doubt as a challenge.

After that run, I immediately downloaded a 10k run training app.  Did I ever think I'd be attempting to run 10k?  NOPE.... but I didn't think I could / would care to run a 5k either!

Yes... that's the same shirt (and kiddo mess) in each photo!

This weekend is my birthday and I'm SO excited to be celebrating it by running the Graffiti 5k with some friends and family (my first "official" run!) - then spending the rest of the weekend surrounded by those I love.  It's the perfect way to celebrate another year in the books - and the last 5 months of HARD work!

I'm not done.... not at all.  I never will be.  As I accomplish my goals, I set new ones.  One I've got on the books right now is attempting to find a better balance - again.  This commitment to fitness and health is taking a ton of focus and, well... time.  My sewing machine has been severely neglected - and really, that's okay.... but I am starting to miss it - so it's time to re-focus and put together a strategy to be able to do it all! :)

Still a WIP..... but celebrating the wins along the way!

Oh..... and because you're probably confused and thinking "I thought I was following the blog of a fabric addict / sewing mama!?" - check out these pretty fabrics my friend Alyssa from Calm and Carrion sent me the other day!  So sweet!  Riley Blake, Blend, Anthology... yum!  I count these as a WIP too because I think they'll look really pretty all sewn up together - - - so I'm going to add them to my "fun" sewing list!

Linking up with WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced - hoping to draw some inspiration and motivation from what everyone else is working on! :)

A quick "hello!" {yes, I'm still here.... kinda}

Wow.  9 days since my last post?  Yikesa!

In all honesty.... I've been in a creative funk.  I think of projects I'd like to work on - and then when I happen to have a few free seconds {because that's about all I'm getting these days} the inspiration just isn't there!

Busy life, good healthy changes going on, active and growing kiddos, bits of sunny weather - - - so much to do, so little time!

I told my husband the other night I need to either take a BREAK (like for real.... intentional.... where I don't still feel like I should be doing some sewing / creating) - - - - or I need to chain myself to my sewing machine and "sew through it"!

Neither of those options are very practical..... so I think I'll go with option 3: attempt to get a bit more sleep (lately we have been averaging about 5.5 hours a night!), work through paid custom orders (not many... but a few are still hanging out there!), and then grab some FUN fabric and just SEW.

How do you get yourself through a slump / funk?  Whether it's in your creative life, work, fitness goals, personal goals.... I know we all go through them - and there's no miracle cure for them..... but help a mama out! :)

One thing I AM doing {that I think will help} - I'm running my first 5k in just over a week!  I have always HATED running.  No joke.  But tomorrow (or Saturday) I will complete the last run of my couch-to-5k training program - having run for 9 straight weeks at least three times a week.... and the following weekend I have friends and family ready to run a fun color run to celebrate!  I know it will be an awesome accomplishment - and the fact that I'm *this close* to completing this goal (and then making more!) is very energizing!

I haven't done TONS of sewing lately - though I somehow seem to be accumulating more fabric (oops!?) - but I have worked on a few projects....

Sneak peek of an item I made for a pattern tester {pattern releases in June - I'll share more then!}  Yes... I was brave and cut into some Art Gallery for this one!!!

This cutie pie was "helping" me with my photo shoot

*Just about* finished with some fun baseball jerseys for my friend's twins.  I made them onesies about 3 years ago - - - crazy how much our kiddos have grown!

Superhero Gift Set finish

I'm so excited about the gift set I finished up this weekend!

Look at all those fun items!  So bright and.... awesome!  I had shared a sneak peek at this project almost two weeks ago for WIP Wednesday - - - my how time flies when the sun comes out!

This gift set includes: A quilted security / mini blanket, two minky-backed bibs, two burp cloths, and a tie onesie

Two burp cloths - practical but oh-so-fun.

Bibs backed in suuuuuper soft minky

A quilted security blanket - about 18" square - perfect for the car or for snuggling without dragging on the floor {my 1.5 year old sleeps with his every night!}

And of course - a tie onesie!

My customer is giving this set as a gift to a friend expecting the arrival of a lil' superhero.  What an awesome gift!  Practical, fun, and perfect for their superhero-loving family.

I packaged this set up and put it in the mail yesterday - I hope they love how it turned out as much as I do!

I also got this pretty stack o' fabric in the mail for the SMS Giveaway Day winner - Karen.  I'm thinking I need to sew something using these fabrics / colors ASAP!  Happy sewing, Karen!

Winner!

I had so much fun reading through all of YOUR awesome & creative color combinations!  I definitely added some to my "someday" list - - - and added a few colors to my "must bump ump my stash of _____" list.

I did my best to reply to all of the comments I could (and was sad to see a decent amount of no-reply bloggers!) - but I definitely missed some on Friday thanks to a busy day with the kiddos.  Some of you pointed me toward GREAT new fabric and pattern obsessions! :)

I know I found a BUNCH of new blogs I really enjoy thanks to Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day - and I bet you did too {and yes, I'm hoping mine is one of them!}

I visited random.org and it determined comment number 45 (of 393 - wow!) was the winner.  That would be Karen K. who said "I am about to make a yellow & blue quilt. Yellow is so warm and sunny! Can't wait to start! Thanks."

Congratulations Karen!  You should have an email in your inbox - I hope you have fun with the charm pack and surprise fabrics!

We have a Sunday / Monday weekend around here - with lots of sewing planned.  Then a short week before the holiday weekend!

WIP Wednesday - 5/14/14

After some help a few weeks back from a friend, I got 1 of 3 bins of my scraps sorted by color into plastic bins - - - and then realized I definitely needed more (bins... not scraps.....)

So I picked up more bins.... and this weekend I roped another friend (hi Mackenzie!) into helping me organize the other 2 (and a half..... because I had since made more scraps) bins.  We chatted, we laughed, and pretty quickly (relatively speaking, of course!) - they were sorted

Now what do I do with all these pretty scraps?!

{Not pictured: rainbow scraps from Maureen Cracknell's recent de-stash.... yes, I realize I *may* have a "problem"}

My hubby actually came up with one idea - - - and I'm going to give it a try this weekend for an upcoming auction.... but it definitely won't use ALL of these scraps (and I'm bound to make LOTS more).

Maybe once I FINALLY start cutting out my Avatrix Medallion Quilt I'll get on a medallion kick and make a scrappy version of that center block for a pillow?!  Hmmmmm.....

So I'd love to know what your favorite scrap-busting projects are!

Linking up with WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced - can't wait to see what others are working on!

Pattern Review: Almost One Size Truly Scrumptious Pant

First: let me challenge you to say that pattern name 10 times fast!  5 times?  Twice?!?!?!  Ha!

When Chrissy from Muse of the Morning asked for bloggers interested in doing reviews of her patterns I browsed her selection - and was intrigued by these pants.

Here's why (from the pattern listing):
"Children from approximately 6 mos up to 7 years old can wear them! There is ONE pattern piece, which is cut at the appropriate length."

Oh reeeeeallly!?

So here's what I found out when I gave them a go! {please keep in mind I was given this pattern for free in order to participate in this blog tour / review - but my opinions are honest and not influenced by that monetary savings!}

The Pattern
Sizes: "Baby Bloomers" (looks like about a 6-12 month size) through 7
Options: Basic Pants, Basic Bloomers, Patchy Pants, Strippy Pants (strips of fabric..... c'mon!), optional ruffles on the bum
Pattern Pieces: ONE if you're making the basic pants; 2-3 if you're making the patchy / strippy option.  For EVERY size.  Really, truly.  They all have the same width / rise - - - with length cutting lines for each size
Time to sew: I'd say under an hour for the patchy / strippy pants; 30-45 minutes for the basic pants (and that includes taping the pattern together.... and distracting the kiddos with "really cool" toys so you can get back behind the sewing machine)

What I Made
I cut out four pairs of pants - two pars of basic pants, and two pairs of strippy pants.  One of each style in both 2T and 4T.  As for what I sewed..... here's a little glimpse into the life of a work-at-home, handmade business owning mama.....

The truth is - - - my children do not understand deadlines.  Or "mommy NEEDS to work".... or.... "please-do-not-body-slam-your-brother-into-the-floor, I just have ONE more hem to finish up."

So I had the best of intentions when signing up for this tour - I was going to rock it.  I was going to finally make pants {lots of them, obviously!} from the LARGE selection of fabrics I have been storing up for my kiddos.

But life comes up.... and my plan to get this done WAY ahead of time - well, I failed.  Then it was Monday morning, and despite telling my kiddos (and myself) that I had a deadline to meet - - the sun came out and obviously we had to play outside.  So the Wednesday morning deadline was getting closer and closer by the second and I WASN'T SEWING.

But... the moral of this story?!  These pants are FAST to sew up!  Even the strippy ones!  I cut them out Monday afternoon, ironed all the pieces, then didn't get a chance to sew them up until Tuesday morning (after breakfast was consumed and the kiddos seemed to be happily playing for at least a few minutes).  I put the pedal to the carpet and my machines kept up with my "must sew all the things - FAST" pace.

Then I bribed the kiddos with a picnic lunch outside if they would pleeeeeeeease allow me to take a few pictures.  We got a few.... and I KNOW they love their pants because despite the 80 degree temperature outside I could NOT get them to take them off and swap 'em out for shorts.  So they played in them - enjoyed our picnic in them - and smiled the whole time!

After sewing up the two pairs of strippy pants - and getting them on my boys, I can say that I love that this pant has so many options - all that can be pretty simply incorporated into the base construction / design.  It's great that I can print the pattern ONCE, cut it out at the biggest size, and then fold the pant leg up at the line for the size I'm making!

I did feel like the rise of the pant was a bit long on my 1.5 year old (size 2T), and the legs are definitely a bit wide on him.  Not so much that it's an issue.... just not as "trim" of a look as I'd prefer.  For the basic pants I think I may trim down the legs a little bit!

The pattern pieces printed well - and I loved the use of a variety of symbols at each page overlap.  Between the page numbers and the symbols, you should have NO problem getting this taped together!  The instructions were very clear - and construction was a breeze.  I actually put 1" elastic into my boys' pants because they are pretty skinny and the 3/8" that the pattern calls for often doesn't feel like "enough" (in other items I've sewn) - really just a personal preference thing, but thanks to serging (rather than turning the raw edge under) I had the flexibility to do this and not alter the fit from the pattern as written.

This pattern does not have a cutting chart for the elastic.  For many that probably isn't an issue - but for people like me who are most often sewing for customers / kiddos that they don't have in front of them and ready to measure - this means needing to reference another pattern's cutting chart or a table online.  Not a BIG deal - - - but just something to keep in mind!

All in all - I love how these strippy pants turned out and I'm excited to get the basics sewn up as well.  The boys love them, too!  This was the perfect pattern for that busy but AWESOME OSU Beavers fabric - I definitely wouldn't want a whole pair of pants from it.... but the strippy accent is GREAT!

If you made it through all of that... you should be rewarded, right!? :)

Well you're in luck!

If you click over to the first day of the tour you'll find a giveaway!  Chrissy is giving away TEN patterns of the winners' choice - wow!

Also, she has an active coupon code to celebrate the blog tour!  Head over to the Muse of the Morning Pattern Shop and enjoy 30% off any (or all!?) of her patterns through May 17th using the coupon code BLOGTOUR30.  Wowza!

Thanks again to Chrissy for asking me to participate in this blog tour / review - it was fun!