I’m so happy to be participating in Kid’s Clothes Week this season. I have been avoiding my sewing machine for months now. Chalk it up to a loss of sew-jo. Even if you love to sew, (or knit, or bake, or code, or run) you don’t have to love it every minute, right? You might even hate it sometimes.

I definitely did not hate making these pants. I used the Mini Hudson pattern by True Bias and I am so glad I did. The pattern is practically perfect: the directions are clear, the drawings are helpful, and WOOOHOO! there are notches. So many indie patterns forgo notches. Do they think they’re old fashioned? Well, I think they are incredibly helpful.  I say, “Bring back the notch!”

The fabric is a sweater print that I picked up a long while back for my cheetah loving boy (see this, this and this). He loved them immediately! But then I knew he would. They are soft, cozy, and cheetah. What more could you ask for?

My kids are going to have to wear uniforms this fall. If the clothes I make them are going to get worn, they have to be of the soft, stretchy variety for after school antics. I see many Mini Hudsons in my future. Do you have any other lounge-y patterns you like?

This KCW has been all about making gifts for babies. I thought it would be super quick and I could crank em out. Not so. As I’ve gotten better at sewing, I’ve gotten slower. Seems counterintuitive, I know. Yes, I can sew faster, but now when I make things I want to make them better not faster. That means slowing down and ironing a hem before I sew it–pinning it even! [just as an aside: I listened to a podcast where the interviewee, Soyna Phillip, said the same thing. It’s a good one, go listen! ] (more…)

The theme for this season’s KCW is STORYBOOK. I have a lot of favorite kids’ books, but this one is my favorite favorite. It’s fun to read, which is a must when it comes to kid’s books. I hate slogging through poorly written bleh books (I’m looking at you Berenstain Bears). But I Can Fly is wonderfully written, which is not a big surprise seeing that it’s by the great children’s book author, Ruth Krauss. She’s written some fantastic books. A Hole is to Dig is really good too: random and perfectly kid. (more…)

I started sewing clothes for my kids 6 years ago. These pants are actually the first thing I ever made! Part of me is very proud at how far I’ve come. That up there is a by god homemade swimsuit! But then another part of me is disappointed with my sloth-like pace.

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Annika from näh-connection asked if she could interview me for her Sew Fantastic blog series. What I am supposed to say no? :) Annika blogs from Germany and she is interviewing sewing bloggers from all over the world this summer. (more…)