Romance Raglan Release and a Coupon Code!

With 3 sleeve options this pattern is so versatile. This is a raglan with a new lovely romantic twist. It is also one of the first pdf patterns designed so it can be worn off the shoulder. A flattering silhouette and a waist with room to breath. It comes in a wide range of sizes (XXS-4X). You'll be wanting to make these all year long.

So many of you have been anxiously waiting for this pattern and I'm so excited to say it is officially release day today! The Romance Raglan is now available on both Craftsy and Etsy. In celebration of the release I created a 20% off coupon code for Etsy. Just type: ROMANCE in at check out. It is good for anything purchased in my shop. The price is already adjusted to the sale price on Craftsy since they do not have a coupon option. It will be on sale until Sept 16, 2015.

 

I hope you don't mind hearing "I love your shirt! Where did you get it?". ;-)

I'm having trouble narrowing down tester pics. I would use them all if I could. I just love them all!

         

Call for Pattern Testers Romance Raglan

I'm looking for testers again!

This is for a women's shirt pattern that comes in sizes XXS through size 4X. That is 10 sizes!!!! I need testers for ALL of them. So please be honest and tell me the size you need. Below is a chart of finished garment sizes. For an ideal fit the waist should be a little loose.

This pattern is a flirty swooped v-neck raglan that can be worn as an off the shoulder. I introduce to you......

As a tester you obviously get a free copy of the final pattern in all it's sizes (does not include seller's license). You also might have a picture of your finished work featured in the pdf pattern itself.

I believe this pattern would be good for a confident beginner. However I would like to know how you would classify it's difficulty level.

What is required of a tester?

1.) I need you to tell me about any issues you have with the pattern or any typos you may find.
2.) If the fit seems off I need to know what you are having an issue with.

3.) I need to know how much fabric you had to use to make this project.
4.) Did the sizing seem correct?
5.) Were the instructions easy to follow?
6.) I also would like you to provide a picture or pictures of your finished garment. Preferable you wearing your new shirt. 

I will need you to complete at least one shirt and report back to me within 1 week. It goes together quickly. You can do it.

How do you get to be a tester you ask? First be sure you can do what is required of a tester. Next follow my blog so even if you don't get picked to test this time you will still know when I'm calling for testers next time. Next send me an email at wildblumes @ gmail.com with the answers to the following questions. Please be sure to put "Pattern Tester Call" and the letter size you'd like to test in the subject line. I will ONLY be selecting testers from applicant emails. Last time I had people trying to apply via blog post, email, and facebook. It's just to difficult to try and choose testers from 3 or more different media platforms. This also helps ensure that everyone has a fair opportunity. 

1.) What is your sewing experience? (aka years/months sewing, experience working with patterns, ect.)
2.) What is you skill level?
3.) What size can you test?
4.) Do you plan to blog about it?
5.) Can you get good pictures of the shirt being worn?

Please be as honest as possible. Being a beginner doesn't mean you will be disqualified from testing. I would like to have feedback from all different skill levels.

If you aren't selected to test don't worry. The final pattern will be available soon. Hooray! Join our facebook group and you'll know as soon as it's made available for purchase. https://www.facebook.com/groups/wildblumespatterns/

As always feel free to ask questions below if you have any. 

RELEASE DAY! Felicity Flutter Top is available!

It's GO TIME!!!! The moment you have all been waiting for! The Felicity is LIVE and ready to SEW! Head on over to either Craftsy or Etsy to purchase your copy. Remember that it is on sale for $8 this week only! I've also set up a facebook group here where everyone can connect with others and share their Felicity tops.

A few things about the Felicity Flutter top. This lovely shirt is sure to become a staple in your closet with it's light airy sleeves it offers versatile comfortable wearability while also providing the comfort of a tank top. Dress it up for special occasions or down for everyday wear with your fabric choices. This is "the little black dress" of fabric patterns. BONUS! This shirt also includes a nursing option that is super simple and doesn't change the finished look.

This shirt is meant for knit fabric and designed to be fitted yet comfortable.

Flat construction makes this pattern very easy for sewers of all skill levels. This shirt goes together very fast and will quickly help you build confidence even if you've never sewn "big girl clothes".

Indie sellers you will be thrilled to know that you can purchase a selling license for the Felicity for a small one time fee of $15. For details click here for craftsy or click here for etsy.

The Felicity Flutter Top Countdown!

Let the countdown begin! The Felicity has been in testing and thanks to the enthusiastic efforts of some truly lovely testers is almost ready for release.

My testers let me know that two sizes needed some adjustments and those have already been made and final tests of the adjustments are well underway. Initially I was planning to release sometime this week but of course it's best to test again before release to make sure the adjustments work up properly. So far it looks like they are spot on this time.

I know you guys have all been very patient for the release and I want to thank you and all of my testers. Good testers are an invaluable part of the process!

The release is day will be Monday May 11th 2015! So mark your calendars and set your alarms! It will be on sale for $10 for the first week! After the initial release it will go to a standard $12. Don't forget this top also has a nursing option!

Pattern Testers Follow-Up

First I want to say thank you to everyone who applied to be a tester. You guys provided we me a great response and I am so happy so many people are excited for the release of this pattern. There were some really fantastic ladies that I would have loved to pick as testers and had to turn down simply because there were so many of you and I had to make decisions. My husband laughed at me last night because as I opened each email from those who were not picked I said "Oh no why didn't I pick her to test? She would have been great!". So truly I do hope you each reapply when I do another tester call for my next pattern release. I believe there will be many more to come and I can't wait to work with so many of you.

I was really thrilled to see that the Felicity Flutter top appealed to so many ladies of all different backgrounds, sizes, and ages. What a beautiful happy thing that was to realize.

Each one of you who sent an email should have received a reply whether you were picked or not. I do know however that I missed replying to one person. I want to apologize to her here as I do not have another way to contact her. My email sent that one message to the spam folder and when I clicked the "not spam" button it glitched and deleted the email. Thankfully that was the only email that went to spam though.

The Felicity will be released soon. I'm very excited and happy about this and I know many of you are too. Be sure to watch for the release announcement because it will be on sale for the first week before it goes to it's normal price. Happy sewing everyone!

Pattern Testers CALL

That's right you read that right. I finally did it. After many requests I decided to turn one of my self drafted patterns into a pdf for everyone to enjoy. I picked a pattern that is super flattering toward any woman's figure and as a special bonus it can also be made into a nursing top. It is all flat constructed so it's a great pattern for beginner or advanced sewers. You can easily whip one up in an afternoon. Yet it has a lovely sophisticated look. Now I need pattern testers who would like a chance to try it out. It comes in 5 sizes (XS, S, M, L, and XL). I'm looking for around 3 testers for each size.

As a tester you obviously get a free copy of the final pattern in all it's sizes (does not include seller's license). You also might have a picture of your finished work featured in the pdf pattern itself. 

What is required of a tester?

1.) I need you to tell me about any issues you have with the pattern or any typos you may find.
2.) If the fit seems off I need to know what you are having an issue with.
3.) I also need bust, waist, and hip measurements of your finished garment.
4.) I need to know how much fabric you had to use to make this project.
5.) Did the sizing seem correct?
6.) Were the instructions easy to follow?
7.) I also would like you to provide a picture or pictures of your finished garment. 

I will need you to complete at least one shirt and report back to me within 1 week. As I said this pattern goes together quickly. I have 5 kids and found a way to draft the pattern and make myself 4 shirts from it in 1 week.

How do you get to be a tester you ask? First be sure you can do what is required of a tester. Next follow my blog so even if you don't get picked to test this time you will still know when I'm calling for testers next time. Next send me an email at wildblumes @ gmail.com with the answers to the following questions. Please be sure to put "Pattern Tester Call" and the letter size you'd like to test in the subject line. 

1.) What is your sewing experience? (aka years/months sewing, experience working with patterns, ect.)
2.) What is you skill level?
3.) What size can you test?
4.) Do you plan to blog about it?

Please be as honest as possible. Being a beginner doesn't mean you will be disqualified from testing. I would like to have feedback from all different skill levels.

If you aren't selected to test don't worry. The final pattern will be available soon. Hooray!

As always feel free to ask questions below if you have any. 

My Favorite Fabric Sites

Recently my favorite fabric site closed up shop. It was extremely sad and I felt like I was losing a friend. What does that say about my fabric addiction, lol. I was worried I wouldn't find another site I like as much but honestly it has been helpful in teaching me that there are other great online fabric sources. This is a list of some of my favorites so far and the reasons why I love them and their drawbacks.

Fabric.com - This is an obvious one. I think everyone probably already knows about. It's great because they have a very large selection and they offer a 30 day 100% money back return policy. They even pay return shipping. They cut their yards 1" larger to account for fabric shift and if your order is the end of a bolt then you can also end up getting an extra few inches of fabric.

One of my fabric.com hauls

Free shipping for orders $35 and over.

Drawbacks - They are a huge site and sometimes that means they sell out of popular items quickly. Usually they can reorder them but if you see something that is labeled "last chance" then it is not coming back. Shipping time can also vary widely. 

Hancocks-paducah.com - Lots of great quilting cottons and batiks. Their selection is smaller but they have amazing deals and some very beautiful fabrics you can't find elsewhere. They seem to always cut their yards 2" larger and they also appear to give you end of bolt remnants free.

These all came from Hancocks of Paducah

Shipping is $5.95 for orders under $100.

Drawbacks - They aren't super fast at processing an order. Once it ships it ships super fast but it might be 1 or 2 weeks before it gets shipped. If you're like me and you are ordering while in the middle of something else then this probably isn't an issue. However if you are working on a deadline then check elsewhere.

Girlcharlee.com - I thought I checked them in the past and they were pricey but I must have been confused or their prices have come down. They have a big selection of affordable knit fabric. The quality is hit or miss though. I like that in the description of each fabric they tell you the amount of stretch is has.

Some of the lovely soft knits I found on Girl Charlee

 Free shipping on orders $99 and over.

Drawbacks -You have to inspect and measure your fabric immediately because they short often and many of my fabrics have arrived with defects. Also they're customer service is very poor. If you have an issue expect that you will have to jump through hoops before they will even consider doing anything. Also I've heard there are some compliance issues if you are trying to sell children's clothes made with their fabrics.

Bandg_corp - This is actually an ebay shop. However they offer such a good selection for a small shop and such great discounts they I feel they deserve to be mentioned. They sell a lot of quilting cotton and fleece. They normally have between 200 and 300 fabrics for sale at any given time and they sell them in 2yd increments (although you can buy more then one lot for a longer cut). If you happen to find the print you are looking for with them then it will more then likely be much less then anywhere else you can find it.

These Michael Miller fabrics came from Bandg_corp's ebay store

Drawbacks - They work through ebay and they do not offer free shipping at any purchase price but they will combine shipping for you. They also auction off most of their end of bolt remnants instead of including them as a free surprise bonus.

Hawthornethreads.com - I haven't ordered from hear yet but they do have some good prices. I'll update this when I make a purchase from them. I like that they prominently feature pictures of projects that a fabric has been used for. It helps sometimes to see it from different angles and in different lighting.

It appears that they don't have free shipping but that they do have a $5.50 flat rate when you buy 2+ yards.

Drawbacks - You have to click on each fabric in order to see the price. This is very tiring, time consuming, and annoying.

I can't wait to find some other great sites. Have you used any of these? Do you have any other great fabric sources? I still need a good site for cotton webbing and all those little findings like fabric buttons, thread, and d rings. Any good suggestions? 

Pretty Fabric and Ebates

I've been swooning over this lovely Michael Miller fabric by Sarah Jane. It is called Wee Wander. I can't tell you how adorable it is. It's even prettier in person then in any of the pics. Children with horses, deer, and fireflies. The colors are also beautiful!

I was unable to decide which color way to go with so I picked my favorite prints and bought them in both color ways they came in. I turned 4 of the prints into two blankets with soft luxurious minky backs. I have them listed in my etsy shop but I'm not sure if they will stay there long. My husband and the kids both thought they were the coolest things when they seen them and if they don't sell soon they may never leave my house, lol.

Right before I bought these fabrics I decided to give this whole ebates thing a try. You know those crazy commercials you see all the time where the lady says she earned $900 from shopping online? Obviously I never expected to earn that much because you would have to spend an insane amount of money for that. Maybe if you wanted to buy a car online you could earn that kind of money. Anyway I digress. I signed up and did most of my Christmas shopping online and I actually did earn $40. At first I thought I would never earn more then may $5 or $10 at a time because I thought most everything only offered 1% cash back. However those percentages are in constant flux. I could have earned more if I would have remembered to go to each site from ebates before I made a purchase. Even those tiny amounts can add up fast. They do have a tool bar or something you can use so you don't have to go to their site before a purchase but I hate extra tool bars with a passion. Over all I would say it is totally worth it to join if you do any shopping online.

Oh and they do offer incentive for referrals so if you decide to try them out then I hope you'll consider using my referral link by clicking here.

Have you ever considered trying a site like ebates before? Are you already a member of one? What do you think of those crazy adorable fabrics? Have you ever used any Michael Miller fabrics before?

Skirting the Issue Skirts

Ok, so I've been a busy one. I finished my second nursing shirt (tut still to come) and to make up for my selfish sewing I made 6 skirts to donate for Skirting the Issue. In case you aren't familiar with who or what that is then please read on. It is an effort in the blogging world to spread a little love where it maybe most needed. Sewing enthusiast are encouraged to sew up some skirts for whichever charity they would like. The goal is to create as many as possible in the hopes that it gives a child who may not be in the best situation a little bit of much needed love. You can donate them anywhere you choose and they even give some good examples of places that would be good to donate to. Or if you would prefer you can even mail the skirts to them to donate for you. It's a lovely way to give back and is worth participating just for that. However if you need more incentive they also enter you into drawings for some pretty cool sewing stuff for every skirt you make.

I think it's an annual thing so if you can't do it this year then you should sign up for their newsletter so you can next time it comes around. You won't be disappointed as it's run by Simple Simon, and who doesn't just love everything there?!

I had some designer fabrics that I got in end of bolt surprise packs from one of my favorite online fabric stores. I paired these with some wide elastic ribbon and I pretty much had pre-cut skirts ready to just whip up. I just needed to measure them to see what size skirt they would make in the end.

 My favorite is that light pink one on the top in this picture with the grey band and the unknown little creatures on it. I was half tempted to keep it for Wren but I figure that wouldn't be right since that wasn't the intention I had when making it. Other little girls deserve to have adorable clothes too!

These ones I actually made first. I wasn't sure what to use these fabrics for when I first got them but obviously they were beyond perfect for little skirts. Aren't they darling?

Here is all 6 of them together. I think I'm going to bring them with me to bunco and either give them to the ladies there that work for foster care placement or give them to the ladies that put together baby boxes for new moms in need. I may even split them up and give the smaller ones for the care boxes and the larger ones to the foster care ladies. Either way I know they will be going where they are needed and that's all the really matters. :)

Chomping at the Bit

Well here I am chomping at the bit and ready to start really breaking in my new sewing machine. I've been healing from surgery for the last 2 weeks and I think I'm finally about ready to sit in front of my machine and get to work for real! I've also got something else in the works that has me absolutely giddy with excitement. I can't give to many details at the moment as I haven't even started at it yet and I would like to know it's doable before I make any announcements. I'll tell you it's something that combines many of my crafting loves though.

I made a fantastic nursing shirt that I will be posting soon. I just haven't taken pics yet or else I would be posting it now. It's cute enough to wear as a normal shirt but completely modest and functional as a nursing shirt as well. I'll be making up a few more and there maybe a tutorial to follow.

In the meantime I'll just post this unrelated yet totally irresistible picture of Wolf on his first 4th of July.

Doesn't he look so happy to be hangin with daddy and excited for the fireworks? He stayed awake for the whole show and enjoyed every minute of it too. Not an ounce of fear with all those loud noises and bright lights. He just happily watched the first half of them until he decided he was hungry.

2nd and 5th Birthday Dresses

So it's time for the big reveal! Nova and Wren's birthday dresses. I made both of them from the same basic pattern (one I made).

I'll start with Nova's dress because I didn't really change anything from my original pattern. I've been hording this fabric for some time now. I gave Nova the choice between several of my prettiest fabrics and this is what she chose. Can't say I blame her! So 1yd of horded fabric down and a new dress later.....

.... and of course the dress in action. Since of course you know it is a super twirly dress!

Ok admittedly my timing is horrible. I can never catch a full twirl. I tend to catch the very end when the skirt is starting to twist around the other way and gets real close to the body.

She loves it, although for some reason it looks like she's trying to fight back a smile here. Just in time too as she has completely outgrown her 3rd birthday dress.

Did I mention the thing I love most about this pattern is that it can be worn for a very long time by just adjusting the button placement? Umm, yeah I love that! Anything that looks nice and my kids can wear for multiple years or I can switch between girls of different sizes is a huge bonus in my book!

For Wren's dress I made the skirt 2 layers and shortened the top layer up quite a bit to almost peplum in nature.

I only had a half yard of that fabric and I really wanted all of the wide eyelet edging along the bottom of the white fabric to show. It's hard to see it hear and the other pics I took didn't come out to great either since it was almost nap time. When I finished this dress she took it and carried it all through the house. She was so upset when I told her she couldn't wear it right then.

I think she's just as big a fan as I am of these shiny white glass buttons.

Do you make your kids special birthday outfits? If so do they like them? Have you ever used a pattern that lets them wear something for multiple sizes?

My New Babies!

Well I have two new loves in my life. One was an early mother's day present and the other was a late one. So obviously this post is a little late coming but as you can guess I've been busy.

This is my new girl. She sews beautifully so far. This is the first I've ever gotten to play with a new machine and I'm loving all the fancy stuff she can do. She's a Laura Ashley CX155LA by Brother. Up until this point I had been using a 30yr old Kenmore that my husband's grandmother generously gave me and I was able to teach myself to sew using. I must say that I love the new machine but I think everyone should still learn the basics on an old tank like my Kenmore. I plan to teach all the children to sew using her because I think she's ideal for learning the basics. Not to mention she will stay in the family for the sentimentality as well. One day my kids will love looking at that old work horse knowing it once belonged to their great grandmother.

 My new Laura Ashley is pretty cute but not nearly as adorable and sweet as.....

My new son! I had to save the best for last you know! Isn't he a sweetheart?!

I've said it before and I'll say it again now..... we make tiny girls and giant boys. He was 9lbs 11oz and 21in. An almost 10lb baby is considered big for most people but I'm only 5'4" on a tall day so I was quite the site when pregnant. He is 8wks old today and already in 6m clothes! I've got to make him some little rompers because he's outgrown just about everything I had for him that we hadn't given away from our first son. So you can expect a post and possibly a tutorial about that sometime soon.

I wanted to sew and blog during my pregnancy but I was so huge and tired that I just had to take a break until I had him and we got into a routine. My next post will be Nova and Wren's birthday dresses though. Here is a little sneak peak of one of them.

 In case you're wondering those are vintage Czech milk glass buttons. Aren't they pretty?

Baby Swaddle Blanket

So as you know I've been wanting to get back to creating but avoiding my sewing room. Well Fox is in need of some 5t clothes and I came across a lovely mama wanting to swap a box full of 5t Gymboree boy clothes. One of the things she wanted was one of the wrap around swaddle blankets. So I figured this was a good opportunity to kick my butt into gear and start making some stuff again. Especially since we swaddle and could probably use a couple of them as well.

So on the hunt I went for a great swaddle blanket pattern. This is the one I found. I believe it is a free one offered to get you interested in a book of children's patterns the maker is selling. I got to it through a few pinterest links so I'm unsure of the original source. I'll gladly update this if anyone would like to provide that information.

The pattern is great. The swaddle blanket looks really nice. The only thing I had difficulty with is printing out and putting together the pattern. For some reason when I try to print it out at 100% it did not fit the paper correctly and left off pieces. I had to change the seeings to landscape and then print instead of the standard portrait. I didn't see where anyone gave this tip but I seen where a couple people had issues printing. So if you try to use it and have difficulty then try changing you settings to landscape instead of portrait. Beware that when you do this the little lines to line it up become irrelevant though. I managed to line mine up correctly by looking very closely at each piece to see where a line on one page was identical to a line on another and would overlap. Not exactly fast or easy but it does work and is totally possible. I'm sure it's much easier to buy the book and cut out the pattern but again I'm not sure what the name of it is (plus that's not free).

I will say this, it does look a little big to me. However I always think new baby items look big when I'm pregnant, lol. I think the idea that something of that size is taking up residence inside my body distorts the way I look at newborn stuff. Know what I mean?

As you can see mine doesn't have the velcro yet. I left it off for now so if the mama I'm swapping likes this one then she can tell me which side she would to be the outside and which side to make the inside.

So do you think you'll try this pattern? Who will you make one for? Any baby showers coming up? If you do try it I'd love to know how the printing and taping part went for you. 

How to Kill Creativity

Not that you would want to but if you would like to know how to both kill creativity and also give someone a bitter resentment towards a type of animal they have always adored in one fail swoop then I have the answer. Put a litter box in their teeny tiny craft room and then populate it with 2 stinky cats that track litter from one end of the room to the other and enjoy spending the rest of their time laying in the middle of and scratching holes in whatever you are currently working on.

 

This is the beast cat that I hate the least like the most between the two. 

I spent several months not wanting to even think about anything sewing or craft related. It bugged me so much because I have never been that way. Then it hit me. It's not really a creative slump I'm in. It's not that I don't want to create anymore. It's that I can't stand going in that stinky little room and having two cats walk directly under my feet with each and every step. It's that I can't stand picking up a project that I spent so much time and effort on and it looking like a swatch of orange shag carpet regardless of what the fabric started out as.

My entire life I have grown up with cats. I love cats. I really do. Or at least I did..... Now I find myself resenting them for taking over my room. What we all USED to call "the sewing room" which has been re-dubbed "the kitty room". I used to tell the kids to stay out of the sewing room because there could be stray sewing pins somewhere in there. Now I tell them to stay out of the kitty room because that's where the litter box is. YUCK!

So do I dislike cats now? Or is it just a temporary resentment until we find a different kitty solution? Is it all cats or just these stinky hairballs?

Granted it's been 6 years since we had a cat before we got these two. So is it that I just never realized how yucky they can be? Or are these two cats just not what I'm accustomed to from the feline world? Is it because now I have kids and now I'm more germ-a-phobic for their safety? Am I alone in this? Has anyone else had an experience like this?

In Case You Were Wondering...

Well in case you were wondering where I've been...... I've been busy slacking off. Well sort of. If you know me then you know I am sort of a jack of all trades type. I love to create in all different mediums. Lately I have not had the desire to create using anything I'm well acclimated to though. Sometimes this happens to me. I get tired of all the mediums I work in and I have to take a break from them and learn something new.

Lately I've been wanted to work with photo manipulation. I find the crazy crytozoology pictures both hilarious and intriguing. You know the ones I mean. The really weird ones you find on youtube when you've been looking at the site to long and you get to "that part of youtube". You know! We've all been there. It's doesn't matter what you go there to watch. If you click enough of the related links you WILL find your way there.

My first attempt. This was supposed to be a very large crow like the thunderbird legends.

ANYWAY....... I can't help but look at some of those pictures and think "I could do that......but better!". I know I sound cocky and maybe I am but I know what I'm capable of. Now here was my dilemma. I wanted to practice and make these crazy pictures but without actually trying to fool anyone. I really have no desire to further saturate the internet with hoax pictures or try to fool anyone. That is not something I want to do. So what do I do then. I don't want to just make pictures to sit on my hard drive. Where is the fun in that? I want to share my art. Even if I am just learning and I currently suck at it, lol.

This looks a little better bigger it was my second attempt. It's supposed to be a Chimera.

So while slacking off and surfing the web I happened across it. The solution to my dilemma. A site I could practice photo editing on, get valuable feedback, watch tutorials, enter contests, and share crazy made up edits with other people doing all the same things. All without trying to actually fool, con, or otherwise hoax anyone. Exactly everything and more of what I was wanting. So that is what I have been up too. As you can see by my edits thus far I still have some work before I perfect this art. Now that I can satisfy my artistic tooth of diversity you may see a few crazy works from me for the next couple of posts. Don't be alarmed. I will return to my other crafts and art mediums soon but I have to go with the flow. I have a very scattered way of thinking and working on things. It drives some people crazy but has always worked for me. Besides if I didn't have these moments where I needed to explore a new medium then I wouldn't be the eclectic artist I am. Know what I mean?

Again this looks better big. It's just supposed to be some kind of red bird of paradise or something.

Are you a scattered worker? Or are you all tidy and organized? Do you ever have random tangents where you decide you must learn a new skill?

Big News and a Lazy Slump

Ugg, I am in such a slump right now. I don't feel like doing anything. I could seriously sleep half the day. It took me forever to give up soda and I had gone over a year without drinking it. However I've gone back to soda as a means just to stay awake lately. I would love to go in the other room right now and start sewing but I just can't make myself get up and go do it.

Some of you may already be wondering by this point in my post about the big news. Well the news is that baby #5 is on the way. That is most likely the reason I am so tired and yet another reason I hate that I started drinking soda again. I've tried tea and candy and fruit and soda just seems to be the only thing that really works. I guess it could be worse though. On the bright side I usually don't even finish a can through the course of an entire day. It just feels like back tracking in my progress. It's better then falling asleep while trying to take care of the kids though. The funny thing is that I'm no longer used to drinking it so when I do drink soda my mouth feels dry. Blah!

Soooo, do any of you have any tips on how to just make yourself get back on the creative wagon? Or how to stay awake without soda? What do you do? Have you have "been there"?

Fox the Fox (PRP)

Hooray it's time for my project run and play reveal! I'm excited, are you? This week is about your signature look. Well there are several things you should know about me first. Both my husband and I have Native American ancestry and we are very earthy (yet clean) hippy-ish free spirit nature loving people. In case our children's names didn't give that away already.

Unfortunately my pictures this week kind of suck so I apologize for that in advance. I only had a few minutes for this shoot and it was cold, wet, and rainy out.

Our son's name is Fox and he totally lives up to it. He's quiet yet clever. I absolutely love his name and might secretly be a little jealous. There is a price he must pay for having such an awesome name though. The price is that mommy will dress him in everything fox related thing that she can get her hands on....... or make. It's ok I'm not so bad. I mean I could have made him an entire closet of fox costumes for every day of the week and never buy him normal clothes. Instead he will just be a fox every year for Halloween (until he asks to be something else), wear the occasional t-shirt with a fox silhouette, pants with fox embroidery, and a nice warm fox ear hat ever winter. So there might be a lot of orange in his life. To bad his favorite color is green just like daddy.

So anyway onto the outfit.

This outfit is entirely upcycled! The romper used to be a large men's shirt I thrifted, the jacket used to be a large men's sweater I thrifted, and the hat is the left over pieces from both. The ears on the hat even came from tiny scraps I had left over from two other upcycled projects. He loves the hat and the jacket and was a little disappointed he had to change into something else today. I would not have normally done a pointed fox hat but I came across some cute inspiration to do it that way. I'm not sure how I feel about it though. I might still go back and round out that point. I think it might be a bit to reminiscent of garden gnomes.

The romper is pretty basic but it does zip closed instead of snap. (I got that idea from a blog a couple years ago. I don't remember which one anymore so let me know if you know and I'll give credit and link over.) Also there is that adorable little tail. How can you not love a romper with a tail?

The jacket I drafted, cut, and finished all in one day. I'm so thrilled with that and how it came out. I can't wait to make some other great jackets with that pattern. It's a little long because I made it big so he could hopefully get some use out of it next year too. I paid a little more for that thrifted sweater then I normally would have (still only $5) because I fell in love with the color and the texture when I found it. It's made out of lambs wool and cashmere so as you can imagine it is crazy soft and will be nice and warm too. I don't want to waste any of it so I'm now on the look out for uses for all the little left over scraps, lol. I even had a 1"x 2" piece cut off from near a seam that I stitched two little pieces of scrap ribbon to and now the cats have a new toy. Isn't that ridiculous? How can I throw this stuff away though?

I scrimped the fabric together as much as I could to make the hat. Then I borrowed some from the shirt scraps for the trim on it and I already told you about the ears being left over scraps from another refashioning. Can you tell I hate wasting fabric? I feel like all fabric even the tiny insignificant ones should have a use. I've been known to use salvages and other tiny bits as stuffing for stuffed animals before. You just need to spread it out and use actual stuffing too or else it will be to heavy and will never dry if you have to wash it.

Oh did you notice those oversized elbow patches? Aren't they darling? This is my favorite shade of orange and I love how it looks with the dark grey. This maybe a new favorite color combo for me. So what do you think? Am I totally nuts? Or do little orange and grey clad foxes totally rock?