Some Random Tops that I forgot About

Here are some tops that I missed, and that I also didn't get very good pictures of so I'm combining them into one post. Both are also from way back in 2016! The first is a gray and yellow halter top. I didn't realize it at the time, but halter tops were against the dress code, but no one ever said anything to either of us when Eesa wore this to school, probably because 1) she was only 5, and 2) look how cute she looks in her gray and yellow ensemble! This is a free pattern from Violette Field Threads, the Lola top. I used fat quarters from Walmart to make this shirt, I'm sure I can't get away with using fat quarters anymore these days, now that Eesa has grown. Anyway, super cute shirt, she wore a handful of times:

This next top is the Piper (old version) top from VFT, made from Walmart fabrics. It's not a very good picture and she only wore it once or twice. I also made a dolly outfit to match, and one for the above halter top. Here's a bad, but only, pic of her wearing the shirt:

Navy and White Pin-Tucked Shirt

Here's another shirt that I really like! Eesa, not so much. Well, she did wear it a couple of times, but mostly it just sits in her closet.  I used the Josephine shirt/dress pattern from Violette Field Threads. I'm not sure where I got the fabric, probably at Goodwill. I didn't want the pintucks to get lost in the dark fabric, plus I wanted to add some interest to the shirt, so I sewed in some lace.  The lace was tricky to sew in because it was so thin and tended to slip, but it turned out all right.  I also added lace on the sleeves, and Kam snaps instead. I like the look of the snaps, and they are either for both me and Eesa! The very last thing I did was add some thin straps to cinch the waist because it was baggy on her when I tried it on her the first time.  

PS: My picture (last one here) was included in Violette Field Threads' weekly newsletter (#51, I think).  I post things occasionally on their Facebook sewing group, and I was so honored that my photo was selected!

Top with Crochet Overlay

Throwback to December 2016, or at least that was the date I took these pictures. I think I may have actually made it earlier in that year. I don't know how I managed to miss this one, I remember I adored this shirt; it was just so cute on Eesa! Here is a top I made using some crochet fabric I found as a remnant at Joanns. It was so bright and fun that I just had to buy it! I don't remember which pattern I used, this was before Violette Field Threads patterns were a staple in my life, so it was probably something free from the internet. I used white broadcloth underneath, except for the sleeves. I wish there would have been more fabric so that I could match up the stripes, or better yet, have the stripes on the skirt part going horizontal instead, but I had to work with what I had (this was a remnant). I put a zipper in the back, which probably isn't the best idea for crochet fabric but it worked out ok. Here she is (so little!) modeling her shirt:

Boy's Yoke Shirt

August 2018. I got my hands on a pattern called "yoke shirt" (for boys) by Puperita. I love the classic oxford shirt but I wanted something a little different, after all, its nice to be able to sew for my boys for once! I took my youngest boy to Joanns and together we picked out some fun prints in the novelty print section. We sure had a good time! Well, at least I did. Said boy really enjoyed rolling around in the fabrics because he knew they were his fabrics (most of them, anyway). His favorite fabrics sported the alphabet because he was oddly obsessed with the alphabet at this time in his little life. I'm going to mention here that I also found a great classic pants pattern for boys, called "Classic Chinos" by Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop (sorry, no good pics of the shorts). I made several pairs of shorts to go with some of his shirts. The only tricky part of the shorts is the welt pocket. It was my first time sewing those so I had to refer to the internet for more help, as the directions for the classic chinos is sadly lacking, despite being a great pattern overall. Anyway, I kinda went crazy making him all kinds of shirts, these are not all the shirts I've made him using this pattern, I'll probably have another post on the next group of shirt I sewed up for youngest boy:

Some of the fabrics were from Hobby Lobby that I let him bury himself in

Lookin' good with the bow tie!

ABC print shirt with matching red shorts

Perfect for Disney Trips! A year and a half later, he still wears this on Disney Trips. I'll have to make him a new one soon.

This money print has been around for awhile, and every time I'd go to Hobby Lobby I'd admire it and wonder what the heck I could make out of it.  Well, I found something to make from it! I so love this shirt, I think it is hilarious and adorable.  Ian wasn't too much into it though. I'll probably end of selling it.

Pink/Purple Paisley Dress

Flashback (even more so) to October 2016, I guess I forgot to post this unique dress called Maggie Dress by Violette Field Threads. Its a retired pattern, so you're not going to find it anywhere.  I used a flowey paisley print fabric I got at Goodwill years before I made this dress. The fabric gave the dress a nice drape, and I think the dress turned out pretty darn cute. I like the split sleeves and the high-low skirt. The shoulder parts were tricky to sew up, and I don't think I did the best job of doing so.  The bodice required elastic which was weird but still okay. I think with some revision and updating, VFT could definitely start selling this dress pattern again. 

Trolls Dress

I made this cute sparkly Trolls dress summer of '17.  My niece was going to have a Trolls party and I wanted to make them some matching outfits to wear. I made Eesa a dress using the Fiona Pattern from Violette Field Threads, they had recently updated that pattern and I wanted to try it out. Its such a cute pattern, not very popular though, probably because it takes almost a full yard of fabric for just the bow in the back! I found this fabric at Joanns when the movie Trolls was all the rage.  You can't tell from the pictures, but there's a lot of sparkle in the dress. I liked this dress a lot, but for whatever reason, Eesa wasn't too into it so I ended up selling it a year later after only a couple wears. Not pictured--I also made my niece an outfit to coordinate with this dress.  Same pattern, but I made the top version and made some ruffled shorts to match.  

Knit Long-Sleeved Shirt

I almost missed this one.  Its from way back in March 2018, and this is the one and only picture of it. It, being the shirt that I made for her, though I also made her the book as well but that's not what this post is about. I bought this fabric at Joanns, it is also the Doodles fabric therefore it shrunk after wearing and washing, despite my pre-washing it. Alas, she didn't get to wear for very long before it got too small for her. I used the Talulah knit pattern from Violette Field Threads. It was a quick sew and turned out cute, I think. She seemed indifferent to the shirt; she didn't hate it but didn't love it either. You can't tell from the photo, but I put some ruffles on the sleeves for that added cuteness. I also made her a necklace that matched but she wasn't wearing it here:

Periwinkle Outfit Set: A Sad Story

August 2018
Here's an outfit that didn't get much love. I bought the Celeste top & bottom pattern from Violette Field Threads (on sale of course), thinking it would make a cute outfit for summer for Eesa. And it did! I used unicorn-print fat quarters from Walmart and 100% cotton solid fabric in periwinkle (something between a blue and purple), also from Walmart. I was happy with it. But did Eesa like it? No, she did not. Not one bit. I had to convince, cajole, and persuade her to wear it out to lunch for just that one time. She modeled it for me--don't let her smile fool you, she was NOT happy to do this--and she tore it off immediately as soon as we got home. She said she hated the bow/sash on the shorts. Who knew she'd be picky about a thing like that? So I donated it to Goodwill. I hope another little girl is enjoying the outfit, if Goodwill didn't simply toss it (I have no idea of their inner workings). I just cut my loses and I've never looked at that pattern since. Now I make sure to ask her if she likes the dress/outfit/shirt/ pattern before I buy it! 

St. Patrick's Day Shirts

 March 2018
How cute is this!! Isn't she the most adorable little St. Paddy's mascot you've ever seen? I found this green checkered fabric at Goodwill, probably about 3-4 yards worth.  I made Eesa this cute shirt using VFT's Pepper shirt pattern.  It is sleeveless; I layered it with a peasant-style shirt I made a year or so ago (here). Coupled with the shirt; the green pants, the gold boots, and a green hair bow, this outfit is just so perfect for St. Patrick's day.  Unfortunately, she only got to wear this once, as the next year St. Patrick's day fell on a Sunday, and the year after that we were on a trip and I forgot about it (it was probably too small by then anyway).

PS: March 2019--I made this oxford shirt for little bro a full year later. I thought I might as well post it here. He wore it with a little green bow tie to church on St. Patrick's day and look so stinkin' cute! He's worn it a few times other than St. Patrick's day, I'm always glad when my kids wear something I made more than once!

Kid's Portrait Coordinating Outfits

August 2018

The kids were due for a portrait session, and this year I decided to just sew up all their outfits for their session instead of trying to find things that match. Call me crazy, but sewing up these outfits for them was much less stressful than finding coordinating outfits in their closets of trying to find ones to buy.  More time consuming, yes, but mentally easier on me, because I knew they would all coordinate perfectly and look great! Luckily, I didn't have to go out and buy any fabric, these outfits were all from fabric already in my stash. The light turquoise I had purchased at Goodwill, yards and yards of it for a couple of bucks! I'm not 100% sure what the fabric was, I'm guessing some form cotton batiste, because it was thin but definitely wasn't broadcloth. The main fabric of Elisa's dress I got on clearance at Joann's forever ago so I was happy to finally find a use for it. 

I made the boys oxford shirts using the Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop pattern. The older boy's shirt I made with long sleeves. That kid has such long arms that I had to add a full inch to the arms on his shirt! The youngest I used the same oxford shirt pattern. I didn't want twin shirts for the boys, so I made his shorts sleeved with a double pockets. I found a dark blue shirt at Goodwill to put under it. For Eesa's dress, I used the Hattie Pattern from Violette Field Threads, and used the coordinating turquoise as trim on the collar and the sleeves. It turned out so cute!! Here are *some* pictures from the photoshoot, these are not the ones I chose to hang on the wall, but I chose these pictures to post here since they show off the outfits better than some of the other pics:

Unitards

July/August/September 2018

Eesa was in gymnastics for awhile, and since she has such a looooong torso, it was hard to find a unitard/leotard that fit her properly--it was either fit in the shoulders and give her a major wedgie, or fit her torso and hang off the shoulders. Because of that, I thought I ought to sew up a unitard for Eesa and I could just add an inch or two in the torso area.  I found a unitard pattern on Etsy that I thought would work, but I was sadly mistaken. Just so you can avoid it--I got the pattern from tumblentwirl and the pattern is called "Matilda".

The first unitard I made I followed the measurement chart, and according to Elisa's measurements, she was a size 4! I thought that wasn't right, so I went ahead and made a size 6, and it was still too small! Now, I know leotards and unitards are meant to be slim-fitting, but this was second-skin, put-marks-on-your-skin tight. I tried it on little brother (who is 4 years younger than Eesa, btw, and it fit him pretty well, still too tight in the armpit area). I made two others (one not pictured), tried to make a few adjustments, but they still turned out just too small, especially around the armpits. I gave up on the pattern, because I realized after making 3 failed unitards, the problem was with the pattern and not me. 

Unicorn Dresses

May 2018

I found some adorable unicorn fabric while I was shopping at Walmart. Unfortunately, I could only find the fabric in pre-cut 1-yard bolts, so I only had enough for a skirt, but luckily I had some knit fabric that matched the blue in the skirt. I couldn't leave a plain bodice, so I decided to do a freezer paper transfer (it had been a long time since I've done any freezer paper transfers for Eesa).  I wanted to make sure that the unicorn matched the unicorn on the fabric, so I scanned a part of the fabric onto the computer where I made the unicorn the size I wanted, and then proceeded with the usual method of freezer paper transfer with fabric paints. I made the dress first and then added the design, it was a little nerve-wracking knowing that if I messed up the unicorn then I would ruin the entire dress.  Luckily, the transfer turned out perfect.  I even carefully glued some bling for that extra sparkle. Just like that donut dress, Eesa wore this dress quite frequently.  I think she prefers knit dresses because she can put them on easily.  I used the Talulah knit pattern from Violette Field Threads, which would become a staple pattern from then until now, because is so basic, yet versatile. I also made a coordinating dress for my niece, Aaliyah. I used the Kate pattern from VFT, and even though its made for knits, I still used the same blue knit fabric. It was too short for my niece so she gave it back to us and now Eesa has two of these dresses, which are both too short now! Good thing she lots of wears out of this dress! 

Pink Checkered Shirt

 August 2018
I made this cute shirt out of scraps from this dress. I used a new pattern that I had just download from Violette Field Threads, the Zoey dress. It was a pattern for a dress, but as I've done before, I decided to alter the pattern to make it a shirt.  Basically I just lengthened the bodice. This shirt sewed up super fast. The only thing that wasn't fast was the fabric-covered snaps, but they sure look perfect with this shirt! I added lace on the bottom to add some interest.  This is one of those rare projects that Elisa likes more than I do.  I mean, I like the shirt okay--but it surprised me that Eesa chose to wear it as much as she did. I'm glad that she liked it though! She doesn't wear it anymore; it's most likely too small anyway.

Donut Dress

April 2018. Another day, another cute dress. Eesa picked out this donut fabric at Joanns's and I whipped up this dress for her.  She must have liked it a lot because she wore it quite often. My favorite thing about this dress is the "sprinkles"--I sewed in colorful seed beads (size 11/0) to the pockets and the front. Not one has come loose, even though this dress has been worn and washed often, so that's good! I also added some white ric-rac for the "frosting". As for the pattern, I used the June dress (I've made several others, see here) from Violette Field Threads, this time I added flutter sleeves and they are just sooooo cuuuuuute!! One of our favorite dresses for sure! She wore this so often, that it reminds me of her (its too small for her now, unfortunately) so I'm debating whether or not I should just keep it forever instead of selling it.

Notice the tiny donut earrings!! 

Sleeveless Plaid Shirt

Ooh, Here is a shirt I made that I really like. I drafted it from the Violette Field Thread's Hattie Dress. If you haven't noticed already, I made Eesa a lot of dresses, so I'm always happy when I get to make her a shirt. I tried out my drafting skills on something similar (at least the bodice part) previously in this post, but I used a different pattern as the base.  This pattern from VFT threads at this time was recently released, and I couldn't help but see a plaid sleeveless shirt as a potential wardrobe item for Eesa when I first bought the pattern. I know its not necessarily and original idea, as I found some pictures that matched my "vision", but this shirt was something I really wanted to try making. 

I used red plaid fabric from Walmart, I think I got it as a remnant long before I started this project. I got to work extending the bodice of the dress, measuring Eesa and making sure it wasn't too short or too long. I also remembered that almost all shirts flare out slightly as they get longer, so I made sure to have the pattern do the same. I wanted that back longer and rounded, so I also made sure to do that. For the ties, I thought it would be best to make them as an attachment (i.e. sewn in) instead of one continuous part of the bodice, because if it were to be one continuous piece, it would eat up just sooo much fabric and I didn't even have enough fabric for that option. I also made sure to cut it out on the bias so it could have that stretch it needs in order to tie. I included that "cute factor" via the lace-trimmed double pockets, using the pocket pattern piece from Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop's Oxford shirt pattern. And snaps because they are super easy, quick, and cuuuute! I'm hoping now, two years later (yikes, sorry) to make her another (larger size, of course) shirt now that I've got the pattern, its just a matter of sizing up a few sizes!

My inspiration.

My product. Love!! I want one for myself.

Perfectly coordinated, boots and all.

  

Bodice front

Bodice front, with the tie piece placed where I wanted it to go.  I think I added an extra 1/2" to the top of the tie piece so that I could sew it inside the seam of the bodice and not loose length and form.

The back

She's got her brother but not the matching boots!

Umm...different brother, different...shoes...where's the boots?!