Patterns released!

In the last month, I have tested two patterns for two fabulous bloggers/designers. Let me tell you, sitting on the pictures after I test a pattern is hard! I always want to show off something that turns out especially cute, but I was a good girl and I waited. Turns out that one pattern was a part of the newest Pattern Anthology colllection, the Alphabet Collection. And really, I could not have been more pleased to be a part of it.

The first was a pattern from Shwin&Shwin, The BBC Vest.




I asked him to make muscles for me. Eh, close enough.



Micah is a pretty true 4T, though he tends to be on the slim side. I cut a 4T and I guess Micah grew, because it was a little short/narrow. That's what pattern testing is for! It still turned out really cute, and he loved it, so I will be making him more of these in the future.

The second was a pattern from Melly Sews, the Tee x 3.







This was fantastic! My mom bought some cute jersey with an elephant pattern from Joann's about a week before I volunteered to pattern test, so it could not have been better timing. I drafted the pants myself from a pair of Micah's existing pajamas, and I chose the long sleeved version of the Tee pattern for the top. My dad thought I bought them at the store. That's always a flattering thing to hear, but the pattern could not have made it more easy. I'm still learning to work with jersey, but it's a very forgiving fabric. I knew not to pull it through the feed dogs, but it still gave me some wavey seams. Once on, you couldn't really tell, and I am pretty proud of these.

Go buy them! You won't regret it.

Fabric happiness

On a crafty note - who hit the craft stores this weekend to stock up on fleece and flannel?

It was seriously like a fabric party for me. I went to Joann's late Friday night (hoping all the crazy people would be long gone, and thankfully, it wasn't very busy at all). They had an amazing deal on flannel for $1.64 a yard and blizzard fleece for $2.99, with the rest of their fleece on sale for 60% off. FABRIC PARTY.



My husband went with me and decided that I pretty much needed everything in sight, once he saw the prices. And who was I to deny him? I ended up with quite a haul, a ton of fleece to make pants and blankets for Micah (maybe even some sheets) and a couple choices for myself, as well as two pairs of scissors and plenty of thread. Since Micah was with my mom that night so we could do our Christmas shopping, I broke out my brand new Elna Experience (a combination Christmas and birthday gift from my awesome husband) and whipped him up a pair of 20-minute pants. I love making him fleece and flannel pants, they are so easy and they didn't need serging, since I haven't scored a serger yet. Though...my new machine does have some pretty nifty stitches I plan on trying out, a few of which look remarkably like edging.



Micah loved his pants, he kept talking about how soft they were, though he looks highly unimpressed in this photo. I call this The Saddest Tada ever, though I actually just caught him mid-sentence and he liked the pants more than it seems.



Joann's was literally the only store I went to on Thursday or Friday, because I didn't feel like getting trampled by the masses. Though I did stop by True Love Tattoo with my husband that morning for something fun. And oh, so very ME.



I'd say it was a satisfying weekend for the fabric hoarder in me!