Billy Cardigan

 

I think, when I'm not at work, cardigans are probably what I wear 90% of the time.  (well, cardigans layered over PJs.  Am I the only person who changes into pajamas the minute I get home?)

I've been seeing a bunch of pretty draped cardigans around, but I haven't found any that I love.  

Until I saw Katy  (who has this incredibly understated and elegant aesthetic) from No Big Dill's  tutorial for luvinthemommyhood.  I knew I had to give it a try.  Love the finished product :)

I love the neckline crossed over and pinned.  Sophisticated, but still incredibly comfy. Or...

 

Open and breezy.

Last night I wore it open with a skinny belt. 
But I left the belt at my sister's house. 
Uh-oh. 
Also, those skinny belts aren't the most comfortable.  At least when I sat down I didn't think so... maybe it's time to buy a bigger belt :) 

(also, what in the world kind of pose is that that I'm making??  I think I may have to start cropping my head out of every picture.)

Some How-To Advice for this Project
I am a bit of a completely hasty sewer.  I tend to skim directions and almost always jump right in and then regret it after I screw up something major. 

So a few things to be wary of if you decide to make one of your own...

1. The shoulder seams are sewn wrong sides together, then top-stitched down against the garment.  It makes a beautiful finish.  Here's the part I missed:  Top stitch down first, then trim the seams down to 3/8 inches.  One of my shoulder seams has some really wonky stitching because I trimmed then top stitched.

2. The decorative thread for top-stitching is a bear to work with.  I have a sewing machine that is incredibly temperamental with cheap and/or fancy thread.  It kept breaking and fraying and clogging up the works.

3. The entire garment is NOT sewn with all seams on the outside.  Only the shoulder.  I did the whole thing minus the sleeves with the outside seams, then decided that was far too much decorative stitching.  I ripped the entire thing apart and re-sewed. 

4. This is really an easy project!  Knits really are forgiving, and even with my seam snafu, it probably took me about 2 hours to draft the pattern, cut, and sew.  Then rip apart (sigh.) and re-sew.

Double Sided Fleece Blanket for Toddlers - Naptime Project

Ben, the three year old, has been so patient as I keep stitching things up for his little sister, and I have been really wanting to make him something of his own.  Every time I'm working with fleece, he steals the fabric and says it is his blanket, so I thought I'd make him one.  The boy loves his Baltimore sports teams, so I bought a yard of each of the fabrics above and made him a blanket that he can actually use.  I told him if he took a good nap, I'd have a surprise for him when he woke up.  And I did!  I don't think I've ever been happier to give someone something I made.  He has been wanting a blanket from some of my fabric stash for so long.  He immediately wrapped himself in it and stole my heart.

Click on "read more" to get the full how to.

Katrina's Soaker Tutorial for the Novice Sewer - Part 3

Depending on when the kiddos wake up from their naps, this will be the last in the Katrina Tutorial Series!  The first tutorial covered cutting the pattern and sewing the wetzone layer on to the soaker.  The second tutorial showed sewing the soaker body and the waist and leg bands.  This one will show you how to sew the waist and leg bands to the soaker body.  And you'll be all done!

Katrina's Soaker Tutorial for the Novice Sewer - Part 2

Here is part two of the tutorial.  Also, if you are a super newbie sewer, this post on Prudent Baby's Blog is a great place to see a quick and easy video tutorial on using a sewing machine. 

For Part One of the tutorial, click here.

Read more after the jump.

Katrina's Soaker Tutorial for the Novice Sewer - Part 1

I love these fleece cloth diaper covers in the Katrina pattern. It is so generous of her to share it with all of us cloth diapering mamas! While I sell some in my etsy shop, I think that if you are a handy mama, you can sew your own. It really feels wonderful to know that you've made something for your own little one. So if you are a novice sewer, this tute is for you!

Get the first part of the tutorial after the jump.  I'll add the next parts over the next couple of days.