2012 February

From the monthly archives: February 2012

Pink and yellow color obsession

Posted February 29, 2012

I recently spotted the most adorable crochet jacket photographed on a toddler (you can see it in this post, scroll down) that was pale pink with a golden yellow trim and I JUST HAD TO MAKE ONE. I love it when inspiration strikes you crazy like that. Here’s the one I made for Clementine:

It’s about a size 4, thank you dear Elliot for helping me verify. What a cooperative little boy. I love that he doesn’t even think twice about putting on a pink sweater. It’s a little small on him, though, and truly it was meant for Clementine in the first place and I think it will fit her next fall. He also mentioned he would prefer it with flowers,…

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Haircut day!

Posted February 28, 2012

I cut Elliot’s hair about 50% of the time…I feel l can manage cutting the layers every few months, but then it really needs a professional’s guidance to give it a good shape again.

Clementine has only ever had her bangs cut, with the exception of a few little snips here and there for stragglers. Her bangs (as you can see from these pictures of the last haircut I gave her) generally look like a broom after I’m finished.

Today we’re going to go get REAL haircuts, woot!!! It’s Clementine’s first trip to the salon. I think I am going to cut off those long locks with what remains of her baby curls, because they’re getting harder to comb through without tears every day. It…

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Pinteresting food for thought

Posted February 27, 2012

At the risk of sounding exactly like everyone else on the internet lately, I la-la-LOVE Pinterest. They’ve managed to make a website that is simple and beautiful and intuitive that really appeals to visual folks like me (which helps explain their 10 million+ visitors a month). Since my business (this blog and my pattern shop) is web-based — and therefore relies completely on web traffic to survive — it really amazed me recently to discover that Pinterest had become my number one source of referring traffic (and if what I’m reading on other blogs is any indication, this is true across the board for others as well). Here’s a sampling of the stuff people usually

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A little update

Posted February 24, 2012

So some of you have noticed that the free patterns that are usually available on this site haven’t been working for about the last week. I noticed only because of the onslaught of (mostly very polite) emails asking what happened to them, which was good because otherwise I probably wouldn’t have noticed. So if you must know, it’s the campiest explanation: the server they were on got unplugged or accidentally turned off, and Mr Rae has been out of town for work (San Francisco…JEALOUS!!!), meaning my normal tech support is temporarily unavailable.

I’ve now managed to fix the Buttercup Bag, Chevron Wristlet and Baby Tights patterns on my own. I’m currently (like right now) working on the

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Rae talks about shopping for knit fabrics online

Posted February 22, 2012

After the tee-making-frenzy settled down around here last week, I found myself with a dwindling, pathetic little knit fabric stash. A problem that is quickly remedied, I say!!! There is little I approach so enthusiastically as fabric shopping. I’ve talked already about my proclivity towards using thrifted knits, and while I am always a fan of the upcycled garment, thrifting has some obvious limitations that purchasing knits can overcome (yardage being the main one). Unfortunately for me, the only fabric shop within an hour’s drive that carries knits is Joann, and my experiences with their knits has been pretty bad — of the maybe 10-15 jersey knits I have ever purchased there, all but two ended up super-pilly. I do want to…

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More flashback tees for my kiddos

Posted February 16, 2012

In the process of getting the fit right on the Flashback skinny tee pattern, I made a whole bunch of new tees for the kids. As in, they have skinny tees coming out of their ears now. Here’s a sampling for your perusal:

A little light blue flowered one for C. After this one I adjusted the neckband length (too long!) and the sleeve length (too short!) for the final version of the pattern.

This version was made from an Old Navy tank top I used to wear that was kind of blah:

The fabric is a really lightweight jersey, so I just left the sleeves and hem unfinished and it curled up really nicely. As you can plainly see I also made…

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Flashback Tee testing

Posted February 15, 2012

One of the most best, most fun times for me in the whole pattern-making process is watching the tester versions come in. I’m always super-nervous, sending out the pattern and then the waiting…and then, in my inbox, pictures like this:

(from the Boy Trifecta)

(from EmmmyLizzy, who miraculously found time to test even though she JUST had a baby — check out that lucky baby’s awesome nursery pics if you have a chance)

(from Kelly)

(from Nicole)

(from The Red Kitchen)

And more:

1. Lightning bolt skinny shirt (4T), 2. Upcycle Skinny Tee (3T), 3. flashback skinny tee, 4.

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Sewing with KNITS: luvinthemommyhood presents the twisted slouch hat pattern!

Posted February 14, 2012

I couldn’t talk about sewing knits without mentioning a fun series on sewing with knits that ran this past fall from two lovely bloggy friends of mine, Shannon of luvinthemommyhood and Anna of Noodlehead: Sewing with Knits Mondays! When I asked Shannon to contribute something to the Knit-Mania that’s been going on around here for the last couple months, she mentioned that she had a new hat pattern for knits in the works! I’m thrilled she’s here today to share it with us all as part of the KNITS – Stretch Yourself! series (my let’s-get-sewing-follow-up to the KNITerview series, all posts for both can be found right here).

Shannon’s

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Flashback Skinny Tee Sewing Pattern is here!

Posted February 13, 2012

This skinny tee is my favorite pattern so far! The Flashback Tee is a not-too-tight (but definitely fitted) skinny tee sewing pattern for knits in sizes 12 months – 5T that you can customize in endless ways.

This sewing pattern is delivered via instant download as an 18-page PDF eBook with full color photographs and pattern pieces, a printable instruction summary sheet, and three alternate neck and hem finishes. You’ll find this pattern to be simple, easy to follow, and quick! Some experience sewing knits is highly recommended. The digital eBook including pattern and instructions will be sent to your PayPal email address (please do not request that we forward to a different address. Thanks!) via instant download link as soon as payment is received.…

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What is a walking foot? (with a video!!!)

Posted February 13, 2012

I made a video about my walking foot! I’m telling you, it’s superduper hard to make a good video, but I tried it anyway, JUST FOR YOU. I can’t watch this one without cringing a little, so please don’t judge. First I had to fight the overwhelming urge to use the word “UM” repeatedly (but, I lost that one). It’s also something of a miracle I managed to talk in more than one continuous run-on sentence of sound. And then finally, is that really what I sound like? GAH.

I figured some of you probably had no idea what a walking foot was, and there’s been alot of talk about it lately here with all of the knit posts (particularly in

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