Oliver + S Playsuit

There are not many cute boy patterns out there these days, but some of the cutest ones can be found at Oliver + S. I'm making a series of these little playsuits for summer to keep Baby cool and free his knees for crawling! The print on this playsuit is "Robotic" by Alexander Henry in honor of his science-minded dad.

More Summer Sewing

This is another version of the Anna Tunic, this time in the minidress style, to wear with leggings. The buttons at the shoulders are fabric-covered and work perfectly for nursing.


One thing I've discovered about Amy Butler patterns is that there is not enough ease under the arms. For the size small in the Anna Tunic, I had to cut deeper armholes to make it comfortable. With this small adjustment, it fits great. Perhaps this will become my uniform for summer!

Sale at Indygo Junction

The wonderfully creative people at Indygo Junction are having a pattern sale; yippee! Until April 23rd at midnight, if you buy two patterns you get one free. There are several I have my eye on, including the Day Shift Dress.

Vintage Linen Apron

Val sent me this beautiful apron made from vintage linens. It is so clever what she did: she folded a beautiful linen table runner with lace trim on the bias, enclosing pink vintage blanket binding for the ties. The pocket is made of a piece of vintage embroidery, and the pink button is for attaching the sweet hand towel she sent me. This apron is so perfect for me; thanks Val! She is so kind, she also included all kinds of other treats for me and Baby.

My little boy has been under the weather and unhappy the last few days or I would have gotten this up sooner; my apologies Val.

Over the Top Tunic

Here's my first version of the Over the Top Tunic from Indygo Junction. It's another piece for my summer wardrobe, and should be perfect for nursing with the deep V-neck. The fabric I used is from the Erin McMorris Park Slope collection, and has little birdies on a deep teal background. With some leggings and a cami, this should be about perfect for summer!

Baby's Easter Bonnet

You know how in the movie Easter Parade, Judy Garland and Fred Astaire get new Easter hats for the parade? I like to think of this sweater with hood as Baby's Easter bonnet. Having a boy makes Easter outfits a little trickier, but I think I will knit him a new sweater for Easter each year. This little hoodie is from designer Anny Purls, who has two little boys of her own, and she designs some of the cutest things suitable for boys. The blue marled yarn is wool, next year I think it will have to be cotton, as Baby lasted about 20 minutes in it before fussing from heat. Just about long enough to get a couple of pictures!

Summer Sewing

I've embarked on a mission to sew some new clothes for Baby and I for this summer. Mainly because I haven't seen much I like in the shops, but also because we have a lot of specific requirements: must be very cool so we don't get too hot, must be accessible for diaper changes, must be accessible for nursing, and must look good! Needless to say, patterns that meet all such requirements are hard to come by, so I'm trying my hand at adapting some to suit our purposes. This first project is the Amy Butler Anna Tunic Dress, with buttons on both shoulders instead of at the back, for nursing.


This dress is very baggy, so I had to make some adjustments so I don't look pregnant! Overall though, it's a good start, and should keep me pretty cool in a light seersucker. The pink buttons on the shoulders are vintage, and hopefully they will promote easy access for nursing. We'll see. What patterns are you liking for the summer?

My Swap

I received this lovely package from Mary who participated in my swap. She created a neat fabric basket for me to hold my knitting in, complete with some new yarns. And she gave me an amigurimi book for little animals, perfect toys for the little guy someday. And, to top it all off, a wonderful smelling pound of Starbucks coffee, with a great new mug to go with it! Thank you so much Mary!

Butler Bags

Here are the two Amy Butler bags I made while Grandma was here. One of the many ways my mom enriches my life is by helping me stop and consider things I may usually pass over. So it was with these bags. I had seen these patterns numerous times, but always figured they would be too complicated to do myself. But, with a little encouragement, I started and successfully finished them up. They are really very easy, and perfect for gifts. We discovered that out of the required yardage for a Birdie Sling (below), you could make a Birdie Sling and a Frenchy Bag (above); perfect, huh? One to keep and one to give away!




As I was getting ready to take these pictures, I threw the Frenchy Bag over a chair while my camera batteries charged, then noticed how the guitar in the background mimics the pear-like shape of the bag. Sweet serendipity.

It is also coincedental that the fabric I chose for the Birdie Sling happens to be an owl pattern from Alexander Henry, with little birdie print lining on the inside.

Tomorrow I have pictures from my Cozy Domesticity Swap to share!