Thank You, Camelot Fabrics

Spiderman Princess PJs
Spiderman Princess PJs
Spiderman Princess PJs

I defy you to find a set of PJs like this in the wild. This is a custom Spiderman Princess pajama set for my toddler, Zoe. Yes. This set made my youngest twirl about and walk around with pride.

The toddler is the youngest of 4….she has 2 brothers and a sister. There was already a cache of Spiderman in this house, and while her older sister has never been princess-y, Zoe was born with a tiara. A tiara in one hand, and an action figure in the other hand.

Exhibit A: today’s bath toys.

Exhibit A
Exhibit A

Exhibit B: the Spiderman coloring book has been in the “Elsa Purse” since she got it home….about a month ago.

Exhibit B
Exhibit B

This is where we thank Camelot Fabrics profusely. Without Camelot making licensed fabrics in everything from Star Wars to Cars, I’d be stuck trying to sew ruffles on some Target boys’ Spiderman PJs. You know, Target hacks are fine and all, but we needed to go full princess nerd.

Enter, the pattern.

butterick-pattern-B5586
butterick-pattern-B5586

My mom made me dozens of nightgowns in this pattern….and dresses….with pinafores. For real. So what did I do? I bought multiple copies, in multiple sizes. That’s right. It’s hereditary.

I went to Joann’s to pick up bias tape ruffle trim….and EW! That stuff is cheap, scratchy cotton poly something nasty! They had some other poly silk chiffon ruffle that wasn’t washable….right. NO. So, I went to the remnant bin (shocking, right?) and found 3/4 yard cheap, red, WASHABLE poly satin and just made my own dang ruffles.

spiderman-pjs-top
Spiderman Princess PJs Top
Spiderman Princess PJs Top Back
Spiderman Princess PJs Top Back

I only put on two buttons since this is only size 3 – I thought 3 buttons was a bit fussy. I mean, she’s part action hero here too….

Spidey Buttons
Spidey Buttons

This was my second pair of PJs, so I knew to shorten the sleeves 2 inches. Ms. Princess Spidey Zoe is tall, skinny and apparently doesn’t have an ape’s reach.

The pants, however, I left regular length. Trim only on the top of the top….we don’t want to get carried away here….I mean, that would just be TACKY.

I used the trusty serger to finish seams and/or just plain assemble where I could. I am a working mom of a small army, after all, and need to have some sanity sleep.

finishing on inside
finishing on inside

Princess Spidey is Version 2. Version 1 is from a bolt of girly hot cocoa goodness I picked up on clearance last year. I cheated and skipped the collar, top-stitched some trim I had around to cuffs and yolk, and just put on one vintage button I had laying around. These have the original sleeve (ape) length, and we have to roll them up when she wears them. Still, they’ve been well loved already. I couldn’t get the model to pose for me, but they are really quite voluminous and have that wide, baby doll circumference to the top. Just ADORABLE.

cocoa-pjs-top
cocoa-pjs-top
cocoa-pjs-bottoms
cocoa-pjs-bottoms
cocoa-pjs-trim
cocoa-pjs-trim
cocoa-pjs-cuff-trim
cocoa-pjs-cuff-trim

This is not sponsored; no one has given me fabric or money or whatever – this is just true Camelot Fabrics fandom!

Modern Clothing Design

Colette Sencha Pattern
Colette Sencha Pattern

I prefer modern, architectural clothing that is also, for the most part, easy to wear. I’m also a mom, work full time, cook at home 99% of the time…point being, it’s not likely I’m going to self-draft much more than a few patterns. I prefer to buy patterns and alter as needed.

Now, patterns in my preferred style don’t always translate to wearable or quite have my desired aesthetic. Searching for something modern….sleek….I bought this…

burda gathered cowl top
burda gathered cowl top

I should have known by looking at other sewists’ samples online…and the fact they mostly scrapped the woven and made it in knit. I made it in silk….yeah. I kinda looked like a silk box, not to mention it added a good 20 years AND 20 pounds.

silk-box
silk-box

I think the model in the concept photo has a much longer zipper in the dress or is clothes-pin-gathered. I’m betting the latter. I remember we’d take the rubber cord clamps and pin back dresses in another life….yeah. This pattern needs a ton more work, which means it’s going in the cylindrical file.

Do a search for something modern AND wearable…more often than not, you’re going to find something geared more towards the retirement community in Yuma, Arizona….

Katherine Tilton
Katherine Tilton for Vogue

I’m sorry – after the Burda silk box fiasco of October, I’m just not up for even trying to make that work. *Shudder*

Now, Colette patterns are mostly styled in a 40s classic, romantic look, sometimes delving into a little mod, 60s. Neither really my thing, but I know they’re good patterns, and when I see one drawn with lines that I can work with, I’m hopeful. As with my last selfish sewing project, the Sencha.

Colette Sencha Pattern
Colette Sencha Pattern

I knew if I could hack in a zipper (easy to wear), and make those lines really work for me, I had a chance. Of course, I’ve already posted how happy I am with the results. Although I’m not at all into anything retro, if the lines are classic enough, and can be translated to my aesthetic, I can try to make it work. The key to the Sencha for me was to top stitch the darts. The top stitching makes it less ‘flowy’ and more structured.

Colette Sencha Blouse in Pendleton Cotton
Colette Sencha Blouse in Pendleton Cotton

The bottom half of that outfit is an ongoing effort however. I was going by a not-to-be named blog on making the skirt sloper. I don’t think it works for me.

sloper
sloper

I did the measurements as stated, but then I ended up shaving off so much….I bought the craftsy skirt sloper class….just hoping to get this down, you know, in between everything else!

I still haven’t gotten to my Papercut leggings yet, but there’s another example of something modern, clean – but a lot of their patterns are more for 20-somethings than for pushing 40. It’s still high on my selfish sewing list.

Colette Sencha in Pendleton Cotton

Colette Sencha Blouse in Pendleton Cotton
Colette Sencha Blouse in Pendleton Cotton

It’s a Pacific NW celebration! A Rose City triptych! I was born up at OHSU in Portland, Oregon, Pendleton Wool originated in Pendleton, Oregon and is now headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and the lovely pattern company, Colette Patterns, recently moved from SE to NE Portland, Oregon.

This is the Pendleton cotton I bought during my awesome Pendleton sale shopping spree. After my questionable muslin, I went for it and turned it into a Colette Patterns’ Sencha blouse with a few tweaks.

I’m totally in love with it. I’ve already worn it to work. I’m going to wear it non-stop.

Pendleton-Sencha-Blouse
Pendleton-Sencha-Blouse

I cut a straight size 8 this time, added 2 inches to the bottom, removed back button placket, inserted back invisible zipper with a 1″ seam allowance to take out any gaping. I probably should have graded back out at the hips, but it’s not going to stop me from wearing it, nor am I going to rip out any seams to use the seam allowance ease I know is in there…I’m good with it.

Sencha-Blouse-3
Sencha-Blouse
Sencha Zipper hack
Sencha Zipper hack

I top stitched the darts again.

top-stitch
top-stitch
top-stitch-2
top-stitch-2

I serged all my edges. It’s a thin cotton and I didn’t want to add any bulk. I also was watching the free Craftsy zipper tutorials one night (it’s a FREE mini class here) – you can always better your technique or learn something new right? Well, sure as shit, there she was, using a knit stabilizer on a woven fabric for her zipper installs. I don’t think I’m going to go run out and buy the steam-a-seam tape she uses, or even buy knit stabilizer in tape form, but I DID cut strips of knit stabilizer I had on hand to use in my zipper install on this version. Holy crap. If I wouldn’t have already used the usual stabilizer on the neckline, I might have done it there too.

Knit stabilizer on woven fabric is amazing. Like….I’m going to keep just using knit stabilizer instead. Well, I’ll run out of what I have first…cuz that stuff is $$$, but…yeah.

gru_lightbulb

Here’s me being a dork. The camera remote is new to me and this is me talking between my teeth….”is it working…are you working? should I…”   CLICK – and look at that. I have the same expression almost as Gru….awesome. LIGHTBUUULB

remote functionality confustion
remote functionality confusion

PS! I totally machine washed and dried this cotton before hand. I may have paid a grip for it, but I won’t wear it if it isn’t easy to take care of…so, now that it’s done – I love it AND I’m not afraid to wear it!

Colette Sencha Blouse + Zipper Hack

meh

flying-sencha

You know, I’m really glad I started on my Sencha #2 BEFORE I took these muslin photos or I never, ever would have made a second one.

Colette Sencha Pattern
Colette Sencha Pattern

I started out the Sencha #1, above, with the intention of possibly something wearable, in a layered-work sort of thing. I know my muslin material, a gray, cheap cotton, was a bit stiffer than the Pendleton Cotton I had picked, and in picking Version 2 I could end up looking more Star Trek than architecturally interesting, but what is life without risk?

I really love the lines of the Sencha blouse, and I know Colette patterns tend to run on the loose fitting side of the fence. A bit too much for my taste, but hey, that is why we make muslins, right? I also knew there was no way I’d ever wear something with buttons up the back. Hahahaha…no. That’s way to fussy for my life. So – from the get-go, I know I need to take it in, and we need to hack in a zipper. I *forgot* that compared to Colette patterns, I’m tall. Yeah.

no-no-no
no-no-no

I cut a straight size 10. I should know better, but whatever. I originally left the side seam open to have a side zipper, but it was so absurdly baggy in the back and poofy all over, I moved the zipper to the back so I could hack out more fabric.

baggy-neck
baggy-neck

Mind you, this final shirt is with a half inch removed from both sides, shoulders and I think I removed 1-1 1/2 inches from the back before seam allowances – more removed at the neck line. Of course I removed button placket when cutting, so that’s already gone as well. The neck is still poofy in the back. and the waist is weird.

blah
blah
Sencha-Box
Sencha-Box

Even the shoulders sit weird. I’m sure the combo of the stiffer cotton and the weird fitting, plus my hacking at it is causing this…not to mention, that by the time I hacked it so much, the facing is sewn in wrong.

sencha-blouse-muslin-2
sencha-blouse-muslin-2

It reminds me of an Old Navy shirt. Cut sorta boxy and wide.

meh
meh

^ That shot isn’t as bad…and it’s also kinda blurry. And below….it looks like an ok back-up shirt there, I guess.

sencha-blouse-muslin
sencha-blouse-muslin

I top-stitched the darts. Just personal preference I guess…

Sencha-Top-Stitching
Sencha-Top-Stitching

Anyway, I did have the husband-unit check my fit before I cut the 2nd one out of the prized fabric, thank gawd. I don’t yet know the fate of this muslin. It will probably sit in my closet, unworn, until I need to cannibalize the invisible zipper back out of it.

What I DO like….the zipper hack wasn’t so hard after-all. After getting the waist even close to as small as I preferred, it’s a bit snug to pull over my chest, but it works. I think with my bust/waist ratio, a side zip wouldn’t work in this design and in a woven. Your ratio may be less extreme than mine, so it might work for you. I still like the shape – or the idea of the shape. Husband-unit said to add an inch or inch and a half to the next one…I added 2 inches and at the bottom to keep the waist high, just longer….we shall see.

Pendleton Shopping Spree!

teal-blanket

I am beyond lucky to live very close to the Pendleton Woolen Mills store. The store on Hwy 99E has bolts of Pendleton fabric and (bonus!!) scrap tables of yardage at discounts. Then every once in awhile, they’ll have an amazing sale. I went to their September sale when the tables were 50% off and yardage was 30-35% off and made out like a bandit!

Don’t get me wrong, this was by no means “cheap.” But Pendleton isn’t “cheap” by any definition of the word. It was still a pretty expensive trip costing me <$230, but I’ll go through what I purchased, what it would normally cost, what the finished cost is in the retail store, product longevity, and I think I made a good haul.

Teal-All-Over-Pattern
Teal-All-Over-Pattern

This is my crowning gem. Here it is on Pendleton’s website in another colorway. Here is a throw in the same size for $239. I purchased 2 yards, so that I could get a pattern repeat (repeat is at 26″), and I believe this one was 35% off. This lovely, as you can see above, would make an excellent coat or poncho weight, and is reversible:

Reverse of Pendleton Teal Wool
Reverse of Pendleton Teal Wool

I have it over the back of the sofa, currently without my white slipcovers on, as it’s fall/winter time and I like the darker tones. I haven’t finished the raw edges yet, and I’m not terribly worried about needing to be in a rush about that.

Pendleton Blanket On Sofa
Pendleton Blanket On Sofa

The second part of my haul is very exciting. This is potentially my ‘best value.’ I literally went the last day of the sale, and still found these beauties.

Eco-Wise Easy Care Wool
Eco-Wise Easy Care Wool

This is Pendleton’s Eco-Wise Easy Care Wool, like these blankets listed on their site. That’s right, washable! I’d, personally, still wash it in cold water, gently, with Eucalan, but washable! These are 2-yard cuts, and one 2 yard cut fits our queen bed perfectly. I think when we move to a king size, I’ll easily be able to cover it with a 3 yard cut.

Pendleton Eco Wise Wool
Pendleton Eco Wise Wool

It’s a bit hard to tell, but this wool is thicker and not as tightly woven as the teal wool. It would still make nice clothing, but would certainly have thicker seams and wouldn’t work on something really tailored, at least for my taste. I got these for $60/yard and 50% off, so that’s a total of $120 for 2 queen sized blankets, or $60 each. Look again at the blankets online, and they’re $189 for each, queen sized blanket. I win. I gave the 2nd one to my mom. I am the new favorite.

Then…I saw this. This is where my normally pragmatic self took off and left me brainless and in love.

2 Yards Pendleton Cotton
2 Yards Pendleton Cotton

Indigo blue makes me all dreamy. It’s such a comforting color to me. Then they added in those cream slub lines. Sigh. I bought 2 yards. It’s labeled cotton, it’s pretty thin, like a voile – will certainly need a camisole under it if not lined….it’s so pretty. Droooool. Restraint WAS only getting 2 yards. Yeah. $26/yard, and I think it was only %30 off. I know, some people buy Liberty at that price or more….but lucky for me Liberty hasn’t had an Indigo pattern yet that has made me weak in the knees.

Damn you, Pendleton, you got my number dialed in. I don’t see this or the other colorways on the Pendleton site – nor anything that really even compares, so you’ll have to just take my word for it. 😀 For the sake of comparison, this cotton Pendleton shirt is $98.

Indigo Cotton
Indigo Cotton

So, what is that, 8 yards total, 6 of which were high quality wool. My cost was less than $230. If purchased, and granted, already sewn/finished as per links through this post, that would have been $715. While $230 is nothing to scoff at, these are investment pieces, as they say, so I feel really good about putting in my own ‘sweat equity’ and my purchase.

hahahaha. I’m just kidding. I really love my awesome haul! I feel like I broke the bank in Vegas! wooooooohooooo! I’m a party animal! 😀