the blue blog archives: orange and black

I spotted this fun Alexander Henry "Turtle Bay" fabric at my newest favorite local quilt shop and, knowing how good my girl looks in orange, decided I had to make her a little turtle top. I've been wanting to make her a peasant top with some shirring, so I ordered the cutie-patootie Olivia Top pattern from Pink Fig. The Pink Fig patterns are so hip and adorable but still nice and uncomplicated - right up my alley.

First, let me say, I LOVE how it came out. The pattern pieces are simple. The instructions have big photographs of what you're doing and the shirring wasn't hard at all.

Now, I did find a few problems with the pattern, namely, that the seam allowance wasn't given anywhere in the pattern or on the pattern pieces and that there was no cutting layout. I guessed at the seam allowances (they tend to vary for clothes from 3/8" to 5/8") and the thing fits, so no big whoop, but it was nerve-wracking not knowing for sure. This morning I discovered that the Pink Fig website has corrections for the pattern, including the 3/8" seam allowance (darn, I split the difference and sewed 1/2") and the fact that some of the grainlines were also off in the pattern pieces (another oops that I spotted, but was able to ignore). I still feel like a cutting layout would be helpful, or at least a note about cutting, as the sleeves need to be cut on the fabric when folded. (Ever knit raglan sleeves where the front raglan decrease line is a little shorter than the back? Rowan does this a lot. Well, you know you can't just make two of the same sleeve, you've gotta "reverse the shapings" for the second sleeve. You do that on fabric by cutting one sleeve reversed with the wrong side of the pattern or on the wrong side of the fabric.)

But, I got through these omissions just fine and am so thrilled with the result that I've already started a Lily Dress (another Pink Fig pattern) for wee one.

Hubby came in while I was working on wee one's new little outfits and asked, "oh, is this her Halloween costume." Ugh.

posted by alison at 11:37 am | in sew pretty

Comments

You should have said, "Yes. It's her costume. She's trick-or-treating as Cute."

Posted by: Sarah R at October 14, 2008 11:47 AM

Boys! They just don't get the fiber arts, do they?

Posted by: Shannon at October 14, 2008 11:56 AM

LOL, no he didn't?!
I love the fabric for the dress and the shirt is cute too! You are so creative.

Posted by: Becky at October 14, 2008 12:34 PM

OOOch you bought the pattern, I wanted to order it and it was sold out :) Bummer.

The top for the girl looks cute, well done. I still doubt that I can sew something that is wearable :)

Posted by: Sibylle at October 14, 2008 1:00 PM

Men! (as my mother would've said) Top is too cute on Wee One - love, love, love the fabric for the dress.

Posted by: Donna at October 14, 2008 1:27 PM

Wee one does look good in orange and I think she knows it.

Posted by: JudithNYC at October 14, 2008 3:12 PM

Great job! Isn't sewing for little girls just a blast? When my daughter was little, she loved little dresses and jumpers with tights - and it satisfied my need to buy and sew fabric with her need for dresses! The turtle dress fabric colors remind me of fabrics I used to choose in the 70's when I was a sewing teenager....(shutters to think what I looked like, but knowing I fit in with everyone else....) Keep up the good work! P.S. the more you sew, the more errors you'll discover in patterns, but you'll have the courage to succeed despite them!

Posted by: Kathym at October 14, 2008 3:39 PM

Love the turtle bay top with the puffy sleeves! And the pink flowers on the dark background reminds me of a pair of pants that my mom made for me way back when. As far as your hubby's comment goes, well I'm sure he meant it in the best possible way. :)

Posted by: Janice at October 14, 2008 4:29 PM

I love the orange and Wee One does look good in it. You inspire me to knit when you knit and when you sew, well, since I can't get to my sewing machine right now, I knit.

Posted by: Robin at October 14, 2008 5:32 PM

So cute!!! I'm happy to hear that you found that the shirring wasn't so bad. I havn't done it yet but I have a project in the works that calls for it. Good luck to me!

Posted by: Elaine at October 15, 2008 8:36 AM

Could be worse, I've had that question asked when *I* was dressed to go out (and not by my mum either!)

Posted by: Liz T. at October 15, 2008 9:40 AM

Wow - that top is seriously adorable! Well done!

Posted by: Margo at October 15, 2008 9:33 PM

Oh it's just adorable. What a genius you are with material and thread. You're right - she looks spectacular in orange.

Posted by: Jennifer at October 16, 2008 7:00 AM

OH! that is SO cute! Ordering a pattern now - since my sewing machine just came out of storage for Halloween...

Posted by: melissa at October 16, 2008 3:58 PM