In the Nick of Time

Well, that was close! I finished the promised birthday dress oh, about 10 minutes before the birthday girl got home from school on Friday. Eek. But just look at how cute it turned out!

Everyone was happy, which is good on a birthday. Any day, really.

I used the Bettsy Kingston A la Belle Etoile pattern, which is very well written and easy to follow. I did have to make a few changes, however, so anyone using the pattern for the largest size (7), take note that the bodice was much too tight and had to be adjusted by about an inch on each side (essentially the width of the button band, or so).

The other thing I should have done was to add length to the dress. It's very cute as it is, with a sort of babydoll look, but my long-legged daughter (lucky duck, sadly for me she did not get that lovely trait from her mother) will grow out of it in no time.

{Happily, I have another daughter to hand it down to. So it's all good.}

In other news, I've got so many new patterns for the shop, and only one more birthday to celebrate this week, so there's a good chance I could get a few of them up. Yay!

Happy sewing!

Feeling Inspired!

There are two very important dates coming up around here. Very, very important. Just ask my soon-to-be seven year old. Indeed. It's birthday week!

My older daughter will be seven on Friday and my younger daughter will be one only five days later! So we will be par-t-ying, let me tell you!

And, in true crazy-mama fashion, I've been staying up late and getting up early to finish those handmade gifts that didn't get completed at Christmas so they could become birthday gifts. Which is why this week I'm inspired by handmade softies.

Here are just a few of the many, many lovelies I've found around the web:

Bear by Hillary Lang {pattern in the Wee Wonderfuls book}

Lion by Stephanie Congdon Barnes

Ms. Fox by Manomine

Found on Softie Making

Pretend Bear Doll from Inside a Black Apple

Cute stuff, huh?

Well, there are lots and lots of really lovely new patterns to add to the shop and I'm hoping to get to them soon, but if I don't, just know it's because of all the partying over here!

Happy Wednesday!

A Couple Sublime Stitchers...

Thanks to everyone who entered the little Sublime Stitching giveaway last week! And many thanks for listing some of your favorite resources—there are some fabulous places for inspiration out there!

Ok, so our first round of winners are: Devon and Shannon (@Elephantstitch). Congratulations! {Devon, be sure to send me a note since I don't have your contact information. Thanks!}

Happy stitching!

It's Turning into a Very Stitchy Week!

Well, look at that! I guess it's all about embroidery this week. How lovely.

And this time I have a giveaway, so that's happy!

I've decided to stop carrying Sublime Stitching patterns, (which is sad) but it's only because they're available as downloadable pdfs now, but only on the Sublime Stitching site (not here, which would be awesome), not because they aren't fabulous in every way.

So, as a little "farewell, it's been so nice to have you" sort of thing, I thought I'd give a few of the remaining patterns away. So, for today we've got:

Kurt Halsey

Krazy Kitchen

Scooter Babe

Dutch Russian

I'll choose two lucky winners, who will each get two (randomly chosen) patterns seen above (unless, of course, you provide a particularly convincing argument for why I should choose more specifically for you). Ok, so here's how two of these lovelies can be yours:

• Sometime today before 10 pm leave a comment with a link to your favorite stitchy resource.
• Tweet (or retweet) about the giveaway—with the all important @magpiepatterns mention so that I know to include you in the drawing.
• Share something from the Magpie Patterns Facebook page with your FB friends (and then send me a note so I know that you did). 
• OR become a follower of the blog (and send me a note or something so I know).

After all the entries are in I'll randomly choose a winner using Rae's toddler method and then contact that person by email, twitter, or Facebook (so be sure to include a method of contact) to get shipping digits.

Happy stitching!

Feeling Inspired!

Phew, that one was a doozy! Let's just say we had quite a day over here yesterday and it's left me a bit worn out. The crazy thing is, it wasn't the kids (they were awesome) it was pretty much everything else.

Ok, so assuming you've had days like that before too, I'll just quietly show you what's swirling around in my mind right now. Sweet, calm stitching.

{from So September}

{a very tiny hoop from beckarahn}

{from Emma Lamb}

{from Craft}

{from Inside a Black Apple}

Funny, I'm feeling better already!
Happy Wednesday!

Forest Tales

I've got another sweet, new embroidery pattern this morning: Tales from the Forest by Nicole Vos van Avezathe.

Tales from the Forest by Nicole Vos van Avezathe

As Nicole describes it, our friendly bear here is listening to a chatty squirrel friend, which I totally see. But these days, with three little chatterers in my house, it also makes me think of the long and winding stories my kids invent throughout the day—and in particular the stories baby Norah relates, which sound very much like squirrel chatter! Can't you just see that patient-mama look in the bear's eyes? Hmm, maybe I'm projecting... Anyway, it's a darling pattern, don't you think?

Happy stitching!

Songs of Spring

So, I hear that many of you are (still) practically buried in snow! Well, I've got something that will have you thinking of spring:

Spring Birds by Polka + Bloom

Isn't it sweet? February is such a great month for getting cozy by the fire with a stack of seed catalogs or spring-inspired stitching, don't you think? It's the month when winter is still in full force (in most places, anyway) but we're past the winter holidays and our minds have wandered to springtime.

And, speaking of holidays, Happy Valentine's Day! Here's another sweet little stitching pattern by Polka + Bloom in honor of this lovely holiday:

Love Birds by Polka + Bloom

Happy stitching!

Love on the Horizon

{I almost wrote a whole bunch of different things about Valentine's Day—including the fact that it's my husband who is the romantic in our house—but in the end I decided to just say this:}

Just in case you need a cute little Valentine's Day project, here's a free pattern:

Knit heart

{Enough said, don't you think?}
Happy knitting!

Feeling Inspired!

Ok, so it's no secret that I have a thing for patterns. Right. But have I ever mentioned that I'm really, really bad about sticking to them? Weird, right? Sometimes I just add a trim of some kind. Sometimes I'll throw in some color work. Evey now and then I put a bird on it (ack, I couldn't help it! Portlandia!)

So anyway, let's just have a little fun with some ideas—birds or no birds.

How about this:

Amelia by Jane Richmond

Plus this:

Crocheted Flower by MarianneS

To make this:

Maive

How cute!

Ok, how about this one:

Sweet Little Baby Dress by Leila and Ben

 Plus a few pintucks or pleats to get something like:

From Muji.net

What if you added a wide fabric sash to the awesome Schoolhouse Tunic?

Schoolhouse Tunic by Sew Liberated

You'd get something like this awesome Ribbons Tunic by Emersonmade:

See how fun this is?

Send over some of your own, won't you? I'd love to see your ideas!
Happy Wednesday!

Sizzle + Flair

Is it still icy where you are? Well then, here's one way to warm things up!

Sizzle by Knit n Tonic

Indeed! This little knit is a quick one, and if you're not quite as bold as Wendy here, you can follow the instructions for a slightly less revealing neckline.

Of course Flair can help accomplish the same thing, albeit in a different fashion...

Flair by Knit n Tonic

Happy knitting!

Pictures Worth a Thousand Words

Or: Sign up for the New Patterns E-Newsletter!

Personally I think that the pattern images really describe the patterns best, so whenever I add a new pattern to the shop I'll be sending out a picture (and maybe a few words — but only a few!) of it.

Fun, right?

So, click here to sign up. I promise not to send you anything else. Just pictures of new patterns. And maybe a word or two about the designer. Anything else I want to say I'll just say it here. Oh and of course I won't share your info with anyone else. But that's a given!

Happy crafting!

Justifying My Madness

I've always admired crafters who can start one project and finish it before starting another. Unfortunately for me, I've never been like that. So in this case, "Madness" refers to the number of projects I have in progress—which, no matter how many I finish, seems to remain about the same.

{Of course the real reason I continually start new projects is probably because I have so little self control when it comes to yarn (or fabric), but hopefully you'll be able to humor me while I go through the reasons I generally tell myself (ahem).}

I'll use knitting to demonstrate, but this could easily apply to sewing too.

The first reason: Like you, I'm really, really busy. Too busy to think sometimes. And whenever things get more hectic than I like (practically every day), all I can think about is sitting down with an easy knitting project. I obsessively, ridiculously, irrationally long for a moment to knit. I think this is because knitting can be so relaxing. Meditative, almost.

Meditatively Easy:

Pico Edged Baby Blanket and Washcloth

Reason two: something similar to the meditatively easy project is the "meeting project." That's anything that's easy enough to do during a large meeting of some sort where knitting isn't a distraction to the people around me or maybe during a play date where there are moments here and there to knit, but I know I'll have to put the project down a lot. Usually this is just about any project that is at a point where the knitting has gotten simple, even if there are other parts of the project that are more complicated.

The Current Meeting Project:

Wispy Cardigan

Reason three: Of course I have been knitting for nearly 20 years, so sometimes easy is just, well, too easy. So on those days when I've had more sleep the night before than usual, or a preschool meeting is suddenly canceled and I have an hour to myself, on those days something a little more complicated might be what I gravitate towards.

Requires Paying Attention:

Cheques Shawl

Reason four: Some projects we actually need. I often make more than one version of this kind of project, in several sizes or colors (or both).

A Most Useful Project:

Classic Raglan Pullover

Reason five: And then there are the projects I can't help but start because the pattern is just too darling. (There are quite a few of those.)

Just Too Darling Not to Knit:

Esprit Folk Tunic

Nevermind that I might have as many as three or four projects in each category. No, nevermind that little detail.

Happy knitting!

Feeling Inspired!

So, you know that feeling you get whenever you see something wonderful that you just know you could make?

Well, sometimes (ok, often) I get a similar feeling when I see something lovely that I wish I could make, but would need a pattern for. Does that ever happen to you?

Whenever it happens to me, and I'm really enamored with whatever it is that I've spied, I end up searching the globe for a pattern. (No need to wonder any longer how I got the idea to start this little shop, eh?) Which, lucky for me, I find enjoyable. If I were a little more daring I would probably learn how to write my own patterns. But honestly, I like for someone to figure it all out for me (despite having a terrible habit of altering patterns relentlessly).

So, all you designers out there, here are a few things I have my eye on that I would love to have a pattern for.

Thanks in advance!

Across the Land Dress from Anthropologie

Child's Dress from Smallable

Little Brown Bear by Sweet Pea Toad

Too Much Fun Dress by Modcloth

Women's Capelet from Lands End

Happy Wednesday!

Sewing for Girls

Or at least sewing for one of my girls.

Has anyone else with school-age daughters found the clothing selection for the 7 - 12 set a little, um, appalling? Hmm.

Sure there are a few lines that offer styles that are more appropriate for young girls than others, but often we have to pay a premium to keep logos to a minimum, bums and tummies adequately covered, and color palettes in the range of the natural world.

This particular girl of mine is all about dresses and skirts. Which makes sewing for her so much fun. While our opinions about fabric differ (she doesn't have the same issues with neon pink that I do) and certain styles might appeal to one or the other of us more (I like simple, classic styles, she likes anything with lots of tulle), more often than not we can find something that we both like.

I've made several of the dresses from Carefree Clothes for Girls, with varying degrees of success. And Ofelia is a lovely, easy pattern. Any seamstress with a daughter has likely discovered Oliver + S's lazy days skirt (I've made so many of those I honestly don't know the final tally). And I love their Music Box Jumper pattern, which I've used several times now.

But this week I'm venturing into new territory. And I'm really excited.

Awhile ago I ordered a bunch of patterns from the French company, Citronillle, knowing full well that the patterns were not translated. And that I don't speak French. At all.

Bergamote

Solveig

Honorine

Eugenie (nightgown)

No matter. The patterns are simply too darling and I am just ridiculous enough to give them a try anyway. {Despite the astronomical shipping rates from France.}

It seems worth it to me, you know? Choosing what our kids wear rather than being at the mercy of manufacturers. Of course this whole business of buying patterns in a foreign language, I can see how that may be getting a bit carried away. But then, that's part of the fun, right?

Anyway, if there are any of you non-French residents who do speak French, or are as ridiculous as me and don't care if you can actually read the instructions, and would be interested in seeing these patterns stocked in the shop, please let me know!

Happy sewing!