Sew Paradise

I’ve been working on these patterns for  LONG time. Let me tell you, it seems easy to put out a pattern, but it is a lot more work than I anticipated. Even the marketing side (packaging, pricing, outbound marketing, website, blog, tweets & posts) is a ton of work. Not to mention designing the bags, crafting them (I use Adobe Illustrator to draft them) and then preparing them so others can sew them, writing and photographing instructions, photographing the finished product, designing the covers is a ton of work. I will have to sell a LOT of this pattern to ever recoup my costs! But mainly, this is a labor of love.

I love bags. I’ve carried a bag since I was knee high to a grasshopper, first carrying my essentials like my daughter carries: a book of poetry she nabbed from my pile of books next to the rocker, and a rubber ducky. Then, I moved on to lip balm and fake credit cards I drew myself. Then, Barbie clothes and a notepad and colored pencils. Moved on up to the 1980s-required heavy makeup, powder, combs and a curling iron (yes, for those quick touchups of big hair in the girl’s bathroom at lunch). I’m a bag lady – not in the bad sense of the word, but in the sense that I feel if I carry my essentials, there’s nothing that I cannot accomplish that day. The bag is my metaphor for success.

I’ve designed these because I use them – so right now, I’m carrying a mom bag full of new-baby essentials. When I designed this bag the first time I was not yet aware that I was pregnant with a second child, so I was carrying things like crayons, notepads, the occasional Thomas train and snacks for my 3 year old daughter. Now, I’ll be toting cloth diapers, diaper covers, a wet bag, three changes of clothes, a blanket, a tube of sunscreen (for myself), lipstick, an umbrella (for rain or shade) a wallet, a smartphone and a notepad with crayons, snacks and the occasional Thomas train. I need a large bag.

And I want it to be stylish. My big diaper bag is a black nylon backpack I got at a big bike ride (Livestrong Challenge) so it’s sturdy and efficient, but it lacks style, particularly with the Binkie bag and keys that are carabiner-clipped to the handle. I’m sure right there that’s a fashion faux-pas, the carabiner clip. I want a bag that I can carry with a suit and a baby in a sling to the office. And one I can carry wearing skinny jeans, a skinny modern swing sweater and tee and ballerina flats, too.

I concocted this design last fall, same time actually, sewing a bag for my La Leche League annual fundraiser walkathon. I sewed a matching ring sling to the bag and the leftovers became the bag (as in what do I do with a skinny piece of five yard x 20 inches wide fabric). It became this bag that got compliments. And it’s perfect for transforming a formal gown into a sturdy and stylish handbag. What else are you going to do with that dress? I have worn this dress exactly zero times since my friend Laura’s wedding. And she’ll be delighted to see I made a bag out of it.

Aack! I’m conforming to the marketers! It’s august 9th and I’m thinking fall!

Noooo!

Okay, let’s take a step back. What I still really want to sew this summer (but may not get to it) are two patterns from the Weekend Sewing book – the little girl’s sundress and the Weekender Sundress for mama. What I need to sew is a new diaper/mama bag (my Laura design) and a sling and bag for our La Leche League silent auction.  I’ll also make the Laura bag for that, too. Though I am considering the Annie reversible tote as well, since I have to redo that pattern itself, I think. I’m thinking of making it in a bigger size, too, wider and taller, more of a very large tote. So maybe offer it in two sizes – the purse size and the diaper bag/tote size.

Yeah, I really DO need to sew bags right now. Bags and slings. Another cousin is expecting, and I’ll make her a sling and nursing cover.

Aah so my summer sewing didn’t quite all happen, but it IS still summer!

And now, let’s think ahead – several pieces from Christine Jonson’s collections – the Travel Trio One, a reversible sleeveless wrap top (can be worn over a tee or under a sweater), the shirred turtleneck with nursing changes, and ruana. A reversible wrap skirt.

I sewed this version of the Megan Nielsen nursing dress (below)  MN1002 from a silky rayon jersey in light blue. The dress features an elasticized neckline and underbust empire seam with elasticated sleeves (which I omitted).

I sewed a size M from the sizing chart on the pattern. It looks great on my dress form. On me, the dress pooches out a bit in the belly (it would look fabulous with a bump, but my sad postpartum pooch, yuk. I wore a stretchy cami under it and liked the fit better.) The bust fit however is super spectacular with a nursing bust. Very va va va voom! My dress form is not nearly so endowed. I made a matching bandeau tube top to wear to, say, work, which covers all that sexy stuff and makes it nursing in public friendly. But going to an evening (La Leche League) meeting, I slid the bandeau down under my bust and got the usual “nice nursing rack” compliments from my fellow mothers. Needless to say that’s one of the many benefits of breastfeeding! For a short while of your life you look like a starlet.

There’s a lot of stretching elastic while sewing, so if you’ve not done that with some accuracy before, practice on a scrap first. It’s tricky to hold elastic, line it up with the edge of my serger (without cutting the elastic), stretch it like mad AND bounce your other foot on a baby’s bouncer to keep him quiet. I will say I cut and sewed most of this with my 7-week old son in a baby wrap carrier.

This dress in the jersey I chose is so soft and comfortable I am absolutely certain that I could wear it to bed (with a sleep bra), get up, put on a necklace and sandals and head out the door without changing. I might have to try that sometime! That being said it doesn’t look like a nightgown but it could be worn as one. I think one of the pricier Majamas line has a Sleepy Dress that is just that – a dress that was a nightie but moms wore it as a dress so they market it that way now.

The dress pattern can be worn as a top, with 3/4 sleeves, or as a tunic with long sleeves as well, depending upon the length you choose for the body and sleeve. I used a lettuce edge hem on the dress and the sleeves because I wanted to keep all the length of the dress (it’s mid-knee on me) and wanted sleeves that were open, not gathered.  I’m definitely making a top and a tunic version as well, for fall through spring.

Megan Nielsen Nursing/Maternity Dress

Gorgeous drapey tee shirts – a trio of them – grace this pattern.

This top went together amazingly fast. So fast, I was actually surprised and looked to see what I’d missed in the instructions! I made this out of aqua cotton/poly knit, not a super lightweight or stretchy knit, but what I had leftover from another project. I wanted to see if the drape/cowl neck was deep enough to pull down for nursing a baby.

I traced the cowl neck version for maternity use, but never got around to making it. So I’d traced three or four sizes up from prepregnancy (I was between a 4 and 6, and traced a 12). I decided to make the 12, rather than adjusting my tracing, though I could easily have gone down to a 10 or even an 8, I think. I’m not quite two months postpartum (the fourth trimester still) and 30 lbs heavier than prepregnancy (having lost 25 lbs already).

The top is lovely, as you can see (looks better on me actually than on my skinnier dress form), and yes, it’s deep enough to pull down to nurse. I use slings or wrap or soft structured baby carriers almost 10 hours a day with my son, and I need top-down access (yanking a shirt tail hem up is not only difficult through a tightly wrapped sling, but it exposes my postpartum tummy, which isn’t a pretty sight at the moment.)

I opted for view 2’s sleeve – an elbow-length banded sleeve since I wanted some summer-to-fall wearing of this top. I made a matching bandeau tube top for wearing for discreet nursing. I slide this over my bra and under the top so when I pull down the cowl, there’s a band of fabric over my cleavage when I nurse. Except at home, when I simply pull the band down under my bra  and it stays there til I need it. I wish we lived in, say, Italy, where the sight of an exposed nursing breast wouldn’t be of interest at all.

The top also features a raised back neckline which I think really helps keep the top in place (a cowl like this has a tendancy to slip backwards or forwards on the shoulders). I’m super pleased with this – another version out of print matte jersey is slated for the fall. I also love the other versions too and plan to make those at some point, if I can craft some discreet nursing openings or clever wearings of it like this cowl.

Hot Patterns 3 Graces cowl tee

After nearly a year, I’m working on finalizing the Laura diaper bag pattern. I have been working on it all day and am just about to PDF it (I’ll test the final pattern in the Laura dress fabric, taking photos as I go).

Well, at least not because of a black carrier! I sewed a gorgeous ring sling out of a celadon green silk duppioni, with accents of teal (vintage) taffeta and teal aluminum sling rings. It’s just beautiful, a mix of that Caribbean pale greenish white and turquoise that is so gorgeous. Like beach glass and ocean blue all mixed into one. And it’s cool – the fabric is lightweight and breathable and I felt so much better wearing him in the heat of the day outdoors in this sling.

The pocket I constructed out of a band of turquoise taffeta at the bottom, and pocket flap. The pocket itself is of the same silk. I opted for this instead of zippers (it will get snaps soon as I can get into the workshop to hammer a few – and this means when the baby is NOT in it!) because zippers require two handed operations, and I wanted a one-handed grab into the pocket for a burp cloth or my phone.

Next up a Meghan Nielsen nursing dress. And then a breastfeeding friendly version of the Hot Patterns Three Graces cowlneck tee. Christine Jonson’s getting a nursing makeover too – the two-layered Keyhole top and the new banded neck top from Travel Trio One are also getting nursing versions. I need clothes – it’s not even 10 am and I have been spit upon at least two or three times (and let’s not discuss leaky diapers…)

I’m  just waiting for baby right now. Bought a pattern online for a nursing top and dress from an independent designer that I’ve discovered lately. I had previously downloaded one of those crazy wrap tops (like Isabella Oliver) for maternity but never made one. It’ll still make a great nursing top. The time seems to slow right now, every day is a blessing, a joy to have one more day with our son inside of me, rolling, but not kicking now. It’s been a journey, and one I’ve been grateful to have been on. Tonight, I have hubby taking a photo of me in one such dress I did make for maternity (will alter it smaller when we’re done). I’m relishing all the last days.

And then, when I have time, I’ll sew again. I know it will be different, with two children, but it’ll come back and probably sooner than I think it will.

I’ve nearly finished my pants draft. It doesn’t look like much now, but it will soon.

Summer linen pants draft in Garment Designer

I’ve lowered the waistline 1″ though probably will not keep this at the CB, but bring that one up to the natural waist just to ensure good rear coverage. We’ll see.

I am always trying to find or create the perfect summer wide leg pant – you know the sort of pant you put on with a striped bateau neck top (have) and a pair of metallic flip flops (have) and toss a big bag over your shoulder (one of my new ones from my formal gown handbag line) and go. The sort of pants a mama-on-the-go with a new baby can get away with looking reasonably stylish and yet, not too ‘done’ up. They’re straight legs, wide and I will wash that linen at least three times (and dry it too!) to ensure shrinkage is out  – not to mention at least a 4″ hem, as I’ve had other linen summer pants get relegated to cropped status after a few years.

So this is something completely on the side, but I’m copying a favorite pair of RTW pants for a tutorial online (not maternity pants). I’ll poke around on this project, draft them in Garment Designer and see where I end up.

My favorite pull-on style pant is a wider palazzo pant with smooth banded waist or drawstring and wide graceful legs. The sort of pants that Katherine Hepburn would have worn. I would make these in a thicker white linen or flax linen for summer (with matching or contrast knit waistband or drawstring) or even in a beautiful wool jersey for fall and winter. But they speak to me most as a summer pant.

In my closet, I do own a similar style pant, but without the banded waist. I bought these years ago as a rayon ‘blank’ to dye, finally dyed them and now I’d like to recreate them. These have a drawstring, elastic waist.

I’ll be using Mac Garment Designer, version 2.1, and the enclosed pants tutorial that the software ships with. I’ll be documenting my work here, and when I’m NOT pregnant, this summer, I’ll sew these pants in a flax linen that I bought last summer or perhaps the summer before!

As if the first sling issue weren’t bad enough, I went to the local fabric store and bought MORE fabric, this time a slightly stretch teal poplin bottomweight. Laid it out and cut smack in the middle of it, never mind a ring sling is 30″ wide, not 22″. Ugh. So, I can rescue this by making TWO pouch style slings, which I intend to do. But I haven’t done it yet.

I ended up sewing a nursing nightgown, and THEN trying it on to discover, indeed, that armseye did look a little small (who wears a size 10-12 with this small of a shoulder? I mean I have chicken arms and this doesn’t fit). So fortunately with a gathered sleeve cap, I can remove it, cut some away from the underarm and adjust the gathers to make the sleeve a bit larger.

But the fabric is gorgeous and the color, a warm yellow textured light cotton is lovely. I think the nursing openings are well placed, well fitting and user friendly without being to gappy. I would feel comfortable going outside to get the paper, let the dog out or even being on my deck in the summer, on some morning, sipping a decaf in it. Like I’ll get to do that, but you know, wishful thinking.

I’m still making the cowl neck top for nursing (complete with matching bandeau cleavage cover or a sport-style nursing cami bra) but we’ll see how soon I get to it. I have to carefully test out the depth of the cowl by draping it on me, before I cut though.