Autumn basics, blog birthday and a GIVEAWAY

It occurred to me recently that my blog's birthday might be coming up soon. I looked today and today is it! Happy birthday 2 year old sewing (with the occasional mention of bicycling) blog.

Late March also means the beginning of long sleeve weather round here. So I whipped up a couple of Field Trip Raglan Tees for the boy kid.

 

Size-wise I went with my usual method of not measuring the kid but choosing something I'd already traced and adding length (la-zy!). So this is the size 6 with about 1&1/4" extra length at the sleeves and hem.

 



But look at the arms on monkey-boy! Seriously, those are like the size 8 sleeve lengths.

The fabric for this one was some of the striped knit leftover from the Robert Morris sculpture T-shirt and an aqua knit that probably came from Brunswick fabrics or similar. The aqua didn't have much recovery and I wasn't game to use it for the neckband so I used a bit of the aqua/teal Ottobre ribbing that I'd previously used here. It's not a perfect colour match but he moves around enough that no-one's going to notice!

Thinking that was more than enough colour I made another that is a bit more subdued... (the t-shirt that is)

Same size, same length additions. Obviously it would pay to make one and try it on first, but I was on a late night roll. Next time I'd add even another full inch to the sleeves to get more than 2 months wear out of them.

The pocket was some grey knit leftover from my first Camas blouse and the neckband a ribbing remnant from Milo's knight hoodie. I think the trick to the neckbands is not to even attempt using the main fabric unless it's a nice jersey with good recovery. These cotton interlock type knits just don't bounce back enough for neckbands.

"Hey mum, take this picture... I'm going to feel in my pocket and look like I'm wondering what it is that's in there"

The next hole in the wardrobe that he needs to have filled is long pants that aren't navy school pants. I've got a few ideas brewing...

This is such a great pattern for a quick, easy T-shirt. The raglan sleeves are very easy to sew and I experimented by not using any pins. I'm usually a pin at least every few inches kind of sewer and since my new year's resolution was not to stitch over pins, and I have the absolute horrors of running over one with the overlocker knife, I thought I'd try without any. The fabrics were suitably "sticky" and stable such that it was easy-peasy. Only in attaching the neckband did I use pins.

To celebrate the blog's second birthday I'm going to spread a bit more Oliver + S love and give away a paper pattern. I made this gorgeous dress pattern here and I can't say enough how lovely it is to sew!

Click on image to see pattern details

I have another virgin, unopened copy of the Garden Party dress in sizes 6M to 4 years that I'm happy to post anywhere. To win the pattern use the Gleam widget below, no need to "like" anything, just confirm that you meant to enter by leaving a blog comment too.

Blog birthday pattern giveaway

Thanks for being a blog reader! It's been a great 2 years. I'd celebrate the blog's birthday with some bubbles, but I've got a 4year old who's been vomiting all evening and looks like she'll keep going long into the night. Oh dear.....