FO and Book Review

I finally got back in the studio for the first time in almost two weeks.  No sewing for the shop this time.  Scooch desperately needed a new fall coat, and I had my eye on one I knew he would like.  It just happened to be in the new Sewing For Boys book; the book I won a copy of from Sew, Mama, Sew! during the book's blog tour.  Cute boy clothes patterns are a rare commodity, and to have a whole book dedicated to our little bug-hunting, tractor-loving, sticky fingered rascals is just bliss!  I chased the blog tour, entering every giveaway along the way.  I almost did cartwheels when I won!  Then I had the long wait as it was shipped from the U.S.  When it finally arrived, I got right to work ordering the fabric for the things I wanted to make first: the Luka Hoodie and Paulie's Pullover.  Then I had to wait again for the fabric to arrive *sigh*.  The hoodie fabric arrived first:

With fabric finally washed, dried, pressed, and cut; it took me part of just two evenings to complete the Luka Hoodie.  I used brown baby wale corduroy that I ordered online from Germany for the majority of the hoodie, and then I used the adorable owl print from the Urban Zoologie line from Ann Kelle for the front and secret pocket.  The lining is a brown knit which I wouldn't use again for something like this.  The pattern called for less than 10% stretch.  I couldn't find anything about the amount of stretch in this fabric when I ordered it, and it ended up having far too much stretch.  Luckily, my walking foot saved the day, and the hoodie.

I love this little jacket.  For reference, Scooch just turned three, and store-bought size 3 tops are a tiny bit big on him just now.  I made size 4/5 of the hoodie because I wanted him to get good wear out of it.  It's quite big on him now, but he LOVES it, which makes this mama super duper smiley.  I love that the hood has elastic in it instead of a tie, and Scooch got a big kick out of the secret pocket.  I think I can expect to find all sorts of 'treasure' hidden away in there in the future...

Such a cute little design, and loads of potential for changing it up.  I kept my alterations minor this time.  I put slits in the side seams, changed up which fabrics I used where, and added a little flap behind the buttons to prevent drafts from getting in.  Oh and yes, I still have to add buttons.  I wanted to see it finished before deciding, and I think I'm going to have to go with covered buttons.

Now for the rest of the book.  I just love this book.  The designs are adorable, simple and practical, and the patterns are straight-forward, and not fussy.  You really can make a whole wardrobe for your boy (or girl) with this book.  I'm not sure that I would recommend it for complete beginners though.  The instructions are more basic and there is not a lot of hand-holding with extra explaining and diagrams.  I really love how simple the designs are, leaving loads of room to be creative with them.  Just for starters, take The Henry Shirt; a cute, short-sleeved, snap front, collared shirt.  Replace the snaps with buttons.  Make it long-sleeved.  Use linen for a casual look.  Use shirting for a dressed-up look.  Embellish the front with pin-tucks or machine- or hand-embroidery.  Leave off the pockets.  Add extra pockets.  So many options and now I can't wait to make this top in many different versions!

Flat-Bottom [Camera] Pouch

A month or so ago, I purchased the Flat Bottom Pouches pattern from The Split Stitch.  I loved that it had instructions for three different sizes, and a great covered zipper tutorial.  I didn't have any need for a pouch like this at the time, but come on, we all need more pouches and bags, yes?  (Back me up here, ladies!) 

photo source: The Split Stitch

Then last week, I purchased a backup camera for my DSLR.  Having two small children and an ever-overflowing diaper bag in tow, I would bring the DSLR, but then resent it's bulk and weight on my shoulder.  I still love it dearly, but my new Panasonic Lumix is really proving to be a beautiful backup.  (I will save my full review of the Lumix for another day.)

photo source: Amazon.co.uk

A new camera meant, of course, a new something to keep it in!  I wasn't sure which I was more excited about, to be honest.  I was going to measure the camera and try to design a little bag myself, but then I thought of these neat little pouches.  They have those great boxed bottoms which would be perfect for the thickness of the camera, and the little wrist strap option would be handy for times when I didn't have to be carrying anything else.  I immediately started thinking of things I would change to make it more of a camera carry-bag, but I decided to make my first one straight from the instructions to get the hang of the zipper thing and the design of the pouch in general.  I also needed to see the camera in the bag to decide whether or not to make changes to the dimensions.

First off, this tutorial is amazing.  Sara didn't miss a detail.  Everything is so well explained, with excellent photos every step of the way.  She even suggests what size needles to use for each step and reminds you to change your machine settings and feet where appropriate.  AND, she separated everything into sections, and tells you what they are so you can print out just the covered zipper instructions, for example, if you wanted to use it for another project.  All the instructions are very well thought out and easy to understand.  I didn't have to re-read anything for better understanding.  I think a true beginner could easily make this pouch following Sara's instructions. 

So without further gushing about Sara's wonderful pattern, here's my first attempt at this pouch.  I love how it turned out.

The exterior and lining fabric I got at Jo-Ann's last spring, before moving to England.  The zipper I've had for years and years.  (Somehow I had 4 turquoise zippers, two in the same length.)  The ruffle on the front is from a bag of linen scraps I got on Etsy about two years ago.  There is also an interlining to give it some body, and all I had in my stash was some thick material, similar to cotton duck, that I used on a hat I made for myself.  It's much thicker and stiffer then intended, so I had some trouble when it came to turning everything right side out.  Other than that, everything came together really quickly and easily.

I haven't sewn a zipper in ages and ages, so I was a little nervous about that, but I got it in in one go, wooh!  I love the look of the covered ends.  It really is a cute little bag/pouch/clutch.  I don't have the wrist strap on yet because I didn't have anything to attach it to the zipper just yet. 

Potential camera bag changes:
Right away, I can see at least three things I would change when making a camera bag version of this pouch.  Padding - to help protect the camera; pockets - to hold memory cards, batteries, etc; and possibly length - you can see that this is a bit long for this camera.  Oh, and one other touch that you'll just have to wait for the final version to see.  *wink*

For now, my new Lumix is loving it's cheery temporary home, but I've already got some ideas of what to use that cute little pouch for once I've completed my new camera's permanent housing.