Buzzmills

Petit A Petit Block Party, a Little Bit of (almost) Everything...

Have you been following (or should I say, partying) along with the amazing Petit A Petit Block Party this month?  

In case you missed it...all throughout the month of November, 31 talented bloggers from around the world are sharing their take on Petit a Petit patterns!  

The makes so far have been amazing and oh so inspiring and today, it's my turn to share!    

First, let me start by saying this Block Party has been in the works for months now...I promised myself I would not procrastinate and I would be finished in plenty of time...I lied.

I will say that my plan began to formulate immediately...and I even ordered much of my fabric weeks ago...but then, as usual there were other things to get done and a small amount of procrastination...

I say all of this because, my plan involved five different pieces, which of course, I found myself fervently sewing up last week so that I could take pictures this past weekend.  The weather was beautiful, but then virtually out of nowhere...near constant wind gusts up 45 mph!  

This made for not so great photo shoot conditions...

Alas, we giggled...

we made it work...

and we found a bit of shelter...

While my original vision of "photos in a field" became unrealistic...

the clothes and the kids didn't see to mind.  

It was such a pleasure making these outfits.  Celina's patterns have just the right amount of detail allowing for perfect personalization and each of these pieces, to me, seem to suit their child just right!

I wavered between making Violet another TIP Top Dress or trying the soon to be released Friday dress...in the end the yellow corduroy, to me, called out to be a shirt dress...so the Friday dress it was...

I've got a serious new love for corduroy it seems and this bright, cheery yellow fine wale corduroy is just making that love grow more and more!  I love this dress so much!  The pockets, the mandarin collar, the snaps down the front...

everything...I'm even okay with how grown up Violet looks in it!

While I might've wavered on which dress pattern to make...I did not waver on what to make to go with it...

The Elm Poncho Raincoat was calling out to me...

but not as a raincoat, as a warm and snuggly plaid flannel poncho...

The poncho is fully lined and I ditched the snaps and replaced them with toggle closures instead...

I admit that it's a bit on the big side...

But there are bonuses to that...first, it makes it amazingly swirly and twirly!

Second, it will fit forever!  And, third?  I can sometimes borrow it! 

For Henry...I knew just what to make!  Between his love for cardigans and my desire to make a pants version of the morocco pattern after already making the shorts it was a no brainer...

His pants too, are made of corduroy, though this cord is heavier weight, perfect for pants...but with fine wale for the gray stripe and the same cheery yellow for the waistband.

I opted for the elastic back, faux fly this time for these pants, as Henry has a tendency to pop pants closures immediately off after only one use, pull on is the way to go for him.  I can not really get over how much I love these pants! 

The sweater is an upcycle from one of my husband's old sweaters using the Goodall cardigan pattern...

He's barely taken it off since I made it...

there will surely be more of these in his future!

The shirt is the Flashback skinny tee I made for his Luke Skywalker costume and the hat (purl soho's ear flap hat)...was thanks to a request for a "pom pom hat"...

I'm not sure you can tell...but he's pretty thrilled by the whole ensemble!

In fact...despite my stressing over my last minuteness...the weather...the fit...and more...everything turned out exactly as I had imagined it!

And these two couldn't be happier! 

Notes...corduroy fabric from Fabric.com, flannel from JoAnn.

Thanks so much Celina for letting me be a part of this fantastic party!!  

All Petit a Petit patterns are on sale this month for 20% off with code: BLOCKPARTY

Don't forget to enter the giveaway below!  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And don't forget to check out all of the other amazingly talented partiers! 

 

Nov. 1st - Sweetkm | Nov. 2nd - The Sara Project | Nov. 3rd - La Folie | Nov. 4th - Hello Holli | Nov. 5th - Chalk and Notch | Nov. 6th - Sewing Like Mad | Nov. 7th - Beatnik Kids | Nov. 8th - Stitched Together | Nov. 9th - Coffee and Thread | Nov. 10th - Made by Toya | Nov. 11th - Stahlarbeit | Nov. 12th - Lily en Woody | Nov. 13th - My Petite Sophie | Nov. 14th - Handmade Frenzy | Nov. 15th - Paisley Roots | Nov. 16th - While she was sleeping | Nov. 17th - My Cozy co | Nov. 18th - A Jennuine Life | Nov. 19th - Knee Socks and Goldilocks | Nov. 20th - Sanae Ishida | Nov. 21st - Little Cumquat | Nov. 22nd - Gaafmachine | Nov. 23rd - Craftstorming | Nov. 24th - Made by Sara | Nov. 25th - Buzzmills | Nov. 26th - Bartacks and Singletrack | Nov. 27th - Moineau & Petit Pois | Nov. 28th - Naii | Nov. 29th - Just Add Fabric | Nov. 30th - Mie Made Memories | Enjoyful Makes | Dec. 1st - Petit a Petit and Family

Have a fantastic day!

Make, Turkey Gloves and Other Crafts...

This past weekend Violet and her Brownie Troop marched in our local Thanksgiving Day parade.  We do love parades!  And marching in them is even more fun!  This  year's "theme" was turkey...So, I took on the task of having the girls craft up some turkeys...

We made turkey pins to wear using place card kits, glue and pin backs...

Turkey "signs" to wave while marching, using paper plates, glue and paint stirrers...

Turkey "hats" to wear, using some pleather, clipart, glue and feathers...

And, a favorite...turkey gloves!

Everything was a hit and lots of fun to make, but the gloves were an extra special hit!

The trick every Thanksgiving parade is to be well prepared for any kind of weather as it tends to waiver between quite frigid and quite warm.  You really never know what to expect.  This year, as it turned out, ended up being sunny and mild toward the end of the parade, however...the hour plus we spent waiting to step off was quite chilly and these gloves were a cozy and fun way to keep warm!

The gloves were inspired not only by the need to keep warm, but also by those old hand traced turkeys we've all made a thousand times in our lives.  They were super easy to make and the girls had a ton of fun making them!   Not to mention the fact that they got loads of compliments on them as well.

To make your own all you need is some felt, scissors, gloves, googley eyes and hot glue...

Make Turky Gloves  from Jane on Vimeo.

Super simple to make!

As it turns out this isn't the first time I've adorned gloves... there have been pumpkins and snowmen in the past as well.

Looking for more Thanksgiving and turkey crafting...

 fabric feather headdress 

 3 layered turkeys (cardstock or wood)

egg carton turkeys

cardboard turkeys

acorn and pumpkin garland

 

Also don't forget the true spirit of the holiday...Gratitude...

Happy Thanksgiving... and happy crafting!

More Loveralls...a Skirt Version...

While we were testing the Loveralls Pattern, Celina was also working up a skirt version on the side.  So, once Violet's pants were complete, I was eager to get started testing the jumper version as well!

Just as with the Loveralls this skirted version comes in sizes 12 months to 12 youth and has several different options for pockets, closures and more!  I've been on the lookout for a great jumper for ages and this one fits the bill perfectly!

This time around I opted for the front heart pocket and side openings, though Violet was fairly adamant that she only wanted the heart pocket if it was "invisible"....

Let's just say that it was a challenge I was up for and managed to do a pretty good job if I do say so myself...

Though, all of these adorable little animals were impossible to "tame" completely and I wasn't able to figure out the matching of the waistband, etc.

You win some, you loose some I guess...

Anywho, we love this pattern.  

It's perfect for both little and big girls alike, for solid and patterned fabrics...

Not to mention, it's perfect for layering for an across the seasons make...

Another amazing pattern from Celina of Petit a Petit Patterns! 

Violet loves her new jumper!

And so do I!

The Loveralls skirt pattern is available HERE.  The pattern is offered at a discounted price until Saturday (Nov. 12) and you can get an extra 20% off with the coupon code BLOCK PARTY. This coupon is applicable to all the patterns in the shop for the entire month of November. There is also a bundle package with both the skirt and pants in the shop. If you have already purchased the Loveralls pants (and I totally think you ought too!) , there is a special coupon code to buy the skirt at 50% off in the tutorial document. 

So...head on over and get your Loveralls, Loverall skirt...or buy the whole bundle!

Corduroy fabric from Joann.  

Have a great weekend!

 

Picture Day Clothes...

I don't always necessarily plan on making something new for the kids to wear for picture day, most of the time I'm making enough new stuff around picture day that something is bound to work for the occasion.  But sometimes, I stumbled across the perfect fabric and a new pattern that I can't wait to try.  And sometimes, it's a chance for some "fancier" clothes to come out of hiding. 

This year, it was both.

Earlier in September I made Henry a new sailboat top for my grandfather's memorial service, but since that day it's either been too hot or "just not the right kind of day" for it to be worn again.  

But it was picture day perfect!

When I went to make the shirt I wanted something that would be both cool, because it was HOT, but also nice and on the dressyish side.  Of course, after searching through my stash I couldn't quite manage to find anything that fit the bill.  So, I searched through my giant "to upcycle" pile of my husband's old dress shirts and found the perfect thing! 

I cut the pattern out using the shirt's original button placket and omitting the foldover, envelope part at the top of the shirt.  It took a bit of extra thinking, nothing hard, just needed a bit of extra brain power.  I love the way it turned out!

He looks so handsome in Dad's miniaturized button down!

For Violet, it was a case of...the perfect fabric meets it's perfect pattern...

While on the hunt for Halloween costume supplies, I stumbled across this beautiful melon colored thin wale corduroy at JoAnn.  I had no need in particular for it, but the color was too pretty to ignore!

Violet spotted it in my stash later and immediately requested it be used for her!  As it turned out I had also just recently purchased Heidi and Finn's latest pattern, the Dorset dress...the perfect pairing!

Oh, this dress, in this corduroy, could not be any better!  I think because of this dress I might just be developing a mild obsession with corduroy in fact.

The sweet little buttons down the back and flutter sleeves make this dress perfect for wearing alone or layered with a shirt underneath in the cooler months...

Violet loved the little color pop of floral lining which she recognized from another dress...

I love the simple and classic A-line shape to this dress, plus it was super quick to put together from start to finish.  Though I will say that I was not a fan of the front button/tab placement.  Initially, as per the pattern, they were much much lower.  But, after trying the dress on Violet, she and I decided that we really did not like them that low, so I picked them out of the side seams and together we decided where their best placement was.  

Which, as far as we are concerned, is right about at her waist, the previous lower placement was just odd and not flattering, plus seemed like they might get in the way a bit.  Anywho, in the end the results were fantastic, simple and perfect for a growing eight year old and her more mature style sense!  

I'm loving seeing how the kids and their style changes as they get older and move away from the "cutesie" and more toward the "easy to wear"...but still being kids too!

These photos were all taken the morning of picture day, before school.  We were practicing "real" smiles, because they aren't alway easy to come by, as I'm sure many of you are aware in your own kiddos!  It was a challenge to say the least, for some more than others!  

I can't wait to see what their school pictures look like! 

The Future...Vote!...

I remember, eight years ago, waiting and watching for the results of the presidential election with Violet, eight months old, snuggly sleeping in the next room.  I remember cheering (albeit quietly as to not wake the baby!), and crying a bit too, when they announced Barack Obama as the winner!  

A moment in history, one so important and momentous to so many Americans, but with the new addition to our family that year it seemed even more so.  Knowing that our children would grow up for the first part of their lives knowing that anyone could be President regardless of their race!

And now, eight years later...they may know that anyone can be President regardless of their race or gender!  

Over the course of the past year there has been a lot of election talk in our house, as I'm sure (and hope) is the case in many many households across America (and across the world in fact).  It's not been a pretty election...but it has been a noteworthy one with plenty to talk about and plenty of "lessons" to discuss within our family.  There have been loads of questions.  Explanation upon explanation of how it all works from Democrats to Republicans to primaries and more and it's been neat to see the kid's interest pique on politics.  It's been an amazing learning experience for us all.

They excitedly accompanied us to cast our ballots in the primaries and are eager to do the same this coming Tuesday.  This election has had some, let's just say..."less than stellar moments" but despite that, or perhaps because of it, it's brought the need for each of us to get out and vote even more to the forefront.  Which, is a great lesson to us all...get out and make your voices heard!  Inform and educate yourselves.  Make a difference.  Vote.  

These are all important notions and values we are talking about in our home.  Vote.  An important lesson to teach from the beginning.  

The other day Violet came home with a Scholastic News magazine from school, one which shared a link to an online kids presidential election.  She was too late to vote but went to the website anyway and read.  She informed and educated herself about the candidates and then came to me to discuss what she learned.

(Here's the link if you are interested!) 

Voting is important, but making an informed decision is too and the kids, with all of their questions, are learning that to be true. 

I'm looking forward to continuing this and these discussions with the kids in the coming months, years...I'm excited to have them accompany me to the polls on Tuesday.

I'm anxiously awaiting another history making moment!   

Because these guys are future voters...they are the future!  VOTE!

Notes on "Election Wear"...

shirt pattern used:  Flashback skinny tee from Made by Rae; pants pattern used:  Wild and Free Lounge pants, pants fabric from Joann; shirt fabric laguna knit from Imagine Gnats

And, if you want to make your own shirts...easy peasy!  Download: "the FUTURE VOTE" file 

print onto Dark t-shirt Transfer Paper (found at any office supply store or Target...) iron on to a tee and your littles are ready to get out there to spread the message!

Happy Weekend to you!