Happy Valentine's Day

She's very particular about her clothing.  She likes the clothes that have pictures especially.  So I know she would love this one.  And she does. So much so, she has asked to wear it almost every morning this week and it's too dirty to wear today.  (Picking battles over here.)

I love the mock cover stitch on my machine. 

The pattern is from Ottobre 6/2007.  I converted the jacket pattern to a dress by using the Oliver + S Hopscotch Dress as a guide for the bottom portion, eliminating the opening at the front and using binding at the neckline and wrists instead of a hood and hem.  

MMMUAH...

Lucia's School Days Jacket

It has taken me way too long to get this post out into the world, but the the jacket itself has been serving her well in this very cold winter.

It's the Oliver + S School Days Coat with quite a few modifications.  The main fabric and toggle buttons came from Britex.  The fabric is a wool tweed in a spring weight that is mostly pink (rose? bubble gum?) with flecks of purple and yellow.  I loved the fabric until I started cutting it out and realized just how much pink I was working with.  But, it goes perfectly with her mini doc martins.  And, now that she's worn it a bit, I really love it.  The lining is Anna Maria Horner's sinister swarm in blueberry.  I bought it for another project, but it was really too perfect for this one that I couldn't resist.  I also interlined it with 157 gram Thinsulate.

So, for the modifications.  First off, I added a zipper like in this beautiful version. And I added hand-knit ribbing at the cuffs and the neckline.  The yarn is Spud & Chloe sweater in grape, my all-time favorite yarn for kids items.

And, I added a vent.  This was something I should not have done.  I've only sewn a vent once before and it is tricky!  I could never get it to sit just right and it still sticks out when she wears it.

And, don't forget the thumb holes in the cuffs!  Can you see them?  Just a bit of fun for a 3-year-old. 

Shop update: Mayorga Coffee

A couple of weeks ago I contacted Mayorga Coffee, a local coffee roaster and asked them for their empty coffee sacks.  I was so grateful when they said I could take as many as I needed.  

When I stopped by I got to see a bit of their enterprise, meet some of the players and left with a trunk full of coffee sacks that once held coffee from Peru.  Since then I've learned a bit more about their practices and their mission and am quite impressed.

Since I left with those coffee sacks, I've made a few new french press cozy designs which are now in the shop.  

Valentine's Special, Golden heart

Valentine's Special, Red Heart

Yellow bird print

And, I've had the chance to drink some of the coffee that originated in the bags I brought home after finding it in the grocery store just last week.  Isn't that cool?

Thank you Mayorga!