matchy matchy

Do you like my new profile photo?? My old photo featured two-year-old Mae and I (in matching shirts) and no Colin, so it was in desperate need of an update! Now all three of us are matchy-matchy in our new clothes!

First up, a Lane Raglan Hoodie for me. I finished sewing this right before Colin was born. I had two goals with this project: 1) make a comfy, lightweight hoodie for fall, and 2) support a local (woman-owned and Black-owned) fabric/yarn store, Make.Do. I was devastated when I found out the store was closing last year, thrilled when I found out it was reopening under new ownership, and worried when everything had to shut down because of the pandemic. I really like this little shop and I want to see it thrive! During the pandemic shutdown, they started an online shop and now do curbside pickup and shipping for online orders, so I ordered 3 yards of this Art Gallery sleek stripes jersey in Mediterraneo.

I used about 2 yards to make the hoodie. I've sewn this pattern once before for my lemon-print raglan shirt, but I made the hooded version with hem band and thumb-hole cuffs this time. I also sized up to a medium to give this piece a slightly more relaxed fit. (Yes, this meant I had to cut ALL of my pattern pieces again. Note to self: ALWAYS trace pattern pieces from the taped PDF pattern instead of cutting it up. This saves a lot of time if you want to make a different view or size. Fortunately I was smart enough to do that this/last time!) I added a hood lining (there are lots of online tutorials for how to do this) with some gray Kaufman Laguna jersey leftover from my first Julia cardigan. The only other modification I made was to remove 1.5" from the sleeves before adding the cuffs. Next time I might cut the hem band a bit wider.

I completed almost all the sewing (everything but the sleeve cuffs) in one day. I debated doing regular cuffs, since the thumb-hole cuff instructions add 20(!!) extra steps that looked very confusing. But they came together easily and quickly, and they add a fun detail to the shirt. Worth the extra effort!

Since I had some leftover fabric, I made a Be Rad Hoodie for Mae. I used this pattern previously to make her Pua costume. I cut a 4T size but in the 5T length. I even added an extra inch to the sleeves, and they're only juuuust long enough.

Lastly, I made a long-sleeved onesie for Colin with a pattern from Mama Can Do It. It had all the features I was looking for: overlap-style neck to fit over giant baby noggin, reinforced snap closure, and sleeve length options. It even comes with a cloth diaper option, which is just a bit longer in the body. I actually made the cloth diaper version since a longer body means he won't outgrow it as fast! I used KAM snaps (originally purchased for Mae's bumblebee costume) for the closure. Best of all: this pattern is free for the 3-6 month size, which was a great way to try it out before I buy it.

So glad to finally have a profile photo with both kiddos!!