Coming Soon: Editable Sewing Pattern Blocks

First off: What is BASTE + GATHER?! It's an idea. I'm playing with it. And I'm playing with my site design, too (obvs). How do you like the single column? And don't judge - I will get everything lined up and sized properly soon. :) Onward...

I've been working on a project for a few weeks now that I'm excited to share with you guys - downloadable, EDITABLE (for those of you who want this functionality) pattern blocks! The first set will be for children's (unisex) knitwear tops/tunic/dresses in sizes 2-7 (including 6X).

The fit is looking great, but I'm working on the shoulders a little bit. As you can see in these short-sleeve photos, they're a bit wide on Harper (who is a perfect size 2) for my taste. I made one for Ezra (who is almost the same size as Harper), and they look fine on him. I think it might be a gender-specific thing. The narrower shoulders just look a little more feminine.

So, I'm working on that... Perhaps separate blocks for girls and boys?

Believe it or not, this triangles dress (all fabrics in this post by Jo-ann Fabric & Craft Stores) is not a SOLEIL. It's very similar, but I simply grabbed the size 2 block and cut away. I brought in the shoulders, created a slight racer back and obviously added a gathered skirt to the bottom. Harper hasn't taken this dress off since I first put it on her yesterday.

I absolutely love that using pattern blocks gives me the ability to quickly take an idea from a sketch to a finished garment. With accurate pattern blocks, there's not much guesswork in whether or not my idea will fit properly. A couple inches here, a little gathering there...and voila! A whole new look from the same pattern.

And that's another benefit of using pattern blocks in your sewing - saving money!! If you're anything like I am, you've spent hundreds of dollars on PDF sewing patterns over the years. While there are certainly a ton of great designs out there that are worth purchasing, having some good pattern blocks on hand allows you the freedom to create when the finances are a bit tight.

Last thing - these blocks include permission to use them however you like (minus reselling them, of course). If you're an aspiring designer, you can absolutely use these to create your own designs to sell. So, stay tuned! I plan to have these ready for sale in the next week or two. The PDF-only versions will be available in the Selvage Designs shop, and the designer packs (.AI, .EPS, .SVG) will go into Pattern Workshop.

Are you as excited about these pattern blocks as I am?!

P.S. - Denim shorts above were self-drafted. :)

Some Kids' Clothes Week Sewing

It's Kids' Clothes Week, y'all! You knew that, right? Well if you didn't, let me inform you. This is a week that comes around every season where you dedicate one hour a day to sewing clothes for your kids. But when I do Kids' Clothes Week, I go all out. So I spent a marathon day yesterday pretty much sewing ALL. THE. THINGS while the kids were in preschool/daycare. I needed a day off sewing day! And that, I got!

All the fabrics in my first look were purchased at Joann Fabrics. Have you been lately? They just got a bunch of new stuff in (NEON STRETCH TWILL. Let me say that one more time. NEON STRETCH TWILL.), and I am dying. NEON STRETCH TWILL??!! Okay, yes, NEON STRETCH TWILL. I think I have to type that in all caps. They have neon other things, too, but I'll save that for another day.

The top, the Figgy's Celestial Tee, was made in the 18M size from some lovely four-way-stretch knit. I lowered the bottom hem about 3/4" just to give her little toddler belly a little more coverage. Perfection.

The pants are the ever-popular Hosh Pants by LouBeeClothing. These are the 12M size in width with the 2T length/rise. And did I mention NEON STRETCH TWILL? Just making sure. The shoes are current at Old Navy.

Incidentally, both patterns featured here are part of the Perfect Pattern Parcel bundle which is available right now! I'll be talking a little more about this bundle on Monday, but trust me when I say the current one is AMAZING!! Go buy it! Support a charity and indie designers!

As for the photos in this post, I recently purchased Savage Seamless Paper in Bone (affiliate link) so I can do more indoor shoots during inclement weather. I'm also loving that it gives my blog a clean, minimalist look. I purchased a 53"x36' roll of both this color and thunder gray. I'm sure you'll be seeing more of these very soon!

My Whirlwind L.A. Fashion District Trip

For the past 10 days or so, we've been vacationing in Bishop, California. This was supposed to be a rock climbing (bouldering) trip, but my husband has an injured finger tendon, so the climbing days were limited. So the other night, I booked a cheap hotel (Vagabond Inn - which actually turned out to be pretty nice for the price), and we headed to the city the next morning. The drive was a little over four hours, and holy hell, the traffic near L.A. is scary (at best). But WE MADE IT. And IT WAS WORTH IT. And THERE WAS FABRIC.

Oh...all the fabric.

The solid-colored fabrics in the photo above are all lightweight, stretch denim. I'll be making jeans for Harper and Ezra with these for the Titchy Threads Small Fry Jeans pattern tour. And there's enough of the pink to try a pair for myself! The prints at the top of the stack are mostly rayon challis with a little navy anchor sateen and chiffon thrown in, too. All those ranged from $1.99/yard to $2.99/yard or $2.50/pound.

The first afternoon, Scott dropped me off at 9th & Maple while he took the kids to a science museum. I started at the Michael Levine Loft and worked my way around the several blocks of fabric stores galore. It was a bit overwhelming AND underwhelming at the same time (lots and lots of crappy polyester to weed through), but I had such a great time. The fabrics above are all sweater knits purchased from the Michael Levine Loft and a smaller store on 9th St. The two tribals and the darker gray were $7/yard at the 9th St. store. The stripes and the bottom gray piece were $2.50/pound at Michael Levine Loft.

All the knits above (except for the very top one - $3.50/yard) were purchased at the Michael Levine Loft for $2.50/pound. I can't wait to whip up some comfy stuff for Harper and me with these!

Ahhhh...it's hard to tell from the photo above, but these are sweatshirt fleece, French terry and thermal knit. I'm picturing lots of comfy sweatshirts, hoodies and tees for Ezra. I absolutely adore boy sewing, and these are just perfect. Most of these were $2.50/pound at Michael Levine Loft. A couple were $2.99/yard.

So many gorgeous laces... I am thinking about making some soft pajamas using the pieces above as trim ($.99/yard). And the white lace background was something I grabbed at the Michael Levine Loft. Maybe the back of a bodice for a shirt for Harper? At $2.50/pound, who cares!

This elastic eyelet will be perfect for making undies or delicate little tanks and tees for Harper. At $.50/yard, yeah, I'll take 20.

So yeah, if you add in the cost of gas and hotel, the fabrics aren't exactly a steal. But if you're going to L.A. anyway, or if you just want to have a fun trip, DO IT!

Oh - we also visited Mood Fabrics. And. OMG. It was amazing. But I decided to focus on cheap fabric I couldn't get online for this trip. Stuff I can use to make things for the kids and practice my skills.

Have you ever been to the L.A. Fashion District? Is it a dream of yours to go?