The Train To Crazy

SoCal Social and a Shabby Apple Dress Review

Last month I attended the SoCal Social. There are many blogger conferences but this was so much better than a conference! Purely social! It was so fun to meet other local bloggers. 

I got lucky and my Shabby Apple dress arrived the day before the social.

Shabby Apple sent me the Da Vinci dress to review (lucky me!!). Let me tell you, this one is so comfortable. It is a jersey knit. Just perfect for summer or with tights in winter. I really do love it. And not just because it was free. Though I do love free.

The only downside to the dress is the pocket is totally useless. That is NOT surprising because who wants anything in a pocket on your stomach. As if anyone needs more attention there. Ok, fine, I won't speak for you. Thank you to the lovely Michelle for taking this picture of me. Otherwise I'm sure I would have had to rely on someone under the age of 7 and my chances of a decent picture diminish. 

(Michelle, Aimee, Susan)

I met so many great women but unfortunately I only have this picture! This always happens to me. I never take pictures like I should! I actually had the chance to meet up with Susan the night before the social and it was so great to finally meet the lady behind Living With Punks. Just love her!

We shopped and chatted and then heard from Marc Montano who was showing us his new book, The Big-Ass Book of Crafts 2 . And gave us all a copy. (yay!) It is a totally random, quirky craft book you'll find lots of fun (and some totally bizarre) decor crafts. It has glowing reviews if you are interested. I haven't done any of the crafts yet but it's worth it if that's your thing.

And just like that, my SoCal Social wrap up post is completed. One month after I wrote it. And nearly two months since this all ocurred. But really, it was fabulous. 

DY(S)G: Sewing for teen girls- Outfit #2

A series of knock off inspired outfits for teens (or yourself!)

Outfit #2

Source: Delia's Dress, Dress Pattern, Voile

What do you think?

Did you see Outfit #1?

Baby In The Hood

I made this jacket a year ago and posted some cute photos of the matching booties as well. Which reminds me... where are those booties?? So now my guy wears the jacket and I can give a much better pattern review!

Pattern: Baby in the Hood from Anna Maria Horner's book Handmade Beginnings: 24 Sewing Projects to Welcome Baby. I've also posted about her patterns here, here, and here.

Size: This jacket is size 6-9 months. I believe the sizing runs a bit large, as I mentioned about the pants. However, the length isn't especially large, mostly just the sleeves and the width. Plan to roll the sleeves (which is cute anyway). On a whole, the sizing isn't too bad. 

I had mentioned that I wanted to make 2 or 3 more of these in different sizes. I might, if I have the time. It is actually the jacket I use for him all the time and I remember liking how easily it came together when I sewed it. 

Things I'd change: Get rid of those toggles. Cute, in theory, but the jacket always comes unbuttoned. Regular button holes, please. I might attempt a zipper, actually. 

Has anyone put a zipper in one of these? I'd love to hear how it went!

Overall pattern rating?

Sewing Clothes Kids Love: Insa Skirt

I know I've mentioned before how much I love Sewing Clothes Kids Love: Sewing Patterns and Instructions for Boys' and Girls' Outfits. The Amazon reviews are quite amazing for a sewing book and I tend to agree with the glowing reviews. The patterns are have enough details and character to make them really stand out. I've posted a couple of the things I've made from the book. You might remember the Brooklyn Tank Top and Dortje Trousers. Each item I've made from this book has quickly become a favorite for it's owner. 

And this is the Insa Skirt

It's a double layered, elastic waist skirt with many suggested variations. I chose to do this one up "fancy" for my little fancy girl. The extra details take time but I think they really make the skirt special in a six year old's eyes.

The top layer has elastic to help create a fuller "pick up" look.

I think I'll make my elastic a bit longer next time so the gathering isn't quite as dramatic. Especially in light of how heavy that layer of fabric happens to be.

Pattern: Found in Sewing Clothes Kids Love: Sewing Patterns and Instructions for Boys' and Girls' Outfits

Fabric: Bottom layer and top band are gingham from JoAnn Fabric. The top skirt layer is a bottom weight from JoAnn.

You might remember the skirt from our lemon picking day. We juiced all those lemons by the way. Wow that took forever. A special thanks to my husband who did most of the work!

She proved that day that even though the skirt is fancy it is still great to play in!

The skirt is paired with the Brooklyn Tank.

Pattern troubles: I found the top layer of the skirt ended up being bigger than the bottom layer when I sewed them together. I'm not sure if that is because of me or a pattern issue. I made the skirt intentionally long for growth but it ended up being fairly narrow through the hips. Next time I'll make it a bit wider at the top.

Overall pattern rating?

 linking to Skip to my Lou

Spring Top- Butterick B4132

Did you sew anything for the Spring Top Sew Along on Made by Rae? 

This is my "Aloha Tank". I love it. There are things I'd do differently next time but on a whole this is a wearable, comfortable top.

Pattern: Butterick B4132 View A

Fabric: Unknown. Do you know who the designer is? I bought it at a discount fabric store and it wasn't labeled. I believe it is cotton but could be wrong.

Oddly, the pattern I have is a larger size than I need so I did some altering after it was put together. It was a bit wide and short. Notice I had to add length AFTER it was complete. Not cool. But the crazy fabric pattern makes it less noticeable.

On a whole this top came together easily and the instructions are correct. I don't like how low the cowl neck is. This photo doesn't show exactly how revealing it is (thankfully).If I had this pattern in a smaller size I'd definitely make it again. I'm guessing if I started with my correct size the extreme cowl issue would be fixed. Final top rating?

Reviewed: Lily Bird Cuffed Shorts

Well, I finally completed these Lily Bird shorts! Lily Bird gave me the pattern well over a month ago and I've been so excited to make them. Life is making me slow, friends!

How cute are these?? The Cuffed Shorts have a very girly fit. The fabric is fine corduroy from JoAnn Fabric. 

This pattern uses less than a yard of fabric and a 4" zipper. Budget yourself at least 4 hours to cut out and sew. They took me two weeks. Hopefully it won't take you so long!

I made a few changes to the pattern:

• I omitted the button tabs on the leg cuff because I got impatient
• Extended the waistband to make a button tab
• I didn't do all the top stitching suggested, for time sake
• I'm just realizing I also omitted the belt loops!

The pros:

I really love the styling of these pants. The zipper, the button tab on the legs (that I omitted!), the pockets. All very, very cute. I think they're be super cute with a contrasting band like these from Mama Gwen. Now THOSE are darling.

The Cons:

This pattern isn't for beginners, that's for sure. My poor seam ripper got a work out! I also had difficulty hiding the zipper pull. That's annoying but not the end of the world.

Things I'd do differently:

Make the leg band longer (making the finished band roomier). My girls don't have chubby legs but the band was tight and makes for a bit of a strange bunching.

 

The next Lily Bird pattern I'll be trying will be the Katrina dress. Such a cute summer dress.

And, because I couldn't help myself...

Yes, he turned six months yesterday. Poor fourth child doesn't have many photos of himself so I made a point of taking a good one. Scrumptious, if I do say so myself!

Have you found any cute summer shorts patterns?

Linking: Creative Itch, Sugar Bee Crafts, Making the World Cuter, Fireflies & Jelly Beans

Diaper & Wipes Carrier

What parent doesn't need a small case to hold a couple diapers and wipes? I'm sure I do! Noodles & Milk sent me her Diaper & Wipes Case with Strap pattern to test. Let me just tell you how easy this pattern is! I think I cut out the fabric and sewed this up in about an hour. Now I have a perfectly functional carrier that I can toss in a purse,

 

strap to the stroller 

or just carry around

It was great for the airplane. Perfect size to keep in a carry on.  

I made a few changes. The pattern calls for a snap on the strap. I didn't have one on hand so I used velcro. I also changed how the strap is attached. It's a very small change. I think I prefer how the pattern is written rather than my variation.

Noodles & Milk also sells other patterns for little girls and parent accessories.

For the entire month of September, you can get $1 off each pattern at the Noodles & Milk Etsy shop! Just mention The Train To Crazy when you check out and you'll receive your discount as a refund! 

Could you use a diaper & wipes carrier?

School Clothes {pants & tank}

I recently bought a copy of Sewing Clothes Kids Love. When I opened the book I was overwhelmed by great color and design. I'm pretty sure the title is spot on as well.

These are my first projects.

The Dortje pants & the Brooklyn tank. 

Clearly the pants are long. I washed them and they shrunk up just enough that now they fit perfectly.

I followed the instructions pretty closely and the fit works well. I did eliminate the side seem allowances on the pants to accommodate my thin girl. The only thing I would do differently next time is make the tank longer. I added the ruffle on it because it was short. As a size 110-116 I assumed it would fit my 106 cm little girl. Guess not. The tank is great, just needs a bit of length. I'll definitely be making more. I really love the pants. They are a bit labor intensive when you add so many details but I think it is worth it in the end.

The book really encourages you to embellish and use ruffles, gathers, ribbons and appliques. These pants don't look much like any of the examples in the book, which is part of the beauty of the book. So many possibilities in each garment. 

I give the book two thumbs up. I especially love that the patterns go up to a size 11/12 and includes some unisex patterns. So, if you love sewing kid's clothes, grab yourself a copy of Sewing Clothes Kids Love.

Linked  

Go To Dress Pattern

Welcome to The Train To Crazy! If you find this tutorial useful I hope you'll subscribe, follow me on twitter, facebook or Google+! Don't forget to check out Make It Wear It, the weekly blog party to showcase all those clothing items and accessories you've been making.

After my obsession with this pattern passed, I set my sights on a another "go to" knit dress for my girls. When Kathy suggested I make a dress with long sleeves, I knew she was right. So, without further ado, I present, the Go To Dress.

The perfect dress for cool evenings and long winters. With long sleeves, a shoulder ruffle and an empire waist, how could you go wrong? What little girl wouldn't like a closet full of these? Comfortable and cute!

Perfect for adventures...

 
The possibilities are endless. 

Pair with some cute leggings or tights if you want, or not.

Make them subdued. Or wild.

Or just use what you have lying around. Mix up the fabrics with polka dots and stripes, add an applique or fun pockets, use an old t-shirt or sweater. Be creative.

Mostly just have fun with this Go To Dress!  Whip up a few for all the little girls in your life.

This pattern comes in sizes 12 months - 5. Please note that I have only tested sizes 18 mo, 4 and 5. After you make a Go To Dress, please post it in the flickr group so we can all see!

Download the Go To Dress Pattern and the Go To Dress Instructions. Now subscribe to my blog, please! Make sure your printer is not scaling the pattern to ensure you are printing it the right size. 

*** This pattern is generously offered FREE by TheTrainToCrazy.com and if you'd like to share it with others please link back here so they can grab it from this post. Do not put these downloads to your own website or sell these. Please do not repost this entire post. You may use the top picture as a graphic if you'd like to link a photo. Thank you very much. ***

UPDATE: I've had a number of questions from readers about this pattern. I've tried to address them all on the Go To Dress Q & A page.

 

Pattern Tip

****Join us for the Daphne Dress Sew Along August 9th-13th!*****

Have you found a basic pattern that you just love and want to make one in every color? That's how I feel about the pattern I used for the popular green striped dress. (By the way, thanks for all the great comments!)

The problem is, how boring would it be to make the same pattern over and over. Your wardrobe wouldn't be very fun. Here's my tip of the day: Go ahead and use that same great fitting pattern but just make some small variations. Embellish it or change a feature.

To change up this pattern I added this fun pocket and put on a heart. The girl adores hearts. I also omitted the elastic empire waist. 

Oh, and did I mention I am using up my stash? This pink piece of fabric wasn't quite large enough for the dress. No worries. I think this works just fine.

And with leggings to match, what more could a girl want?

These were super easy leggings. I used the LBB pattern. I finished the bottom with a rolled hem and added some elastic up the side on the bottom. Quick, easy, cute, comfy. 

And, in case you forgot what the green dress looked like...

Can you tell those are from the same pattern? What is your favorite way to embellish a pattern?

Linked HERE

Book Recommendation: Priceless [& a Giveaway]

I am sure I've mentioned it before, but I tend to start books and never finish them. I'm a good starter. Every now and then I'll finish a book within a reasonable time (a month). Very rarely do I read a book in all my spare time and finish it within a day or two. Well, guess what I did this week.

I received Priceless: A Novel on the Edge of the World 
in the mail last week from the author and had it finished within 2 days. It's good!! 

What I loved most about the book is that while it is not a true story, it is dripping with reality. This story is set in Moscow and the sex trade industry is the backdrop. From the first chapter until the end you won't want to put it down. It is an eye opening account of a very real reality for 27 million people in our world. Are you passionate about people and helping those who suffer? Then this is a book for you. Even if you are just up for a great story, this is for you.  

This is the second novel by Tom Davis. The first novel, Scared: A Novel on the Edge of the World , is equally as riveting. Both novels clearly show Tom's passion for the orphans and the victims in our world. It is no surprise that he is the founder and director of Children's Hope Chest (an organization worth your time to check out). Tom's blog is also worth subscribing to.

Want to read the first chapter for free to see if you like it? Visit SheIsPriceless.com for a behind the scenes video and a free download of the first chapter!  

And now for the giveaway portion! I'm giving away a copy of Priceless (courtesy of Tom Davis) to one lucky reader. All you have to do is leave a comment! The contest will be open until Tuesday, June 22nd at 8 p.m. EST. 

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. 

Fine Print: I received my copy of Priceless for free from the author in exchange for a "honest, frank review." So there you have it.

Sewing for baby

I ordered Anna Maria Horner's new book, Handmade Beginnings: 24 Sewing Projects to Welcome Baby a couple weeks ago and finally got around to sewing some of the projects from it this weekend. I have to say, I'm loving the book so far. There are a couple projects for maternity wear or nursing wear and the rest are baby clothes, toys and quilts. All of them equally eye catching.

I made the Cute-as-a-Button Booties

Definitely true to their name. I used a brown corduroy and a cotton plaid on the outside and a soft cotton knit on the inside. Would I make these again? Probably not. They are really cute, but I'm not a fan of how the inner sole was attached to the shoe. It is supposed to be fused in using a light fusible interfacing but it just didn't work well for me because of all the layers (probably just an issue for me since others have had success). I ended up sewing what I could in but since it is the last step I couldn't sew under the toes. If I could figure out a better way to insert the sole I'd definitely do them again.I 

I also made the Baby-in-the-Hood jacket.

There is no baby in this hoodie so I have no idea how well it fits. But it is so cute I'm sure I'll be making at least one more, if not two or three of these in different sizes. I used a cotton plaid and a solid for the outer fabrics and a soft cotton knit for the lining. The lining of a baby's jacket should be soft, should it not? I love the toggles and buttons as a visual effect. For practicality I'll probably omit the toggles next time and opt for snaps.

Can't you just see a chubby little baby face in there?

He won't be old enough to sit in this chair when this jacket fits but it just looked so cute hanging there I couldn't resist. This jacket is size 6-9 months. I'll have to borrow a baby to check how accurate the sizing is.

And, now he's ready to head out for an adventure. Crawling, of course.    

Linking here

When pattern editors don't do their job

My girls needed shorts so they picked out some cute striped seersucker fabric at JoAnn's the other day. I debated about whether to make my own pattern or not but then decided to whipped up the shorts in Simplicity pattern 2711. Without thinking much I just followed the directions and sewed them together. Then I tried them on my daughter and noticed they looked weird. The stripes were all funky and it was a bit tight in the upper thighs and bell shaped in the lower thigh. The rise fit funny. I was about to toss the pattern in the garbage when I looked at the instructions. Sure enough, they instructed me to sew the rise up as the leg holes. It doesn't work so well that way. Pattern Review only has one review of someone sewing these shorts and they mentioned the pants were cut odd and the waist didn't fit well. I think I've solved the issue...

See what I mean? Awful. Thankfully I had bought enough fabric to still make two pairs of shorts sewn up the correct way. (The older girls both wanted the same shorts...)

Much better.

Now they fit well.

The only modification I made to these shorts was to lengthen them just an inch. With hot slides and swings, long shorts are a necessity.

Have you encountered patterns that tell you to sew them up incorrectly?     

From my bookshelf: 1-2-3 Magic

I've read my fair share of parenting and discipline books. Some have been decent. One was hideous (though quite popular). The problem I've had has been that the books are often too full of theory (which I do love) but at the expense of actually telling me WHAT TO DO. I usually turn to books when all my own sense fails. 

This book was turned to in a time when we were feeling totally deflated and ineffective in our parenting. We were irritable and threw our arms up, wondering what in the world we were going to do. Enter 1-2-3 Magic. Magic, did I say magic? YES. I can't give this book a higher recommendation.

The book starts off by telling you what to do (and why) and ends by telling you what to do. The middle is full of telling you what to do. And you know what? It works. It really works. And it is incredibly simple. Very easy to implement. We had a 2.5 year old who was defiant, a bit out of control at home and no discipline worked. We tried and tried but failed and failed. I am not exaggerating when I say that after starting this method of discipline we had a new child. Not within a week, but within a day. Really, we did.

So the moral of the story is, go out and get yourself a copy of this book. Say goodbye to yelling and tantrums. Your kids will change too.

Roar like a lion

We love to sing and dance around these parts.  We've got a big stack of CDs that we rotate through regularly.  Daphne is even getting into making up her own songs, you know sophisticated two year old songs.  Her most recent would be titled "poop on the floor" and had such a catchy tune that I found myself singing it all day. Seriously, catchy.

We also have this Wee Sing and Pretend CD which I think is pretty great.  It is music with prompts for different things to act out.  We crawl around like lions and elephants and race around like cars.  Definitely worth it for the kids and don't forget to join in.  Let out that inner tiger.

What music do you like to play and dance to?

Baby Wearing

International Babywearing week started Wednesday. Is it usual for a "week" to start on a Wednesday? Adventures in Babywearing is having a contest to give away a new baby wrap or sling. This got me thinking about the babywearing apparati that I have.

They all serve their special purpose and come in handy at different times. I have a Moby Wrap, a Kangaroo Adjustable Pouch, a Baby Bjorn, and the Ergo Baby Carrier. Here are my personal pros and cons for each.

Moby Wrap
Pros: Very comfortable. Baby's weight does not hurt my back or shoulders. The baby likes the wrap.
Cons: It is a LOT of fabric and can be tricky to figure out at first. It is also not something you can quickly just throw on, though it doesn't take too much time.

Kangaroo Pouch
Pros: Easy to get on, easy to use. Comfortable for baby.
Cons: I had to see a chiropractor for a month after using this a lot when Daphne was a newborn. Too much pressure is put on one shoulder.

Baby Bjorn:
Pros: Baby's weight is evenly distributed. Men don't mind using it.
Cons: Can only be used for baby's first year. Baby hangs by the crotch which isn't good for baby for long periods. Can only be used for front carry.

Ergo Baby Carrier:
Pros: Easy to put on. Very comfortably. Comfortable for baby. Can be used with older children. Can be worn on front or back.
Cons: Difficult to first get baby on your back though it gets easier with practice.

I definitely prefer the Ergo out of all of these because of its usability over the lifespan of the baby/toddler. Some people use the wrap or pouch with older kids but I haven't. The Bjorn is my least favorite.

I've never tried a Mei Tai or o sling but I'd like to. What is your favorite baby carrier?

My three year old reads!

A while back I mentioned that I started teaching Naomi to read. Yes she is three years old. Yes she is learning to read! Our reading lessons have come to a halt. We got to lesson 76 in our book and then Maggie was born. Naomi has been asking me to do a lesson every day but I just haven't had the undivided attention that I need to give her for the lessons.

Just because we haven't hit lesson 100 doesn't mean that she can't read! She blows me away by how much she can read. For example, she can read Go Dog Go and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. I love it! She loves it. Every time we sit down with a book she tries to read some of it. Most books that we read are a bit over her head but there are always words she can read in every book.

So, yes, you can teach a three year old to read! Some of the unexpected side effects of her learning to read have included her learning to write and in turn becoming better at drawing and controlling her pencil and crayons. Though, maybe someone can tell me, is it normal for kids to sometimes write things backward or is that something I should be concerned about? Today she wrote Daphne's name backward, mirror image backward. Odd? It seems like it could be normal to me but I don't really know anything about the brain in this matter.

Some of you had mentioned that you were going to start using this book to teach your kids to read. Have you started? What do you think?

Update: For those of you who have asked, I use Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons and I highly recommend it. The biggest requirement your child needs before you start this book is the ability to pay attention for a while. Naomi isn't very good at that so it made our lessons a bit more difficult but we still had great results. The book claims you can teach advanced 3.5 year olds and all average 4 and 5 year olds to read. We started before Naomi was 3.5 and she did fine. See my full review here.

Cute, easy corduroy pants

These pants were very easy. I'd never used a Burda pattern but it wasn't bad. These pants only have 2 pieces of pattern and no zipper, which is great for me. Just a bit of elastic in the waist band and a bit of fabric and you'll have some great pants. I'd never made pants before so chose a pattern that would take minimal effort. I was right, this was quick and easy. The only alteration I'd make is to shorten the rise in the front. The great thing about the pattern is that it has sizes 2 to 7 so should last us a while.

UPDATE: I made another pair of these pants. You can see them here.

Check out my Flat Front Pants Tutorial!

You can find all my skirt tutorials here. Enjoy!

A dress in under 3 hours and a yard of fabric

This dress was super easy to make.
It is from Simplicity pattern 5695.

If you've never made clothing from a pattern this is a pretty easy one to start with. Joann Fabrics has their Simplicity patterns on sale this coming weekend for $.99!

I used the pattern for the top of the dress to make a shirt for Daphne as well. I just shortened it a bit and didn't add the ruffle at the bottom. That probably took around an hour and a half to make. The pattern is worth the $.99 I think.

UPDATE: The arm holes are a bit tight under Daphne's arm so instead of the 5/8" seem allowance the pattern calls for I'd make it a bit less.

I'm going to try out pattern 3512 latter. I'll let you know how good it is.