Amy Butler Lounge Pants

I bought the fabric for this project at Hip Stitch months ago and then had no time to actually make them. I wanted them for summer usage, but I wore them for about an hour last night and was so hot I couldn't bear it. I always wear pants to bed, but these just have a ton of fabric, I guess. They are big and wide and long.



They are from Amy Butler's "In Stitches" book. So far, they are the only project I've tried from the book. When Brock was about 8 months old, I suddenly felt ready to sew again and I went a little crazy buying cute sewing books and fabric. Then I felt exceedingly overwhelmed because I do not much like having projects piling up and staring me in the face.



I left them a little long, and with the grass, they just kind of hung up. So I am standing tippy-toes to let them hang nicely for the pictures.

I think my pants look a little dumpier than other people's versions, but maybe I needed to make them smaller.



The book appears to have contrast fabric at the bottom in the photo, but I think it's actually just trim that's sewn on top. There are no instructions for contrast fabric. It's obviously easy to figure out, but when I first tried them on before doing the waistband, I thought I had made them suitable for a giant.



But after I sewed up the waist, they were just about perfect. I just needed a slightly larger hem than the instructions suggested.

I ended up adding elastic to the waist in addition to the drawstring. I just find it more comfortable that way.



Instead of using my sewing machine, I serged the pants together. Then I switched to the sewing machine for the buttonholes, waistband, hems and drawstring.



I think one reason I put this project off for so long is that although the pattern book comes with the pattern pieces, it only comes with partial pieces for this project. You have to then attach long pieces of paper and extend the legs to where you want them. I had bought contrast fabric for the bottoms and did lots of calculations when doing my patterns. Calculations and guessing, really. But for me, those are sort of one in the same.

I made a size medium. They fit, but I think a small would have been better. I am 5'4" and still have some baby weight to lose, so I went a size up. Here are my calculations for the leg lengths with contrast fabric, if it helps save anyone else some time:

I added 19-3/4" to each leg piece. This is your main fabric.
The contrast fabric pieces were the width of the leg pattern pieces and 8" long. I used a half-inch seam allowance to attach the two pieces, using the serger, then I did the rest of the pants.

This pattern is really easy to complete after you get the pattern finished up and the fabric cut. But until it cools off here, or the humidity lessens up and lets my swamp cooler work better, I won't be doing much lounging in these.

Cut-chenille blanket

I recently came across this beautiful blanket and its tutorial. I thought to myself: "I only have two part-time jobs, a baby and a home to care for. I'm so bored that I should totally do this."



It's not really a cheap project, or a fast one. That's because you need a yard of quilters cotton and three yards of flannel.

I started with these fabrics. I am not one for peace signs, but I knew you couldn't see them in the end result, and I like that they had the chartreuse color.



The basic idea is that you layer all of these together, channel quilt every 1/2 inch and then cut through only the flannel.







Then you bind and wash. The washing fluffs and frays the flannel into beautiful chenille. See the lovely tutorial at Aesthetic Nest for more detail on the how-to. Hers was so beautiful, I had to try it. I thought it would be a fairly easy project, but it did take quite a lot of work, so I don't think I'd do another.



Instead of doing a square, I left mine as a rectangle to utilize more of my fabric. I'm glad I did, because it was pretty wonky by the time I finished all the channel stitching, and I had to cut off quite a bit to square it up.



Although I loved Aesthetic Nest's beautiful satin binding, I decided to go with a cotton in a chartreuse that matched the blanket. I'm loving the effect.

As much as I want to stare at this forever, I have decided to give it to Amy "Chickenbone Jones," who is having her second baby in June (I think! I know a lot of pregnant people right now and I'm starting to lose track of due dates.)



I hope Amy doesn't see this, but if she does, it will be there eventually. I am pretty lazy about visiting the post office. She doesn't know the sex of her baby, but I think this blanket would be fine for either a girl or a boy, despite it being blue.

Just for fun, here's the quilt I made for Mia, her first.

Amy Butler Anna Tunic

I love this pattern. It's pretty easy, it's super-cute and it all comes together perfectly. Usually, it seems that things don't line up this easily. It also has details like the flower brooch, and you can wear it with or without a tie belt.

I used Michael Miller Black Zip Zinnia fabric from Hip Stitch because, as much as I love Amy Butler prints, she doesn't really do black. And I wanted black to wear with my leggings.



I made it on the short side, because I've been working out and I thought my legs were shaping up nicely. But then, looking at these photos, maybe not. But they will. I'm very into the gym right now.



I kind of like it beltless, though my other version, the tunic length, I like with the belt more.



I put a big red, mod button in the middle of the flower brooch.

More Amy Butler sewing

I've been on a clothes-sewing kick lately, as opposed to quilting. Although I do have a quilt planned.

Here's a live-human picture of my Amy Butler Anna Tunic. It's better to take pictures outside, but my new neighbor was hanging out in her yard, and our walls are low. I feel silly setting up my camera on timer and posing by myself around my yard:



I had wanted some cropped denim pants for a few years, and I found these on the Target clearance rack for $11 the other day. There was only one pair that I saw, and they happened to fit me perfectly.

I also finished my Favorite Things Prairie Girl dress, also made of Amy Butler fabric. I was really excited about this dress initially, but I'm not as excited about the end result. It's OK, but not quite what I expected.





I like a closer fit, and tying it too tight doesn't really look good. But if you make a smaller size, you may have trouble getting the dress on, since there's no zipper or buttons.



I think maybe a thinner, drapier fabric would have looked nicer, so the skirt would fall more softly.

Mark says I need to get a tan if I'm going to wear that dress. I do look even pastier than usual, I must admit.

Amy Butler Anna Tunic

I recently splurged on this Amy Butler pattern and fabric during the sale at Hip Stitch. The fabric is less orange and more salmon in real life.

It's the Amy Butler Anna Tunic. A few things aren't perfect, such as the armholes being a bit snug. I'm not sure what went wrong there. There doesn't seem to be anything I could have messed up on in that area.



Also, the big, crazy flower pin blends right in. The fabric is so busy that you can't even see it in the photos.



This pattern was fun and fairly easy to make. I feel like most things came out looking nice, including the button area. Closures are usually where I mess things up.



You can leave the flower pin or the belt off. Here it is without the belt:



This pattern can also be made longer in a mini dress, regular dress or a bit shorter of a top.

I'll take better photos on a real person (me) tomorrow if I have time.

Speaking of which, here are people photos of my Favorite Things Prairie Girl top made from vintage linens:





Now I'm off to start on the dress version of this pattern.

Lots of sewing time

My husband's out of town, so I've had lots of sewing time. Unfortunately, he took the camera, so I can only use my cell phone. Strangely, the photos are almost better than with my camera. Can't figure that one out.

In an earlier post, I showed you the Prairie Girl dress from Favorite Things that I am going to make with pretty Amy Butler fabric. Because of my recent mishaps, I was definitely going to make a muslin first.
Last night I realized there's a shirt version in the same pattern, which is just the dress cut shorter. I spied a pretty white/orange/blue/green vintage sheet in my collection and decided to go for it. This killed two birds with one stone: It basically served as my muslin (only change is the dress is longer) and allowed me to make something with all these sheets I've been buying. It was bugging me that I wasn't making use of them fast enough.



For the dress, I'll be doing the ruffled cap sleeve. I like this top a lot, but from the back, it sort of looks like a scrub top a nurse would wear. I think a lot of it's the sleeves.



I was going to make the dickey out of this sheet here, which sort of matched, but then when I tried the top on, I happened to be wearing this green tank that matched well. It brought out the colors better than the second sheet.



Next up is a gathered empire waist top made from this matryoshka print fabric that I bought some time ago. I didn't have much and couldn't figure out what to do with it since it's so wrinkly and doesn't lay flat. I am going to use Simplicity 3750, and I have it all cut out. That was no easy task. I decided the best thing to do was to lay it out on a cardboard cutting mat and pin the fabric stretched out. Then I cut to my best ability and let it shrink back up.

Favorite Things, indeed

I once bookmarked this Web site and then forgot about it. The other day I was bored and found it. It's full of adorable patterns. I was unable to snag photos from the site to show you, though I would have only done that in the interest of getting them more business!

Check out this prairie dress. I'm the last person who would describe her style as "prairie chic." But I love this. Click on the lower picture. CUTE!

I bought this cape. I also never thought I'd prance about in a cape, but this is SO DARN CUTE. And I guess I don't have to actually prance.

The Hip Skirt and Smarty Pants also look great.

Speaking of "hip," I was looking on the Favorite Things Web site last night for local retailers and couldn't really find one (one seemed to be a Web only business based here, but I couldn't find those patterns). Then I got my monthly email newsletter from local Hip Stitch and it said they have Favorite Things patterns! I keep meaning to get in there and get some fabric for my Amy Butler Birdie Sling bag, but it seems like every single time I'm ready to stop in, it's Wednesday afternoon, the day Hip Stitch closes early. It's just not close, so I always try to fit it in to another errand.



Further down the line, I really want to make one of these Amy Butler tunics




And I got an e-mail from Amy Butler (not personally, I guess) introducing her new Sweet Life bags. I thought they would be sewing patterns, but apparently you can only by the finished products, which range up to $180. Not. Going. To. Happen. I am disappointed because I think Amy Butler fans are people who make their own stuff, and that's what Amy Butler has always been about. Now she tantalizes us with things we can't have. Boo.

I would have loved to make this many-zippered bag, the Hampton



And the Sanibel is very cute, too

And nice, too!

Lately, I've been raving about Amy Butler.

Well, I was a wee bit frustrated because I had used the supply list on her Web site to get my supplies before I received my pattern in the mail. Turns out the supply lists are different, and I spent a little more than I needed to. I e-mailed the company just to let them know. I wasn't mad and didn't want anything from them, but they were so unbelievably gracious and nice. They sent me a free pattern, which turned out to be two free patterns.





Just wanted to give a shout out to a company that still values great customer service. Go Amy Butler!

Amy Butler Madison Bag

Sooooo. Or should I say seeeewwwwww? I'm just a little ga-ga over the Amy Butler thing. So when local shop Hip Stitch started its Amy Butler trunk sale, I was definitely there the first day. I was able to see and touch and love real-life samples of her bags and clothes.

I decided my next project will be the Madison bag in the Gold/Morning Glory fabric. I chose a solid light blue for my lining. I have been wanting this fabric for months and months.



I also got so excited over my button hat, shown below, that I bought a tan colored wool and a pretty button for a more neutral version.


Guess what -- I never noticed that Village Wools has billions, or at least hundreds, of buttons. Beautiful unique buttons. Remember when I was making my "Runway Knits" A-Line Jacket and had a hard time finding humongous buttons? Well, they have them there, and I never even noticed that corner of the store.

I also would like to make a hat from this yarn I spun and dyed myself. I'm thinking of the Urchin pattern, a free pattern download available on Ravelry.com, if I have enough of it. This hat pattern was suggested since it looks nice with a thick-thin yarn.


Although I'm sure I won't look nearly as good as that lady does.

Step 1: make an agonizing choice between Amy Butler fabrics

In the post before this one, I talked about my upcoming project: The Amy Butler Weekender Bag.



I also talked about a new shop in Albuquerque called Hip Stitch. I had never been there, and it's one of only two places in the city that carry Amy Butler fabrics, the other one being way far across town. I went to Hip Stitch for the first time yesterday, and though it's a small place, it was homey and cozy and welcoming. The women who ran it are just lovely. As I perused the not-so-huge, but wonderful selection of fabrics, they told me that they are holding an Amy Butler trunk sale in early November with lots more fabrics, and patterns to boot! Oh, I'll be there. But I want to get started on my Weekender bag, so I decided to pick a fabric. Suddenly, the normally very decisive Robyn couldn't make a decision.

Finally, I picked these. The polka dot one is for the lining and the piping, and the other one is for the exterior. Every fabric she has seems to make a fantastic and entirely different version of the bag..

Where shall I go?

Oh, you all know I like to make bags. But my creations have nothing on beautiful Amy Butler patterns.
If you sew, you know of Amy Butler. Her fabric designs are, well, fantabulous. Please, for love of all that is good, go to her Web site.

There are only two places in Albuquerque that sell Amy Butler fabric. One is a quilt store that is on the complete other side of town, and the other is this new place I can't wait to check out called Hip Stitch. Hip Stitch apparently is a place where you can rent machines and hang out and sew and stuff. I hope to go tomorrow, if they aren't closed for Columbus Day (as someone who doesn't necessarily even get Christmas off, don't get me started).

Anyway, I have fallen head over heels for Amy Butler's Weekender Bag (shown here in a photo *borrowed* from her site):



Yes, yes -- those are some of her fabrics. I don't even know how I'll choose one. But, apparently, this pattern is very complex and takes people a good month and much banging of the head into a wall to finish. It will make my bags look like silly little failures. I mean, I'm going to make my own piping, for Pete's sake. Not even buy the kind that's already made!