Twig and Tale Upcycle Tour

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I’m here for another tour today.  This time I’m sharing an upcycle project featuring the Traveller Cape from Twig and Tale.  This was a sentimental make that I can’t wait to share with you!

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Make sure to head over to the Twig and Tale Blog for links to all the other great bloggers sewing along, a giveaway and a fun link-up!

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Ready to get a little personal?  I’m extremely sentimental- I save weird stuff, I cry at sappy commercials, and love a good chic flick.  My home is filled with treasures from our travels and tons of knick knacks and furniture from my grandparents and other loved ones.  This here is my handsome paternal grandfather Allen.  He was just about as good as they come, a shining example to all his posterity.

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When he passed away, my husband inherited his car and this wool blanket was tucked away in the trunk.  It was tattered and worn but I couldn’t get rid of it and it sat waiting for this project for almost 9 years.

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This tour was just the push I needed and this cape pattern couldn’t be more perfect for it.  I love, love that this pattern is called the Traveller Cape for my dear grandparents instilled a huge desire in me to explore the world.  They traveled to exotic lands and I couldn’t wait to hear about their latest adventures.  I loved their pictures riding camels, petting tigers, or in front of an amazing landmark.  Growing up my family moved all over the country and my sweet grandparents would make the trip to visit us multiple times a year, no matter what coast or city we lived in at the time.

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I had to have my girly reading for this shoot because it was my grandma Lola that encouraged my love of reading.  She was such an avid reader and would save her favorite books and pass them on to me when she would come visit.  I loved her murder mysteries and historical fiction she would share.  I may have been the only teenager I knew who loved a good Mary Higgins Clark book!  I’m so excited that this girl of mine shares the same enthusiasm and can usually be found with her nose in a book.

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I’m a firm believer that those who pass on are still in our lives, watching over those they love.   I feel them all around me through the good times and through the times of trial.  Their family was their life and I hope we’ve done them proud.  I feel lucky to have such amazing examples to strive to be like.

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Thanks for indulging my sentimental heart.  We all have those special people that shape our lives and I’m so thankful for mine.  Who is that for you?  Was it a special grandparent? Aunt? Uncle? Maybe even an extraordinary teacher?

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Ready for a little project deets?  This was such a fun sew!  Like I mentioned, this blanket was a bit tattered and torn. It measured 50″x 50″ and I barely got this cape out of it.  I’m not too experienced with upcycling but I knew I just had to go for it and not worry too much about matching the plaid.  I was just happy that I could get all the pieces cut!

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I lined the cape in a soft slub sweater knit.  The blanket is thick and a bit itchy so this lining makes all the difference.  I used a deep mustard color hoping that my little guy might wear it one day too!

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I used a fun faux leather toggle as a closure- again hoping that it makes it a bit more unisex.  This is the 8-teen size in the classic length.  I love that she can wear this for years to come!

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We had the most fun on this photoshoot.  It was one of those super stormy days that cleared up just in time for golden hour.  We love this little equestrian trail just a few minutes from our house- it proved the perfect backdrop for this outfit.  I love these little one on one moments I get to steal with my kids.

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Thanks for joining me and make sure you head over to Twig and Tale for all the other good stuff!

Ugly Sweater Party with Petite Stitchery

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I love a good party so I was all on board when Petite Stitchery  said they were hosting an Ugly Sweater Party.  Who doesn’t love a fun ugly sweater?!!

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I’ve loved the Rosemary Cowl Crop since the very first preview I saw and knew it would be perfect for this tour.

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I think an ugly sweater is all about upcycling so for my version I grabbed a cozy blanket from good ol’ Wal-mart.  It worked perfect and I loved being able to use the blanket edge for the bottom hem too!

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I did a little tricky hacking to make the sweater just one layer.  This fleece is so thick and cozy that I didn’t want to add too much bulk.  I used a scuba knit stripe for the cowl and cuffs.  I sewed the cowl on like a neckband.  The sleeve cuffs kinda stumped me.  They are sewn like a lining about 7 inches up the sleeve and rolled up for a nice, thick contrast cuff.

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She’s ready to party!

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What?  There’s more fun sweaters coming your way!  Make sure to head over to the other stops on the tour:

Tuesday  12/20

Rebel & Malice   and   Sew Sophie Lynn

Wednesday  12/21
Thursday  12/22
Make sure you add your holiday ugly sweaters to the link up for a fun giveaway!

Project Run and Play: Week Two-I’m an Autumn

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Fall in Utah is my absolute favorite!  The vibrant leaves, cooler weather and trips to our favorite pumpkin patch are things I look forward to all year.

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It was so fun sewing for this week’s Project Run and Play challenge- I’m an Autumn: using the warm colors of Autumn for your primary color palette (red, orange, yellow, and brown).  Now admittedly, I’m NOT an autumn and I’m drawn to much cooler colors so this was initially a bit of a challenge for me.  I had nothing at all in my stash in those colors so we took a trip to the fabric store (five fabric stores to be exact!).

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I had a vision for this dress right from the start and finding the perfect fabric proved to be harder than I thought it would.  With our short time frame I knew I had to find it locally and I finally settled on this gorgeous charmeuse from Joann.  It has such beautiful drape and worked so well for this maxi.

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I used the Lil Luxe Dress from Lil Luxe Collection as the base for this dress.  I added the long sleeves and pockets from the Starlight City Dress, also by Lil Luxe Collection.  I cinched the sleeves with elastic to create a bit of volume in them.  I used the width of the fabric for the skirt portion adding to the drama of this dress.

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I raised the back curve a couple of inches.  This dress will get worn to church ALOT and I wanted her to feel comfortable in it.  And boy does she!  She absolutely loves it!  She’s all about the maxi dresses and this is her new favorite!

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To complete her look I made a luxurious faux fur vest.  She’s always wanted one and this was the perfect outfit for it!

I used my go-to t shirt pattern the City Park Tee from Hey June Handmade to start with.  I drafted the vest using the bodice pieces with only slight modifications.  It’s fully lined in a super soft tweed and closes with a hook and eye at the chest.  She’s anxious to wear it with her favorite skinny jeans and boots once the weather stays cooler.

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I was so excited to sew for this little guy too!  He’s not the easiest to photograph but he’s always a super grateful recipient.

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The highlight of his outfit is a vest made using the BBC Vest from Shwin Designs.  Flannel and leather are such an amazing combo for fall.

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It’s so soft and cozy and will make a great layering piece in his wardrobe.  I lined it in cream stretch denim to make it a bit more structured.

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The leather details elevate it and I was a little nostalgic digging through my great-grandma’s buttons for this project.  These were exactly what I was looking for to finish off this vest.

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His pants are Moto Maxx bottoms from Love Notions.  I love the details on these and they were so fun to play with.

In my endless fabric search I was trying to find soft, comfortable khaki twill.  Everything I found was stiff and not what I had in mind so I headed to my hubby’s closet.  I stole his beloved well worn khakis and they worked like a dream!  I did diamond quilting on the knees and lined them with flannel from the vest.  Comfortable, warm pants will be well loved this fall.

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I did triple stitching on the waistband and slightly cropped them to be more like the joggers his big brothers are so fond of.  This little man wants to be exactly like them so he loves his new cool pants!

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His tee is an ode to another fall staple- long days at the soccer fields!  This little guy is so excited to be on his first soccer team after spending much of his life watching all his siblings play.  He’s definitely got the soccer thing down and this tee is a winner.

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I used the Made for Mermaids Rowan Raglan and slimmed it down to fit better under his vest.  I love this pattern and all the options it comes with.  He loves hoods so I’ll be adding them whenever I can.

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These two are just loving their new looks!

Make sure to head over to Project Run and Play to see the other competitors looks and to vote for your favorite!  We hope you like our Autumn look as much as we do!

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