First off – you may have noticed I forgot to post last week. And yesterday. I didn’t forget I just was working too late. I will try my best not to let you down again!! Secondly, you still have a couple weeks to enter my latest contest! To enter you just need to tell me a love story!
Speaking of love stories, I just LOVE fall. It is my absolute favorite season, just everything about it! I’m working on Halloween costumes for the kids (and adults) right now, which hopefully I will have time to finish with all this work! I tried to get Will to dress up as Rhysand from ACOTR but alas he declined! (Sidenote: Will I’m going to remember that next time you suggest going as the Hulk and She Hulk…) We are going with a backup family costume that we thought was going to be everyone but Julius (he was dead set on being a ghost for Halloween everytime I asked the last several months) but we told him what we’d decided on and he immediately said he wanted to be involved. So get ready for that.
You know what I’m not ready for? My babies growing up! Patricia is speaking in full sentences. It’s crazy listening to her! And she’s so smiley and silly. The cutest/strangest thing she does is comes up to you, looks you right in the eyes, smiles a huge smile and says “hi!’ and then squishes your cheeks like some ancient caricature of a spinster aunt from a movie.
Julius is doing great at reading – he just requires a bit of motivation to get started. And he’s still an artist, though he’s toned down his crafting lately (sadly) The other day he made up a song about apples. Sang it all the way to school. Patricia started singing along (Julius was a bit annoyed). It was adorable.
Look at this dapper young sir.
We are going to have a painting commissioned of this little guy in Julius’s new renaissance outfit. The story with the outfit is the day before the renaissance fair I went to whip up an outfit for Julius. I had gotten a pattern from a thrift store with what looked like all the pattern enclosed. What I didn’t realize is that it had included both men’s and boy’s sizes but the men’s size was the only one that was left in the envelope. I cut out all the pattern pieces and then realize they were HUMONGOUS. At this point I decided to draft my own pattern (luckily I’d taken Julius’ measurements before bed). (Yes, this means it’s past 8pm at this point.) I used some elements that I loved from Will’s knight costume and skimped out and omitted the lining completely (which would have taken me twice as long). And because I was fretting so much that it wouldn’t fit him I didn’t take a single photo of the process! Of course it came out exactly like I envisioned (that never happens!), so I regret my lack of photos! I have my steps and pattern below though and I’d be happy to take or sketch photos if you need an example!
4-5T Toddler Jerkin
What you’ll need:
- 1 yard of upholstery material (mine’s from the thrift shop)
- 1.5 yards of trim
- 18 metal eyelets
- cording
- pattern here
- Cut out pattern pieces
- Fold and stitch darts in front fabric pieces and back fabric pieces.
- Pin top front pieces to top back piece at sides. stitch and serge together.
- Stitch and serge shoulder seams.
- Stitch and serge bottom side panels to bottom back panel.
- stitch bottom panels to top portion of jerkin.
- Serge unfinished edges of armscye, unfinished edges along the front, top and bottom of the jerkin.
- Fold armscye under 1/2″ and stitch.
- Fold serged edges under 1/2″ along the front, top and bottom of the jerkin, stitch.
- Stitch 2 pieces of shoulder pads, right side together along the curved edge.
- Turn right side out and serge along the unfinished edges.
- Place pads underneath the shoulder seam, poking out beyond the vest.
- Apply trim along edges of the vest and the center seam between the bottom panels and the top of the vest.
- Mark location of eyelets using template, then apply using package directions.
