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Free Pattern for July!

Uncategorized July 1, 2015

I’ve got thick thighs. They’re muscular from carrying around lazy pugs, hauling babies up stairs, and… a they’re little chubby due to my love of ice cream and chocolate and poutine.  When I was younger, I used to be very thin, but age has but a few extra pounds on me. I don’t really mind, but one thing that is a little annoying is when you’re wearing a skirt or dress on a hot summer day and your sweaty thighs rub against one another as you’re walking… The dreaded thigh chafe.

I tried making lace bands, but they just rolled up or fell down. I tried powders and creams, but those didn’t last. So, I made some 1990’s style bike shorts… and finally found something that works!

Get the Pattern Here
These are your basic fitted bike short. They have no side seam, and the pattern consists of only two pieces: The Shorts Piece and a Gusset. I added a gusset so you can wear these a la carte if you wish. 
It hasn’t been terribly hot here this summer (not complaining), but I’ve still been getting a lot of wear out of these. They’re great for under too-short skirts and dresses, or for wearing to bed with a tank top! I’ll be honest… I sometimes just wear them all day because, let’s face it, they’re kind of cute.
I’ve added a size to this pattern: XXL. I personally find the sizing to be generous, especially if you sew these out of a good, 4-way stretch fabric.
These shorts don’t require much… just some stretchy knit fabric (cotton/lycra is ideal), some wide stretch lace, a little fold over elastic for the waist (though I’m sure you could also make a casing and use regular elastic), and some thread. I’ve already made myself 3 pairs of these!

This pattern will be available for FREE for the month of July on Craftsy. After July it will no longer be free, so download it while you can!

PS. Today is my birthday!

PPS. I named these after Hilda the curvy pin-up.

New Pattern Collection

Uncategorized June 28, 2015
I started working on these patterns right after I had Isabel. At first, things were easy… Izzy slept so much. Then she discovered the world and decided she never wanted to sleep again… But, with a whole lot of trial and error, lots and lots of patience, sticking to a routine, and a really good babysitter, I have finally accomplished something!
I wanted to create a collection of lingerie that could double as lounge wear. Comfortable, versatile pieces that are easy to sew. I wanted to take some vintage pieces, like ’20’s style tap pants and cami-knicker combo’s, but modernize them. So, here they are! I hope you like them as much as I do!

The Alice Knickers are my take on 1920’s style tap pants.  They have a modern low rise, and semi-circular cut which gives them a soft fluttery look.
I have a small collection of vintage slips. I’ve written about my love of slips before… they are so great to wear to bed. They are comfy but also so pretty. I’ve designed the Clementine Slip to be tight fitting, with just a little support under the bust.

The Eloise Shorts are perfect for wearing to bed. They are super short and have a low rise. I’m a lady with a bit of a tummy and like low rise garments because it doesn’t cut into my new mom soft belly. The shorts have a flat front, but elastic at the back.

I posted a picture of the Emma Romper on Instagram months ago and had so many people asking me for this pattern! It took forever, but here it is. I’ve already posted a tutorial on how to sew it with a cinched waist.

The Hannah Chemise is one of my favorites. I came up with this style soon after I had Isabel and was still sporting a pretty significant belly. The soft gathers at the waist are so forgiving. The banding around the top allows you to experiment with different fabric combinations!

The Ivy Lace Panties are designed specifically for use with Scalloped Stretch Lace. I recommend using 8-9″ wide stretch lace. I know that can be a tricky width to find, but Sew Sassy stocks it in quite a few colours.  You can sometimes also find regular width stretch lace that has a scalloped edge.

The Josephine Bralette is a style I’ve been making for a while. I really like it because it allows you to combine contrasting fabrics. The Josephine Bralette can be sewn two ways – either with a racer back or traditional hook and eye closure,

View A of the Nora Panties is my favourite thing right now! I want to make a dozen of these for myself. They are so comfortable and flattering. The Nora Pattern an be sewn so many ways. The pattern comes with instructions on how to make three variations… but I can think of a few other ways to sew them that would be fun too.

Lastly, is the Scarlett Bra. This is also a style that I’ve had in my lingerie shop for a while. The Scarlett pattern comes with instructions on how to style this bra two different ways. Racer back bras are my favourite right now. I’m not sure what it is, but I find them so comfy, and I love how they accentuate the shape of the back…
One of the new things I’ve been doing is working on some video’s. I’ve started a YouTube Channel, where I post some demo’s. If you’ve never sewn lingerie before and need a little help with the instructions, I’m hoping the video’s will be a help to you.
I have one more thing in store to share with you… but that will have to wait for another day! I hope you like the patterns. 

My current favourite baby sewing pattern

Baby, Uncategorized May 11, 2015
Before I had Isabel, I looked high and low for a cotton bubble romper sewing pattern. I found one from one of the Big Pattern Manufacturers but it had a zipper down the back. I hate sewing zippers! The other day, I came across the perfect pattern from Puperita on Etsy. 
I sewed version A with the buttons on the shoulders though I made a few adjustments. I lined the top instead of bias binding the edges. It was just a little quicker and easier for me than doing the binding. I also used KAM snap instead of buttons because I don’t like sewing button holes! Instead of binding the leg openings, I shirred them with some soft elastic. This is a really great pattern with and is easy to customize to your liking. It’s hot here already so I think I’ll be making quite a few of these this summer!

Here’s the photo from Puperita so you can see the changes I made.

I made the one Izzy is wearing in chambray but also bought some gingham and some pastel, summery checker fabric. I’d like to get some nice eyelet too… I am totally addicted to sewing baby clothes.

So much to do, so little time to blog..

Uncategorized May 9, 2015
Every day I get up and think “I should blog today.” Then life happens and I realize that a month has gone by since I even looked at my blog!
Things are good though. Busy but good. Isabel is all settled in with her new babysitter who she sees three days a week for just a few hours. I’ve just exited income tax hell. Every year I say I’ll stay more on top of my finances, but never end up doing anything until March. Now that all of my icky year end paper work is done, I’m rewarding myself with sewing some new items for the shop and hopefully finished up a whole new batch of patterns for my sewing pattern shop.
Actually, a few weeks ago my friend Abbey came up and sorted through all of my fabric, so I also plan on having a de-stash fabric sale… as soon as a I get a few minutes to photograph everything!
I’m finding as Isabel gets older (and more mischievous) it gets harder to concentrate on anything for any significant period of time. She is such a good baby. Though maybe she is just an average baby and I had a particularly negative view of babies prior to having my own… in any case, she is so good that I can’t help but just play with her all day. We go for hours long walks, we sing songs and giggle. She has this hilarious, uncontrolled laugh that just cracks me up. I find myself feeling very torn at times. I love my work. It makes me feel so good and I get so deeply drawn into it. But I love Isabel. She is the best thing in the world! I have a hard time achieving the balance I’d like, but I suppose I am only 6 months into motherhood. It gets more challenging by the week, but also more rewarding.  I can’t say I really miss the newborn stage as I love seeing her develop and react to the world around her.

Sample Sale Time!

Uncategorized April 18, 2015
My sample bags overfloweth.
I make a lot of stuff over the year… when I’m desigining for a new collection I get so many ideas, and not all of them make it into my collection. I’ve added quite a few one of a kind items to this year’s sample sale! I also have old ready-made stock that I’m trying to clear out…

Photography : Mlle Chèvre (https://www.facebook.com/mllechevre)
Model : Ms White Willard (https://www.facebook.com/mswhitewillard)
Make Up : Audrey Lavigne Makeup Artist (https://www.facebook.com/audreylamua)

I’m seeking a seamstress!

Uncategorized March 21, 2015
Over the last year I’ve had many opportunities come up that I just haven’t been able to take on because I am a one woman show. I’d really like to be able to expand into smaller boutiques, but it is just so hard when I’m the only one sewing. So, I’ve decided it’s time to take on some sewing help… This is a really big / scary step for me and my business! 

I’m looking for someone in the Orillia, ON area who already has sewing experience.  I’ll provide training on how to sew each of my garments, so while lingerie making experience would be an asset, it is not 100% necessary. I’m looking for someone who has excellent sewing skills and experience sewing knit and bias-cut  fabrics, an attention to detail, has a flexible schedule, and most importantly, someone who loves sewing as much as I do! The position would pay by the piece, and you could either make use of my machines, or once you have all of my techniques down pat, work could be done from home (as long as you have a good quality serger & sewing machine that does both straight, standard zig-zag and multi-stitch zig-zags).  I would love it if this person could also offer occasional help around the studio – organizing, light book keeping, social media assistance, etc.

If you are interested in discussing this opportunity with me, please drop me an email at sarah{at}ohhhlulu {dot}com. Please send a current resume along with some photos of completed garments you have sewn.

Life Update

Uncategorized March 15, 2015
Big Sigh of Relief! My dad is home recovering. He was released last Saturday, in fact. It’s amazing to see how well he looks now, and am glad to hear that despite the pain of recovering from surgery, he is feeling better than before the whole thing happened! It sounds like it was causing him a lot of undiagnosed pain for quite some time. 
The whole time, I just kept thinking how young I was when I lost my grandfathers… and that I never even got a chance to meet my Mom’s father. It really feels like we all got a second chance. My dad is truly lucky, and we are so grateful for the doctors, nurses and surgeon. I am so glad that Isabel will have a chance to get to know her Grandpa.
The other ray of sunshine is the extra time I’ve spent with my brother. I’m sad to admit it, but my brother and I really grew apart over the years. I moved away from home to another town, and “life” happened. Sometimes we need to be reminded of how fleeting life is so that we don’t continue to take it for granted.  Family has always been important to me, but it is even more so now that I have Isabel.
Speaking of Isabel, she started going to daycare last week. She goes just two days a week, which lets me get some work done (business is booming!). I love the babysitter we found. We were so lucky to have a friend recommend someone to us. The best part is, she has a baby girl who is just a few months older than Isabel. They are absolutely adorable together and I am so thrilled that Isabel has another baby to socialize with. 
So, I’m feel like I have a lot to be thankful for right now. 

Stressful Times + More Baby Clothes

Uncategorized March 2, 2015
It’s been a really stressful 24 hours. My dad is in the hospital, recovering from emergency surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm. It’s pretty serious, but he seems to be remaining stable… I was back and forth from the hospital a couple times yesterday and will be heading back there again in a couple of hours. Hopefully he will come out of sedation today… It’s one of those situations where it’s hard to know what to do with myself. It’s serious. I’m trying to keep myself occupied. I put my shop on hold for a bit, so I can work on what’s in my queue and spend more time with my family… He is not in our local hospital, so I am having to travel to the next town over to see him which makes things a little more tricky. 
Coming home to my happy little baby has been a nice ray of sunshine (Oliver too. My husband is also alright). At the same time, being away from her is really hard… I’m grateful to have friends and family volunteer to help with taking care of her while I spend time with my dad…
Before I head into the hospital today I’ve been trying to distract myself, so I decided I’d blog… Over the weekend, I did a bit of sewing for Izzy. I used See Kate Sew’s Pippa Peplum Top Pattern, Brindille & Twig’s Bloomer Pattern, and a Free Headband Pattern from Megan Nielsen. 

The finished outfit kind of reminds me of these turn of the century swimmers! 
Image Credit: Lost in Drawers
We’ve moved Izzy into her own room last week. She is such a great baby, so independent and happy.  It’s hard to believe that only three months ago she couldn’t even lift her own head; she does so much now! She bounces around in her little bouncy activity center thing, she makes all sorts of noises, laughs, smiles, plays with toys. She’s really a whole little person now! It’s crazy how fast they change… I am finding that I enjoy it more and more as she grows.

Sewing for Baby… Bonnets!

Uncategorized February 17, 2015
I don’t know what it is about me, but when I have to do something, it feel so hard to motivate myself to do it… but finding the motivation to make several bonnets? I’ve got that… Getting myself to sew an order sometimes feels excruciating, but I can whip out three bonnets at 4am no problem.
I saw some baby bonnets come across my Instagram feed recently. They were simple, not frilly… just the perfect thing for Isabel! 
So, I went on the hunt for a pattern, since I have no idea how to make a hat for a baby… 
I ended up using the Rabbit Hat Pattern from ithinksew.com. 
I cut the smallest size, which is still a little large for Izzy, but she will grow into it!  Instaed of simply lining the bonnet, I bound the edges with bias binding. I did two plain versions and one with ears. On both, I omitted the dart at the back because I didn’t read the instructions! Typical me… 
The bonnet I made with the bunny ears is made of a single layer of fleece. I used some vintage floral cotton that my best friend, Abbey gave me. It came from her grandmother!

I’m pretty obsessed with these now and have a couple more cut out and ready to be sewn… I’ve spent way too much time now looking at pictures of baby bonnets. Now I want to get some striped and polka dot linen for my next batch….
I also bought the Storybook Woods Bonnet pattern from Alicia Paulson, which also looks very nice.  The weather has been so cold here lately, so these light bonnets are perfect for Isabel. 

Super Awesome Mega Giveaway!

Uncategorized February 10, 2015

The Etsy Team that I co-manage with Kathleen is running an awesome, gigantic, super amazing give away! I wish I could win… We’ve got art prints, porcelain jewellery, wood veneer note cards, designer cushion covers, handmadeupcycled cashmere dolls, cherry wood serving boards, hand-carved of course! There are so many good things… when I tallied it all up it’s over $340 worth of handmade and vintage goods! 
My contribution to the giveaway is a set of His & Hers Sleep Masks (or Hers and Hers, His and His, or keep them both for yourself!). I’ve been making lots of these masks for guys, and am finally getting around to offering them in my shop…

One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about preparing this giveaway is seeing everyone’s amazing work in person… There are some seriously talented people here!
Anyway, enough chit-chat. To enter the giveaway, head on over to The Canadian Collective’s Blog.

Good Luck!