Jaxx of All Trades: August 2018

Hey y'all. When Suzanne asked me to join the Winter Wear Designs Back to School blog tour, I decided it was time to dust off this blog. I keep meaning to blog for myself more, so what better opportunity than now? I've loved Winter Wear Designs from the very beginning and you can probably see me or my children in many of the patterns in Suzanne's catalog. I haven't been able to test as much with her lately, but she hooked me up with an advance copy of the Fashionista Jean Jacket just for this tour.

Chicabiddy is growing up before my eyes and her sense of style is developing. Every cool girl needs a rad jacket, and this Mama can sew. After verifying her measurements, I prepped the pattern in a size 10. I didn't modify the pattern except to add two inches to the sleeve length because kiddo is built like her Mama. We chose a white denim and I got to work while the kids went fishing with their dad.

The jacket came together quickly and beautifully, so that by the time they returned from their fishing adventures, I was already halfway through the construction. I took my time, and used topstitching as a design feature by using a caramel thread to create a beautiful contrast. Swapping threads in and out of the machine slowed me down, but it really was worth it!

It wasn't long before I had a finished jacket, bands and all. It just needed closures. Snaps have become a favorite closure for me. I get to use a leather punch to create holes for the snaps to fit into, and then I get to hammer the snaps together. Who says tools are just for the garage? It's fun and cathartic. It's also incredibly noisy, so I do warn my family before I get started. I chose dark copper heavy duty snaps because they coordinated so well with the color of the topstitching. Sadly, I set the snaps so that the jacket closes left over right instead of right over left. Most people probably won't notice, but I strive to identify and acknowledge my mistakes.

For Back to School, we paired it with an easy tank and her favorite store-bought jeans. She loves her new jacket, using words like "rad!" and "awesome!" It's what every Mama Maker likes to hear!