Clem has recently declared purple his favourite colour. And I have pounced on the opportunity to sew him some colourful clothes.
Purple velour is not easy to photograph! It sort of soaks up the light. Anyhow, this is the Farbenmix Yorik Hoodie pattern in Nicky velour. I probably should have made the next size up but I thought that the purple phase might be over by the time he grew into something huge. The velour is just gorgeous and 90% cotton as opposed to the completely synthetic and inexplicably expensive stuff in my local fabric shop.
The pattern instructions were in German?/Danish? but there's a visual step-by-step on the Farbenmix website and with a bit of concentration it wasn't too hard to work out.
The hood is lined, what fun! I chose - what else - some leftover Spoonflower organic cotton knit.
I bought one metre of the velour and had enough leftovers to make a couple of silly hats (based roughly on one bought for our big boys years ago), which are very soft, stretchy and cosy.
I'd had some bamboo fleece in my stash forever but it was a natural cream colour. I winged it with my standard Clem-shorts-and-trousers pattern and added a ribbed waistband that contains wide elastic.
Result: great colour, saggy crotch! I didn't take enough off the top of the pants (which is normally a fold-over-to-make-elastic-casing type) before adding the waistband. Plus, the fabric is stretchy.
I'm all excited about sewing with velour now. Just got a bunch of bamboo/organic cotton velour samples in the mail from here... only all conflicted about the enviro aspects of bamboo fabric production. Easy plant to grow but apparently not so easy to turn into fabric fibre. Never simple, is it?
I am currently struggling with another Farbenmix pattern for myself. Will. Make. It. Work.
- Jane x
My God, he looks cute in all his purple homemade goodies! And that velour looks scrumptious - I kind of just want to roll around in it!
ReplyDeletePurple velour is great! Well done on the hoodie, Clem must feel very snuggly to hug in it! Spotlight has cotton velour in case you need other colors - I like using it for pants (very George from Seinfeld).
ReplyDeleteSpotlight, really? Ooh... I can feel a little trip coming on to check it out. Thanks!
DeleteOh and funny you should mention Seinfeld (heheh, velour pants, very George), my latest project currently looks very 'puffy shirt'.
DeleteI love that hoodie. This makes me want to make something purple for Jude, I bet he'd like it!
ReplyDeleteI was eyeing off that velour on Crafty Mamas the other night - now feel like I really need some! The hoodie looks great :-)
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, I highly recommend the velour... it's delicious, really lovely quality... I'm currently restraining myself from ordering more to make myself a purple hoodie!
DeleteI love that purple. I'm also very envious that your children wear the clothes you make for them. My children always found it faintly embarassing to wear clothes I made. But then my sewing skills are not up to your level - no stretchy fabric or double needles as it was always far too risky.
ReplyDeleteI'm lovin' that purple. I'm also lovin' the fact a reader mentioned there was cotton velour at Spotlight. I could do with a bit of this in my wardrobe.
ReplyDeleteOh Bernice you know I checked my nearest Spotlight store today (had to go there for some overlocker thread) and couldn't find any cotton velour :( Maybe depends on the store... mind you I find their stacks of fabric a bit hard to find my way through. You might have better luck! Might also help if you don't have three kids in tow who are throwing soft toys around and begging for 'Chewbacca fur' fabric! Otherwise, hit up the Crafty Mamas online shop :-)
DeleteOh, sorry about that. Spotlight can be a bit hit and miss with what each store stocks. There's even huge variation here in Brisbane between stores. Last time I saw it it was in the knits section. There's also cotton velveteen, but it's not stretchy.
DeleteI'll just have to keep an eye out whenever I go back. It's different pretty much every time I go!
DeleteAaaaacckk!! That hoodie is too cute/cool! Love it! Clem makes my day, yet again. Purple is an awesome color, and he wears it so well. I totally want some of that velour - does it come in orange by any chance?
ReplyDeleteAlso, "Chewbacca fur" fabric. Awesome.
Ok, tracky dacks. What's that? I spent some time in NZ but not Australia and I know how you two like to be differentiated from each other. Anyhow, LOVE the purple velour ~ is there anything your boy cannot wear? He looks good in everything PLUS Danish/German ~ what did you decide it was in the end? I could make a naughty comment about Austalians being GREAT at foreign lauguages (but I won't). The hoodie DOES look great though. I love it,
ReplyDeleteYeah we can speak New Zealand, British and American real good too!
DeleteGoogle translate identified the language as German... the patterns are from Denmark... I'm too lazy to research the difference :) The Google translations were no help at all but I don't think that was because it had the language confused....
Tracky dacks = tracksuit pants/fleece pants. Dacks - stuff you wear on your bum and legs (underpants can be underdacks). All these things sound ridiculous when you have to dissect them, don't they?