Everything came together like clockwork on this robe, which is not usually the case when I sew clothing. I found the perfect fabric in Anna Marie Horner's Field Study line that is the just the right combination of colorful pattern and bright polka dots to make a lightweight copy of a favorite flannel robe. My mom just happened to find the McCall's M5248 pattern that I used in high school fashion class, which had an unused robe pattern that was almost an exact replica of the robe I wanted to duplicate.

I meant to edit the pattern a bit more to make as faithful a copy of my winter J. Crew robe, but I used the pattern pieces pretty faithfully. I did crop the sleeves for warmer weather, and added a bit of extra fabric in the back panel to accommodate my expanding waistline. I also added the pocket and piping around the collar and cuffs, which added some finicky finishing work but was totally worth it.

If I make the pattern again, I would be more careful not to stretch the bias tape especially as I am sewing it along the shawl collar, to avoid too much extra seam ripping. I would also add a few inches to the length of the main sections and add any extra width to the front panels instead of the back. That said, this is probably the happiest I've ever been with an article of clothing I've made for myself. Bring on the maternity ward!

On an unexpected trip to a shop called Spotlight while we were in Sydney over the holidays, I was drawn like a moth to the flame to the section of Prints Charming fabric. I just loved this oversized cheater print and stocked up so I could use it for the backing of some upcoming baby quilts I'm planning. But once I got it home and spread it out on the kitchen table, I realized that it would make the perfect colorful binding for some flannel receiving blankets that I've had on my mind for a while.

I was loathe to cut into my brand new fabric for anything but its intended purpose, but it made the perfect bias tape (I used this tutorial) and I'm really happy with the way the blankets turned out. The only killer is that the dotty flannel I picked up at Joann's seems to have a bit of shadowy misprinted dot imperfections, although they were impossible to capture on camera. If I decide they are not "nice" enough for baby gifts, I can always just keep them for home use, as I'm expecting my first baby this May. We aren't going to find out if it's a boy or a girl, but in my book, this binding works for either. In the meantime, I'm taking good flannel recommendations for my next batch.