i made my first dress

In addition to the boys' suits, I also made myself a little something for the hub's sister's wedding.  I thought a fancy dress was in order since the hub and both little ones would be dressed to impress.  By the time I was done with the boys' suits, I only had 3 evenings to make my whole dress.

I bought a pattern to use, but I wasn't paying attention when I pulled it from the drawer.  I bought the larger sized pattern and by the time I realized it, I didn't have the time to exchange it.  So I decided to try one on my own.  A risky bet for first dress.

I used champagne colored shantang for the fabric.  I made the top part first by cutting rectangles and pleating them.  I stacked the pleats at the top so the overall shape would form two triangles.  Then I attached the two triangular shapes at the top so they would form a neck strap for a halter top look.

Not so symmetrical here with the pleats at the neck, but it worked well enough.

I included a center sash just below the bustline.  This is really the only part that made me nervous.  I knew that if the sizing was off even a little that the dress would either be too tight or too loose.  During the process, I was sure that I had gone too small (a much harder problem to fix and a predicament I often find myself in for some reason).  But when I tried it on, it zipped better than I even expected it to!  It's for those seldom moments that I even bother sewing clothes.

My not-so-invisible zipper . . . and a fun tag chosen by my 4-year-old.

I also opted for a "blind" hem.  Why is it that my invisible zippers aren't invisible and my blind hems aren't blind?  Probably lack of practice . . . and matching thread.

This is the back.  Too low for a bra, so I had to go without.  It wasn't totally unexpected given the design I chose.

Overall, I am extremely happy with the result.  The dress is completely lined, too, which again was a first for me.  And it only cost about $40.  I really hope I can find another occasion to wear this dress.  It looks great with a black cardigan, too (thanks to my sister).  Some parts of it may look homesewn, but I think it's a pretty great accomplishment.  And it makes me want to sew more.

suits to bear rings

For the past two weeks, I've been working on these suits for two handsome gentlemen.  The hub's sister was married this past weekend and both my boys were asked to be ring bearers.  Suits (and especially tuxedos) for rent are very expensive and you don't even get to keep them.  So I decided to make each boy the appropriate attire.

I started with the vests.  I used Simplicity 7030 and cut the size 4 for my 4-year-old.  I've cut size 4 pants for him and they were always too big, so I figured a size 4 vest would work well.  I was wrong.  I even added 1 inch to the length, but the vest was still too small for my liking.  Luckily I had a smaller client that could fit right into it.  So for my 4-year-old, I added a half inch total to the width and 3 or 4 inches to the length.  Nearly perfect!  The vest overlapped the top of his pants which was a perfect length . . . but I probably didn't need to add width.

The black pants were refashioned from adult-sized pants.  I used this tutorial from This Mama Makes Stuff, but I didn't do the skinny part.  Well, I didn't mean to do the skinny part.  I used a size 4 pattern for the bigger pants.  I even slimmed it down a little but they still ended up too big.  I used some 2T pants as my pattern for the little guy's pants, but I slimmed them down a little too much.  They fit, but I could I tell they looked a little "skinny."  But since that look is back (sigh), I could get away with it.  I guess I will just have to get better at using ready-made clothes as patterns.

The bow tie is my favorite.  I used this tutorial from Make It and Love It to refashion a men's necktie into a bow tie.  Only I used 1 adult tie to make two smaller kids' ties.  I love them!  I think a bow tie was the right way to go.  Fun, yet still serious.

All in all, I think it was definitely worth the two weeks of work that I put into these suits.  I don't know what I will do with the vests, but the pants and perhaps the bow ties can be used again.  And I learned quite a bit through this process, and that's what it's all about for me.  Well that, and being able to show off my two little bugs in great handmade, one(or two)-of-a-kind clothes.

I purchased the white shirts.
I apologize for the terrible photo quality.  Everything happened so quickly that I didn't have time to have the boys pose outside for blog-worthy photos.  Lesson learned.

a handmade lunch bag {for the first-time preschooler)

My four-and-a-half-year-old will be attending preschool for the first time this week.  I'm not worried about him at all.  He is mr. social and feeds off interaction with other kids.  We enrolled him in a preschool for two , four-hour days a week and he has to bring a lunch.  After clarifying that peanut butter is an acceptable food this year as no child enrolled has a peanut allergy (whew...he'd rather starve than eat turkey, ham, or bolonga), the hub and I got to talking about backpacks and lunch boxes.  I fully intended to buy him a lunch box but the hub suggested to Logan that I make one.  Nothing beats a hub-prompted project because I get to spend all kinds of time working on it with no questions about what I'm up to.

A few days later, Logan and I set out for the fabric store in search of fabric with school buses (his choice).  After what seemed like hours to him (but was in fact about 4 minutes) to no avail, we (I) came across this fabric.  It's so colorful.  I love it!!  I was afraid it was too girly but gave him the choice.  He loved it.  Yes!  I knew it would make a cute lunch bag and I began pondering what to do with the rest of the yard.
Of course, there are a bunch of ways that I could have made this.  A very simple rectangular bag with a velcro closure would have been a quick way to go.  But I am neither simple nor quick, so I chose just about the toughest design I could think of.  I used a very thick stablizer as interfacing to give the bag extra support.  This extra thickness definitely made the bag much harder to handle.  I used a similar design for this overnight/gym bag and it wasn't nearly as difficult to put together (although I've learned a little about stablizing bags since that project).

And, by request, I added a pocket for I'm not sure what.  Napkins?  Bugs maybe?  The client requested it so I delievered.

For the lining, I was going to go with cotton.  But then I ran across a placemat that we bought for Logan a few years ago.  It never really gets used, so I decided to repurpose it.  It's made of a fabric that wipes cleaner than cotton ever would.  I also decided to use it for the bottom since I know that might get pretty dirty (and because I couldn't decide which way the bottom fabric should face).

I hope the opening doesn't end up too small.  I only had 7 inch zippers.  I added a little extra fabric to the end of each zipper to make the bag longer, but the opening barely fits a mini bag of chips.  I shouldn't have a problem getting the food in there, but it might be a task to get it out . . . especially for a little boy who will probably only eat what he can easily pull from the bag like fruit snacks and a juice box.  Logan picked out the green zipper to match the fabric, so at the very least, the zipper looks fabulous.

I also equipped the lunch bag with a removable strap.  I originally had no other reason to do this other than my desire to use my new snaps.  But then I started thinking about where to put his name on the bag.  Writing directly on the fabric is not an option (way too much work went into that thing to deface it with permanent marker), but I'm okay with writing on the strap.  Plus, if the bag holds up long enough for my next son (or me) to reuse it, I can just change the strap with a new name.  Sometimes I shock myself with my genius ideas.

So here we are . . . the first day of preschool with the new lunch bag.  If nothing else, it comforts me to know that he has a part of me with him on his new venture (and that no one else will have the same lunch bag).  Have a great time, little man!  I know you will.

a new (super simple) knit shirt

One of my goals at the beginning of the summer was to make myself a couple of knit shirts.  After my last in-store purchase, I decided that I don't like buying knit shirts from the store for 2 reasons:

• I don't like spending more than $15 for a shirt and that can't buy me high quality goods.  They wear out too fast.  I have a few clothing staples that I have had for 10-15 years (they cost me much more than $15 back then but I was single and childless and had no better reason on which to spend).  I wish $15 could buy me that.
• I can't stand being the same as someone else.  It drives me crazy to see someone else wearing my shirt (yes, even if I don't have it on).  So really the only way for me to even have a shot at 100% uniqueness is to design and create my own.

So this shirt is my first shot at a real knit shirt.  Well, I guess I shouldn't call it real shirt because it was ridiculously simple.  Fashion designers would laugh at the simplicity but busy moms will delight in it.  No need for full blown tutorial when there are only 4 steps:

1. Cut out two pieces of the fabric using the back of another shirt as a pattern.  Build the straps into the pattern.
2. Cut out the desired neckline from the front piece.  I chose a v-neck for this one.
3. Serge the sides of the front and back pieces together up to the sleeve holes.
4. Try on and tie the straps.

I told you it was simple.  I didn't even hem the bottom or sew the "sleeves" or neckline.  This light knit rolls well and I like that look.  Although if I had the patience, I could have sewn around the neckline for a cleaner look.  And I can't believe how well I did matching these stripes on the sides!  I've been waiting for that talent to arrive.

So here I have my first summer knit shirt built completely from scratch just in time for summer fall.  And although it's a little casual, with the right cardigan, it will make a great addition to my desparately-needs-upgrading wardrobe for the new job.

yee-haw! pj pants

So this is about all I've had time for lately.  We have another couple of months of chaos with the move, but I'm hoping we will settle into some type of normalcy before that.

I made these last weekend while awaiting the arrival of the hub and kids here in Pa.  I picked up this flannel cowboy fabric in the remnant bucket at JoAnn's a while ago.  It's not my favorite and the red on the cowboy hats bled into the white fabric, but I don't think you really can go wrong with $2 pajama pants handmade by mom.

Of course, the kid loved them.  And I tacked on these knee pads for extra-special flair!  I used red jersey knit from an old t-shirt.  I first sewed the pads in place with a regular foot (but a walking foot would be way more helpful here) and then I used my darning foot to sew the (semi)horizontal lines.  Just the idea of all that stopping and turning put me to sleep, so I used the darning foot to free-motion the lines.  The lines aren't as straight and even, but the process was a lot quicker.  And I kind of like the look of the improv, wonky lines.

Another need filled using mom's skills.  But I think that I should consider investing in higher quality fabric . . . maybe when the kids get older and start to actually care.

why i've been gone so long...

Okay.  It's been nearly a month since I last posted and it has been killing me.  About 5 weeks ago, I received word that my company would be transferring me to a new job in a new state.  Now I realized that this isn't always good news, but in my case, it is.  My family and I are very excited about our new move, and so for the past 3 weeks I have been living out of a hotel in western PA.

 postcard courtesy of worldatlas.com

Needless to say, living out of (cheap) hotel isn't exactly conducive to sewing and between a new job and traveling back and forth between upstate NY and western PA has taken up a lot of time and energy.  But I am moving into a more permanent place on Monday with the family following soon thereafter, so I should have something to post by the end of next week (there, a posted deadline...now I have to do it).

In case there is anyone out there who misses me and projects, rest assured I have not given up my passion.  I just had to take a little break to be able to refocus that energy elsewhere.  But with the change brings all kinds of new opportunities...especially those that contribute to rethinking and recreating a home.

In the meantime, I did want to mention that (a month ago), I was actually featured on another blog (I can't believe it).  Jodi at Pleasant Home found my blog through my quilt entry into the Blogger Quilt Festival this Spring and she was kind enough to mention some other creations she enjoyed from my blog.  I still can't believe it.  I am so excited!  So if you are looking for some good blog reading before my return, jump on over to her blog and check it out.

a striped yoga bag

I've been a little out of pocket these days, but I just wanted to post this yoga bag that I made for my sister.  I used the measurements and instructions from the One Yard Wonders book put together by Rebecca Yaker and Patricia Hoskins.  This particular project was submitted by Gene Pittman.

My sister picked out the fabric.  It was a good experience going to the fabric store with her because I got to learn more about her taste.  I would never have picked out this color combination for her, so I'm glad she chose her own.  I really like the fabric; I just didn't think that she would.

Hopefully my sister finds the pocket useful. I followed the instructions for the pocket, but I'm not sure how practical it will be. I'm all for extra storage, but I thought the pocket should be more robust to hold bulky keys or something. But I didn't want to take the extra time to figure that part out (it was late).

I didn't follow the instructions for the bag handle from the book.  The project in the book uses a strap attached near the top opening.  I wanted a strap on the side so it could be easily carried over the shoulder.  I used webbing for the strap which saved me a lot of time (as opposed to using the bag fabric for the strap).

Oh, and since this is my review of the project, I would like to point out two things:

1. One of the items needed is 22 inches of elastic.  For the life of me, I can't figure out why you would need that much elastic for the opening.  I wanted my opening to be rather small, so I used 5 or 6 inches of elastic.
2. I don't agree with the verbage of one of the measurements.  The project says to cut two 16.5 inch diameter circles (one for the outside and one for the lining).  This is not meant to be the diameter of the circle.  This measurement would be the circumference of the circle.  Maybe this is how pattern instructions are written when dealing with cutting circles, but I almost ended up cutting a circle three times larger than I needed it (again, it was late).  For anyone interested, the diameter of the circle needed is 5.25 inches.  Yes, I am a math geek.

old polo shirts find a new wearer

My four-year-old has been hurting for some nice collared shirts.  Active boys find a way to cake new t-shirts with dirt, food and other grime within days of purchase, so he really needs a few nicer shirts to wear to church and stuff.

Instead of starting from scratch, I decided to transform a couple of my old collared shirts.  I wore these to work when I was an operations manager.  These were men's shirts, so they were not at all flattering on me (which didn't matter in that job).  Now that I have an office job, I never wear them.  But they are in good condition despite the fact that they are both at least 10 years old.

It was late at night when I started transforming these, so I didn't take any BEFORE pictures. But this green shirt shows the approximate size difference before and after the transformation.

I made a pattern from one of Logan's only collared shirt.  It is a size 4 (not 4T) so it's still a little big, but I figured he could wear these for another year (barring any major growth spurts of course).

Because I didn't want to cut up the current polo, I didn't have a pattern for the sleeves.  So I just laid a sleeve from the current polo on top of the sleeve of the old polos and cut around it.  This didn't work out so well.  The sleeves that I cut were too small for the arm hole.

The mishap caused me a ton of grief on this gray polo (which is my favorite).  The knit material didn't stretch very much and I ended up with more shirt fabric than sleeve fabric and I had to rip the seams about 4 times before I got it all to work out.

The gray polo ended up slightly slimmer on him than was originally planned, but I really like that kind of look with shirts.  This one fits him better for his size now, but who knows how long he will be able to wear it.

The blue polo turned out a little bigger than I wanted it to.  I didn't add any seam allowances to my pattern, and I purposely didn't add any when I cut to try and make the fit a little tighter.  It's still a little big but he will be able to wear it for a while.

This one went together much more quickly (in less than an hour, but I think the bottom hem took me the longest).  I tried to cut the sleeves a little differently, but again I ended up with too much shirt and not enough sleeve.  This knit material, however, was much stretchier and I managed to ease the sleeve into the hole without any problems.

By the way, I'm not sure which way of attaching a sleeve gives a better look, if there even is a difference.  With these, I sewed up the sides of the shirt and then sewed up the bottom of the sleeve to make it circular.  Then I fit (not so easily) the circular sleeve into the arm hole and sewed around the circle. 

I thought this was the right way to do it, but then I found a few tutorials online that sew the top of the sleeve to the shirt before sewing the bottom of the sleeve or sides of the shirt.  Then the bottom of the sleeve and side of the shirt are sewn together in one continuous maneuver.  That sounds a lot easier, kind of like cheating, and I will try that with the next one.

I'm proud to hand down my clothes to the next generation but I'm even prouder that I could fill a need using my sewing skills without spending a penny.  Frustrations aside, I gained confidence in my transformations with this project and I am currently raid my and the hub's closet for more clothes to transform into little guy sizes.

gone fishin' {with magnets}

Need a game to occupy a four-year-old for hours?  How about a magnetic fishing game?

After watching Logan fish for shoes with a tent pole, I started brainstorming about how he could fish for, well more real, fish.  Magnets seemed the best way to go.  I just needed to incorporate them into the fish and dangle another magnet from a dowel.

The pole was simple.  I drilled a hole in one end of a dowel and tied one end of a piece of yarn through it.  We bought some craft-sized wooden barrels to dangle from the end of the pole for weight and drilled a small hole on the top of the barrel to screw in one of those closed hook-type-things.  Then we tied the other end of the yarn to this hook and glued a magnet to the other end of the barrel using wood glue.

No, this is not my four-year-old.  He was napping when the sun finally came out long enough to take some pictures and I needed a child prop.  This game does occupy one-year-olds, but in terms of minutes, not hours.

For the fish, I used felt.  I drew a fish on tissue paper and used that as my template for all the fish.  I used two fish cutouts, one for the front of the fish and one for the back.  I traced the magnet on the back of the front fish cutout and cut the hole slightly smaller than the traced hole.  Then I just hot glued the magnet to the felt around the hole.  I just had to be sure that I glued the correct side of the magnet so the barrel would attach to the fish.

I used embroidery thread to whipstitch the fish closed.  I also put a little bit of stuffing in each fish to add a little more depth.

And guess who helped me sew up these solid color ones?  Nope, not Logan.  The hub late on Saturday night.  I did not beg...he actually offered.  I'm impressed with his craftsmanship.

I really like these ones because the felt used from Hobby Lobby was textured!  I didn't know there was such a thing.

I'm very happy that we went with magnets from a home improvement store instead of the craft store. These are stronger and can even hold the entire set of fish which makes clean up even faster (and more fun!).

This game will be coming with us on many a journey.

basket-like bag

My sister asked me to make her a bag.  She was looking for a tote-like bag that she could take with her on her trip to us and couldn't find a good one.  So during her visit, we went to the fabric store so she could show me her vision.

After a little debate with herself, she chose this blue Mariner's Cove print for the bag.  I think she pictured the entire bag in that print, but after she showed me a photo of the type of bag she had in mind, I thought it needed some neutral.

I used a natural-colored linen remnant that I found at JoAnn's for the neutral.  Actually, I think it's a linen blend, but it has weight and it works.  I wanted to incorporate the print on the outside of the bag, so I simply created the outer shell and then top stitched a wide piece of fabric to the front and back.  Isn't it hard to get those sides to match up perfectly?  It seems like you line it up just so before sewing and then it shifts just enough during sewing to drive you crazy.

I used fleece as interfacing to give the bag more substance. She should be able to throw lots of junk in the bag without feeling like it will break into bits. I padded the straps with the fleece as well so they feel thick and sturdy, not to mention comfortable.

I don't know if you can tell, but this bag is shaped more like a trapezoid (you know, with the top wider than the bottom).  I like this shape for this bag because the linen and the print remind me of a basket.  I've seen plenty of hand-baskets (like handbags, only baskets) that have this shape (but maybe that was back in the 90's?).  Maybe you can see it better in this photo . . .

This was the first project for my new little serger.  She performed quite well!  I serged all the edges of each piece of fabric because that's what everyone says they do.  It seems like an unnecessary step to me.  Those edges will all be hiding anyway so I don't see the point.  It just took up more time.  But the serging did serve me well when I went to hand-sew the opening in the lining.  Usually I have all kinds of rouge threads trying to escape, but this time the edge was nice and clean and cooperative.  I also serged together the three layers for the straps (neutral + print + padding) and I didn't have any loose threads to deal with when turning the straps either.

And because every bag needs a least one pocket (if not ten or twelve), I included an invisible pocket.  Is that what it's called?  The kind where you can't see the pocket, just the zipper.  I like the look of these, but I always have a hard time figuring them out.  If my seam ripper was feeling neglected after my last couple of projects, it definitely doesn't now after that step.  I guess I just have to do them more often (or write down the instructions, but I'm too excited after I figure it all out to be bothered).

Although I really do like the subtle colors of this bag, I think it needs just a tiny little pop of color.  I'll have to remedy that this week before shipping this gift off to her.