Monday, July 27, 2009

Slow sewing....

I'm trying to sew, but it's difficult to do so one-handed. :( I severed a nerve in my left hand and had surgery to reattach it. This makes it difficult to sew. I have managed to cut out four solid-colored raglan shirts for Thing 2, and I switched sleeves around so that all the shirts are different. And I cut out another pair of knit PJs for Thing 2, this time in size T3, as his T2 PJ shirts are starting to get a little short. So we'll see how much too big the size T3 will be.

I am also working on The Shirt again. Buttons and buttonholes were put on yesterday, and we pinned up the hem and pinned out some excess width. Now to hem the sleeves a bit higher and baste out the width for another try-on.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

More sewing....

Yep, more shorts! The green twill was in my stash since last year - I think it was supposed to be pants. And I found the bug print - a very sturdy cotton! - in the remnant bin at HF. So Thing 1 got shorts from both, and Thing 2 also got bug shorts.

Thing 1 still wets the bed at night, so I bought the New Conceptions Sleep Dry Briefs pattern awhile back to try. I had this half-sewn for months and finally finished it. The pieces looked enormous until I sewed it all together and got the elastic in, but it really does fit okay. We've had one trial, which was unsuccessful - I'm not sure if I need more padding or to tweak the fit. But I will perservere! And I'm thinking of also getting the training pants pattern for Thing 2.
I put the buttonholes into the muslin shirt for DH and topstitched the facings down. Now I need to sew in the buttons and try it on him again to make the adjustments to take in the sides and take up the hem. Then I can adjust my pattern and cut out one of the "real" shirts.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Pillowcases

Thing 2 has adopted the travel pillow that was Thing 1's nap pillow at daycare. And that's just fine, except that he only had one pillowcase to fit it! Hmmm....not a good thing....but I know just the way to fix that:
Some stash-busting! I've had the Veggie Tales fabric for probably two years, and I had the bright idea to pair it with the calico that I've had about the same time. The two flannel pillowcases are made with leftovers from Thing 2's sheets (and matching full-sized pillowcases). In both cases, I didn't have enough of the print flannel to do the body of the pillowcase, so I made the body from the "trim" flannel of the original pillowcases, and used the print as the trim here.
I cut my main piece 13.5 (tall) x 16 (wide, and on the fold) inches. The trim pieces were 13.5 (tall) by 5 (wide) inches. I didn't use a second trim because the flannel gets bulky when there are two many layers at the seam. Definitely check your own pillow measurements, however, before using my dimensions.
Thing 2 is thrilled!

Pictures!

First, the knit PJs:
These two pair are for Thing 2. The long pant version was due to retail therapy one day. :) I saw the print on sale and decided that buying it would make my day better! The shorts version was a remnant that I couldn't pass up, and there was just enough to cut the shirt and shorts. He loves them! (KS SFT size 2T for both pieces)

This pair is for Thing 1, and the fabric has been in my stash for at least three years. There is a second pair as well, but apparently I haven't yet taken a picture. I'll have to do that at some point. It's really cute, too. (KS 2775 size 5 for the pants, KS 3043 size S for the shirt)
Probably the last pair of summer-weight pants for the boys. We'll see if I find any really cute fabric anywhere else! I just couldn't pass this up, with all those bright fish - and especially on sale at $1.99/yard! (KS 3042 size XS and KS SFT size 2T)

Thing 2 just turned three, and these are his birthday shorts! He really doesn't need more clothes, but I knew that he'd love them (especially since Thing 1 is getting some - see below!). The fabric was a remnant I picked up last year, and it was perfect for this. Because last year's 2T shorts are getting a little small, I made a size 3T, which is perfect, plus a little growing room. And he's thrilled that the pocket openings are big enough to get his hands through. :) (KS SFT size 3T)

Thing 1 is in dire need of new shorts. He's been growing like a weed, but he's still skinny enough to wear his 4T shorts from two years ago, as well as last year's XS ones. However, the length is getting a bit skimpy, shall we say? So this is the first pair of size S shorts, to test the fit. Once he tries them on tomorrow, I'll cut out bunches more and start eliminating the 4T shorts from the drawer. :) He is obsessed with Cars, so this will be great. I found the pattern as a remnant last year. (KS SFC size S)