Playing catch-up

This whole idea of writing a thesis in a short time really messes with my sewing time! In the last month and a half or more, I haven't really had much time to sew, which is not fun. However, I have managed to get a few things done. Thing 2 is outgrowing his PJs and needed some new ones that weren't midriff-baring - a look no one wants to see! I had two pairs of PJ pants that were made previously but needed matching shirts. I even had the shirt pattern and the interlock for the shirts, so with this motivation, I cut and sewed them! This truck pair has been in the works for years - the pants were originally intended for Thing 1 - oops! The pants are B6887 size XS, I think, and the top is KS SFT size 3T, with 2 inches added in length to body and sleeves. Then I added an applique to tie the shirt and pants together.

This set has only been in the works since last year. The pants are KS SFT 3T, intended to match Thing 1's set. The top is the same as the previous set. He seems to love them both! And they add nicely to his PJ drawer.

Next up, my MIL wanted a new cover for her dog crate, so we made a trip to the fabric store together and picked out a nice midweight denim (got it with a coupon - even better!). I let it sit for a few weeks - thesis, you know! - but got it sewn up for her eventually. I think it turned out pretty nicely, though I didn't get pictures on the crate.

The front flap is only attached at the top, and she tucks it completely under the top unless she's going to use it.

It fits the crate very nicely, with just a smidge of extra room. She seemed pleased, and that makes me happy.

My good friend who loves the Beatles had a birthday last month. I didn't want to try to do anything too time-consuming, because she'd feel guilty about taking time away from my thesis. But these collars for her chihuahuas worked up very quickly. And she loved them! Sweet!

These are from Creative Designworks - the mini dog collar kit, size Mini (as opposed to Extra Mini or Mini Plus). I had gotten another friend to measure the neck circumference of a chihuahua at the shelter to give me a rough idea for sizing - she thought it was great fun to be part of such a sneaky endeavor.

More doggy stuff....

So I'm really not the pet owner who's worried about everything matching and using designer stuff....I mean, come on! My dog bed cover fabric was chosen purely on the basis of feel and price. That said, I did decide that my new dog deserved some nice accessories. ;)

Obviously, one has to have a collar. (Hopefully that's obvious.) You've gotta have a place to put the tags, in case the dog wanders off. And since I sew, I thought it would be fun to make a unique collar for my dog. I had seen a review for a sewn collar on PR, and it mentioned getting the instructions in a kit from Creative Designworks. So I looked it up and was happy to discover that a kit was only $5 (including shipping!) and contained hardware for two collars. Bonus! I had already purchased the hardware (from the hardware store) for two leashes, so I didn't order the leash kit. Besides, how hard could that be to dream up, right?

And DH also suggested a harness for her, due to her age. We didn't know if she'd be the type to be stubborn about where she wanted to go (eh, she is a little - not too much), but a harness can spread out the tension over her neck and shoulders, instead of just tugging on her neck. So I ordered that kit, too. (It contains the hardware for one harness.)

Can I just say that I'm really pleased? :) The collar went together very well, and I loved the fact that it didn't require webbing. Just fabric and heavyweight interfacing. In fact, the collar was my first completed item in my new sewing room! The instructions were great - it was easy to put together, even though I was sewing late at night on a deadline! (I needed the collar and leash finished before I went to pick her up from my buddy the next day.)

The harness took another week or so to be done, just due to sewing inertia. But it was also easy to put together, although my picky side is telling me to remove the chest strap and replace it with one an inch or two longer. Can you tell that the girth strap is being tugged forward between her legs? Anyway, that's my only gripe. And since it doesn't seem to bother her, I might just leave well enough alone.And from the top. I keep the harness in the closet with the leash, and she's already learned that when the harness comes out, she's going for a walk. She gets all excited (though quietly!) until I start to put the harness on - then she stands rock steady until it's on.

I also decided that it would be smart to have a bag holder in the closet by the leash and harness, since I recycle plastic grocery bags as a responsible dog owner's poop sacks.

My final (I think!) touch is in progress - I'm working on a zippered pouch (with a loop that will snap around the leash handle) to hold said plastic bags. I currently stuff them in my jacket pockets, but this may work better. We'll see....