More gifts

One of my friend's sons had a birthday in July. Due to the sewing room being ripped apart as well as other things, I didn't get his present done on time. That's okay, though - it's always fun to get a surprise belated gift in the mail!

I had quite a bit of monster flannel left from the Things' summer PJs - I had thought I was buying enough to make them pillowcases as well as PJs, but I didn't account for the directional print, so I didn't have enough for two pillowcases.

However, I did have enough for one pillowcase and one pair of PJ shorts (KS SFC, size S), which worked out perfectly for my friend's son. I had the blue tie-dye flannel for the pillowcase trim, but not enough for a PJ shirt (KS 3042, size S). So I asked her what his favorite color was, and apparently he goes back and forth between red and blue. Perfect! I still have plenty of red tie-dye flannel from a previous Black Friday purchase, so I used that. I used the monster flannel for the neck facings and the pocket, to tie the set together, and I finally got it in the mail last week. She texted me a photo of him wearing his new PJs the night they arrived, and he looked very pleased. Yay! They also looked as though there would be some growth room - double yay!

Playing catch-up.....

Hard to believe it's been 2 months since I last posted, but a lot has happened....

My sewing room is in the midst of a renovation! These are the wall colors. We picked the light green on the left, then after painting two walls, decided it needed an accent color. The darker green color was used in the kitchen and part of the living room by the previous owners, and they had left us some. So that went on one wall. Then we decided to get color-crazy and throw in something totally different on the remaining (large) wall - that's where the dark purple came in! (This is especially shocking to some of our friends, as we painted almost every room in our previous house in the months of renovation before we moved, and they were all some shade of white/offwhite/tan.) I have to say, it's different, but so far I'm loving it!
The idea is to make quilted wall hangings to tie the room together. I don't know exactly what they'll look like yet, but I'm looking at quilt blocks for sampler quilts. And I hit a sale on FQs at the LQS earlier in the month - these are from that sale:

Under the FQs is a white on white print that will become the sashing and borders, I think, and in the upper left is a seafoam-ish green that was an almost exact match to one of the green shades in the paint color cards. (I grabbed all the shades in each of the color "families" that contained the actual paint colors we used - took those to the LQS to help pick out fabrics. Worked great!) I'll use that green as the background in the blocks. I can't wait to get started! I think the first sampler will be a 2x3 arrangement of 18-inch blocks. Maybe....

Before the room was dismantled for painting and shelves, I managed to squeeze in just a little sewing. The boys need more summer PJs, not that they always wear them, and I had purchased the monster flannel on sale "just because." So I made each of them PJ shorts in the next size up, then added appliques to purchased T-shirts. Quick, easy, and effective.

There's been more since, but that's a good stopping point for now. :)

Summer PJs, just in time for cooler weather....

Yeah, I know, this is totally lame. But my boys needed summer jammies, and I was trying to use stuff from stash. So last May, I cut these out right after making the "Planets" jammies. I went through my stash for short lengths of flannel, and I chose this for Thing 2, with the shirt from leftovers of the planets shirts. I think I'd had this remnant in my stash for two years or more....The shirt is T3, with 2 inches added in length, and the shorts are T4, both from KS SFT. These were actually finished back in June and have been in use since. For Thing 1, I chose this pirate ship flannel that I love, and a coordinating black interlock. The shirt is size S from KS 3043, and the shorts are size S from KS SFC. These were finally finished last night, just in time for a movie night....

Both have appliques on the shirt to tie the shirt in to the shorts. I like them that way, and so do my boys. (This way, it'll also be more clear to the husband that a shirt is a PJ shirt, should he ever help fold the laundry....)

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.

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)

Halloween pants

I bought this ghost camouflage fabric at WM last year but didn't get around to making it up in time. So instead I used it this fall to try out the KS SFC size S pants pattern. I also spray basted the fabric to white flannel from an old sheet, as it is starting to get chilly some days and the camo fabric is thin, then cut the pieces and sewed them with the fashion fabric and flannel as one. It worked well, but I have to say that the KS SFC pants pattern is too poofy at the hips and too tapered in the legs. I may have to just go back to the KS 3042 PJ pants pattern. Maybe I'll try morphing them first. I have another Halloween fabric that would work well. Oh, well....at least Thing 1 loves these!

More finished items....red and green queues....

First up, the red queue!
I used red serger thread on these shorts so that I could get cracking on the other red stuff, and I think it looks fine. The shorts for Thing 2 are size T2, which I think fits him better and doesn't seem to pull across the front of the thighs. Both shorts have added slash pockets, using an old sheet for the pocket bags. I used KS SFT for Thing 2 and KS SFC for Thing 1, and the fabric is leftovers from boxers for DH (stash - yay!).

Knit pants and shorts for Thing 2. The shorts are size T1 from KS SFT again, but the pants are size XL from KS SFB. When I have a chance, I'll try these on him and also try on the blue pants (T1 from KS SFT) to see how the two patterns/sizes compare. The red interlock for the pants was purchased on sale at JAF, but the mystery knit for the shorts has been in my stash for awhile.

I had already cut out these pants for Thing 1 from the KS 3042 pattern prior to getting KS SFC. After sewing them up and seeing them on, I think this PJ pattern is just too wide-legged for normal use. I'm going to try the size S in KS SFC in another pair of PJs to see if it needs alterations before I start cranking out pants for Thing 1's fall kindergarten wardrobe. :) The shorts for Thing 2 are my now TNT pattern from KS SFT, and that fabric has been in the stash for almost two years now, I think. He's wearing those shorts today and they look great!

I added slash pockets to the pants. Instead of my usual plain white sheet for pocket bags for print pants, I decided to go with the seersucker fish leftovers. I think it looks pretty cute! Thing 1 likes it, so that's that. :)

More pictures....

Another pair of the seersucker pants - these are for Thing 1, using the XS size of KS 3042 again. I had already cut these out before getting the KS SFC book.

A colorful fish seersucker print I bought last year. I had intended to use it for a romper for Thing 2 but decided that shorts were more important right now. Thing 1's shorts are from KS SFC, and Thing 2's are from KS SFT. I may try the next size up for Thing 2 next time, as the T1 seems to pull a bit across the front of his thighs.

PJs for Thing 1, using stash fabric! I bought this sometime in 2006, I believe. It's not what I would have chosen for his PJs, but I had it on hand, so why not use it up? The shirt is from KS 3042, and I think that the size XS fits great right now with a little room. The pants are from KS SFC, and I'm either going to go up a size or add some length and a little bit of width at the bottom when I make the next pair. They're definitely short and maybe too tapered. But they'll be fine as these PJs. Now to decide what fabric to use for the next pair - might as well do another set of summer PJs for another wearable muslin!

I need to finish the next set of denim shoes for Thing 2 - I got them about half-done last night - and then I need to start some of the next pants/shorts in the various color queues. I am not on ER duty tomorrow night, but I will be over the weekend. Here's hoping I get plenty of time to sew and hang out with the kids and the DH! Oh, yeah - and watch the fireworks! :)

A few pictures....

New knit pants/shorts for Thing 2. This is the knit pants pattern from KS Sewing for Toddlers, size T1. I have not made shorts from this pattern before, and I was pretty happy with how they turned out. I used a twin needle to do the hems, and I'm happy with how it turned out. (It helped that it is a beefy interlock.)

New seersucker pants for Thing 2, and shorts for a friend's little boy (his upcoming birthday). These are the woven pants pattern from the KS SFT book, a definite TNT for my boys.

My first attempt at the KS Sewing for Children book. This is the size XS. It is about perfect for the shorts, but the pants (not yet pictured) are too short and maybe too tapered. So I need to decide whether to add some length and a bit of width to that or go up a size. My next attempt at the shorts will probably have added pockets.

The new leather shoes that were too small. :( However, I have discovered that they are wearable - Thing 2 had sores on his feet from hand, foot, and mouth disease, which is why he wouldn't wear them. Now that the sores are cleared up, he has willingly worn the shoes two days in a row. I will make some changes next time - I added toe guards to these, as Thing 2 gets holes in the toes, and I added Toughtek and a layer of batting to the soles. So next time I think I'll keep those changes but also add probably 1/2 inch of width to each of the pattern pieces when cutting the next ones. There is enough length that I think he'll run out of width before length right now, so another 1/2 inch should make these usable long enough to get full use out of the length. (I would not add so much width if I was not going to keep the layer of batting in the sole.)