Cross Stitched Ornaments!

A few months back, I found a delightful cross-stitch shop on Etsy - Canadian Stitchery! They have wooden blanks that you cross stitch designs onto. Most of the ones I bought were ugly Christmas sweaters, but I also found a few other cute ones.

This one made its way into The Husband's stocking this year - seemed the most fitting for him.

The sheep was a birthday gift for a friend, so that it would be there in time to put on her tree. She loves sheep, so it was perfect. (This was actually in the Easter ornament section, but who cares?)

My grandma is a quilter, so I figured she'd appreciate the quilted star.

This dinosaur was for ME! I just thought it was hilarious.

For Thing 1, who loves penguins.

 And for Thing 2, because it was just funny. Everyone seemed to enjoy the ornaments in their stockings.

It's Been Awhile.....

So I haven't been sewing for awhile, and it's been even longer since I blogged. Here is the first set of out-of-town Christmas gifts that I am sending out. 

 

The snowman afghan is what I've been doing a lot of lately - prep a piece of fleece, then crochet an edging on it. This works out well for portable projects at the hockey rink. The White Sox fleece pants were done much earlier in the year (and saved for Christmas!), and the pillowcases were just finished up today. At least I realized that I had only sat on that fabric for almost a year and not 2 years like I was thinking? 

Isn't the fabric cute? My friend is going to love these. I used the burrito method and french seams, so they're totally clean inside. I really should make pillowcases as gifts more often.

I SEWED!!!

So Thing 2 and I were attending a wedding, as we were going to have to go directly from wedding to hockey rink. I wanted to wear something that was comfortable and would translate well between the two. I have a knit maxi skirt that looks nice and is very comfortable, and I decided to go with a V-neck T-shirt (because Missouri in July!). But a) that's not terribly dressy, and b) no pockets. So....enter the short-sleeved cardigan plan. Which is normally something that makes me ask "Why?" - because it seems weird. Why wear a cardigan if it's short-sleeved? Well, in this case, it's to dress up an outfit and give yourself pockets.

I thought I had black stretch lace, but unfortunately I had merged "hunter green stretch lace" and "black stretch velveteen" in my head and gotten the wrong idea. Hunter green wouldn't go, and velveteen wasn't the look I wanted. Off to JAF I went, where I briefly flirted with a celestial stretch velvet and a a sparkly stretch velvet. (The bride is super sparkly and would have approved of either.) But then I remembered that this was so not me. Instead, I found a black stretch crepe. 

Aside from not using three-quarter sleeves, I made this exactly as I have previous versions. Oh, and I did go down one size. I figured this isn't as drapey as the cotton-Lycra prints I've used, and I wanted it to be a little more figure-hugging. The arms are definitely tight, and I measured the length of the sleeve opening after sewing the shoulder seams, then matched that with the bands. I think it worked out a lot better than using their listed lengths.

 

As previously noted, the pattern does not call for stabilizing the shoulder seams, but I think it's a good idea. This fabric is more stable than my prior versions, so I didn't need to stabilize behind the pocket attachments, but I did stabilize the shoulders. Since there was no chance of the fabric being seen (either colors or just the added thickness) from the outside, I decided to have some fun with colorful scraps.

All in all, I was happy with this make. I will try tracing off a larger size just at the lower armscye next time, though, because the "sleeve" was still pretty tight. A common complaint with this pattern.
 

Finished Portable Project!!!

It's done!!!! I'm not sure when exactly I started it - probably in late February or very early March, based on the first pic I posted to friends. As of mid-March, I had all the black stitches half done (literally!) and the yellow fully done for Calvin's hair. And on July 4th, I finally finished it!!! I am now awaiting a good custom framing coupon at JAF to get it professionally framed. 

Pattern from DigiPoint on Etsy, though no longer available.

Star Wars Easter

I bought this Star Wars Easter fabric on clearance a few years ago. And there it sat. For some reason, it popped into my mind the other night, and then the race was on. I had three yards, so I briefly thought about making a Madison dress. But I also wanted to make darn sure that it would reach my niece before Easter, so that was out. (Also, I'm not sure if I had anything to coordinate, so....oh, well.)

Instead, I reached for the trusty skirt pattern. Or at least skirt pattern inspiration. I cut this out Tuesday afternoon/evening, stitched it completely before going to bed Tuesday night, and mailed it Wednesday morning.

The main skirt piece was cut 20.5 inches long (because that's the size of my biggest square ruler) by WOF. The ruffle piece is 7 inches by WOF. I made the ruffle a double one so that there would be no hemming. 

It's a little busy, but I'm thinking she's going to like it. I didn't have time to make a matching doll skirt, but that can come later.....

 

Matching Scrub Cap and Mask

I pushed to finish two last projects before sending off my buddy's box. I have made her scrub caps in the past, but from a different pattern (M4116, view G IIRC). I figured it was worth trying a new one (that wouldn't take as long) since she has much shorter hair now. If she likes it, I'll make more in the future. This is the Hummingbird pattern from Miss Muffet.

And then the mask is my standard pleated mask pattern.

 

Here's hoping she likes them!!!

New scrub shirt for my buddy!

My buddy's birthday is coming up, and I'm still slowly filling her Christmas/birthday box. I bought this fabric for her back in 2016 (yeah, I'm already beating myself up about waiting so long), so it was well past time. This is one of the projects I cut during quarantine, then didn't finish for a long time. But here I am. I'm still easily exhausted, so instead of being a one-night project, it was spread out over four nights.  But now it's done and ready!

This is McCall 9123, my standard scrub shirt pattern for years. I used Kaddidlehopper's tutorial for binding the neckline. And I left off the lower pockets (she doesn't use them) but made an excellently pattern-matched upper chest pocket. No, really - you can't see it until you blow up the pic and look for the stitching lines! I'm so proud.....

I have hopes of getting a matching mask and possibly scrub cap out of this - we'll see if I can get that done this weekend, because the box needs to go out next week!

 

Current Portable Project

Thing 2 plays inline hockey, and he's a popular player (goaltender). Which means a lot of games played, which means a lot of time at the rink for me. I don't sit still well, so I always need a portable project. 

On a whim, I pulled this one out. I had kitted it up at least a year ago, and I'm guessing I bought the pattern 2-3 years ago. It was from DigiPoint on Etsy (no longer available). And I am having a blast! I did half cross stitches for all the black - to outline everything and make it easier to just fill it in. Now I'm going one color at a time. I'll cross all the black stitches last.

 

More lounge pants for Thing 1!

Thing 1 really got into wearing his lounge pants that I made him previously - the (retrofitted) gamer pair and the sea turtles pair. Once school became virtual, you would often see him wearing these preferentially, until I had to wash them. So of course, when JAF had a sale on flannel, I had to make more! 

I did involve him in the fabric choice. First up, "psychedelic kaleidoscope blue" flannel. And yes, it's a bit crazy. I didn't try to match the color patterns, and maybe I should have. On the other hand, this is definitely psychedelic.  These are both S8022, size adult L, with pockets added as per my yoga pants, but lengthened and changed in position as per his request after wearing the first pair.

You can see that the pocket really blends in on this side.

It stands out a little more on this side.

And then we have geometric sharks! I kind of love these.

No attempt to match up the pockets, and no need.

 

Back to the lightweight PJs!

Back when I made the requested lightweight pair of PJ pants for my mother, using a microfiber sheet set from Target, I had asked my SIL if my niece would like matching PJs. This was a terrible idea, because I hadn't yet done anything but cut the PJ pants. (Though I should've known better just from that!) This is fabric from hell. It looks super cute, but it frays like nobody's business and just generally misbehaves. I have hated almost every minute working with it.

This is the usual KS 213 pattern, but minus any ribbon trim because the fabric was just awful. I finished up other projects and then ran across this - cut and pinned but not a stitch in it - while cleaning up some piles. Sigh.....time to whip it up while the serger was in a behaving mood.

 Hopefully she loves them!

More Hockey PJ Pants!

Thing 2 loves PJ pants almost as much as he loves hockey. He's constantly changing into PJ pants to lounge around the house after school. And he does have plenty of pairs, thanks mostly to his mama. But when I saw this hockey flannel on doorbuster sale at JAF, I knew he needed to have it. This is the trusty S8022, in teen/adult size XS for more growth room. I'm planning to throw it into the gift stash and have it ready to pull out for his birthday.

 

More Lightweight PJ Pants

So awhile back, I had made a prototype pair of flannel PJ pants for my mother, and then she requested lightweight pairs instead. And I was recently at JAF and saw their keepsake calicos on a good sale, so of course I had to snatch some up for another pair. This is using my trusty M3006 for a pattern. She used to love bright yellow, so I thought this bright oil slick print would be great.

I went with orange for the sewing thread as well as the serger thread, and I added a handcrafted label to the back, just for fun.

 These are going into the gift stash for now. 

More Zippered Mesh Laundry/Mask Bags!

The zippered mesh bags I made to hang on my kids' doors for their dirty masks have been working out great! I still have to remind one kiddo to put his dirty masks in there, but the other one has totally embraced the concept. This time, I made them for my brother's family. I think these will help them a lot, especially since they all three have different sized masks from the same fabric.

The yellow is purchased bias tape, but the other three are homemade bias tapes that were leftover from previous projects. One of these days, I'll make one for myself, too!

Halloween Unicorns!

Yeah, I know it's way past Halloween. I actually found this fabric back in July and had every intention of having these done and sent to my niece before Halloween. I even started them waaaaay before Halloween. Unfortunately, my serger and the flannel were not behaving well together, and I got frustrated, then decided to prioritize Christmas gifts. So here we are, finally there. I used my trusty KS 213, which my niece loves, in a size M. And I'm sure she's going to love these!

 I also have this fabric in a non-Halloween colorway, so those will be cut and sewn soonish as well.

Wonder Woman Fleece Pants!

I remember spotting Wonder Woman logo fleece fabric at WM a few years ago, before I had tried out a no sideseam pants pattern for myself. I had really debated buying it, because I love Wonder Woman, and then I never did. Well, when I went looking for the Marauder's Map fleece, I happened to spot this Wonder Woman logo fleece on clearance! So I snatched it up. (And now I am contemplating going back for more....)

I had intended to use S8022 like the Grinch pair, but I had misremembered how much fabric that took. Instead, I went with B6887 because it would fit on what I had. I knew that these would fit me okay, so that seemed like the smartest way to go. And I was able to squeeze out another pair for my friend's daughter (KS SFT) from the leftovers.

My only quibble is that the legs aren't as full as the Grinch pants, which feel a little more luxurious to me. But the crotch to waist area fits better with this pattern. So I'm debating whether to go back to get more fleece and remake these by using the crotch to waist pattern from B6887 and redrawing the legs to be more full, after S8022. Decisions, decisions....in the meantime, these are super comfy.

 

A Cross-stitch Finish!

Once I finished the Antarctica Snow Globe, I needed a new portable project for the hockey rink. I had bought this pattern by Lady Stitchicorn as soon as it was available, but I hadn't stitched it yet. And it was time....I used one of these Aida frames to stitch it. And I love the finished result! It's hilarious.

 

Harry Potter pants!

I'm still working on late Christmas/early birthday gifts. One of my besties is a huge Harry Potter fan. When I was recently on a browsing trip at JAF, I spotted the Marauder's Map fleece and thought it would be perfect for some lounge pants. Unfortunately, it was "on sale" for $15/yd, and I'd need two yards. Instead, I bought the same pattern at WM for $7.42/yd. 

I used Butterick 6887, in a size that I had altered for my SIL and used once before to make walrus pants for my friend. This worked out perfectly, and left enough in scraps to make a pair of pants for a friend's daughter using KS SFT. That friend is also HP-obsessed, so this works out all around!

 

A close-up of the print.

 

"Clean mask" bags

I've been saying for awhile now that I needed to make myself a cloth bag to hold my clean masks, so that they won't smell of the plastic ziploc bag that I was using. And it hadn't happened yet. But my immediate motivation was to make ones for my kids to use in their backpacks - to hold 1-2 clean masks in case of unforeseen disaster at school. And since I was doing theirs, I also did a large one for myself. 

I use this zippered pouch tutorial, but I just change the dimensions to suit my needs. In this case, the smaller pouches were cut 12 inches wide by 6.5 inches high. They are fully lined - these two have dark green broadcloth for linings. And the large pouch is 12.5x12.5 inches - the size of one of my quilting rulers. That one uses a red broadcloth lining. 

 

Zippered mesh laundry/storage bags

How to contain face masks pre-laundry and during laundry......well, it depends. We've experimented with the kids putting their dirty face masks on a particular shelf (which is unfortunately easily missed or forgotten), taking them to the laundry room (let's be honest - doesn't happen), and putting them into their hampers (for some reason they almost never do). Nothing has been consistently working. I wash them all in zippered mesh laundry bags - the kind they sell for delicates. They go through both the washer and dryer like that to keep them contained. 

So I came upon the idea of making some with different fabrics for each person, and hanging them from their doorknobs. This way the masks can stay in the bag to keep them easily differentiated - they don't have a lot of same fabric masks, but they definitely have some overlap. I've intended to do this for quite some time but finally got motivated.

I used the easy tutorial from Dog Under my Desk patterns. My only modification was to add a hanging loop in the upper right corner. Here's hoping the masks stay contained now!

 

Where the Streets Have No Name - U2 cross stitch

Catching up on blogging some of my cross-stitch finishes on the last post made me think that I should put more of them on here.

When we went on our first big vacation a few years ago, I decided to start a new project. Cross-stitch is very portable, as there's not a lot of big bulky supplies (like a few/many skeins of yarn, for example), so it works out well to take on an airplane flight. I decided that I wanted this to be something for me, so that I would be potentially reminded of our vacation when I saw it. Or at least, that was the theory. 

I saw the U2 design by Pixel Power and knew that I needed to stitch it. U2 is my favorite band and has been since I was a teenager. And I enjoyed thinking about what lyrics I would what to add when I finished. In the end, it had to be Where the Streets Have No Name. I mean, that was just a no brainer.

I had this framed professionally at my local Joann's, and I was thrilled to see how it turned out. One of my favorite workers there helped come up with the matting and framing for it, and I couldn't be happier.

New cross stitch finish!

I have made a few cross-stitch pieces from Climbing Goat Designs. Apparently I never blogged them, so here we go. 

This is the cat heart pattern. I made it for a friend who lost her cat.

This is the paw print heart pattern. I changed the colors to be bright instead of pastel, and I've made it twice now. Once was for an animal organization's fundraising auction, and the other (shown below) was to memorialize my own pets.

And then I've had quite a few more on my list. The Antartica snow globe has been one, and it was the one I chose to stitch at Christmas time. I've spent quite a few hockey games stitching this, and it's finally done! And I love it! I think I'm going to frame it in a painted hoop, like the cat heart above. I haven't decided for sure, but isn't it lovely?

 

Catching up on Cardigans

Posting about my latest Star Wars cardigan made me realize that I never blogged this version, either. This is another Cocoon Cardigan - my second, in fact, even though I am blogging about it much later. I found this fabric at JAF as well, but it is one of their Doodles line. I had heard that the fabric didn't have the best recovery, and it definitely doesn't when compared to the cotton-lycra fabrics. But who can resist Christmas paw prints and snowflakes???

It's definitely not my favorite of these cardigans, but I do enjoy wearing it in December/January. And it's nice and cozy, but I don't get too hot when I wear the 3/4 sleeves.

 

More sports pants!

So when JAF had the good sale on licensed sports fabrics, I also bought a length of fleece for my buddy. She's a die-hard White Sox fan, and she's also always cold, so I figured this would be a total win.

Sometime maybe last year - I don't think I ever mentioned it on the blog - I had mocked up two adult sizes of  S8022 and sent them to my SIL, to try on for size, when she wanted me to make her some lounge pants. Never one to miss an opportunity, I then asked her to forward them to my friend so she could do the same. I was really wanting to make her some flannel PJ pants in a plaid background and wanted to use a pattern with minimal seams. But it also works out well for fleece!

And then, since I've learned these lessons, I thought to check if I could squeeze a pair for my niece (her dad is also a White Sox fan) out of the leftovers! And - woohoo! She gets an extra pair of lounge pants, and I have less fabric waste. You can see that I'm still debating shirt colors for a matching shirt with applique.

Edited to add that I decided to go with grey! Mainly because I have a new use for the red shirt. ;)

 

Gift/stash/gift stash sewing!

I've been motivated to sew stash recently, and it has the added bonus of adding to my gift stash, because so much of these fabrics were purchased on sale with intentions of use for a gift for someone. This one is no different. I purchased this Detroit Tigers flannel early in the year when JAF put licensed sports fabrics on a good sale. My aunt is a lifelong Tigers fan, so it was fun to find this fabric for her.

 This is M3006, my (mostly) go to for women's PJ pants. Since I'm not sure exactly how well the elastic is sized for her (it's hard to get definite answers to that), I always put in buttonholes in the waist and a drawstring. This particular drawstring is an orange ribbon that I also used in a not-quite-finished pair of PJs for my niece (they'll be done and show up eventually!)

These will be either her birthday or Christmas gift this year. Whew! So nice to be getting things out of the way already!

Lounge pants for a kiddo

I stopped by JAF the other day to look for a specific fabric to pet. Then this one caught my eye and it became an impulse buy for my niece. 😎 I'm going to assume that she won't mind. The fleece was on all sale, and it only took a yard to turn into a cute pair of lounge pants for her, just like the Grinch pair I made from the leftovers of my pants.

I ended up making a shirt to go with this one to send to my niece. I'm working through a bunch of shirts that I bought her and never did anything with, so.....the scraps of fleece that were leftover were useless, so I traced the unicorn constellation and made an applique from it.

I tried to echo the lines of the constellation in the stitching. Hopefully it looks good enough.

 

STAR WARS CARDIGAN!!!

So three years ago, I finally made my first Cocoon Cardigan, which I'd been planning for some time (but was spurred by the desire to wear a Star Wars cardigan to a wedding). I wear it frequently still! And either just before or just after sewing that cardigan, I bought the fabric for the next one!

This was from JAF, and I believe it is a cotton-lycra type fabric. Very stretchy, and a lot of drape. The background is actually navy (it looks almost like faded black in this pic!), and those are Star Wars designs in constellations.

A picture of it all spread out. I made this exactly the same way as I did the maroon Star Wars cardigan, and my modifications are well described in that post.

And the obligatory but not very helpful picture on me. ;)