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!