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.

 

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.

 

Finally able to sew again!

I had wrist surgery in February and haven't been able to sew until now. My wrist isn't where I'd like it to be, but I keep reminding myself that it will get better and stronger. In the meantime, at least I'm finally able to sew again!

And just in time. One of my besties had a birthday, and I needed to stitch some gifts!  First up, new fuzzy warm PJ pants! I cut these before surgery but didn't have time to sew them. This is B6887 as sized for my sister-in-law. I compared my usual PJ pants pattern that I use for her to this one, and it looked pretty spot on. I wanted to use a one-piece PJ pants pattern for this fabric, to minimize seams. It turned out great, and she loves it!

It's a fuzzy microfleece from JAF. I bought it eons ago, during a sale. And I added a ninja tag to the center back! She practices martial arts, so I thought that would be super fun.

Still more PJs

I believe that it may have been previously mentioned here that my brother is an obsessed Star Wars fan.  So when I saw this sheet set at a local thrift store, there was no question what it would become!  This is my TNT pattern for mens' PJ pants - B6887 - OOP now but still available on eBay, etc. - but this time I did not make the fly functional or add a drawstring, as the fabric would have needed substantial interfacing to make buttonholes or hold snaps.  He said that he really doesn't use them, anyway, so I saw no point.

And Thing 2 is in need of some new PJs.  Actually, this was supposed to be a pair of winter PJs, but I screwed up my cutting layout and wasn't able to get both front and back cut out in the full length.  So I put my screwed up pieces aside while I ordered more fabric (on etsy, paying far more than I had for the original length, grrrr), and instead I cut out a pair of shorts.  After finishing them, I added some sharks to a purchased shirt to complete the new summer set.  I still plan to finish the originally planned set, though that will have to wait until some other birthday gifts are finished.  I may even have enough left over for another short set, that would become someone's birthday gift....hmmm.....

The Pajama Pants Family

Yep, I'm still finishing up out-of-town Christmas presents!  I have frequently given flannel PJ pants to my brother and sister-in-law, but I think it's been a couple of years now.  (Just checked my blog listings, and it looks as though it's been 2 years.  Guess my memory is working.)

My brother recently went back to school, and he mentioned that he was (among many other much more important things) hoping to "prove to my sisters (who both have ridiculous amounts of college educations) that I can do what they did." So I thought that a "brainiac" flannel would be hilarious for new PJ pants for him.  This is a Black Friday purchase from JAF from either 2011 or 2012.  As usual for him, I modified the fly to be real, and added a snap to keep things closed.  The drawstring is bias tape I had on hand - stitched it down first.

My sister-in-law is really into mother-daughter dressing, so I figured that I could contribute to that.  I've had this flannel (another Black Friday purchase from JAF) for a few years - I might have even moved it from our previous house.  But it worked out well, because I was just barely able to eke both pairs of PJ pants out of it.

The two adult pairs are B6887 - my TNT pattern for them - and the toddler pair is KS SFT side-seam pants (size 2T).  I don't know my niece's waist measurement, so I used the standard elastic lengths given in the book.  These will hopefully be mailed out this weekend, along with a bunch of hand-me-down jackets for the future.

Back to pants?

I know, I said I was done with pants, but these aren't post-op pants.  These are a Christmas present, even though they were done at the same time as all the post-op pants.  And yes, I realize that the fabric is pretty crazy.  This is deep stash, originally purchased at WM, I believe.  And no, I have no idea what the original purpose was.  But it clearly didn't get done, so I appropriated them for PJ pants.  These are a trial run for the husband of a friend.  They'll double as his Christmas present, but the real intent is to find out how they fit for either Looney Tunes or Bears PJ pants next Christmas.  Gotta make these muslins in fabric you don't really care about, right?

I remember that my friend suggested not using flannel for his PJ pants, as he tends to get warm.  No flannel, check.  (But that does reduce my chances of finding semi-appropriate fabric in long enough pieces in the stash - hence the lobsters.)  And he wears a size M in his boxers, like my brother, so I figured that using my brother's size in PJ pants was a good start.  

Hopefully he'll be amused by the pants, and hopefully they'll fit well.  We'll see!

The last of the pants!

These were the last of the post-op pants!  Hooray!  (They are definitely useful, but they were getting a bit boring by the end.)  There were no changes made to these from the last set.  The navy and grayish pants were from stash (deep stash, even!), so hooray for getting those out of the stash.  The dark brown and khaki were both from thrifted sheets.  

And I have to thank some of my online sewing buddies for sending me a few snaps so that I could finish these without waiting for a KamSnaps order to come in!  The navy, gray, and khaki pants all have snaps that came from friends who generously shared out of their stashes. ;)

At this point, Dad has two "fun" pair of pants for around the house, plus eight pair of work-appropriate pants.  (And the original hunter green test pair - hopefully Mom shortened those so that they are also in the mix.)  I think that's enough for quite some time.

And still more pants!

Another installment of post-op pants!  This is the last pair of "fun" pants - as in, not to be worn outside the house.  I found this set of plaid sheets at the thrift store, and I just thought they'd be hilarious as pants, especially since my dad is really not a plaid pants kind of guy.  They're not very substantial, so good for the warmer weather (when I made/sent these), and they have a silky feel to them, so definitely not work wear.  But they were fun.  And I'm in awe of how the plaids matched up!  I added red snaps and a red drawstring to play up the thin red lines in the plaid.

And I put the pocket and flap on the bias, so that I wouldn't have to deal with trying to match it at all.  The fabric isn't terribly stable, so I fully interfaced both the pocket and the flap, and then I also self-lined the pocket (though not on the bias).  It seemed to work out pretty well.

And now for some more work pants.  I was told that my dad wouldn't be able to tolerate regular pants for quite some time, but he could wear my creations to work.  So these are solid colors.  The brown (which is actually darker in real life) and the black pairs are thrifted sheets, and the blue (more of a navy) is long-time stash.  I'm thrilled to have found a use for it!  These all have faux flys, drawstrings, and two cargo pockets.  I have another four pair of solid pants in the works, and then we'll call it good....

More post-op pants

So the protoype pants came back as perfect but 5 inches too long.....Well, that's an easy fix!  So here are the first installment:

The national parks fabric has been in my stash for a long time....as in, I don't even know how long.  I believe it was a WM purchase, at $1/yd.  At any rate, I was happy to get some of it off the shelves!  Then the mossy green pair was from a thrifted sheet.  As per request, I continued the drawstrings, but went to a faux fly instead of a functional one.  (Works for me - that cuts out a few steps.)  And I did two pockets on the solid pants instead of one.  (The print pants will not be worn to work, so they only needed one pocket.)

Instead of trying to match the print for the pocket - an impossible task, I'm thinking! - I used some leftover brown broadcloth for the pocket and flap, and I appliqued one of the pictures onto the pocket.  I think they turned out pretty well!

Sewing for post-op care

My dad was having prostate surgery in mid-July, and my mom suggested that elastic waist pants would be a good thing for him to wear during the recovery period.  So I used my trusty men's PJ pants pattern (B6887, which is sadly OOP) to make a test pair.  These pants are a straight size L, as my brother wears a M in both his boxers (S9958) and PJ pants (B6887), and my dad wears a L in his boxers (S9958).  I knew they'd be long on him - he's shorter than my brother - but I didn't know how much length to take out, and whether to take it out of crotch, legs, or both.  I made a functional fly with the instructions from S9958, in case it would be helpful with the post-op catheter, and I added a single cargo pocket, much like my scrub pants.  Then I sent it off with a list of fit/preference questions. :)

While waiting for answers to the questions so that I could make a bunch more, I got the suggestion that shorts might actually be better.  So I made several pairs of shorts.  These are all different patterns, as I didn't know which might work better.  The lime green (the color didn't show up quite right in the picture) shorts are from B6887, and they have no pockets.  The green striped shorts are S8088, a discontinued scrubs pattern that I had in my stash.  They are size L also, and they come with inseam pockets.  The black pair is S5539, which I used to have in my stash but apparently lost/binned/something.  I had to repurchase it on etsy, much to my chagrin. That is also size L, with the mid-length (there are 3 length options), and with inseam pockets.  I made all three with functional flys, closed with 2 small snaps, and added drawstrings.  Then I sent these off with the same fit/preference questions.

PJ brigade!

If I'm churning out PJ pants, you know Christmas must be coming! This is a standard, go-to Christmas gift for family/friends, especially adults. Who couldn't use a comfy, cozy pair of flannel PJs?

This first pair is for a friend. I use M3006 as my standard PJ pants for women. These pants are from JAF Black Friday flannel - I think I bought it last year. She got a set of matching pillowcases last year, and this year she gets the PJs.

For another friend, who loves the PJ pants I've made for her. I think this is only the third pair now, and her mom told me last year that she really loved the pair I made her five years ago, so I figured she definitely needed more! Also a JAF Black Friday purchase - this was supposed to be for my aunt, who got a pillowcase from it last year. But I must not have purchased quite enough, or it shrank more than expected. My aunt needs a size bigger, and there just wasn't enough length for it. (Since my aunt is taller, I didn't want to gyp her on length, and I just thought that adding white cuffs would look funny.) My aunt's loss is my friend's gain, though! And I still didn't have enough length to turn up a hem, so these legs are bound with white nylon-lycra.
PJ pants for my brother - for whom I use B6887, with adjustments for a working fly. This is a chamois flannel shirting, also from JAF, which I purchased about 2-3 years ago to test a long-sleeved shirt pattern for DH. However, he didn't want any long-sleeved shirts, so I shoved the flannel in my stash and pulled it out this year for my brother. I think he'll really like it!
PJ pants for my DSIL - also B6887, but adjusted for her (including no working fly!). This horse print flannel is one of several lengths of flannel that she and my brother gave me for Christmas six years ago, before they were married. I thought it was perfect to pull out for her, since I hadn't gotten around to using it yet.
Looney Tunes boxers (S9958) for a friend's husband. He's a LT fanatic, and I had this print leftover from making him a scrub shirt. I think he'll love it!

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.

Finished presents!

I made a few PJ pants for Christmas and birthday presents. I bought Lucky Charms and Trix flannel on clearance at JAF last year, but I didn't have time to make the PJ pants for last Christmas. So this year I made sure to get them done! The Lucky Charms pants are for my sister-in-law. I couldn't find any of the stretchy foldover braid I used to use for drawstrings, so I just used bias tape in coordinating colors.

The Trix flannel is for my brother.

The billiards flannel is also for my brother, but for his birthday. These are heading into the mail tomorrow. I also found this flannel on clearance at JAF, but I bought it earlier this spring, I think. Still counts as stash, though!

All the PJ pants are from B6887. The two pair for my brother have real flys, but the one for my sister-in-law does not have a fly. No point, right?

White queue #1 is gone!

The first set from the "white serger thread" queue is done! (In fact, this is the entirety of what I originally considered the "white serger thread" queue to be. I have since remembered a few UFOs that should probably get some attention now, but that's not the point!) Not pictured here are two pair of toddler PJ pants from the same flannel as the middle pair of boxers. I thought it'd be fun for the two little boys to be able to match their father! :)

The $$ flannel in the upper left is another pair of PJ pants, again from Butterick 6887, though without the fly (mock or real). It's for my DSIL, so I saw no point in taking time over a fly. I used to take off the bottom three or four inches of the legs and add a cuff so that she could roll up the legs if desired, but I've heard that she never does, so this iteration is sans cuff. The three boxers are again all from Simplicity 9958, and all three fabrics were purchased sometime this fall with the intent of using them for boxers. Always nice to still have the same vision by the time these things are sewn!

Now I have just two more Christmas gifts to complete, and I'll be totally done! Oh, yeah - still have to get them wrapped, packaged up, and out the door....

Some Christmas presents done!

Yeah, yeah, I know I'm late....I finished all the stuff that was given in person (on time, I might add!), so now I'm playing catchup with the stuff that's mailed out of town. I think I had something in one of my goals about not being behind on this in 2008....

The fabric peeking out in the upper left is from a pair of flannel PJ pants (Butterick 6887, using Simplicity 9958 for the real fly). I found this fabric on clearance over the summer and thought it would be perfect. The others are all boxers (Simplicity 9958, my TNT boxer pattern). The John Deere fabric must be a remnant I've had over a year, since it didn't show up in my fabric spreadsheet from last year. The Spiderman fabric was found on sale this summer, and DH specifically requested boxers from it! (This from the man who says he has way too many boxers and he'll never be able to wear them all out - HA!) The Native American fabric is for my grandpa, who is a big fan of Native American stuff. And the horse fabric is for my DSIL, who loves horses.

So three of these fabrics have been in the stash at least since the summer, and two were purchased in the last month for these gifts. I'm happy with that. After all, one goal is to sew more from stash. I realize that I can't do that all the time, but I have a lot of stash, so I should at least attempt to get something from stash first. This is a good start. And for the moment, since I started a new yardage spreadsheet for the year, I have almost 8 yards out and 0 yards in!

Jammies!

Thing 1 needs some new PJs. The ones I made him two years ago are starting to look a bit short, and he's looking kind of cramped in his sleepers, too. So I decided to go through the stash and cut out some new stuff. I found two pieces of flannel that were big enough for new PJ pants, and I also bought another print at Joanns yesterday for a third pair. (I had zero intentions of getting more flannel for pants, but I was surprised to see that Snuggle flannel prints were on sale for $2/yard, and the alien print was so cute that I barely resisted buying enough for ME!)

A few hours later, voila!

These are made from Butterick 6887, which is now out of print (but still available at the moment on eBay). It's a father-son PJ pattern, with both long- and short-sleeved options. This is the second smallest size in the boys' pattern. My only change was to make the fly a real fly, as I didn't see the point of using as much effort to make a mock fly. I used the directions from Simplicity 9958 for the fly.

Next up, coordinating PJ shirts, from Simplicity 3935!