Some finished items....

So I've been watching a lot of movies or TV shows on DVD, which means crocheting time, right? Three more double-layer potholders are done, and more are in the works. In fact, I've got an hour-long commute tomorrow, so I bought more skeins of cotton yarn to take along. :)

And I finally finished the last pair of knit pants. (They are actually navy - the flash went off strangely.) They've been sitting around for at least a month, waiting on hems and waist elastic. Oh, well....Thing 2 is still asking for pants some days, so they'll be worn. These are my typical KS SFT pattern. This size was T1, lengthened by 0.5-1 inch, I think.

Then it was time to get serious about summer PJs for the Things. They like to wear sleepers year-round, but they'll also wear short-sleeved shirt/long pants PJ sets. So I pulled out some stash (Yay! Stash reduction!) and traced some new pattern sizes. Thing 1 got pants from KS 2275, size 5, and I added the leg cuffs at his request. They are now plenty long, though I think they'd have been okay for awhile without the cuffs. The shirt is from KS 3043, size S (the last time I tried this, I learned that size XS was just a bit too small).

Thing 2's new PJs were of course from KS SFT. However, I traced off size T2 in both shirt and pants - the first time I've moved him up to that (despite the fact that he's about to turn 3). The pants are plenty long enough to take him through a bit of a growth spurt, and the shirt will fit for awhile. I'll even use size T2 to make him a "regular" shirt soon - but probably not too many of them.

The monster interlock is from JAF, purchased when it was on clearance a few years ago, I think. It was definitely time to use some! And the ribbing was from Hancocks, I believe. I prewashed the interlock but not the ribbing. They are wearing their new jammies tonight and seem very excited about them! Guess I'll have to make some more, now that I'm sure of sizing. ;)

Potholder!

So you know those cool double-layer potholders you see - the ones that are in the shape of a square, but they look like they're done diagonally? I've seen them both knit and crocheted, but I never had a clue how to make them....until I saw this link. And then I thought - hey! That looks really easy! So while watching a movie last night, I made my first:

It's got a scrappy look to it, especially this next side, because while I have ten tons of acrylic yarn, I had barely any cotton yarn. And I definitely didn't have any full skeins of cotton. But it's not terrible-looking, and it'll still work, right?

Talk about easy! I had it done during the movie, and I barely had to look down at it once I was done with the first row. So I bought four skeins of cotton yarn at the store today, and I'm going to be making more potholders for gifts. Cause, hey! Who can't use a double-layer potholder? :)

Pictures!

So I had sewn Thing 1 a Thomas fleece hoodie way back when, and it is still wearable for him. But Thing 2 was a bit jealous. (Go figure!) So I finally sewed him his own.

Same pattern - Butterick 5164 - and I lined the hood with black interlock, bound the hood and hem with black fleece, and this time put some loose elastic into the sleeve ends. This was partly because I wanted them to stay on better, and partly because I was out of black fleece binding and had to wash some more fleece first before cutting and sewing binding. Oops. For this one, I used black fleece to make the kangaroo pocket (also bound in black fleece instead of being turned under) and then satin-stitched a train motif to the center of it. Thing 2 loves it! And now Thing 1 wants a new one, "because mine doesn't have a pocket! It's not fair!"......sigh......

However, Thing 1 needed a new backpack, which was supposed to be his birthday present. (The old one was getting severely ratty, after two years of daily use.) And this ended up being three weeks late, but....oh, well. It's done! And he really likes it!

The SpiderMan fabric was from my stash. I'd bought some for boxers for The Husband as well as pants and shorts for Thing 1. The boxers got done, but the shorts and pants haven't. Not to worry - there's still enough for shorts for Thing 1 and Thing 2, I would think. Anyway, I quilted the outer fabric to Warm&Natural batting, just for more body/stability. On the front piece, I free-hand quilted a spiderweb, which probably doesn't show up much in the picture. For the sides, back, and straps, I quilted curly lines that were inspired by the web shown on the fabric (the lines from which he's swinging). I think it turned out nicely.

This time, I used webbing and buckles with the straps, which are going to be SO much better than the D-rings. I think the straps just weren't thick enough for the D-rings to hold well, because I was constantly having to rethread the straps through the rings. Enough! (When we were going to Denver, I stitched the straps down so that they wouldn't keep coming undone in the airports. That helped a LOT!)

He is very happy with his new backpack, just in time for the end of school. :) Now on to more fleece slippers and the totpack for Thing 2.....

Finally, a picture!

This is a scrub hat from McCall 4116 - it's view G, in a size M. I've made it before, but this time it's for a friend who is graduating from vet school tomorrow. I hope that she likes it! I thought she'd get a kick out of the drinks fabric. This is actually the prototype for the "real" gift - scrub hats made with Beatles fabrics. But I need to be sure that the size M will fit her before I cut out the "real" fabrics. :) In the meantime, this also assured me that the hats for myself will need to be size L to cover all my hair. So it was good to get these done. I can't do any more on her hats until she tries this one on, so I'll work on the backpack for Thing 1 some more and maybe sew up the new seersucker summer pants I cut out for both Things....

Still sewing...but slowly...

Have had a busy last couple of months, so while I have completed items, I haven't taken pictures or bothered to update my blog. But I'm going to try to do a little better. I am now in the middle of sewing a new backpack for Thing 1, because the one I sewed him almost two years ago is now falling apart. The zipper broke last week, and pieces are fraying and falling apart. So it's time - just in time for his birthday! I hope to have it done this weekend. The outer pieces are all cut, quilted, and serge-finished, and I still need to cut the lining. I bought a heavier weight zipper this time, although I suppose that two years was probably pretty good for a regular zipper getting daily use by a toddler. ;)

I am also planning to sew a quick backpack for Thing 2, using the Totpacks pattern from SewBaby. I have some nondescript denim that would be good, and maybe I'll put a train applique or something on the pocket. I'll probably line it, too, because I prefer to do that, but maybe I'll just serge finish the pieces and make it a quick, unlined project.

A shockingly long pause....

I'm kind of shocked to realize that it's been 1.5 months since I last posted. I have been sewing (a little) in that time, but I don't have any finished pictures to show, because those are all on my computer at home, and I'm not at home....Now that I think about it, the last time it occurred to me to blog and post finished pictures, my internet service was down. Oops. Guess I'll have to remember this weekend when I'm home.

I have finished another double-sided fleece blanket, a plastic bag holder, the cover for a corn bag, and some pants for Thing 2, I think. I should be able to get pictures up later. In the meantime, I'll leave you with a picture of the fabric that just arrived from my first coop order from the This End Up coop:

I don't know yet what I'll make, but it's going to be for me!!! I love Dr. Seuss. This is cotton interlock, and I also have 2 yards of poly knit, I think....

Pillowcases!

I've been sewing, just not very fast. I'm on a pillowcase kick at the moment, with more on the way (they're about half-done and on the ironing board right now - hopefully I'll be able to post pictures tomorrow).
These are belated Christmas presents for a trio of sisters. The fabrics are leftovers from the tote bags I made them two years ago. I usually put a trim fabric on, in addition to the contrast band, but there wasn't anything I liked in my stash, so I left them like this. The fabrics are busy enough that I think it's fine. And I won't see that family until March or April, so late is fine. :)

This is a pillowcase for a friend who is a Beatles fanatic (her spare room is a combination reptile haven and Beatles shrine), in celebration of her passing her national board exam. I bought the fabrics at WM on Wednesday morning, prewashed them Thursday, cut them Friday, and sewed it and gave it to her Saturday night. A pretty brief stay in the stash! She was thrilled, and told me that the pillowcase was already on the bed later Saturday night. :)