Sewing/Crafts
The Fisherman’s Fidget Apron
Whew! I finished my second Busy Hands Fidget Apron just before the end of the month. This Hopeful Threads project is all wrapped up now, but I know that the folks at Communities of Faith Liaison of Hospice in Charlotte would be thrilled if you sew and send them a fidget apron or two anytime! You can find the details about this project and where to send aprons right here: Fidget Apron Project. The free pattern will stay available right here on my blog for you to use for family, friends or charity whenever you’d like: The Busy Hands Fidget Apron.
I really enjoyed making this fishing themed apron. I’m hoping that a gentleman who loves fishing will be excited to receive it!
I kept my eye out whenever I was out shopping this month for anything that I thought would work and fit the theme. That squishy worm-like creature has disappeared from my sewing room enough times since I purchased him — I’m fairly certain that he’s great for keeping fidgety hands busy.
I think my favorite part of this apron might be the “fishing net” pocket, though. It has a great texture to it, and it makes the perfect home for any little loose additions.
Thank you so much to those of you who sewed and gave this past month! Be sure to stop in at Hopeful Threads this morning and read all about this month’s project for the kids at Pine Ridge Reservation!
Twin-Needle Hemming on the Charlie Tee Sew-Along Day 2
It’s Day 2 of the Charlie Tee Sew-Along at Pattern Revolution. How did your color-blocking go yesterday? Today, we’re hemming our shirts, and I’m sharing a new tutorial on sewing with a twin needle! To check it out just click on the picture above.
The Charlie Tee Sew-Along Begins Today!
The Charlie Tee Sew-Along starts today at Pattern Revolution! Just click the picture above to sew along with us. Today we’re getting our patterns ready, our pieces cut out and our color-blocking done.
KCW Summer 2013 – Days 6 & 7: Lorax Jammies
Wrapping up my Summer 2013 Kids Clothes Week sewing are Lorax jammies for both of my boys! The Lorax is a favorite book and movie in our household, and these two have been anticipating these PJs since the fabric arrived on our doorstep.
I don’t mind admitting that I struggle not to cry when I read the book or watch the movie . . . when that last truffula tree falls. I want to jump into the story, grab the Once-ler by the shoulders, look into his eyes and scream, “Listen! Look around you!” My kids sing the songs and giggle at some of the silliness in the movie (are you singing, “Everybody needs a thneed . . . ” yet?), but I know they see that doing our part in taking care of Creation is an important subject to me. I love the hope that springs forth at the end of the story in one tiny little seed. Life can be like that, can’t it? Just when we feel like there’s nothing that can be done, a little ray of light shines through.
Back to pajamas . . . that’s what this post was supposed to be about, wasn’t it? These PJs were sewn using my Pajama Party PJs pattern, and the fabric is a lovely soft organic cotton. (How could it be Lorax fabric, and not be organic cotton?)
My little guys loved wearing their pajamas into the backyard to read together and to look up at all of the trees in our yard!
They were happy to curl up back inside and watch the movie together before bedtime, too.
I’m calling this first Summer KCW a success for me! I’m thrilled that I managed to get three pairs of jammies done for each of my two youngest boys. These have been on my list for a while, and they will definitely get plenty of use!
KCW Summer 2013 – Days 4 & 5: Viking Jammies
How did your Kids Clothes Week sewing go? I hope you managed to make a good dent on your little ones’ sewing lists! I didn’t finished everything that was on my list, but I did get quite a bit done, and I’m excited to have some new PJs in my boys’ dressers. I’ve got one more KCW post coming later today or tomorrow morning, but first here are Jamie’s new Viking jammies!
I used my Pajama Party PJs pattern for these pajamas. It’s my go-to when I’m using quilting fabric. This organic cotton fabric, by the way, is amazing. Sadly, though, there’s not much of this Timeless Treasure Vikings fabric left out there online. (I had quite few people ask me about it when I showcased it in my Legos-on-the-Go Bag a few weeks ago.) I love the soft feel of it, and I feel good about my little guy sleeping in organic cotton. This tough guy, however, just loves that the fabric is covered in Vikings! He even showed off his best Viking poses for me in our little bedtime photo shoot.
KCW Summer 2013 – Day 3: Mickey Mouse Jammies
So, Charlie got his Mickey Mouse jammies, and as you can see, he’s quite happy about it! This kid knows what he wants, and he has no trouble explaining it.
These retro Mickey and friends cotton sweatshirt fleece prints have been in my stash for a couple years now. I purchased them from an online friend with plans to make hoodies for a Disney trip that never happened . . . so they just sat. A few weeks ago, though, Charlie saw them and asked if I would make him Mickey Mouse jammies. I had no other plans for them, so I said, “Sure!” and promptly forgot. If you read yesterday’s post, though, you know that I was abruptly reminded about the Mickey Mouse jammies when I presented my little man with Fantastic Four pjs that I was certain he was going to love. His tearful melt-down because they weren’t the promised Mickey Mouse jammies, almost made me cry along with him! Thankfully, these were a quick sew, and now all is well in his little world.
Sweatshirt fleece is a knit but it doesn’t have much stretch. It’s important to keep that in mind when choosing a pattern for it. My Lazy Days Lounge Set has this great cross-over v-neck that opens wide for pulling on, so I knew it would be perfect!
I don’t know if I ever would have paired these fabrics up like this if it hadn’t been for the three-year-old who insisted that they must go together. Even as I was sewing them, I wavered back and forth between thinking that these pajamas were really adorable in their vintage-ness and wondering if the combination of fabrics might just be way over the top in its dated-ness. In the end, though, it doesn’t really matter since Charlie loves them, and they are, after all, just pajamas. I happen to think that pretty much anything would look cute on this little guy, though.
I’m curious if you tend to sew what you want to sew or if you let your kids make more of the decisions about the fabrics and patterns. Not including sewing that I do specifically for business reasons, I think I’m somewhere in the middle. I tend to buy fabrics that I know my boys will like, then I let them choose which they’d like from a limited selection.
KCW Summer 2013 – Days 1 & 2: Upcycled Jammies
The first ever Summer Kids Clothes Week started on Monday! Are you sewing?! It’s not too late to join in. Just pop over to the brand new Kids Clothes Week site to read all the details, sign up and be inspired!
I’m focusing the first part of my week on pajamas for my two youngest boys. They’re both wearing pjs that they’re about the bust out of. Projects #1 and #2 involved turning these two pairs of x-large mens lounge pants that I purchased on clearance at Walmart a few years ago into size 4 and size 6 pajamas.
It’s no secret that I don’t care for the chemical-laden flame-retardant pajamas that they sell in stores for my little ones. It’s not that I don’t understand the law. I do. It’s just that in my house, it’s not likely that my kids are going to come into contact with open flames during the night, and keeping them sleeping as chemical-free as possible is important to me. (I’m not offering advice, in any way, though! And, I do see the irony in the fact that the remainder of these pictures are taken with my kids playing on, around and in our never-been-used, it’s-only-there-for-looks fireplace.)
Jamie picked the Star Wars pants to become his jammies, and he absolutely loves them! I used my free tank top pattern that you should see to the left for the tops and my new Runaround Pants pattern for the pants for these. Both are really simple and straight-forward patterns!
Instead of leaving the hem raw like the Runaround Pants pattern instructs, I just reused the hem of the original pants. I also made the shorts a little longer. We live in Florida, so we can really use these PJs year-round, and the slightly longer shorts will give us even longer wear time.
I had plenty of fabric to make Charlie’s entire outfit, but as you can see, I had to use some creative color-blocking for Jamie’s top. (Jamie’s tank is a scaled-up version of the tank since it’s only available right now in sizes 12 months to 5T. I do hope to get it scaled up to the larger sizes eventually.)
I’d love to say that Charlie isn’t as angry as he looks in that picture, but the truth is, he was really mad. Apparently, I was supposed to make him Mickey Mouse jammies, not Fantastic Four . . . It took lollipops, a pacifier, encouragement from everyone in the family and a promise of a brownie when we were done to get him to somewhat cooperate for pictures. When you’re blogging about kids, you sometimes just have to do what you have to do.
However, with the help of big brother’s antics which included searching for Florida on one of daddy’s vintage globes . . . 
. . . and checking out the inside of the chimney for whatever might be hiding in there . . . 
. . . Charlie did eventually decide that these PJs were worthy of a little superhero-style posing.
He even wore them to bed last night. He did, however, strip them off first thing this morning and ask if I’d finished his Mickey Mouse jammies yet. I guess you know what’s on today’s list!
A Little Love in the Shape of a Pillowcase
My oldest daughter and her husband (Katie’s mom & dad) are house parents at a children’s home here in Florida. Right now, their house is home to ten teenage girls. I know many of you just took a deep breath at that thought, but I have to tell you that these two LOVE their job and can’t imagine doing anything else. The girls that they live with are just like other teen girls. They’re beautiful. They’re funny. They’re caring. (They adore Katie!) Some love sports. Some love video games. Some love art. They’re all amazing girls with bright futures ahead of them. Like every person in this world, though, they need to know that people care about them. I think that their house parents, along with the rest of the staff at the children’s home, do an amazing job of that, but I’ve had this idea for a while that maybe I could sew something for each one.
All of you who sew know that when you sew a gift with love for someone, that finished gift reminds the receiver of how much you care about them each time they use it. I really wanted to do that for these girls. Like many of you, though, my schedule is crazy busy. I’d put this on the back burner until a few weeks ago when I was reading about Simple Simon & Company’s Skirting the Issue project. I saw that they were sewing pillowcases to give and thought, “Pillowcases! That is perfect!” I can personalize them for each girl, she can use her pillowcase for as long as she wants, and she can take it with her wherever she goes! So, I called my daughter, and we put this plan in motion!
Each girl shared her favorite colors or animal or character or sports team or whatever she wanted me to know about her likes, and I used those to choose the fabrics. All of the fabrics came from Joann Fabrics locally, and I used my own 9 1/2 Minute Pillowcase Tutorial to sew them up.
Lions & Scooby Doo
Florida Gators & Zebra Stripes
Jamaican Colors & Lime Green and Black
Crosses
Pink and Purple & Cats
Once I had all the pillowcases done, I thought they needed fun packaging . . . and chocolate. I folded each one and slid it into a clear zippered bag with a few goodies, and I added some ribbon to make it pretty.
Then I added each girl’s name on a washi tape label. (I did use the girls’ real names on the finished packaging — these are not their real names.) Much more fun than just the pillowcase, right?
Now they’re all ready to deliver to their new owners! I hope that these amazing girls enjoy them, and that they provide a little reminder that someone cares about them and is praying for them wherever life might take them in the years ahead.
Katie’s 2nd Birthday Celebration
Our sweet granddaughter, Katie, turned 2 on the 4th of July, and we got to host her second birthday party right here on Saturday! We kept it small and simple, but fun and pretty. (Two-year-olds don’t really remember their parties, but they will love seeing the pictures someday!)
I took on the responsibility of baking the cupcakes and sewing Katie’s party dress, and true to my wait-to-the-last-minute-to-do-everything nature, I didn’t start on either until after dinner on Friday night. Only a few minutes into mixing together the cupcake batter, I reached up into the cabinet above my work space and knocked out a glass jar. In the instant following, I chose to save my darling six-year-old who was standing in the chair next to me, and I sacrificed my favorite vintage yellow Pyrex mixing bowl. (Yes, one of the mixing bowls that I was so worried about in our move: Settling In.)
By the time the mess was cleaned up (Pyrex shards fly a long, long way!), and I was putting a new batch of cupcake batter into the oven, it was 8:00! And, I hadn’t even decided what exactly I was sewing! Thankfully, once I had a picture of what I wanted, it all came together quickly and beautifully.
Morgan had asked for a polka-dotted tank-style dress in the colors that she’d picked out for the party decorations (colors which were chosen from Katie’s favorite cartoon, Dora the Explorer). A quick trip to Joanns on Friday morning turned up the three fabrics in the skirt and the trim pieces, and the buttons which look like they were made to go with the flower fabric! The fabrics in the knit bodice are those Riley Blake jerseys that I’m loving working with. I’m calling it the retro-modern Dora-ish party dress.
As for the food, we served yummy, but not too unhealthy treats. I used this recipe for the cupcakes: Chocolate Gluten-Free Cupcakes, substituting coconut oil for the canola oil and whole husk psyllium for the xanthan gum. For the frosting, I made a standard butter-cream, and added natural pink food coloring using boiled raspberries! The raspberry flavor gave the frosting an amazing sweet-tart taste. Yum!
We sprinkled a few mini-chocolate chips on the top of the frosting just for fun, and then left the almost-full bag of chocolate chips too close to a certain birthday girl.
Other party fare included Unreal Unjunked candy-coated chocolates served in cute little snack cups, sliced strawberries, chocolate cookies, pink pomegranate chips and lemonade.
I also baked up a couple of loaves of Honey & Oat Gluten Free Bread which we sliced and served with honey butter (softened butter whipped with raw honey) and blackberry cream cheese (softened cream cheese whipped with no-sugar-added seedless blackberry jam).
The kids all had a great time playing in the backyard on the swing and playground and blowing bubbles. Katie’s big brother, Austin, kept himself busy wiggling a tooth that wasn’t quite ready to come all the way out!
Uncle Charlie got caught trying to open the presents and was not happy at all that I was taking his picture! (You can tell from this picture that the inside part of the party ended up taking place in my sewing studio. It was just the most convenient place since the sliding glass door to the backyard is right there.)
Katie loved having everyone sing, “Happy Birthday” to her . . . 
. . . but she couldn’t quite figure out how to blow out the candles by herself! It was okay, though, because Uncle Jamie jumped right in to help!
Boxer Briefs for My Little Guy
We’re pretty relaxed about learning to use the potty around here. I think having a big family and a busy schedule sort of leads to that. They all learn when they’re ready to learn. Charlie’s getting pretty close to making the transition to undies full-time so I thought some fun momma-made undies were in order!
My Undercover Bottoms Boxer Briefs pattern is my boys’ favorite for comfortable underwear. (It also works great as PJ bottoms, and one of my customers just made it with swimsuit fabric for her daughter to wear with a rash guard at the pool!)
I made these without the optional fly opening, simply because they’re faster to sew that way, and Charlie doesn’t use it anyway. That built-in double-front layer is great, though, for little boys who still have occasional accidents. It also hides the seam between the front and back cod pieces which makes for more comfortable wear.
Charlie is really excited about these, and even for relaxed potty-learning, that is always a good thing! (Every mom knows that the more they like something the more likely they are to want to use it, right?)
I’m adding these to the Summer Sewing for Family Project at Hopeful Threads. Kristy shared some fun pictures over there of the Buttons & Buckles Shortalls that she made for her little man last week, AND there’s a Fishsticks Designs Giveaway going on that you might want to check out, too! You still have some time to enter.
