Happy Halloween!

It's our oldest's last year of trick-or-treating so she picked the "theme" for this year's costumes....Gilligan's Island.

For those not in the know, Gilligan's Island was a tv show that aired in the 1960's that featured a group of castaways stuck on a deserted island.  There was the Skipper (captain of the S.S. Minnow), Gilligan (the first mate), Ginger Grant (the movie star), Mary Ann (girl next door), The Professor, and Thurston and Lovey Howell (the millionare and his wife).   We own the DVD's of the shows three seasons and often watch them on long trips.  The kids love the show! 

K chose to be Ginger, of course.  I'm not sure how it was decided who the rest were to be but I was told that P would be Gilligan, M the Professor, and B Mary Ann.   I really thought that M would want to be Mary Ann and was a bit perplexed as to why she insisted on being the Professor.  That is until she informed me that she wanted to be the Professor because and I quote, "He's the smartest one!".

P had a costume party to attend on Friday so he was the first to get dressed up.

Little Things to Sew Bucket Hat and thrifted red turtleneck turned into a collar shirt using Ottobre Design 01/10 #36 for the collar and placket

Ginger, I mean K, had a costume/birthday party to attend on Saturday...

For her costume, my mom altered a formal dress that I wore 17 years ago and she also loaned her a pair of fancy high heels.  The red wig was from Jo-ann Fabrics.

The 2 little girls had to wait until tonight to dress up...

The Professor's white shirt and tan pants are from the thrift store while Mary Ann's red gingham shirt is Ottobre Design 01/10 #15.  Mary Ann's wig is from Jo-ann Fabric also.

The kids had great fun trick-or-treating as did us adults!

My Mary Ann, you've grown up!

Yikes, Zombies!

Playing Hooky

Monday mornings are usually my catch up day.  Meaning, I restore the house to a semblance of order after having everyone home on the weekends.  

Today was too nice of a day to stay inside cleaning.  So, BK and I packed a picnic lunch and went to the zoo!

waiting for the train ride to begin

posing by the elephant sculpture by the entrance

I'm also playing hooky by not tracing patterns off for the next round of sewing...

But sometimes you just have to play!

It's all in the Details

K's Sarita Jeans

 pockets, back yoke, and belt loops

 inner waistband

button and pink zipper

Little Girls' Sandbox Pants



 peek-a-boo pocket from Jessica's tutorial

a bit of pocket lining rolled out for interest

coordinating ribbon for ties with buttons sewn on the ends



 close up of button detail

sandbox pants with my inset pocket remix

 play tested and approved!

The End

Jeggings and Jeans

The weather cooled down some last night (boo!) so M was able to wear her new jeggings to school today.

Ottobre Design 04/11, #20, size 98 with 110 for length

It's been hard getting decent pictures of the kids' new clothes lately.  Not to say that I ever took great pictures to begin with, but finding a place to take pictures with good lighting has become harder as the seasons change.   In the sunny spots outside, it's too bright and with all the trees we have the other spots are either dappled sunshine or too dark.  And because of those trees, inside the house is a bit gloomy too.   My kids grudgingly pose for me so finding another location besides our house is not going to happen!

I took these in my bedroom with the overhead light on and the blinds pulled open as far as they go not long after sunrise.  More views:

back view of the jeggings

all dressed and ready for school

K had been complaining that her store bought skinny jeans were too hard to take off when she dressed out for PE at school.  She begged for some jeans that were boot cut so that she could take them off easily.  I admit, I looked in the stores first, but as I've complained before she's difficult to fit (skinny and tall).  The store bought jeans that she likes (except for the difficulty in taking them off due to the tight ankles) are a 12 slim super skinny jean from Old Navy.  I looked there and at a few other stores but the boot cut jeans in the same size are not long enough.  So, I pulled the Sarita Jeans pattern out that I used 2 years ago...

Sarita Jeans, Ottobre Design 01/09, #36, size 140

I used a black, slightly stretchy denim that was in my stash.  The fit was pretty good, much better than it was 2 years ago when I took the jeans in 3 inches around the hips.  I did make a couple of small alterations to ensure that they would fit...an inch out of the back center seam to prevent gaping and I added 4 inches to the length.

I didn't use contrasting thread for my topstitching as I was in a hurry to get these made so K could wear them to school this morning.  And I also didn't do the rear pockets like the pattern calls for. 

rear view

side view

 

almost ready for school

Next project(s) for the sewing machine will be Halloween costumes.  I'm keeping it pretty simple this year and only need to alter a thrift store find shirt for P and make B a blouse.   Check out some of these costumes that others have been sewing:  Rapunzel Dress by Katie, Hedwig and an Undersea Fairy and Dinosaurs by Julia,.  I love fancy costumes and both Katie an Julia have done a great job making theirs.

And It's Done

KCWC, that is.  I didn't do much sewing on Friday and Saturday.  Kids' needs and sports took up most of those 2 days.  I did cut out two new projects though and was back in my sewing room for a couple of hours on Sunday to wrap the week up.

Sunday's project was jeggings for my skinny jeans obsessed girl. 

The jeggings are from Ottobre Design 04/11, #20 in size 98 for width and 110 in length.  I've felt like I was cheating on OD since I haven't been sewing anything from the magazine lately.  I truly do love their patterns and the fact that they have a big range in sizes in each magazine. 

The fabric is a denim look knit from Jo-ann's.  The fabric was a steal since it was in the red tag aisle and 50% off the red tag price.   I did all the topstitching with a yellow thread using a triple straight stretch on the machine.  I should have praticed a bit as my inital stitches weren't all that great.  Whoops!  I improved by the end but there will still be no close up pictures of the stitching.:)

The fit is great and Miss M loves the pants.  She ran around last night proclaiming that they were her "super, super, super, super skinny mini jeans".  M would have loved to wear them today but it's going to be a beautiful, sunny day with temps in the 80's.  Good thing I hadn't packed all the shorts away yet!

KCWC: Day 4: Still Making Progress

Usually by now, I'm getting worn out from sewing.  Probably because during KCWC, I sew more than an hour a day.  But not this go around...I'm pushing through!

Today's project(s) was to finish P's pajama pants and trace off/sew the largest size Imke from Sewing Clothes Kids Love.  I had P try on K's Cali Girl Imke last night and it was too snug for my taste.  RTW boy clothes are rarely form fitting unless you're talking skinny skater jeans which thankfully, P is not into!

My fabric stash is full of girly colors so I had to scrounge around to find something to coordinate with the flannel pajama pants.  And since this shirt is big enough to fit me (more on that later), I didn't have enough yardage to make the shirt out of 1 (or 2) color(s).  The orange sleeves are a cotton jersey, the white front is cotton interlock, and the back is a black cotton lycra jersey.  Plus there's a black ribknit neckband.   But that's okay...it's my muslin for fitting and the top is not going to be seen outside of our house. 

The 11/12 Imke is really too big for P.  But there's lots of grow room!  Before he came home from school and could try it on, I slipped the shirt on and took a picture.

If you look closely you'll see B in her Dortje pants and Mr. Penguin

 

P fresh from the shower wearing his new pajamas!

I hemmed the sleeves and shirt while he was taking a shower and see now that I could have made the sleeves a little shorter.  The pajama pants were made using the book Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross.  I sewed the children's L/XL but I feel like the thighs are a little snug and the length is almost too short.  Otherwise, I like the pattern.  Maybe the adult small might fit my 10 year old defensive lineman's body better.

I also sewed up the children's S/M pajama pants for M. That was part of day 2-3's sewing.

The fit on these was right on!  I put in a deep hem that can be let down as she grows taller.  I was proud of myself on this pair as the cupcake flannel has been sitting in my stash for at least 2 years.  It took some creative cutting but I squeezed the pants out of 1 yard.

KCWC Days 2, 3: I'm on FIRE

I had a fruitful day yesterday sewing.  Of course, it helped that I was at my parents' house for part of the day and had around 5 hours to sew while my mom kept BK occupied.

Those 5 hours were spent sewing the buttonholes on K's dress, sewing Dortje pants for M (or B if they're too short for M), fixing K's top from kcwc day one, and sewing pj pants for P and M. 

Today was spent hemming the Dortje pants and K's top, sewing buttons on K's dress, and working on the pajama pants.

K's dress, size 8

lining

K's dress is the Oliver + S Jump Rope Dress with a few changes:  Length, Full Placket, Lining, and 3/4 length sleeves.

The biggest change is the full length button placket.  When I cut the dress out, I cut right down the front fold.  I then cut 2 strips of my main fabric 3 inches wide.  I applied it the same way as you would the original placket except (obviously!) it continues down the entire front of the dress.   When it came time to mark the buttonholes, I took the advice of my mom...make sure there's a button at K's bust line so that the dress front doesn't gap.  The buttonholes are approximately 4 inches apart. 

Dortje pants

I wanted to use the Heather Ross Equestrian print from M's Ice Cream Dress for the knee panels but it didn't look right against the tan stretch corduroy.  I didn't have enough of the corduroy to make the pants with out knee panels so I grabbed the black/white pin dot fabric that I used in her dress instead.  Even then, I ran out of the pin dot fabric and the cord and had to pull a cotton/lycra knit out to use for the waistband.    It should be nice and comfy to wear! 

And lastly....

I wasn't happy with the job I did on the sleeve additions on K's top for Day 1.   It was really hodge podge and I can't blame K for not liking the shirt.  I went online and looked at shirt styles from K's favorite surfer brand, Roxy.  There was a shirt that had 3/4 length double sleeves. 

wave wisher 2-fer tee from roxy

I cut off the crap  fabric I added and redid the sleeves. 

Imke shirt from Sewing Clothes Kids Love all fixed!

It's much better.  I used a double needle and did the hems for the sleeves and the top.

I'm hoping to finish the pjs pants tonight as well.  But then again, maybe I should stay away from my sewing machine at night! 



KCWC: Day 1

*sigh* It's a little after 9 pm and I'm exhausted!

Most of today was spent away from the sewing machine dealing with family related business.  Trip to the orthodontist for K, lunch with M at her school, and then back up to K's school to take her some meds to counter act the mouth pain from the spacers she had put in that morning.  Then once everyone was home, there was dinner to cook and Algebra homework to check/help with.  All in a day's work!

I did cut out a pair of Dortje pants and an Imke shirt before the 3 older kids came home.

And I stitched the turquoise buttons to a scrap with different color thread (per the suggestions I received, here and on flickr) so K could pick a fave.

She chose....blue. 

The plan for tomorrow is to finish K's shirt dress, buttons and all, hem K's Imke top and to start sewing K's Sarita jeans and M's Dortje pants.  That's all I'm committing to for now.

Here's K's Imke shirt from Sewing Clothes Kids Love that I cranked out once the little girls were tucked into bed...

The main print is a cabbage from Hurley.  After adding considerable length to the sleeves and hem line, I didn't have enough fabric for the entire shirt.  I discovered that the City Weekend cafe dots knit in aqua matches so I added a "design element" to the sleeves.  K's arms must have grown since this weekend (sarcasm, anyone?) because even the aqua addition wasn't quite enough.  Hence the yellow cafe dots. 

The "design elements" were a little much for K.  After putting it on and only saying that it was soft, I let her off the hook and told her it could be a pj top.   She was relieved.

Kids Clothes Week Challenge Plans + Opinions Needed

Monday kicks off Kids Clothes Week Challenge at elsie marley.  The premise for the week is to commit to sewing kids' clothing for at least an hour each day. Meg hosts one in the spring and in the fall.  This past spring I made nightgowns for the little girls, a Seashore dress for B, and  Class Picnic tops for M and B.

My plans for this year are once again ambitious.  Dream Big I say!

-long sleeve shirts for k,p,m,b
-pj pants for p,m,b
-dress for k
-jeans for k
-long pants for m,b
-dresses for m,b

I have the pajama pants (Weekend Sewing, Pajama Pants for Everyone) for P and M/B already cut out and also K's jeans (Sarita, Ottobre Design 01/09). 

I've been working here and there on K's dress (Oliver + S Jump Rope Dress) and hope to finish it this week during KCWC.  K liked her red JRD but it was way too short for this year.   After seeing this Lisette Traveler Dress and purchasing some black and white seersucker, I knew I wanted to slightly alter the JRD pattern and duplicate that look for K. 

My alterations were to make the placket run the full length of the dress and to add length to the sleeves and hem.  I'm also lining the body of the dress as the seersucker is a little sheer. 

I really wanted yellow buttons down the front but figured I'd best check with K.  I turned her loose in my button stash and she chose turquoise.

Here's where I need to hear y'all's opinions....What color thread should I use for sewing the buttons on? 



Fall Sewing

September is usually filled with sunshine and warm temps with out the usual summer humidity.  What happened this year???  Since we've been home from the Oregon trip there has been rain almost every day.  And this weekend it got cold!  I had to break out the jeans and long sleeve shirts for school today. 

The most used piece of clothing for all of my kids is a zip front hoodie.  It's an essential part of their wardrobes.  K and P's are store bought...Roxy for her and Tony Hawk for him.  The little girls though have Kitschy Coo hoodies that I sewed for them.

BK, Fall 2010

MG, Fall 2010

The girls at the Oregon Coast, Sept. 2011

BK left hers behind somewhere in Oregon.  It was starting to get a bit small on her so it wasn't that tragic of a loss. 

I took BK shopping for fleece at Jo-ann's last Thursday.  We were both underwhelmed with the selection.  She really wanted a rainbow stripe like MG's but there wasn't any to be had.  We settled for a blue "fireworks" print.

I made the size 4 but added 2 inches in length to the body of the hoodie and its sleeves because I'm too lazy to print out and tape the next size pattern together.   The hoodie is lined in a yellow jersey from fabric.com that I purchased a year and a half ago.  The ribbing is from Jo-ann's and was picked from the clearance aisle a while back.  I would have liked a yellow or aqua zipper but options from the local fabric store are few and far between and BK needed her hoodie straight away.

Once again, Amanda's  pattern produced a warm, snuggly hoodie that fits perfectly.  I can't say enough good things about the pattern!

BK wore her fireworks hoodie this morning while we waited at the bus stop for MG and P's bus to come with temps in the mid-50's.   It was chilly but BK (and her sister) stayed warm!

MG and BK in their Kitschy Coo Hoodies!