Tankini Time, Take 2

The following swimsuit was started back in March.  I completely screwed up the original bottoms which were sewn out of the stripe and ended up tossing them.  However, I held on to the finished top (Kwik Sew 3785 made into a tankini top) in hopes that one day I'd get around to making matching or coordinating bottoms.  Well that day, came today...

Both fabrics are from Chez Ami which coincidentally is having a 25% off sale on their fabrics.   The bottoms were made using Kwik Sew 3605 in a size small.

For the seams, I used a new to me serger that a friend brought me.  It was in her mother's house and her mom wanted to get rid of it.  I'm so glad that she thought of me!

I'm still figuring the serger out but I think it does a pretty good job.  The Singer Serger wouldn't have been my first choice if I was purchasing one but you can't beat free!

I went back and stitched the seams with my sewing machine too but I always double stitch swimsuit seams so it wasn't a big deal.  And being able to serge the lining to the main fabric was sweet.:) 

This is not the end of swimsuit sewing....I have at least 2 more planned!

I've linked this and most (if not all) of my swimsuit posts at Threading My Way's Swimwear Link Party HERE  If you have any swimwear that you've sewn, Link Up!:)

Summer Nightgowns

My little girls love to wear nightgowns.   And I have to admit, nightgowns are perfect for hot summer nights.  

Last year's summer nightgowns have been making an appearance almost every night here recently so I knew it was time to sew up a few more.

Last year's nightgowns XS

Summer 2012:

MG

BK

I used the same pattern as last year (Kwik Sew 3105) but went ahead and traced off a size small.  I skipped adding the ruffle and did a rolled hem instead.  I also finished the neckline and armholes with FOE (fold over elastic). 

The white nightgowns were made out of a Roxy print from Girl Charlee.  It's a soft cotton jersey but also quite thin.  It's also a major PITA to sew.  If you look closely at MG's nightgown, the bodice is quite a bit shorter than BK's.  (I know the photos aren't fab, I took them on my iPhone.)  Despite my careful pinning and going slow, I managed to catch the bodice with the left serger needle as I was attaching the gathered front.  I tried very carefully with the seam ripper to fix my boo boo but the fabric ended up with a few holes.  I gave up and took a wide (really wide!) seam allowance.  They are meant for sleeping so who cares if the nightgowns are perfect, right? 

I'm tempted to order some more of the fabric ($2/yard!) as it's perfect for the little girls' nightgowns but I don't know if I'm willing to sew with it again.

I made 2 more out of a cotton jersey print from Hancock Fabric's.  This fabric has been in my stash for at least 3 years (yay for stash bustin'!).  It was a lot easier to sew with too. 

The girls are good to go with their new nightgowns and my fabric stash is a little lighter.  Time to get busy on the pattern stash bustin'!

It's Summertime!

And we're enjoying it!

Kirsten Kimono Tee Muslin

I can't remember where but I recently stumbled across a free pattern download from MariaDenmark.

  It's called the Kirsten Kimono Tee.

On Tuesday, I printed the pattern off and sewed a muslin out of a lavender cotton jersey that's been taking up space in my fabric stash.  I chose to do a medium but think I could get away with a small, especially if I use the recommended fabric (knit with lycra or elastane).  The top is supposed to have negative ease through the bust which in my muslin fabric/size medium, I don't have.  But regardless, I really like the shape of this tee. 

I'm  5' 9" and a bit long through the torso, so I ended up adding a 1 1/2 inch band to the bottom to give me a little extra length.  I finished off the neckline with FOE (fold over elastic) and used my twin needle to stitch it on.  

I love the shape of this tee and will definitely be giving it another try with a more appropriate fabric.  Which reminds me, I need to stock up on more solid knits! 


Linking up to:  The Train to Crazy Make it Wear it Thursdays

DIY Carpet Binding

When we were ripping out our old carpet in anticipation of the new laminate flooring, we saved the carpet from what was formerly our living room aka kids' hang out room.  That carpet was in decent shape unlike the family room's carpet...



Carpet from Family Room

Nastiness that was under Family Room carpet

See why I wanted to rip the carpet out??

I knew that the carpet's raw edges would need to be finished.  We have 4 sets of busy hands that like to pick at things like raw carpet edges and make a mess.  I did find an interesting product called Instabind in my online searches.  But since we were reusing our 10 year old carpet to make rugs, I didn't want to invest more than $20 in this project.  Instead, I went with this tutorial involving burlap and a hot glue gun.

 

A few notes:
I used a 2 temp hot glue gun that I bought from Wal-mart on the hot setting and multi-temp glue sticks.  I purchased my burlap from Joann Fabrics.  The burlap retails for $3.99/yard. 

I took pictures along the way to share as the original tutorial only shows the finished project.


This is what I started with...

I cut my strips of burlap 8 inches wide and the length of the carpet's raw edges.  I then made them into double fold binding (press the strips in half lengthwise, then fold the raw edges to the center fold line and press, fold the burlap on the original press line and press again). 

You're going to open up your binding and slide half of it underneath the edge of your carpet. 

Apply hot glue to the edge of the carpet and press the binding into it. 

Be aware that hot glue is indeed HOT.

I discovered along the way that if you run your hand down the edge, you can smooth out where it's gets a little wavy or bumpy.

When you're done with a side, roll the carpet over a little so you can repeat the process on the wrong side.

Here's what a completed side looks like:

As you can tell, our house is still in a state of disorder!

And here's what the finished carpet looks like.  The side on the bottom of the picture is a little wavy as I didn't have the hand smoothing light bulb moment until after I had finished that side.  I also was very lazy in how the corners were finished....I overlapped them.  

The process is relatively easy though it's hard on your back!  Or perhaps I was still sore from helping reinstall the kitchen flooring.  Anyhow, it's an inexpensive option and has held up to the kids and dog just fine for the last 2 weeks. :)

Tankini Time

The hardest part about blogging...coming up with post titles.   

When BK was presented with her new swimsuit, there were cries of "Where's mine??" from MG.  I promised to sew one up in time for swim lessons on Thursday.  True to my word, I whipped out a tankini in less than 2 hours.

The pattern is a new one for me:  Kwik Sew 3605

The pattern has the tankini top and bikini bottoms I sewed plus a bikini top, "boy" shorts, and a skirt.  I made a size XS with no alterations.  Like the other Kwik Sew swimsuit pattern I have, there are handy lines on the pattern pieces to lengthen or shorten if needed.   

The fit was spot on and passed the swim lesson test!

On the docket next will be a swimsuit for big sis from the same pattern but in a different fabric.  She's not feeling the matchy match love like the 2 little girls.:)

Swimsuit Time!

Remember how I was going to sew new swimsuits for the little girls before our Florida trip in March?  And how I ran out of time?  It's been on my to-sew list to finish those UFOs.  I made a valiant attempt but sadly, BK's ended up being an epic fail.   Too small, one leg opening bigger than the other kind of epic fail.  

I redeemed myself (mostly) this afternoon and whipped out a new suit just in time for swim lessons.

An old standby, Ottobre Design 03/09 #38
Seahorse Swimsuit
in a size 110 for BK

Clothing, especially swimsuits look sad without an active, little body filling them out...

I did the straps a little differently than the pattern calls for.  I copied Millie from Needles and Haystacks  but chose not to cross the straps in the back.  Millie explains the process HERE.

closer up view of the front and how the straps are done differently

Miss B chose the swimsuit fabric from the clearance aisle at Joann Fabrics on Monday.  It's a nice, heavy weight material and I was tempted to skip lining the swimsuit.  I was concerned that the white parts would be see through when wet so I forged ahead with the lining.  I used a heavier lining fabric that I usually love but (you knew that something had to go astray!) the combo of the heavy swimsuit fabric and sturdy lining mean that this swimsuit is like one of those miracle slimming suits us ladies that have children and a fondness for soda and sweets tend to wear.  You try wriggling an impatient Brenna into one of those.  It's not fun!

I figure after a few weeks in the chlorine followed by some days at the beach, the swimsuit will loosen up a bit.  I can hope.;)

Luckily, the swimsuit isn't too tight to swim in...

Flashback Tee(s) for K and P

Rae of Made by Rae has just released her Flashback Skinny Tee in a larger size range (6-14). 

Hurrah!

I love it when pattern makers don't forget about the older kids.  My two big kids still let me sew for them but the pattern choices start to get a little limited the older they get.  Granted,  I don't have quite as much creative freedom as I do with the little girls but they are still willing to wear what I make.  And t-shirts are always welcome!

I happened to be on Facebook when Rae put a call out for testers.  So, while you might have thought I wasn't sewing that much in the last month...I really was busy at the machine. 

This was an early attempt for P in a size 11/12.  I finally found a use for the guitar print.:)  As he's not so much into all over prints, this has become a pajama top.  I like that the sleeve length is nice and long.  A lot of times, I have to add additional length to long sleeve shirt patterns.  It's a lot easier to hem a sleeve shorter than it is to try and make them longer after you've already sewn the shirt up.

Our instructions as testers for the first round was to sew up our child's age.  K's first shirt was a size 13/14.

It was a little loose on her.  She's hard to fit as she's tall and thin with broad shoulders.  So for her, I needed to go by her chest measurement instead of her age. 

Surprise, Surprise, the shirt fits me! 
If only I had made it out of a solid fabric.;)

There was also another shirt I had sewn for P out of a Chez Ami jersey.  However, the fabric didn't have a lot of stretch and P complained that it was too tight. 

I had K try it on...

...and the fit was fine on her.  But she won't wear it as it's too "boyish" for her.  If a certain JustmeJay thinks her boys would wear it, I'd be happy to post it to her.

I played around with the pattern and some Roxy knits I purchased from Girl Charlee and made K the above shirt.  That one is a 9/10 in size. 

The shirt making did not stop there.  Round 2...

11/12

9/10

If you're interested in purchasing a Flashback Skinny Tee for Big Kids pattern for yourself, head on over to HERE.  The pattern is for sizes 6-14 (woo hoo!).  And if you don't have a Big Kid quite yet, the original Flashback Skinny Tee in sizes 12 months to 5T is also available as a download. 

Thank you P for still letting your ol' mom sew for you