Kids Sewing Week (KSW) and REFASHION city!

My son is getting tall.  My very sweet Mother-In-Law usually shops a lot for my kids... it's what she likes to do, but I've been itching to sew for them... so, now that my two year old is short on pants and we had a Polar Vortex couple of days, a little got done! :)

Using the Clean Slate Pants pattern by Melly Sews, I cut up a few pairs of my old jeans and refashioned them into jeans for my buddy boy.  He's got mostly 2T in his closet, and I made these in 4T... glad I did the leap up.. they fit to a T! :)

Excellent pattern - they look great, and I adjusted for my learning along the way...

In the first pair, I didn't make any pockets or a fly.  I just cut and pieced the pants together.  I have to say I LOVE where the seam in the leg appears on his back, and the jean fabric these are made of is SO SOFT!  I originally bought them for $2 at a garage sale, and they got a hole in the crotch, so I couldn't wear them any more... glad he's getting some life out of them.

Then, I was on a roll... and kid needed jeans, so I sewed the pattern again...
This time with a darker jeans where the zipper had broken, and I wanted to learn how to make pockets...
Blue and orange flannel was just the right answer.  Blue and orange are my favorite colors for buddy boy.  he's got bright blue eyes and orangey blonde hair, so these are perfect for his wardrobe.

Learning Curve
#1.  Photographing still objects is way easier than two year old moving targets
#2.  Maybe if I did it again, I'd make sure the pocket that is visible is jean... for support purposes rather than looks... I LOVE how they look
#3.  There is DRAMA in sewing!  The last string of thread from the spool was making its way through the machine as I sewed the last hem!  Whew!
#4.   While I love how the wide leg seams look when they're made into waistband, they create HUGE thickness that is hard for the sewing machine to take, so if I want to use those in the future, I might attach it to some thinner material for the back of the waistband.

Next Plans...  I've got the patterns for Tree Climber Trousers... !!!  Also, his belly button is visible in more than half his jammas...

and I read a great post on undies and refashioning knit clothing... Jammies to undies for my daughter?  Yes, please... just need some elastic...

Penelope Peplum Top

So, I did it... a few weeks ago...

I sewed the Penelope Peplum Top... pattern from See Kate Sew (http://seekatesew.com/) .  I made the top for my little one... she's also got a pattern available for adults with three different skirt and sleeve lengths.  I opted for the 3/4 length top... I tried to make full length sleeves, but was not thinking about the shape of the given pattern right when I cut, so they ended up being the perscribed length.  My daughter is a long bodied girl, so I added two or so inches to the body of the top... glad that I did.  It's a great length for feeling like she's wearing a dress... hangs just to the bottom of her butt in stretch pants.

I used purple fabric from JoAnne's... two different prints... although in my shot, it looks gray...

The sew was fun... who doesn't love a full skirt... even if it's not really one?  And, my daughter loves to twirl in it.  It's a winner.  I bought more knit with plans to make more!

Learning Curve:
1.  Singer needles do not work well in my machine
2.  When the thread breaks over and over, maybe it's because your stretch needle is for very fine thread...
3.  Also thread the side winder correctly to make sure the bobbin works properly
4.  I've never done a top facing before... good deal!  that works SLICK.
5.  Top stitch gathers... with my poor tension due to a bad needle choice and old thread, they're already coming out after one day of wear... whoops!
6.  Amazon Prime Movies are great companions for long sewing projects with lots of frustration.. when you're watching a good movie, extra work doesn't matter so much!!!

Littllest Thistle Finish Along Quarter 1

The Littlest Thistle is hosting a Quarterly Finish Along!

Perfect... a fun incentive to get some quilting in :) I can't wait...

My goal for this quarter is to finish my Block of the Week Mystery Kit from Sew Lux Fabrics.

I have now finished all of the blocks, so I just need to put them together...

My flying geese turned into:

The final mystery block was this sewing machine that I can't seem to flip the picture of... oh well.  You get the idea...

And all together, my stack looks like:

So, my goal is to assemble this little quilt, and quilt-er up!

I haven't decided HOW to quilt it yet... I'm really itching to get good at FMQ, but I am always to scared I'm going to wreck something to keep working on it...

Since this ended up being sewing-themed, so I can't really use it anywhere in my house except my sewing room, maybe I'll be brave... although that matchstick quilting sure ends up looking COOL... I might like to give that a try... ???

We'll see...

Second Goal:  I've bought a Pippa Peplum Pattern to participate in the see kate sew sew-along.  I have the fabric picked too... some various purple prints from JoAnne's... for my daughter.

Third Goal:  My 5 year old plays a little sea animal that makes an appearance in our MS's production of Little Mermaid Junior.  I'll be outfitting her in something... she's thinking PINK DOLPHIN.  I'm thinking peplum top, stretch pants, padded tail train skirt, and arm fins?

Fourth:  I'm participating in a BOM sew-along class from Piles of Fabric.    Technically, I haven't chosen the fabric yet, so I'm sort of jumping the gun on the Littlest Thistle rules, but January is choosing colors and fabric, so I"m on.  My goal is to keep up with that... to have Jan and Feb done by March. :)

When I started writing this, I didn't think I had much to write about... I guess I did!  Lotsa sewing ahead...
Sounds great!

Lovely Year Of Finishes - January

I'm linking into the Lovely Year of Finishes with Fiber of All Sorts and Bittersweet Designs...
http://fiberofallsorts.blogspot.com/2014/01/january-lovely-year-of-finishes-goal.html

SewMes January Goal:
Finish my Mystery Quilt Kit blocks...

In October/November, I got a Mystery Quilt Block of the Week kit from Sew Lux Fabrics.  I made the first two weeks lickety split.  Then, in November, I started holiday sewing.

Time to finish up my kit!

Here's what I have done so far:
Some stars and flying geese...

Next, flying geese turn into starts, then I piece together a cute little sewing machine.

I'm only supposed to set one goal... but, if I finish that, I'd like to assemble the top as well ;)

I need something CUTE to cover an unsightly ex-window in my sewing room... motivation to progress!
Plus, the colors are so bright and snappy...