Under cover

Ding ding ding! Pam gets the cookie for correctly identifying Drama Boy’s confirmation gift as The Lutheran Study Bible. I had already planned to sew a cover for mine, since only the hardback version was in the budget; once I had it in my hands that project took on more urgency. The pages are thin but the whole book is heavy. I didn’t need handles or zippers or pockets, but I wanted a way to make sure it stayed shut when I wasn’t reading. Think of it both as toddler-proofing and of preventing damage to the pages if it slipped out of my hands while carrying it somewhere. . .

I followed the directions for covering a composition book from Craft Apple, adjusting the measurements of course. I used two layers of the same home decor weight fabric, fusing them together with Heat & Bond Light. I added ribbons for bookmarks and a magnetic snap closure to the basic design, and that was that. I considered a spot to hold a pen, but decided that would be inviting toddler destruction. No thanks!

It isn’t perfect–as usual I have already thought of improvements! But the next time I make a Bible cover it will be for Drama Boy; Gina promised to share some camoflauge fabric. I’ll probably use velcro instead of the magnetic snap, which turned out to be a rather bulky fastener for this project.

October sewing

• Fall apron, blogged here.
• Fall tablecloth–We now use 2 leaves in the table even without company, so I only had one fall cloth that kind of fit. So I bought some extra wide fabric (meant for backing quilts) in a dark brown tone on tone and finished it off with a rolled hem on the serger.
• Wool gabardine vest & pants for Drama Boy. The pants are Ottobre 4/2004 #25, size 158 with no alterations. They turned out really well except I got the waistband flipped somehow so that the nicely finished end is under the not-so-nice end. I might have fixed it but was running out of time by the time I realized my mistake. I like the cuffs; as he grows they can be untacked for added length. I originally planned to make a jacket as well, but discovered the Ottobre boys blazer stopped several sizes too small. So I pulled out my trusty old Simplicity 7030 to make him a vest but he is right between the boys’ large and mens’ small. I ended up taking in the mens’ pattern to fit him, again allowing length for growing.

• Totebag for a gift.
• Cotton interlock nightgown for me, using the girls gown #18 from Ottobre 4/2005 sized up to a 170.
• Half a dozen flannel panty liners.

Next up: a couple new skirts for me and a wool jersey cardigan. It seems like these were also on my October to sew list, but I am pleased with what I did get sewn.

Stubborn pays off

Long ago (at least 8 years ago, ie pre-serger) and far away (in Iowa), I cobbled a couple patterns together to make a nursing dress from plum floral rayon challis. I only wore it once or twice and I can’t remember why; I think the nursing openings either didn’t open (or worse, didn’t close). So the dress spent several years stashed in a bin, until last winter I turned it into a skirt. I removed the bodice, and cut out a waistband from the back. And then it got stashed again, until this week when I finally hemmed it so I would have something new to wear on Sunday morning.

And look! It goes with the same green sash I’m wearing in his baptism picture (okay, you can’t really see it in this picture, but trust me, it is there).

Sewing panic

Family vacation is looming, and I’m doing it to myself again. . .my head is positively spinning with all the clothes I want to make before we go. It’s not like I never sew for myself the rest of the year, but somehow the mental packing makes me realize how many holes are in my wardrobe. Complicating the matter this time is the fact that I promised to sew Drama Boy a new pair of dress pants for his confirmation (next Sunday!) and the fact that I have a couple more gift projects I would like to finish and deliver on our trip. Thankfully in the past few days I’ve gotten the pants nearly finished and only have one large gift to complete as well as a smaller one to sew. . .but my sewing time is limited, unless I ignore other things like cleaning or cooking or teaching.

I suppose the top of my sew-for-me list is a new nightgown; now that my nursing days are over I find I only have one somewhat natty long sleeved gown that I’m not keen to wear at other people’s houses. After that is probably a skirt or two and a cardigan from the wool jersey I just ordered. I would really like more blouses but I don’t have the fabric and their details take me a little longer to sew. A winter church outfit that packs well would be nice; I have fabric but suspect I will run out of time.

What about you? Do you think of all kinds of things you’d like to do at home when you’re supposed to be getting ready to not be home for a couple weeks?

Fall fun

No, the fun is not the dish washing. . .it’s the making of a new apron! I still wear the fall apron that I made 10 years ago while pregnant with Twirly Girl. I love its autumn tree fabric, but I was getting tired of the plain butcher style apron. So I headed into the sewing room and found this colorful assortment of fat quarters that I bought last year for a fall wall hanging.

It was a bit of a challenge to design an apron that could be squeezed from only four fat quarters but I’m pleased with the results. In fact, there are only two things I would change. I wish I had made the center purple panel of the skirt wider instead of the same width as the yellow side panels; I would have had enough fabric to do that by making the pockets just a little smaller. Also, I wish the ties were longer–but the only scrap of orange fabric was a 1/4″ strip!

September sewing

I seem to be in a bit of a sewing funk as it really did take me all month to sew this cute little linen sailor suit for Baby Boy’s 2 year old pictures. I hope it still fits next spring when warm weather returns to Wyoming!

The linen fabrics, white trim, and sailboat buttons were purchased in a bundle from Farmhouse Fabrics. The shirt is from Ottobre 3/2009, #13 (“Skipper” sailor shirt)  and the pants are from 3/2006 #12 (3/4-length pants), both in size 86. My only alteration was to add enough length to make full length pants instead of 3/4 length; I also omitted the side leg pockets and inserted trim in the side seams.

Added bonus: picture of Bouncy Boy’s shirt for his 7 year old picture, sewn in August.

August sewing

It’s true: I spent most of August procrastinating on the Swing dress. But it is finally done, along with a few quicker projects!

• 4 pillowcases which are gifts for some of my favorite children.
• Navy sweatpants, a “because I can” sort of project. We require the boys to wear long pants for their lawn mowing jobs, and all of Drama Boy’s pants were dirty one morning. He had a half hour wait while Larry got his allergy shot, so I told him if he watched Baby Boy I would make him sweatpants from a piece of french terry in my stash. He did and I did. I used the pants pattern from Kwik Sew’s Sewing for Children. He needed the largest size, and I added a bit of length just because he’s a 12 year old boy. I laid the front and back pattern pieces together to eliminate the side seams, and used ribbing cuffs at the hems. Voila–half hour pants.
• 1940s swing dress, already blogged about here.
• Plaid shirt for Bouncy Boy’s birthday picture, using Ottobre 1/2003 #26 (size 104 with added length in the torso). It’s almost done, as soon as I make button holes and sew on the buttons I picked up in Casper yesterday.

September plans: linen sailor suit for Baby Boy’s birthday picture. Then. . .I don’t know. Start thinking about fall/winter clothes, I guess. A nightgown without nursing openings would be nice, and I’d like to finally sew up that piece of wool coating before the snow flies. I also have a pattern that I think would make a good knitting bag for bigger projects. We’ll see!

Summer projects

As scribbled by me, on our way to Texas back in May. . .

• Plan 2009-10 school year: Procrastinated until August, but I finally did it.
• —– —–: This is a gift project; progress has been made this summer although not as much as I had hoped. The next step depends on help from someone else, so I’m stuck.
• Maintain gardens: The weeds got the best of me but I did keep my hanging baskets watered and lovely for about 2/3 of the summer.
• Kitchen curtains: DONE! Finally! Yea! Thanks for your help in June, Dad & Mom! The one over the sink only has three “swags” which I think looks better, but I haven’t found my round tuit for altering this one.

• Give away stuff: Girl clothes sent to Elephant’s Child’s Child. Toys and adult clothes (including maternity & nursing <sniff>) taken to local clothing bank, except for the wooden kitchen which is at the thrift shop waiting for a buyer. Baby clothes are still in my sewing room, but one closed bin is better than four overflowing. I’m hoping to find a crisis pregnancy center that can use them.

I also accomplished some things not on the original list–and came to terms with the fact that some things will just have to wait for next summer, such as that new quilt for our bed. For now, I need to focus on that new school year. . .starting bright and (maybe) early tomorrow morning!

Accentuate the positive

I finally finished my 1940s “Swing” Dress! The pattern is also from Sense and Sensibility but didn’t go together nearly as smoothly as my 1912 Kimono Dress. Part of this is the unusual (to me) construction and part of it is the uncooperative nature of my fabric, a rayon crepe from Farmhouse Fabrics (fabulous service and lovely fabrics, most pricey but this piece was a bargain). Thankfully the lovely print also helps hide most of my sewing foibles.

The pattern recommends making a test bodice, and I did. I guessed right on how much to shorten it (it needs to hit the waist just so, and is much easier to shorten than lengthen). But the trial run also saved me from frog stitching my good fabric when the directions confused me. I took 2″ from the bodice and 4″ from the skirt length to accommodate my 5′1″ self. The only other change I made was to secure the wrap front with a sew in snap (the pattern suggests sewing on a decorative button or using a brooch).

Edited 9/2 to add: Be sure to measure the sleeve pattern before cutting. I am by no means muscular, but this sleeve just fits my biceps.

July Sewing

A busier month in the sewing room. . .making hay while the sun shines, or rather sewing clothes while school’s still out.

• Stars & Stars apron for me
• White knit top for Twirly Girl
• Gingham blouse also for me
• 1 dozen cloth napkins
• Car organizer
• 1912 kimono dress for me
• Pajama pants for Twirly Girl and her AG doll
• 4 sleevesaver bibs for gifts
• Retro apron, also a gift

I’ve already shared pictures & details of nearly everything but the car organizer; it’s kind of cool (and very different from my usual sewing projects) so I will write a post about it as soon as I remember to take my camera out to the Suburban.

Next up: more gifts, pillowcases this time. Swing dress for me. And then I need to start on birthday outfits for the next round of professional photos (Bouncy Boy already turned 7; Baby Boy will be 2 on September 27; and Boy Genius will be 11 on October 29).