Wife, Then Mama

So I told you that I would have something awesome to show you for "Ta-da Tuesday"...  Well I lied. This time my failure is not for lack of trying, in fact I tried really, REALLY hard.  I was going to make Simplicity 5706 which was printed in 1964.  *side note:  I seem to really favor Simplicity patterns over Butterick, McCalls, Vogue, and all the others.  Everytime I pick a pattern to make, it is Simplicity.* I was using some pink linen, and since linen is expensive I was determined not to waste the fabric.  I mean I didn't expect it to fit me right, since I am deformed, but I wanted it to look good on a hanger. I was a perfectionist and since I didn't have any marking pens that would work on this, I used (what I am pretty sure is called) tailor's tacks.  Basically you sew through the points you need to mark with a small piece of thread, then leave it in the fabric and play connect the dots with a straight edge (like a book,...

I have two pairs of Betty Boop pajama pants.  So when I was given some Betty Boop fabric, I knew I had to make Hadlee some pajama pants.  Plus what else are you going to do with Betty Boop fabric?  I mean its not exactly a classy fabric choice for a dress or something. Anyways.  I used Simplicity 9184, which was made in 1970.  I made a couple of alterations, because it isn't actually a pajama pattern.  The legs on mine are both longer and wider.  Longer because Miss Hadlee is a tall little girl, and wider because who wants tight pajama pants?  I think they turned out pretty cute, and the hem is gigantic, so if her mom wants to re-hem them later she can probably wear them for years. The shirt is actually maybe a dress?  I can't tell, because it is to short to be a dress and to long to be a shirt.  Maybe its a tunic for over leggings?  (I didn't make the shirt, its from a Wittlebee box I once got) But I thought it ...

I really want to be able to sew without patterns.  Don't get me wrong I LOVE patterns.  I look for them every time I go to a fabric store, or even better, a thrift store.  I own dozens of them.  I just really love the idea of someday being able to sell what I make, without worrying about copyright infringement and  lawsuits  and stuff. So I decided to make this reversible baby skirt.  Is it perfect?  Not at all.  Just looking at the pictures you can see the mistakes.  Plus I think its a little to wide for how long it is, but since I plan to make a diaper cover to match I am not to worried about it. I am pretty proud of myself.  I am sure I have seen tutorials for this before, and I know my friend Brittany has made scads of them.  But I didn't ask her for help, or view a tutorial while I was doing it. Next time I make one I think I am going to take photographs while I make it so I can post my first (o...

The patter I used. Circa 1980 Today I decided to do some more sewing.  Hadlee wanted another dress (I mean she didn't ask for one, but was really excited when I suggested it) and I wanted a project.  I also wanted something kind of quick as I intend to start sewing myself a dress soon.  So I decided to try stretch knits.  Now I have only tried them once before and it was an EPIC failure.  But I didn't know I needed a ball point needle, plus I was using an old sheet or shirt or something not fabric.  This time I used a brown striped jersey that I got from my friend Melissa . I used Simplicity 9422, which is a SuperJiffy pattern from 1980. So I cut out the fabric last night and this afternoon I got to sewing.  Now the whole project came together very well, although I did make two mistakes.  The first was that the "keyhole" is only supposed to be in the front, I misread the instructions and put one in the front AND the back.  The key...

My craft room was finally in somewhat useable condition, and Michael has bought me an iron, so it was high time to get sewing!  I never just sew one thing, so I have actually made three things this week.  All of them are for the little girl that I baby-sit, because I grow a bit weary of making baby clothes for imaginary babies.  Since we are in the process of getting certified to be foster parents I might have a baby to sew for soon, albeit temporarily, but since I have no idea of the age/gender of child(ren) we will get placed its kind of a shot in the dark as to what to make.  I don't much like sewing for myself because I am a bit deformed when it comes to my body shape, so stuff doesn't necessarily fit me well unless its made of stretch knits, which I kind of hate to work with.  Well I have actually only tried once, but it was a disaster and I gave up on them.  Plus clothes for me take a lot more fabric which means it is more expensive if it t...

Last Saturday I went a little crazy with the Post-Christmas sales.  At Joann's I bought some cheap-o little make your own ornaments, and at Wal-Mart I bought a few turkey magnets to paint.  All in all I probably spend about $5 on a bunch of little craft projects for the girls to do next year, not a lot of money, but quite a few projects. My (failed) attempt at a group shot... Usually I pixelate the kids, but I don't think you can see any of them well enough to worry about it. When I got home, I realized with some sadness that its a very real possibility I won't be watching them next year.  Perhaps buying art projects was a little presumptuous.  I would LOVE to be watching them next year (and the next, and the next, etc.) but I have little to no control over that.  Any number of things could happen, they could move away, or find cheaper care elsewhere (I don't think I overcharge, but then I have never really looked into it, I mostly just charge what I nee...

I have made Simplicity 2699 a couple of times now.  A friend of mine bought it so I could make her little girl an apron for Christmas.  Then I made another one this last Christmas. This is the first one that I made.  I spent A LONG time making it.  I wanted it to be perfect since my friend had spent the money on the pattern, materials, and thread.  I used my sewing machine, but I manually turned the wheel so it wouldn't go to fast.  Not the whole time of course, but for the rounded parts, and parts that had to be sewn over more than once. The second one I made is not as well done.  In fact it is now falling apart.  But that is my fault.  I thought the extra wide double fold bias tape was to thick for the teeny tiny apron, so I used some thinner bias tape.  It wasn't wide enough.  She isn't sad, she had just woken up and I wanted to take the picture before her mom picked her up. And just for kicks, here is...

I made a shirt from the left over fabric from the first dress I made (if you look WAY back at the beginning of my blog you can see the disaster that was).  It turned out pretty cute.  Except for one thing.  This was supposed to be a PREEMIE sized baby shirt.  And it fit a 12 month old.  Hmmm...

I have tried to sew without patterns a few times.  Usually it is either a disaster or close to one.  But this baby blanket is one time that I didn't fail miserably at the pattern free sewing.  In fact I think its kinda cute :) Add caption

I used Simplicity 2491 to make some baby booties. I think they are adorable :) Awwwww Plus they match one of the dresses I made!

So I was watching Good Luck Charlie (I really like it okay?) and I just had to talk about the amazing fridge the fictional family has.  The front of the doors are chalkboards.  They always right chore charts, schedules, menu plans or some other family thing on it.  Of course I thought it was the best idea EVER. Then my husband pointed out that we don't have producers/set designers to make it look all cute and artistic every week.  And since laziness is kind of my thing, I would just end up with a chalk dust covered fridge that sometimes has things written on it.  In my messy handwriting, and all slanted because I can't write in a straight line.  Michael is so much more practical than me. But just so you can see how awesome of an idea it is (in theory) here is a picture!

I have used this pattern a few times, New Look 6710:   Although the pants look awful (and very comfy, maybe I should make a pair?)  The skirt in the top right corner is great.  I have to admit that I do cheat when I make this pattern, and rather than having a separate casing for the waist band, I just fold over the top part of the skirt.  Its a little ugly inside, but no one sees inside the top of my skirt, and with the short cut I can usually make this, start to finish in less than an hour. Me, looking super sexy.  Ugh! That is a messy living room! The patterns go together SOOO well!  This is the first one I made.  This is my "to Church on Christmas Eve outfit" in 2010. I was taking these pictures myself... so they suck... I also made this baby skirt out of the left over fabric.  It is awful, the back seam is on the outside of the skirt, but the girls still like to wear it.

McCall's 6152 Back when I used to go to baby showers, I made something for my friend's little girl. I also got her a "regular present" because I am NOT very proud of my sewing.  In fact I am so not proud of it that I hung around her house for HOURS after the shower was over waiting for her sister in law to leave so I could give it to her. Miss Gabbi in her shirt/dress :) This pattern was probably one of the most difficult ones I have done.  It was the first time I did non-kimono sleeves or pants.  I followed the directions really well, but I still managed to f-up the sleeves.  I had to give them to her with a package of hem tape because I couldn't get the sleeves hemmed after sewing them together as instructed.  Luckily I made it out of flannel, so it probably didn't fray to much.

New Look 6578 is the first pattern I got.  I don't remember how, but I got it free in the mail, way before I started sewing.  So it sat around and didn't get used for a few years. Last Spring I decided the girls I baby sit needed play dresses. It even worked as a swimsuit! The light colored one is a "sample" which didn't turn out so hot because this was before I learned that the facings are actually an important part of the pattern.  It is also only fastened with safety pins, which are not really the classiest.  They didn't really wear these, but I think they are cute.  Plus they are made of the same sheet as my shirt, which is always fun :) They liked "cleaning" The actual dresses I intended to make are much better, even if I only used velcro to fasten them.  This was before I learned how easy buttons are to use. They wore them quite a bit, mostly because I thought it was fun to have them wear the clothes I made... ...