Pants and Coat For The Toddler Grandson

I hemmed in no time at all the two pairs of pants for my grandson.  They were both done my machine. All that's left with the pants is the elastic waistband.  I don't usually use one piece of elastic, but multiple, small rows.  I have yet to purchase the elastic.

The coat assembly took a little longer.  I first stay stitched around the curves of the jacket and the lining to keep the jacket from stretching in those areas.  I added a white muslin interfacing on the fleece at the same time I stay stitched the jacket.  I hand stitched the interfacing at the shoulder. 

What took the most time was the blanket stitch around the edge of the jacket and sleeves.  I used a top stitching black thread.  To keep the edge as even as possible, I basted around the whole jacket 1/2 inch away in white thread.  I inserted the needle and black thread in every other stitch.  Here's the jacket with the basting removed.  All that's left are the buttons and button holes.

2011 SWAP Contest

The 2011 SWAP contest rules were posted today.  SWAP mean Sewing With a Plan.  This will be the third year I've participated.  This is the 8th annual contest.  It started with the challenge of sewing 11 garments ~ six tops, four bottoms, one jacket with every top mathcing every bottom and the jacket pulling each outfit together.  You ended with a possible combination of 45 outfits.  It has changed a bit over the years.  We are to pick one of these challenges.

Option #1:
6 tops  - t-shirts, shirts, blouses, or camisoles
4 bottoms - jeans, pants, shorts, skirts or kilts.
1 your choice (not an accesory)

Option #2:
2 dresses - single pieces consisting of top and bottom that can be worn alone.
6 tops  - t-shirts, shirts, blouses, or camisoles
2 bottoms - jeans, pants, shorts, skirts or kilts.
1 your choice (not an accesory)

Option #3:
5 dresses - single pieces consisting of top and bottom that can be worn alone.
4 tops  - t-shirts, shirts, blouses, or camisoles
1 bottom  - jeans, pants, shorts, skirt or kilt.
1 your choice (not an accesory)

3 garments may be purchased or previously sewn.
1 may be knitted or crocheted.

An added twist is that every garment should be made with a technique or feature that the sewist hasn't tried, or hasn't mastered.  Sewing begins December 26, 2010 and ends April 30, 2011.  

To follow along, please join me and others at Sewing Discussion at Stitcher's Guild Sewing Forum.

Pants and Coat For The Toddler Grandson - a night of serging

I spent the evening serging all the possible seams on my DGS's Christmas gift.  It only took me 1 1/2 hours.  However I spent a previous 45 minutes trying to get my serger threaded correctly.  I just had a looper replaced, and the repair person kindly left their thread in place.  I knotted the new thread to their thread, but it just wouldn't work right.  I couldn't see where my problem was.  Finally, I saw the problem, and the rest of the evening sent smoothly.

Greatful Dead Halloween Costume - Finale

Yesterday was the Halloween parade in sweet Miss Harper's hometown.  She is looking just beautiful in her costume.  I can now see why Moe is such a self-confident dog!  I don't think anyone would dare make a remark about his costume.  Thank you to Harper's parents for sharing this photograph with us.  It looks like a perfect day for a parade, and a perfect day for a picuture.  Happy Halloween!

Pants And Coat For The Toddler Grandson - The Vision

After digging through my children's patterns while making Miss Harper's Halloween costume, I decided to make my one and only grandson some clothes for Christmas.  After all, Christmas is only 61 days away.  Yikes!  Joann's was having a midnight madness sale, so I picked up these fabrics for $13.06



for this pattern. 

The red fabric is fleece, the blue and black fabrics are corduroy, and the train engine fabric is flannel.  The flannel will be the lining for the fleece.  I will be using a top stitch weight thread for a black blanket stitch around the jacket edge along with black buttons.  The buttons haven't been purchased yet.  I plan to purchase a couple of white turtlenecks to finish off this gift.

Greatful Dead Bear Halloween Costume - jester collar

It's amazing what you can do with a plate, bowl, and ruler.  This pattern was produced for the jester collar for the Halloween costume.  A bigger pattern was made for Miss Harper's dog, Moe.  Poor Moe, I hope he can cope with the humiliation of wearing pink.

Greatful Dead Bear Halloween Costume - feet

I traced the three pattern pieces for these slip on booties, so I could preserve the pattern.  Seam allowances were 1/4 inches.  No trimming needed. 

These bear feet were pretty easy to assemble and fun to make.   I really didn't know what length to cut the elastic.  I measured the width of the bootie and cut the elastic less 1/4 of that width.  I'd rather have them too loose than too tight.  I stretched the elastic across the fabric and applied it with a narrow zig zag stitch.  They appear just right. 

Miss Harper could use these booties through part of the winter to keep her toesies warm, since she won't be walking for a number of months. It would be nice to use some of the components of this costume once Halloween is over.

Greatful Dead Bear Halloween Costume - hood and pants

Except for the closures, I've fininshed the top half of the Greatful Dead Bear Halloween costume.  I looked through my children patterns to locate some type of pants pattern for the bottom of the costume. 

This is exactly what I had in mind.  The pajama bottoms consists of  one pattern piece and went together quickly.  The great part is that Miss Harper can wear them for warmth once Halloween is over.  I found that using multiple rows of elastic results in a more comfortable fit around the waist.

I purchased this bootie pattern for the bear feet, but they will have to wait for another day.   I may go into a bootie rampage later and donate them to charity.  For now, this appears to be a perfect solution for the bear feet.  The bottoms will be pink and the rest purple.

The final piece of the costume is the multiple point collar.  One for Harper and one for her dog.

Greatful Dead Bear Halloween Costume - coat

I've cut out the costume coat and hood. Fleece is treated like velvet, corduroy, and fur. They have nap, which means all pieces must to be cut in the same direction, or there will be different coloration in the pieces.  I always cut with the nap going in the down direction.  Of course, I learned this the hard way by making the mistake on a pair of slacks many years ago. 

Fabric should also be steamed and not pressed, which, admittedly, I failed to do.

Gingerbread Socks - heel

Our knitting group finally was able to meet again.  First thing that was noticed was the fact that I have been knitting my socks inside out, and I shouldn't be.  I don't know how this came about, but it was an easy correction.   On my next pair, and there will be a next pair, I will avoid this mistake.  I finished the heels after having to take out a few rows early on.   They were an easy task. 

Blue Striped Man's Shirt - collar and collar stand

I am really pleased with the results of the pattern matching of the collar for the blue striped shirt for my DS.  Admittedly, a striped shirt probably wasn't the best choice for producing my first man's shirt.  I made this piece twice.  I was looking for close to perfection.

For the interfacing, I used white woven muslin.  Interesting that the shirt collars I have taken apart for research purposes show they used two pieces of fusible interfacing.  One was the exact size of the collar.  The other one was fused to the first but trimmed to stay out of the seam allowances but caught in the top stitching.  I am not a fan of fusibles, but my DH seems to like it on his purchased shirts, so next time, I am going to give it a try. 

Here's the collar and collar stand attached to the shirt.

All that's left is the button holes and buttons.  

Greatful Dead Bear Costume - The Vision

It has been requested that I make a

Halloween costume for my friend's granddaughter, Miss Harper.  She's a little over six months old.  The community she lives in participates in a family Halloween parade, so she needs to look her best.  

This is the pattern, but changes will be made; and the fleece chosen for the project. 

The back couldn't look more uncomfortable.  What child could put up with an elastic across the back of their knee?  How cold would her back legs be?  This is also one piece ~ hood, coat, pants.  I am going to make full pants, for warmth, separate from the coat and hood. 

This pattern does not provide for the boots.