Snuggle-Ready

While I don't need my infant boys to look like 30-something lawyers, I'll admit it's difficult to add rainbows to baby clothes without a girly vibe. But this mama's got to get her rainbows in somewhere! And after a joyful anatomy scan today for little Kit (who was quite cooperative, bless him), it seemed liked the perfect time to share one of those rainbow projects.

I had some butter-soft jersey left over from another project (I think the boys' National Parks pajama shirts?), and thought it would make a cozy newborn gown. Stitched Together's free pattern and tutorial was just the ticket, a blank canvas for a bit of rainbow art.

The rainbow was a simple addition -- a bit of ecru braided cotton clothesline, with the center fibers pulled out (easily done). I traced my lines with a washable fabric pen, and stitched the now-flat rope with a wide zig-zag stitch. 

A wee bonnet was also in order (again, a hard thing to pull off for a boy!), and for that I mildly modified the free Ottobre jersey baby hat pattern. I lined mine with cream bamboo jersey. Hopefully it will fit! Not only is it hard for me to remember how small a newborn is, my newborns have varied wildly in size (the smallest was 7lb 4 oz, the largest just a hair over 11lb...). But at least knit is stretchy, and anything too big won't be for long, Lord willing.

Little Kit trying to put his hand in his mouth! 

It was such a delight to watch (and for me, feel) Kit wriggling around today! We finally decided on a name, and after the good news today we're rejoicing over God's many mercies thus far. Can't wait to meet you, baby boy -- but please stay put for a few more months! 

Bits and Bobs for Baby Boy

Once we found out that our newest baby was a boy, it didn't take me long to pull out needles (of various sorts and sizes) and set to work! I do love crafting for babies (especially my own!) -- few materials required, lightning progress, and everything tiny and sweet. I save only the best hand-me-downs from previous babies, because I know I can easily restock with thrifted finds and handmade garments. The perfect excuse to let the creative juices flow.

Sweater: Summer Cardigan pattern from Jord clothing
Pants: Self-drafted harem pattern
Aviator hat: Made for Laddie almost 8 years ago
Rainbow teether: Couldn't resist!

This was my first time using a Jord pattern, as I found them only recently. It seems I have a preference for knitting patterns from northern Europe, which can sometimes be frustrating due to the language barrier -- happily, some of Jord's patterns have been translated into English! I instantly found about six patterns I wanted, but limited myself to just one to start. Garter stitch is lovely for a cardigan, because it practically eliminates purl stitch (which I just don't enjoy). Granted, I did modify the pattern to knit the sleeves in the round, which meant alternating knit and purl rows on the sleeves. But I didn't really want to sew them up later and baby sleeves knit up quickly, so I'm happy with the compromise.

Overall, the pattern was great and quite concise. Though perhaps a little too concise, as I did have some difficulty with the instruction to do an i-cord binding around the entire sweater! Having never done one before, I was a bit lost. But happily YouTube came to the rescue, and I now have another skill under my belt. It does make a tidy finish, though rather time/yarn consuming. I absolutely love the Marine Heather colorway in KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Tweed. This is another yarn from my "fairy yarnmother," and after using three skeins I still have plenty left! Five little wood buttons finished it off.

I'm not sure if I did something wrong, but there is a noticeable indent about an inch from the yoke, on one of the increase rows. I think I did all of my increases on the right ride (with garter stitch it's not always easy to tell!), but if I did it again I would increase on the wrong side because I think it's less visible. I may leave it, or I may improvise a little brown "stripe" detail with a coordinating yarn, probably using a crochet hook. It might be a nice touch! 

Next up was a little pair of linen harem pants in roughly 0-3 months size (I'm awful with sizing!), which I hope will match the sweater size. I had a pattern that I'd drafted for Scout, which I modified slightly. I decided to do cuffs this time, since I tend to have to roll the hems and don't love the bit of serged edging peeking out -- I almost always use white serger thread, because I'm too cheap to buy three coordinating thread cones, and too lazy to change it out for every project, anyway. So these pants got a thick cuff, which is rolled up about half-way in the photos. I'm hoping this will help them last longer, too, since I can roll/unroll the cuff as the baby grows.

The fabric is a beautiful linen from a Wiksten Tova hack that I no longer wear -- the bottom half was the perfect size for a wee pair of trousers. I enjoyed adding a few details like the faux placket on the front, and the real-but-entirely-useless pocket on the back. And teeny tiny wood buttons are so sweet!

I also made a more masculine cotton rainbow for little Kit, our long-awaited rainbow baby. He's been giving me a few nudges as I write this, the most miraculous feeling. Though his seeming preference for my bladder does worry me a bit...

A recent order of fabric means that Kit's wardrobe will be expanding a bit more! All that rapid growth over the first year of a baby's life means more sewing opportunities for mama, which I'm doing my best to cope with. *wink* Something to keep me busy while I wait and pray to hold this little fellow in my arms.

Christmas Pajamas: 2021

I really put off the annual Christmas pajamas this year -- sometimes I'm done by Thanksgiving, other years I'm adding the finishing touches on Christmas Eve morning! I did manage to finish these up a day "early," but goodness, you'd think by now I'd have figured out that it's worth it to start a bit earlier?

Anyway, they all turned out and that's the main thing! All four children got "coordinating" pajamas this year, with a Star Wars theme. I found some cotton Star Wars prints at JoAnn's, for the pajama pants -- four pairs of simple pajama pants go together surprisingly (and thankfully) quickly!

For the tops, I used some Telio organic cotton slub jersey, in grey for the boys and rose for Rosa (appropriately). 

Amazingly, I was able to find the perfect fabrics for the appliques in my stash, with one exception! I even had some Wonder Under left over, which I hadn't even thought to look for until it was time to start sewing. For all of the appliques, I found images online that would translate well to silhouettes. I printed them out and traced them on my WonderUnder. As I was working with all knit fabrics, I didn't bother with fancy edges and did a simple straight stitch as close to the edge of each design as possible.

Scout got a "baby Yoda with his bone broth" shirt, with the backside of some sweatshirt fleece for the fuzzy tunic. The green was some leftover mineral knit from Birch fabrics. 

Little Man's was the easiest design, a simple Mandalorian helmet:

And Laddie's was the most complicated, with a rather detailed BB8 motif! I did buy a thrifted orange tee for this applique, since I was quite sure I didn't have anything in that shade in my stash.

Rosa got Princess Leia -- I used a tiny scrap of Birch Organics french terry in "Marsala" for the lips, which I'd actually purchased to make another Jasper sweatshirt dress for myself. I ended up lining the pocket of my sweatshirt dress with the leftover jersey from Rosa's shirt, which seemed serendipitous. And there was enough french terry left to make a coordinating dress for Rosa... but I'll post them another time.

At last, all wrapped and ready to go under the tree! The littles were delighted with their Star Wars creations (they each also received Star Wars Lego sets the next day, so perhaps that was our theme this year?), and have worn them often ever since. As someone who rarely spends more than $1 for an entire set of pajamas, this is quite the yearly splurge! But it's well worth the looks on their faces, and  since they wear their Christmas pajamas until they are literally falling apart, it's a decent investment. 

For Christmas pajamas in years past:

Christmas 2016

Christmas 2018

Christmas 2019

Christmas 2020

'Twas the Night Before Christmas: Pajamas, 2020 Edition

As Christmas 2020 drew near, it was time to tackle the littles' yearly Christmas pajamas. They open them on Christmas Eve so they can wear them on Christmas morning, and it's become a favorite tradition. They often wear them for years -- Scout still has the pair I made when he was 18 months old, which look quite comical now that he's 3 1/2! 

For Rosa's pajamas, I finally bought some of the Birch Pirouette fabrics that I've been eyeing for ages. I used the free T-shirt pattern from Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom for the top, but I wanted to add some detail. I cut the front pattern piece off just below the armhole, cut the top portion as directed, but  placed the lower pattern piece a few inches from the fold to make it wider. Then I gathered the top edge, and sewed it to the top of the shirt. Instead of a neckband I cut a facing, sewed it right-sides-together to the shirt, then flipped it to the inside and top-stitched. Very simple alterations, but it made for an entirely different look!

For the pants, I used Life Sew Savory's free family PJ pants pattern. I contemplated leggings, but my knit was a thick interlock and I thought looser pants would probably fit better and longer. 

I chose a Riley Blake National Parks print for the boys' pants, and a solid organic jersey for their tops. I used the same free t-shirt pattern and PJ pants pattern that I used for Rosa, which made everything quite simple! I did have to hem their pants afterwards, as I'd been a bit over-generous with the length (why didn't I just grab pants that fit them to check the length? Oh well...). This year I finally remembered to add folded ribbon "tags" to the boys' shirts and pants (in their favorite colors) so that they can identify their own clothes. At this point, Laddie and Scout are so close in size that matching pajamas often end up in the wrong bins!

I finished these up just in time for Christmas Eve, and the littles' delight was well worth the time and effort! I'm happy that they still enjoy wearing their mama-made pajamas -- and they've been worn quite often since Christmas, so now it's just a question of whether they'll grow out of them or wear them to tatters first...

Little Gifts

With a new niece on the way, I recently had the excuse to make some tiny "welcome to the world" gifts! Everything is sweeter in miniature, isn't it?

First up was a leaf lace pixie hat, knit in deliciously soft mauve Coboo -- it's a blend of bamboo and cotton, so it's also easy to launder and will hopefully be cool enough for slightly warmer weather. I honestly can't even remember whether I made the newborn or 3-6 mths size! But the lace pattern was a treat to knit, and I finished it off with a vintage button.

Next were a pair of leather Mary Janes from the Podsshoes pattern -- I did manage to use my machine for these, but it wasn't exactly smooth sailing! Sewing with tissue paper helped immensely, but I do wish I could figure out why my machine skips so many stitches on leather. Oh well, they were finished in the end! I used bronze-colored KAM snaps as the closure because they're so simple and sturdy. Again, I can't remember what size I made but they should fit a beginning walker. 

And last, a little teether made with pink, wine, and marble silicone beads -- these are such fun to make! 

I managed to get everything sent off before this sweet baby's arrival, and now I have just have to figure out how I can get there to see her, too!

Shorts for the Shortest

Summer is coming. I have a growing toddler, but I also have an aversion to both fast fashion and expensive play clothes...

I've done a much better job of controlling my children's wardrobes over the past few years -- they have less excess clothing, and they actually wear their clothes out over the course of a season or two. This means less clothing to store, less waste, and lower costs. But it also means fewer hand-me-downs for my younger boys! With the charity shops still closed, it was time to upcycle.

Scout was in need of some summer shorts, so I found two suitable patterns and set to work. I cut out the grey knit shorts and a pair of leggings for Rosa from a second-hand women's skirt. They went together in a jiffy -- probably less than 2 hours for both garments. I cut the denim shorts out of a pair of women's stretchy jeans, and entire construction time (including printing/assembling the pattern) was probably an hour. 

The knit shorts are from Craft Passion's free 3T pattern. I typically shy away from boy's clothing, because it's hard to recreate all of the typical pockets, top-stitching, belt loops, etc., without significant effort. But play shorts seemed accessible, and I decided to keep the pockets to give them a more finished look. They were quite simple, really!

For the denim shorts I used the Misusu Olli shorts pattern. I noticed on the pattern page that there's a free code in the Facebook group, so this lovely pattern ended up being free! I love the design details, and the construction technique opens up all kinds of upcycling possibilities (I wouldn't usually be able to cut 2-3T shorts out of a pair of women's jeans without creative piecing). They went together so easily, and I was surprised how quickly I was able to finish them. I think they'll be quite cloth-diaper-friendly, too -- though it's time to think about potty-training Scout. Yay...

I did add some top-stitching, but the thread
blends in so well that you can't really see it!

Less in the stash, more shorts for Scout -- I'll call that a success. But I'll be very grateful when the charity shops reopen!

Handmade Christmas, 2019

I thought I should probably post these before January ended! While we didn't do much in the handmade department for Christmas this year, I did continue our tradition of new pajamas on Christmas Eve.

All of the patterns I used were free -- I so appreciate how many crafters have posted free patterns to the Interwebs, and many are multi-sized!

First up, the boys. I bought a yard of Dear Stella Supernova knit, thinking I could cut all of the shirt fronts and backs out of that. Well, I was a bit short! But by adding a yoke detail to the back in the same indigo rayon jersey that I'd bought for the sleeves/pants/neck trim, I was able to make it work. 

These went together assembly style, so it was really a pretty quick process! Ironically, both patterns I used are intended for girls... The shirts are made from the Girl's t-shirt pattern from Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom, and I don't recall making any changes. For the pants, I used the Made by Mermaids Bonny Leggings pattern. I did add some room to the leg/seat area, so that they wouldn't be quite as snug as leggings! It worked perfectly, and the stretchy rayon is quite comfy (so I hear).

 After finishing up the boys' pajamas far ahead of schedule in late November, I procrastinated with Rosa's and only finished a few days before Christmas! For her nightgown, I used Birch Organics Tree Stripes in "Sun," which I had in my stash (I'd mistakenly purchased it thinking it was a knit!). I was glad I could use something from the stash, not only to clear it out a bit, but also because I didn't need to spend more on fabric.

I used another pattern from Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom, the Peasant Dress pattern. It went together super quickly (obviously I couldn't be bothered to iron it, though!), and Rosa was thrilled. I didn't make leggings this time, since she already has plenty in her pajama collection.

It's been a whirlwind of a month, between celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary, visiting with family, and then dealing with various health issues over the past week and a half. But I'm finally on the mend, and I have a new project in the works (still in the taping/cutting out pattern stage) -- oh, I finished my Jasper sweatshirt dress, but haven't had a chance to wear it yet because I've not been feeling well! Hopefully I can give it a whirl and post some details soon.

Hope you're having a lovely New Year!

Little Love

A dear friend from Virginia is getting ready to have her second baby. In other words, an excuse to sew and craft! I suppose I used a variety of materials for this gift -- leather, wood, linen, and silicone. 

I'd wanted to try making one of these balls for some time, and now I had the perfect opportunity. It's simply 12 pentagons stitched together. Construction gets a bit confusing, and it's a LOT of seaming -- but I love the result. The size of the pentagons will (obviously) determine the size of the ball, and I love that you can make it as big or as small as you want. I literally made a pentagon shape in Microsoft Word, copied it 11 times, and printed it out. 

My friend had pacifier leashes on her registry, so I dipped into my wood and silicone bead stash to make one:

I also included a Baby Believer board book (which I just discovered, and absolutely love!), and Gloria Furman's Treasuring Christ When Your Hands Are Full (a favorite of mine when I'm in need of Biblical encouragement as a mom -- which is always).

A little handcrafted love to welcome this new, little God-crafted life!

A Pinteresting Problem

I have a love-hate relationship with Pinterest. Even apart from the questionable wisdom of bombarding one's self with images of perfectly staged rooms and beautiful wares, there is another dilemma: actually putting all of those marvelous saved ideas to use! Granted, the "love" generally outweighs any misgivings I might have, and I have a burgeoning Pinterest board to prove it. But sometimes I grow frustrated at the masses of wonderful ideas I've saved (but never used), and feel the urge to actually make the things I've pinned.

Fortunately, that urge aligned with Rosa's need for summer tops and a remnant of brown linen I had from my most recent Tova.  

The neckline looks a bit awkward in this view, but it seems to work well
when Rosa is actually wearing it.

I've had a pleat tutorial from Project Run and Play saved for several years, and still hadn't put it to use. Why not try it now? I pulled out my Shaka Laka blouse pattern, added the appropriate amount to the center front, and got busy.

Let me just say right here that this was quite a tedious undertaking! The fluidity of my linen fabric stymied my efforts to get perfect pleats, my fabric marker is almost out of ink, and overall it ended up being a bit more difficult than I'd anticipated. Happily, I managed to get it right -- or rather, close enough -- in the end. Stitching the little pleats together was actually quite satisfying, so I shouldn't gripe too much.

For the back, I omitted the buttons and left a gap at the top for a closure.

A vintage pearl button seemed the best candidate in my stash, and a simple button loop sewn with brown buttonhole thread secures it all in place. I wasn't even sure I remembered how to sew a button loop, but it came back quite naturally. Assuming I did it right, which may not be the case... It functions, in any case, and I promise it looks half decent. 

I top-stitched the neckline and faced armholes with fuchsia thread to match the pleat detailing, and repeated that with the hem stitching. Just a little pop of color to brighten it up for Rosa!

Of course, I realize that I'm setting myself up for quite a bit of ironing this summer, since most of Rosa's recent makes have been cotton and linen. But the joy she has in wearing the clothes I make her should get me through any ironing tedium -- and a bit of satisfaction at finally completing a Pinterest project won't hurt, either.

One down, several thousand to go.... *wink*

The Subtly Subliminal Seamstress

I realize the title is a bit redundant, but the alliteration was irresistible. Actually, come to think of it, the title might not be right at all, because there's nothing very "subliminal" about this top! I'm overtly encouraging my daughter to like sewing. *wink*

With warmer temperatures on their way, I've been busy getting Rosa's closet ready. She mainly needed tops, which is fabulous considering how many 1-yard (or less!) remnants I have. And when there's not enough fabric for the bodice and sleeves... well, you find another scrap that coordinates.

The fabric is a Japanese import purchased from Fabricworm (it's Osaihou by Megumi Sakakibara for Kei Japan, in case you're curious!). I love the little seamstresses and other crafty accoutrements.

I followed The Girl Inspired's Tutorial for adding a "sleeveless ruffle" to a peasant top. The tutorial actually goes with a pattern -- but since I already have a free peasant pattern from Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom, I didn't want to purchase a peasant dress pattern. I added up my pattern pieces (front + back + 2x sleeve), and calculated the width I wanted; I think it was somewhere around 4 1/2" to account for seam allowance and hemming.

Everything went together beautifully, and this turned out to be a quick and satisfying project. The pocket was a bit of an afterthought, and seemed a good way to tie in the green linen. 

Rosa is asking more and more to help me with sewing, and that brings such joy to my heart. So perhaps I don't need to be sneaky about promoting sewing? At any rate, now she has the proper blouse to practice her sewing skills!

Hedgehogs and Serendipity

I'm so chuffed that Rosa still loves the things I sew for her! Of course, I give myself an advantage when I use hedgehog fabric...

Admittedly, Rosa did think at first that they were puppies hiding under bushes!

I had fabric left over from my double point needle cases, and when I found SewPony's free Dulcie dress pattern recently, I was inspired to try it out right away! I printed only the bodice pieces, because I already had a skirt. I'd made a linen blend wrap skirt over two years ago, and only wore it once or twice. It just didn't work, much as I wanted it to. It didn't look right with any of my tops, and I was disappointed to have wasted money and time. Not a very serendipitous start! I stuffed it away in the stash, and several times it was nearly thrown out altogether. But I knew I could at least get a pair of baby pants out of it, so I kept it. And now I'm glad I did! I cut off the waistband, added a center back seam, and stitched on some pockets. I was even able to use the leftover wrap skirt ties:

I changed a few things about the dress -- I altered the back to button up instead of zip, and added a short placket in the skirt back to accommodate that change. I also added the contrast sleeve band, a coordinating detail on the bodice, and a bias binding for the neckline. Fortunately, I still had the scraps from my original wrap skirt (I hoard linen scraps!), so I had a little extra fabric to work with.

For a final touch? A little fabric hair clip, made with the very last fragments of fabric.

I'm so pleased with how this turned out! Serendipitous, indeed. I have another wrap skirt in khaki linen that may meet the same fate if this dress is a success with its new owner...

Give Me Liberty... and Linen

I bought one yard of Liberty of London cotton from Fabricworm a while back, with the intention of making something for Rosa. I do love Liberty fabrics, and their quilting weight cottons give me the chance to enjoy their prints (in moderation) without paying the hefty price tag for their lawns! Maybe one day I will splurge...

Anyway, once I figured out what I wanted to make, I had to buy some coordinating ochre linen (of course!), and soon after set to work. This is a bit late to be posting, considering that I finished this ensemble back in the fall. But somehow it never got photographed, and Spring seems a more appropriate time, anyway.

I used the Shaka Laka Peter Pan blouse pattern as a starting point, but diverged very quickly! The linen skirt is a simple rectangle with elastic waist and a faux drawstring.

Sleeve ruffles seemed summery and feminine! They're perfect when working with limited amounts of fabric, too.

The back buttons up with some vintage buttons -- I have quite a stash of that particular type, gifted by a friend from church a decade ago. I'm dreading the day I run out, because they're quite versatile!

It's hanging in the closet now, just waiting for those temperatures to start climbing. I get to indulge my love of Liberty, Rosa gets to enjoy a new outfit, and her closet is one step closer to being ready for summer. Though I should probably pace myself; we've only just left winter behind!