closing out kcwc: blue jean babies

           

after my massive mid-week roadblock, i wanted to do something simple to tie things up, and be able to make something for each kid relatively quickly.  i bought a few yards of cotton denim on my joann's shopping spree with the intention of making skinny jeans for the kids, only to realize the fabric is 100% cotton and thus not stretchy.  i could cut on the bias...or i could make life easy and make non-skinny jeans.  in fact, i realized that the big boy has no jeans!  he wore one of bean's a few times as an infant, but grew out of them over a year ago.  

and for bean, the simplest thing you can sew, a gathered skirt with a little pseudo bias tape at the hem.  since the skirt is made from a rectangle, the "bias" tape doesn't need to be cut on the bias because there are no curves.  easy!  i have a stigma against skirts and never put bean in them because i find them impractical.  diapers always flailing about, skinned, knees, etc.  as a result, she has about one in her wardrobe which i made knee length.  i meant to do the same with this one, but somehow it ended up mid thigh (i'm blaming exhaustion) as most patterns recommend for little girls but i find too short.  i think its utility will be renewed when it cools down and can be worn over a pair of leggings.  she might get a few more skirts for that purpose.

                                         

of course, things are never quite as simple as they should be...i found myself wondering how many times i will sew a french seam BACKWARDS before i just stop doing that.  i'm still struggling to draft a good pants pattern shape for reese for some reason, when i've had no issue with bean.  the usual bobbin issues--running out, bad tension, messy backstitching, etc.  with the jeans and grey cords i made a super long hem so they can be let out as the kids grow up and hopefully not out, but sewing a 3" cuff is almost impossible to not sew onto it to itself, especially at 12:30am.  

i had plans to embellish the jeans a little more, maybe some top stitched front pockets and a fly.  but when i finished them (those back pockets are actual pockets, not decoration), i thought they looked handsome with a plain front, thinking, he has no dress pants, and the dark fabric and flat waist makes them look more formal.  so i shut down my sewing operation.  shortly thereafter i wondered when in the hell he would ever need dress pants (?!), but i can always make him another pair that's more casual...

so, that concludes my wild week long sewing adventure!  i'm so glad i really dove in headfirst to this, when only a few short days ago i'd as much as decided to skip it.  there really is something special about joining a cause (if you can call it that), a lot of energy and excitement and support to keep going through the frustration and challenges, and the anticipation not just of finishing your own projects, but seeing what others are creating.  

i haven't learned much in the way of technique, but i have become a slightly more confident basic sewer, and am ready now to take it to the next level and try some patterns that will elevate my skill level.  it has been so long, longer literally than i can remember, since i've devoted so much time to actual creativity.  i have done a lot of creating since i started knitting, but mostly as something to keep my hands busy and following others' patterns with little customization until very recently.  this week really forced me to tap in to my artistic vision (or something of that nature), to experience the joy of buying yards of fabric with no specific project in mind, and then to sit and look at it and let the ideas grow and take shape.  and then attempting to execute them.  

very interesting, the creative process, and so much fun.  i'm sure my family is more than ready for the house again to be cleaned, the fridge to be full, the meals to be made (last night's dinner was pasta made with tvp, butter, tamari, and beet stalks david chopped up for compost.  in all fairness, i had to cut the kids off the way they were scarfing it down, so i'm not a total disgrace as a parent/chef!).  but, i'm so glad i had this opportunity for its inspiration and motivation.  it has left me comfortably buzzed with the desire to go on creating maybe beautiful, but definitely love-filled garments for my wonderful little darlings.

update:  bean's skirt tore at the hem 10 minutes into wear today.  whoops.  when i went to mend it during nap/scream time today (we're back to that), my sewing machine announced its own end to kcwc by refusing to adjust its top tension anymore.  it's just done.  i lovingly disassembled it, cleaned it, and changed its parts, but it is still defeated.  we're going together tomorrow to the sewing machine doctor.  grrrrr!  seriously?  it quits after 2.5 months?  that's just not right.  on a more positive note, check out this nice little endorsement from the hostess of kcwc herself:

nice!

kcwc days 5-7, a shirr fire disaster.

i understand the premise of this challenge is simply to sew one hour PER DAY for your kids.  but that is not as fun as sewing in every possible spare moment at the expense of your parenting and housekeeping responsibilities to complete roughly 1.5 pieces of wearable clothing per day, now is it?  i have kept my projects simple enough that this is possible while still keeping my children fed and somewhat hygienic (david and the cat are 100% neglected as they can fend for themselves), and that should have been the case three days ago.  alas, a shirr disaster thwarted me from my pace and has me working overtime to compensate.  but i shan't be deterred.  shan't has an apostrophe?  

have you ever started a project, any sort, not just sewing, where all the signs are pointing you away from it?  as in, run far, far away and leave this behind?  but you stick with it, because you don't want to be a quitter, or you've already invested time, or you're hopeful or naive or just plain stubborn, or some horrible concoction of all three?  that is this project.  

a few nights into kcwc (which seems like it has gone on for one year at this point) i found myself childless close to a joann fabric.  what a luxury!  so, i dragged my husband functioning on 4 hours of sleep (see paragraph 1) back and forth through the aisles shopping all the discounts, and came across this cute flower patterned calico with a color pallet i'm really into these days.  i thought it would be a great tunic top for bean, and had an "easy" pattern in one of my books that requires minimal cutting and simple shirring around the collar to fit it.  an easy one nighter.  i'd never shirred before, but i'd never done much of anything before this week, and the idea is to challenge myself, right?  besides, it seems to be everyone's go-to easy technique.

perhaps the first red flag was taking this fabric out of the wash after responsibly preshrinking it to find it looking like somebody mopped the floor of a frat house with it.  what nuclear bomb exploded in our washing machine, and why was this the only item affected?!  maybe somebody who knows how to properly sort and launder textiles can explain this to me.  covered in grayish, brownish amoebas, i told myself children's clothing is always dirty anyway and it sort of blends in with the pattern.  press on!  so many other times i probably should have trusted my gut, that it just didn't look right, but i've had beginner's luck before in cooking and in knitting, so why not sewing?

and so i kept going.  i dutifully cut the size 1/2 pieces, pinned them, pressed them, hemmed them, seamed them together just so, and read and reread the explanation of shirring.  and had a whirl.  and failed.  and carefully picked out every last one of the thousand stitches to preserve the precious elastic thread.  and read and reread again.  and researched online.  and watched videos.  and shirred again.  and failed again.  and repeated the process until the shirt was so full of holes, snags, and millions of thread bits that i couldn't even see what i was doing.  it was around this time that my husband cautiously asked me if this is "still fun."

i followed with frantic artistic redirection...i have a huge, shapeless frock and really no skill to make it into something wearable for a 2 year old...i started crazily combining little techniques i have glossed over here and there in the craftblogosphere but really have no business executing.  um, huge sleeves need to be smaller....ruffles?  tons of extra fabric in the neckline...pleats?  and doesn't piping make everything look nice?  how the hell do you apply piping?  after ironing, pinning, marking, measuring, sewing, ripping, pulling, and a fair amount of hand sewing, i finally reshaped this wretched frock into something decent looking (that will probably unravel into a million pieces on first washing).  i didn't want to just use the fabric, i really wanted it to be something attractive and utile.  i can't say the integrity is excellent...steve jobs is posthumously frowning at me as the parts unseen are definitely not beautiful, but i did what i could.

so, it looks fine sitting on a table, but, what would it look like on the ever glamorous bean?  i thought we'd not manage a photo shoot until tomorrow, because i had to soothe my fragile, bruised sewing ego with a quick pair of pants to match this horrid shirt, which of course i had to embellish with matching pleated pockets.  i think it's subtle enough that she can still wear the pants with other tops.  anyhow, the whole ensemble wasn't done until dad left for work with the phone/camera. 

but, when bean woke up crabby from her nap, not improved by me picking her up and promptly ramming her into the door frame en route to reese's room, a bright smile curled her lips at the mention of a "surprise."  she knows what that means now, and immediately said, "should we put it on?!"  no sooner did i concede (in spite of her poopy diaper) than she demanded a photo shoot.  not the best quality photos since i don't know how to use our fancy camera, but you'll get the idea:

"mom, this is falling off!"

                                        

"MOM, MY SHIRT IS FALLING OFF!"

                       

"bean, can you please stop touching your shirt and put your hands at your sides?"

           

                                      

"at your sides bean, not picking your nose.  reese, can you sit over here?"

 "mom, where are my pockets?  i can't find my pockets!"

                                               

wearable shirt?  sort of.  it might actually fit her when she's 4, at which point i might know enough about sewing to fix it into something a little more sturdy.  i had a strange moment today when i finished the pants and had no next project in mind, and reese surprised me with a long nap (we have enlisted him in daily morning boot camp and make him walk a mile under the hot davis sun to try and exhaust him beyond napping protest).  i felt all this pressure, like i HAVE to be sewing if the kids are sleeping, because i can't when they're awake and that's all i've been doing!  instead i regrouped a bit about how to conclude this adventurous week.  i'm bringing it back to basics and including the boy, since he's both so very precious and far more interested in this whole process than his sister (very difficult to keep him out of the photo shoot).  i'll be back for a concluding post in the next few days, but for now, i've got more cutting, pinning, and pressing to do!

kcwc retropost #2, reversible baby pants

                                                   

i have finally finished battling with my project for day 5 (this is not it), which turned into day 5 and 6.  more on that later.  in the meantime, just a quick post on this baby gift for some of our friends back in chicago, who recently welcomed baby #3 to their brood.  now that i've photographed them, i can actually send them!

i really like the idea of reversible kid pants for several reasons.  where it is cold, this offers an extra layer of warmth, which infants can use in those chicago winters.  you get twice as many outfit options, good for the wardrobe and also for frequent spills and messes.  i should probably make a pair for myself.  the pattern is from anna maria horner's "handmade beginnings."  very cute book by a favorite fabric designer of mine; i've renewed it from the library indefinitely as i work through different projects.

                            

for the pants i used amy butler love flannel for one side, joel dewberry tile flourish voile for the other.  very soft and reasonably masculine!  adding a simple appliqué to a onesie is a 5 minute touch that makes a cute addition to the outfit.  stegosaurus in this case.  i just google whatever shape i'm looking for and trace it right off my computer onto heat and bond.  i love it.  i went appliqué bonkers in our guest room.

i am mentally exhausted from my disaster project the last 48 hours, so i will leave you with this until the next toddler photo shoot--the fun part!

kcwc day 4: upcycled mom to kid pants

these two pairs of pants have been lingering in my wardrobe for six years or so, at least two thirds of which in their current condition--wrinkled on the closet floor.  i wouldn't call either impulse buys.  the yellow linen enjoyed heavy summer rotations in fact for a few years before downsizing our closet space in chicago and transferring many clothes to our storage unit.  the green pants were well intentioned but never really took off.  the fit was unflattering and they are hopelessly wrinkled whenever they get cleaned.


when we moved, i rediscovered both pairs, and thought i might revive them after all this time (while everything else we unearthed down there easily went to goodwill since i could clearly live without it).  then i made a few visits to the gap outlet (i never buy any clothing for myself, including these pants, at full price) and the pants again became obsolete.  so they've been resigned again to the closet floor for me to give away when i get around to it.

and then i started sewing.  and i realized my goodwill pile is actually an AWESOME FABRIC STASH.  i did love something about all of these things at one time, and i'm excited to modify them again into something wearable by somebody else.  and so, i present to you, mom to kid pants!


reese gets the awesome green color, since the wrinkled look is more appropriate on little boys than grown women.  i made my own patterns for these pants off of their shorts (again, no pants yet this season), and i wanted to use as many already existing hems and seams as possible.  this created some problems in diaper-butt sizing since i have to sew when the kids are sleeping and can't check fit.  so, these pants are of the low rise variety.

















check out this stud.


















































for bean, the light yellow.  somehow, these fit perfectly today.  not sure about next week.  i added a few simple embellishments and am really happy with how they turned out.

                                              
simple topstiching in different colors on the hem.  truly, sewing in a straight line is the hardest part of sewing, in my opinion.






























buttons and a cute little twill tape tag.  i have been trying to figure out what kind of tags to make to put on some of my items, and i really like making each of them individually with the twill tape.  time consuming, but super personalized.  otherwise how do you get them to match?


































and, today's toddler photo shoot...outfit by mom, props by bean.  "mom, i'm taking the plane in the photo shoot!"































































































action shot!  they move!

i, like many others, have trouble making cool stuff for little boys :(  i just totally lack any vision.  but i had to buy a notebook to jot down all my ideas for little girl clothes because they crowd my brain.  they the rest of this challenge might be devoted to bean simply out of abundance of [fast] ideas.  sorry little guy--i promise i will knit you something handsome when this madness is over!

but for today, a new technique on a blouse for bean.  now stop reading and go make something!

kcwc retropost day 1: pimp that target sh-- er, embellish that target merchandise

the kids could use some long sleeves and pants for the early mornings and late evenings.  i have plans, and even yarn, to knit them some items, but as discussed, knitting takes quite a bit of time.  i'm not yet skilled enough to sew jackets (without a lot of cursing and throwing things, at least), and target makes some really cute, inexpensive items--cheaper than i could probably even sew them.  but i still like the idea of personalizing my kids' clothing.  so, these jackets are not exactly handmade, but they are hand embellished.  well, machine-hand embellished.

cherokee 3T blazer with joel dewberry heirloom voile opal in blush lining the back, pockets, and cuffs with a little flower on the lapel.  i snagged this the second i saw it with the intention of lining it with something really feminine.  i don't like to dress bean in a ton of pink, but i really love the look of little flashes of it.  the blazer is a cozy sweatshirt material, so sewing the voile onto it was somewhat challenging, but super soft and comfy results.

circo 18 month hoodie lined in amy butler chinese lanterns in grass.  i had a mere shred of a fat quarter left of this fabric from making myself a wallet, and it was literally the only boy appropriate fabric i had on hand, because i didn't think of lining this until the kcwc challenge and lining bean's.  i love the contrast of the bright green with the navy and had just enough to do exactly this and no more.

for both jackets, i really totally guessed the process and slapped the item on the liner and outlined it in chalk, then cut a seam allowance.  somehow the hoodie was the easiest thing i've ever made, and the big lesson from bean's blazer is when you line something stretchy with something not stretchy, cut more than you think you need of the liner since the linee, you know, stretches.

obviously, my kids are no strangers to the camera.  but, they've never been in a "real" fashion shoot before.  toddler fashion shoots are quite entertaining.  aside from the jackets, they both styled their own outfits, right down to the sock/s.  fortunately, they were both excited to wear their new jackets.

                                

reese really had his own artistic vision for this shoot, and could not be posed, so i snapped what i could of the hood lining.  he cares more about his wardrobe than his sister and brings clothes to me in the morning proclaiming, "wear it!  wear it!"  he has been known to disapprove of my selections for him and make me change him before leaving the house.

bean, however, was a natural model and did a perfect job following my curious commands...

of course, smile!  then i ran out of ideas.

                                    

and....look....surprised!

                                               

where are your pockets?

                                                   

"mom, how 'bout jumping?"  even reese respected this brilliant suggestion.

overall, very pleased with how these jackets turned out, and they were pretty quick projects, especially the hoodie (even with my first meager attempt at making my own bias tape for the pocket detail).  we'll see how they hold up to toddler wear and tear, but it can't be any worse than unembellished target quality.  now it's off to class--our day to bring snack!

but just a few more pictures.