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I finished the back-zippered baby sweater yesterday. All the knitting has been completed for several months, the zipper was the part that took so long! It sat next to the sweater for a looong time while I ignored it completely until I was ‘ready’ to sew it in. Thank Sara for that aha moment a couple weeks ago! I basted it in in an hour -seriously, it took 15-20 minutes once I actually started with the thread, but I pinned it 3 times. I sewed in the first side over the next couple days and set it down again. Yesterday, I couldn’t find MissC’s jacket, so I grabbed the sweater and thread as I headed out the door. I finished sewing the zipper in during Bible study.

I took a phone pic, but am currently slightly inept at getting pics from the phone to the computer. I’ll take time to figure that out later.

Last night, Ben was out. The night before I came across a grocery bag pattern that I decided to try. Basically, use a plastic bag as the pattern for the fabric version. The tutorial shows how to make a pocket to fold the bag into for storage. I used some floral fabric that I might otherwise not use, and used the lining fabric as the pocket. The bag seriously looked not quite right without the pocket, probably because I’m used to seeing the store info on the plastic bags!

Gotta run. TJ has his Yorktown Reenactment today.

Note to self: Never set a cell phone down in the baby’s reach if she hasn’t been taught to not touch it.

Set down phone. Pick up baby and potty. Pee baby. Set down baby. Baby grabs phone and tosses in potty.

As of Tuesday night, my phone is fried. I’ll try plugging it in tomorrow. It may be dry by then.

Next on list? Sewing machine.

A gal requested a sling. Ben’s friend asked for the same color. I picked up the fabric, prepped it, sewed them. All’s well. I decided to try Jan’s DIY sheets because I have flannel fabric, but no warm sheet for the crib (and, often, shopping is more trying than making an item myself). (Oh, and as far as I can tell, she must be using 1/4″ seam allowances.. 27.375 + 5.875 =33.25, so if the fabric’s cut to 34″ that leaves just 3/4″ which is the 2 seam allowances plus a smidgeon of ease to get the sheet around the mattress) I finished the top sheet and almost finished the bottom. As I was hemming the opening, the needle broke and I think it damaged something in the bobbin housing. The top thread feeds fine, but the bobbin thread won’t budge.

Problem is: I’m commissioned for 2 more slings that I think are supposed to be Christmas presents. Any one know a good Bernina repairman in the South Bay Area?

I’d show you pictures, but the camera’s not working.

I guess I’ll just have to knit for a while..

I had to search, but I finally found my pattern! It was in a box of all sorts of diapering stuff, way down under everything.

My MIL asked what I use to make diapers. My favorite pattern is the Side-Snapping PooPockets by New Conceptions. Why? Aesthetics. I like the extra cuteness factor of the smoother front (the tabs get hidden behind the front layer instead of covering it over). They take a touch longer to make, but the fit is great.

(this is AJ, 4 years ago: about 11mo)
See? Smooth front, much cuter than bulky overlapping tabs.

Personally, I think it’s fun to get old sweatshirts from garage sales for these, but any good absorbent fabric works. Hemp is *great* for diapers! (Explanation of why hemp’s good.) The last time I made diapers, the outsides were shirts, sweatshirts or pants, and the insides were hemp. (In the photo above, the turned layer is hemp terry and has the soaker pad and elastic sewn to it, the blue layer will be the outside of the diaper and the hemp jersey will be the inner layer. I could just do the terry and outside because that terry is very durable!)

I’ve bought hemp at
Full Moon Hemp

Grandma’s coming. Well, my MIL, the children’s Grandma. She’ll be here in just over an hour and we’re so excited! AJ’s birthday is Sunday, so she’ll get to see Grandma off as she turns 5. We’re planning on an aquarium trip tomorrow, and who knows what beyond cake and ice cream on Saturday.

I wanted to get some ‘orders’ out of the way before she came. So, Sunday we picked up some fabric for slings and I finished these 5 last night. 2 lavender and a purple for gals at church (still need to finish up a pink one for another gal, too), and I found a neat denim that looks reversible for one for me.

I finally feel productive!

It’s funny, no matter how many times I clean, I have to do it again. No matter how much I cook, I just have to do it again! But, whenever I sew, I have something that I can use over and over again. Sure, I’ll sew again, and something quite similar, but that will last me a year or two minimum.. generally.. as long as the children don’t have scissors.. or I don’t use the bleach..

I was recently gifted 4 pairs of jeans. These don’t fit me (too small) and I don’t generally wear jeans any more, so I did a web search. I found 2 tutorials that pointed me in the right direction.
I started off trying to sew the center front seam flat.. I should know better! It’s even commented on here on notMartha, if I’d read before starting..), so I tried again. I grabbed the other pair of a close colour and got snipping. This time I used the info on savvyseams and opened up the back really close to the yoke in center back. This worked out great because there just wasn’t room for my ..um.. matronly rump without that.. (Hey, they’re size 2S! But, because they’re low-riders, the waist fits above my hips, I just had to relieve the squeeze).

First, I sewed the upper side seam of the craptastic first attempt straighter, then laid that on the jeans front sides up and pinned it for the triangle. Pin, twist, pin, fold, pin, stitch…
Then, repeat for rear. I only had so much fabric, so I matched the bottom hems and smoothed the fabric to work for me from there.

I want to do the tiered style for AJ’s skirts someday.

I stayed up late last night, and it was worth it.

I’ve been thinking about this for a month or so, even dabbled with my jumper (that’s American for a looser dress you wear over another dress or blouse).

See an ordinary jumper: in this case, New Look #6590, made in the shorter length with an added ruffle. Then I took a pattern that has back shaping (N.L. 6750) -but not overly fitted, I wanted to pull this on- and lined it up at the waist with the jumper pattern and shaped the back to reduce bulk. I also want to be able to wear this as a slip under a dress, especially the lower or open front types, so I raised the neck opening (which I may make a little lower on the next one so that it’s covered better at the neck edge when under t-shirts and the like). My butterfly dress covers the neck edge completely when buttoned.

Considering the fact that I wanted to wear this as a skirt, the slip is self-lined. I sewed the back seam first, then the shoulder seams, and the neck hole seam; Flipped right side out and pressed it, then understitched the seam to the lining. Next, I folded the armhole edge around the dress to sew the armhole seam, then pulled the dress right side out (like a tube or strap) and repeated for the other side. Then the side seams are lined up (making sure not to put in a twist) and sewn. Then the choice was to hem the lining and let it hang or just line up both layers and sew to the ruffle. I chose the latter.

July finished objects

3 swimdresses
TJ’s discipline dress for AJ
Anklet socks for me

Red & Blue

Originally uploaded by fullofstitches.

A month or two ago.. No, no, um.. in the early spring? I dunno, I think it happened this year… I was at Hancock’s Fabric and saw this cute Thomas the Tank Engine fabric. I’m not normally one to buy brand or character prints, but this one had the trains on *tracks*!!! I tossed it in the cart and when Miss A here saw it, she asked if I’d make her a dress from it. Then young TJ sauntered over and read, “Ho Ho Ho,” in the plumes from the trains. I sighed, and sought out a coordinating fabric. It was after Christmas (and, I don’t really buy into the Santa hubbub), but I’d already said yes (and, one must keep one’s word).

It may have been last month, or May, when I was working on another dress and these fabrics were floating near the top. I decided on a simple cut dress, for the summer the shoulders should be protected and with a nice twirly skirt. Well this is about as simple as they come! I cut it out and it’s been in the To Sew pile since.

Simplicity 5627
size 4 (lengthened, and skirt widened to full fabric width)
subbed the button & loop with a zipper

AJ’s very happy with it and would like to wear it to church in the morning.

On Sunday, we had lunch at Buca Di Beppo at the mall. Ben’s buddy, Jeremy, let Ben play with his and after lunch they sauntered over to the Apple store in the mall. They happened to have sold out which disappointed Ben.

Later on, he mentioned that he felt guilty that he wanted to buy this $600 phone and he hadn’t fixed the car yet. Wednesday, he noticed that the radiator in his commute car was leaking, and in this heat…. So, he decided to work from home Thursday/Friday and get that taken care of Saturday. Yesterday at lunchtime, he came home and picked up the van to price fixing it (which, we had determined would have to include straightening the frame, as well as replacing the A-arm). The mechanic explained how that would happen (basically, slice the frame in half, rotate/straighten the front -side to side and pulling front edge back forward-, weld back together) and by the time it gets added up and mixed with life-expectancy of the van, it seemed like a bit much for a 15+ year old vehicle.

Ben came home, had some lunch and went out again.

He found something that would work and fit his list of necessaries (included on the list: 8 passengers, rear A/C, and tinted/privacy glass). He had a blast with the sales guys, “I’m not buying today. Show me something with these things. If I like it, I’ll buy it tomorrow.” They kept showing him *new* 7 passenger mini-vans, but they had this one 8 passenger vehicle on the lot that someone ordered last year and hadn’t been able to get a loan for it (new, but not new pricing). He came home and researched the one he liked. Looked for deals available, looked in the employee “Rewards Program” from work, sought out ways to cut prices.

He went today with his Rewards # in hand and the manager just sighed and told them to show him anything. In the end, he brought home a shiny Dodge Durango with 8 passenger seating, rear A/C, and privacy glass. It’s got a nice engine and will fit us all comfortably, even if more of us happen in the next few years.

The inside is roomy and comfortable. The children are happy with it.

AJ’s dress is done. I had TJ do all the big seams and the sleeves and with it taking over a year (something about a pregnancy..), I bargained some work from him and just finished the ruffle and sleeve hems. He started a shirt for himself and a crosstitch and will have to finish those on his own.

I haven’t decided yet if I’ll track the in/out as much as just finished objects.. Many UFOs hang out for months in my sewing room.
In:
5 yards pink solid for bloomers/dresses for girls

Out/Done:
Finished bee dress (added buttons)
Embroidered TJ’s writing
miniature chair cushion
3 baby slings (5 yards)
Fixed button tab on Cow’s pinafore
4 Apron/Bonnets (5/8 yd each)

I’ve been knitting/sewing, but haven’t finished the rest so that does it.