Sweatshirt to Tunic Makeover

I have a quick project to share today.

It was time to retire this high school sweatshirt, and I have been excited to try my hand at a sweatshirt remake. I have done a few remakes in the past, mostly with mens' dress shirts, but I haven't loved how some of them turned out.  They work, but sometimes working isn't good enough, you know?

 

With this sweatshirt, I decided to really focus on the fit and make it work well. So here is what I did to it.

First, I removed the emblem and pocket and cut out the hood. I wanted to narrow the shoulder line, so I cut out most of the space where the emblem was, and I added two back darts in alignment with the neckline. These darts also helped narrow the neck because the hoods on sweatshirts is always nice and roomy (not so nice for a new collar). I added a 3" shawl collar in a neon fleece I had leftover from making cloth diapers.

I cut off the sleeves to make the arm hole in the bodice a little smaller, and then I tailored the sleeves a bit by adding a sleeve sloper (the sweatshirt had a boxy sleeve as seen in the before photo), and by narrowing the arm. The sloper made the sleeves much shorter, so I removed the wrist ribbing and added more fleece as an accent. The tunic would have worked just as well with 3/4 length sleeves, but I like having the full length.

I added length to the sweatshirt with another fleece band. My final step was to add an empire waste just under the shawl collar base. It's at an empire level now, with my pregnant self, but I'm guessing it will drop a bit without a belly.

 

Since this baby is almost here, I wanted to make something that would be useful all winter. I think this fits the bill. Now I can be cozy but not look as sloppy as a big bulky sweatshirt!

(trust me, there are other big bulky sweatshirts that will also see plenty of use too :) )

Goody Two Shoes

I'm back with more baby ware! This time, baby's style is enhanced by a healthy collection of shoes.

I made five (what baby needs five pairs of shoes? mine) pairs of these Teeny Tiny Goody Two Shoes - a pattern by Allison Jones from the book Meet Me at Mike's (curated by Pip Lincolne). I found the book at my local library. Let me tell you, my library really likes to support the modern sewist.

I used fabric from my stash (it's a trend around here), and these cute little green ones are made with fabric that my husband bought for me for Christmas over two years ago. Finally found the perfect use for it :)

I used non-skid fabric for the soles, just in case Babes starts to venture onto two feet before he or she grows out of them. I found this fabric as a remnant at Hancock Fabrics a long time ago, but I haven't come across it since.

But wait, there's more! There are two more pairs waiting Baby's arrival.

Yep, that's right, Little One's very own pairs of Thoms, not Toms (because of our last name).  I used Leisha's free pattern from Homemade Toast for newborn shoes, but she sells a pattern for infant, toddler, and children sizes as well!

Again, you guessed it, stash fabric, along with non-skid soles. These are so tiny, though, I don't imagine the non-skid getting much use. Let me tell you, I battled these shoes a bit. First with trying to print the tags - we were running out of ink, I had three opportunities to print correctly (mirror image in b&w) and of course it took me 4 to get it right :) I also burned two tags while ironing them, which explains why my versions do not have the traditional tag on the side of the shoe.

Lessons learned. But hey, they still turned out cute!

Basic Newborn Pants

I wrapped up a few bottoms for Baby today :) I made these little pants using the Basic Newborn Pant pattern from Rae at Made by Rae.  These pants sew up so quickly - 3 seams, 3 hems, and some elastic. It doesn't get much easier.

I would warn any go-getters to make sure you keep track of which seam is the leg seam and which is the center seam; otherwise you may end up with a tiny little rise and butt!

I decided to just use up fabrics in my stash. I admit, they don't match and make a collection, but individually, they are each cute!

The tutorial states that the hip circumference is the same as a 6-12 month pattern Rae sells, so they may work for older babies too. With that in mind, I opted to add a little folded cuff to two of the pants, which can be unfolded when Little One gets too tall for the newborn length. For this, I just took the width measurement at the bottom of the leg seam and created a rectangle with that length and a height of 4-5".

I would highly recommend this pattern - it is so straightforward and Rae makes it really easy to follow!

Newborn Sleep Sacks

When I saw these sleep sacks on pinterest, it took me about 2 seconds to decide to make some of my own.  It just took me until yesterday to finish them :)

I had to get the fabric, because despite my stash, I had no gender-neutral flannel or usable jersey to speak of.  First, I cut up a [really] old pair of Care Bear pajama pants because no one my age should own them (full disclosure: they are from college).  I decided to order organic cotton jersey, which was soft, relatively thin, and had lots of movement, along with a flannel in a geometric print. My favorite fabric, however, is Turtle Parade from the Les Amis flannel collection by Patty Sloniger for Michael Miller. I've been loving teal lately, and I love turtles. I always have and always will. You may notice the turtle one is a bit special with the fabric upside-down on the back of the arm. I was clearly not paying attention to the fabric direction.

The pattern is from Jessica at Running With Scissors, and I really like how she included a fold-over cuff to help prevent Baby's sharp little finger nails from doing damage. The pattern is for a newborn size, but mine came out slightly bigger than newborn (or at least I hope I don't have to push out a baby that big).  Maybe with a wash, they will cinch up a bit. I used a half-inch seam allowance throughout.

Now all we need is a baby to fill them!

Newborn Crochet Letterman Sweater - Pattern

I shared this vintage-style V-neck Letterman sweater here on Friday.

Today I thought I'd share the pattern in case you (1) love to crochet, (2) love little babies in old-man clothes, and (3) wanted to make your own!  It is pretty straightforward, worked from the bottom up, with seams around the armholes and finishing rows at the neck and waist.

Newborn Crochet Letterman Sweater
This pattern is for personal use only. Please do not sell finished items or reproduce any portions of the pattern. Feel free to link back to it here, though!

Hook size: G
Gauge: 4 dc = 1"

Ch 66
Row 1: dc in third chain from hook, continue 62 dc across (64 dc, first chains count as one dc), turn
Row 2-7: ch 3 (counts as first dc), dc in each st across (64 dc), turn
Row 8: ch 3, dec, 59 dc, dec (62 dc), turn
Row 9: ch 3, dec, 57 dc, dec (60 dc), turn
Row 10: ch 3, dec, 55 dc, dec (58 dc), turn
Row 11: ch 3, dec, 53 dc, dec (56 dc), turn

beginning of right chest panel (a)
Row 12a: ch 3, dec, 8 dc, dec (11 dc), turn
Row 13a: ch 3, dec, 6 dc, dec (9 dc), turn
Row 14a: ch 3, dec, 4 dc, dec (7 dc), turn
Row 15a: ch 3, dec, 2 dc, dec (5 dc), turn
Row 16a: ch 3, dec, dec (3 dc)
finish off


left chest panel (b)
Begin thirteen stitches from the end of row 11 (shown by the green stitch marker in the photo below)

Row 12b: ch 3, dec, 8 dc, dec (11 dc), turn
Row 13b: ch 3, dec, 6 dc, dec (9 dc), turn
Row 14b: ch 3, dec, 4 dc, dec (7 dc), turn
Row 15b: ch 3, dec, 2 dc, dec (5 dc), turn
Row 16b: ch 3, dec, dec (3 dc)
finish off



back panel (c)
Begin in the stitch directly after the right chest panel ends (shown by the green stitch marker in the photo below)

Row 12c: ch 3, dec, 27 dc, dec (30 dc), turn
Row 13c: ch 3, dec, 25 dc, dec (28 dc), turn
Row 14c: ch 3, dec, 23 dc, dec (26 dc), turn
Row 15c: ch 3, dec, 21 dc, dec (24 dc), turn
Row 16c: ch 3, dec, 19 dc, dec (22 dc)
finish off

sleeves (make 2) - contrasting color, if you choose
ch 17
Row 1: sc in second ch from hook, sc across (16 st)
Row 2: ch 2 (counts as first hdc), hdc in next two st, *2 hdc in next st, hdc in next two st* 4 times, hdc in next st (20 hdc), turn
Row 3-10: ch 2, 19 hdc (20 hdc), turn
Row 11:  ch 2, dec, 6 hdc, dec, 7 hdc, dec (17 hdc), turn
Row 12:  ch 2, dec, 5 hdc, dec, 5 hdc, dec (14 hdc), turn
Row 11:  ch 2, dec, 3 hdc, dec, 4 hdc, dec (11 hdc), turn
Row 11:  ch 2, dec, 6 hdc, dec (9 hdc), turn
Row 11:  ch 2, dec, 4 hdc, dec (7 hdc), turn
Row 11:  ch 2, dec, 2 hdc, dec (5 hdc), turn
Row 11:  ch 2, dec, dec (3 hdc)
finish off

Attach the sleeves to the sweater body, and finish the sleeve seem from armpit to wrist.

Neck finishing rows - contrasting color if you choose
Pick up stitches around the neck from the chest panels, sleeves, and back panel.
Row 1: ch 1, sc in same st, 2 sc, dec, *4 sc, dec* 4 times, 2 sc (26 sc)
Row 2: ch 1, sc in same st, sc, dec, *3 sc, dec* 4 times, 2 sc (21 sc)

Waist finishing rows - contrasting color if you choose
Pick up stitches around the waist
Row 1: ch 1, sc in same st, *dec, 4 sc* 10 times, dec, sc (53 sc)
Row 2: ch 1, sc in same st, 52 sc (53 sc)

Attach your letter of choice, and you are all set!

Crocheted Newborn Take-home Sweaters

Not knowing the Babe's gender has been so fun and exciting. I haven't hit that point [that everyone keeps telling me I will hit] when I wish we just knew.  I am hoping that excitement carries through to the delivery room, but just in case, I made these little sweaters as a visual reminder of the amazing impending surprise.

I want the Little One to have a special handmade memento from the newborn phase (or maybe I want it to remind me how tiny he or she once was), and I want a special heirloom for that momentous trip home from the hospital.

Thanks to a routine trip to the mechanic, I had plenty of time to wrap these up this week.  I made them with leftover yarns I already had on hand. The newborn baby girl sweater is based on this pattern from ravelry, but I used a smaller hook (G) and chose not to do the picot edge on the sleeves.

I made my own pattern for the newborn baby boy sweater. I wanted it to like an old-fashioned V-neck letterman's sweater, like something fresh out of the 50s.  The T is for Team Thomas :) I will be sharing the pattern next week!

Nursing Cover Scarf & Tutorial

I am so intimidated by all the STUFF that comes along with having a child. I'm naturally not a "stuff" kind of gal, and a lot of what I have serves me in multiple ways. Enter: the multi-purpose Nursing Cover Scarf.

I am linking this project to Quiltstory's Fabric Tuesday this week! 

Pop on over there and see what everyone else has been up to!

Baby arrives in November - prime scarf season. Chances are, when we finally get around to exiting the house, I will be more likely to wear a scarf than to pack a nursing cover.  Just one more thing the diaper bag doesn't need.  I used a combination of voile and lawn because they are so buttery soft and lightweight with lots of drape, and I think Baby's heat will be cozy enough for me.

I love this scarf just as a scarf. I made it extra long (71" around) because I like my scarves to have some roominess. And bonus - just unwrap it, throw it over one shoulder, and you have a nice cozy nursing cover. I think it also looks a little more natural, and I won't have to search around for a blanket or something else to use. And if the whole nursing thing doesn't work out as planned, I still have a cute scarf.

Here's how to make your very own!

Nursing Cover Scarf Tutorial
This pattern is intended for personal use only - please do not sell finished products or reproduce the pattern or portions of the pattern. Feel free to link back to the tutorial here, though!

Finished Size: 22.5" wide & 71" around
Fabric requirements: 2 yards voile or lawn. I used 1 yard of Notting Hill Kaleidoscope voile in Poppy by Joel Dewberry (front), and 1 yard of coordinating aqua lawn (back). You can use quilting cotton, but please note that your finished scarf will be slightly narrower in width and slightly bulkier.

Seam allowance is always 1/4"

Step 1:
(A) If you are using a continuous 2-yard piece of material, cut a rectangle 45.5" x 72", and skip to step 3.

(B) If you are using two coordinating 1-yard fabrics, cut two 23" x 36" pieces from each.

Step 2: 
With right sides together, sew the two front pieces together along one of the 23" sides, creating a 23" x 71.5" piece. Press this seam open. Repeat for the back. (for my scarf, the front is the Kaleidoscope print, and the back is the aqua solid)

Step 3:
(A) Following step 1, with right sides together, fold your rectangle in half lengthwise (72" side to 72" side) and sew along the long open edge, creating a 22.25" x 72" tube.

-or-

(B) Following step 2, with right sides together, sew the front to the back along both long edges, creating a 23" x 71.5" tube.

Step 4: 
Turn your tube right sides out.

Step 5: 
This is the trickiest part. With right sides together, matching side seams to side seams, begin sewing around the tube ends. Continue sewing around, leaving a 3" - 5" opening (following the dotted arrows and bold lines in the diagram below).  As you sew around the tube, you may have difficulty with the seam closing in on you. If this is the case, just leave a larger opening.

Step 6: 
Press the seam allowance of the remaining opening toward the wrong side, and close this opening with a blind stitch (or if you want it done quickly, edge stitch the remaining opening).

Step 7:
Topstitch around the long edges of the scarf to help keep the width in tact through washing cycles without having to press it.

And there you have it! Your very own nursing cover, or scarf, or nursing cover scarf :)

a new purse-wallet

I guess I will call it a purllet.

I was inspired to make this double-flex-frame purllet by this really expensive clutch and a friend who had a double-framed wallet.

The fabric was a scrap given to me by a friend who had a skirt/dress made out of it in Ghana by this company.

I added a flush zip pocket to the inside to store goods and used the same technique to add a cash pocket and card slots (I lined the card slots with laminated cotton to help the cards stay put). I also inserted magnets to keep the purllet closed when not in use.

The flex-frame pockets are made with a recycled tape measure rather than an actual flex frame [because I am too impatient to wait and cheap to pay for them to be shipped to me], and one pocket contains a zippered change pouch.

Thanks to this tape measure for giving its life to this awesome little accessory. The remaining portion of the tape measure is underneath all that duct tape - I learned my lesson in securing it when it shot across the living room :) (I used a narrower 12' tape, not the 25' one) (PS, these things are harder to destruct than one would think.)

I was so happy to move into this new purllet - it's so convenient and the perfect size for all the regular items.

I'm contemplating writing a pattern for this guy :)

Happy Monday!

Mary

4th of July tank

Today, I tackled Simplicity's 6-made-easy number 2892 pattern (I chose the one pictured on the front of the pattern). It involved lots of gathering. Gathering and me, we don't really get along. I also took it upon myself to make changes to the pattern. Something I have never done before.

I decided not to include the extra ruffled piece on the already-gathered neckline.

I also chose to eliminate one of the two yoke linings. Three layers of knit fabric along the neckline of a summer top just didn't jive with me.

And this was my first time making clothing out of jersey knit. 

Perhaps those three things are what led to this:



notice: wing on your right (the left side is fixed already). I'd like to "believe I can fly," but I don't want to look like it too.

Solution: seam ripper + clipping out about a thumb's worth of lining. Only a small diversion to get to the finished product.



What I learned:
1. ball-point jersey knit needles get two thumbs up.
2. so does my walking foot.
3. sizing is quite different if you decide to use a knit instead of a more stable fabric.

Oh, and I used a print from the City Weekend collection by Oliver + S. But I still think it looks like something an adult should wear :)

for real this time, have a great 4th :)

twisted shoulders are all the rage

right?



because if so, this dress was well on its way to the runway. Let me tell you a story. From the beginning of using this pattern (Simplicity 2886), I was convinced the zipper was up the back. Convinced. So you could understand how, after finishing the bodice, I was wondering where the seam down the back of the skirt was. It was up the side, that's where.

I grabbed my seam ripper, took out the side seam, and removed the back basting that I had invented. In the process of sewing the back seam according to the pattern, I somehow managed to twist the front of the bodice a full 360. Result: a fancy twisted shoulder strap. One more round with the seam ripper and I was all squared away.



fancy nancy! now I just need a place to where it.

and my favorite part?



pockets!

I got this fabric while shopping the Memorial Day sale at Joann's with a friend (hi you!). in total, it was $8, plus a $1 zipper, and $1 to get the correct size of pattern. That's a $10 dress. Okay maybe a little more to pay for the lining fabric, but still.

Hope y'all are having a great week :)

Flirting the Issue

Linking up to Quiltstory's Fabric Tuesday today...it's been quite a while for me :)

I have had Anna Maria Horner's Flirting the Issue skirt on my to-do list for a while.



I was kind of waiting for some courage to drop the cash on voile, but then I couldn't keep my eyes off Laura Gunn's Magnolia Lane (for Michael Miller) collection. It is so...spring. So I took the plunge on the Blooming Tulips print, and used plain white cotton batiste for lining.



I love it. It's a little more poofy and a little less flowy because it is cotton instead of voile. My husband says the skirt is very "Rachel Berry." Umm...okay, I'll admit, I like her style, and I've said it out loud before.

Hope y'all are having a great Tuesday :)

a new tunic? ok.

Linking up to Quiltstory's Fabric Tuesday today :)

Prior to heading out for FL, I finished this little schoolhouse tunic from Sew Liberated



I am SO not a fan of posing, and my goal is usually to just look like a goof :) Success?

This pattern was so easy! It took me maybe 2 hours from first cut to final fit. Maybe.

Here's a view of the back, with just one box pleat, thanks to Sean taking a sneaky photo (can you see him in the window reflection?)



I got this fabric from fabric.com for just $1.98/yd. It's a poly-cotton shirting fabric, but it sure did un-stiffen well with a quick wash.

One last photo...another sneak-a-peak from hubs of me enjoying the sunshine.



Thanks for swinging by y'all :)

Mary

two-minute break

Just wanted to take a quick break to share some cute :)

The coats I made a couple of weeks ago made it to their fashionista owners. And boy do they look so cute in them!

First up is my niece, Lil. I can't decide who is cuter in this photo, her, or her drool-monster 'bama-swoop brother who is also posing :)



And here's little Miss Elise. She and I went shopping to pick out her mac-n-cheese-colored coat (after her mom and I pre-shopped of course!)



We had a fun time learning that maybe hot pink wasn't the best choice of thread color, but also maybe I shouldn't have given her free reign at the thread stand :) . Just in case you were wondering, her dad's favorite color is red.  What a cutie! Am I overusing that word? sorry... but it's so true!

Finally, here is Elise with her mom, also donning the runabout jacket. Seriously, could she not be a perfect Rainbow Brite in that outfit??



Anyway, thanks for humoring me! Sometimes it's nice to see things you have made on other people rather than yourself over and over...

Anyone else live vicariously through friends and family members kids?? :)

Mary

technicolor dream coats

Okay not really, but there are so many of them, and they are so colorful :)



You may have seen two of them, the green raincoat and the blue runabout jacket. Before I knew it, I had two very excited four-year-olds in desperate need of new a spring jacket. One of their moms (also another coworker) got to see my jacket(s) in person and decided she needed one for herself (who can blame her? this pattern was great aside from my fabric rant from a while ago). If you are counting along, that is a total of five coats.



I can't wait to see photos of the little ones in their new coats (solid pink and solid yellow) - they are going to be absolutely adorable :) However, I can officially say I am patterned out of this jacket...time to move on!

What do you think I should sew next? Any ideas for something [non-apparel] maybe from my scrap bin?

Mary

boy things

Linking up to Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story today!

I go wild for a lot of things, not the least of which is fabric. My husband is amazing and lets me buy a lot of it with our budget ('lets me'...HA...so 50s) Regardless, we can just say that my hobby is a priority for both of us, and he does not reap enough benefits. Until now...


I took a Boxers and Ties class at Whipstitch Fabrics just in time for the month of love. Sadly, I am not a patient hand sewer, so I came up with a way to finish this voile strip at my machine. Still needs a good press, and a little skinny for his liking, but I am going to make the pattern wider for the next one. He especially likes it because it is easy to tie and doesn't slip too easily like silk.

Speaking of skinny...I also finished his pair of boxers. The pattern I received at the class was for the 'average' man.  Sean is quite a fit person and measures a little/lot smaller than average, so I asked for my pattern to be altered a bit. It went very well with a bunch of flat Fell seams until he so excitedly tried them on. Way. Too. Small. My nephew will probably be getting these for Christmas next year since they are more appropriate for a 2-year-old than my husband.



What kinds of things do you make for your man?

Mary

runabout jacket

right off the bat, any tips for someone whose new darning foot will be arriving in the mail today? this person does not have any experience using said presser foot or free-motion quilting...[FYI this person is me]

on another note, I scrambled this morning to finish button holes, buttons, and the belt for my runabout jacket (a.k.a. raincoat redo) so that I could switch the thread color in my machine and get back to quilting.


Here it is on the back of my chair at work today! It kind of resembles a cross between my grandmother's couch and a certain pair of pants I used to own as a child (zubas), but trust me, it's a beauty in real life. Check out my raincoat if you want to see it full scale. I figure I will save you (but mostly me) another posey picture of myself :)

blossom shoulder bag

Linking to Quiltstory's Fabric Tuesday (yay it's back! congrats to the block party winners!)

more than a yard of leftover raincoat fabric was just begging for a bag pattern.



That's where the blossom bag pattern from Amy Butler comes in (free at Sew Mama Sew!). I can't pass up free, but I also suspect that Ms. Butler has stock in interfacing because I ended up with 3/4 yards leftover timtex. I needed practice sewing littler things, cleaning up my stitching and improving my patience. Note: not a good idea when I already have an aversion to raincoat fabric (you can now add timtex to that list of aversions).

Anyway, it's done, it's pretty enough, and it's springtime. Which brings me to my next topic: I did not get enough of the first go-round with the raincoat pattern, so I am remaking it with these non-raincoat home decor beauties:



I learned my lesson and cut a half-yard of fabric off the requirements. What do you know, I still have almost a yard left. Seriously, such waste, both $$ and cotton (and we all know cotton is scarce this year).  There are only so many things I can have that are made out of green houndstooth (or now innocent crush).

Question: Are all patterns this wasteful? Or just particular designers?

the raincoat.

here it is, my first garment!



And a peak at the lining...


I worked my butt off to finish this in time to make use of it during our five-day streak of rain. What do you know, the day I am ready to photograph, it is finally sunny out. Never did I think I would wish for rain quite like I did when this photo was taken :)



So pretty!



Did YOU know how easy covered buttons are? When I first read the pattern, I thought about all the modern gadgets and gizmos I would need to make covered buttons, and how much that would cost me. Turns out it is an extra buck. One dolla, make me holla. WHAT?! You seasoned sewers are probably rolling your eyes and clicking next by now...for the rest of you, check out how easy it is!



The package with the mold runs about a dollar more than the package without. Seven buttons (plus an extra) cost me $4.98 plus tax. Much cheaper than the big plastic buttons I was thinking about.

Here's to hoping that it does not rain too much, but just enough to be able to admire my handywork every now and then :)

Mary