Two new outfits.

 Twinsies desperately need some solids in their lives, they love to pair all sorts of patterns and colors.  Typically they have leggings, a skirt, shirt and jacket basically a whole lot going on.  So cue in amazing weather here and it was time to add in some solids.

 

George is wearing a School bus t-shirt in a solid navy cotton lycra and a Sailboat skirt in a joanns bottom weight.  Both size 5.  I can't believe I haven't made this skirt more often, I love it so much on her.

Izzy has a color blocked School bus t-shirt in a cotton lycra and a Butterfly skirt in denim, again both size 5.

This season's Kids Clothes Week theme is capsule wardrobe, so I am for once embracing the theme.  I have a plan sketched out and plan to stick to it, though I can't guarantee there won't be a pretty dress thrown in, too, that wasn't already on the list.

Mickey and Minnie.

Ah, it's that time of year again, the time when I put off the making of the costumes until the last.possible.second.  I had intentions of starting them on Thursday and easily finishing them in time for the annual Halloween party on Monday.  Well, that didn't quite happen.  Between family things and being unable to move my right arm (at all) for two days (no idea how that happened) I ended up making three pieces of costume Sunday and Monday.  So I finished about two hours before the party which is better than last year's , that was 30 minutes before, ha! 

 

 

 

I am finding it pretty impossible to take the girls photos together lately.  Usually I can get at least George to look at the camera, but not today!

 



 

 

Though they are pretty cute, so I wont complain too much.

 

 



 

 

But look!  Here's one... that George is out of focus in, sigh. 

 

Oh well. 

 



 

 

Okay, so the deets on the patterns; For Mickey aka Georgia I used the Oliver and S Sailboat Skirt size 2T with a slightly stretchy, slightly shiny bottom weight from Jo-ann's.  I was going to make the pants, but shortened, then I figured why not make something she can wear more after Halloween?  Chances are she still would have fit in the shorts next year since she still fits her 6m (!!!) Sailboat pants, so after the festivities are over I will switch out those big white buttons for four of something.

 

Izzy is wearing the Oliver + S Puppet Show Dress size 3T.  She was asleep when I chose her size so the 3T is a little big, but growing room is never a bad thing since she can also wear this one after Halloween, though it will always look like Minnie Mouse to me, ha!

I also made Abby a 2+2 skirt for her costume, more on that later since the few photos I got of her didn't quite turn out as we were in a hurry to get to the party. 

The new, the old, and the finally fits.

 

Nothing makes me happier than when my kids LOVE what I sew for them.  Sweet little Jack is always so appreciative and excited about his mommy mades, the sandbox pants from a little bit ago were no exception.  

He wore them 5 days in a row!! ( and I only managed to wash them twice... but he didn't get them too dirty the other times.)  So I knew he needed another pair.  I brought out two choices, a stretch deep blue denim and some dreamy Lisette chambray.  He chose the chambray.

Oh my goodness! They are so soft.  I left the buttons off the back pockets, per his request "So I can put my hands in them ... not that he has yet to do that... But I am happy to make him happy.

Then I decided since they were pretty darn unisex to put in a Sesame Street ribbon instead of the Tonka trucks like the last pair, this way the twins can wear them someday.  Not that they couldn't with trucks in them, but I figure I will hopefully avoid a possible future tantrum.  Plus, he still likes Sesame Street.

Girlies outgrew their birthday dresses finally.  I didn't honestly know how long they would last since I made them to fit just right as they were for pictures.  The length is still perfect, but their big noggins just wont squeeze in anymore.  I *ahem* forced them on for church this day since they were their only clean dresses...  It always makes me so sad to fold away their handmades for the last time, especially ones with good memories, knowing there may not be another little munchkin to pass them on to.

But then, there is this.  Big twin now fits the knit sailboat I made 4 months ago!  Wow, I was off, turns out long sleeves would have been nice since it is cold now they can finally wear it.  Meh.  Remodel is coming along nicely, behind that new door is my new sewing closet.  YAY! A space dedicated to my hobby! It isn't very big, but it will do! 

Knit sailboat top.

It's back!! My desire to sew (everything) is back!! The only downside is, I have so many ideas running through my head I just don't know where to start!  I have thought about a knit sailboat top ever since I tried my first one on George. It was so cute on, but a tight fit on a wiggly baby. I have plans to make Abby a tunic length to go with leggings for school, but first I wanted to test out my skills on a smaller size. Ya know, just in case I screw something major up (which I did, more on that later...).  Girlfriends were both super ornery today, so no trying it on them just yet, but it looks like it will be a bit big on Georgia for sure, good thing Elizabeth is a good 4 1/2 pounds bigger (yes! That was how much of a difference at their doctor appointment a few weeks back!!) so she will fill it out better.

I made a 12m with 3/8" seams instead of 1/2", it just seems more natural since that is what most knit patterns I have use, plus I figured a bit more room wont hurt. Oh, I shortened the sleeves and lengthened it to the 18m size, but that is pretty standard for me to lengthen all patterns for my long torso-ed kids.  

Do you see the problem here?? I managed to sew three nice button holes (the fourth I screwed up, unpicked and re-did) but I realized only when I got to the very end - I mean, hem facing sewn, sleeves hemmed, everything serged, pressed and threads clipped- I realized the button holes were on the bottom layer. AAAAGGGGHHHH!!! I was pretty mad.  But then it hit me- VELCRO.  Not only will it solve the problem at hand, but how much easier will it be to get my spazzy 13 month old twins dressed using velcro instead of four small buttons?

So I put the soft side on top since it was a bit more flexible I figured sewing on a button through it would be easier than the rigid loop side.

I didn't really want to sew 4 buttons on through the velcro, and I remembered seeing Nicole's cute version, so that is what I copied!

Here it is in all it's glory.  I so love the O+S knit, I just wish I had picked some more up when I finally found it as it is gone now. (I probably have just enough of each color way to make one more small sized top)  It is so smooth and buttery, one of my favorites I have worked with yet.  I plan to make one in the orange color way for the other twin.  Probably with velcro, but this time on purpose, ha!

It only took me forever...

Finally. I started these sailboat pants the first week in May... and between sickness, other sewing that "had" to be done, and just a general not wanting to finish them I finally made them.  Not that I don't LOVE the sailboat pattern, I really do!  But something about making them in denim just turned me off. Pretty dresses or colorful bottoms are just so much more fun to make than denim pants.

My sister-in-law has complimented my teal pair I made ages ago a few times so I told her I would make a pair for my niece.  She measured in to the 18m size, but I made her the 2t with button hole elastic in hopes of long wear.  Guess I didn't think too hard about them being long pants in the summer... oops! But I haven't given them to her yet, so maybe they wont be too long. 

The one on the left is 2t and the other two are 12m.  I was also dragging my feet because I recently put the teal pair on each of the girls (different days, of course) and they both still fit very well in to the 6m size.  Hm. But I also put button elastic in their pairs so maybe they can get some use soon. 

And of course new pants need a new shirt.  When I went on my hopscotch kick I made one knowing I wanted to make one for my niece.  Her's is actually the rainbow one with blue ribbing, but I have misplaced it! Uh-oh, I better rip apart my sewing room.  I mean, the twins' room that also houses my sewing crap.

I raided my orphan buttons to find some fun random buttons for the elastic, I thought that was kind of a fun touch!

Now on to something fun!  I am thinking coordinating Swingset tunics .  Izzy has outgrown her 6m RTW clothing and the hand-me-down's in 12m from her big sissy are pretty much non-existent.  Abby basically skipped the 12m range, plus the few things she did have are wintery.  All the girls were summer babies, but Abby was a giant and the twins were teeny, so they are all wrong when it comes to hand-me-down.  Just another excuse to sew;)

Sailboat top.

This is the Oliver + S sailboat top, size 6m, made in a cotton from Joann's. I really like the buttons at the shoulder and the hem detail.




I really like this top, but it is a little hard to get on wiggley babies. I have seen it on flickr in knit and think I will go that route next since it will be easier to get on:)


Modeled by my sweet little Georgia in her bumbo, before she could sit on her own:)

Sailboats all around.

Oliver + S sailboat pants. Love, just love. They are meant to be capris, but the girls are on the very small side of the 6m measurements so they are more pants than capris. This was a teal linnen I had in my stash for years, way back when I pretended like I could/would sew, and it was marked for a skirt for me. Fast forward 3 years and now I can/do sew and they became pants for the twins. I just love the look of them! Especially pudgy baby tummy sticking out.





Then I made the skirt, add some leggings or tights, and bam! They will work for winter. I made the 6m, and they are huge!!! Oh my sweet little, tiny girls. So I probably wont need leggings, it will be warm enough by the time they fit!