tees for two.

Last week I ordered "Sewing for Boys" , after making Abby's  Zephyr by Figgy's I just knew I would love their book.  I bought it sight unseen because the darn Barne's and Noble in our town has been out of stock on it for months.  But, that is probably a good thing because I would have bought it on the spot and spent a lot more there than I did on Amazon.  The only downside was having to wait for shipping, so when it arrived yesterday I flipped through it and started planning immediately.

Yesterday I made two  badmiton skorts for the twins, but big twin (aka thunder-thighs, aka Izzy) didn't fit in the shorts part of it.  They were meant to be part of their birthday outfits and I was bummed she wouldn't fit. Sigh.  So I needed an easy project, a no-brainer success project.  So I decided to make Jack the "Raw-edged Raglan" from the book. (that I haven't shot a picture of yet) Success. Love, love love! As does he, he was wanting to wear it before I was finished- luckily it only took about 40 minutes from drafting pattern to finished product.

The book says smaller sizes are included, but they aren't.  Just 2/3-6/7.  Then I was looking for inspiration on line and it dawned on me that it was the "tee for two" pattern!  And I remembered Justine "saying" (writing;) that the smaller size range (12m-6/7) was available as a pdf now. Score!! So I downloaded it and printed it off immediately.  So, the twins now also have tees for two!

Georgie in her tee. Though, it turned out looking a lot more boy than I expected.  (the "A" is really a dark purple, not blue like it looks in the picture) She will just have to wear a big bow.  Jack gets so angry when people say they are boy and girl twin, though I think usually people assume Izzy is the boy.  George's eyes look awesome with blue shirts, that is why I chose this, plus sewing during naptime = I use whatever isn't in their room/ my fabric cave. 

Izzy's tee.  So, a little background on the applique.  When you have twins inside you the ultrasound tech/ doctor tend to like to make sure they are keeping the babies seperate, ya know, make sure they aren't measuring the same baby twice.  So they refer to one as baby A and one as baby B.  So, that is why one shirt has the different fabric for A and the second has the B highlighted.  Though, my whole pregnancy the girls were switched, Izzy was A and George was B.  Delivery day came and during labor we literally watched George push her sister out of the way to get out first, so they switched! And the first hours of life in the NICU they were baby A and baby B, since I wasn't able to go down for about six hours they asked Ben which was which and so he got to choose (though I didn't care who got which name). P.S. He did tell me I could change them if I wanted.

So, I have to say, I seriously LOVE photoshop.  This^^ is most of what I captured.  But, one good picture of Elizabeth, and one good picture of Georgia later and I get this...

How did mom's of multiple kids get good pictures pre-digital camera??

So anyway, back to the pattern.  I highly recommed it!! (and the book)  I love the casual, raw edge look.  Plus, bonus, no hemming!! Jack's is a two-toned blue so it is more obvious it is a raglan, but I like theirs too.  The fit is spot on, directions are great and such a quick sew- I made three in one and a half nap-times!

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;)

Lots of ruffles.

We have been battling almost two weeks of sickness in our house.  For a week straight I had one to two babies on my lap at all times, including nap times.  I (knock really hard on wood) am the only one who hasn't caught it yet- and I am hoping I don't!! Well, I agreed to make these skirts for two little sisters for their pictures, and so I have been working on them when I have had the chance.  The babes took a monster three hour nap in their cribs for the first time in a few days so I worked my fastest!

The cream is hard to capture in my crappy light at this time of day, so just imagine it less yellow-y!

Look at the size difference!

This one is size 3t.

And this one is newborn... maybe even a bit smaller, the waist is only 11 inches! Wont it just look so sweet on a little baby?


Then on to the not so ruffle-y, Rae needed another round of testing on her larger size flashback tees, so I made one up over the long weekend.  She loved the shirt, but is still feeling a bit under the weather, hence the grumpy face and wild hair.

Zephyr sundress.

I just finished up my first Figgy's Zephyr sundress  , and as with (nearly) all of my new patterns, I am totally in love!  It is hanging on the back of my sewing chair (that happens to be in my dining room, that also happens to be visible from the chair I am on in the front room) and I can't stop staring at it!  It is just so soft and feminine.  So, honestly, I don't think I realized there was a sundress option when I purchased the pattern, I bought it for the twins' originally and didn't know if I would even bother with it for Abby.  Then I saw the sundress.  So the first chance I had (after too many weeks of editing photos in my "free" ((aka sewing)) time) I sat down to make it.  And while I was on the fence about the romper for her, after seeing Millie's on flickr, I think I just may have to give it a whirl!  Aaaand, the twins probably wont fit in it this summer, boo!

Anyways, on to the dress!!

She was such a trooper, it was sooo windy this morning and she wasn't feeling well, so I spent about three minutes outside and snapped as fast as I could.  I made the size 6/7 and originally had it at the 8/9 length as I usually have to add length to all of my patterns since my kids are freakishly tall, but it hit mid calf and it looked too nightgown-ish (thanks for all the opinions on flickr! I really am glad I went with shorter). 

Apparently I don't read directions well, though I swear it said to put two button loops, the drawings on the package and Figgy's finished product only have one button on the sundress.  But I like it like this!

Ah, the straps.  This is one of the details that first caught my eye!  The pattern has an awesome trick for turning tubes and I will definitely be using that method for every fabric tube I have to turn!  I braided them pretty tight apparently, and had just barely length suggested for the straps. 

The bodice is made from quilting cotton and the dress is a lightweight cotton, nice and breezey.  Have you bought the pattern yet?? You definitely should!

Skinny tee for the big girl.

I am so excited.  The fabulous Rae will soon (like next week, I think) be releasing her flashback skinny tee in larger sizes!! She put out the call for testers on facebook earlier this week so I volunteered and I was one of the lucky ones who was picked.  I have made this pattern many times for the boy... perhaps a few too many... (nah!) and was bummed that Abby was just out of the size range. 

I made up a size six in a jersey knit from girlcharlee.  It isn't really quite as vibrant in real life as it is showing up on the computer...

She loves it, I love it.

I love the skinny look.  I make Jack the bigger size so it lasts longer, but I may have to go down a size and get this effect.

Ayashe for the big girl.

I got my thirty minutes in today so I am a happy mama. I started the Figgy's Ayashe the Friday of the kids clothes week challenge, but wasn't able to get back to it until today.  Really, it was only about 30 minutes of sewing I had left but I had to stare at it on my ironing board for a week. Oh well.

Flickr is a bad influence on me... I saw this pattern popping up in my contacts and the ladies did such a beautiful job it convinced me I needed this pattern, ha! So I blame it on all of you... Okay, I admit, I have low self control lately on my pattern needing. 

So I went off memory for Abby's measurements because she hasn't grown in so long for sure she was still the same chest measurement, right? Nope! I had it all cut out and ran across my notebook with her current measurements... oops! So I made the 6/7 when I really should have made the 8/9.  I just went with 1/4 inch seams and called it good... and it fits fairly well, a little snug to get on, but once it is she is fine. 

I had a little trouble with the yoke facing and the collar, but she does have a sew a long for this pattern.  I read through it once and it kind of cleared up the yoke for me, but somehow I didn't end up with quite enough to turn under and encase the raw edges, but I had serged the yoke facing so i just stitched it as if it was turned under and it was just fine.

The collar is where I started today and I really should have refrenced the website, but I was trying to get the most out of what little I had left of naptime so I didn't.  I am positive I didn't attach it anywhere near correctly, but I went with what I had done with another pattern and called it good.  It looks like it should have been that way, only problem is I wasn't able to attach my size tag. Darn.  I may try and stitch the tag in the collar and try to hide the seam.  Maybe not.

She is at the pool, so no modeled shots, but I did make her try it on before I attached the sleeves to check the fit and it was a little on the shorter side (likely due to making the wrong size, and my kids have crazy long torsos so I usually lengthen patterns, but I didn't on this one for some reason) so I did a really narrow hem.  She loves it! Can't wait for her to try it on later! Too bad the twins aren't even close to the smallest size range yet...

For a baby.

Ben's cousin had a baby a couple of weeks ago.  She had a baby shower planned, but had the baby the night before the bash, so it was rescheduled for last Friday and we got to meet baby Hannah.  I made the Oliver and S tea party sundress in size 3m.  I know people like to give small clothes because they are just so cute and you don't end up with a lot of bigger sizes, and I really did want to make something bigger... buuut I just love the sundress on the twins so I just knew she needed one for the summer. 

I didn't get a great picture of it, but I was really sick for a week and ended up making it the day of the shower so I didn't look at the pictures before I gave it away. 

I really love the purple and lime combo. 

I NEED to sew.  I have been busy with life lately and am really missing my machine time.  I have been sick, photographed a wedding, photographed a newborn and so I am in the middle of editing those photos. In the last two weeks I have only sewn one day for an hour... I just may need to take 30 minutes tomorrow and sew something!