Happy Buns Britches.

A little bit ago I tested the Happy Buns Britches.   It was funny, because I had within a few days prior been looking for a pattern for something like them. 

I tested the size 6 month, and this one was actually my third pair.  I couldn't resist giving him a fox bum, which is why I was trying to find a pattern like this in the first place.

I love the way they fit, they are super comfy and have a yoga waistband so nothing digging in to his glorious rolly polly tummy.

I also made him a matching Lap Tee, size 9 months, but it looks a little like a bad tracksuit together for me.  He only wore it together once for the finished pictures.  But he has worn each one separately quite a bit.

These were my second ones, both the brown and gray are a ponte knit, not a ton of stretch, but a little heavier weight which is nice for the cooler weather.  The bum panel came from a long hoarded small amount of yardage left from a shirt I made for Jack waaay back when I started sewing- look at how little he was!! I still have enough left over to make Sammy a shirt this summer.

I love my little chunky monkey.

For my nephew.

I made my nephew a birthday and Christmas gift this year, he just turned one, so he doesn't know that I didn't give him a toy, ha! 

I made him a few pairs of the Lil' Papoose Moccasins, my first pair was as the pattern was written, the second pair was with mods to make them look more like the crazy expensive and super trendy kind.

These are both the 12 month size and fit perfectly.

I actually made them way back when I made Sam a pair.  Sam got a little use out of them, but I see Cooper wearing his all the time.  But C is a walker, so that makes sense, ha!

C's dad is a huge motorcycle fan, so when I saw this print I knew I had Christmas figured out.  In fact, most of his baby shower gifts I made were motorcycle themed.

I used the Oliver + S Bedtime Story pajamas in a size 18 month, just extending the pants a little to omit the contrasting cuff.  I also kind of guessed on the size, he is still wearing his 12m After School pants so I figure even if they don't fit now, they will soon.

Again with a 12 month set of Lil' papoose moccs, though I ordered this on fabric.com and didn't realize it would have a fuzzy backing.  I don't know if it will wear off or not, I guess he will be my guinea pig, but it was an experiment anyways as I threw this on an order I was already making from there.   P.S. the pajamas and shoes aren't meant to be worn at the same time, though they do coordinate:)

Doll sewing.

 A while back Abby was invited to two birthday parties for little friends in the neighborhood, both who I know love their 18" dolls, so I sewed them each a few outfits for their dolls.

I made the first friend doll clothes for her last birthday too, and Abby told me how much she just loved them and that she rarely saw her doll without one of the outfits on, so I knew it would be a good choice.

I used the book Sew Trendy that I picked up recently from Jo-anns, with coupon stacking I got it for under $7.  It had a lot of basics that I figured would be good building blocks if I ever get brave enough (or crazy enough) to start matching the girls Oliver + S outfits like they have been begging me to try.

I made these as I was making Georgie's Carousel Dress so the purple was an easy decision.  The bottom was a heavier denim that was a PITA to gather.

I didn't like the way most of the items were put together, so I used my own construction methods, ie, easier ways I have learned in my few years of sewing experience.  The instructions weren't bad, I just knew there were easier ways to do it.

Then the following week we got an invitation for another friend, being I had the patterns already traced I just made up the same patterns again... the day of the party, because I am a procrastinator like that.

I started a top for Abby in the pants material, I really should finish it...

I bought these fabrics before I even started sewing, ha!  When Abby was a baby I thought I'd learn to make her a blanket, that never happened, so I had some fat quarters that have been hanging around for forever and ever.

On both of the dresses I used snaps, I was out of velcro and made both the prezzies at the last minute.

Dress B.

Sigh, still way behind on blogging, worried  I may forget my sizing and notes, but family time comes first.  So, rather than go back and figure out what needs to be journaled, I will start with my most recent make, only a few days old and a few quick snaps yesterday. 

Every year we do family pictures with Ben's family (Sam wore this, this for Iz, and an unblogged hopscotch dress for George), but my family hasn't had them since I was in middle school.  But, we were all together for Christmas so we decided it was finally time.  Because of work schedules we had to take them in the morning and work to find a shady spot, and it turned reaaally cold this week all of  a sudden.  So the kids *looked* cold, hands in pockets and tense poses, but it will do for now.

My mom wanted navy blue and maroon, turns out we didn't have any maroon in our closets, so Georgie got a new dress.

I used Happy Homemade Sew Chic Kids, pattern b: dress with square neckline size 2.  I recently picked the book up, I couldn't pass it up as at the time I was able to get it for under $10.

I was still a little intimidated, even though it is the English version.

I did manage to figure it out, though, a little bit from the diagram and a bit from common sense and what I knew from other similar patterns.  It is her new 'most favorite' dress and I can see these being a nice staple in the summer.  She has actually worn it this way, with no cardi needed during the day, aside from that cold snap.  It's a crazy winter!

The one that fulfilled a promise.

I cut out the front and back of this tunic earlier in the month and meant to find a tutorial to help me figure out how to cut the sleeves so the pattern matched the body, so I set it aside.  Being I measured Abby and cut it in front of her, she knew I was making it.  She kept asking, and asking and asking when I would be finished with it, I kept putting her off.  Last Saturday (or maybe it was the Saturday before that?! I can't remember) we were trying to get her to practice her bike with gears.  She, for some unknown reason, is terrified of it.  I told her 'ride the bike, I'll finish the tunic'.  Well, that didn't happen, she rode but I didn't finish.  Last night we were talking and she said 'you never keep your promises to me!' and brought up the tunic.  Stabbed the knife right in.  Maybe I shouldn't have because she was being a bit of a brat, but I stayed up late and finished this up so she would have it for school the next morning.  

And she is very happy this morning, she even painted her nails and changed her earrings to match.

I used the Oliver + S School Bus Tee size 12, even though she measured in to the 10, I wanted it a little looser fitting as she is all about the comfort.  I lengthened the sleeves, but apparently not enough.  My kids must have really super long arms because I had the same problem with Jack's.

I would have made it a dress, but she isn't in to dresses at the moment, so I lengthened and turned it a-line the legit way with Liesl's tutorial.

I cut front and back each in a single layer to make positive everything would line up, but I didn't ever even look for the tutorial for the sleeves, so I just winged it.  It doesn't look horrible, but I do love seeing other's nail it.  Someday I will figure it out. 

  

She requested this pose, on this rock.

I really should have finished it earlier in the month so she could get more wear out of it, but it will work for January too, right?  Right?... That's what I told her, anyway.

A little sewing.

Oh, these two just crack me up.

I have been working on a few items for a friend and they have just been dying over the "Chwismas reindeews!".  Today when I hung the dresses (more on them in a minute) to snap a few shots of they just lost it when I said for the millionth time that the dresses weren't for them.  Since I managed to overestimate the amount of fabric I needed I ended up with enough to make them each a skirt.  While George wasn't thrilled it wasn't a dress, she loves her new skirt, and I love that these only took an hour.  Score.

I wanted to do an accent color on the skirts, but I wanted to have them ready for a Christmas party tonight which meant having them match any random shirts that happened to be clean.  Elizabeth is making a fashion faux pas, or is she?  I have started seeing brown and black paired together lately.  But, she refuses to wear any other pair of shoes lately, so that's what she gets.

It was pretty cloudy today, so the colors are a little off, but the reds are a pretty 'true' primary red, not too dark or bright and they actually do match perfectly to each other.

I used the Oliver + S School Bus Tee as a base and added the neck ruffle and skirt based of a picture my friend picked out.  These are size 5 and 18 month.

She also wanted a baby gift based on a picture she found.  I used the Lullaby line bodysuit from Peekaboo patterns and the baby go-to leggings, both 3 month.  I was (am) a little worried about the trim because there is absolutely no stretch so I made the head opening slightly bigger.

If those dresses and skirts didn't put you in the Christmas mood, I bet my utterly adorable baby will, ha!  Time for a million (or so it seems) Christmas parties!

Fall baby.

I have been sewing quite a bit, but not blogging.  Do you ever get that way?  I have always maintained I blog as my journal, to remember what I changed or kept or what I thought of the pattern, the sweet comments from people are just a bonus.  I am getting behind on my journal, but sometimes cute little kids get in the way of what I want to do, ha!  

So, first up of things sewn but not blogged, an outfit for our family pictures for Sam.  

I used the Charlie Sweatshirt, a free six month sized pattern.  I hemmed and hawed and struggled with what I wanted to make for him, nothing seemed quite right.  I saw this pattern two days before I needed it and printed it immediately.  The fit was spot on, I was thrilled.

Knowing I was going to pair the shirt with his orange jeans I topstitched the elbow pads (what's the technical word?) with the same orange thread I used for the pants.

This knit was awful, when I ironed it it stuck to my machine! What?! I've never had that happen.

The pants are the Small Fry Skinny Jeans size 6 months, but modified a bit.  I made them once before for Sam and absolutely loved them.  So much so, that I cut out a stack of them and have been slowly working on them.  I could never be a sweatshop worker.  I finished up all but Abby's, so at least I am close.  Jack's don't fit at all, sadly, even though he measures in to the size smaller than what I made.  Anyway, so I decided to skip the flat felled seams on the inside of the leg and took a smaller seam allowance on the sides and when sewing the back legs together to give him a little more room since my kids are apparently giants and not really made for skinny jeans.

I chose the half fly with topstitching.  I skipped the belt loops, but kept all the fun stuff like the coin pocket and lots of topstitching.

I even topstitched the back pockets, even though they totally blend in.  I couldn't help myself... I am only a little crazy, most days.

I super duper love the pants pattern and highly recommend it.  I need to sew the button hole on for the twins pants and finish up Abby's, they are all getting antsy for them!  That's what I get for showing them what's in the pipe line;)

P.S. his shoes are the moccs I made for him here.