Fast Pants! {some stitch swap fun}

Hello again!  I know it's been practically forever since I've written here.  I made the tough, but necessary, decision to close my custom sewing business for the summer after I realized the time was flying by and we had it packed full of family fun and other commitments.

Needless to say... with the sun shining (a somewhat rare occurrence in the Pacific NW), kiddos growing, family vacations, and a BIG focus on health & fitness around our house - I haven't done very much sewing the past month, almost two!

BUT - before I made the decision to take a "breather" - I signed up for a fun "Stitch Swap" with a great group of bloggers.  We got paired up and sent our partner a random / surprise yard of fabric for them to work with!  Some partners asked questions so that they could decide what to send - Danica from The Sewing Sparrow totally got her pick for me SPOT ON!  (Thanks so much Danica!)

She sent me this awesome fabric - so perfect as a mama to two boys who LOVE all vehicles!

Our boys LOVE wearing elastic-waist pants (can you blame them?!) - and it warms my heart that their FAVES are ones I've made!  So I knew I wanted to make some shorts or pants for one or both of the boys.  I was leaning toward shorts, but the hubby reminded me that the sunny days will be gone again soon (and even the sunny days are often followed by cooler nights) - so I went with some pants!

 

Time was definitely NOT on my side with this project.  Thank goodness I had the super-quick, simple-to-follow Taylor's Pajama Pants pattern from Create Kids Couture (available on fabric.com)

I'm not kidding when I say that I got them done in 25 minutes.  And that included printing, assembling, and cutting the pattern piece!

Sure enough he LOVES them!  He was so excited when I held them up - "Mommy are those for MEEEEE?!  Did you MAKE them?  Thank you mommy!"  Melt.my.heart.

So a BIG thank you to Danica for picking out and sending the PERFECT fabric - and a thank-you to Stephanie from Swoodson Says for hosting this fun little swap!  It was the perfect "excuse" I needed to get a little bit of sewing done!

Want to see more swap posts?  Check out the schedule below!


Monday July 21st
Stephanie -- Swoodson Says
Jamie -- Salutations Louisville
Ashley -- Sewing Sober
Kathy -- Handmade Dress Haven

Tuesday July 22nd
Tasha -- Friends Stitched Together
Janelle -- Emmaline Bags
Kim -- Sew & Tell with Mama Eggo
April-- Open Sky Creations

Wednesday July 23rd
Amy-- Friends Stitched Together
Danica -- The Sewing Sparrow
Bethany -- Two Novembers
Jessica -- The Berry Bunch

Thursday July 24th
Chrissy -- Muse of the Morning
Fenna -- Fabulous Home Sewn
Melissa -- Rebel and Malice
Irene -- Sugaridoo

Friday July 25th
Jess -- Gracious Threads
Emily -- Tangible Pursuits
Roxanne -- Pensebrox
Megan -- Upcycling? Refashion That Idea.

Baseball Shirts!

I am *trying* to do more sewing for my kiddos - it's one of my recurring goals each month.  They are amazingly appreciative EVERY time I do.... and I always love seeing things I make actually being used (but don't get to see this often because most of what I sew is sold and ships to my customer and I might get a picture back - which always makes my day - but I don't get to REALLY see it being used).  Making things for my kiddos allows me to see the item in action - being played in / on, snuggled with, thrown through the wash who-knows-how-many-times.  Love it!

When I saw Alyssa's pattern review for the Old Tyme Baseball Shirts I knew it was going on my "someday" list.  You know the list..... "Someday I'll sew that.  I might even buy the pattern today.... but someday I'll actually get around to sewing it."

Well.... then my friend Eileen contacted me about being a guest boutique for a themed auction group - and guess what one of the themes was?!  Yup - "Take me out to the Ballgame" - perfect!

We are coming up on recreational softball league season around here - and our boys LOVE cheering on Daddy's team, the Yard Dogs - so I thought I'd make them shirts in his company colors - black & yellow (yes, like the song).  If you want a giggle.... check out this remix done by someone from my hubby's company (it's clean... and makes me laugh because he definitely drives a "bumblebee" - yellow truck, black hood)

To say they love them would be an understatement, for sure....

I may have had to bribe them with the new super-duper-massive-sized bubble container to get them to take the shirts off....

I loved sewing these up - and this was my first attempt at piping (it went well.... I learned a ton.... and the second shirt went even better)

We have one left-handed lil' guy.  We started noticing this around 7 or 8 months old - as he was starting to feed himself little snacks.  Sure enough.... he's a leftie!  Partway through last softball season we got him his own glove.  I ordered it on Amazon because I wasn't finding anything small enough for him locally.  I wasn't about to pay twice as much for colors that were more traditionally "boy" - so he has a black and pink glove.  And he loves it.  Then again, we have lots of pink around our house! :)

We are pretty sure B-man is right handed..... check out his form!

This picture cracks me up.  They were both being a bit.... uncooperative.... with the photo taking (can you blame them?  The sun was shining so they wanted to be PLAYING!) - so I told them there was a monkey inside my camera.  He's looking for the monkey in the lens!  Tehehehehehe

A few detail shots - love the curves at the front - and the piping!

The hem is also curved - longer in the front and back, shorter on the sides - just like a traditional jersey - so cool!

This design will be one available for custom order - - - or you can bid on your own custom shirt(s) at the When You Wish Designs Auction (it's a group on Facebook.... they just recently started using the group in an attempt to increase visibility and communication) - their Facebook page is also used for previews / advertisement. 

The auction runs Tonight through Thursday! :)

Upcycled - Project Quilting Season 5, Challenge 2 - finished!

I took the opportunity this week to not only be challenged by the actual "rules" / specifications set out for the Upcycled Challenge (read them here) - but I set a personal challenge / goal - to create something FAR outside my "usual" / comfort zone.

My brain is very mathematical.  I have always loved math and science.... I started college studying engineering and graduated with a Bachelor's of Science in Psychology, with minors in mathematics and business.  So.... it makes me giggle sometimes all the time that I spend much of my days creating / sewing / being "artsy".

My quilting is most often very geometric and.... rigid.  I love to experiment with color, but being truly free-form and artistic with my quilting is NOT my strong suit.

So.... this week.... I tried something different.

Not only does my "quilt" meet the various specifications given by the official challenge.... but it is also VERY abstract / free-form / "unfinished" even though it's definitely finished.

I've decided it will be called "Workin'" - because that's what my 3 year old said when he first saw it ("Mommy.... that excavator and dump truck are workin' hard!"

To make the top, I cut up various onesies / sleepers that the kiddos wore as babies.  I also cut up a paper bag and pages of a kids' book {I had to include at least two items that were NOT originally intended for clothing or quilts}.  Oh... and those excavator tracks?  They are cut from a rubber excavator track for a toy (no clue where the other one is.... or the naked excavator.... such is life with two boys!)

I stitched each piece on, and left the bits of string / tails / etc.  I wanted it to feel / look really scrappy and "raw".  Then I added the dump truck and excavator appliques - by spray basting and then stitching them on.  A little while back a friend of mine gave me a bag of fabric she had on hand and didn't have plans for.  The backing is from that bag - and it looks like it was a table runner at some point.  It is just a solid green (It's a wall hanging, so it won't be seen!).

I couldn't decide if I wanted to "finish" it - but after letting it sit for over 24 hours, I just trimmed it up (again, very free-form, not a set shape / size) and then stitched 3/8" from the outside edge to tack everything down that may have been cut in the process.  There is a low loft poly batting between the top and the backing.

Here are a few close-ups of the funky things included in the quilt

Rubber excavator tracks (was SO excited that my sewing machine went through these as if they were plain ol' cotton) - clothes - book pages - paper bag pieces

See the words from the book pages?  Paper bags, lots of loose threads, that darker blue is a cute "polo shirt" onesie.  The camo fabric is from a cute outfit I bought for Colby when we visited a very special little girl for her first birthday in West Virginia!

The orange / blue stripe is from an adorable striped raglan-style onesie the boys wore.  I love that you can see the "carters" info that is printed on the inside of onesies on that dark brown piece off to the right.

It took a LOT of work to get my brain to think this way..... and it's still tough to look at it and LOVE it.... but it is DEFINITELY growing on me.  It's fun, too, to see the little chunks of each outfit / book page I used.... they spark wonderful memories.

This is now pinned up on the wall in Colby's bedroom - he is SO into construction / trucks.... and it goes great with his new big boy bed, etc.

For more posts about this project, click on the topics below:
Brainstorming
Beginning Stages

ALYOF January 2014 - finished!

As it was my first month of A Lovely Year of Finishes, I made my January goal fairly small / simple - making a stop sign pillow for little man #1's new "big boy bed".

Can you tell he likes it?  I went to take pictures and he said "Are you going to take the picture of the pillow with me??"  Umm.... how could I resist?!

The pillow is about 15.5" across.  I used applique for the letters.. and after consulting some pictures (and a quick chat with the hubby) determined the white band around the outside was necessary.  That took a little more time / effort - but I think it was worth it!

I didn't have enough stuffing (since I've been making some adorable plushies recently!) - but I did have an older throw pillow that we no longer use.... so I cut that sucker open and used the filling from it.  I didn't have *quite* as much as I wanted.... but it works!  

I purchased the red blender fabric from Marcia's Crafty Sewing and Quilting (it's not solid red... though it looks that way in the photos!).  The white is actually muslin (yuck, so thin... but it's what I hand and I'm not allowed to buy fabric until I make 62 more items.... so I made do).  I used two layers of the muslin (to help it be a *little* less see-through) for both the applique and the border.  

So excited to have sewn something for one of my little dudes - I'm thinking next month's goal will be something for Little Man #2 :)

This month's ALYOF is closed (goals have to be posted / linked up by the 7th) - but you can join in next month!

A Lovely Year of Finishes - January Goal

Do you make goals {or resolutions} each year?  I tend to go into the year with ideas.... but I keep them pretty general and usually they are continuations of goals I have been working on throughout the previous year.  I have a few that are sewing-related and I'll be sharing them here - both for help and inspiration from you.... and for accountability! :)

One of my goals for 2014 {okay.... ever since I started sewing for a business!} is to actually sew for my kiddos / family / friends / gifts - non-work sewing!  

I have seen link-up parties and other fun bloggy stuff.... but never joined in.  I figured with the new year and this new blog what's stopping me???  I came across "A Lovely Year of Finishes" through a blog I follow - Persimon Dreams.  I got hooked on Kim's sewing / blog / creativity thanks to Project Quilting {which I will be participating in again this year... and hope to complete the majority, if not all, of those challenges, too!}.

Each month I'll post my goal at the beginning of the month, and my completion by the end of the month.  Depending on the goal(s), I might post a few updates / "in-progress" posts during the month, too!

So... here goes!

January's goal:

A stop sign pillow for Colby's big boy bed!

When we returned home from visiting family for Christmas, Colby's new "big boy bed", bedding, and mattress were sitting on our front porch ready to be set up!  He picked out his bedding {no.... I didn't make his bedding, even though I wanted to - the decision to move him to a twin bed was a pretty quick one, and I didn't figure attempting to sew up custom bedding in addition to all of the holiday sewing I was doing was the brightest move!} - a bold construction-themed, oh-so-boy, bed-in-a-bag.  The photo online showed the blanket, some pillow cases, etc. - and of course, a really cool stop sign pillow (which I think was one of the main reasons Colby picked the bedding!).

We set up the bed, opened up the bedding, made the bed, and all was GREAT!  "So cool!" according to Colby.  But then came the question I was expecting ever since he picked out his bedding ("that one - I wuv that one!") - - - "Where is the stop sign pillow?  It is MISSING!!!!"

So.... I will be making a stop sign pillow!  We also took down his sports-themed pennant banner ("you make me new construction fabric flags???") and a couple days later I surprised him with this.... and was overjoyed by his truly appreciative and excited "ooooh I LOVE it!" response!

What are your goals for 2014?? {if you've made some!}  I'd love to hear them (and probably add to my list) - and if any of them involve sewing, you KNOW you'll have my support!

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Interested in participating in the "Lovely Year of Finishes" with me {and all the other fabric-loving, sewing junkies!} Come join in!

Merry Christmas!!

From our family to yours - in our Christmas jammies! :)