Thursday, June 27, 2013

Cute Calavera pajamas


Just the way pajamas should be: quick & dirty.  I mean, they were dirty pretty quick after I put them on her ;)


Actually I think these PJs were about the fastest make ever.  When I made my PJ top I cut off the sleeves of the original dress and just stuck one sleeve inside of the other right sides together (the same way you probably did when you made your PJ pants.  You did make PJ pants for the pajama party, right?).  Then I sewed the crotch seam.  A nice big semicircle with one side deeper than the other for the bum.  I cut out the excess fabric (again, just a big semicircle of fabric).  To finish them I turned over the top for a waistband and threaded some elastic through.


It's really simple, though I'm not sure those instructions made much sense without pictures.  If anybody would like a photo tutorial on this I do have some extra sleeves laying around and would be happy to throw something together.  Just let me know!


For the top I traced off one of her shirts.  The back piece I used as is, but for the front I cut off around empire waist level.  Then I cut a rectangle, gathered, and sewed the top bodice to the gathered rectangle.


I did not add seam allowances since the original shirt was pretty big but the shirt came out pretty snug so next time I'll make it a bit bigger.  


I didn't bother finishing the hem, neck, or armholes.  It doesn't seem to bother her any and it certainly doesn't bother me.


OMG how cute is that?  The sun!  It burns!


There's not really a whole lot else to say except I'm pretty jazzed with the results.  The happy skull pants are so cute, I love Dia de los Muertos stuff.


Again, just cute.


And those are little miss Baby Girl's new PJs.  These couldn't have taken more than 45 minutes at the most, so what are you waiting for?


Saturday, June 22, 2013

pajama party time!

I feel like I'm past the point in my life where I care a whole lot about others' opinion of me (haters gonna hate and all that) yet when I told my parents about the virtual pajama party Karen is hosting and how I "really have to get all these pajamas made by Saturday or I might be late because she's in the UK" they had some choice words that shocked me.


If I recall correctly those words were "geek" and "nerd."  What, if anything, is geeky about a virtual pajama party?  Is the very fact that I have to ask proof of the point, as it were?

I think that's enough of life's deeper questions for today; let's move on to the cuteness.


I wish you could see how adorable this is in real life.  Even more than it is in this picture.

I made pajamas (tops and bottoms) for myself and both of my kids!!!  Hubby got some shorts, but he's not home today so he's missing out.


And radishes of course.  That's right.  I grew radishes.  SUCCESSFULLY!!  The carrots, beets, sweet peas, and sunflowers are all struggling just to shoost their little heads above the rocky soil, yet the radishes are going crazy.  All I can say is that next year there will be more radishes.  Stick with what your good at people.

By the way, all these pajamas were made from reloved fabrics.  Baby girl's shirt is the last of a knit sheet from the thrift that you've probably tired of by now, her pants and my shirt were a thrifted nightdress, my shorts are made of some unloved fabric from the thrift outlet, my son's shirt was as sorry a piece of work as I've ever seen sold by the pound (but I couldn't pass it up because of the awesome art) and his shorts used to be my shirt.  Phew!  That's a lot of reloving going on right there!


My pajamas!  Did you notice that my daughter's pants are the same fabric as my shirt?  You didn't?  Well go back and look.  I found this XXL nightgown at the Goodwill Outlet (by the pound, people, BY.THE.POUND) and obvs had to get it.  I have a before picture but it's sideways and my Picasa is in time out right now so you don't get to see it.  I cut off the sleeves and took in the side seams a loooot; I didn't think this fabric was that stretchy but it is.  I made my daughters pants from the sleeves (watch this space for a post all about her cute little PJs).


In my mind this is a matching set because the shirt has these happy calaveras and the material I used for the pants has skulls and crossbones (along with hearts and chains?  weirdest fabric ever.  This too came by the point.  What can I say?)

I cheaped out and used the PJ pants pattern I already had but nipped it in about an inch all over as it was a bit baggy when I made it up last year.... and I made one veeery important adjustment:


Welt pocket!  Just one.  They're only pajamas, after all, no need to go crazy with two.  But seriously all pants, including the pajama variety, must have a pocket for ze iPhone.  Cuz I don't go anywhere without my iPhone (even though it lied to me on multiple occasions and got me lost in Portland).  I used all the welt pocket pieces from the Thurlow pattern (which is Sewaholic, so I was like halfway there) and the tutorial from Lladybird's sewalong which was awesome.  There would definitely not be a welt pocket to admire here without her guidance.  


Definitely not my best picture nor the most flattering outfit I own, but welt pocket or not they're still pajamas and they're crazy comfy.  Sometimes that's just enough.

We tried to take pictures of us jumping on the bed but they just wouldn't come out at all.  But no pajama party is complete without:


A PILLOW FIGHT!!!  I apologize for the blurries but they do imply motion and there was enough of that.  My son is a champion pillow fighter, guys.  He learned from the best ;-)


Yeah, I could narrate these but I think they pretty much speak for themselves.






As a final note, last year I remember Karen required each party attendee to share what their current bedtime reading is.  As a matter of fact I've got two books going right now:  

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Mike and Psmith by P.G. Wodehouse

If you've never heard of P.G. Wodehouse then get thee to the bookstore immediately, you shan't be disappointed.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

the amazing garden gate dress

at long last an actual <gasp> post!  and one about the much-seen simplicity 2174.  this is one of their amazing fit patterns and, well, what can i say?  amazing!


i feel like the pictures just don't do it justice, and i sincerely hope that i'm right.  seattle likes to bounce between rainy and cold and 70 and sunny... all in the same day.  that makes it a little difficult to dress for the weather.  layers people; it's all.about.layers.  


ohh, yeah.  i was saying: the sun really bleached out the pretty pattern on this dress.  it's a light grey background with a darker grey iron work design and purple flowers; thus the name "garden gate."  it's quite pretty.  it was originally a sheet, but i don't think that's super apparent.  i do think that there is a store somewhere with a bunch of really cool sheets.  mine are pretty boring in comparison.


the pockets on this pattern are amazing!  even more amazing than the fit (which is also pretty amazing).  it's a princess seam dress with different pieces for each cup size.  there are a million pieces with this pattern, but don't fear; you won't be cutting out very many of them.  the pockets are part of the front side skirt pieces.  when i made this dress the first time (just cool your jets, there'll be a post about it someday, too) i was just amazed.  in all seriousness my mind was TOTALLY . BLOWN.  i walked around showing everyone who would listen: "look at these pockets.  can you even believe how awesome these are?  they're set right into the seams and everything!" 

yes.  i'm easily entertained.  it's the small things in life, people.  cherish the small things.


as a brief aside: whenever i wear these boots my husband calls me puss in boots.  that's a real confidence booster right there.  i've reached a point in my life, though, where i'd rather be mobile than look good in my high heels.  therefore the high heels are on vacation.  indefinite vacation.  boo.  maybe someday...


what's that?  a foe!  sneaking up behind me


phew!  just the boy stealing the spotlight as usual.  and hey, look, i made his shirt =D


what's that?  a sword!  apparently he thinks i look like puss in boots as well.

this is actually one of those epic fails i mentioned a few ages weeks ago.  i put on the dress and realized i couldn't move my arms.  like AT ALL!!!   in a moment of desperation i hacked the sleeves off and applied a little bias tape here and there.  unfortunately....


i could go on but i think the picture speaks for itself.  yikes.  between the seam allowance that were cut off and the new ones for the bias tape there was just too much removed.  


yup, pretty bad from the back too.  these pictures were taken at the end of a long work day so scuze the wrinkles.  all things considered, though, i don't think it's that bad.  i did do a swayback adjustment on this dress.  normally it's not that wrinkled but again, work.  


ooh, zipper.  long and handpicked, as a matter of fact.  as you may be able to see from the distribution of wrinkles, some of those are actually permanent and i'm not sure why. because the pieces weren't sewn together quite right i assume...  there's also a strange burn? on front of the bodice.


fortunately i didn't spring for or spend time on lining.  i do wear a slip/cami with the dress, but what with the sleeve debacle i'm glad i didn't waste my time.  the seams are all french or bound with bias.  perhaps that's why the wrinkles?  can you french seam princess seams?  well obviously you can but whether or not it's advisable i won't speculate upon here.  i do like the cheery yellow bias tape.  it's like my fun little secret ;-)

i love this dress.  i have two from this pattern now and i always feel awesome when i wear them.  they're so fancy yet functional (yes that is a thing) and about as comfortable as a dress this fitted can be.  amazing?  yup.  amazing.  i want to make so many more of these.  unfortunately other things beckon (i'm looking at you karen and your awesome pajama party.  i'll be there.)

so there you have it.  i have been making things.  told ya!

Sunday, June 16, 2013

ps: rip google reader

By the way, I just realized that the reason for all of those "Google reader is dying, follow me on bloglovin" posts were because, duh, you have to claim your blog with a post to have it be on bloglovin.  You did use google reader right?  So you are switching to bloglovin..... right???  


why am I such  peer pressurer?

since posts devoid of pictures are such a plight upon all blogdome enjoy: 


somebody please take picasa away from mommy..  she's gone mad with collages!  MAD I tell you!!!!!

Me Made May: The final week

Otherwise known as "The week where things get silly / get collaged / go to pot"
Yes, I know it's mid-June.  And I'm okay with that.  Let's just move on.


Saturday (or Sunday?) I pulled out the warm Endpaper Sweater.  While I'm always happy to wear my awesome handknit sweaters, I'm a little disappointed that I had to pull this sweater out at the end of May.  Warm up already, Seattle!


Sunday I wore my Paisley Darling Ranges top... the one with sleeves.  It makes me smile that I have to be more specific than the original title now.  Paisley FTW!!


Monday was a holiday and the family headed out for a little daycation (can you say cheese?) to Bainbridge Island.  It's a thirty minute ferry ride away and there's a children's museum, a beach (of sorts), and Churchmouse Yarns and Teas which <sniff> I did not get to visit.  But it doesn't matter because we had an awesome day.


So awesome, in fact, I made a collage just of the kids being cute... and wearing made-by-me pants (the boy) and made-by-me groovy shirt and knitted hoodie vest (baby girl).  As you can see lots of fun was had by all.  I think it's worth noting that I don't normally wear dresses on the weekends but I was super comfy all day and my pants didn't get wet in the rain.  I know it's not raining in any of these pictures but it did a fair bit of it on and off throughout the day.  The one complaint I can think of is that the ferry on the way home was a bit windy (sorry innocent bystanders!) but the kids liked sitting inside watching the water go by anyway.  They didn't like being out in the wind either.


Tuesday and it's back to business.  The ubiquitous pink skirt again.  As a matter of fact the same outfit as I've worn most of the Tuesdays this month.  Yawn.


Ahh!  Some variety.  Wednesday I wore my new (at the time) wrap skirt.  This is a refashion and as soon as I can get some better pictures it will get it's own post (though I'm not sure it really deserves a whole post, simple as it is.  It's a great basic piece, though, so don't think I don't love it.


Wednesday there were lots of me-mades making the rounds.  I wore my reloved mullet skirt with my reloved periwinkle tie tee.  Sense a theme here?  A whole reloved outfit!  Yay! (You'll just have t imagine the  excited kermit arms).  But wait, there's more!  The boy has decided he likes his Shakespeare shirt and has started wearing it all the time.  When I first made it he would cry if it even came near him.  He's also wearing his Little Heartbreakin' Khakis.  I love those pants; they make him look like such a little gentleman... until he rolls around in the dirt and gets grass stains all over them of course. 


Friday I wore the other paisley Darling Ranges top.  Haha!  Nice.  What happened to Thursday you might wonder?  Well, I wore a me-made dress which I haven't blogged yet (though you have seen it earlier this month).  My plan (because I am nothing if not a plan-monger) is to put up a whole post about it next week with pictures taken the Thursday in question so I'm saving all the good shots for that.

What can we take away from this, my first, Me Made May?  Well, I can be counted on to make, to wear, but not necessarily to follow through with the blogging.  It has certainly prompted me to think about the most glaring holes in my me-made wardrobe.  I do wonder how feasible it is for me to work full time, sew, knit, run (inspired by Winnie of Scruffy Badger I'm starting to run), spend time with my kids, and also blog about it all.  Also, my camera is broken as I may have mentioned and all photos from here on out are iPhone.  Since I only used my camera for the self timer pictures I'm not really anxious to replace it.  What does this mean for this little old blog of mine?  Well, I'm going to try something new.  Quick and dirty blogging.  The pictures may get silly (bringing another person into the photography makes me feel awkward, and when I feel awkward I make strange faces and poses), the posts probably won't be edited for grammar, brevity, or even silliness.  Will you continue to read?  Are you reading anyway?  I don't know.  But we'll just see how this works out.