more sewing cuteness

Wow, where did the past 5 days go?

I feel like a lot has been going on, and yet I couldn't really tell you what the heck we've been doing. Friday was "stay home and scrub the filthy bathroom" day but that ended with me being stir-crazy and dragging Daughter to JoAnn Fabrics, ostensibly for some new machine needles, but really I wanted to browse. She picked out some fabric (seriously, we walk along the calico wall and she points to the ones she likes), so we got a few cuts to make some more sundresses.

Saturday we did a couple errands, and then I spent the entire evening constructing a new outfit for Daughter:


cherries jubliee!


look at the matchy-matchy cherry buttons!

Friends, I am having so much fun making these little outfits. I'm going to need a 12-step program to get over this. Once again, here is the info:

Dress pattern: New Look Kids #6578, size 1/2 but adjusted to length of the size 2
Bloomers pattern: Easy Stitch 'n Save by McCall's #M5079, size large

The cherry buttons were also from JoAnn, and I swear I think they cost almost as much as the fabric. But you have to admit it was worth it, no?

There was a question last week in the comments regarding how to determine the length of the elastic in the bloomers. Since I have the kid right here, I measured her thighs and added about 1". I also double checked against some store-bought outfits to make sure that would work. If possible, I would suggest taking a loose leg measurement, or asking the mom to measure if the baby isn't with you.

I have to run and try getting some work done. I don't think I've shared this yet, but my 14-month old child just up and decided IT IS NOW TIME TO WALK. So we spend all our waking hours cruising furniture, taking daredevil steps from table to couch to tv stand, and attempting to climb the family room steps. People, my back? It is killing me. The poor kid isn't really very stable yet so she threatens to fall all the time. I have to scootch around the floor, hovering behind her, trying to avoid the face-smashing into furniture fall, or the head bouncing off the floor fall...it is strenuous. The point is, she is now sleeping and this is my break. I was given this project for the quilt shop back in April, I am ashamed to say, and it still is not finished:


It's hard to see in this crummy photo (sorry, it is dark, dark, dark and pouring rain today), but the big squares have embroidery in them. With all the issues going on in my life over the last few months I just haven't been able to finish this paid work. But we could sure use the dough so I'm buckling down. I have to finish this and its twin, hopefully this week. Thankfully this one is almost there.

Also? It is twelve thousand percent humidity today and everything feels damp. Eew. Makes for some clammy sewing...

stuff and more stuff

First up, from the Cuteness Chronicles...we are teaching Daughter our first names, and those of our parents. This is both so she will know, and also in case, God forbid, something happened and she had to tell a policeman Mommy or Daddy's name. You know.

Anyway, we've been working on this, and today she was reciting them for me. Here's how it went:

Daughter: Papa name _____!
Me: Yes!

D: Gramma name _____!
Me: Yes!

D: Daddy name _____!
Me: That's right!

D: And Mommy name...sweetie!
Me: *hysterical laughter*

Perhaps Hubs needs to start calling me by name once in awhile, eh?

Moving on, I have something to give away:

Knitters (and crocheters), I don't know if this floats your boat, but I have 4 skeins of Sinfonia cotton yarn to unload. I was making a summer tank out of it and just didn't enjoy working with it. The details:

4 skeins Sinfonia
100% mercerized cotton
Labeled "sport weight"
100g/3.25 oz/200m/218 yds
Color is called "Rosa Viejo"
Recommended needle size: 3.5mm (US4) or 3mm (US E/4) crochet hook
Hand or machine wash cold, lay flat to dry

Want it? It's enough to make a small-to-medium summer garment, depending on the style. I was knitting it on a US 6 needle and the fabric was nice enough, I just didn't love it. If you are interested, send me an email (address in sidebar) with your full name and address. Continental US only, please. I will ship asap, but most likely parcel post 'cause of cost. If more than one person wants it, I will send it to the first person whose email I receive.

More rrrrrrrripping:

This represents many hours of my life that I'll never get back. Phooey. And it's all my fault because I play fast and loose with gauge. (This is where my Inner Napoleon Dynamite says: Idiot! Gosh!)

It was a Debbie Bliss sweater for Daughter, knit in Wool Ease sportweight. I thought it would work, despite the DK requirement in the pattern. Because I am an idiot. Or an optimist. Whatever, it doesn't matter. The point is there's no way it would even have blocked out to the correct measurements, because of the high acrylic content of the yarn. So...see ya.

Here you can see the 3 hanks of yarn drying in the backyard (2 sleeves, 1 partial back). You can also see some cloth diapers and diaper covers flapping in the breeze, because I have switched Daughter to cloth diapers for the duration of her diaper-wearing experience. We're fairly aggressively potty-training right now, and I'm sick of tossing out $25 worth of diapers every month. WASTE! Also, cloth diapering is totally easy and awesome, as my friend (and cloth diaper evangelist) Karen has been telling us for months.

But that's a whole other post.

So ripping those two projects leaves me with a very respectable and manageable 2 projects on the needles...socks for Hubs, and a shawl for me. But come on, that's not nearly enough to keep me occupied, right?

Next up: River Forest Gansey for Daughter in Knitpicks Wool of the Andes 'mulled wine' colorway. I've been wanting to make her this sweater for ages, but haven't had the yarn. Well, shazam! I do now. So this will be started very soon.

And then maybe I can get some of those sewing wips done. Never enough hours in the day, people. Never enough.

the first step is admitting you have a problem

I have reached a new level of sewing insanity. Last night I was lamenting the fact that there is nothing I really need to make for Daughter just now. Her growth has slowed down and most of what she wore last winter/spring still fits. Also, I seem to be in denial about her size, because I keep making size 2 garments even though the pattern chest measurements for size 2 are anywhere from 3-6 inches too big every time.

I can't just keep buying patterns like a freak, I need to use what I have. But most of what I've been accumulating starts with size 2. Aaaaarrrgh! And I must keep sewing because that is what I do to maintain sanity in my stay-home-mom world. Plus I like it.

Sooooo, there I was, tossing and turning until something like 3 a.m., going through my mental rolodex of fabrics and patterns (like I said, a new level of insanity) when it hit me - baby patterns! My poor kid is pretty puny for her age and I have a bunch of baby patterns that might still fit her! It was all I could do to stay in bed...I wanted to get up and start makin' stuff.

Sure enough, when I got up this morning and dug through my patterns with my cup of coffee, I found what I wanted.


This is New Look 6310, still available in stores as far as I know. I bought it when Daughter was a tiny infant because I wanted to make sleep buntings for her. For some reason I misread the envelope (I don't know, maybe because I was sleeping about 4 out of every 24 hours then?) and thought it was only for knits. It is not. But I tried making the bunting (view C) with a knit, and it was a total disaster. I cried, and then threw it out. Knowing what I do now, I would definitely make the bunting again but out of a stinking flannel next time. Duh.

What caught my eye this time was the little wrap top and pants. I love the look of pants with a band at the bottom for little kids, and set out to alter this pattern a bit for my tall, skinny girl. Easy peasy...just added 2 inches of length to the largest size. The waist measurement was plenty big (it's elastic waist anyway).


These photos don't do the pants justice...they are SO CUTE. Maybe I can get a shot outside in natural light tomorrow.


Love!

These are made from some cotton from Joann's that I had intended for the blouse in my last post, but I only got a yard, which wasn't enough for the blouse. Repurpose, repurpose! I actually think I made these a tad too long, which is fine because she can wear them all winter and there is some growing room. I want to make a few more pair out of some print corduroy. Cuteness!

Stay tuned...there is more cut out and waiting for free time. And I am knitting my hands into early arthritis to be sure. Can't stop making stuff!!!

pattern wanted

Hey sewing people, I have a request. Anyone know of (or have) a relatively simple pattern for overalls in at least a size 4? I was reading through some old posts looking for something, and I came across these pictures of Daughter at 18 months, wearing her Osh Kosh overalls. I almost wept at the cuteness. The denim! The wee hat! The tiny chuck taylors! Well, we still have chucks and hats, but the overalls are long outgrown. I'd like to make some more. Because, you know, I have so much free time. HA! I figure the next 6 weeks will go by much faster if I just load up with projects I can't possibly finish.