Easy Peasy Coat Sewing

Super Easy Coat Sewing!

Well, I have been doing a fair amount of sewing lately.  Just not so much blogging! 

Since I have a few new items done, it's time to get some pictures taken and share them.  This morning I wore a garment I made to work, so I managed to ask a coworker to take a pic. 

Here is my new coat!

The

This is a Burdastyle pattern #6989.  It says "Super Easy" and it really was!  The pattern calls for loden wool, but I wasn't about to cut up some expensive wool for an untested pattern. 

There are pockets on seam that you can't see in this pic.



There were no reviews on patternreview.com.  After a disappointing visit to JoAnne's, I ended up using a $10 blanket to make this coat.  Yep, a TEN DOLLAR BLANKET! 

The seams are not hemmed, so that makes it super easy and fast.  But I think it would be nice to consider making this in other fabric and lining/hemming.













The pattern has two other options.  A shorter jacket version, or a vest. (Pattern pic of vest here)

This coat might do well with some embellishment of some kind.  It's simple and sewed up super fast.  I'd like to find a fabulous fabric for the next version. 

My pattern review is here: http://sewing.patternreview.com/review/pattern/92741

For now, I will enjoy staying warm in my wearable blanket!

Janimal
 

Delilah's Ballet Dress

Recently, Fabric.com posted a link to a free peasant dress pattern. I made one in almost no time at all! Check it out here.

I think the Minnie Mouse slippers really make the outfit, don't you?!?

VERY simple to put together. Given Delilah's new obsession with only wearing red, pink, or purple, I've been sewing accordingly. I found this pretty pink fabric with red and pink ballerinas that I just had to get for her -- I think it was from Hancock Fabrics. Sorry I can't recall. Darnit. I'll update with the name of the fabric later.

A lovely dress to pick flowers in.

And make funny faces in.

The instructions include putting elastic in the sleeves so they are cute little poufs. I tried the dress on D and just left the elastic out. This is a 3T and just fits her and I didn't want the sleeves too tight and turn her off wearing it. The next version I'll make a 4T and include the elastic. SO quick to make this simple dress. And if I say so myself -- SO CUTE!

I have SO many pretty fabrics in my stash, but since D is just interested in her favorite colors, there's no point in me sewing with them. I want to make things she WANTS to wear. So its red and pink and purple all over my sewing room for a while. I bought some fabric to make MYSELF things when I need to rebel and sew something blue or green!

Coming up, I have cute toy from the Wee Wonderfuls book to show off - and am in the midst of making a very special dress to enter my local ASG contest. I hope it looks as dreamy in real life as it does in my head.

Later skaters,

Janimal

Buttercup Bag Sewing

Hello Blog Friends!

Last week a friend came over after Delilah went to bed and we tackled making little purses.
(Check out this free pattern and tutorial of the Buttercup Bag from Made By Rae, HERE)

We made our way through putting together the Buttercup Bag. After making the first one, I knew I had to make another. For my favorite little person of course! Check out Delilah's Buttercup Bag!



That minky fabric shed all over my sewing room. But it was worth it. Delilah has been carrying her bag around with her since I gave it to her. She looked awfully cute as she swayed through Home Depot with it on Sunday.
When we go out shopping, Delilah clamors to hold my purse for me. So it was high time she had her own.

She kept it with her right up until bedtime. I think it coordinated well with her jammies!



(I think the look on her face is hilarious)

I had a half yard of some cute Amy Butler fabric and made another using an orange cotton for the lining. So cute I think!



Making these bags may be my new obsession. I have two more cut and ready to sew as gifts for some little girls. (With their names embroidered on, of course!)

To make these for little girls, I used velcro as the closure as I found the magnetic closure on my first one to be too strong for a small child to maneuver. Also, in the instructions, it says "attach straps" at the end. I sewed them on the outside per the instructions for the first one I made, but on these two versions I decided to sew the strap to the inside of the seam, so it looks a bit more finished. Here's a pic that shows the strap ends hidden inside the seam, rather than sewed to the outside.



(If anyone wants to know how I sewed the straps, email me and I am happy to send you pictures of how I did it.)

Here's a peek inside the other bag to see the velcro and the pocket.



I used sew on velcro. And it's the kind that has the hook and loop together rather than separate, to reduce the fuzzies that can caught up on the hook side of velcro. (Purchased at Hancock's)

Thanks for stopping by!

Janimal

Musical Popover Dress

I think I mentioned in a previous post that I had one more Popover Dress cut out and ready to be sewn for Delilah.

Ready to see my little supermodel in training?!



The fabric is musical notes from Hobby Lobby and the pink is Kona cotton.



The bottom is pink ribbon with a little white stripe. I used the technique from the Lazy Days Skirt pattern. It's pretty easy to make a nice finished hem with ribbon and I love the extra detail and pop of color at the hem.

And one more picture. Do you think this little girl could do no wrong or what?!



I am seriously in love with my daughter.

The Popover Dress pattern is easy for a beginner (and available FREE from the lovely Oliver and S). My photo tute following the pattern is here. If you have a little girl and can sew at all -- this pattern is a really good start at making garments.

Later skaters,
Janimal

Another TShirt to Toddler Dress

I love turning my old clothes into outfits for Delilah!

Making simple dresses from T Shirts is my new thing. This project can be completed quickly (always a plus for a Mom with limited time) and since I am using a shirt I don't wear, it doesn't really cost me anything. And if I mess up too badly on an upcycle, (and I messed up on this, I'll show you my booboo) it's not like I spent a bunch of money on the fabric. Which reminds me of the $17/yard Kokka fabric I ordered and can't bring myself to cut. I am SO nervous about cutting that stuff - it's too pretty!

Anyway, on with the Dress tutorial. Very similiar to THIS one I posted before, except the sleeves are much better on this one.

Start off with a T. This one was some kind of promo one my husband brought home from work. Too small for me. I like the logo "Tuff Girl".





When I started I wasn't sure what I was doing. I grabbed a TShirt of Delilahs to take a look at how much I was going to cut from this shirt.



I decided that I wanted the black of the sleeve to be just on the sleeve on her dress too. So I had a plan in mind to sew at approximately the lines I drew in the below picture. (What I SHOULD have done, is not shorten the sleeve length. I should have used the existing sleeve hem. Ah well, it turned out ok, and I learned something.)



I cut a bit first. One side at a time.

Ok, cut! Now I had to be sure to sew so there was no black in the side seam. But I needed to be close, to have the dress be wide enough.

Here I start to sew.

Clip threads (here I realized I should have changed my bobbin thread. ) and cut into the corner of the sleeve seam too.

Turn right side out, and we're on our way!

This probably would have been a good time to stop, try it on the child. But she was sleeping. So I forged ahead, hoping this wouldn't be a waste of time. I left the sleeves just cut. The knit doesn't fray.

Now to tackle the length. I got out my handy metal yardstick.

And drew 3 strips using the yardstick as my guide.

Cut!

I cut the strips and sewed them end to end, to make one loonnng strip of fabric.

THIS IS MY FAVORITE PART!

Set the sewing machine to the highest possible number, which is the lowest possible tension. And to the widest stitch possible, a basting stitch. Sew down the middle of the 1' strip, and see the magic that happens to the strip of fabric!

And this is my least favorite part - pinning. Pin the ruffled strip to the bottom of the dress.

Now sew the strip to the dress, right down the middle, attaching the strip to the bottom of the dress.

NOW HERE IS THE BOO BOO. I forgot to reset the tension on my machine. Oopsy. The fabric got pulled down into the thingymabob and was stuck. This was not fun to fix. So -- let me give you a warning - check the tension!

Put this dress on your child, and she is raring to go outside and play.

This dress is fun to play in!

Even looks good with sidewalk chalk markings!



Ok, that was fun! Very simple, and I learned a few things.

So far, my TShirt refashions have been very simple. If you want to see some much cooler refashions, you must head to the blog Lil Blue Boo. The MASTER of TShirt refashions for kids! I recently purchased the Sienna Dress Pattern and I am excited about it. I read through the directions and am SO pleased at how simple and straightforward they appear. The pattern is uncomplicated, not many pieces. It is awesome how she makes sleeves look easy!

Thanks for stopping by. I'd love to see your TShirt refashions. And here is a preview of a smocket for a tutorial hopefully later this week - just 1 pattern piece!