Get Ready For The Holidays!

It's September already?!?! How did that sneak up on me so fast?!? Time to kick holiday gift crafting/sewing into gear!

At a local sewing guild meeting, we shared "30 minute gifts". So I made a few giftcard holders that can double as business card holders for the recipient later. A gift in a gift.



(My easy-peasy tutorial to make these is HERE.)

I have plans to get together with a friend and make some reusable fabric giftbags. My friend found THIS TUTORIAL to make some drawstring bags that looks pretty cool to follow.


Other gifts to make? Well, I just spent a weekend in NYC hanging out with my cool brothers and even cooler nephew. I got to shop at the fabulous Purl Soho and bought this book (that was recently spotlighted on their blog).




Oh the dollies in my future! One of the doll patterns was published over at Martha Stewart, so I'll make that dolly up, and post my pictures and the link hopefully within a week.


And...I will probably post some of my NYC pics. So there's your warning - non-crafty posts ahead. With my cute brothers in them.

Later skaters,
Janimal

Toddler Smocktop

Hello!

Here to show you another toddler smocktop. (Tutorial HERE)

Sorry I have been a bit MIA. I haven't had much time lately to create new things or to blog about the few things I have managed to create.

Yesterday, one of the women I met through the local chapter of the ASG (American Sewing Guild) invited some of us over to help thin her fabric stash a bit. It was wonderful! Fabric shopping, with no cash register. I actually felt a little embarassed when I saw the HUGE pile I had picked out. But the hostess of the destash was so gracious, and simply asked me to send her pictures of items I made from her gift. There was some gorgeous printed seersucker, just perfect for a sweet toddler girl. So last night, after bedtime, I whipped up a cute little top for Delilah.

She looks pretty happy, right?

Not so happy in this next one:

We like to call this next look "Blue Steel"

Haha. Here is a shot of the back criss-cross of the shirt:

Now, this little criss-cross smocktop takes about 20 minutes total to make. That includes cutting time! And did I mention it's reversible? I used two different coordinating seersucker prints for the top.

My tutorial for the top is HERE, along with a link to original pattern by MayFly.

If you are so inclined, check into your local sewing groups! I have met wonderful women through joining my local group -- and what a bonus to get all this gorgeous fabric!

Later skater,

Janimal

The Smocket Pattern and Tutorial

A little while ago, I stumbled upon THIS pattern for a one pattern piece dress/smocktop on themayfly - the original post (she calls it a smocket) is here. Yeah, just one pattern piece. I had to give it a try!

I printed the pattern as instructed. Taped it together, cut it out in some cute fabric and some broadcloth for lining, and it was completed in just a few minutes. It looked like a bat all finished. With straps that criss-cross in the back and tie to straps on the front. Unfortunately, when I tried it on Delilah, the straps weren't quite long enough to tie. So I added snaps. I realized that I didn't place the snaps very well once I got it on her.

But that didn't stop me from making Delilah wear it. And I had enough fabric left to make her a skirt to match. And hairclip. Here she is showing off the criss cross back:

And besides the strap problem, once on her, the front was too long. Not long enough to be a dress, too long to be a shirt. Here's another action shot. (It's tough to get any shots that AREN'T action shots of an 18 month old!)

So unfortunately that free pattern wasn't exactly all I hoped. Just not the right fit for my kid, who at 18 months, is wearing 2T and 3T shirts but doesn't have the height to go with it. She's solid! This pattern didn't work for her as is, but it had so much promise! It was so quick and easy - a few adjustments might make it perfect, right?!

I tried again with a few adjustments. Here she is!

Want to give it a shot? Print the original pattern here. I would encourage you to cut the pattern out of whatever cheap fabric you have around, and wrap it around your child and figure out if you need to make adjustments too. Hopefully the original pattern will work for you, but since our kids come in all shapes and sizes, some adjustment might be necessary. Luckily, this is such a sweet simple design that adjustment isn't too hard. Here's how I adjusted it to fit my munchkin:

First, I addressed the length in front. It was waaay too long. I traced the pattern onto the lining fabric first (broadcloth). Then drew a line to shorten the front length:

Then I added about 2' to each of the straps. See here - the lower lump is the original strap line, I drew a longer lump over it. Not an exact science here...

Here is the finished pattern piece, in a very LOUD fun crayon patterned fabric I got from Fabric.com. Cut using the new adjustments.

Looks like a bat, right?!

And of course it needs a lining. So I also cut it out in a light white broadcloth. That's all the cutting. 2 pieces = easy!

Here is the lining laid on top of the main fabric. Right sides together.

It had to be pinned in place. I don't like pinning, but in this case it was necessary to keep the two pieces from shifting while sewing. Why oh why do I dislike pinning so much? (Perhaps because I am klutzy and manage to stick myself too often.)

This was pretty easy to sew around the edges, leaving a space for turning. But before turning, clip the seams. Those curves definitely require clipping.

Turn right side out, press, and there is the bat again! I decided to top stitch around the edge again. It only took a minute and I think finished it nicely.

The adjustment of the length and the longer straps make the new top look just right. Check out this back view to see the cute criss cross in the back.

Sweet little top for the Summer!

That was an easy peasy top. Not fancy, but cute and cool for the heat of the South. I think in the Winter I might experiment making it out of fleece or other heavier fabric using snaps for some easy warm layering.

I would suggest if you want to try this smocket pattern, just cut it out of a piece of cheap fabric or muslin first, and wrap it around your child, without sewing it, to see how it fits. From there you can figure out if you need longer straps, and how the length works with your little one. Now that I have my adjustments right, I can whip up this little smocket in just a few minutes.
Some embellishments might make this really fun. Add a front pocket, some custom embroidery. Mmmm....there are possibilities here!

Many thanks to MayFly for the original pattern.

One other thing to mention --- I am really looking forward to "Yummy Mummy" week on Delicious Ambiguity. Check it out next week!

Later skaters!

Easy Peasy Soft Animal Toys - Blue The Sheep!

Just a quick tutorial about some super duper easy little softies I made this week.

Meet "Blue" the sheep.

Here's the story of Blue The Sheep.
I fell in love with some cute animal print fabric at my favorite local sewing store. It was a precut yard of adorableness. I had some scraps left from making a Popover Dress (Free pattern here) for Delilah. I had to think of something to do with them.

Oh, you wanna see the adorable cuteness of my daughter in her dress before we get started?!!? Well, if you insist. I can't blame you. She really is the cutest thing going...action shot ahead!

(I have a tutorial to make the Popover Dress here)

Delilah LOVES animals, so I guess it's no wonder I have quite a lot of fabrics with cute creatures in my stash. So I imagine more of these little softies are in my future!

I got started by selecting Blue from the crowd of animals. He stood out. I think it was his blueness that caught my eye.

Then I cut a piece of wool felt roughly the same size as the first cutout.

I drew a sewing line about a half an inch around Blue, and pinned the right side of the fabric to the piece of wool felt. (The key here, is to not have any sharp angles to sew. It makes a difference when turning.)

I sewed sorta kinda on the line I drew, leaving about an inch and half wide opening to turn.

After sewing, I trimmed all around the sewn line to about a quarter inch.

And handstitched the opening closed.

Oh, he is so cute, he may have a permanent home in my sewing room as my little helper.

But then he might miss all his friends.....

I think some of these softies would be a good project for the toy society.

Earlier this week I mentioned a smocket tutorial was in the works. It's almost finished, I just need my little model to wear the final creation so I can finish it off. The smocket tute I am posting is a modification of someone else's pattern. I'll be linking to them, their pattern, and showing you my modifications. Hope that makes sense!

Thanks for stopping by today.

- Janimal

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