Toddler Underwear

When I ordered my first Girl Charlee KnitFix I added some extras to my order so I wouldn't have to pay for shipping.  I would much rather spend that $12 on some more fabric.  Some of the fabric I bought were these half yard knits.  I thought it would be enough to make something for my grandson so I picked out some fabrics he would like not really knowing what I would make with them.  A half yard would be enough to make a t-shirt with.  I decided to make a t-shirt with a Stretch & Sew Pattern from the 70's that I got at the auction several months ago.  I was pleased to discover that there was enough fabric left to make a pair of briefs to match.  The brief pattern came from The Little One Yard Wonder Book.  The first pair I make was the olive with the fawns and I made the size 4/5 thinking that would be plenty big enough for a 2 year old to grow into.  He is not quite potty trained yet.  Even though I could get the briefs on him they were a bit tight.  I think I should have chose a bigger size partly because the fabric I used was not very stretchy.  And little man has pretty hefty thighs.  But he liked his Deer Underwear and T-Shirt.

 

The olive set turned out so cute and sewed up so easily I decided to make some more.  This time I used this triangle print that also had some deer in the print.  I made the briefs in the next bigger size and I used the pattern for the tank top from the Little One Yard Wonder Book.  I think these turned out even cuter than the first set.  I like the way the buck ended up on the front of the briefs.  I couldn't really plan it that way because I was working with only a half yard of fabric so I had to fit the pieces on there wherever they would fit.  

 I had an idea this tank top would make a nice summer set of PJ's if I added a pair of boxers with it.  I got this pattern for free from Shwin and Shwin. I is a size 5/6 slim. They turned out much larger that the 6/7 briefs, but I think that will be fine as a pair of PJ shorts that he will wear over a diaper.  I had just enough of this fabric to cut out the sides of this boxer brief pattern.  I used some aqua cotton spandex for the accents on the boxers and white cotton spandex to trim the tank and the briefs.  Both of the solid fabric were half yard pieces as extras on my order.

 These little underwear were so fun to make.  I think they are just adorable if that is possible for underwear.  They only take tiny amounts of fabric so you can easily use scraps leftover from other projects.  I think they would be a great project for someone new to sewing with knits because they use very little fabric.  And if you make a few mistakes hey they are underwear and most people will never see them.  But these are so cute you may want to show everyone.

Farmall Tractor Shirt

 I was excited to get to make something for my man.  He like to restore antique tractors and his favorites are Farmall Tractors.  So when I saw this tractor fabric at JoAnn Fabrics I bought some not really knowing what I was going to make with it.  When he saw it he thought it would make a nice shirt.  He could wear it to his tractor club meetings.  I was a bit skeptical about how this rather large print would look in a shirt but I went ahead and sewed it up. I think it turned out nice and my man likes it.  It fits him well too.

I used this out of print Simplicity Pattern 8150 I had in my pattern stash.  It is a pretty basic shirt pattern and easy to sew too.  I also made him a pair of boxer shorts from this pattern but we chose not to post any pictures of those.  The shorts are very easy to sew with only one pattern piece.  I think the shorts took less than an hour to sew.  The shirt may have taken 3 hours to sew I didn't really time myself .  But I know it was quick and easy to sew.  This is the first time I have used this pattern for the shirt but I have made the shorts before.  Several years ago I was trying to use up some of my stash fabric so I made boxer shorts for my two sons.    I probably will not make the tie as all the men in my life do not wear ties except on rare occasions.

Silk Top

I have had this pretty pink and orange silk chiffon fabric in my stash for a couple of years just waiting for the right project. I decided to sew up Simplicity 2599 view E. The fabric is shear so I wear a cami under it. It has a button and loop opening in the back with a faced neckline. The armhole are bound with a bias binding made out of the same fabric as the top. The ruffle at the neck edge is made with a 2" bias strip with a narrow hem on each side. Hemming the ruffle was probably the most challenging part of the project because of the delicate fabric. And then to top everything off there is a fabric bow added to the neckline.

I love the finished top and it fits great and feels very dressy when I wear it. I will definitely make this pattern again there are several different ruffled views included in the pattern. It sewed up quickly which is a real plus in my book. I think I could eliminate the button and loop closing at the back of the neck because I could easily pull the top on and off without unbuttoning. And I was having a hard time unbuttoning it while wearing it myself anyways. I have about a yard of this fabric leftover maybe I will make a little coordinating cami with it.

Kay Whitt Design for McCall's

I was pleasantly surprised a few weeks ago

when I discovered several Kay Whitt patterns in the McCall's pattern selection. Since the patterns were on sale for $1.00 I picked up two of them. This one is McCalls's 5882. In Kay's typical style the pattern includes various length options as well as ideas for contrasting design elements such as hem bands and tie belts. There is even an embroidery design included. I chose view B the tunic length top. The pattern has a shorter top and several lengths of dresses.

I had the brown and turquoise floral linen in my stash. It was leftover from a skirt I made a few years ago. I found the embroidered brown linen to coordinate for the bodice. I had the turquoise silk dupioni in my stash that I used for the hem band. I also wanted to show some of that silk at the neck edge. My original plan was to make a bias piping at the neck edge. Well when I tried to make a continues bias strip something went wrong and my strip did not end up on the bias but the straight of grain. Since that would not lay well around a curved neckline I opted for a narrow ruffle. I did make the tie belt included in the pattern but I didn't like the way it looked on this top so I removed it. Overall I like this top and the way it fit. One thing I would alter for the next top or dress I make with this pattern is the neckline in the front. For some reason almost every pattern I use the neckline end up being an inch or so to big in the front. I am still wearing this as it is a minor issue and probably the only one who would notice this is me. But it is an easy change to make the next one better. All in all I like this pattern and this top.

Claire Cami Top

Ever since I made the Claire Cami Dress for my swap partner I have wanted to use this pattern for myself. I thought the shorter tunic lenght would be a great summer top. And it is dressy enough for me to wear to work. I loved the way the dress fit me so I knew the top would fit well.

For the top I used a black and white floral linen rayon blend I picked up on clearance at JoAnn Fabric. for the coordinating trim I used a quilting panel from my stash that had quarter yard strips of various black and white prints. I love sewing and wearing this patttern. It is quick to sew and easy to wear. I think this top has an oriental look to it. I do want to sew up a dress next. I really liked the one I sent to my swap partner.

I joined these link parties!!

A couple of new tops

I am getting ready for the fall weather with some new tops with sleeves. This orange dottie one is Simplicity 2690. When I had it finished I thought it looked sort of clownish because of all the dots. But when I put it on I think I like it. I know I like the pattern in general and will probably try another one in solid or more toned down print.

This is New Look 6702 view B. This was quick and easy out of jersey knit. It was a bit to low cut for me so I sewed up more of the front opening above the twist. Now I feel like I can wear it in public,

This one is a tunic style made out of a silky polyester ethnic print fabric. The pattern includes a pair of pants that I made but didn't take a picture of. They fit well and they are a slim cut pant with a side zipper. The pattern is Simplicity 2816 it includes a dress which is a longer version on the tunic that I made, a short jacket and a long jacket. I am considering the long jacket as a project for the future.