Feb 3--monkey jammies

I should be sneaking in some knitting while I have a few moments because this has been just an incredibly busy week. One thing I am learning about myself is that I do much better at things when I can plan them. What that means is that it probably wasn't the brightest thing for me to undertake a job which tends to call me in at the last minute. Which happened Tuesday.

So Tuesday, when I came home I was exhausted (because the other thing is that a job like mine feels like your first day at work every day--you know how when you start a job and the first week is so exhausting and you've only just learned how to order paper clips?). I was so exhausted, I put on my jammies before my kids did. And I didn't sew, and I didn't even KNIT!

I did however, get irritated at the children fussing at me for daring to ask stupid questions like, "I'm getting takeout for us for dinner, where would you like me to get food from" and "what do you want from Subway?" while they did their math, and so escaped to the sewing room. And I sewed these together:

A photo posted by Jodie (@ja_gardner) on Feb 3, 2016 at 4:17pm PST

I'm hoping to get some elastic measured and some PJs hemmed. But first, helping with said math homework!

Placemats

Christmas is over, kids are back at school. The tree is still up, but probably after this entry, I'll be starting to dismantle it too.

I already shared the knitted project I gave as a gift . It was very well received. And with great surprise, which speaks volumes about my readership.

But I also undertook a sewing project. My mother has moved to a new smaller house this year, and now has no room for a "kitchen" table, so they have started taking a majority of their meals in the dining room at her "good" table. Because of this she asked for a tablecloth for Christmas. Since you know a tablecloth is kind of boring by itself, I decided to make her some placemats.

I used a quilt as you go pattern that I picked up somewhere and promptly forgot where, and some Christmas fabrics I had decluttered from the main fabric storage (and sadly moved to a new place until I could decide how best to dispose of). It was rushed. But the great thing about sewing, is that generally it takes much less time than knitting. And so after spending the odd 30 min here or there cutting strips, I ended up marathon sewing 6 placemats and then sewing binding down. All in about 3 or 4 hours. Most of this time in 2 sittings. But because I usually hand sew bindings down (on the wrong side) I was not done. Indeed, 8 hours of driving later, and I had 5 completely done. The 6th finished in the hotel room. And viola! Placemats.

Also not the best picture. I tried cropping out the hotel floor clutter but iphoto hates me to crop thing--preferring I give you the whole picture. To the end of not allowing me to export in any manner any photo I have dared crop. Try to imagine it without the edges.

It kind of made me sad losing all that driving time to sewing. But on the way home, I knit. (also a little at the family gatherings, but one family has a dog, who isn't used to yarn, and one member of my family feels we aren't paying attention when we are knitting so out of respect to her, I try to limit it).

But! I did make headway on the sweater I am knitting for one of my daughters!

The picture doesn't do the color justice, as it looks a rather plain blue, but in reality is brighter. The pattern is Girl Friday from knitty. I am about an inch (maybe 2) from finishing the back. I'd probably be done with the back already, except I find it hard to follow a pattern (even a simple one like this) when I have a headache, and I have had a headache for the last three days. Today it isn't terrible, so maybe later.

My goal is to finish both this and the other sweater (for the other daughter) by the end of January--so there will be plenty of sweater weather left. We'll see though.

Sewing

I think I mentioned last week that I've been making a weekly to do list, to help focus my efforts. This week I think I went a bit overboard because there are 13 items on the list--I did add the 4 calendar items that I have this week--which is something I don't normally do, but we'll see how it goes. I think I jsut wanted to be sure I could cross something off every day. That's a real motivating thing for me to cross things off.

Last week I did EVERYTHING on the list except one item. The very last pair of planned pj pants for my panda girl still sit in the basement with no elastic because I was stupid and didn't cut a second length when I measured her for the frog PJs. I decided to do a pair for each of them for Christmas, and wasn't sure how to put those on the list because the list sits on my dresser. So I made them SCJ #1 and SCJ#2. And technically panda girl's only needs elastic--which when she decides she needs the plaid jammies that are still waiting on elastic--I'll cut two lengths. Puppy girl should be easier--her last jammies (a set of dogs with glasses) should get done this week. And she is always up for letting me measure out elastic.

This week I also finished a pair for me! Wore them and decided the elastic needed to be tighter--so I fixed them too:

Cute right! Sorry you can't see me modeling them, as I am very cute in them. But I'm sure as the winter goes on if you time it right, you'll see me walking (or driving) to school in them.

I never put knitting on the list--I just slog away at it every night as a form of relaxation. And this week I also hauled it to school conferences because it is set up like the DMV. Just what you want in a conference right? Sit in a chair and wait your 5 minute turn. We were there from 5pm when it started (ok we were there at 5:05 and it was already lines) until 6:45 when we saw the last teacher on the girl's team. I am so glad we put them on the same team of teachers! Otherwise we would have either had to split up or spend another hour waiting I'm sure. I'm so good at this sock pattern that I've done gobs of times that I actually turned the heel and set up the ribbing while I waited. I also got a ton of compliments on it. I still have about 3-4 inches of ribbing left. And I'm still trying to figure out how to not jump right back into the next pair of socks without hurting anyone's feelings.

Maybe I'll start the socks AND a cowl and alternate days? Maybe I'll find I don't like the cowl pattern. All these maybes.

Socks, skirts, pj pants

You would think that in a week I would have gotten a lot done and have had a ton of pictures to show for it.

At this I laugh.
Seriously though, I did make progress on the second sock, despite the fact that I feel like I have already knit 2 socks and am a little tired of knitting socks. I was told that it might be preferable if they didn't match, so they don't. If that bothers you--look away.

And yes, I am a little tired of knitting socks and I'm ready to knit something else. However, I still have 2.5 more socks to do. You see I have twin girls and they are very competitive for my attention/love/knitting. And I can't just knit socks for one of them ( these are for puppy girl) without knitting socks for both of them. So I have 2.5 more socks to knit before I can move on to something else. At least the next pair are a different colorway.

I did make some barbie skirts out of the pleather. (I made two!) And it appears that my panda girl LOVES this, as she's asked for a lot more skirts. Like one in every piece of fabric we have maybe. I did take a picture of the one doll I could find wearing the skirt. Which just happened to be the panda girl's doll.

My hand is there because this is the Barbie who rides a bike and so if I don't hold her I get this:

I also made pj pants for me (although I haven't done the waistband yet) and 2 pairs for panda girl (one is a Christmas surprise) --again no waists yet. And I cut out a third pair for her.

I sort of got on a kick while I was waiting for stuff. I should get on a kick about putting in the waistbands.

Planking, steps and decluttering are all proceeding like they always did.

October wrap up

Here we go--October wrap up. In October I wanted to accomplish:
Halloween costumes
Steps, planing, decluttering
Get on a regular schedule
Knit something

Obviously I finished the costumes. It felt last minute, but I think October 30 wasn't bad. The girls wore them to school and entered a costume contest (but didn't win). Panda girl was going for "most homemade"(she meant best homemade, but kept saying most homemade)--I felt like I should leave some thread hanging for her. The weather was NASTY, windy and cold and drizzly, but the girls desperately wanted to trick or treat. So we bundled up (long underwear. winter coat and boots for me, coat UNDER the poodle jacket, and coat OVER the superhero costume--a trench that she flashed open at every door--it was cute.

I'm sure people look at my nearly fully grown eleven year olds and think they are too old to trick or treat--but at least they are fully decked out costume wise. They took their best friend's little sister with them, and I think fun was had by everyone.

Steps! Did you know I've gotten at least 10K steps every day since May 1--except June 29 and August 6? I have! (Those two days were long driving vacation days).
Planks--ok not so great with the planks--but most days! And I really can tell the difference. I need to up either my reps or my time on each.
Decluttering is where I kind of fell off. I feel like when I look around the obvious clutter is not mine, but the girls'. And I feel like I bought too much fabric for all the costumes, and I don't want to pitch the extras, but I don't know what else to do with it. I tried though--and over the weekend, I made some strides in getting at least one girl to work on her clutter problem.

Getting on a regular schedule. Hmmm I'm not sure why I said that except maybe I was stressed at work because I wasn't putting in regular hours. I have kind of a routine going now, so we can call that good right?

Knit something! I planned socks for the girls, with my goal in my head of finishing one pair by the end of the month. And I kind of did--I finished 2 socks. They just happen to be the same sock re-done so it would fit!

The one on the left is the first one, that sadly did not fit. I ripped it out and got just past the heel and tried it on her again, and the foot part fit. So I picked it up again, gave it a wider heel--added 4 stitches to the leg, and did a lighter ribbing. I just bound it off last night, so we'll try it on her again and hope it fits.

I'm not doing goals for November. I know it is a month many people blog every day or write a novel, but I just want to relax. I have a weekly to do list--which is something I started a few weeks ago. It helps me remember what needs doing, and get them done. I'll check in here from time to time with projects, but probably not every day. Although yesterday I sewed a cute pair of PJs that poodle girl wore today for Pajama day (which I sewed quick because I heard her saying she thought her kitty jammies and her monkey jammies were "babyish" and she wanted these leopard print ones instead, and she was really saying--I don't want to wear pajamas to school. Oh well--that's one pair of jammies done--and quick--within an hour--so you know I can pull this stuff off. Perhaps I'll get a picture of them, perhaps not.

At any rate--Happy November!

Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone!

You would think that given how crazy this month has felt to me--I'm sure it has come through here--that last night would have me in a sewing frenzy. But aside from adding velcro to panda girl's belt, I had no sewing after 8pm! Everyone was super pleased with their costumes. the puppy even mentioned that she thinks she wants to wear her "new jacket" on days besides halloween. They left this morning, decked out--worrying about if they would be the only ones dressed up. It is raining (and cold) I drove them today (something I rarely do) and we saw at least 2 other kids dressed up. You'd think that would help, but no--both were boys which--no matter how nice the boy--all boys are YUCKO (unless they aren't if you know what I mean).

here's the public picture so you can see the costumes.

So does someone care to explain to me how ALL of October was above average temperatures and less rainy than usual and today--the ONLY day that really counts for weather--it is cold rainy and going to snow? Is this just some cruel trick? Would it be sunny and 70 if I had not busted my butt on costumes?

Yesterday was all about the accessories. I had bought enough "fake shiny leather" to make boot covers, gauntlets, a mask and a belt. She ended up wearing her boots, and since she had on a black shirt (for panda arms duh) she didn't need the gauntlets. I did make the belt, choosing to rebel against the instructions and instead of fusing together the fake leather and some lining fabric (Oh the yards of back scraps I still have from last year's Harry Potter robe!), I chose two pieces of leather, sewn together and turned inside out. Um yeah--don't do that. And it looked funny, so I started to do it their way--and started ripping out my seam, when suddenly the point in the belt popped and wham-o--it looked like it was supposed to! Right as I needed to leave for work.

When I got home, I sewed it back up (Top stitched all the way around) and done! Then the mask. I did the mask the way the instructions said (sort of--I fused the webbing to the lining first instead of the leather first) and fused those together, and topstitched. I wasn't sure how my glasses wearing kid was going to wear it, but I thought--what if I make the eye openings as big as her lenses? So I did that--tracing around her glasses. She was thrilled because the mask fit right UNDER her glasses. So she could wear both and see!

I must confess that ever since puppy girl told me she needed "a headband with a bow and ears" I have been wondering how on earth we were going to pull it off. First, she hates headbands. Second, how do you attach ears to a headband? But in true rubber meets the road fashion--I had a brain spark. What if they were all on hair clips? The year panda girl was medusa, I had bought all these hair clips. Amazon calls them "duck bill clips" I called them something else. I had a whole sentence about it--then googled to get a picture, and lets just say I called them something that was slang for old lady porn. Don't go there.

ANYWAY, I couldn't find any of those around the house, and I was out for lunch around Michael's and decided to pop in to see if they had pink ribbon for the bow, and they had those duck clips! After I got home, I cut out some ears (I HATE that fabric can I be done with it NOW), and started playing with adhesives. Soon, I had two ears glue gunned to duck clips! The bow got wired on to a third and then we had puppy!

Halloween also brings us to the end of October, which means time for goal check in, and new November goals. But I don't really have big November goals and I'm thinking it will be boring to both write and read if every day I write--todays goals: get 10k steps, declutter, plank, hang out and read. Yesterday: I accomplished all that! Because I don't have big projects--I'm not knitting gifts this year, I thought I'd just write when I had things I was working on--hopefully more often than I did before September--but not every day.

I do have some projects though--I have some Christmas PJs I promised to help with (I haven't forgotten!), that I'm excited about. And I have some other sewing projects--a quilt one of the girls started, more pjs for us and all that Halloween fabric gave me ideas for barbie clothes! I mean, how crazy are you when you are sewing a costume and you think--would barbie look liek a hooker if I made her leather pants? Hey, you know who needs leather pants? KEN! Pretty crazy. Also--wouldn't barbie look gorgeous in a evening gown that had a leather bodice and a fun fur skirt? See, CRAZY!

Dont worry, I have no pattern for Ken clothes.

October 27

One of the good things about not updating on the weekends, is that when I come back on Monday and start listing things I got done, I feel like there was real progress.

First, I got my 10K steps all three days. I got 2 days of de-cluttering, and 2 days of planking --and they were not the same two days, if you know what I mean. I did not plank Saturday, because we went to see Lyle Lovett in concert and got home very late--I am a lazy bones who saves her planking as a bedtime routine, there was just no way that was happening.

But really this weekend was all about the sewing. Poodle girl's jacket is ready for a zipper--which is the last step. Honestly, this jacket should not have taken me this long, but I ran into a problem with a vague direction, and let me tell you this fabric is not great for ripping out seams. It is also not very structured, which means it is hard to see where things are supposed to go. But I have it together, the girl has tried it on, and it fits. I swear, I don't know when I have ever been more proud of something I made, not because it looks professional (far from it) but because it was so fussy to make. Now let's see if I can get the zipper in with a minimal amount of swearing.
I also happen to think this is amazing because my parents are visiting--but they are pretty understanding of my need to sew as Halloween is less than a week away.

The weekend was also about a black and white photography challenge. The challenge is to post a black and white photograph (to facebook) every day for 5 days. I'm having quite a lot of fun with it. Here is Friday's entry:

Today, my parents are leaving. Originally I thought they were staying until tomorrow morning, so I cleared this day too. Which of course means--free day!

On tap aside from the big three: Buying a zipper and perhaps more tulle--so I can get the jacket finished and the tutu started, cleaning, and running. I'd also like to get busy reading chapter 8 (aka the LAST chapter). In fact this whole week has some big reading goals. I have two books to finish for book club (one we are discussing, one I am passing) and chapter 8. I think this is on the order of 400 pages by next Monday. Oh and it would be great if I finished chapter 8 by Wednesday--no pressure. Sigh. I tried to get my book club books on audio thinking I could listen while I sewed, shopped and cleaned. Only one of them was available and I would have to get it through interlibrary loan--plus it is the book we aren't discussing, so if I don't get it read by Monday it is no big deal.

September 26

Yesterday! Well yesterday was a lovely day until 3pm. I did my fasting blood work (attempted to proof chapter 5 in the waiting room--turns out I can no longer tune out a television while I read. Must be for lack of practice) and was in and out in less than an hour. I had a mediocre phlebotomist and will have a big ole bruise. But then I got to meet my lovely biker chick friend for a long leisurely breakfast (is it brunch if you stay until the lunch crowd starts coming in?). Much better company than chapter 5 I tell you. Then I went home and cut out and sewed up a pair of pj pants!

I was afraid at first because this print has a definite direction to it. The pandas are all standing up in rows like a panda army (well a panda army with pink hearts). But it turns out--as you can see, I usually lay my pants pattern out in one direction. It just took thinking about getting them going the right direction. These pants are ready for elastic and hemming. That took 20 minutes--maybe half hour including cutting.

So then I went for a run and took a shower. The run was ok. I'm trying to get back into shape so my intervals feel pathetic to me.

After my shower, I had 20 minutes before school pickup so I laid out and cut the next pair of PJ pants (pink cats with glasses). I didn't photograph that. I didn't have time to sew them up, but thought--Oh well I'm sure I'll be able to find 20 minutes sometime this afternoon. Oh famous last words.

The girls were chatty after school, and let me tell you--when your tween girl wants to tell you things, you stop and you listen. So I listened. And I made smoothies for snacks (and one for me since I skipped lunch due to the huge breakfast). Because we usually need some decompression time, I let the girls watch a 23 min on demand disney channel episode every day before homework. I can see you saying--well there is your 20 minute sewing time right there. Um no. I needed to pick up hamburger for dinner--but couldn't do that until I determined who wanted burgers and who wanted hotdogs (which is why I didn't do it earlier). When I got home, tv was done and homework time began. Usually homework is not terrible. This year we are really struggling with math. I won't go into too many details except to say that 1) I hate the textbook (which promises to be online but will not print--like a single page when someone forgets their book. And will not open on the ipad--after we downloaded the app, logged in and discovered that ONE book is not an "ebook." Thanks!) and 2) the girls are adjusting to this teacher's style of teaching.

An HOUR later dinner was cooking, girls had finished homework--I started to check it, but gave up to get dinner on the table. After dinner it was one big long cleanup followed by the last CSA pickup, followed by the grumpiest bedtime I've seen in ages. At one point the pink cat jammie kid says--OH do I have any new jammies? I answer that I cut them out but hadn't had a chance to sew them. GO do it NOW! she says. Um yeah no.

I guess I just needed to vent there huh?

Anyway, I did get 14K steps, I found two pieces of school art that missed the purge and sent them to grandma's house, and planked 2 sets of 30 seconds, and did 2 sets each side of side planks for 15 seconds. I need to work on my form for the side planks. I only got to page 5 instead of the 27 I was aiming for in chapter 5.

Today, well I need to get the pink cat jammies sewn up. I need to get some de-cluttering, and my steps and my planks done. I need to get some housework and some work work done. I'd like to update the de-cluttering blog. And I'd like to get to page 30 on chapter 5.

I have also been giving some though to this project I started in September--this blogging thing. Do I want to continue it for October? Would you read it? Do you find it boring, as I'm not really showing off my knitting--although I am knitting nearly every night after girls go to bed. I've been thinking about maybe a weekday update as I find weekends a little hectic and lazy at the same time. Drop me a comment--even if you think I should just go back to sporadic updates with pure crafting content. (Just don't be mean)

brilliant ideas

So, I got this brilliant idea.

You can pause now and laugh if you want.

I started a toe up basic sock from Modesock and then saw neldoreth and could not decide if I should rip that sock out and start over using that pattern (since it is a top down instead of toe up pattern). And then I thought--why can't I just work this pattern from the toe up. I figured the order of the chart and started in. And...

It just didn't look right. And then I turned it inside out and there was the pattern--sort of:

Sorry for the bad pictures, I took them on the ipad before I ripped them out and just started a plain toe up sock.

It looks so pretty, but so plain. Sigh. Anyway, I'd be father along, but here is where I admit a failing. I want to do a specific heel that is in Socks from the Toe up and it includes wrap and turns. I never mastered the wrap and turn. In fact, the last socks I did with this heel, I had to look up how to do wrap and turn, and I suspect I did it wrong. And now, I have to look it up again. I will though. It is just that my knitting time is also my relaxing time and this isn't meshing. Perhaps some night when the children silently drift off to sleep.

In the mean time, I also finished a sewing project.

All because I started a de-cluttering project where I get rid of (at least) two things every day. I have been working on my sewing room and as I have been going along, putting things away, getting rid of things to make room etc, I kept tripping over this more than half completed project, and the other day I decided that if I finished it, I could put the pattern away in the newly cleared out pattern drawer. And I could throw away the scraps. and so, I finished my Ipad carry case.

Details, can be found in this entry. I had to re-do the flap, and found it easier to sew the button on before I had the whole thing together. I think if I make one for a gift, I may use a different type of closure, as I am not a fan of velcro.

I love it and so now am thinking about carrying my ipad everywhere.

Fixing a shirt or two

What I did on my summer vacation part 2.

Maybe you all know this, but if you shop at Kohl's during set times and you spend $50 or more you get $10 Kohl's cash to redeem later. Maybe you think this is a scam. Maybe you've been at the checkout and your total came to $46 and you were tempted to run back for one more thing. Well, this summer I discovered that if you come back with your $46 receipt later and buy $4 they will give you the Kohl's cash. I discovered this when I did this and the next day decided that while my girls were in camp, I would buy them each a shirt from the slut juniors section. I picked what I thought was an innocuous enough shirt--a v-neck that says Hogwarts. Bought two and skedaddled.

So imagine my horror when I discovered V-neck in juniors section means cleavage bearing. How low was it?

That's one daughter wearing it with a shirt underneath.

But at this point there is no returning them (not the least of which was the Kohl's cash) because both girls are in LOVE with the idea of owning a Harry Potter Hogwarts shirt! And really the shirts fit every where else. So I got a little creative.

First I took the shirts to the fabric store and found, to my delight, t-shirt fabric in the exact same yellow!

Is that a match or what?!

I bought half a yard, but really I only needed a quarter. I then hemmed one end and sewed it across the v-neck.

We won't mention that I had that color of thread. I did though--isn't THAT crazy.

Then I basically sewed all along the edges were the original stitching was--along the pin line here:

I wish I had an after picture, because it turned out great. Both girls love these shirts, neither looks provocative, and my mother in law actually asked me what the problem was with the shirts--she hadn't realized I had FIXED them.

I do have to add though that I am majorly disappointed with the juniors section at Kohl's. My girls are 10, they are tall for their age and are aging out of children's clothes really fast. The juniors section is full of short shorts and these v-necks and camis. We actually had better luck for shirts in the petite section--although many of those are kind of matronly. There has to be in my mind a middle ground, otherwise I'm not sure I'll ever shop enough to get Kohl's cash again.

P.S. Spent my KC on a new vacuum that I think I love more than I should.

basement

Somehow May arrived and while I have been meaning to write this here entry for a few weeks now, I am only just realizing that perhaps I'll have to write it in stages or something so it will get posted before next September. Two weeks ago our town, like much of the midwest, experienced a period of heavy rain. It rained A LOT. The river, which had gone a few feet above flood stage mere weeks earlier due to heavy snow melt, rose again. And rose, and rose some more. Predictions were that it would crest a full 10 feet over flood stage, beating the 100 year flood by a foot. Everyone in town was told to expect water and or sewage, as the wastewater treatment plat was having trouble keeping up. And so we prepared by pulling everything in our basement off the floor (since we don't live in the flood zone, we were not expecting much). My sewing room and the kids art room is in the finished basement. We spent some hurried time going through things, and I loaded the car with donations for goodwill (mostly had been sitting in the laundry room waiting). I also threw away two garbage bags full of stuff, some I may or may not have snuck away from the children. In the end, it looked a lot like this: That's my side of the basement.
I also got to vacuum which was much needed.

On the other unfinished side of the basement, we store our treasures from days past. My husband got all of those boxes off the floor and then started wondering if he couldn't consolidate them. "Archivists hate me," he hollered up at one point. He did intermingle our high school stuff and got rid of 2 or three boxes. And he found this quilt:

Now, it is his family that quilts so I was sure this was not mine. (My family does yarn stuff, so if my grandma had made this it would have been a crocheted afghan.) It has no label and he asked me if I knew whose it was. I did not. It has written in what looks like sharpie in one corner "1977." I asked my mother in law and she confirms that she did not make this, but my husband's grandma did. AND she hand quilted it. But how sad that she only used a sharpie to indicate date. It isn't the most lovely quilt I've ever seen and parts of it are clearly polyester fabric, so it isn't particularly soft or anything. But still it is an important lesson for quilters every where (including me): LABEL.

And yes, I am guilty of this as I hate doing labels. But you know what, if Grandma G had put a label on this thing we'd know for sure that she pieced and quilted it. We might even know why. Instead, I'm going to make a label for it that says Probably quilted by."

And yes, I said I was guilty of it. I have a quilt on my guest bed that also needs a label. I guess I'd better dig through those piles to get to my sewing machine and get cracking.

pajamas

Yes I am still knitting on my rick socks. There is a spot on the foot where the diagonal pattern shifts and goes the other way, and I messed this up (and my lifeline was 6 rows back and I was lazy). Eventually I couldn't stand it and ripped back, so I lost maybe 15 rounds. But I'm back to where I was when I ripped and it looks much better. I can not believe how long it has taken me to get these socks done.

My twin daughters are turning 10 next week. And ten is a funny age. Ten is your first decade and honestly it seems to me a perfect time to look back and see what a different person I have become, what a different family my husband and I have become. I realized in this nostalgic look back that although I technically knew how to knit, I never did (and I had no idea to get started beyond handing yarn and needles to my grandmother). I also never made homemade jam (That came about when we made baby food). I certainly never canned anything.

Basically my children have made me a hippy domestic goddess. or something

One thing I had done before they were born, was sew. I don't do quilts often (I never really did), but I used to make all my own pj pants. I started because at the time you couldn't really find flannel pajamas in stores. In fact the pattern I prefer for me is a homemade one made from an old pair I had that fell apart. Now of course, you can buy flannel PJ pants for very little (I bought I pair I need to hem for $1!! NEW!). But I still like to make them.

My girls at ten are tall, and one is very skinny and the other is a little husky. What this means is that I can not find PJs to fit them beyond nightgowns. If I buy their size they are too big on one and tight on the other. So over presidents day weekend I noticed that JoAnne Fabrics had Simplicity patterns on sale for $1 and I picked up three different pajama patterns. Flannel was on sale as well for $3 a yard and so I did what any rational person would do and I bought some, even though I KNEW I had flannel at home.

And I set to work making pants.

This pair has been worn three nights in a row, and the recipient requested that instead of making the top to match, I should do another pair. I have no picture of the second pair, but they were also well received (In fact she was all--when are you going to finish MINE! and has declared them "comfier than I thought").

I have a feeling there are more PJ pants in my future.

state of halloween

I am a planner. I know I can't start thinking about Halloween costumes in October. I know Joann's usually has a big labor day pattern sale. So we start early.

I also start sewing early. In fact I usually take the patterns home, read through them and make lists of what I need to buy so that I only make one trip to the store. and then I plan out my sewing.

Last year on Oct 6 I started a new job and my remembrance is that I was mostly done with costumes at that point. I probably out to go back and check for sure, but my general feeling is that last year was not rushed at all.

This year, well things went very different.

First off I bought the supplies and patterns the same day due to a 30% off your entire order including sale (but not clearance) items. So while I didn't end up with stuff I didn't need, like I have in the past. I neglected to buy snaps and buttons. And trim for one costume, because the child had not given me a clear vision yet.

I had some knitting to do for one of the costumes and so I started that early and then made the plan that I had 4 pieces to sew that I would tackle one a week, which under this plan would have meant that this week I'd be dealing with problems. I always try to give myself a week in case of problems. Then if I run into an issue and I don't want to tackle it, I can save it and mull it over.

Well the petticoat week happened. Did you know that under every successful poodle skirt there is a petticoat or crinoline that makes it poofy? Did you know what a monumental pain in the rear end it is to make a crinoline or petticoat? Yeah me, neither.

First there was tons of tulle to be cut, sewed together and gathered.

And THEN you sewed it on. AND THEN you did that three times!

What you see up there represents 9 hours of nothing but tulle work.

Usually I do not keep track of "how long that took for me to make it" unless I am trying to either charge for my time or trying to do a cost benefit analysis (like for brownie vests). But in this case, it was unavoidable, because I thought hi ho I have a morning free I should be able to finish this petticoat today! Sadly, by lunchtime I was swearing and screaming and cursing bobby soxers everywhere.

And I only had one row of tulle on.

My husband said, "Oh but you know it won't take you three hours to do the rest, remember the first brownie vest? It took you tons of time longer than the second."

He was not only wrong, he was quite spectacularly wrong.

Ok maybe it didn't take me three hours to do the second, but it was close. And the third I know took at least 2.5. So yes, petticoat week was actually two weeks.

So here I am one week before Halloween (WHAT?! ) and I still have one more piece to start. Needless to say, I am glad I saved the easiest for last. I cut and sewed in all my free time on Monday and today, and am now at the try it on point for 3 of the 4 pieces, and only have buttonholes for the fourth.

Somebody save me.

or send junior mints

Doll clothes

It occurred to me the other day that I never finished showing off the doll clothes. Probably because I finished so last minute that I sewed on snaps and wrapped. So anyway, the doll clothes were a hit, although the dolls do not get played with as much as say barbies. Also I had a pair of "leggings" not fit.
Anyway, here are the clothes:
First a jumper and blouse (this is the one with leggings to match that didn't go over the dolls posterior) :


I just loved making this one. I bought that fabric originally to make a skirt for me, but that didn't work out so I cut it up for doll dresses! I also made the shirt and leggings (same pattern, maybe this doll likes ice cream less or something!)


I actually made two coats. The other coat was pronounced the FAVORITE and did not get photographed. I made it from fleece leftover from a coat I made me. This one is made from fleece left over from a LOT of projects, but notably the stuffed alien I made her many many years ago.


I did enjoy making doll clothes and I promised to remake the leggings. So I may be doing more of that in the future. I've had a bad case of the I do not want to do anythings and so have started on a sock and am dreaming up a big knitting project. But I haven't actually finished either yet.

jammies

I know I'd be doing terrible at the posting every day thing, but I set my expectations LOW! Post more often and when you sometimes go weeks without posting even once a week is more often.

I've been a little panicky on my gift knitting, so I need to get back to that, but I wanted to tell you al about the OTHER gifts I'm making this year.
You see, I'm making clothes for each of my daughters' 18 inch doll. I bought a few patterns when Joann's had them for $2 a piece. They were out of the one I really wanted that had PJs and a bathrobe and underwear(!), but I really wanted to make PJs. Because I had this great flannel I wanted to use.

And so I have been sewing away on doll clothes. And so far the only completed outfits I have done are the jammies. As everything else either needs snaps or buttons or to be finished. I'm thinking three outfits for each daughter. Jammies, a coat and pants, and a jumper dress with leggings and a shirt. And so I present to you the jammies

The panda flannel is perfect for this daughter:

And pink monkeys are a great choice for the other:

I can't decide if the closures go in front or back. Maybe they look better as fronts, but the pink monkeys came out a little crooked.

Anyway, I still have snaps to sew on the coats (and buttons) and one jumper dress and one shirt to finish and some snaps to sew on both jumper dresses. And ten days. TEN. Plus a scarf to finish.

halloween

I've seen a lot this year about taking back halloween for girls. Basically calling for the end of the slutty costumes. I totally agree with this by the way and am horrified at the differences I see in boy and girl stuff generally (last year one of my girls had "boy boots" because only one style of "girl boots" were actually waterproof and they had one of that style in their size--and I have 2 girls the same size). But I thought oh my girls are eight, they won't have that much of a battle, if we stick to the pattern books like we usually do.

Well, thank you Simplicity for putting the adult costumes in with the kids costumes in the pattern book. One of my daughters saw this:


She thought the black swan was the creepiest thing she EVER saw and instantly asked if she could be that. After much discussion we agreed I'd buy this pattern:



And make it all black. This was deemed acceptably creepy.

My other daughter could not decide for a long time and then in the end decided to be this primarily because of the hair.




Actually these costumes didn't go together badly. The main problem I encountered was the sequined fabric for the rock star. It was hard to cut, gummed up my sewing needle and was impossible to press. The tu tu on the ballerina costume wasn't even sewn, it was merely tied on. So tulle is awkward and everything, but one afternoon had the whole thing done.

I think they turned out well.

the fall

In the middle of the Halloween costume craziness, my daughters decided they wanted to be brownies. After attending the first meeting and being handed the uniform order forms I has a small gasp of sticker shock. The whole kit for vest/patches etc retails around $50. Take that times 2 and well... let's just say I had a moment of quiet contemplation.

I went home, and after researching it out--the patches totaled $15 each, the vest was $16 and the rest was made up of books, I decided there must be a cheaper way. I looked on ebay, I asked around, and in the end, I scanned a bunch of pattern books. Because really--$16 for a brown vest? The downfall of me, was when I said--how hard can this be? In the end, I found that Mccall's pattern M6229 has a view that is roughly the same shape. I got the pattern for $1 on sale at Joanne's and then went looking for fabric. I found some for $6 a yard, and bought 3 yards. I also bought a bunch of bias tape, but in the end, I didn't use it. So, for $17 I was ready to make 2 vests.

Well, this is about the time I realized that the vest pattern was only partially lined, and I was thinking fully lined (although for the record, official brownie vests are not lined at all). So I thought I'd just make mine fully lined, I've done a vest like that before, and thought I remembered how it should go. So I cut out the 2 pattern pieces 4 times and set to work.

The first vest, went together really nice until I sewed the lining to the outside. Let's just say that the way *I* had it it would have no armholes. I could not for the life of me figure out how I had done this before. Looking at the vest I had made, I could not figure out how to do it. After a day of fretting and ripping, I finally thought to look to see if I had kept the pattern. I had and after looking at the instructions, it was very clear what I had done wrong.

The second vest took only an hour to put totally together.

But the vests also took some handsewing--on the sides, which was how they got turned inside out. And again, I had to remember how to sew slightly invisibly those seams together.
So, ok it isn't much of a fall, but you would think that two vests could not take 3 days to sew. And then the patches! The patches are ironed on, but they need to be sewed down still. And I didn't foresee that my homemade vests would need some sort of label so that girls could tell them apart.

The official vest:


My versions:

pride goeth before the dfall

You know the saying, Pride goeth before the fall? This here, this is the pride:



I don't know if I've ever been more proud of my sewing skills. Not only did I manage to pull off a frog costume, I managed to shorten it in a fairly non-distracting way. I think you can see where I had to make cuts, but it doesn't distract from the overall look. And then! And then I made a dress. A real dress that actually fits and doesn't look costumey (like ariel as a bride and Glenda). Also in those last two, I can really see all my mistakes. Honestly, I pull it off, but I can see saggy hems and threads hanging and puckered sleeves. In this year's colonial girl--I don't see ANY of that. Of course if I was to do it over, I'd probably have surged the hem first, because that is where it is fraying. Or maybe an overlock stitch. But anyway, it looks like well, a real dress, not just something someone whipped up for Halloween.

You might think that the "fall" I allude to in the first line has something to do with a school halloween party and black frosted cupcakes (actually something like that happened to Glenda), but no! Actually aside from a minor punch mishap which I think if I washed the colonial girl dress, would probably come out, they remained unscathed. The pride... well let's just say I got a little too proud of my sewing skills and details will follow.

How to turn a bear into a frog

* First look to make sure you can't find a frog pattern. I couldn't but perhaps you have resources I do not (or a smaller child). Second, look for something close to a frog, perhaps a bear:



* Decide that a bear is really a brown frog and you can do this. The buy the fleece the pattern calls for in green, buy the accent color as yellow. Get a tiny bit extra because it is on sale and you have no idea how you are going to make the head look froglike.

* Sew up the costume, omitting details like the bow around the neck. Frogs do not wear bows.

* Listen to your children when they say, just make it like ears only make the front look like an eye, you know with white fabric with some black sewn on.

* Find some white fleece leftover from the time you turned a bear into a panda (bears are very versatile)

* Borrow two black buttons from a child who seemingly has a bigger button collection than you.

* Do some hand sewing instead of knitting for two nights.

* Hear Tim Gunn in your head announce, "Make it work!"



* Adapt the mitten pattern to have a more fin-like look.

* Sit back and enjoy how froglike it looks.

Nine days

With nine days left and counting, dare I say I'm in good shape for Halloween.

I have the "clone" (colonial) girl dress completed and it is absolutely lovely. I need to still work on the shawl and mobcap, which are made out of a purchased lace panel.

I have the frog jumpsuit completed, and a good idea how the frog eyes are going to go. I have a little bit of handsewing on that, that I'll work on tonight instead of knitting. I do need to figure out the flippers and as my daughter says, buy the facepaint.

So of course I'm spending a ton of time in the sewing room and I'm thinking projects. For some reason I have a big starteritis going on the sewing projects. Not so much on knitting. Here's what I think I might be sewing soon:
A fleece jacket for me. I made one a few years ago (ok 8 years ago) and I love it but it is getting pilly. So when I bought the frog fleece and noticed fleece was 1/2 price, I bought a pretty blue for me.

PJ pants for me. I love making these, I need a new pair to replace one and MIL bought me some cute flannel. The big drawback is that I need to thread the serger first.

Brownie vests for the girls. I found a Mccall's pattern that is the right shape, if I can find some appropriate brown fabric, I'll be making rather than purchasing brownie vests. Also Mccall's patterns are $.99 at my Joann's this week. And seriously, if I can keep it under $20 I'll be saving money ($31 is what buying 2 will cost me). Of course I have to find brown fabric--I'm guessing 2.5 yards should do the trick. So even if I have to pay $8.50 a yard, I should still be good.

I wish I had such plans for knitting. I want to knit the teacher a nice scarf, but at our house, when I bring up patterns, everyone wants the pencil scarf.

Maybe in nine days I'll be able to concentrate on my knitting again. Nine more days.