Pattern Review: Boy Jumpsuit - Jungle

So I know it's been absolutely forever since I've posted anything.  I hope to be back to posting soon, but I have had a lot of personal things going on all at once.  So much to do, so little time, and so little energy, so of course blogging falls by the wayside since for now it's not making me any money and it really is just a hobby.
 
Since I haven't had a lot of time, I thought I'd do just a short post and review a pattern I did recently.   Well, maybe not so so recently now, since the baby is already 2 months old.

When my friend told me she was having a boy, I had a pattern all ready to go, and went shopping for some boy fabric.   I picked this blue jungle fabric out but had a hard time finding the right color for the pockets.  I eventually settled on this green.

The pattern was McCalls M6494. As far as the pattern went, it was a fairly easy pattern overall.  Though when I had the pieces cut out, I was somewhat baffled how they were going to fit together.  They just didn't seem to go.   But I followed the directions, and magically it turned out to be a cute little jumpsuit.

I had never used snaps before (the previous pattern I had done called for snap tape) and didn't know what would be best for a baby outfit - the kind you sew on, or the kind you hammer on.  I finally settled on the kind you hammer.... anyone have any opinions on which is the safer option?

The other issue I had was sizing. The last McCalls pattern I did was extra big so instead of doing medium, I did small.  Still the outfit looked like it won't fit the kid until next year, but oh well.  I guess it's better too big than too small.

McCalls Pattern M6494: from  McCalls

This pattern was not my favorite.  I imagined it to be way cuter then it turned out to be.  I think that might be my choice of fabric though.  Had I picked stripes or plaid like the picture, I think I would have liked it better.    I have discovered that for small children's outfits, large patterns just don't look right.  Since the outfit is so small, when you have a large pattern it gets lost... so from now on I have to choose a smaller pattern.  I still think the fabric is cute, just better for a blanket, curtains, or a crib skirt.

In the end I really liked the pockets in the green and the bibs that went with it.   I still think the outfit is cute, just not what I was hoping for.  

Ever have a project come out well, but different then you pictured?

Baby Drawstring Pants

Finally getting up the tutorial for these baby drawstring pants. There are two options of these pants - with or without a different colored waistband. To see a version without the different colored waistband check out my Baby Boy Gift Set: Cars and Trucks.

First step is to make your pattern. Take a pair of pants that you already own and that are the size you want to use as your guide. Fold in half toward the front and trace around. This will be your back piece. Be sure to stretch out the elastic waistband to make sure to take in account for the extra material. Also don't forget to add seam allowances. Also add a bit extra on top so you have enough to fold under the waistband. (Better to have too much and trim it later then to have to little) Then fold in half toward the back and repeat. This will be your front pattern piece. Notice in the below picture how the back piece is slightly sloped out more then the front piece... this helps the pants have room for the baby's little booty. :)

Cut out your pattern pieces.

If you don't want a separate waistband piece skip the next couple of steps and just do the following:
Take your fabric and fold it in half. Pin and cut out so that you get 2 of each piece.

Sorry that I don't have any pictures of this step.
If you want a separate waistband then do this step:
Make your waistband pattern pieces by using the pattern you have just made as a guide and trace around the top. Draw down the sides about 2 to 3 inches (depending on how big you want your waistband. Keep in mind that you will be folding this piece in half so your waistband will be half as big as you make it minus seam allowances.
After you have traced around the pattern pieces, remove the outside seam allowance. You aren't going to need the extra seam allowance because this piece will be cut on the fold.

Cut out your pattern pieces and then cut out 1 of each waistband piece on the fold.
For your pants pieces..fold down your pattern to a bit above where you drew your waistband line. ( remember the seam allowance). Fold your fabric in half then pin and cut so you get 2 of each piece.
Hopefully that didn't completely confuse you. That was the hardest part.

Put the sloped edges of the front leg pieces right sides together. Sew and then finish your edge how you like - zig zag, overcast, or surge.
Repeat with the back leg pieces. (use a fabric pencil to mark which one is the front and which is the back because they start to look the same.)
You will now have two pieces that are starting to look like pants.
Take the waistband pieces and put together right sides together with the top edges of the pants. See the picture below.

Find a button that is about the width of your bias tape to use as your guide. Before sewing your button holes, do a practice button hole to make sure the hole is big enough for your drawstring to go through.
Now you want to mark with a fabric pencil two button holes equally spaced from the middle. ( I did them each about 3/4 inch from the center). You want them close to your waistband seam, but with enough room for topstitching the waistband down later.
Sew your button holes.

Take your two pants pieces and put right sides together. Make sure the waistband pieces are lined up ( I forgot to check and so they aren't the same front and back).
Sew down the sides and finish your edges how you like.

Pin together and sew inside legs. Finish edges.

Measure your elastic to be the width of the pants you used to make your pattern off of. Or in my case, I measured it to the width of the onesie I was pairing it with. Add an extra inch to your measurement and cut your elastic. Take two pieces of double fold bias tape, each approximately the same length and sew one piece to each end. See picture for example. I edge stitched the bias tape to keep the sides together and to give it a cleaner look, but you don't have to do that if you don't want to.

Fold down your waistband 1/4 inch and then fold in half. Pin and topstitch the waistband down. Make sure that you pin it so that when you topstitch it that you'll catch the edge that you folded under. Don't worry about leaving a hole to get the elastic through because you can just feed it through the drawstring holes.

Next you want to feel where the edge of the elastic is and pin it to the edge of one side seam. Find the other end and pull to pin to the other edge of the other side seam. Sew the elastic in place on each side. The picture below shows what it will end up looking like. You will have the back gathered and the front straight.This gives you more flexibility in fit because you can pull your strings as loose or as tight as you want it.

Hem the bottom of your pants and you're done!

Applique on a design on a onesie to make it an outfit.

If you make your own baby drawstring pants, I would love to see them. Post to the   Creations from Alisha Rose and Friends flickr group.

Baby Boy Gift Set: Trains

So I took a week off from blogging, but I'm back. We were taking a little family time. It's good to make sure the busyness of the days don't crowd out what's really important. I've also been having some computer/Internet issues. Hopefully they will be resolved soon.

Anyways, on to other things.

Here is another boy set I made. Since the shower was for two moms, I wanted to give them each something similar but still unique.
 
I decided to cut out each of the different colored trains and appliqued them onto a larger rectangle. It was a bit of a challenge to get them exactly measured and centered just right, but I think it was so worth it.

For the matching drawstring pants, I added a colored waistband which I ended up loving. I used bias tape as the drawstring.

Look out for a tutorial for these pants in the very near future. :)

Here is the matching onesie and pants together

Add a coordinating bib and the set is complete. :)

Thanks for checking out all the baby gifts, hopefully I'll get some more variety up soon.  Though bear with me,  I do have a few more to share with you in the next month or so.   I'm excited to show you the tutorial on the drawstring pants, so watch out for that soon.  :) 

Baby Boy Gift Set: Cars and Trucks

So it kind of seems like all the sewing I've been doing lately has been for baby gifts.   If you are sick of it, I'm sorry  but you'll have to bear with me a little longer because there are a few more in the works.  If you are like me and have lots of friends having babies, then I hope you are able to get some good ideas.

Sewing for babies is also a little less intimidating then sewing for an adult because you don't have to worry as much about fit... no curves and such.   Also I think babies and kids just look so darn cute in handmade clothes.

Recently we had a mini shower for two friends of mine who were both having boys, so I had to come up with something that was cute but not too difficult since I was going to have to do it times two.  I had bought extra of the cars and trucks fabric that I had used for the boy romper.  I was very excited to use it again, and thought it would be so cute to use one of the cars as a center piece on a onesie.

I also made some matching pants to go with it.  I used a pair of pants from my baby girl as a guide for size.  I wanted to do something a little more creative so I made them into drawstring pants. I liked the fact that this made the pants size a little more adjustable.

I used the leftover vintage bias tape from my Orange Sherbet Tee as the drawstring, and I think it coordinates just perfectly.

I sewed up a coordinating bib to go with it, and I had a cute little outfit.

Stay tuned for the second boy gift set, and a tutorial to follow. :)

Upcycle: Baby Leggings

Since I recently rediscovered my love for sewing, I needed to refresh my skills.  One of the first things I made were these baby leggings.    I took out one of my gazillion old work t-shirts. I traced around a pair of leggings that I knew fit well and began cutting.

One thing I learned was to measure repeatedly before cutting.   I looked at the pants I had cut out and thought that it looked way too big so just hacked a few inches off the top.  Big mistake!   When I tried it on my girl, it only covered half of her butt.  Oops!   So then I had to fix my error.  I cut the collar off  the shirt and used it as my waistband.  I had to make a dart on each side to make it fit. I cut a little slit in the back of the collar and threaded elastic through it, and then hand sewed the hole closed. Using the collar as the waistband worked great and even gave the pants a tag so I knew which side was the back.  In the end, the extra line gave the pants some character, so it all worked out.  

The other problem I had with these pants is that the front had a little pouch which looked a little funny. I'm not sure exactly how that happened.  Anyone have any tips on how to avoid the "front butt"?

I used the bottom of the t-shirt for my hem.  Using the hem that was already there gave it a nice finished look and saved time too.  As an added touch I cut out a heart from another shirt and appliqued it on.

If you want to make your own baby leggings, check out this tutorial.
 Super Simple Baby Leggings by Make it and Love it
Just be a little more careful then I was.  :)

Even though they didn't turn out perfect, I did learn a lot, and they make comfy play pants.  I think that's what upcycling is all about. It gives you a chance to practice without feeling bad about wasting expensive fabric if you mess up.   I was able to take an unusable t-shirt and was able to create a cute little pair of leggings.

Baby Girl Gift Set: Flower Applique and Two Tiered Skirt

My entry into Shwin&Shwin's Link Party sponsored by Appliances Online

Another one of my friends is having a little girl in the fall.  I've been trying to be creative for each person and give something a little bit different.  I also try to use the material I have to come up with a cute outfit.  I take days pairing different fabrics until I get something I'm happy with. 

Onesie with Flower Applique:

 To make this, I took the fabric from the bib and made a photo copy.  I then cut out a single flower and then enlarged it until I was satisfied with the size.  I then used Pellon Wonder Under to iron it on.  I appliqued around the edges very slowly.  The curves were a little challenging, but it worked out.  I lastly added a button in the middle.  I was a bit concerned that a baby would try pulling it off and choke on, so I sewed it on extra secure.  Even though I love the look of the button, the next time I might just applique on a coordinating color in the middle to avoid the whole button issue.

Two Tiered Circle skirt:

I started with the Circle Skirt from MADE for my base, but then chopped and added until I got the below result.  I was going to do a tutorial, but it'll have to wait because I started taking pictures of the process but then had to rip out and redo because my original idea didn't work out as planned. I had put piping in between the two tiers, but it made it stick out horribly.  It looked like a big square dancing skirt... I think it would be great if I was making something with a petticoat, but alas, I was not, so out it came.  I ended  up putting the lace to cover the seam and add some character. Thankfully, I loved how it looked.  Whew!  I sure was happy that it came out because the baby shower crept up on me and I had a lot less time then I wanted.

Here is the finished onesie and skirt set.  The set is size 6 - 9 months.  Since her baby will be around that size in the winter, I think it'll be a cute outfit paired with a button up sweater and baby leggings. 

Below is the entire gift with coordinating bib to match.

I can't wait for the months to go by so that I can finally meet my friend's baby girl!

Chevron and Circles Boy Baby Shower: Free Printables

I recently was able to help decorate for a baby shower.  Two of my friends from my mommy's group were having their second babies, both boys.  We threw them a mini baby shower - or as I've heard it called, - a baby sprinkle.  They don't need to be showered with all the big gifts and don't need all the basics that a first baby does, but they still need to be sprinkled with love and support to welcome in a new life.

I was asked to make a banner, and here it is.  I got the chevron digital images from Melstampz .  She has all sorts of colors.  I absolutly love her site, she has LOTS of free digital images.  I don't have any cool editing software as of yet, so I just used Paint.  It wasn't that hard, but I wanted Paint to do more things then it was actually capable of.  So this is what I was able to come up with.  The letters are in more ovals rather then perfect circles, but I think it turned out rather cute. 

 
Download the free printable banner here: Chevron and Cars: It's A Boy Banner
Cut out the circles and punch out holes in the top so that you can put a string or a ribbon through to hang it.

I decided to do a little extra at the last minute, and the night before I searched the internet for cute ideas to decorate that would be easy but make it look extra special.   I found a pic of hanging circles sewn together and thought "I could do that!"  It was so easy and sooo worth it.

Here's how:
 I used cardstock that I had on hand, and traced out some circles with a measuring cup.  I cut through two pages at once to make it quicker and only used 6 pieces of paper to make 8 strands with 12 circles each.  I had never sewed paper before and was a bit nervous but it was no problem. 

The one trick was to sew on the first circle and then slowly guide it through.  Your needle will be sewing nothing for a bit but it's okay as long as you put the next circle in right before the current circle moves from under your sewing foot.  This keeps the tension correct and doesn't let the thread get tangled. When you're finished, be sure to leave a length of extra thread so you can hang it. 

The shapes weren't exact circles, but that was okay with me.  If you don't sew or want different shapes or precise circles, I did spot an etsy shop or two that will do it for you and will save you the time and energy. 

I also made a couple signs for the party. 

Download the sign here: Planes, Trucks and Toys Sign

I created a blank sign for you to fill in your own information. 

Download it here: Blank Boy Sign 

I used Lucida Handwriting font, size 30 if you want to match with the Planes, Trucks, and Trains sign.

There were also blue, green and yellow balloons, and a coordinating paper chain.  One of my friends also made the cutest cake which she tied a blue ribbon around.   It was a fun little get together and I can't wait to meet their new little boys!

Baby Shoes

A little while ago, I found this tutorial for baby booties.  I thought it would be a fun addition to a gift for a baby girl.

Modern Baby Bootie Tutorial by Tao of Craft

Before I gave it as a gift I wanted to try it out with scrap fabric.  I wanted to make sure I understood the directions before I tried making it for someone else. 

The directions looked fairly easy at first, but as I was going I found that they were actually a bit confusing.  I will try to tell you what I figured out, so that you can avoid the being confused part. 
This first picture is the final product of the first attempt.  It was finished after working at it a couple of hours.  I had to recut, resew and pick stuff out.  By the end I was a bit frustrated, but finally figured it out.

This next picture is the second attempt which I was able to give as a gift.  The second pair probably took me less then 15 minutes.  Once I figured it out, it was actually quite easy. 

The two problems I ran into were:
1.  The picture shows the lining being seamless.  While this is not possible, however, it is possible to make it so the lining looks just as nice as the outside with all seams inside.   Skip step 4... do not sew the lining sole to the actual sole.  What you want to do is sew the right side of the lining sole to the right side of the lining U.  Then sew the right side of the sole to the right side of the top U.  Leave a little hole when you sew the two lining pieces together so that you can turn it inside out. 

If this does not make sense... there is a comment near the very bottom of the tutorial by a Susan W which helps explain it.  I am not sure if I did what she said either, but it helped me figure out what to do.


2.  The second problem I had was that the first picture showed sewing the Velcro on first, and then in the consecutive pictures it doesn't show the Velcro, so I assumed the Velcro was on the other side.  I followed what I thought was the right way, and my Velcro ended up on the wrong side.  I never actually did figure that part out.  I ended up just sewing on the Velcro last. Every time I tried to picture it and sew it where I thought it went, I would visualize it backwards and it would still wind up wrong. 

Also, I had never used interfacing before because I didn't know what it did.  I didn't have any on hand so I skipped that part.  Now that I have actually used interfacing and understand how it works, I would recommend using it because it will make your shoe a lot sturdier.

 I also didn't know what topstiching was either, and while you could probably skip it, it would probably give your shoe more shape, and keep the lining in place.  It would also give it a more finished look. 

Ha ha.. just writing this, I've realized how much I've learned in just a few short months. 

Dolls for Fiji

So some of my personal projects have been put on hold because we are making a TON of dolls to send to Fiji this summer.  Even though they are going in August, the church is trying to ship as much as they can ahead of time so we were working hard to get them done by this week.   I think we may continue to work on them up until they go, but it will be at a more lesuriely pace as whatever we finish will have to be packed into people's suitcases. 

Here is a bunch that I finished today during my girl's nap time. 

Below is a shot of all the finished ones as of this morning - With a close up shot of all the dolls and their cute personalities. 



Aren't they just so cute?  Wouldn't you want to just cuddle them if you were a little kid?

So do you want to know how to make your own cute handmade doll?

Peasant Dress and Diaper Cover

My sister-in-law is having a little baby girl at the end of may.  I was trying to come up with something I could give her new little one.  I usually make bibs, but from talking to her, I got the impression that she wouldn't really use infant bibs.  The one thing you learn from having a baby is that every baby is very different, so some things that may have been useful for one person may not be useful for another.  I searched around and came up with this.  I'm totally happy with it and every baby has to wear clothes.  :)

The dress is from a free pattern and tutorial by Sew Much Ado.   
Check it out!   Infant Peasant Dress
It was really pretty easy.  I made a few mistakes here and there, but was able to remedy them quickly - that's what happens when you don't read the directions carefully.  I only had 1/2 inch elastic instead of thre required 1/4 inch elastic.  That made it a little more difficult because I didn't want to make the dress too small by making too big of a casing.  I also lengthened it a bit because my in-laws are really tall people and I wanted to make sure it would fit for more then a day.   But when all was said and done, it came out so cute!

I decided I wanted a diaper cover to go with it.  I searched around and found another free pattern and tutorial from MADE.   It was just the right size to go with the dress.  She has several sizes which is nice so that I can try making another one for my little girl.  You can find it here: Diaper Cover .   It was pretty easy too, though, she says that it's hard to make it flat and smooth so don't worry about it.  She was totally right - there were definately places where it puckered or bunched up but once you put the elastic in, you can't even tell!

With some free patterns and a little bit of time, I wound up with such a cute gift that I was pretty proud of.  I recommend giving them a try!

Black Bird Tunic

I have recently picked up sewing again.  I used to sew when I was younger.  My mom, who came from a family who knew how to do everything from scratch,  taught me the basics.  I also took a 4-H sewing class, though I'm not sure I completed the course. 
All the babies popping up started me on doing baby projects, and now I am starting to make some clothing for my little girl.  One of greatest things about having a girl is that you can dress them is such cute outfits. 

Not wanting to spend too much money, especially at first when I'm relearning everything, I have been searching the internet for free patterns I can try to get my skill up to par.  My first go at an outfit was this Black Bird Tunic by Shwin and Shwin.  I raided my mother-in-laws fabric stash and I think it turned out pretty cute.  It wasn't too hard at all - however, I have never done a button hole, so I was a bit intimidated at first.  But when I finally tried it, I was surprised how easy it was.  (when your sewing machine does all the work, it's hard to go wrong). 

I liked it so much that I did a second one for my best friend's little girl.  She's a 2T which is the pattern size but I wanted to make it more of a dress so I lengthened it.  I also used different colors for the pockets, purple for my daughters and green for my friends.

Bibs

I have one gift I have been giving to people having babies.  I wanted something that I could give that I could make, so one day I was in Joann's and was inspired by some fabric to make bibs.  I bought fat quarters and some bias tape.  I have since learned to use extra wide double fold bias tape for my bibs.  My first attempt I used single fold bias tape but knowing nothing about it, I used it like double fold.  Boy, was that hard!  The amount of tape I had to sew on was so thin and when I turned it over, I had missed all sorts of spots.  I ended up zigzaging all around the edge to make sure it caught..  and like I had purposely done it that way for the look.

I have since learned to use double fold, it is much wider and I rarely miss now.  I have done research on bias tape, and apparently I do it the cheating way, but it's easy and I like how it turns out.

I took a bib I already had, folded the fat quarter in half and just cut around it.  I should make a pattern and use that but I am really lazy.  I then take the bias tape, sandwich the two pieces in between.  Pin, and sew a straight line (I have gotten better at that too!  I hadn't sewn in a long time, so my straight line was all crazy the first time).  I usually hand  sew the end of the bias tape to the back. Then attach some velcro.  I sew around the edge of the velcro and then sew an X to make it extra secure and tada!  You now have some cute bibs! 

My wonderful daughter was nice enough to model a set for me.