Farewell, Sweet Office

Well, my sewing space went to a renter yesterday. I took one last pic of it right before we moved stuff. It was never, ever this clean when I was actually using it. But it is lovely clean, hmm?

This was the only place that was just mine. I know everyone with a roommate, husband, or kids understands that.

I thought the new space would be up and ready right away, but then ... while I was making dinner on Saturday, some little hands moved all of my organized piles in the old room into a big heap in the new room (why thank you, sweeties). So, it will be a little while before I'm sewing again.

Moving

I'm moving all of my sewing stuff this week, so it will be at least that long before I am back to making anything.

On the bright side, I have found enough fabric in the closet to keep sewing for years to come. Ha ha.

Pants with Side Stripes

Yet another pair of pants (and again from the Sandbox Pants pattern) for A, who busted his knee through his favorite pair of pants last week. I cut them from a pair of sweatpants in my sister's bag of clothes to be donated, and added the red stripes and pocket lining (leftovers from these pants). I cut about an inch below the sweatpants waistband so that I'd have room to sew it to the new pants, and then sewed right up against the elastic.

I did some thinking, and came up with an easy way to do stripes down the sides of pants (sorry, no pics).

BEFORE sewing pants, do this:
1) Cut a strip of fabric 2" x length of outer seam of pants
2) Fold the strip in half with WRONG sides together; iron flat
3) Place the strip between front and back pieces of pants, matching all raw edges (you'll have four raw edges to sew together: pant front, 2 edges of stripe, pant back). Pant pieces are right sides together, strip is inside them. Sew.
4) Turn the pants right side out, and the strip will be a flap. Iron it down flat, and then sew the loose edge (should be the folded edge) of it down to the pants. (I sewed it toward the back of the pants, since I had pockets in the front, but otherwise I don't think it matters which direction it goes.)
5) Stripes are done, now finish sewing your pants. :)

More Girly Pajama Pants

... And then I got on a pajama pants kick, and made M a few more pair. They are just so cute, and she'd been waking up during the night sweating in her fleece footsies. Out with the fleece, in with the cotton (which also isn't treated with anti-flammatory garbage, another plus). Maybe one of these days I'll get around to making some matching shirts ... 

Little E was hanging out with me the night I made these, and I asked him to pick out a button to mark the front of the pants. To my surprise, he didn't pick out anything flashy. He said this clear button was 'just right for these.' :)

And these got a sheer green button. What a boy. (And then it was too dark to get my camera to focus on the button ...)

Christmas Eve Pajamas for My Girl

My little M loves the zoo, and this fabric was so sweet and gentle.

Christmas Eve Pajamas for the Boys

I have a tradition of giving the kids new pajamas on Christmas Eve. I wrap them up, and they like opening a gift "before Christmas!" Then, on Christmas, they look great in all the photos, because they are wearing new clothes. :)

This year for E, who loves his Funky Monkey, takes him everywhere with us, and even told me that Monkey is now real:

I used the Oliver + S Sandbox Pants pattern (again), but added cuffs and did an elastic waistband all the way around (no drawstring).

I only did the front pockets. Little kids love pockets!

For the shirt, I traced a pajama shirt that I fits him well, and then added a little applique. Ironed it on with Heat 'n Bond lite, and then stitched around the edges.

And for A, who wants to build and race cars when he grows up:

This is Jomar

So many things wanting me to sew them!