Monthly Archives: October 2014

Two T-Shirts

I made Owen a long sleeved t-shirt with my t-shirt pattern.

I found this adorable monkey knit that I wanted to use, but I thought that making the whole shirt out of the monkeys might be a little too much. So I color blocked it (maybe I monkey blocked it?).

The shirt was already dirty by the time I got around to taking these pictures. I tried to sponge off some of the dirtiness, and that is why there is a wet mark on the pocket.

Close-up of the wet mark.

To make my pattern long sleeved, I took a long sleeved t-shirt he already had that fit well and used that for a reference. I measured the length of the sleeve and then made my pattern piece that long. Then I measured the width at the bottom of the sleeve and made my pattern that wide. Then I connected those points to make the rest of the sleeve and then added seam allowance.

Blowing kisses.

Ezra watched me make this monkey shirt and asked if he could have a new t-shirt too. So I made him one when I was finished with the monkeys.

I didn’t get great pictures of this shirt, but he’s already worn the heck out of it (and I only finished it last week!) and it’s got stains and stuff. So these pictures will have to do.

He chose the color scheme. But I was very happy to go with these colors because the first ones he picked looked eye-wrenching together.

I used some jersey with spandex for both his and Owen’s t-shirts, like I always do.

My New Top (New Look 6078)

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Almost all of my tops are knit and I decided I needed to add a little variety. So I made a woven top using a New Look pattern. Well, I used a stretch poplin fabric so it still has a touch of stretch to it. I can’t help myself-I love my clothes to have a little give to them.

I don’t use commercial patterns very much, but I did like this one. I have enough experience making collared shirts now that I could figure out what the directions were telling me to do.

It took me awhile to make though! I spent an entire week’s worth of sewing time on this project. Part of that was because I bought this pattern as a digital pattern and it took forever to put together.

Then I made a muslin, which I am very glad I did. After making the muslin, I decided not to use the four waistline darts that are in the pattern (two in the front and two in the back). I am not a big fan of waistline darts in the first place. But the reason I decided to leave them out is because if I used the size that my bust measurement falls under, it was too tight in the torso. By taking out the waistline darts I got some extra room in the torso and it fit just right. That was a very easy fix.

After making the muslin, I also decided to drop the armpit down 1/4″ so that I would have more arm mobility. And I added 1″ to the sleeve length because I like my sleeves a tad longer.

I also made the shirt bottom more straight because I like that better.

And I think that’s it.

One thing I did that I think is important is to topstitch the gathers in the sleeve cap. Before I did that, the gathers made the sleeve poof up in the air. I thought that looked really weird. But after topstitching them down they laid down better.

I’m going to have to make another one of these. I’m thinking a bright, sunny yellow would be just right.

Hudson Pant By True Bias

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I think it’s such an exciting time to sew your own clothes because there are so many awesome things out there to make. I have a list a mile long of patterns I want to try.

Last week I tried the Hudson Pant pattern by True Bias. Seth and Ezra both have some pants from Target that look just like the Hudson Pants, and I have been super jealous of them because they look so cozy. So when I saw this pattern, I was very eager to make some.

I was so eager, that I decided to try the pattern out even though all I had to make them with was t-shirt weight knit. So they are pretty thin. But I like them anyway. They’re so very comfortable.

The pattern calls for 2″ wide elastic for the waistband. All I had was 1 1/2″ elastic, so I made a more narrow waistband. To make up for my waistband with the 1 1/2″ wide elastic being 3/4″ narrower than the original pattern, I added 3/4″ to the back rise of the pants.

I didn’t add anything to the front though and I even took some out. I tapered down 1″ from the hip to the center front. I end up doing that for every pants pattern I make because my natural waist is so low in the front.

I didn’t change anything else. I think they fit really well.

I will be making more of these for sure-in a sturdier knit next time.

Art Museum Trousers

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Seth needed some new Sunday pants, so I used my Oliver + S Art Museum Trousers pattern to make him a pair. I’ve used this pattern a few times before and I really like it.

The pattern is for pants with an elastic waistband. I wanted these to be really nice dress pants, so I added a zipper. I used the fly pieces from one of my jeans patterns and just cut them a little smaller.

I used some stretch twill from fabric.com for these. It is great fabric-just the right weight with a slight bit of stretch.

I also made Seth a new tie with my men’s tie pattern to go with these pants. We shortened the pattern to make it boy-size.

I am really happy with how these pants turned out. I think he looks pretty sharp in them!

Owen’s Owl Pants (Small Fry Skinny Jeans)

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When Owen was about 9 months old, I made him some pants from some rockin’ corduroy with an owl print. He loves those pants so much that even though now he’s 2 and the pants only go down barely past his knees, if he finds those owl pants he’ll put them on.

I decided I better make him another pair. I used the same Kaufman corduroy as I did for his first pair.

I used the Small Fry Skinny Jeans pattern again. I cut a size 4 (last time I used a size 3) because the corduroy has no stretch. Then I made them the same way and used the same adjustments for the length and the rise as I did for the last pair.

Since there was no stretch in the fabric, they’re not really skinny jeans because they couldn’t be that tight and still go over his hips. But he likes ’em.

Peek-a-boo!