More Dino Shorts

I got this t-shirt fabric from Fabricana in 2023, at the same time as my lurex for the bell bottoms. I thought Big Sis needed a t-shirt, but she decided it was too pyjama-like and so she would like some sleep shorts.

I went back to Sew Over It's Poppy Playsuit pattern, my favourite elastic-waist shorts pattern. I've been making the shorts in size 10/12 here and here but, in this fabric, they came out absolutely huge! Maybe it is because it is a stretch. This is ironic because I struggled to fit all the pattern pieces on the right way up. The back pieces were in danger of being cut upside down. Instead, I re-traced the pattern to remove 1cm from each seam allowance so that I could get everything on the right way up. I was planning to overlock the seams, so I only needed 5mm.

They were a very straightforward sew, side seams, crotch seam, waistband fold and hems.

Costs:

Fabric: Fabricana, $16.78

Pattern: Sew Over It, $0.00 (used previously)

Thread: eBay, $1.00

Notions: Waistband elastic $0.00 (upcycled)

Total: $17.78

Dino Shorts

I had 1.15m of dinosaur poplin left after the Dino Overalls, so the obvious garment to make was a pair of shorts. In fact, I think shorts are more practical and wearable than the overalls, although these do look somewhat like pyjamas.

I used the shorts pattern from the Sew Over It Poppy Playsuit, which I had used for myself a few years ago. It was great to have these to check the fit (no changes) and remind myself of the construction. I did flat felled seams for the legs and a french seam for the crotch. The waistband was elastic from an old pair of boxers, just folded over at the top of the pattern pieces. No additional waistband piece.

I didn't stitch down the cuffs at the top, just the bottom. For which I needed to do two rows, because I missed some parts on the first row. I also secured the cuffs at each side seam.

I cut pocket bags, but I forgot to put them in. I didn't want to re-do flat felled seams. I'll have to keep those pockets for another garment.

This really is the perfect elastic waist shorts pattern. I got some stretch dino fabric recently. I was thinking of a t-shirt, but she says she needs shorts more.

Supplies:

  Fabric: $0.00 (used previously)

  Pattern: $0.00 (used previously)

  Notions: $0.00 (stash thread, upcycled elastic)

Total: $0

Dino Overalls

Oh my gosh, how cute are these overalls? I feel like I am dressing a toddler again!

The dino love is real and she has been wanting some wild, loud overalls for a little while now. We went fabric shopping in Australia, at Spotlight, and this cotton poplin exceeded her wildest expectations. Pink and purple dinos! On a black background!! With lots and lots, and lots, of dinos!!! Ok, so it was poplin, but it would work.

I used the Seamwork Beckett pattern, with a few modifications. For the toile, I cut size 12, grading out to 14 in waist. This was too large, there would have been even more gaping at the waist, which in overalls, would mean that you can look down inside the garment. Not nice. I cut the pattern down to a 12 all over.

I also graded out the leg seams to make them less pegged. She wanted straight legs. I added 1/2 inch to either side on the back and front pattern pieces, for a total addition of 2 inches to each leg.

I lengthened the pattern pieces by two inches, one at each of the lengthen and shorten lines. She thought the leg length was too short in the toile and wanted an extra two inches. I decided to do it in both places because I think she is a bit short waisted, so the extra rise would give her a bit more fabric through this area.

Pockets! It needs side pockets! I decided to add pockets to the side fronts, which really did make things difficult. I can see why the pattern designers left these out. Firstly, I had to toile the making of the plackets, because I really didn’t understand how these all fit together, then figure out the construction order for putting the placket inside the pocket

My adjustments: Firstly, I wanted to do a flat felled seam on the inside leg, so I had to assemble this seam first. It is not possible to do once the other leg seam is sewn. I did a false flat felled seam (French seam to the right side and then stitched it down. 

Then, I sewed the front placket piece (known as the lining) to the back of the pocket bag. The back placket piece went on the back of the leg piece, as normal. I used the pocket pattern pieces from my SOI Erin Skirt. I needed to make the angle of the pocket opening steeper so that it would almost fully expose the placket. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to stitch it down at the bottom properly, and the buttons would not be properly accessible. I added stay tape to the top of the pocket opening.

I attached the front pocket bag to the front trouser leg, and the placket to the back pocket bag, then joined the two pocket bags together. Finally, I sewed the leg side seams together, catching the two pocket bags into the same seam.

Not gonna lie, these pocket-and-placket steps took as long as the whole rest of the garment assembly.

I made the straps wider. I wanted to use metal eyelets and sliders, not the tied on grommets that the pattern called for. The eyelets are 1 inch wide so I increased strap size to 3.25 inches. I also lengthened the straps by... quite a bit. I had to lower the back by about 1.5cm to allow extra width at the back. I just eyeballed this at the assembly stage. The sliders keep sliding down so I'm going to actually sew these in place, and she wants hooks added to the top of the button plackets to add more shape to the waistline. 

I should have added interfacing to the top of the front bib. It is a serious point of weakness, where the buttons are hammered through. Interfacing would support everything better.

The side fastenings are just two buttons. I went with purple, because I had them in my stash, and they are cute touch of whimsy.

I used 2.85m of the 4m of fabric that I bought. I cut the pattern pieces as single layers but I didn't bother to do any pattern matching. I have 1.15m remaining and she would like a pair of summer shorts. Stand by!

Supplies:

   Fabric: Spotlight, 4m, A$58 (C$52)

   Toile fabric: old sheet, $0

   Pattern: bought one pattern from Simplicity that I didn't use A$6 (C$5.40)

   Then Beckett from Seamwork, USD$16 (C$22.40)

   Hooks and sliders for straps: Amazon, $14.25

   Interfacing, buttons, thread: from stash $0

Total: $94.05

(Yikes! That came out a bit expensive for a novelty kids garment!)

Christmas Checked Dress

This is Big Sis's sewing project; finished, in true home sewing style, with a tight deadline, late nights, and sewing in pyjamas the morning of the wearing.

She has been asking for sewing lessons because lots of her friends are signed up for local classes. Given that I just have to spend the time and effort to show her the ropes, I thought I had better get on and do just that. I committed to sewing with her for an hour on Fridays and Sundays.

She decided she wanted a red checked dress in time for Christmas. We shopped for the fabric online and got a lovely soft flannel. She decided to use the wrong side out because it was unbrushed and she liked the cleaner lines of the pattern. She was not terribly impressed with using the same pattern as always, The Party Dress from The Cottage Mama, perhaps because she wanted cap sleeves. I wasn't about to go and trace and cut out a whole new pattern bodice block, but I did find a BurdaStyle pattern with sleeves so I traced the sleeve and the armscye from that to use over the block.

We spent a long lesson with the fabric laid out, working out grainlines and nap and cutting out with the rotary cutter. She was pretty bored. Then she moved the deadline up by 3 weeks to wear in time for the school Christmas Fair. From then on, we kept her role to sewing up and I was in charge of repairs, cutting and pinning.

The sleeves were a bit small, I re-did the seams with a 5mm allowance, but she doesn't have much room in them. The bodice was too short for her so we added the waistband. For future reference, it needs to come down by about 10cm. I cut the skirt at a length of 62cm, but hemmed about 15cm of it away.

Her sewing was excellent. With almost no practice, she sewed straight lines and got the fabric moving through the machine well. The second and third seams she ever sewed were putting the sleeves in. That is not easy to do and they went in perfectly. I was so proud of her.

Little Makers: Teddy Bear Dress

Little one sewed this dress for her teddy bear entirely by herself.

She selected the fabric from some scraps she had been given as a party favour from a sewing party.

She started with the floral piece for the skirt, because it was big enough to wrap around the bear for a skirt. She stitched the button, chosen from her stash, and then I made the button hole for her.

Then she added straps as sleeves. She cut the fabric to size, trimming off the uneven bits, and hand sewed them on to the skirt with a running stitch.

Then we photographed Bear and put the pictures on the blog!

Papercraft from a five year old

 

My five year old makes the cutest paper crafts. Of course, since she is my child, I think she is the cleverest, cutest, most wonderful creature who ever walked the earth. But seriously, she is so great at this type of craft. Give her a pair of scissors, an unlimited supply of paper and rolls of sticky tape and she spends hours, making outfits for her dolls, shoes for herself, and costumes for her bears.

Her current favourite bear is a panda that she has named Bamboo. Last week, I found Bamboo all dressed up and wearing a scary mask! Apparently he was dressing for Halloween, going out in a wolf’s costume! It was so adorable that I had to take pictures and post them here.

Seatbelt Pad

Who is enjoying Series 2 of the Great British Sewing Bee? I am! I love Sewing Bee and it was last year's show that got me back into sewing, after 19 years. Geez, I feel old!

I don't normally sew while I watch television, but a little sewalong was definitely in order. I got on with making a seatbelt pad for the second little darling. Her sister has had one since birth but this child needs one too: she is out of the 5-point harness and using the seatbelt in the usual way. Even with a booster seat, it rubs right up against their necks.

I chose her favourite fabric, she told me this weekend that this dress is her favourite. As I always strive for customer satisfaction, I took that as my cue to use up the last of it.

I used Craftiness is Not Optional's tutorial for a seatbelt cover. I didn't follow her dimensions because I already had a working model that I could copy direct. I did do her quilting and binding. I couldn't figure out how to get the binding sewn down on the back. It was beautiful at the front but it didn't turn over nicely. So I improvised and got this as my result.

Guess what? The little darling doesn't want it. She wants Sammy Seatbelt.

Thank goodness first little darling wants it instead. Phew!

Mosaic Mirror

E made this mosaic mirror at a party.

They stuck the mosaic tiles to an Ikea mirror.  She says they were upside down with the flat side out.  They were told not to stick them too close together.  The party co-ordinator grouted them afterwards with plaster of Paris.

Bead necklaces

We have a new discount store in town and I couldn't resist these wooden beads for the girls.  They set about threading their necklaces immediately.

Little makers

My girls love to make stuff, they draw for hours, go crazy for painting and crafts, and have drafted their letters to Santa asking for more sticky tape and glue.

I love the fact that they love it, not only does it make the perfect activity for long winter days indoors, it enables me!  When my output is less than perfect, I can pass it off as kid-made (eg 2012 Christmas cards).

What I really need to do now, is encourage them when they want to learn new techniques.  I would rather spend the time on my own knit or sewing than teach them how.  When I do take the time, I am too controlling over how they do it. 

I'm going to make an effort to showcase their makes here too.

 

Here's my bucket list of kid projects to do with them before year-end:
-Pillowcase using sewing machine
-Finish box of "My First Sewing" projects
-Start knitted scarf for teddy bear
-2 more rows of "First Embroidery" kit

Yes, I am a big fan of kits - for me, the satisfaction is in the making, not so much the designing.