Mario Vest

It turned out quite a bit better using sweatshirt fleece vs. the last one out of polar fleece. I made the same size - 146 and once again it's a #34 Donald our of 6/2010.

He loves it - that's all that matter.....

Funny how once you know how something goes together it tends to go better. Ha!

Raglan T's

Just a couple t-shirts - still need to make more!!! My camera is junk!! These look SO much better in real life!!!

Ottobre 3/2013 - #39 Beisbol raglan T-shirts - size 140 and 134

Black and White Plaid Flannel Shirt

How is it that one can buy two pieces of fabric from the same store at the same time on bolts that are sitting in the same section and have such different quality of fabric?!??!

The first one out of the green/blue was divine to work with. This one... not so much. It was thinner, it almost seemed to pill as I worked with it. The bias for the pocket and yoke were SO stretchy that it was ridiculous.

But it's done, and it fits, and it'll last through this season anyway.

Ottobre 6/2013 #17 "Forest" with collar and cuffs - size 128 with 1/4 inch seam allowances. Next time go back to 1cm or 1/2 inch seam allowances! 1/4 inch was too small to work with on this!!

Hooded Denim Shirt

Catching up today.... I've been sewing a bit but not blogging stuff. I'd rather be sewing LOL

I always find it amazing that my children walk up to the fabric stash, pull something out, and say, "Mom can this be a ..... for me?"  He wanted pants but I talked him into a shirt. The pattern is designed for flannel and that's on the docket soon. The denim is a bit stiff and makes it a bit jacket like. It is also a bit big but a mom has to keep ahead some how right?

Ottobre 6/2013 #17 "Forest" again. But for a different child. This time with a hood and ribbed cuffs. I did use the same size body - 134 as the boys are so close in size now-a-days. It's a bit big but not too big that it would have been worth my time to retrace a different size. Fabric was a freebie striped light weight denim from a friend.

It looks okay I guess but I think it'll be better out of a flannel.  We shall see...

Atonement T-shirts

The traditional color for Day of Atonement is white. Our church was celebrating in a traditional way so I quick whipped up some white T's for the boys. Sewed them in an afternoon but it took me 2 months to get them posted. What's with that? Oh, yeah, I'd rather be sewing than blogging!

They are in the same size t-shirt at this point. Ottobre patters are wonderful. Now if I could remember which Ottobre I used.....

Blue & Black Checked Shirt

 Littlest Man was SO excited to actually pick out his own fabric on-line so when my fabric order arrived this week his shirt was the first project undertaken.

I used Ottobre 3/2012 #19, size 110 with no alterations. Fabric: Prepster Stretch Yarn Dyed Shirting Plaid Turquoise/Black. 98% cotton, 2 % Lycra from Fabric.com

At first I was just going to do it as a plain shirt but as I began cutting it out I thought "oh, what the heck he deserves something different and unique". Ugh! Stupid thought!

The binding on the bottom was a pain in the rump. Actually the binding went on fine but the directions said not to add seam allowance to the bottom up to the side vents. The directions didn't make sense regarding how that was supposed to meet up with the seam allowance that was added to the side seams. So... I made it up as I went along.....

The sleeves are not how they should be even though they turned out looking alright. Those directions were a bit whacked out too.

I told him this wasn't a mug shot but.....

It turned out OK and wearable, but I will not repeat this pattern (as written) again. I'll use the pattern itself but will make it how I want to make it and not follow their directions. It fits well and the sizing is wonderful. I was so pleased with the pants patterns and directions... I hope this was just a fluke as far as their shirt patterns and directions go.

Oh and don't worry - he's up for a haircut tomorrow!! So he won't look like such a wild man after that LOL

A Quilt for Littlest Man

The quilt is finished! It only took me about 2 years! Really just a couple days last year and a couple days this year LOL

I had asked my mom to sew it for him a few years back. She willingly cut out a bunch of squares and sewed many of the blocks for me. She also had an idea of how I should do it. But of course by the time I got to sewing the blocks together (2 years later) I couldn't remember what she was planning so I "winged" it.

I machine quilted the main block part with horizontal stitching lines. The end borders were my first attempt at ever doing some original quilting. I thought about stippling but in the end decided to print a design off the computer and used tracing paper to transfer it to the borders. It turned out okay but I kind of wished I had stippled.

I laid out the blocks and it only amounted to a square 67" X 67". Rather short for a twin size bed. So I sewed as many blocks together as I had in a design that kinda made sense. Then I took some other homespun and made a wide border at either end to add another 16". So it ended up 67" X 83". It is a bit wide for the bed but is long enough to tuck in at the foot so I'm good with it.

Best part.... he likes it and is glad Mom is done with his quilt, finally!