Sewing Project: All Ages Jumper & Shamrock Onesie

Another St. Patrick's Day project!  I made this for the cutest baby girl, Vivian, daughter of the awesome Miss Kara, friend and killer co-worker. Technically, the third piece of clothing I've ever made, this outfit was a challenge that turned out pretty well. It is a size 12 months made from the "All Ages Jumper" pattern in One Yard Wonders, (which I will get around to reviewing one day).

I used quilt bias binding for the hem which is wide enough that catching the edge was not an issue and I imagine I'll be using plenty of it until I get a better handle on bias tape or learn to make my own. I made the buttons to match. The great thing about the jumper is that it has an elastic back so (if I had made it in non-seasonal fabric) it could grow with the kid and become a longish top to wear with leggings. Nifty, huh? That's a look I really like on little girls actually.  My daughter is wearing leggings under a skirt right now.

Elastic back with inserted straps.  Woo-hoo!

Well, at least you know it is hand-made...

Notes on the project:
-the directions for the jumper were really unclear about how to attach the front and back along with the elastic. I searched the internet and only found examples of people's finished projects. I figured it out on my own, but it took awhile and I wasn't sure I was doing it right. It is more then possible this confusion was due to my total lack of skillzzz.

-the pattern calls for you to attach the straps on the outside with a box stitch, but I thought that looked a little messy so I just inserted them into the seam. A lot of the people who'd made this had complained that the straps were too long, so by inserting them I hoped to make them just a tad shorter too.

-had a little trouble with the buttonholes this time, though I was doing it exactly like I was before, so I don't know. It worked out but isn't has neat as it could have been.

-I used 100% cotton thread to attach the bias tape since I couldn't find the right color in any other thread.  I do not recommend for beginners.  I snapped it a couple of times and it was just not as easy to work with as the blended thread.  I did like the texture though.

-I hand embroidered the onesie which was not as easy as I thought. I attached stabilizer to the back but it was still stretchy. My poor drawing ability is on display here with the different sized and shaped shamrocks. I used variegated green floss which I think was a good idea. Gives the design some depth.

-cost was low. The onesie was $2.00 and the fabric and buttons were probably $4.50 total. This did take some time, but I kept taking breaks to do other things. Maybe three hours? The embroidery I just did while watching tv so that shouldn't even count. That's lost time anyway!

Verdict:  Successfully cute!  We'll see how it actually fits and wears.  I will be making this jumper again, I'm sure.

LINKED HERE:

 

 

Sewing Project: Easy Boy's Toy Roll-Up

My kids both have those crayon roll ups that are all over Etsy.  You know, the fabric ones that have a small pad of paper and a set of crayons?  I buy them for every random kid birthday party I have to attend.  Now that I have my own sewing machine (theoretically) I could make them myself, if I were so inclined or organized.  They are totally adorable and in my experience have saved many fellow air passengers a headache.  The thing is, my son gets bored with the coloring pretty fast.  My daughter could, and does, sit for extraordinary long periods talking to herself and doodling. 

So I came up with this for him:

Hey, that's the old ironing board cover!  I guess I did have a photo.  Ugly, huh?



They slide all the way in and the top folds down on top of them to limit MIA losses. 

These are Star Wars guys in case you aren't aware or don't live with a 5 year old boy.  Toddler action figures are way more dimensional then crayons and they don't fold up as neatly, hence the elastic.  His Hot Wheels will fit in here too in case he wants to mix it up.  The roll up is basically just a replacement for a plastic snack bag that they usually get toted around in on trips. 

 
Notes on the project:

-no pattern or anything, just futzed around with a ruler until I figured it out.

-this took no time at all to sew, however it took me awhile to sort the elastic situation, in the end I just sewed on the fake bow and a button and called it a day.

-the fabric were all scraps and the button was probably the most expensive thing at a whopping 30 cents.

-tips for beginners: if you make something like this I'd recommend knowing what you want to have in it first to measure the pockets (I had the cars).  Don't be afraid to just make stuff.  I wanted to make something the night I made this, but knew I didn't have time to do a whole 'real' project.  This was quick, satisfying and somewhat useful.

Verdict:  Success.  Not super exciting, I almost didn't include it here,  (I did this last week hence the old ironing board).  I almost wish it held a couple more toys then I remind myself  it would be unwieldy and the whole point is to have it travel well.

Sewing Project: Extra Wide Ironing Board Cover

I only have an after picture because I started this on a whim and didn't think about it.  You'll have to trust me the old ironing board cover was nothing to photograph anyway.  I bought the board at Walmart several years ago because it boasted that it was "Extra Wide".  What they didn't advertise was that meant standard ironing board covers won't fit so you'll never be able to buy a replacement.  Eight years later, this thing was looking pretty worn.  The biggest problem was that the padding underneath was not sufficient.  When I took off the cover I saw that it was actually just a felt pad.  No wonder the metal crisscross pattern of the base would press itself into the fabric while I ironed!  Now that I'm sewing and using the iron a lot more this board was driving me crazy. I looked up some different directions online and in a couple of books I have to make my own cover, but honestly they all seemed way too complicated:  there were paper bag patterns, bias tape (my current nemesis), and lots of measuring in almost every one.  I just figured this out on my own. 

There was no information printed on the selvage... if you know what this design is called or who makes it, let me know.

Notes on the Project:
-I thought of it as just a big skirt where the waistband goes underneath and the person wearing it is really, really skinny.
-I laid the fabric out over the board, traced it and (without measuring) cut it out eyeballing two inches from the outline.
-I sewed a half inch casement (roughly, I didn't cut very evenly) and put in some 1/4 inch elastic. Since I wasn't sure how much I'd need I didn't cut the elastic until I had it on the board.
-To add some extra padding I traced and cut out some low loft batting to go under the old felt pad.  If you do this yourself I'd recommend measuring out your fabric after cutting out the batting just to make sure you have enough of a side allowance to cover the additional padding. 
-Cost:  I had everything on hand for this project.  The fabric was $8/yard so it wasn't cheap.  I'd guess I used a 1.25 yards, maybe more.  Same with the elastic.  The batting I got on sale a Joann's a couple of weeks ago and I don't remember how much I paid, but I remember it was a great sale.  I'd guess this cost me $12-14.  It took less then two hours. 

Verdict:  Success!  I won't feel so bad leaving out the ironing board in the dining room now.  Not that the ugly cover stopped me before.