I goofed!

Koda Bear came home Sunday!  He has gotten so tall in just a month.  Closer to six weeks.  He even got a haircut in that time.  So I was frantically sewing pajamas for him before he came.  

I goofed.  I found the wrong pattern and made two pairs of pajamas very much the wrong size.  I had lengthened the pattern I used because I thought it was last year so they were not quite as short as they could be.  But they were four or six inches too short.  And tight!  Goodness!  He could have been in a disco dancing they were so tight!

What is a grandma to do?  I still had enough fabric to cut out two more.  I was saving the fabric for Ziggy Monster's receiving blankets.  Instead of four, he will have two.  Two of Koda Bear's have already been found so I think it will be overall okay.  I am also crocheting a wool blanket of blues and greys.  What do I find in my basket.

I am starting to build Ziggy Monster's cradle this weekend.  I have started collecting supplies and I have ordered the mattress and linens.  He may not have as many things as Koda Bear but he will have lovely things.  I ordered a few things and I am thinking about making a few more.  There will be a quilt.  And maybe some sleep sacks that get dyed.  There are just not enough hours in the day.  Especially since I now have cuddles with a not so small bear to add in to my already busy day.  I would not miss them for the world!

gave myself permission

I gave myself permission to go down a creative rabbit hole yesterday.  Instead of being on the computer.  Instead of opening a bundle or too.  Instead of dyeing something.  Instead of work on presents.  Instead of crocheting.  I started something new.  And I think I am going to continue today.

I like figuring things out.  I like learning.  So every time I go down that creative rabbit hole, I have that potential.  I am still loving the ecoprinting but there is a need for something different.  Many moons ago, I  made stuffed animals and dolls.  I have made the jointed stuffed animals.  It is not hard.  Mostly, it is just hard on the hands.  But a doll has been wheighing on my mind.  For some reason, making a doll has been a need.  So this week I have been starting that process.  I now have a body.

The body also has a face but I think I am going to change the face.  The body does not have hair but I have ideas around that.  Which means my crochet hook will come out again.  I think part of it was I needed to sit at my sewing machine more.  My crochet hook is much more mobile so it is easier to take with me.  At times I will get to where I just want to embroidery when we are traveling.  I think that has to do with needing to stitch as well.  

Still hands do not work for me well.  And I am going to need more mobile projects soon as well.  I will figure it out.

mending a sheet (learned a new skill)

I got to visit with Koda Bear on Saturday!  That took all my attention.  Especially since there was time to talk and cuddle.  When he is around though, I do seem to do a lot of laundry.  I found one of my favorite sheets had holes in it!  In just one section.

The linen sheets I have are not inexpensive.  I went online and found some linen that I could purchase so I could repair the sheet.  I decided to compliment and not try to match, because the sheet has been through more then a few washings.

I ripped out the holey bit of linen.  I actually saved it.  The part away from the holes will make nice quilt squares.  The part with the holes might make something very interesting for a collabrative project I am thinking about.

I learned how to do flat felted seams for this repair.  It is not something I have tried before but I knew I did not wish the fraying from unfinished seams but I also wanted something that was smooth.  Not smooth might keep someone awake!

The most difficult thing about this whole mend was how much fabric I needed to work with.  The original sheet is about 100 inches wide and 108 inches long.  I also had to be careful not to scorch my fingers with all the ironing that went on.

I know have a non-holey sheet.  I bought extra fabric because I did not know how it would all go.  It looks like there will be more projects coming from that!  I also ordered more fabric for a sheet and pillowcases.  I would rather make my own if I can.

shirt from a dress

When Koda Bear was very small, I was wearing a lot of dress that had skirts to the floor.  I still love this length but there is a bit of impracticality about it.  Especially when there is a small boy you are trying to keep up with.  I kept tripping over the skirt of that style.

I have always liked the camp shirt style.  Very 1940's and 1950's.  I have also been watching the Dr. Blake Mysteries on Netflix.  The styles there are 1950's.  I love them.  Since I have a very old Folkwear pattern for the shirt I wanted to wear and a dress with enough yardage in it to make the shirt, especially since I was not wearing the dress, I thought why not!

This green print is quite old fashioned itself.  Very sublte.  I thought I had not cut the purple dress into something else but I was wrong and there was not enough fabric in the new dress to make a new shirt.  It is truly how I think.  I can I remake what I have into something I want.  Especially, if what I have I am not wearing.  Though the vertical storage of fabric in the closet is nice.

I still have not got the collar down quite right.  I need to reread the pattern a few more times to actually feel comfortable with the collar.  After making so many men's collars on shirts, it is a little counterintuitive.

The buttons were actually cut off another shirt.  It was a work shirt that had holes in it.  The thread was an eBay purchase.  Someone was trying to get rid of old thread.  It matched perfectly.

I really like this shirt.  I was pleased with how comfortable it was.  I was also pleased with the sizing.  When a pattern is that old, it is hard to tell if it will fit the way you think it should at the size it it.  The shirt is actually tucked up here because the picture was taken for the skirt.  I am double dipping.

I have worn this shirt a handful of times already.  It is already a go to in my closet.  I have a couple more dresses I could see myself making into shirts.  The red one I may keep long.  It is a nice traveling dress but it is a more of I will see when I get there.  

clothing was requested

When I wrote about the slip/chemise I made, I said I was making a shirt.  It was a request.  It appears that in the end I may be making shirts and vests for all the boyos.  Maybe even suit type outfits.  They wish to look like frontiers men.  But that is not even correct.  They wish to look old fashioned.  It is really the best description.  As long as there are not handle bar mustaches, I will sew.

This cotton had been picked out for shirts a while ago.  The only negative I can find about it was that it was printed and not woven with this print.  Which meant that when I lined up the print, I was actually cutting on a slight bias.  It made the construction just a bit more difficult.

Finding the buttons was interesting.  I was out of anything that matched with enough buttons.  Not anymore because buttons have been cut off another shirt that was going into the garbage but when I was putting this shirt together there was none.  After looking at some tailoring pictures on Instagram, I do believe I do buttons and button holes completely opposite from how tailors do them.  But I give myself a break since I have never had anyone teach me how!

And now there is a shirt.  The only other negative so far is that my Beloved has not tried it on.  He will only try a new shirt on when he is completely clean and there is not chance of harming it!  It is more then a slight frustration but it is what it is.  If I put it in the closet, it will eventually get worn.