Frozen Fashion for Favorite

 This was perfect winter sewing except if you actually want to wear it.  I had the pattern and some of the fabric to give my favorite granddaughter* at Christmas but since it was a last minute request there was no time to stitch it up.

*I only have ONE granddaughter!

Here is the pile of fabric which was all bought online from various sources.





The pattern was also acquired online.
I have barely left the house.

The pattern was fine except if you wanted to do those crazy appliques.  They would have taken forever and I knew any kid would prefer the sparkle of this fabric.

The fake sequin bodice fabric is also see-thru and had to be backed with the blue satin. It was surprisingly easy to stitch through. I was sure the needle would get stuck in the shiny spots.

It has been years since I used such slippery
slide-y stuff, but it went quite well overall. The only hard parts were near the end. Why are the last steps of any project always the most fiddly?

The pattern called for bias tape to finish the neckline but I thought that it would look odd with this fabric and I wanted to make sure the scratchy snowflake fabric didn't rub. I made my own bias strip from the satin and covered the whole neckline with it.  I did a pretty bad job at the top of the zipper. I know. There should be a hook and eye there.
























Even the zipper color isn't the best but I was determined NOT to buy one when I have a drawer filled with at least 100 zippers!

Here is her best royal wave. More practice needed.

My backdrop needed to be wider.

Most irritating of all to sew, and probably to wear is the sleeve set in.  I have been doing so many projects where I sew that seam before closing up the side and sleeve seam that I forgot what a pain it is and this fabric tended to ravel and the silver stuff doesn't allow the fabric to fold over easily.  This was especially difficult in hemming this stuff. It is all wavery  looking. That neckline might have layed flatter if I could press it properly, but I was afraid of melting it.

 Her modeling fees are quite steep so we were rushed to get this done.  That's the excuse for not doing a better job on the hair.  Oh well, a tiara can make up for a lot!

I think she looks every inch as good as Elsa. Hope the company that starts with D doesn't think I am committing copyright crime with this little pic. I am only advertising for them and not selling.


Doubtful this will get a lot of wear, but then washing it is probably not a good idea.  Sometimes sewing is just a labor of love, all practicality aside.

Zippity-Doo-Dah

This week is all about zippers. Some of it is work and some of it is just play.

First the work of shortening a metal zipper.  These things look cool but are a potential disaster for your sewing machine needles.  I buy my zippers before I even know what I am going to use them for so I have quite a messy lot of them.  One time I bought a bag of 50 random zippers for $7.00.

I tend to buy longer ones so they can be used in more applications so many of them get amputated.  The nylon coils are no big whoop. Just don't use your best fabric scissors.

BUT, the metal are a  b@$%& !

I searched online for the best way to do this and came away even more frustrated. I found THIS.

It seemed reasonable, but when I tried to "twist" the tiny little teeth loose with my needle nose pliers absolutely NOTHING resulted.  Now I'm not saying this isn't possible. Its just not possible for ME.

So here is my lame solution which I do not consider a tutorial, Im just saying'.

Using non-fabric scissors,  carefully cut between the teeth to shorten up the zipper and then trim off the teeth

Then I stitched across the fabric tabs to keep them in line

Next I made a tab over the end as I usually do.

And repeated at the other end

 AND THEN, I discovered the problem with this method.  Because the tab didn't completely cover the end of the teeth, the tab could come off the teeth!!!  So, I hand stitched my own version of a stop by sewing this :  Yes, it looks messy. But is basically hidden later.  JUST SEW VERY SLOWLY when you get to the teeth and you can maneuver through them.

However, I did manage to get both tabs on the end and got the zipper to work in the little bag I was making.

         Now for play time

My 3 1/2 year old grand daughter in the sewing/computer/play room

 I told you I have lots of zippers and more are on the way from my favorite supplier ZIPIT on Etsy.
 That open drawer contains a tangle of zippers and Mom's old button box. I gave up on keeping them in some sort of order.

Just throw them out on the floor and hunt for the color.

 She measured them.

 She tested them.

And then we played THIMBLEFINGERS!


I have a bag of not-collection-worthy thimbles in a zip-lock bag which she was allowed to unzip and sort, stack and wear. (I have over 400 in my collection - see previous post HERE. )

Seven-year-old grandson is occupying that black
desk chair in the background damaging his eyesight playing computer games.

I'm thinking she should be my LOGO. 

Do the kids you know find your sewing supplies fun?  What are their favorites?  Hopefully not your rotary cutter!

Love to hear from you but I do moderate my comments before they appear.

Ruffle Riot and a Reluctant Model

The serger is well and I have done nothing to jeopardize it this week. (see previous post) I am using pins MUCH more sparingly.  I used to avoid ruffles because of the tedious thread pulling, but with the soft gathering setting on the serger they are quick and easy.  The rolled edge makes the ruffles soft and flowy.  So I made some more of these skirts.  I love putting the color and print combinations together.

We were having the grand kids over for the weekend so I spent ALL day Friday with this pattern.

I am a big fan of patterns with lots of options and this one fits the bill. You get a sweater, two shirt versions, leggings and a skirt. And I made them all.















The cardigan is my favorite but I made it in polka dot instead of the solid.  I found this Riley Blake knit online somewhere and if I could remember I would tell you.


Darling grand-daughter proved to be her typical 3-year-old self and had to be sweet talked into even putting this on.

                     She really liked the purple shirt which was purchased and the leggings.

The pink ruffle and the flower pin on the cardigan were repurposed from an 18 month size tutu that ended up at my house.

I got the matching t-shirt on her for a short spell.  After the photo-shoot I re-serged the 

shoulder seams for a better fit.

I did a really bad job on the zipper because I did not read everything before I started and didn't
even realize it called for one. Bad me.  I think a zipper in a knit with a neck this large is totally unnecessary.

This is her favorite picture.

The her brother had to get into the act and really hammed it up.

                                       Turns out she REALLY wants a purple skirt and being a good grandma, I will be searching out the right shades of purple to go with that polka-dot purple shirt before their next visit.   Like on real models, the  skirt has been "fitted" by pinning out the extra inches in the back.                        

I wasn't done with the pattern.  I made the color-blocked shirt and another pair of leggings.


























But,  they look like pajamas so that is what they are going to be.





                    AND I did not put in a zipper and there is oodles of head room.

And then I made another ruffled skirt.  I really like the way the knit makes the extra ruffly lettuce edge.

                 Do you like to sew for kids?  Do THEY like what you sew?

Sewing Small

Sunny days call for sunny colors.  I made this little sundress for my granddaughter mostly from very small pieces of fabric. I had plenty of the lollipop flower fabric (Cloud9 organic cotton) but the others were limited. They were fat quarters from Pink Castle Stash Club. 

Can you see the way I had to piece the border on the hem?  Most people won't because she rarely stands still. It was really hard to get her to consent to pose but I think she worked it like a pro once we got started.

This was created with no pattern. I just had some simple measurements. I did not have a fitting until a week or so after completion when she visited for a weekend. Turns out that the bodice was too wide and gapped terribly under the arms. I had not yet attached the straps so I took a tuck on each side of the back opening and covered them with the wide straps. The straps also had to be moved in slightly which was easy since I had only attached them at the front with buttons.

There is only one pocket because I wanted to use the tiny scrap of turquoise piping I had leftover from another project and it was only enough for one pocket. I like the touch of asymmetry.

The back opening got a little wonky and I need to sew down the side openings of those straps. Right now they are kind of like big belt loops.  I actually had these 3 orange buttons and the 2 turquoise flower buttons on hand. I picked them up on sale ages ago with no idea what I was going to do with them.  I just love these colors together and I may try to wear more of this combo myself.

                               Grandson was feeling left out so I had to make something for him.

This leftover monkey face knit with some flaws in it was the perfect thing for sleep shorts since he had come without any PJs.  They took 20 minutes from cutting to wearing. Without pattern, I just sketched with a Frixion pen on the wrong side of the fabric. The length was determined by the amount of fabric and I made them large so I could just trim them off on the serger. A piece of elastic in a follower top holds them up and they were declared "really comfy".

Hers were my first serger garment.  Neither of these is made from "approved" fabric. Every fabric I see has NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN'S SLEEPWEAR stamped on it.

Will I be arrested?