Done with the denim!

Here are the jeans! Done! I always forget how much longer it takes to do pants as opposed to shirts. So many pieces, so much topstitching, so many little details like belt loops, rivets, zippers, and buttons.

The good thing, she really likes them! She keeps bending over and meowing at people (yes, with her butt....). The one pocket has a kitty embroidered on it and the other pocket I used hot-fix crystals and made the word "Meow!". I meant for the pockets to be on the reverse "cheeks", but realized too late. Ce la vie!

The length is just right. The waist is actually a little big....I should have done the gaposis fix in the back. Oh well, they don't tend to fall down, and that is what is important. I wanted to give this pattern a try before I used up too much fabric making myself a pair. It was an easy pattern to follow. Sometimes, I was tempted to do my own thing, but I restrained myself and was very happy with all of the results exactly as written in the instructions. I didn't get a pictures of it, but I used a betty boop cotton for the insides of the front pockets. She really liked that!

I think they look rtw! That was the goal (and of course to have them fit......)! Happy Thanksgiving! I made my cranberry sauce and my apple pie tonight. We are off to have dinner with my in-laws tomorrow! I am looking forward to a wonderful day!

It's been awhile.....

Well, it has been quite awhile since I have blogged, so I decided even though I am in the middle of a project, I should get some sort of update out to you all! First off, here is the other nightgown that I made for my older dd. It is a fleece. You will notice that there is no girl in the nightie.....she announced that it was too hot and itchy to wear. Since when is fleece itchy?? I can give her the hot (our cold mornings are 63F in the house), not cold by many standards. I haven't even resorted to turning on the heat in the house yet. By about 10am, the house is in approaching the 70's and quite comfortable. Maybe in another month.....

This project below is the one I am currently working on....

It is the famed Jalie jeans pattern. I am making these for my youngest dd. I have cut them out in the smallest size and added a couple of inches of length.

As you can see, I am still working on the waistband. Then I have the topstitching on that, the button and button hole, and finally the hem. Soon, they should be done soon......

Part of the reason, I have had no blogs for so long, is that I have been busy! Last weekend, we went wine tasting for a friend's birthday. It was fun, she got a bus (there were 35 of us), and we visited a few wineries as a group, had a catered lunch, then set off on downtown Los Olivos to visit wineries of our choice (there are about 25 wine tasting rooms in a 2 block radius). Here is a picture of me below at one of the wineries. That is a jalie shirt (2788 twist top) I am wearing, one of my favorites. I made it about a year and a half ago. I love that pattern!

On that note, I am wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving! Eat lots of turkey, eat lots of pie, and most importantly enjoy your families and loved ones!

Nightie Night!

Here is Ottobre 06-2009-36, this is called the "Mocking Bird" nightdress. I prefer to call it a nightie! I used some fleece that I got from the Yahoo group, Fabric & Notions. It is a big hit! It was really easy to make. I even got to use some techniques that I don't use very often! It called for the sleeves to be flatlocked. I did this on the serger with a wide 2-thread flatlock stitch. Basically, you put wrong side together and stitch. Then you pull on the stitching and the fabric layers pull to lay flat on top of each other (more or less anyway).

All went well, until she realized that San Diego doesn't get that cold this time of year and so the nightie came off, then she got cold and put it back on. Then again it came off, then again went back on. Then she realized she could just pull it way up and not take it all the way off. Got to love kids!

I made another one for her sister out of a different patterned fleece. She hasn't put it on yet, so I will wait for a photo op and do a different post!

As for upcoming projects, I got started on Jalie 2908 (jeans) for the dd pictured. I have such a hard time finding pants that fit her. She is almost 4, and very much on the petite side. Her waist is 18". Even the jalie size F (the smallest one they make), has a waist size of 20". I am trying it though! I have such a problem finding pants that fit her in the waist and length. Even the buttonhole elastic pants don't have enough elastic much of the time. If I buy a size 2 pant with the buttonhole elastic, it will pull small enough, but then the pants are not long enough! During summer I stick to capris, but come winter and she is continually pulling her pants up because they are falling down! (Oh, what it would be like to have that problem..........I probably did like 35 years ago before the booty kicked in!) Anyhow, sewing mom to the rescue! I hope anyway! :)

Happy Halloween and a project!

Happy Halloween!! I spent most of the day carving pumpkins! Here are a couple I did and a couple my dd's did: Here are 5 more - My older dd did the one on the right by herself and I did the others.....did I mention that I spent a lot of the day carving pumpkins??

Here is my sewing project that I finished up after carving the pumpkins and cleaning the mess and roasting pumpkin seeds......

These are the same pattern as the pink ones in the last post....Ottobre 6/2009-17 "neat beat" pants. I added the machine embroidery to the leg.

Here is a closer picture of the embroidery, it is from Embroidery Library:

Bad lighting shot....oh well....here are the finished pants!

Have a haunting Halloween! And get an extra hour of sleep tonight!!!!

"Neat Beat" Pants

Here is Ottobre 6/2009 - 17, they call them their "Neat Beat" pants. I used a bottom weight knit that I got from Chez Ami 's clearance fabric for $3.50/yard. It is not too stretchy and very stable. The pattern called for a stretchy denim or corduroy. This seemed to work just fine! The pattern is labeled slim, but I didn't add any to the normal size I cut for her, in fact, I forgot to add my seam allowance in some of the leg seams as I was cutting out! These were easy and fast and I think she likes them. I like the yoke in the front. I added topstitching in the butt seam....needed reinforcement!

They have a little bit of elastic at the back waist, forgot to get that into the picture! I hope to be making some more of these pants, they were easy, they look nice and she likes to wear pants that are "soft" as she calls them (jeans are not soft!).

My first Ever!

Creativ Blog Award!

Thank you to JC for nominating me! I have finally gotten a few minutes to do this!

Here are seven things you don't know about me. Here we go:

1. I love to cook and eat!
2. I hate cleaning house and do it as little as possible!
3. I have a Bachelor's and a Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering.
4. I grew up overseas (Guam, Korea, Philippines, Hong Kong).
5. My favorite country that I have visited was Austria.
6. I am a libra.
7. I love to snow ski (and the apres ski afterwards)!

Thank You JC!

Here are seven blogs that I nominate!

1. Renee Always makes beautiful stuff!!
2. Dawn I can always count on something fun to read! She sews more than anyone else!!!
3. Angie I love to read her blog, it has such charm!
4. Trina She has always intrigued me with all her wonderful dresses and I love the photo shoots! First blog I started to follow!
5. Cidell I always get a laugh and I love the other stuff I learn! Second blog I started to follow!
6. Christine I love the stuff she makes!
7. Debbie I always am learning something new from her blogs!

Okay! I did it....that was a lot of work! So....here I am going to be lazy and not write to each person to let them know I have nominated them (and that is also the introvert in me....).....if you actually read my blog and see your name, Congrats!!! Carry on the tradition, and let us know about you!!!

I'll be reading you later!!

Pumpkins and projects!

Two girls in a sea of pumpkins! These photos are of the pumpkin patch at a farm close by, we go every year for activities and pumpkins! She found hers!

We were there with some friends....

The girls were so cute posing for their picture!

And on to projects! This is a close-up of the owl applique I put onto their t-shirts to wear with their leggings.... I made a shirt and leggings for both of the girls.

Here is the outfit. I wish I got them while they were wearing them.....instead I pulled them out of the dirty clothes to shoot a picture!

They looked super cute on them.....unfortunately, the pants I don't think are going to make it much longer without some work. The knit is pulling holes in it at the butt seam on both of the girls pants. I stitched them again inside of where they were pulling and they just pulled more. I was thinking that I could fuse some knit stablilizer to the seam.....if that doesn't work I guesss they get to go to the donation bin or garbage! I finally got my zipper last week. Remember how I had the perfect color and not the right length? I ordered up the right length, and decidedly got the wrong color! I don't know what I was thinking......I put it in anyway. My dh reminded me that it will be outgrown in a few months anyhow! Hmfph....

I like it still though. I will make this pattern again.