more on the trouser saga

Another handmade pair for the boy, a recon no less, and I didn't even lift a finger. The Man brought home a frankly skidly pair of striped jeans from The Free Store (where things are, you got it, free!) The denim was worn in places, stained across the thighs and butt, and just not pretty. They were jeans destined for the landfill. The Man, the soft hearted guy he is, brought them home thinking that we could get a pair of toddler trousers out of them, at least. I, looking at the stained and worn jeans, deciding I want nothing to do with them, said, 'go for it, man.' So he did.


And they're lovely! He even made pockets.

For the record, The Man showed me how to use a sewing machine just a few years ago, a machine we borrowed from his grandma to do some curtain mending. I had him basically hold my hand through my first few projects, to prevent me from damaging either myself or the sewing machine in frustration. I am eternally grateful that he shared with me his skills, though he claims he really didn't do anything. He did though. Besides knowing how to load the actual bobbin the actual machine, he was calm and supportive, and didn't smirk once, even when I said really naughty words with every breath I took while trying doing my first jeans to skirt recon. He even threaded my serger for me the first few times when the threads were going all wonky from a factory setting error (thank goodness for serger classes and the smart instructor with her little screw driver to reset the machine for me.) On the topic of machines, The Man has actually bought and surprised me with all three of my sewing machines to date because I wouldn't buy them for myself - something about not wanting to spend the money on my little hobby and 'making do' with what I have.

So, The Man does know a bit about sewing; taught to him by his paternal grandma, a fine lady who generously lent me a machine and gave me a few lessons also. Bless the skilled grandmas. At some point awhile back I took my sewing a bit further than dabbling. The Man says that he knew that I was truly in my element when I was talking to him and threading the machine and never once looked at the machine, even when putting the thread through the needle. A bit of an exaggeration, but I get the point. And now those machines are our only family income and The Man is learning my patterns. I came home today with the kids after Smootch's dance class and The Man had my dashiki tutorial open on the computer, along with the pattern I had made, and was just finishing up the neckline. I'm so very excited! Not only will I have a real, in the flesh, sewing buddy (and competitor for machine time), but with both of us stitching we will be able to build up a product base and take our stuff out to the markets. Vancouver Island is just chock full of farmers and craft markets, a scene I love to both shop and vend at, and we're hoping to be ready for the spring season.

Now that I've talked your ear (eye?) off, I'll get on with actually putting together a tutorial for y'all. One gem from taking photos of the stripey trousers. Not exactly crafty, but I suppose you could call it a creative interptation of a smile, which is exactly what he thinks he's doing for the camera:

Back soon!

trouser theft

So, I finally made the boy some desperately needed bottoms, yes? The next morning, going to put on said bottoms on child, opened the drawer and the drawer was empty. No trousers. Hmmmm?

I called in my girl child, who loves a mystery (or, rather, loves Scooby Doo and saying, 'Hey, gang! Looks like we have a mystery on our hands!) And that's as far as I needed to go with the detective work. The very girl who moved 1200 kilometers with eight skirts and only one pair of pants up and stole her brothers new trousers before he even had a chance to wear them.

But, hey, they fit her pretty good.


Smootch is, of course, completely without remorse.



I've made good use of suiting for children's clothes over the years and the familarity of it combined with the happiness of the very young means she's drawn to it now, much like my generation seems to love brown corduroy. I guess she just couldn't help herself.

I will be making her her own pair soon, of course. Seems I've already got the pattern :D I know that bum-wise my five year old and 17 month old use about the same amount of space. This pattern fits her just below the knee in a slim fit capri style. I will take front of the waist down an inch or so for Smootch, since she wears everything on her hips (drives me nuts) and only put elastic in the back. Have to add some pockets on the top too, for holding the small amounts of change she asks for now (she's saving up for something. Mostly likely something pink.)

The boy, in the meanwhile, does have another pair of pants, just finished by The Man, my dh (who I never actually married, but, you know...) They are reconned from a pair of stripey jeans he found at the Free Store. I will get pics as soon as I can and share.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend! This week: a tutorial or bust!

trousers for he-who-does-not-sleep

Yesterday I made the 100 kilometer trek into a larger centre to pick up some desperately needed sewing supplies (like thread and fabric :D). Where I come from, Alberta: land of super highways, you can drive 100 kilometers in about 35 minutes. Not legally, mind, but just over half an hour is a fairly normal amount of time. Here, on Vancouver Island, where mountain passes are the norm and black bears pose photogenically at every cliffhanger turn, not to mention stop lights every couple of klicks, it takes about two hours to drive the same distance. In fact, the distance was deemed far enough, considering both ways with a toddler and preshooler, that it had to be combined with a beach day to justify the inconvience. So be it.

The point of this ramble is that I FINALLY MADE SOMETHING! Yay! The boy so very much needed some new trousers and I was happy to zing some up this afternoon.

Behold, new pants for the wee man:

The pattern is my own one piece trouser design, with a side pocket and bits of embellishment. As far as I can tell, they fit him perfect in every way.

Birdie Boy's shirt - ignore the goop - is from Tuff as Snails etsy shop. She's brillant, has wonderful things, and is off right now having a baby. Good luck, B!

And that's it for now. My head is still spinning from our shifting and moving, and I'm totally lost as to what I was doing over here on this blog. If I promised you something, you'd better remind me again because, dude, in all the chaos, I've totally forgotten everything but where my children, kitties, and husband are. In that order. (Mom, I'm a bad kid, I'm sorry I forgot your birthday... will make it up to you xoxo.)

Still, I'm here now. Tomorrow, maybe I will get to make something else :)

I'm here: home! Bring on the machines

Now, with a two door sport model car, roof rack and bubble, two kids under 5, two kitties, 1200 kilometers, two weeks visiting various family, three weeks in hotels, and a whole lot of chocolate, we are finally, finally in our new home. Our new home for now anyway.

Today I found a bit of time to take out my sewing machines (yes, they came along in the trunk - got to have priorities) and lovingly plugged them in and turned their lights on and off. Which is all I could do since I do not have, oh, thread, bobbins, scissors, pins, fabric, rulers, elastic, or any other the other thousand and one things I should have to get my sewing groove back.

Another thing I brought was a box of Little Print sewing patterns. I just turned my etsy back on for those wonderful people who have emailed me, wondering when my patterns will be avaliable again. Thank you for your patience!

Soon, oh so very soon, I shall make the trek to a larger center to stock up on the sewing basics, and then I shall be off and stitching once again. Two things on the list: gathering foot and snap press. I've never had either of these, but I've convinced myself that they are as needed as a set of pins (hopefully, I go easier on the foot and press than my pins :D)

Cheers!

bell cuffs (or audio child detection device)

It's been a slightly longer blogging hiatus than I originally intended. I've missed you guys! Being without internet this past little bit (what, a couple of weeks, really?) has been like a long dark winter in a cold cave. Or having a limb severed. There is probably a mental health issue in this, but I've decided not to worry about it. We're still not settled quite yet, but I thought I'd sneak in a quick tutorial. It's one way I've amused while keeping track of my kidlets while we've been travelling.

I made this noisey little bell cuff several years ago when Smootch was a toddler. It was actually one of my first projects ever, so it pleases me ever so much that we still use it often and it's proven to be so useful for both children.

This cuff is strapped onto my children whenever we go somewhere where I may lose visual contact with my babies but I still need to know where they are. Like the shops, particularly the fabric store, where my kids know I'm distracted and have figured out that all the have to do is make two quick turns among the maze-like fabric islands and I'll never be able to find the little buggers again. It's also been good on hikes, in playgrounds and parks.


To make a basic cuff:

Measure the area you wish to cuff, keeping the measuring tape as loose as you desire your cuff to be (I actually choose to make mine big enough to fit over the arms of jackets since it wasn't any good to have the bells muffled under heavy clothes). Also establish how wide you would like your cuff to be.

Add 1 1/2" to the cuff length. Double the desired width measurement and add an additional 1/2" for seam allowance. Use these altered measurements to cut a rectangle of desired fabric.

The cuff is created by folding the fabric lengthwise, right sides together. Sew closed the lengthwise raw edges, using a 1/4" seam allowance.

Use a safety pin to turn the cuff right side out (see illustration above). Tuck in an end about 1/2" and sew closed. Do so for other open end. Add a snap to the ends, assuming a 1/2" overlap. Viola, a cuff.

Handsew bells on cuff for your own low-tech audio child detection device. Attach to child. I suggest a test run in a fabric store :D

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