Tristan's Spring Start and New Diapers!

I have been sewing quite a lot lately, just no time to show! Baby boy is now sitting up on his own and thankfully letting mommy have a little more sewing time during the day! Now if I could just get the little booger to nap on a regular schedule we would be great!

I am making my way down my list of "needs" for Tristan's Spring/Summer wardrobe! In the past 2 weeks I have gotten quite a few done. I originally showed this tee with the Japanese red/blue/yellow knit interlock. I decided it would be fun to modify the tee some for smaller scraps. I also did a vneck style on a couple and I really like the way they turned out. Very simple too do, I just looked at one Tristan had in his closet from G@p and went for it! Now I have it drawn up so many different ways, I can't wait to sew some more!

The shorts are drafted by me, based off of a pair of RTW shorts that Noah wore a couple of years back. I drafted a pattern for Noah and found he really loved them and they are easy to sew assembly style. So I went with Tristan's measurements and I think they turned out pretty well. We call them our "Junk in the Trunk" shorts, meaning they have lots of room for our cloth diapers! Super easy to sew, especially assembly style! This is why having a serger and coverstitcher seperately is so nice!

Then last week, I volunteered to be a pattern tester for 3 different ladies who had developed new diaper patterns.

The first one really intrigued me because I had never sewn with FOE(fold over elastic), never used hook/loop tape and I had never made a pocket dipe before. I have made 2 of these now and I really like them. Not sure I am crazy about pockets though, I really find AI2's to be less messy to clean up. I think I will make the next ones that I do from this pattern that way instead. Great shape though and they fit Tristan pretty well for being at the end of the size range.

This one sewed together very easily too. A pretty basic turned and topstitched diaper. Fit Tristan pretty well too for the first go around. I think I may try it with snaps the next time I sew it up!

The third one is super easy to sew up. FOE around the diaper, hook/loop and then I made it an AI2. Shown here next to a DDU bigger newborn diaper. This one did not fit us well. It was a great shape too, just needs some adjustments I think. The mama sent me the next size up so I am going to give it a whirl here in a bit and see how well it fits Tristan.

I think that is it for now! I am working on a tute for changing a pajama button up adult top/long sleeved dress shirt into a little mans shirt. It uses all existing hems, so it sews up really quickly! I have the collar to finish still. Also, have a pair of ahoy shorts cut out and waiting to be sewn together! I think I will finish those today and see if I like the fit! Happy sewing everyone!

Baby Boy is 6 Months Old!!

Yesterday, my little chunk of love turned 6 months old! The day came with a great mix of emotions. Tristan has been by far, my hardest baby, out of our 4. The colic was so bad at times, I really thought we wouldn't make it this far! But along with the joy of now having a happy baby boy, comes the sadness of never having a newborn again. So many changes in so short a time. Babies are just the sweetest!

To mark our 6 month Birthday I decided to make a tee to celebrate. My kids did not get the humor at first and now that it has been explained to them they think I am a dork! Well I think I am just fine with being labeled a sewing dork!

The tee is my new found pattern from the Spring 1/2006 Ottobre issue. I LOVE it!! Let me say it again, I LOVE it!!! Fits pretty well with a little room to grow, you can mix and match, which I love to do AND it's a great way to make use of smaller sized scraps. Not great pics, but you get the idea! Tristan has found out how to suck on his lip or tongue or something! I can hardly take a picture anymore without him doing this newly discovered trick.

I decided to do another, this time with some of my hard to find Japanese scraps. I love this print, so vibrant and fun! I picked two of the pictures from the knit and made up my own little patches to put on the tee and pants. The pants are the crawling baby pants from the 4/2006 issue of Ottobre, I love them too! Very fun to make even with knits! I see more of these in our future, but the next time I will add just a little in the rise for a cloth diaper fit.

I also tried out another pattern this week the baby sweat pants from 1/2006. They fit ok, a little baggy in the width. I used fleece and it made the seams a little thick when serging where they were topstitched. Not sure if I would make these again, but all in all they were simple to put together. The tee was a onesie that Tristan's big sister brought him this week. I cut it off and made it into a tee so it would fit longer with cloth diapers. When she showed it to me, I was so happy that I had saved this knit for Tristan!


And then one more tee tonight, same pattern! Also made with hard to find Japanese knit. I adore this fabric! I only had a very small scrap and now I have a miniature sized scrap left! I wish I had a bolt of it! So soft and yummy and cute too! I am going to search the stash tomorrow for the perfect fabric to make Tristan some pants to match, maybe shorts.


Now I am off to bed! I have found that if I go to bed on time at night, then I usually feel like getting up before all of the kids and hubby. I am really enjoying the hour or so I have of calm before the storm! Good night and happy sewing!!

Beanies for Baby

I realized tonight after Tristan went to bed, that I had nothing new to write about sewing wise for the blog. The quickest functional thing that I know how to sew, and one of my boys' favorite things, is a beanie. I have made my 7 yr old Noah, so many beanies, I really have lost count of them all. He loves a beanie especially when the weather turns cold.

So I dug out my scrap bin and set to work cutting out a couple of beanies for Tristan. This is my own pattern, one that I have sold on etsy once upon a time. I made it up when I couldn't find a pattern, years ago for Noah when he was about 2 years old. Beanies from preemie size up to adult, my almost 17 yr old son loves them too! You can do the lip of the beanie to turn down, like I have done here or it can flip up too.

The first one I cut from some hard to find Japanese super hero fabric. I have some more of this and now that I see the beanie completed, Tristan must have a whole set made from it. Very cute! And the other beanie, made from a tiny scrap of my now non existent Batman and Robin knit, sewn with the serged golden yellow thread face up. Just to add some funk!

These are so easy to do and I had forgotten how much fun! Seriously both were cut out and sewn in less than 20 minutes. Hows that for instant satisfaction??

For now I have pics on the floor, it's late. Tristan is thankfully still sleeping so I have no model. And my coach is about to turn into a pumpkin, oh wait it's now past midnight, Cinderella must go to bed! Good night all, happy sewing!