Of grandsons and frogs

This weekend I got to keep Kenny and Patrick overnight.  We had a good time.  We went to the store and got some things and then came home in the rain and mud.  It was no fun getting up the hill.  The rain has made the few inches of unfrozen topsoil more like a mix of quicksand and mud than ground.  I really had to struggle to get my footing.  Now the boys - that was something else.  They are so small and light it wasn't an issue for them.

We came in the house and had some cheap cardboard pizza.  The boys ate well so I gave them M&Ms.  It was bathtime after that and I let them stay in till they told me they were cold.  They got in their new sweats and put on some socks, brushed their teeth and went to bed.  I think they were asleep in less than 10 minutes.

While they were sleeping I made Kenny some new underwear.  This kid doesn't like wearing underwear and he "forgot" to put them on, again.  He doesn't like snug undies against his tummy.  He's been this way since he was sick.  Anyhow, he and his brothers like the underwear I make them far better than store-bought ones made in a third-world country.  First off, they're durable.  Secondly, they're original.  Lastly, I can make them in whatever fabric the boys choose from my stash, and they get a real kick out of it.

So, here are they are.  Once again, I used the Ottobre 4-04 issue, pattern #37, in size 98 this time.  I really like this pattern aside from the fact that the seams are exposed. 

Kenny is delighted with his froggy underwear.  The kid is stuck on frogs with a vengeance.  I think it's probably my fault, at least partially.  His crib set was frogs.  Lots of the clothes I bought him had frogs on them.  His first birthday quilt was frogs, his second birthday present was a stuffed frog, and lots of stuff he has is froggy.  And, when he was in the hospital and wouldn't let Mom take his frog quilt to wash it, I made him another frog quilt so she could wash the first one.  So yeah, it's kinda my fault.

I have a ton of underwear, for boys and girls, cut out and ready to sew.  I need to do them, but first I really want to get A's jacket done.  It's getting cold again and I know she could use it.  I think I will make that my goal for this week.  Once I set to, it will be done in no time.  Then I need to make Alex's birthday skirt, another Ottobre pattern, and a top to go with it.  She's going to love it!  She is in the princess-y phase now and loves all things pink and purple and princess and fairy.  Thank goodness it isn't a difficult theme to find fabrics for.

Okay, off to clean the litter box and then check for eggs.  My life is so thrilling I can't stand it.

A few more last pictures; I'm finally caught up

This sleep sack was made from a Big4 pattern.  I made it for AnnaBelle for her Christmas gift, among other things.  She looks so cute in the hat!  She isn't wild about hats but she looks adorable in them.

This outfit is from the Ottobre 5/2006 issue, pattern #8.  Miss AnnaBelle's mom loves this.  She said it looks like it came from the store.  I wanted to use the pink giraffe fabric, but I needed something that would keep her warm as well.  I do believe I achieved that.  The bamboo velour looks awesome with the pink and green.  The feet weren't even as hard as I thought they would be.

I made this top for myself from Kwik Sew #3370 and some $2 per yard WalMart fabric.  If you watch, you can find some decent stuff there for a good price.  This is velour; I'm sure it's polyester, but still it's got a nice nap to it and it's comfy as heck.  I keep wearing it as soon as it gets clean.  In fact, a couple days ago I picked up some more fabric and I'm going to make another one.  I will be trying just a bit harder to keep the stripes straight, though, so they don't go on an incline.  I thought I had this one straight but I guess not, huh?  Still, it's not for a special occasion so it really doesn't matter all ath much.

And finally, I made these for my son from the Kwik Sew pattern #3298, the same pattern as Tobie's boxer briefs.  These have the long leg option while Tobie's have the short one, but that is the only difference.  I'm waiting to see if he likes them.  He's not really fussy and his other underwear are getting a bit raggy, so I decided to make him several pair at once and just get it over with.

I have one project cut out, Alex's birthday present in the plans, and I also want to make myself another denim jumper with a long sleeved t-shirt to go along with it.  I have the fabrics picked out and all; it's just a matter of getting them done.  I am also working on hand-quilting a king-sized 110" by 110" quilt for Abby and Donovan's bed.  It's taking longer than I ever thought it would, but it will be nice when it's done.

Staying busy is a good thing.  It keeps me out of trouble.

And more presents....

These are presents I made for Abby's boys as well as a pic of the boys themselves.

These are Christmas shirts.  They were made from a puppy and Christmas tree print.  The boys wore them to their school Christmas parties and the other kids loved them!  It's amazing how such a little thing can make them so happy.  I have to be careful though - the sleeves on the twins' shirts were too short.  I made a note so when I do their next shirts they will have long enough sleeves.

The requisite Christmas jammies, this time in Christmas Ooga Booga and bamboo velour.  The pants are way, way too long, and the boys have a blast schlepping around in them.  I wanted to hem them but Noooooo.... they like them too long.  Silly kids!!

 

They try to behave, really they do....this is grass giraffe and gray giraffe on cotton interlock, and Patrick has a knit with a teddy bear line on it.  I thought I had made him a giraffe onesie.  Apparently I was wrong.  I'm going to make him a shirt like his brothers have as soon as I get a second to breathe.  The layered look is an idea I tweaked to fit my own style.  I don't sew two sleeves, one over the other.  I do mine differently.

The hat/scarf/mitten combos....Patrick's is green, Kenny's is camo, and the twins have the royal blue.  One has gray on the mitten palms and a gray hat band; the other has black.  The scarf sets, except for Patricks, match their coats.  I didn't have red for Patrick.  I have some now and I just might make him a set.  Maybe.

I made these for Kenny.  He came over one day and had an accident.  The trouble is, I make them for him to wear and bring back....and he never does.  He tells his brothers I made them for him to keep.  What a stinker!

Another pair of Kenny undies.  He took these home too.  Same pattern as above, different style - no fly.

Now these I made for Stanley.  He spent the night and forgot his clean underwear.  They are from the Ottobre 4/2004 issue, pattern #37.  They whip up incredibly fast; I really like this pattern.  I'll be making more of them.  This is kinda what Alex's boxer briefs will look like when I make them for her.  I just need to kinda merge this pattern with the girls' undies pattern in the same issue.

I made this outfit as an extra in case a grandson came to visit or spend the night and needed clean clothes for whatever reason.  Kenny swiped these, too.  He took them home and I haven't seen them since.  He's a little stinker.  He knows I love them all to death and would do anything for them, and that's why he keeps swiping the stuff I make.

On to the next entry....

Waistband elastic application for sensitive skin (Part 1)

Fold down the top half of the casing allowance on the pattern for the boxers and cut the pattern out that way. Proceed as usual with making them.

Cut the elastic the circumference of the waist minus approximately 4 inches (10cm). Sew together into a circle, using a zigzag stitch.

Quarter the elastic, using straight pins to mark the back seam, the opposite side, and then match them up and pin the other two quarters of the elastic.

Use the same technique to mark the quarters on the boxer waist part.

With the boxers turned inside out, apply the elastic to the outside of the waist area, with the right side of the elastic facing out.

Pin at the previously marked quarter sections on both the boxer fabric and the elastic.

This is what it should look like with the elastic pinned, right side out, to the boxers, right side in.
Make sure to check that your elastic is far enough down from the top of the boxer fabric that you can sew it to the fabric without catching in the edge of the elastic. This will make turning the elastic to the outside easier and look more professional.

On my machine, stitch number 6 is the lighning zigzag stitch. This is much similar to the zigzag stitch, except the stitches are broken into sections to allow for greater stretching. It is purported to be more sturdy when sewing elastic for waistbands and other applications requiring the elastic to have more give.

This is how my machine looks on the lightning zigzag stitch setting. Since it's an automatic and computerized machine (to an extent), it chooses and adjusts the settings again.

(Continued on next entry due to photo limitations)

waistband elastic application for sensitive skin (part 2)

Sew the elastic to the boxers, using the lightning zigzag stitch. Take a few stitches before starting to stretch the elastic to fit.

You will have to stretch the elastic quite a bit to get it to fit with the boxer fabric. Try to make the tension on the elastic as even as possible.

Check often to make sure that the elastic is staying where it's supposed to be by lifting the fabric and assuring that the elastic is being appropriately attached to the fabric. If there is a line on the elastic like mine has, make sure that line isn't rising above the place where it should be depending on where you pinned it.

When finished, the stitching should secure the elastic to the boxer fabric and it will gather nicely.

Using sharp, small scissors, trim the little threads that have unraveled while attaching the elastic to the boxer fabric.

Turn the boxers right side out. Fold the elastic so that it is on the outside as well. Even it out as much as possible.

Pin the quarters of the elastic once again to the quarters of the fabric so that when you sew the bottom of the elastic to the fabric it will be even and smooth at the top and the bottom.

Using the lightning zigzag stitch, apply the bottom of the elastic to the outside of the boxer fabric. Make sure to stretch as needed to match the quarters up as was done with the inside.

Check frequently while sewing to make sure you haven't gone past the bottom part of the elastic while attaching it to the boxer fabric.

Stretch as needed, a bit at a time, making sure you keep it all even. This takes a bit more time but is well worth it.

(Continued in next entry)

Applying waistband elastic for sensitive skin (part 3)

Once the sewing is all done, if you turn it inside out, you will see a nice zigzag pattern on the inside of the boxer shorts. You will notice there is no elastic on the inside of the shorts to irritate the skin. This can be very helpful if you have loved ones who are sensitive to rubber or latex. There are also no exposed waistband seams to fray and irritate those you love.

Here is a finished pair of boxers with the elastic applied.

Here are the two pair I made for my identical twin grandsons. I believe if you click on the pic you can see a bigger copy, and you will be able to tell I used one side of the elastic as the outside for one pair and the other side for the elastic on the other pair.

I hope this helps people who needed assistance with applying elastic in this manner.