SWAP...sewing with a plan/purpose

I have been busy the last several days making some clothes for my grandchildren in Florida. I do a lot of sewing for the kids up here, and I felt like it was a good time to do some special things for Alex and Tobie. This is the first outfit I made for Alex. The top is made from Ooga Booga fabric and the pants are made from rib knit. I really like this look. I hope she does, too. I added the rose because, as usual, I messed up the V on the inset. I never can get those things right! However, I think the flower looks good on the top.

This outfit is made from Laurel Burch cat fabric and some midweight black broadcloth. I tied the two pieces together by making the upper ruffle on the top out of the black fabric and adding the cat appliques on the pants legs. It has been a while since I did an applique; fortunately, I remembered how to do it. I did have to clean the iron because one of the back pieces of the double fusible interfacing came off and it got the iron all gooey. I haven't done that in a while. The interfacing was old, though, and it tends to separate much easier when it gets older for some reason. The iron looks nice and clean now. I need to clean it more often; it would make things easier in the long run.

This dress is really kinda neat, though the directions for gathering the top part weren't very clear. There is elastic on the bottom gathered part; I thought when I bought it that it might be shirred, but instead it's just elastic inside a casing. The top gathered part is gathered and stitched. The directions merely say to pull it up to fit. I'm not sure I like that. It would have been a lot nicer to tell how wide to leave it. The lines also don't go quite far enough out on one side and the gathering ended up a little uneven. Of course, most people who look at it won't see those flaws...sewists are most critical of their own work.

The panties and cami in this picture were made with patterns in the Ottobre 4/04 issue. It took me 3 tries to get the piping on the panties right. Next time I will baste it in place before using the serger to sew the pieces together. I like the look of this pattern. Alex doesn't like her panties covering her tummy so this is a perfect design for her. It's also neat that this cami can double as a tank top.

This set was made from a Kwik Sew pattern that is now out of print. I don't know quite why they took their panties for girls and briefs for boys out of circulation. They could be making a lot of money if people could buy them somewhere besides Etsy, Ebay or other auction sites. I know the sewing group I moderate looks for these patterns and grabs them up as soon as they show up in a listing.

The cami in this set has lace across the top of it. I sewed it into place with two side by side lines of zigzag stitching and then used my embroidery scissors to trim the fabric that was underneath it, cutting close to the sewing. It was my second try at the lace, though I've done it before. Somehow I got the lace on the first top out of alignment and the point of the V ended up pointing to the left of the top instead of straight down. I must admit, though, that it looks nice and dressy. I really enjoyed making these sets.

This outfit was made for my youngest grand-daughter Anna Belle Rose. She's a precious little thing with a beautiful smile and she has her Oma wrapped right around her little finger. It's so good that she's close and I see her often; it helps ease the pain of having 3 grandchildren living on the property next to ours that I can't visit or call or talk to. I keep praying Becky will let go of the hate and bitterness she is holding on to so tightly, but at this point praying is all I can do. Anyhow, this is also made from an Ottobre pattern set. I made it a little on the large side but she will be able to wear it all winter long with no problem. Mom and Dad can even put socks and a onesie under it and it won't be too tight on her. It has plenty of room for her cloth diapers, too.




These are panties I made with the scraps from Alex's outfits. They are designated for a charity donation. Once I get Tobie's things done, I will add the extra boys' briefs I make to the girls' panties and send them to the lady I know who gives them to the spouse abuse shelter in her town. Our little area has way enough clothes for the moms and kids who need to find refuge in the shelter here. Not every shelter is so blessed. Not only that, but people often forget that clothing includes panties. Jeans and shirts and shorts and skirts and dresses are well and good, but you need undies, too....at least I do!


I have two of Tobie's shirts cut out. I need to cut out one more and then I'm going to make him a pair of jams, or board type big long shorts, but not the kind that he can house....I think that looks nasty and it makes the young men look like they don't have any respect for their own bodies. I'm also going to try to make him a pair of pants. It might be a bit tough because he's in that pre-adolescent pudgy stage and he's 1200 miles away so fitting is non-existent, but I'm gonna give it a good try. If nothing else, I'll make him some sweat-style pants out of a lighter fabric since it doesn't get all that cold in Florida.


Okay. I need to go do some dishes and eat and then get to sewing. I just wanted to put this in writing before I forgot.