Good Old Allergies are Acting up Again!

I'm struggling.

I've developed a new allergy.  There is something in the fabrics made in the Far East, which is most of the fabric sold here in the USA, that is causing my hands and fingers to break out, split, blister, peel, and bleed if I sew on a regular basis.

Now, I've been sewing for over 40 years.  This makes my new allergy a frustrating thing, to say the least.  I've no doubt part of the reaction comes from the formaldehyde used by a lot of companies in their finishing sprays or the applications they use as insect deterrents before shipping their fabrics to the USA.  For 10 years or so now I've made a habit of washing all my new fabrics at least once before I ever cut them out and sew with them, but lately it's not making the grade. 

At this point in time I have 3 fingers that are in the beginning stages of healing - again.  It's hard keeping them dry when dishes and laundry have to be done, when grandbabies need to be changed, and when chickens need to be cared for.  My internist prescribed an ointment - it's basically useless.  I get more effectiveness from putting TAO on a bandaid and applying that, but those pesky little bandaids don't stay on very long.

I can use fabrics from Nature's Fabrics because a lot of them are organic or Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified, so they haven't been inundated with poisons intended to keep bugs away and make fabrics be nice, stiff, and shiny when you buy them from the store.  -Speaking of which, have you ever taken the time to really inspect some of the fabrics at the chain stores?  If you stop and close your eyes, you can actually feel the chemicals on and in the material.  It's slimy and almost oozy sometimes.  No wonder my skin hates it!  Jeanne sells fantastic fabric at great prices.  I only wish she had more wovens to offer, since I can't make everything out of a knit!!  The bamboo fleece, terry and velour make some of the nicest cloth diapers around and are great for clothes as well - sweats, lounge pants, pajamas, skirts, tops, dresses and undergarments come to mind.  They're also good for mama pads & nursing pads - I get good feedback on the items I make from the bamboo fabrics every time I sell some to a customer who hasn't used them before.

Today I called the people at Connecting Threads since they claim most of their fabrics are made in the USA and Mexico.  The lady I talked to couldn't tell me what chemicals were used on the fabrics because they have switched vendors so many times since they opened.  She did take my name and number and promised to get back to me.  I have a feeling that since their fabrics are less expensive than some of the bigger names in fabric manufacturing we're going to be facing a formaldehyde problem.

I'm going to have to go through my considerable fabric stash soon and get rid of the cheaper cuts I have, leaving the more costly stuff that I know so far that I can use without doing further damage to my irritated skin.  I'll need to set up a sale or find somewhere to donate it.  Hmmmm...that could be fun!

Have a blessed weekend!

plugging along

I've made a few grown up things in the last several weeks.  After a long time of making kids' clothes, I yearn to sew something that I can handle with my whole hand and that I can turn right side out without using a tool.

 This was made off the cuff starting with a tank top pattern I drafted from a tank top I had in my dresser drawer.  I was in the process of updating the pattern a bit since I had made some of the openings a little weird, and then I got to thinking, and ended up with the dress.  I shortened the tank top a bit and then took the rest of the flowered fabric I had, thinking of making a dress from it.  The thing is, I don't like short dresses.  I'm self-conscious about my size anyway, and prefer longer dresses for that reason as long as for modesty's sake.  I dug around in my stash and finally found this fuchsia interlock hiding in with the bamboo jersey in my other other stash site.  It happened to match the flowers in the pattern on the green fabric just perfectly, and I had just enough of it to fit in the space I wanted to feel.  There was enough of the flowered fabric left for the pockets and just a snip more.

The upper skirt portion is twice the width of the bottom of the tank top section.  Before sewing anything to the tank top or to the bottom of the upper skirt portion, I sewed transparent elastic to the cut edge of the fabric using a nice, sharp needle and a longer than normal stitch.  NOTE:  If the needle isn't sharp and the stitch isn't long enough, the combination of the two will just gather the mess out of the elastic and you'll end up wanting to chuck the whole combo in the garbage can.  I found that even for a medium weight interlock like the flowered fabric, the transparent elastic went on best with a 10BP (ballpoint) needle and a length of 3 instead of my normal setting of 2.25 to 2.5.

I have a book I got from Amazon.com, sew what? Skirts, and it has some neat patterns in it.  More precisely, it shows you how to take your measurements and make your own patterns based on your own size.  In all, you can make patterns for 16 skirts.  Some of them are based on others - for instance, the A-line skirt is the basis for a few others - but it is great to have access to a resource where I can figure out how to make patterns for skirts to fit my oddly-shaped body instead of making skirts that don't fit or fit poorly. 

This skirt is made from the A-line pattern I drafted based on the instructions in the book.  It was really easy to make.  I had this fabric sitting around for a while and couldn't decide what to do with it until I looked at the pattern I had in front of me. 

The vest is made from McCall's 8285.  This pattern is pretty easy for a vest pattern, though I believe I tweaked it a bit like I do most of my other patterns.  Part of the problem is that for plus sized petite people, having the tie belt things in the back just isn't good because there isn't enough room under them to stick out from beneath the belt.  I tried snaps and the two-piece D ring setup and neither one looked too hot so I'm just going to get rid of them and put some elastic shirring in the center back section right where the belt would go if I were taller and not so round.  This way I'll have the effect I wanted without the annoyance of the clank clank clank when I don't use the D rings, and I won't be constantly fighting to get the fabric underneath the belt instead of having it slide up and over, making it look all weird.  So anyhow, this is a comfy little getup with the skirt and vest looking almost like a dress without the waist issues or chest issues that someone with a round body and small chest is going to encounter with either ready-made clothes or non-altered patterns.  I like this pattern set.  I may use it again.

I made this skirt for my oldest daughter from another pattern in the same book as above.  It's similar to the A-line pattern but you add width to each layer, though you don't double the width each time unless you want an insanely gathered bottom row with up to a few hundred inches in total width.

The skirt was going to be mine, but I made the layers too short and, again, it was not long enough for my liking.  Not that Abby minded - in fact, she loves it!  Her friend in Alabama wants one too.  Maybe I'll make her one for Christmas.  She'd love me forever if I did.  She kind of adopted me during Abby's senior year in high school, hanging out here as much as she could get away with and calling me "Mommy" to distinguish me from her other mother.  She still calls me Mommy, and she still calls me if she needs something from advice to support.  She's incredibly jealous that Abby has a sewing mom and she doesn't. 

So, three new garments, and three new patterns.....not bad, not bad at all.

God bless and keep you all close to His heart, under the shadow of His wings.

Annabelle's Easter dress

The pattern is from the Ottobre 3/08 issue.  It is pattern #4, the 2 in 1 dress.  The panty underneath is all one with the dress, so it covers the diaper.  It is definitely large enough for a cloth diaper with an extra liner underneath.  I made it from the yellow print with blue underneath because I like unusual color blends.  The top is a Monag blank that I cut the sleeves off and lettuce edged.  I have several long sleeve blanks and I need to use them up eventually...here's the first one. 

The lettuce edging is just as easy with my regular machine as it is with the serger.  It's a bit slower but it works just fine.  I really like how it looks.

The bodice was a challenge.  The straps are elasticized and you sew them to the front of the bodice first; next, you put the back together and then have to sew the back to the front with the straps already in place.  It requires a little maneuvering but now that I have experienced it once it wouldn't be so hard the next time. 

When I made the underskirt I just put it right sides together like always with a dress, only to remember when I was done that it needed to be right side of bodice to wrong side of skirt so the skirt faces out and the bodice faces in.  It was a good experience in paying attention; ripping out 2 rows of stitching and then redoing the gathering and sewing it all again was a lesson I won't soon forget.  It all came out in the end, though.

Now I am going to make some Easter outfits for my daughter's 4 boys and I might even have time to make myself a new dress in the next week so I have an Easter dress, too.

The plants are budding and it will be greening soon.  The grass is growing and the forsythia bushes are getting ready to pop out their pretty yellow "winter is over!" declaration.  I can't wait.  I love gardening and playing in the dirt.  So do the chickens. 

Enough for now.  Time to go pick out patterns for Easter clothes.  Blessings on you and yours.

It's been a while since I posted

Sometimes I just get way too busy and forget to put my projects in here.  I think I'll just post some pictures and explain what they are; that way I'll feel caught up.

This is a skort set I made for Alex for her birthday.

Here is a photo of the back of the top. I edged it with satin ribbon.

This is the skort. It was easier to make than I thought it would be.

I also made her this dress. This fabric had been sitting in my fabric closet for several years and it just hit me when I was looking for fabric to make her birthday dress.

I made these shorts to go under the dress. Anyone with a girl knows this is a good idea.

I made these booties for Annabelle one day last week. She had taken off her socks and her feet were cold.

I used gripping fabric on the bottom. She's trying to walk and this will help her keep from slipping.

The booties are a bit on the small size but they kept her feet warm. That's what I get for not checking the size against her feet.

Unfortunately, Alex's birthday outfits didn't fit, either. So....on to plan B.

This outfit is made for play. I had fun making this one. The yoke and midriff was a lot easier than I thought it would be. It is made in a much different way than one I made for myself a while back. I had really hated that pattern and was relieved to see this one was not as complicated to assemble. If the pants are too snug at the waist, Grandma Kathy can have her neighbor take the elastic out and put in a longer piece. The pants are large enough to do that. It's hard to know how big to make things from 1200 miles away.

I chose an Ottobre pattern for her next dress. It's a jumper and blouse made from the 5/06 issue specifically designed for larger sized girls.

Here is a side view of the sleeve. There is shirring on the sleeve made by wrapping elastic thread around the bobbin and then sewing to make the little gathers.

The wrist area of the sleeve is also shirred. It was much easier than I thought it would be. I had this idea of struggling with the stitching but, fortunately, I thought to practice on scrap fabric first. Now I know I can do it.

I wanted to pick up the eyelet flowers on the denim so I added an eyelet lace at the bottom of the jumper. Like the fabric from the other dress, this denim had been in my closet for several years. I believe I got it on Ebay in, oh, 2003 or so.

This is the first of two pair of boxer-style panties I made for Alex at her request. I guess she doesn't like elastic on her leg folds, so she had asked for undies like her brother's. These only had one layer; I added a full lining so that there wouldn't be raw seams against tender skin. I added the waistline elastic like piping. The legs are done like the legs on regular panties. This is an Ottobre pattern from the 4/04 issue.

This is the second style of boxer briefs. It is from the same Ottobre magazine. I took the boy's long johns pattern and modified it to be like the toddler boy's boxer briefs by shortening the leg piece. Again, not wanting raw seams against tender skin, I doubled the insets on the front and back, making these like I make the crotch/gusset on panties. They went together well. A person or two suggested I modify them more to take the center seam out of the front...I believe I'll wait and see which pair she likes best before I do that. If she wants more of these, I'll alter the pattern a little before I make her more. Otherwise, I won't have to.

Finally, here is a thread catcher I made. I was going to use it for the serger but the pocket is far too small, so I'll use it for my Janome QC4800. I'll modify this pattern to make the pocket for the threads and scraps bigger so I can have one for the serger as well.

Now I feel caught up.  Tired, but caught up.  Too bad I have two more things sitting on the table, cut out and ready to sew!!

God is good.  I sold 14 pads yesterday.  10 are headed for Australia and the other 4 are going to North Carolina.  I guess it's time to restock my Etsy store a bit. 

Bedtime....I see the psychiatrist in the morning.  Good night!

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.

Having fun

I belong to a Yahoo group called CoveredCaboose. They deal mostly with wool and bamboo fabrics for diaper making; they also sell some really neat knits and other fabrics. In addition, the group Mom has a pattern line called Ditto Daddy. I bought one of the patterns last week and made Little Miss A, my up-and-coming granddaughter, some new onesies. These are made specifically for babies who are cloth diapered. The name, fittingly, is Ditto Daddy Cloth Bum Onesies.

If you look, the snaps for the crotch aren't in the middle of the bottom. Now that place is hard enough to snap on babies wearing paper and plastic and petroleum diapers. There's a fullness to a diaper that doesn't lend itself to being squashed in the most abundant part. Oh no; these onesies snap up on the tummy, over the big mushy soft fluffy cloth diapers keeping the baby comfy and feeling all fuzzy. I have a snap press, like several other cloth diaper making people, and it makes applying the poly resin snaps much easier, not to mention a whole lot more fun because of the color variations and possiblities.

The tummy snap area, as well as the crotch one, is reinforced with my special blend of little pieces of fabric that allow stability while keeping the snaps from being pulled away from and possibly out of the fabric with repeated usage, which anyone who has ever diapered a baby knows their clothing gets a lot of.
So anyhow...I think this is my favorite pattern. I'm glad I bought it. The pattern itself is a little odd-looking at first but it explains itself fabulously well once you get going.
I will be using it again.

Now this dress is made from a Simplicity 50's retro pattern. It is also for Little Miss A, hopefully on her homecoming day (per Oma tradition). Before anyone thinks it - yes, I did put the snaps bottom side out. I happen to adore those little butt-ruffles and want to see all of them. The flat front is not as interesting as the ruffles, and little girls in ruffled diaper covers look absolutely adorable. The bonnet went together in a snap. I was really surprised at how easy it was to make. Actually, the whole pattern was pretty easy.


Here's a pic of the back of the dress and the whole lilac part of the diaper cover, which, by the way, is lined with Kona Snow fabric as is the bonnet, and the cover contains a hiddlen layer of PUL in case of leakage. Nothing like baby surprises on your Sunday best.

I also reinforced the snaps for the diaper cover with a layer of thick fabric so that they are stabilized and stronger. I don't want to take any chances.
I can't wait to see how son and his girlfriend like this outfit. They love the onesies. Nobody else will ever have one just like this one because it is made by an individual for an individual. No mass-produced BigBox dress-in-a-bag thing for my granddaughter. I try as much as I can not to support the proponents of a legal form or persecution almost to the point of slave labor all so that Americans can indulge their greediness and apathy for the people on the other side of their poor-quality cheaply abundant cookie-cutter possessions.


And enough of that.


The chickens have about had IT with the rain. They want spring and warm, not this weird weather we're getitng with cool and damp, warmer and damp, cool and damp, warmer and damp. We all get kinda cranky around those months when it's not winter any more but it's not spring either. I need to get my garden in, need to prune and rake as much as I can, and I need to paint the awful nasty stained inside of the chicken coop. I learned a lot this past year about what chickens can do with poop while they are sleeping. It ends up in the **strangest** places!!! Hubby is working more on the chicken coop. He finally got me another door at the other end of the run so I don't bonk myself in the head so much. I like this door. If it were a bit taller it would be nice, but you're not going to hear me complain.

Well, it's time to get going again. God's blessings on your and yours. Peace to you.

my winter dresses

This is my most recently constructed jumper. It's from a pattern I've used before but when I used it the first time I gathered the skirt instead of using the pleats. It turns out the pleats are far more flattering and I like the fit much better.


I made this dress before Christmas. The cotton is heavyweight so it works well for wintertime. I was unaware of how heavy it was when I ordered it off the internet. It would not have worked well for a quilt but it was great for a winter dress.


This jumper I made about a month ago. I got the fabric from a thrift store for $3. The pattern is extremely simple. However, I didn't have enough fabric for the facings so I used some broadcloth I had lying around instead, and I had to do without the pockets and the ties. Still, it is very comfy and warm.


This dress I made after the blue one above. I wasn't sure I liked the cuffs on the blue one so for this I used elastic in the sleeves instead. I'd rather use the cuffs. They're not as snug and don't slide up the arms as easily.

All told, a nice winter wardrobe when added to my skirts, mock turtlenecks, sweaters and sweatshirts. The addition of a flannel half slip and leggings or longjohns and warm socks is about all I needed.

Now I just need to work on some more summer dresses.