More Christmas gifts

I so love this pattern.  It is so well drafted and I believe it gives you great results. 

Previously, I made the hippo and decided to give it another go as every little girl needs a giraffe.  

Just because this is a giraffe, there isn't any rule that he/she can't be a floral giraffe, right?

Both fabrics were in my stash.  For the eyes, I used plastic snaps.  I reinforced the area with interfacing, lined up both sides of the head and used my awl to punch tiny holes, both in the same location, so the eyes weren't wonky.

How cute are the proportions on this?  

 

Sorry, but the above photo won't let me turn it. 

As with any sort of pattern like this, cut and sew carefully and don't forget to press as you go.

I didn't stuff this one as tightly as I could have as I was hoping Elaina would want to sleep with it and I tried to make it somewhat cuddly.

I can foresee making the flamingo.  Why not?

Thanks for reading!

Sue 

Dinosaurs for little people!

I love making Christmas gifts for people I love and this year I decided to make some stuffed animals for my four grandbabies.  I like how these turned out, but this isn't the best drafted pattern in the world.  

Its cute, but I don't feel like you can get a result that looks anything other than home made.  

I made all three dinos.  The brontosaurus is for grandson number 2.  Elliot is 2 and he will hopefully love that the legs coordinate, but don't match the body.  For the eyes, I used a plastic snap layered on top of a scrap of felt.

This T-rex is for Simon who's five.  I thought he'd appreciate the scary face the most.  I really love this fabric and wish I had more to cut all three from.

His spikes are from some Riley Blake fat quarters I had in my stash.  

The Stegosaurus is for Leon.  He is just about 2 months old.  

I really thought about redoing the brontosaurus' legs but my daughter said Elliot will love it anyway.  He's two, he probably will and won't say anything.  I am probably being too critical.   

My pet peeve about this pattern is in the drafting.  I pride myself on cutting, stitching, and carefully sewing.  No matter what I did, the bumps on the face and legs wouldn't disappear.  Ugh.

I guess tho, that these aren't for me but for three precious little boys.  I really hope they love them to pieces!

Thanks for reading!

Sue

having fun mixing and matching fabrics

How cute is this tunic?  I love view A, with the asymmetrical side seams.  

Sorry about the indoor photos as it is dark before I leave for work and after I get home.  

I used a stretch velvet for the outer layer and wool knit for the inner layer.  The sleeves are a lightweight ponte.

Black is so difficult to photograph indoor but you get the idea of the shine and design of the fabric.  

This is such a great length for leggings, even for my 5'7" frame.  Everything is covered, both front and back.  Gotta love that!

I am showing you the underlayer here of the wool knit.  All three fabrics are washable.  

Thanks for reading!

Sue

Finally jumping on the Kimono train

Happy December everyone! 
I wanted to share my latest post from Fabric Mart--I finally made a Kimono.  Everyone around me has been wearing super cute ones so I finally decided to create one. 

I just LOVE This fabric!  It is a poly woven and those colors are so vibrant!  This fabric came from Fabric Mart.  It is from a famous dress designer.  

Here is the pattern I used: 

McCall's 7200 (image from Sewing Pattern Review).  As you can see, mine is longer with longer sleeves.  There are some variations with the pattern.  

I chose to keep this super simple to really show off that fabric.  I can't tell you how much prettier this is in person.  

For fitting, I know this is a loose-fitting garment, but it still needs to fit in all the right places.  I lengthened from the shoulder to the apex and lengthened the bust curve.  

On the back of the garment, I added 1" total between the shoulder blades at the intersection of the neck and the shoulder.  I also added an inch at shoulder blade level.  

For the length of this Kimono, I added 6 inches.  

I decided to hand sew the facings in place along with the hems.  Hand sewing can be so very relaxing.

That's it!  A fast and easy make but make sure you fit it to you so you look fabulous!

Thanks for reading!

Sue 

Sewing flannel

Every once in a while, I have to pull this pattern out and play with it.  It's such a great basic. 




I love how this fits me with minimal alterations. 

My fashion photographer was making me laugh.  Such a goof sometimes, but in a good way!

As you can see, I lengthened the sleeves by 2.5 inches.  I cut the collar, stand, and cuffs on the bias.  I also added bias pockets.

I eliminated the side slits as I am hoping to wear this with leggings and I don't want any extra flesh poking out of those slits.

Here are my alterations: 

1.  I lengthened from mid-shoulder to the apex by 1 inch.

2.  I lengthened the bust curve by 1 inch.

3.  I lengthed between the shoulder blades and waistband.

That's it!

This isn't my most precise plaid matching I've ever done, but it is certainly passable and wearable.

I can't even describe to you how luscious this fabric is on your skin!  It's warm, weighty, and so very soft!  I purchased it from a quilt shop when I was in North Dakota for a business trip.

Playing with which pieces were cut on the bias was great fun!  It added a bit of creativity to a simple pattern.  

I used my Kam snaps and pliers to attach my plastic snaps.  I love these.  I promise, the snaps are lined up precisely.  They look uneven here, but aren't.  

Thanks for reading and I hope you are making some weather appropriate garments!

Sue