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UFO: little pink sweater

I started this baby ballet sweater more than a year ago to give to a little girl born right before Mr. O.

Got 90 percent done – it was all knitted and partly sewn together – and hit a roadblock. I didn’t like the seams, I didn’t know how to neatly attach the wrap binding to the edge. I put it down.

It sat. She grew. It sat some more. I swore off seamed sweaters and moved on to one-piecers. She’s way too big now and has been for many months.

But 2015 is the year of finishing, of using up, of enjoying. So I picked it back up, decided it wasn’t bad and finished sewing her together. She will find a home with a sweet little girl who just popped out last month.

Voila.

Details here c/o Ravelry.

Eking tiny khakis out of scraps — and rejiggering a pattern to make them fit

This pattern is a hit. And I’ve been pulling all kinds of fabric from the stash for Mr. Baby.

This khaki twill came from a thrift store and made me a skirt muslin years ago.

It’s such nice stuff I had no business making a muslin from it. But I don’t wear khaki so I chopped it up. At any rate, there was not enough left to cut pants straight from the envelope.

With some finagling, though, I turned the scraps into baby pants. Simplicity 2907.

The backs from went from four pieces to two. I lengthened the bottoms of the upper back pieces by about six inches, essentially making shorts into long pants.

The front uppers got cut out according to the directions. I eked out a two-inch piece on the bias for the knees, and then four-inch bottom fronts on grain. The bias cut wasn’t so much for design as just how the pieces fit.

Stitched the legs together and carefully topstitched them as directed.

Zigzagged the seams inside. And added a red tag in the back of the waistband.

No pockets this time. I just couldn’t make the pockets work, and didn’t want to mess around with any contrasting fabrics this time. Too classic.

(The orange markings came right out in the wash.)

2015: 01/29
CATEGORY: Finished it
Fixed it
Made it
Mr. Baby
Sewed it
TAGS: 18 mos
pants
s2907
Simplicity 2907
size 1/2
stash
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An old sweater needs a fix

This dainty little sweater is an old family favorite. It belonged to one of my mother’s friends back when she collected elderly ladies. My sister had it last, then it started to fray a little in the neck. She gave it to me.

I don’t sew much anymore because I don’t have space at home to iron and cut out. So it’s super gratifying to find small projects to do.

I am going to pin this in place,

start sewing the inside, and then carefully hand stitch the outside.

The pearl adornments make it worth the effort, not to mention the sentiment of keeping this little guy going.

2011: 10/09
CATEGORY: Fixed it
Love it
Sewed it
TAGS: applique
before
cardigan
pearl
repair
sewing
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Sweater fix: the neck (a how to?)

I loved this silk cotton purple sweater with the pearls all over the front and the sleeves.

But the original crew neck was such an ugh. It was so ugly, I never photographed it at all.

Picked at this sucker over months, trying to figure out the best way to fix it and then getting up the nerve to cut into this baby, too.

Finally I unraveled the knitted crew neckband. Pinned the fabric back into a bateau neckline.

Picked off the couple pearl beads in the way.

Then I cut bias strips from the back side of some old irridescent purple taffeta because it was a pretty close match to this lilac color. The taffeta’s light enough that it doesn’t add bulk, and the bias means the neckline will give a little.

Pinned them in place, wrong sides together, sewed. Pressed them back out, pinned pressed and sewed.

And neckline. Now the question remains: Should I leave the sleeves long or cut them to cap? Which will I want to wear more? (Am leaning toward CHOP.)

2011: 03/28
CATEGORY: Fixed it
How to do it
Refashioned it
Sewed it
Thrifted it
TAGS: fix
purple
refashion
sweater
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Long dress all done

Took a beloved T-shirt pattern and lengthened it into a solid gray dress I will wear all spring.

Raglan sleeves, nice scoop neck that’s not too deep, long length, ruching around bumpy middle. That part photographs terribly:

And I did the hem with a band I sewed onto the dress’ wrong side at the bottom so there’s texture.

The style was inspired by a thrifted wool-blend dress that went down to my feet. And there’s enough old gray Gaffney’s knit leftover to make something else.