Sewing Machines

I began sewing three years ago.  I started on an old Kenmore sewing machine that I had inherited from my aunt.  The machine was from the '70s and was that super attractive avocado green, that was so popular back then.  I used this machine to sew a few projects from the Weekend Sewing book and the machine worked well but was definitely not as easy to use as the current models.  My husband went out and bought me my first sewing machine very shortly after I took up the hobby.  He claimed that the older machine was so loud that he couldn't hear himself think no matter where he was in the house.  He went to a great, little sewing shop close to our house, Sunup drop Textiles.  The saleswomen were super helpful and directed him to the Janome 4030QDC.  My husband bought the machine and set it up and surprised me.

I love this machine.  I've never had a problem with it.  It's really user-friendly and has more functions then I have ever used.  There are 30 different stitches including button holes.  The machine came with a zipper foot as well as a special quilting accessory kit.  I've done most of my sewing with this machine and have never needed anything else.  For my last birthday, my husband decided to go back to the same sewing shop and purchased a serger.  He bought a Husqvarna Viking H/Class 200S.

To be honest, I wanted a serger but was hesitant to use it.  I was nervous about the whole knife business and I was so comfortable with my existing machine that I thought perhaps I didn't really need a serger after all.  That was until I started back into making clothing.  I began with my daughter's Halloween costume and I was able to stitch almost the entire costume with the serger.  It made things so much easier because I didn't have to zigzag stitch to finish the ends.  The more that I used this machine, the easier I found it was to use it.  The threading of the machine is very well-laid out with diagrams and colouring to aid in the threading.  The manual with the machine is also very informative and helps to answer any questions that arise.  This machine came in handy as I was preparing for Christmas.  Almost all of my Christmas gifts were sewn with this machine in some way.

I have both machines set up side-by-side in a little corner in my bedroom.  This set-up worked great for my holiday projects as I was able to alternate between the two machines as necessary.

Toiletry bag

A few years ago, my sister requested a toiletry bag to travel with.  I searched for a patten that would be good and on a friend's suggestion I chose to do a modified version of Heather Ross' overnight bag from her book,  Weekend Sewing.  

My friend had made the bag but had doubled the height to give it a bit more depth to hold taller items.  I liked the shape of the bag and it seemed pretty easy to put together.  I also chose to double the height of the bag, so that my sister could carry larger items.  Along with doubling the height, I needed to adjust the length of the zipper and the top wrap-around of the bag.  I chose a duck canvas for the outside fabric as I wanted it to be sturdy, so that the bag would be able to stand upright.  I also lined the bag with a heavy-weight interfacing.  I didn't want it to flop at all!  I attached a little strap on one side that would allow you to carry the bag easily.

On the inside, I chose to attach an elastic to the top of the pockets, so that they would hold items inside the pockets snugly.  I wasn't a fan of how the pockets were inserted into the pattern, so I cut out rectangular strips that would be the pockets.  I then sewed these onto each of the side panels.  This helped to make the pockets deeper then how they would have been in the original pattern.

I loved how this bag came together and how it looked when it was finished.  And even better, my sister also loved it.  As a little extra gift, I put together some bags (pre-snack sack era!)  These were just made with an inner and outer layer of quilting cotton.  This is being used to carry make-up and other items around with her everyday.  

Christmas bags

In an attempt to be more environmentally friendly, I decided that I would make some more snack bags for people as Christmas gifts.  I chose to make a few that were a bit larger so you could even put a sandwich inside.  Not necessarily, a wet soggy sandwich but definitely something that wasn't too moist!

I thought that my sister and brother-in-law would be perfect recipients, as they could also put snacks including nuts or candies in them.  I chose fabric for their bags that was a little representative of their personalities or that perhaps made me think of them.  

My brother-in-law got two bags, one with spiderman fabric;

and this great Mr. Potato Head fabric.

For my sister, I chose this Lorax fabric.

The inside of the bags were lined with nylon and I included my tags to show them it was handmade.

I made another bag for my daughter, she was with me when I was selecting the fabric and she insisted that she wanted some of the Little Mermaid.  She's since put her stickers inside...not my original intention but it works for now, especially when she doesn't need snacks for school.  

I also stumbled across this fabric (All I want for Christmas from the Alexander Henry Fabric Collection).  I had to buy a ton of it because I loved it so much.  My intention was to make bags to go under the tree instead of wrapping paper, but I was too busy making actual presents that I never got around to making the bags.  I am figuring that if I make them now I will be ready for next year and won't need to worry about them.  But, this fabric was perfect for a friend of mine.  I figured she could use it for her snacks (even though it is seasonal), but she's found her own special use for it.  

All of these bags have zipper closures (which aren't that pricey), but I am thinking that I may cut down on cost if I switch to a velcro closure.  I wanted something that would seal off the whole bag so you won't be dropping snacks everywhere you go, as well as something that would be easily washable.  I may get a little adventurous and see what I come up with! 

Everyone needs a pincushion!

Especially a cute hedgehog one!  I saw the pattern for this adorable hedgehog pincushion on the 2012 Handmade Holiday list.  It was too cute to pass up, so I ran out to the fabric store to grab some faux fur and some felted wool.   The pattern pieces were super easy to cut out.  It was a bit tough sewing the little pieces together.  

On the first go around, I was having some troubles lining the two sides up so that the fur would start at the same spot on either side of the head.  I also needed to be careful with the fur, it was a bit on the longer side and I didn't want to clip it while cutting or get it sewn on the inside of the pincushion.

I think on my next go around with this pattern, I may add sand or steel wool inside the hedgehog so that it sharpens pins as you use it.  The sand would also give it a nice weight for sitting on your sewing table.  I was happy with her and figured she would make the perfect Christmas gift for my friend who sews!  Of course, my eldest daughter promptly asked for her own hedgehog...I started to think about perhaps making her a larger size pillow version for her bed.  We'll have to see. 

Baby's Blanket

When my first daughter was born, she received a ton of baby blankets.  Her favourites were always the ones that had satin on one side and minke on the other.  She loves how cool and soft the satin is while the other side is "warm."   My youngest daughter didn't receive nearly as many blankets and while we've been on the hunt for these special satin blankets, we've never been able to find one.  I decided that I would make one of these for her and give it as a gift for Christmas.

I bought some beautiful raspberry minke, satin and then blanket binding.  I began by sewing the minke and the satin together (wrong sides together).  I then pinned the blanket binding around the blanket, one side at a time, stopping at each of the corners. 

Upon reaching the corners, I mitred the corners by bending the binding around the corner and then folding the excess fabric into a diagonal line.  There are many tutorials on how to do this, I checked out this one from sewing.com.  I am happy how this turned out, but it was extremely frustrating sewing this together.  The satin and the minke are both super slippery and I found that I needed to pin every 2" to prevent the binding from sliding around on the blanket.  I ended up going back after having sewn the blanket to hand stitch the underside where I had missed the binding.  It did get better as I went along and I think that my daughter will likely love it, but I will definitely think twice before making this type of blanket again!

Sleep Sacks Round 2 (& 3)

My youngest daughter is growing like a weed and her little sleep sacks are no longer fitting.  As the weather changes, it's becoming more and more important that she stays warm while she's sleeping.  I decided to make her two new sleep sacks that were longer and wider.  Once again, I adapted the tutorial from Make It and Love It.  To create the pattern for these sleep sacks, I took a larger t-shirt of hers and traced the neckline and shoulders.  I then extended 30 " below the neckline (along the fold) and made the bottom wider slightly.

I cut the pattern out, after tracing it onto freezer paper and ironing it onto the fabric.  I cut the back piece on the fold and the two front pieces, lowering the neckline.  I sewed the separable zipper onto the two front pieces, zipping down from the neckline towards the feet.  I started the zipper at the top of the neckline and then sewed downwards.  There was a small bit of fabric that was longer then the zipper.

I sewed the bottom of the two front pieces together so that her little feet wouldn't get drafty with the opening.

I then sewed the front and back pieces together at the shoulders and along the side and the bottom.

This is the sleep sack flipped right side out.

I cut strips of bias to finish off the edges of the armholes and the neckline.  I didn't bother doing anything fancy with these as the edges won't fray.  I think it did a nice job of finishing off the sleep sack, though.  One my daughter wears this to sleep she looks so comfy and cozy.  I love the way it stretches and she has tons of room to move around in it, she can even crawl.

I duplicated this pattern in a minke/cotton mix.  The interior of the sack is a pink soft minke while the exterior is this cute ladybug quilting cotton.  I sewed the zipper in, between the two fabrics.  I then followed the pattern exactly but with two fabrics.

I used a store bought bias tape around the armholes and neckline.

Of course, I've added one of my new fancy labels!  

I think that this sleep sack is super cute.  I love the fabric and the minke is so soft and cozy.  My only complaint is that the sleep sack seems a bit tight.  The fabrics were all cut from the same pattern and I used the same seam allowances for both.  Perhaps the lack of stretch to the fabric made the difference in the two?  I'm now considering ripping the zipper out of this cute ladybug one and using it to make another fleece sack.  I will definitely think again before making another sleep sack like this!

Circle Skirt

My four-year-old loves to wear skirts and leggings (often together).  I've been finding that lately, they aren't selling skirts for her size in the stores.  I've decided to make her a skirt (and some leggings) for Christmas.  I figured that a circle skirt would an good way to go.  I found this tutorial at MADE and chose a pink jersey knit to get started.  My daughter measures 21" around the waist and I decided to make the skirt about 11" long so that it comes to her knee level.  I cut out the circle of fabric according to the tutorial and serged the edges.  

I then serged the elastic edges together and fastened them down with a straight stitch.  I covered this up with one of my new fancy labels!  I pinned the skirt to the elastic, being sure to line the front and back of the skirt up with that of the elastic.

I stitched the elastic to the skirt using a straight stitch, being sure to stretch the elastic to match the skirt, as detailed in the tutorial.

I haven't hemmed the skirt, it isn't necessary with the knit fabric and I wasn't sure how long the skirt was actually going to be on my little one.  I will include photos of my daughter wearing the skirt after she receives her present...hopefully she likes it!

Clothing Tags

For Christmas last year, I made some flannel pyjama bottoms for my husband.  He really likes them and wears them often.  The only problem with the pants is that I didn't mark the front or back with a tag.  Since that time, I've also made many other gifts for people and I would love to be able to mark that I've made them.  I saw this post on ikat bag on making your own labels using iron-on transfer paper.  I picked up some iron-on transfer sheets from Staples and designed my label.  I then printed these out on the transfer paper (remember to flip the image horizontally).  I cut the labels out into strips and then ironed them onto strips of ribbon.  I made quite a few of them so that I would have them ready to go (especially with all of my upcoming Christmas sewing, heaven forbid we should have any more unlabeled pj bottoms!)

I was so pleased with how they turned out.  They look exactly like clothing labels from what you would buy in the store!

Princess Cloak

The weather in Vancouver for Halloween 2012 was 13 degrees Celsius and very wet.  In order to protect our little "princess" from the elements, I decided that she required a cloak to keep her dry and warm.  I decided to adapt the cloak from the Red Riding Hood Cloak from Make It and Love It.
I used a kitchen bowl to form the neckline of the cape.  I then measured 24" from the edge of the bowl and using a string and compass method I cut 1/3 of circle from both the satin and the purple fleece.  I stitched these two pieces together (not including the neckline of the cape).  I left the neckline of the cape open.  I flipped the cape right sides out and basted the neckline.

I cut the hood out, in both the fleece and the satin.  The height of the hood was 12" tall and 11" wide at the widest part.  I sewed the two pieces together down the back, right sides together in both the satin and the fleece.  I then joined the two hoods together and flipped them right sides out.  I serged the hood neckline to the capes basted neckline.  

I cut some of the crushed velvet material on the bias and used it to cover the serged joining seam.  I added the two ties to each end of the neckline.  I had bought some silver decorative trim, that I used to line the back seam and then decorate the two ties.  I wanted to add some velcro to the ties but opted to just tie them for the sake of time.

This cloak was so cute on Isabella and really gave the princess costume the final touches that it needed. It also helped to keep her dry and warm.  The outside of her cloak was wet, but her dress was dry and her hood kept her head dry.

Halloween Princess

This year for Halloween, my four year old decided that she wanted to dress up as a princess.  I was actually really looking forward to making this costume and embellishing it with all sorts of rich looking details.  To begin with I found a tutorial of something similar to what I was going to make.  I chose the Cinderella dress from Make It and Love It.  This dress had enough princess flair to make my little "princess" happy.  I would need to make some alterations, to account for our colder climate.
My daughter and I began with a trip to the fabric store.  She had mentioned she wanted her dress to be purple, so we chose some crushed velvet for the bodice, a bright pink lycra for the centre of the bodice and some blue satin for the skirt.  Once again, I was doubtful that the colours would all work together, but it ended up coming together quite nicely.

I began with the bodice and chose a shirt from her closet that fits her well, traced this onto freezer paper and cut out the fabric for the front piece on the fold.  For the back pieces I added an inch to account for the overlap of the velcro closure.  For the sleeves, I chose to do a puffed cap sleeve out of the satin and then a longer sleeve out of the crushed velvet.  This would keep her warm when she went out trick or treating.  I measured the diameter of her bicep, wrist, the length of her arm as well as the opening for the sleeve.  The crushed velvet sleeve looked like this.  I cut out 2.

The puffed sleeves were made to be 12" wide at the widest part and about and 4" tall.  I then tried to match the curve to the opening of the sleeve.  I cut the band for around her bicep to be 10" and allowed for a bit of gathering on both sides of the puffed sleeve.  I basted both the top of the sleeve and the long end, that would be attached to the band.  

I began by joining the front and back pieces together at the shoulder.  I then pieced in the sleeves, sandwiching the puffed sleeve in between the long sleeve and the bodice.  I cut out the centre pink piece for the bodice and sewed that onto the bodice and used some purple sparkly rick rack to crisscross across the chest.  I hemmed the sleeves at the appropriate length.  After attaching the sleeves, I stitched down the sides of the bodice and sleeves, closing the top part of the costume.

I closed up the back of the costume by folding over the hem and then adding velcro to both the front and back pieces.  

To finish off the collar, I cut some of the crushed velvet on the bias (about 1.5" wide and the length of the neckline.  I then sewed this strip around the neckline, folding in the rough edges.  

For the skirt, I cut two rectangular pieces from the satin, (24" by 45").  I serged the short edges together and basted the top edge of the skirt.  

Turn the skirt right sides together and slip the bodice inside right sides out.  Pin the skirt to the bodice and sew around and then serge the edges.  

Flip the skirt down and hem the bottom according to the length needed for your little princess.  

                   

                   

My little princess was thrilled with her costume.  We were able to put warm pants underneath as well as two long-sleeved shirts to help keep her warm on our rainy Halloween night.  We topped the costume off with a little tiara.