Ottobre 04/2004-3

Now that the temperature has dropped for real around here, it is time for some serious winter sewing.  I love fleece.  It is fun and easy to sew and just so cuddly!

Here is the tunic to match Myra's red pants.  Overall this is a simple pattern.  The pockets were a bit tricky, but only because they are round and I was silly and decided to line them with silky fabric.  They're nice inside.  The worst part was that dang binding.  I think this was mostly my fault, too.  Sort of.  The pattern calls for ribbing, but I couldn't find any red ribbing anywhere!  I couldn't even find cotton interlock in the right shade of red.  So I ended up using a poly interlock that was slick and wouldn't stay put.  It made for a difficult binding to press and sew.  Despite hand basting, it slipped all over the place.  It took 4 attempts and it still isn't on right.  I just gave up on it!

I still think it is pretty darn adorable on Myra.  I love those little gathered sleeves!  The collar is really great.  Since it is two layers of fleece it is nice and puffy so it keeps her wee neck warm.

Here's a view where you can see the pants with the applique.  When she stands up, it just peeks out under the hemline.

Q&A

I have some serious sewing cuteness to show you tomorrow, but first I thought it might be a good idea to answer a few comments and questions that folks have left here.  I really appreciate and read all of my comments, so please keep 'em coming!

I was pleasantly surprised at the response I got for Mitch's most recent scrub set.  I mean, we both thought they were pretty great.  I'm glad that all of y'all agreed!  Thanks for all of the encouraging and positive comments!  Now on to the questions...

Gwen - I have noticed that every hospital approaches the scrub color thing differently.  Where I did my training, there weren't any rules, per se, just unspoken understanding.  Here where Mitch works, the RNs, LVNs, techs, support staff, etc all are assigned a scrub color.  There are also different colors for different areas of the hospital.  The doctors don't have a specific color assigned, but if they wear one of the colors assigned to a specific staff member, it can be confusing.  That's what happened with Mitch's first scrub set.  By convention, non-surgical doctors wear a light blue-grey and surgeons and OBs wear "surgical" green.  I know, confusing.

Kris C. - I posted a comment on your blog, but just so's the world knows...  The neckline that I did is a mitered bound edge.  It wasn't as complicated as I thought it was going to be!  I saw this technique originally in the Reader's Digest Complete Book of Sewing, which I highly recommend.  I've checked it out from my local library at least three time, so I probably should get my own copy.  I went looking on Google for a tutorial for an inside mitered corner, but I couldn't find a good one, so I'll write one when I make the next set of scrubs.  That will likely be some time after Christmas, but soon.  Mitch really wants another set!
In answer to your question from my July 4th post, the final piece, the applique was from an online coloring page that I outlined roughly and transferred to fabric.  Satin stitching those rotor blades was tricky, but otherwise it was pretty fun.  Logan still loves that shirt!  I think it was this image that I used.

Kathi - Mitch is an Internist (ie, he takes care of grown-ups with general medical problems) at the moment.  He finishes his Residency in June, then next year will be starting a Fellowship in Critical Care and Pulmonology, after which he'll work in an ICU and as a lung specialist.   Thanks for asking!

I hope that covered any questions.  Please let me know if I missed your question and I will do my best to answer it!  Thanks again to all of you for your encouraging comments.  It helps me keep on sewing!

Simplicity 4378 - take 2

I really, really wanted Mitch to be able to wear his scrubs on call last night, and by the expedient of sewing in every single spare minute, I managed it.  Fortunately I had my sewing group, so I was able to finish up the pants without small fry underfoot.  That was great!

Look, he's smiling!  He tried them on for me last night and raved about the fit, the pockets, the neckline - everything.  He loves them!  Whew!  As you can see, we toned down the color a bit, which should help prevent him from being mistaken for the nurse, which actually was a problem with the darker blue.  This pale blue is a much more traditional color for doctors.
I made a few other changes, both to improve fit and the overall look and functionality.  I added a bit to the side seams of the pants.  As I mentioned when I made the last pair, they were a bit snug in the thigh.   I think that this is a combination of Mitch's runner's legs and the fact that this is a "unisex" pattern, which always seems to mean "drafted for women, with men as an afterthought".  This was also a problem in the shoulders.  Mitch has quite broad shoulders in the back (from swimming), but the top fit elsewhere, so I added an ease pleat to the back shoulder.

He likes it.  The fit is much better and he has much better movement.  That took care of the fit issues.  Look and functionality were the next problems to tackle.  Mitch wasn't a fan of the low-cut neckline, but I was afraid if I raised it too much he wouldn't be able to get it over his head.  I decided to sew up a muslin with the neckline where he requested it and see.  I also tested out my ease pleats on the muslin.  What do you know - he was right!  It fits great with the neckline a full inch higher.  I also tossed out those horrible neckline facings in favor of a mitered, bound neckline, which is what you see in higher end RTW scrubs.

Nice, eh?  For a first attempt at mitering an inside corner, I think it came out pretty well!  You can also see the breast pocket, which I divided (by sewing a straight line - he he), to allow for a separate pen/caliper pocket.  Mitch loves that!

Well, I am really happy with how these came out.  Mitch seems to be as well, although the true test will be when he gets home later today, after living in them for 30 hours or so.

Simplicity 2526

I was all set to work on Mitch's scrubs - pattern altered, cut out, ready!  I just had to thread the machine.  I have 11 spools of blue thread.  None of them were the RIGHT blue.  So I decided to work on a pair of elastic waist pants for Myra.  I love instant gratification.

This are the bottom half of a set.  The tunic will be made of the fleece from which I made the flower applique.  It is cut out, but I'll make Mitch's scrubs first, now that I have just the right shade of blue thread.

Here is the applique.  I cut out a couple of the flower motifs from the tunic fabric.  Since it is fleece, and I don't have to finish the edges, I decided to stitch around the center and down the middle of each petal, for a more dimensional look.  I like the way that it turned out.

I think Myra does, too!

I actually bought this pattern for the freaking adorable coats, which I will certainly get around to making.  The pant pattern was a nice bonus!  It is actually a quite nice pattern, with plenty of diaper room and nice shaping.  It's a bit long on Myra, but I think she inherited her Daddy's short legs.  It has just a bit of a flare at the hem, which is nice, but I probably won't use it for Logan, since it does have a slightly girlie look.

Nativity robes quick, with a tutorial.

One of my friends asked me to "whip up" some robes for our church Christmas party.  Which is this Saturday.  I got the fabric on Friday.  Yes, apparently I AM Superwoman!  Not really, but with only a week to make "as many as you can", I had to find a quick and dirty way to make a bunch of robes that would still look nice.  Hayley didn't have any parameters for me, so I got to use my creative license.

I went through a few prototypes before I found a design that was both easy and looked good, with easy being the highest priority.
Here is my favorite.

Not real figure flattering, but it does the job.

I love the big sleeves!

Since this is the season for last minute Christmas pageants, I thought I'd share what I've learned.

For your own easy peasy Nativity robe, you will need:
A length of fabric equal to twice the length of the robe you want to make.  If it is 60 wide, you will end up with long sleeves, 45 wide fabric will get you elbow length sleeves.  Choose something with a selvage that you like and that doesn't have a "wrong" side, since both sides will be visible in the final product.
Thread
Some way to finish the edges.  I used bias tape, but you could trim them with ribbon, ric rac, whatever.  Fringe might be cool.  You could even just hem them.

Step one - Cut out your robe.
Fold your length of fabric in half on the crossgrain (so, the opposite of the way that it was folded on the bolt). You should have the raw edges together and opposite the fold.  Even up your raw edges if you need to.  Here is how you will cut it.

Cut out 2 large rectangles out of either side, with the long edges of the rectangle on the selvage edges and lower edge on the raw edges (the bottom of your robe!)  I used a loose fitting tee shirt to decide how wide I wanted my body to be and cut out my rectangles around that.  Make your sleeves pretty generous.  Then, cut out a T shape (the blue lines in the picture above) at center front in one layer of fabric only, with the top of the T on the fold, and the base of the T at center front all the way from the raw edges to the fold.  The top of the T should measure about 12 inches (so six inches on either side of the cut at CF).  Here is how the top of the T looks once it is cut.

See how it folds out like a collar?  That's the secret!
Now you are ready to sew.  The first thing I did was to finish the edges of the T, that is the collar and front of my robe.  I just bound the edges with bias tape.  If you have a binding foot for your sewing machine this is super fast.  If not, you could finish them any way you like.  If you choose to hem them, just remember that the wrong side shows on the collar, so make your hem a pretty, double fold hem.  You could also just let it fringe.  That'd be super easy!!
After you have finished your edges, sew the sides and sleeves in one seam, pivoting at the underarm, then clip the seam allowance at the corner.

The red lines are where you need to sew.

If you want, you can hem it.  If not, you're done!

I also made a couple of kid-sized tunics by the same method.

The only difference is that I didn't cut it all the way down center front, and I used the selvage edge for the hem, so I had to finish the sleeves.  I bound this one with ribbon instead of bias tape.