Butterick 6567

Last in the long line of Christmas gifts is this apron that I made for my MIL.  It is part of a set that included a handmade soap mold made by Mitch.  Donna has for the last several years been working toward a candlemaking business, and has recently been experimenting with soaps and other toiletries.  Her website is here - Big Art Candles.  She makes wonderfully fragranced soy candles for a fraction of what you'd pay for a Yankee Candle - and so much better!!

Anyway, the apron.  Mitch chose the pattern - Butterick 6567 and even bought the fabric himself, although I did help with the selection.  The pattern is a nice basic apron pattern.  It has good coverage both top and bottom, which was one of the reasons he chose it.  Soap and candlemaking can be messy!  It also has simple enough lines that it would play nicely with the fabric we chose, which is oilcloth (purchased at FFC).  We needed something that would be impervious to the waxes she uses.  The fact that it comes in cute prints didn't hurt!

Here is the back.  I like the stay across the shoulders to keep the back straps from slipping down.  I did make a few pattern modifications to accommodate the oilcloth.  I omitted any gathering (the skirt front inset and the gathers at the neckline), and swapped the ties for velcro tabs.  Gather and ties just aren't possible with this fabric.  I also didn't face the waistband, instead I did a simple turned and stitched hem.  The pattern actually calls for most of the edges to be finished with bias which is perfect for oilcloth.  The pattern includes a pattern piece and instructions for making your own bias tape, which I can totally see being adorable in coordinating prints.  I went with commercial tape.  This pink is an unusual shade, and I just couldn't match it.  I think it looks nice with the solid cream though.  FYI, I needed 3 packages of tape for this version.  I also petited the bodice, taking out an inch just above the waist and another inch at the shoulder.

Here is the back velcro tab.  This was totally Mitch's idea as well.  I just inserted it in place of the ties on the waistband.  If I'd been thinking ahead I would have just extended the waistband to make the tab.  Altogether, I think this was an excellent marriage of fabric and pattern.  I hope Donna gets a lot of good use out of it!

Simplicity 2603 and a question for you!

I finally got a chance to sit down to my serger and whipped up the Simplicity 2603 cardi wrap.

I know I'm late to this party - there are already over 80 reviews of this pattern on PR!  There is something to be said for standing on the shoulders of greatness...  I decided to sew this after Judy mentioned in a comment that she had used cardis like this as a nursing cover.  What a  great idea!  Cute, fashionable, and one less thing to shove in the already overstuffed diaper bag.  I was on it!

I don't have much to add to the collected wisdom on PR.  My version is made of a very thin cotton/lycra jersey that I got at FFC.  I assembled it completely on the serger, using a 3 thread overlock and inserting the neckline elastic with my elastic/tape foot.  As many of the other sewists who have made this chose to do, I did not hem, as I didn't want to alter the drape.  I considered a rolled hem, but even with the differential feed at 2, I got some rippling when I tried it out, so instead I used the serger unthreaded (gasp!) to trim off the hem allowance and give it a smooth edge, which I don't ever achieve with shears.

So, my question to those of you with sergers is this - What thread(s) are your favorite for serging and where do you get them?  Here in small town Texas, my only sources are Hancock, which carries a few colors of Maxi-Lock, and Walmart, which carries a lower quality thread that I don't love, but has a few more colors.  I'm hoping for an online thread mecca.  Does it exist?

ETA (11:00) - Wow, y'all are awesome!  So far, Maxi-lock at Atlanta Thread & Supply has the strongest following (and the lowest price at 1.85 a cone!).  SewTrue also has a good price and excellent color selection as well as great prices on zippers and an impressive closeouts selection.  Of course, if I had been paying attention to Liz's sidebar, I wouldn't have had to ask.  Check out all the great online shops she has linked!  I'm about to break the bank...

Ottobre 03/2010-6&7

I think this might be my favorite of the Christmas gifts I made this year.  Little girlie outfits are so fun to create!

The outfit is completely handmade - knit and sewn.  I even crafted the flower clip!

Both dress and bloomers are from the 03/2010 issue of Ottobre.  The dress pattern is for a short summer tunic, but I wanted this to work for winter wear, so I lengthened it considerably.  My niece, for whom this was made, isn't yet mobile, so long skirts won't get in her way.  I love this bloomer pattern!  As with all Otto patterns, it is really beautifully designed, with a higher waistline in back to accommodate a diaper bum.  The sleeves and leg openings are gathered with elastic shirring, which is easy to do and cute.  The zip is an invisible zipper, which I would put in anyway, but the pattern actually did call for it.  I love Ottobre.

The knitted items are the Joyful cloche, and the Confection Baby Shrug, both knitted in Red Heart Shimmer yarn.  Rav notes are linked for the knitters.  It's hard to see in the picture, but there is a metallic thread running through the yarn that gives it a sparkle.  It is so cute in person!!  Both hat and shrug pattern included decorative eyelets, which I threaded with a sheer green ribbon to coordinate.  The flower on the hat is actually a removable hair clip, so the wee princess can wear it or not, as she (or her Dad and Mom!) choose.

Kwik Sew 3570 for Father and Son

Gift completed #2 was a matched set of fleece pullovers for my Dad and brother.

This is one of my favorite man patterns!  It's Kwik Sew 3570, and designed for activewear.  It makes a great casual pullover.  I've made it a couple of times for Mitch as well, and he loves it.  It is nicely shaped, comfortable and quick to sew.

Here you can see the side seams, which angle forward.  It creates a very flattering, slimming line.  The zipper insertion is actually pretty easy - thank you Kwik Sew for clear and concise directions with good diagrams!  I made these out of a lightweight fleece.  Here in Texas, we don't need much cold weather gear, but this is light enough for cool winter and spring days.  My brother also spends a lot of time riding motorcycles, and I thought this would be great for layering under his leather when it's cold.

I put it on my dress form to give you a better idea of what it looks like on a person.  Clearly, it is too big for me!  But it looks pretty good!  Maybe I should make a smaller one for me...

Ottobre 01/2009-5 and 06/2009-5

Now that Christmas has passed and presents are opened, I can finally share some of my creations with you!  This was the first thing I made for the holidays - way back in November.

It's an outfit for my nephew, who is 16 months old.

The top is Ottobre 01/2009-5.  Ottobre calls it the "Muksis" tee.  I love the fun kangaroo pocket, and all the bindings.  The envelope neckline allows for easy on and off.  I was afraid all those details would make this tricky to sew, but I should know Otto better!  This was a super quick and easy sew.

Here is a closer shot of the pocket and hem binding.  They are stitched down with a twin needle, so they look nice and are stretchy.  I love that the cuffs roll up to give the tee built in growing room.  And I'm very happy with how well the stripes came together, both across the pocket as well as sleeve and side seams.

The jeans are Ottobre 06/2009-5.  This is such a super pattern!!  The pants are lined - I used the same soft jersey as I did to make the tee.  The waistband is ribbing, which makes it soft.  The pattern calls for a drawstring, but I prefer to avoid those in baby clothes, as they can be a choking hazard.  I just ran elastic through it like a casing.  The jeans-style topstitching and faux fly are super touches.

From the back you can see the cute pockets and the yoke.  It doesn't actually provide any shaping, but gives a more authentic jeans look.  I did all of the topstitching on my Singer.  It was so nice to have a dedicated topstitching machine, or I'd have been changing thread and needles constantly.  As you can see, the cuffs are rolled up to show the lining.  More room to grow!

I also knitted a little cap to go with the whole look.  Ravelry notes are here.  Little B is going to be one well dressed little dude!