Reviews: December 2011 Archives
You may remember my last adventure with Pajama Pants with a pattern from Amy Butler's InStitches. It was not as successful as I had hoped. That was not my first pair of Pajama Pants and certainly won't be my last. I love 'em. I wear them all the time because I am very cold natured. I have flannel pants for the winter and cotton for the spring/summer. They are great for late night runs to the nursery and the sleepy walk downstairs for my morning cup of coffee. I have been on the search for the pattern to make the perfect pair and I am very close. This go-around I made the Kwik Sew Sleep Pants (KP-3882) and I am very impressed. First, these were quick and easy. Second the fit is pretty close but I erred on the side of caution and made the Medium when I was between the Medium and the Small. I think I will make the small next time. Third, the length is pretty good but if I make the small, I will make the pants 1 in. longer since I have a bad track record with too short pajama pants and I would rather them be a smidge too long than too short. The only issues I had were that the waist was too high. I tried on my pants as I made them and realized that if I added the casing and ruffle at the top the pants would go over my belly button. I like mine to sit an 1-2 below my belly button. I did not add the casing and ruffle and instead made a waist facing that was the same length as the waist and 1 1/2 tall. I stitched it to the top of the pants and then folded it toward the wrong side and stitched along the bottom, leaving a 2-3 in. gap to add the elastic. I also did not add the drawstring. My modification still left my pants on the high but not enough to go back and adjust it further. I really love the contrast cuff at the bottom and think it is a fun and easy detail that should not be left off.
These pants feature straight legs and are roomy in the hips and backside. If you are taller than 5 foot 6 inches I recommend adding an 1 to the length so you stay warm while curled up on the couch and lowering the waist. I will be making this pattern again because it has so much going for it.
The fabrics featured in this pair of pajama pants are:
Here is another quick and relatively simple kids' Christmas present by Noodlehead: Bicycle Bucket Tutorial. I say relatively because if you read the directions as written and trust that the author recommends the right products and don't try to "make it better" it will be a fun and easy project. That said let me tell you why I had to cut mine out 3 times and spent the better part of the day making one. Let me add that the mistakes were all mine and I regret using my phone to view the tutorial instead of printing it out so I could read the instructions.
First I decided that I wanted my bike bucket to be SUPER strong and durable so I decided to use Peltex to interface both the lining and exterior. This makes it too stiff and unsewable. I was seconds from smashing everything and jumping up and down on it (begin recut #2). Do not use Peltex at all. The medium weight is perfect even for quilting/light weight cotton. Also, if you do not have double fusible medium weight interfacing you can use one side fusible interfacing but make sure you interface the exterior and not the lining (begin recut #3). Please follow Noodleheads instructions and do not follow my example. Once I had it assembled according to the tutorial I discovered that it is very stable, durable and just right for holding rocks, sticks, buddies, and snacks. Oh, one more tip, sew on the handle bar attachment after you complete the top trim. It is much easier to navigate the around the top of the basket if you don't have the handle bar part getting caught up on your machine. If you want to add a monogram or name tag on the front like Noodlehead's boy version do it on the exterior piece before any assembly. It is easier to center and sew on when you don't have to worry about the basket structure. I really love the wide trim at the top. It really helps to hide any cutting errors but also adds extra color and pattern to make it extra special.
Overall I am very pleased with my bike bucket and next time I will print out the instructions and haul them up to my studio. If you follow the instructions it is a fun and worthy project that any kid will love to call their own. Thanks Noodlehead!
Rarely have I had so much fun in my studio and the cause was the Molly Monkey Doll by mmmcrafts. My Molly Monkey came out just as cute as the original thanks to some very well written instructions and an excellently drafted pattern. I was able to place the eyes just so and get just the right angle of Molly's secret half smile. I loved picking out my fabrics: a combination of chocolate velvet and designer quilting cottons as well as felts in various colors. This project combines a variety of sewing skills from machine to hand sewing and embroidery. I loved each step.
The bonus is not only do you get a very large, 24'', super cute moneky doll but you also get some fashionable accessories to dress your Molly: a smart pair of Mary Janes, one sassy beret and a twirly skirt. The accessories are even easier to make up and simple enough to embellish (rick rack, more embroidery or appliqués) but you can also choose different fabrics for special outfits. I am dreaming of mary janes in faux leather, a plaid skirt and Santa hat for Christmas; black shoes, a lace overlay skirt and basket for Easter; a birthday candle skirt in bright colors and hot pink shoes for birthday parties.
I do have just one tip to make your Molly Monkey last through the years, interface the cotton pieces of your doll. If you use corduroy (as recommended) or velvet as I did, there is no need to interface these fabrics as they are thick, but the quilting cotton is thinner and interfacing it will make it more durable and help reduce a lumpy appearance when stuffing.
My Molly took about 2.5 naps to complete which translates to about 6 hours. This may seem like a lot but there is a good bit of hand sewing and embroidery. However, it is all worth it as you will be creating one of the cutest dolls ever. The hand sewing and embroidery can also be done with a nice cup of Hot Cocoa and a good movie nestled into the couch as I did. I cannot wait for Christmas morning for my little one to open her first Molly Monkey. Thank you Larissa for sharing this wonderful pattern!
