Judy in her new Top, Megan in Hospital

Here's Judy in her new top. Need to add more length to next one (not hemmed in picture yet) and maybe go up a size. Little snug for a work shirt and to say the least she'll need to wear a cami with it.

My middle daughter is in the hospital again with pre-eclampsia. Blood pressure was 170/110 this morning even on bedrest. She's 35 weeks now so Sophie should be fine but they are hoping they can get her blood pressure down so she can wait to induce her. So looks like grandbaby number nine will be coming a little early.

Jalie 2804 -Happy Birthday Judy Shirt

This is Jalie 2804 in a black and white poly/lycra knit from http://www.fabricmartfabrics.com/ . Today is Judy's 23rd Birthday so thought I'd make her a new shirt she could use for student teaching (with cami of course). She's student teaching kindergarten and needs a more grown up wardrobe. Her t-shirts and jeans college wardrobe just won't cut it for a school teacher. This is a quick and easy pattern. I made her size R but added length in bodice, arms and from waist to hem. I cut the neckband a little smaller so it would hug to her chest and not show anything. Will get a photo on her as soon as she has a chance. She's still working as cheerleading and tumbling coach so comes in at 5:05 from student teaching and leaves at 5:15 for work. Good thing she's young.

I traced off Kwik Sew 3758. Added length to arms, bodice & skirt. Also did a small correction to neckline. All the girls in my family have narrow shoulders and this alteration helps with positioning shoulder correctly. I use to just make a small tuck but know (per Connie Crawford tip) use a curved line (use french curve) and slice to seam line and lap over. You have to true the seamline slightly. Picture showing alterations with red lines.

Sewing Drought is Over

I don't know why but I didn't sew for months. Not in my entire adult life have I gone so long without sewing. But at Christmas time I found my mojo again. It was really cold here in Texas (at least for Texas) and I made a bunch of hats and some mittens. I used Kwik Sew pattern 3626 and made myself a warm hat and mittens. But true to Texas weather by the time I finished the set it was in the sixties and seventies. I used a plaid fleece that I can't remember where I got it. And a olive fleece to line it that I bought as a remenant at Hancocks. I just attached them wrong sides together with a wide blanket stitch with regular thread. I was really happy with the results. I also made several beannies from Jalie 2543 for my son with the gaint melon (I just graded up two sizes from the largest size- it was still snug but it fit), myself, my husband and one for my grandson Jacob who has autism and loves, loves, loves Cookie Monster. You can't find anything Cookie Monster for his age so I cut up an old pair of PJ pants I had to make him a beannie. He loved it.(he's six but the size of a nine year old). For christmas my daughter made all the grandkids matching PJ's and appliqued T-shirts with a reindeer to match. Since there are eight of them I helped her by doing the ones for Dylan and Jacob. But I had this idea to do Cookie Monster with reindeer antlers and begged my daughter Megan to digitize them. So now he's PJ's have Cookie Reindeer on them. He loves them so much he wants to wear them everynight. Thanks Megan.

My daughter Nicole has a give away on her blog. Go take a look, really cute stuff.

Kwik Sew 3720 Batwing Shirt for Judy

Hi, I know it's been awhile but my brother has been sick and I'm just not one to sew when I'm worried. He's doing much better so here's my newest creation. This was more or less a test. I tried to add length by slashing the pattern across the frong for length but that made it not line up on the curve across the front. So I just added length to the bottom waistband. Well she liked it but it didn't work because the band that was suppose to be on her hip was almost at her waist. She put on a belt with it to pull it in at the waist but it is just to short in the body. Hopefully it will fit one of my daughter in laws who are 4" and 5" shorter than Judy. Not a big deal these were both remenants so not out anything. I actually started cutting it out wrong (the brown was suppose to be at the bottom and the print at the top) but didn't have enough to recut it and just went ahead and cut it out in reverse. It's a cute top and will make it for again but figure out how to add length to it for her. I would recommend this pattern. It's quick and easy. Thanks Judy for letting me take your picture with no make-up. It matches much better in person than it looks in the picture.

New Knit Skirts

Some knit skirts I made on "skirt day"
My daughter and I were supposed to do "skirt day" together... but all she did was watch me... and ask for skirts.

This one is a maternity skirt that I made for Megan who is due in March. I've got two more of these half made. I made these same skirts for my daughter Nicole and both daughter in laws when they were preggers. They loved them and wore them afterwards when they were in between sizes. It's Simplicity 4704. It's a winner.

and these two are for my daughter in law Sharon.

I also made one for my daughter, Nicole, but I can't seem to find the picture. It's out of the same fabric as the maternity one... she calls it her Disco Barbie skirt. What can I say if there is such a thing as a Peter Pan girl- it's Nicole. It's New Look 6901
still need to make Sharon one more and Liz one. It's not that Sharon is my favorite but she goes to church every Sunday and wears skirts.
and... since it's cats and calico
here's a picture of my little baby Huckleberry shoving his grown up kitty body in a little box. I guess the $45.00 heated cat bed was a complete waste of money. ha ha

Judy's Garden Party Test Tank

I found this fabric at one of the fabric outlets down off Harry Hines in Dallas. I go with my daughter about once a year to have fun spending money on lots of unusual fabric. There are many shops with designer left overs or over runs and lots of cheap fabric mixed in. This was a rectangle printed on white fabric that the man running the shop said was test to see if they wanted to print a whole fun. I wish they would have had more than one test of it but bought it because I thought it was so pretty. Took me awhile to find something to match it. But finally found this coral knit at fabric.com. This is an OOP pattern Simplicity 4192 . This tank runs really short and Judy runs really tall. The first time I made it for her I added 4" of length. This time I added 8" of length. We both love it. Been so busy with work and the grandkids visiting been a little naughty about blogging this past week. I made four skirts this weekend. Two for my daughter in law. One for my daughter Nicole and one for my newly pregnant daughter Megan. Looks like we've got a honeymoon baby. She couldn't believe she could be pregnant and she did 5 pregnancy test. But a trip to the doctor and a sonogram showed a seven week fetus. She's due March 10th and this will be grandbaby number nine. We've so excited for them.

Connie Crawford T-shirt not so great fit

I made the t-shirt with no changes except for a high round back adjustment to see how it would fit. It's better than most about being smaller in the shoulders but is still way to big for my narrow shoulders. I love the fit from the bust down. It's the perfect amount of ease for me. I just need to figure out the best way to make an adjustment for the narrow shoulders. I'm not sure when the difference is so extreme if it's easier to start with several sizes smaller in the shoulders and size up the bottom or the other way around. Will just have to try both ways and see. Most things I've read say to use small size and add for the rest so will try that method first.