Brindille and Twig for a baby and more

Set one done. This is for a grandchild turning one soon, not the new born. I had five kids, now that they are all in their 30s I’m LOUSY with grandkids! I bought this fabric for this particular kid about 9 months ago, and she isn’t such a tiny potato anymore.  I believe she can still carry it off. I used two Brindle and Twig patterns, and this cute potato french terry

The ringer tee is free (my favorite kind!) and comes 0 months to 6T. It is a well drawn pattern, with simple clear instructions. It also has views for short or long sleeves.

I serged the neckband on and should have stuck with that as it turned out pretty well. I serged the wrists and waistband, but stitched the seam allowances down after. I think they would have looked better without.

The pants are Brindille and Twig’s mini modern jogger. The PDF cost about $8.00 and covers sizes 0 through 6T. There are knee patches that I left off, the option for cuff or no cuff. The front pockets are honest to goodness pockets with bags, there is a patch pocket on the back, and an elastic waistband. I added the drawstring through button holes.

I know lots of people like Elmer glue sticks for basting, but I’m more partial to the original school glue formula. It doesn’t dry out in the container as fast,  but a thin layer, especially if pressed with a warm iron, will securely form and hold a patch pocket in correct placement for sewing. 

They were happily received and the fit is pretty good.

After those I wanted to knock out some sleep shorts real quick. I found a fabric in the stash that was a (one way? Two way? Side to side?) poly stretch that I was unlikely to ever want to put over the trunk of my body, although until this year it never would have occurred to me to put that floral across my back side either. The print really grew on me during construction. The fabric itself, not so much.

There was more of THIS. I had to take the foot off and really wrestle my fabric out of this jam. I can’t recall why it got down there, since this looks like it was the middle of the darn seam. I know we had at least 6 or 7 fights like this.

I used some fold over elastic to finish the edges and stabilize the pocket openings, that worked well. My top stitching was a little wobbly, so I went over in a pseudo flatlock. With a press it was passable. Once they were all done though, the waist was too high, the leg hems too long, and the silhouette looks amazingly like an illustration of one of the wealthy old men from a Charles Dickens’ novel.  I’ll sleep in them but I’m not photographing them. And I’ve started a walking program. It hurts, and it’s so eleventh hour in my health requirements.

The new machine has had me sewing an hour on busy days and maybe a few if I had time to spare. I’ve been doing a lot of quilting practice, to get the disuse kinks out and get used to the specifics of this sometimes temperamental beast. I needed it badly as I have done some butt ugly stitching. It’s starting to smooth out some. Quilting takes skill, but it also takes tapping into that creative zone place, your personal ooooooooooohm, the serendipity and one with it all thing. I may not ever have the cute and the dainty that I have admired on some quilts, or the classic and disciplined. I think I will get to powerful and beautiful though, in my own way. When I was sick of ugly quilt sandwiches, like this one, done to death and change thread done some more!- And, look! I put a Clarity clear ruler foot on it, from Accents in Design, and fuck you Janome if you don’t like me going off your brand. But yes, when I was sick of this-

 I gathered the dusty bits and pieces I’ve worked and neglected in spurts and trickles for three darn years now, and FINISHED the queen size quilt top for a special person in my life. 

This does not encompass all of it, and after I shot this I had to remove two blocks with pink corners. I learned about too much pink with this quilt. It’s now ready for pressing, sandwiching with batting and backing, and finally quilting. I’m so excited!

I hope to keep both garments and quilts rolling at the same time for a while.