Back to School Marker/Pencil Pouch Set

I don't normally do much 'Back To School' specific sewing but this past week I was inspired to try my hand at these marker pouches.

They've been on my "To Sew" list for months and when we came home from ShopKo with all the fresh colored pencils and markers I thought it would be as good a time as any to test out the pattern.  I happened to be in between larger projects and haven't made a bag/pouch/tote in a while so it filled my bag-sewing fetish nicely.  It's much easier to rationalize sewing more pouches when they fill a practical and immediate need.  :)

All credit for the creative awesomeness goes to Lier at ikatbag.  Genius, that lady.  I can do no better than to point you to her blog for templates and tutorials and explanations.  

This is SUCH a fun shape to sew.  I can't really explain why its more fun than a rectangle or a square or even a round pouch - it just is.  

I made one first as a test, skipping the template plastic insert because I didn't have a piece large enough on hand.  After a trip to Hobby Lobby the next day I made the second one with the plastic, but the last three I skipped it again.  It definitely makes it trickier to sew and I didn't feel the extra stiffness really made that much of a difference.  The soft ones were easier to sew and stood up just fine once they were filled with coloring supplies.  I used foam headliner for the padding (which was perfect) and I altered the template of the base piece a little so that the front comes up higher - making the 'cup' part deeper.

(soft on the left, stiff plastic insert on the right)

Adding the base/front wall section is a bit tricky but by the fifth one I felt like I had it down and the stitching looked pretty good.  It just takes a little practice.  

I can totally see mass producing these for gifts - the cutting and sewing lends itself well to chain-sewing and its so fun to see the shape evolve as you complete each step.  And, gosh, they could hold just about anything!  

We have three in pink for third grade, colored pencils and markers and a smaller one for crayons (I just eyeballed the pattern smaller)...

... and two in purple/yellow for fifth grade.  I enlarged the volume of the owl one to hold both fat and skinny markers together.  Apparently 5th grade is when you graduate from crayons and get iPads instead.  I'd rather she still need the crayons!  (But I'd be lying if a little voice in my head didn't say, "Ooooh...she'll need a custom tote for that blasted iPad..."   Tote making - its a disease, I tell you.)  

It was a fun late August sewing project, the girls liked watching them come to life, and hopefully they'll survive a year or more being bashed around in school desks!  Once again, a smash hit from Lier at ikatbag and this pattern will go in the Keeper File to be made over and over again.  

My First Crocheted Garment - White Cardigan

This is the last 'catch-up post' of projects finished over the summer.  I actually finished this one back in spring but once it got warm outside it landed on the top of my dresser to await pictures and was forgotten.  I don't reach for a wool sweater too often between May and August but I modeled it on an 80 degree day just to take pictures.

This is my first crocheted garment.  Previously, I've only made blankets, scarves, bags made from rectangles, and shawls.  This is my first project that entailed following a pattern to size and sewing parts together at the end to make a complete garment.  I chose this as my first garment because it looked simple in both the overall sweater shape and it used simple stitches.

Overall I'm pleased.  There are definitely things I'd change about it for next time (see the end of the post) but its surely wearable and was a good learning project.

The pattern is called the Kram Cardigan and its from KT and the Squid.  I followed a crochet-a-long that was pretty simple and step by step.    It doesn't fit me the way it fits the model but I suppose that is to be expected.  While I am gradually learning how to sew properly fitted garments, knitted/crocheted garments are a whole different can of worms.

The sleeves are a bit snug.  

I'm a little concerned how they'll work layered over another shirt sleeve.  

(They are long enough though.  Glory be! Sleeves are always short on my long arms.)

I can't decide if I like how it hangs...

Its pretty long... 

 I feel like it needs a belt... or maybe a button right here?  

I'll just have to see how it goes when I wear it.  

In the few times I've tried it on so far my favorite way to wear it is with the collar flipped up all nice and cozy on my neck (like in the second picture).  

I do really enjoy the stitch pattern and the overall look of the sweater.  

If I make it again: 

1.  Don't lengthen the pattern as much or maybe even not at all. 

2.  Use a larger sleeve size or add increases so the sleeve circumference is larger. 

3.  Itchy yarn?  Yet to be assessed...

4.  Wider collar band probably?  

5.  Assess the closure and adjust if needed (belt/buttons/etc)

Overall a pretty good whack at a garment and I hope it'll get worn this fall/winter.  

Summer Play Dresses and Tank Tops

I sewed a lot with knits this summer.  Nothing was overly planned out - I would just feel like whipping something up one day and would spend a few hours and get a new shirt or a nightgown or play dress for the kids.  I had all the fabric in my stash already so it felt like getting free clothes.  :)  It's not worth my time to write a detailed post about each shirt - they were all pretty simple and are worn as everyday clothes.  

In no particular order... 

Nightgown for 10 year old...

Play dress for ten year old...

The only difference between the 'nightgown' and the 'play dress' is that the dress is properly hemmed and has nicer straps.  The nightgown has some dodgy sewing along the straps that I'd rather not have seen outside the house.  :)  

I had really good luck with fold over elastic sewn on with a twin needle.  

My eight year old 'designed' this dress.  I wish I had kept the scrap of paper she used to draw out her plan - it was cute.  She requested pink, flutter sleeves, and a belt.  

(She was getting bored during the photo shoot so she got to use the skateboard as a prop.

Always the clown, that kid. )  I envision this one getting lots of wear once school starts.  

She got a tank top from the scraps of her sister's dress.  

And I got two sleeveless shirts.  My shirt drawer is in pretty sad shape these days so at least the fabric on these looks fresh and new.  

Nothing overly exciting to talk about, but good useful sewing that adds to our wardrobes.  

Modest Adult Swimsuit for 2016

I made myself another swimsuit.

I've made myself one before, which I love, and which you can see in some pretty bad photos here.

I was making myself a new one because I wanted to mess around with a new pattern and try a different style, not because the old one was worn out or ill fitting.  Unfortunately, this project ended up being only sort-of well drafted, not a great success in the construction/sewing department, and in the end I only like the style so-so.  I pretty much like my old black and pink one just as much if not more than the new one.  So I guess I chalk it up to an experience and enjoy having two suits to choose from.  It's still better than any store bought skimpy wimpy suit - I feel so much more comfortable covered up.

Its a skort bottom and separate tank top.

Overall, I feel everything is okay.   Colors are okay, fabric is okay, style is okay, fit is okay-ish (armholes are too tight in front).  But nothing is great,  you know what I mean?  

The neckline and armholes is where the nightmare construction/sewing came in.  I don't know what possessed me to try and bind the edges but I totally should have done an all enclosed tank like I did for the girl's suits.  Binding a circle with lycra is tough and I did a bad job of it.  Tore out tiny stitches and tried again - and did another bad job of it.  Decided you couldn't really see the zig zag stitches in and amongst the dotty fabric anyway and just haphazardly zigzagged the heck out of all the tricky spots I was having trouble with the first two times.  Definitely not my best work and when people ask me if I made my suit I don't go showing them the wobbly neckline...

The waistband on the skorts turned out nicely.  

(Not that I flip up my top and show off my waistband 

when people ask if I made my suit.  Go figure, right?)

I started with this skirt a good couple of inches longer.  After trying it on I thought it was fine but would maybe be nicer a little shorter.  The dress on my black suit is quite long (it has even stretched down a bit over years of use), which I love out of the water but is sometimes in the way when swimming so I thought I'd try this one shorter.  A little less wanna-be-Amish-looking, you know?   So I hacked off about three inches and restitched the hem.  And now I'm undecided.  Part of me regrets taking off those couple of inches.  (Since when do I shorten skirts anyway?!)   Maybe its just because it hits me in a different spot that I'm not used to...  I don't know.  The shorter skirt does float up in the water more thereby showing off the shorty-shorts more and that was definitely not the point.  It's quite possible that its just fine and I'm being super critical of my sewing, but there is just so much about this project that is 'meh' that I can't decide.    

I've worn it plenty of times already this summer and its held up nicely, so thats a plus.  The tank is two layers of lycra (the lining is plain blue) and the shorts and skirt are one layer each, connected at the waistband.  It fits, I'm well covered, even if I don't love it I still consider it a useful piece of sewing.

Modest Swimsuits for 2016 - Kids/Girls Version

Here we are getting dangerously close to the end of summer and I haven't posted since the week after school let out.  I'm okay with that because it means we were busy biking, swimming, playing, reading, eating ice cream and doing all the other stuff fun summers are made of.  I enjoyed a very leisurely summer, sewing wise.  I had a list of projects to work on but nothing critical and no deadlines whatsoever.

A week or more ago I gathered up all the items I'd made over summer and the girls and I did a little fashion show on the driveway so I could get pictures.  I've got five or six posts coming and hopefully I'll get them all written before school starts.

First up is this summer's swimsuits.   The most recent swimsuits we had were from two years ago, very pilly, and didn't fit well anymore so I was motivated to make fresh ones for this summer.

Get out your sunglasses... you're going to need them!  

We affectionately named this color 'DayGlow'.
We found it at 80% off when our local Hancock Fabrics closed.

The girls are SO easy to find in the crowd at the pool.  :)  

Both girls have decided they like the capris and tank top style the best.  They don't really care for ruffles and frills anymore, these are sleek and 'Olympic looking', and fairly easy to get on and off.   I just keep modifying my old custom self-drafted pattern each year as they grow.  It helps tremendously that they are mostly growing 'up' rather than 'out' right now.  

One difference in this year's suits is that these are two layers of lycra all over.  One layer of dayglow yellow was just too transparent when wet.  :(  Two layers is nice and thick and sturdy and opaque.

The capris are hemmed with a single fold (both layers treated together as one) and a multistep zig zag stitch.  

The waist I actually did the same way.  I started with this fold-and-stitch finish because I was trying to quick finish the suit the day before swim lessons.  I intended to go back and add a real waistband later but this has been sturdy enough and stayed tight enough that I never bothered.  

The bottom of the shirt is also folded and multistep zig zagged.  

The rest of the bodice is sewn/serged with all the edges enclosed.  The lycra is stretchy enough that it goes over the head without any extra openings/closures so I can sew it completely lined with all the seams neatly tucked inside. 

Both girls are about the same size around (roughly size 10) I just lengthen everything of Leah's by a good three inches on both the capris and the tank top.  

They call themselves the Glow Girls and the suits have served us well all summer long.

(Lets hope they still fit next summer!)

I made a new one for myself this summer too but I'll do a separate post for that one.