Dillinger Goes to School

My little Ollie was in need of some cool school pants. He has to wear a uniform, but prefers not to have to bother with a belt, button, zipper...etc. Finding elastic waist pants that are decent, and don't have beltloops (if there are loops, he has to wear a belt) is a challenge. I've been promising to make something for him, but working has prohibited me from sewing at all lately.

Anyhoo...I stayed home today, and made him a pair of Dapper Dillenger's from Pattern's by Figgy's. Aside from the fact that I made a 6/7 and probably should have made a 4/5, I think they are the most well-constructed garment I've made to date. The instructions were thorough and easy to follow, yet *really* pushed me technically.

I can't wait till he puts them on in the morning and feels how soft they are. I used a microfiber that I got at WalMart for under $3/yd. He hates "pockets that stick out", so I used scraps of bias tape to bind the edges and keep the pockets in place. I used all French seams because he's the sensitive type, and think the inside looks just as good as the outside(except the mis-matched bias tape).

If he comes home happy, having made bathroom breaks easier and shorter, then I've done my job! No 1st grader wants to spend 20 minutes messing with belts and such...there are bigger jobs to do.

I can't wait to try a pair for "play" and get funky with fabric choices!!!

Figgy's Beach Bum Hoodie - A Tutorial on Making it Reversible

It's no secret I love this pattern,  love this hoodie (so do my boys).  But I struggle with the facing and getting it "just right".  When I was talking with Karen at Patterns by Figgy's about my frustration she suggested leaving it out, or lining it.  I immediately thought...if I can line it...I can make it reversible!

I can see this in a cozy flannel/fleece combo for Fall, but since I was almost certain I would ruin my first attempt, I wanted to use something that was in my stash, and was cheap.  I chose these cotton/poly sheets because I had lots, it cost nothing, and on the off-chance that I didn't screw it up, it would match the "alien" outfit I made for  Linus this spring.

Here is the tutorial for turning 1 Beach Bum Hoodie into 2.

Start by cutting 2 of everything except the facing...you won't need it...can I hear a big "woo hoo"!

Press all the sleeve ends up 1/4" (wrong sides facing), and press the bottom of the front and  back pieces up 1/2" (wrong sides facing).  Doing this now will save lots of time and pinning later.

Follow the pattern instructions for creating the hoods, but don't sew them together...put them aside.

Follow the pattern instructions for attaching the front and back and yoke.  Attach sleeves, and sew side seams using 5/8" seam allowance.  No need for French (enclosed) seams as they will all be hidden inside.


Take 1 shirt, and the contrasting hood.  With shirt right side out, pin hood to shirt right sides together beginning in the back matching the back seam of the hood to the center back of shirt.  Sew using 3/8" seam allowance.
Repeat with shirt 2.

Now you should have 2 hoodies with raw edges around the neck, hood, sleeves and hem.  Press all the seams if you haven't already.

Turn one of the hoodies inside out, and place the other inside, pulling sleeves through so that right sides of the hoodies are together. 

Pin the hoodies together in the center front, pressing the seam allowances down with your fingers. Draw a line down the center 3" (I'm making a 2/3...this # will depend on the size your making, and the size of your little one's head).

Starting where the front point of the hood meets the shirt, stitch around the face of the hood using a 1/4" seam allowance.  When you get to the other front point of the hood, continue stitching down parallel to the 3" line, but 1/8" to the right or left of it (depending on which side you're on).  When you get to the bottom of the line, keep the needle down, pivot the fabric, stitch 1/4", pivot, and stitch up the other side of the 3" line, ending where you began at the point of the hood.

Cut the fabric down the 3" drawn line, and snip the bottom corners in.

Turn the hoodies right side out, and then wrong sides together.  Press the heck out of the hood face and the front slit, and whatever else needs pressing.

Finish the sleeve bottoms and hem by topstitching (now you see why you pressed these earlier). The1/4" seam allowance on the sleeve leaves a bit for rolling and showing the contrast.  Topstitch hood face and front slit.

The finished hoodie shown paired with the previously mentioned "alien" outfit...alien applique not visible.

Little Woo Pattern Testing

I was fortunate enough to have been selected to test a new pattern for Karen and Shelly at Patterns by Figgy's.  Little Woo is a swingy cardigan, and my first real attempt at sewing with knits.  Oh, I've used it a few times, but not for an entire garment.  First I read a post on their website by Kelly Hogaboom about sewing with knits.  Though I didn't use the liquid stabilizer that she did, it was helpful beyond belief.

I chose to make the smallest size, and picked fabrics I had in my stash.  A bit of a pink Moda with yellow turtles paired with the only knit I had...some pink jersey sheets (super thin...that worried me), that I got on the clearance rack at Target ages ago that I use to make gift bags.

The instructions were very thorough and easy to follow, going so far as to give you stitch type, width, and length.  The whole project would have taken me an hour or so if not for having to break up 2 fights, get Oliver a snack every 5 minutes, fix a boo-boo, and retrieve Linus from inside the neighbor's car.

The only thing I did differently is the neckline, and I wish I hadn't.  Once I got the woven sewn on,  raw edge to raw edge and pressed it up, I was worried that it wouldn't sit flat and that the knit would bunch up when I trid to top-stitch it down.  So I top-stitched close to the top edge first, then stitched the bottom edge down.  Despite having a little bunching anyway, once I ironed and worked it out a little, it sat nicely, and I realized it probably would have done so without the extra top-stitching.  Lesson learned!

I opted for hair elastics rather than fabric for the loop closures, and put them a little off the mark (by accident).  I left the bottom and sleeves un-hemmed, and may go back and finish them.  I have a few other ideas for "kicking it up a notch", but have a custom order to finish, so it will have to wait for another day.

I'm excited about the possibilites with this pattern, and am relieved that I've overcome (somewhat) my fear of sewing with knits.  Now...how to scale the pattern to make one for myself...I wish I were that good!

Mary Go Round Dress

Two of the most talented seamstresses out there have combined their design talents, and have launched a new line of patterns for children's clothing that I just love. Shelly of Figgy's Kids, and Karen of One Girl Circus are the creative genius behind these heirloom quality designs.



Which one to try first...I was really on the fence. Do I sew something for my own boys, or do I give in and sew something girly? Because I love all things reversible, the Mary Go Round Dress won. I had the fabric washed and ready before the pattern even arrived.



Aside...I rarely use patterns (except pieces here and there) and follow directions, so this was a departure for me. But I know Karen (in real life) and know that I could only improve my skills by imitating her techniques.



Getting started...I cut my fabrics. The pattern piece says cut 2 each of main and lining fabrics (knew this had to be wrong). Looking in the instructions, I saw that cutting 1 of each was correct.



I stitched the shoulder seams, and then both dresses together along the outer edge. I wrapped it around Linus to check length (this is only done when Steven isn't home), and thought it needed additional length...or something that would allow for movement and play without showing panties ;o, so I decided to cut a pair of bloomers to pair with it.



Now the next step is a testament to my inability to properly follow directions. I clipped the armholes, turned them toward the inside, pressed, pinned together, and topstitched...them together. Yes, I should have stitched them separately, and even while I did it was thinking...how am I going to be able to turn this right side out?







After un-sewing 2 armholes...yes, I came to my senses before sewing all 3...I turned, pressed, topstitched. THEN topstitched the armholes which were now messy, messy, messy.











I opted for buttons and an elastic loop closure, and rounded the bottom edges as I do with my own reversible wrap skirts. Added ruffles to the bloomers...because, who doesn't love ruffles?















Since Karen and Shelly are generous enough to allow home sewers to sell their designs, I will surely be making these for my Etsy store, and adding some to my rack at Dandelion's. I think next time I will try using bias tape around the armholes as the pattern suggests as an alternative option. For now, this little number will go to my niece who will not care how messy the armholes look.



Patterns by Figgy's #2??? I think will have to be the board shorts and matching hoodie. While I have my own board short design, theirs is much more trim, and of course...I have to make that hoodie!

How the Whole Thing Started

With my sewing experience limited to hems, curtains, buttons, and the wonky blouse and skirt I made in Home Economics class in high school, you may wonder how I ended up designing kids clothes and sewing.  I grew up wearing clothing made by my mother for me and my brothers and sisters.  My older sister and I would often be sporting matching outfits in different colors, and spent summers wearing sundresses that tied at the shoulder.

When Oliver was about 2, I saw a pair of reversible pants online that I really wanted to get him, but I wasn't about to spend $30 on pants for my 2 year-old. I thought...I can do that...I have a sewing machine! I looked for a pattern, bought the fabric, and voila...pants!

Not long after that and a few pairs of pants later, I stumbled across an artisan at a local fair who was making bloomers out of men's shirts, sporting the buttons down the sides. By this time Linus had come along, and again I thought...I can do that! I hit the local thrift store for some shirts, traced the lines of his existing clothes to make patterns, and went to town.

That summer, Linus wore almost nothing but handmade tops and bloomers made from repurposed men's shirts, and before long I had set up shop at Etsy, and started making all kinds of stuff.  Having a background in music and theater, but no creative outlet, this was true food for the soul.

Here I am a few years later. I'm putting the name GaGa Bum on a pocket diaper that should be out in the Fall of 2010, but my store name and label has changed. Unfortunately, because the name had the word "bum" in it, there were some strange requests, and undesirable "followers".  So Linus and Ollie it is...and why not...they're the ones who inspire me!