Pajamarama

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I managed to get all the pajama pants finished yesterday! I'll be back tomorrow with the tops. I had a little set-back today with no suitable buttons in my stash, so I had to go on a bit of an expedition to find some. The boys are happily wearing new pajamas to bed tonight. Amelie seemed a little disappointed that there weren't any pajamas for her, so I may need to make her some too now.

Production-Line Pajama Pants

Since I cut out six pairs of pajamas earlier in the week, I'd better get them finished. I managed to get a pair of jeans out of the UFO basket, and it would be nice to have less things in there than what I started with.

Yesterday, I didn't get much chance to sew during the day, so I spent a little time after the kids went to bed last night, getting these pajama pants to the point where they need elastic in their waists and a hem at the bottom. Hopefully the pants will be finished today. Oh, and then I have six pajama tops to finish....

Pajama Pattern Tetris

I've been playing Pajama Pattern Tetris this afternoon. Trying to squeeze two pairs of pajamas out of this piece of flannelette. I only just made it. I'm playing along with the Kids Clothing Week Challenge, but I spent way more than an hour today. I've got one set of pajamas and an extra pair of pajama pants cut out, and this lot of two sets ready to cut. Now that the kids are in bed I might try to do some more pattern tetris and cutting...

Robot Pajamas

I finally finished Liam's pajamas that I started, back here. I really should get a wriggle on and make some more so I can pass his old ones onto Noah.



His are looking a little small!

If you are new here, the pattern is Kwik Sew 3126. It is my most used pattern by far. I got the fabric for $3-something-a-metre at the end of season last year at Spotlight.

My Creative Space - Robot Fever

I seem to be on a bit of a robot bender at the moment (robot BENDER - get it? hahaha!). I'm ready to get started sewing up some more pajamas for Liam. The lovely robot fabric is some flannelette that I picked up from Spotlight at the end of season, last year. I'm using my favourite pajama pattern - Kwiksew 3126. I have lost count of how many pajamas I have made from this pattern, it is one of the most used in my whole pattern stash.

Here are some pajamas I made last year:


I just found out this morning that a lovely local business, Crafty Mamas, is now stocking Kwik Sew patterns (just give them a  little time to get them up in the shop) including the Kwik Sew Books (Sewing for Baby, Sewing for Toddlers etc.) that I use all the time, and are the Australian distributor of the Ottobre sewing magazines. Between those, it covers just about everything I make for my kids.

Now go and check out some more Creative Spaces.

Tracksuit Pants

Well you don't get much more exciting than tracksuit pants, hahaha! I made these using Kwik Sews Sewing for Toddlers book BUT I did a few modifications. I changed the shape of the leg. The Kwik sew pattern is quite tapered, so I widened it out a bit. I added some pin-stripes to the sides. I also made my own pocket pattern for these pants.



The best part of these tracksuit pants is that apart from elastic and thread (and a few hours of my time), they were FREE! The fabric is left-overs from other clothing. The sad part is that Liam is not a fan of tracksuit pants...

More Quilting and a Bargain

Since I had no 111 thread for the Don't Look Now cushion cover, and I had no green for the last bit of appliqué for the DQS, I decided to do some quilting on the OTHER don't Look Now cushion, that I hadn't started quilting yet. I did this one using white thread. I am determined that I get as much quilting practice in as I can before I do any on my DQS.

I managed to get myself to Spotlight today, and got some white (800), 111 and some green thread to match my leaves, and whilst I was there, this managed to land in my shopping bag.



Some heavily discounted flannelette - there is enough here to make four pairs of winter pajamas next year for the boys. All up it cost me $17.08 - that's $4.27 a pair (excluding buttons, thread and interfacing, but you get the drift). I spent almost twice as much on thread!

My Creative Space - More Pajamas!

I made the boys more pajamas on the weekend. Bottoms on Saturday and tops on Sunday. I wanted to try out my new machine on a pattern that I was already familiar with.

I had some dramas on Sunday evening where Noah was upset and crying on my lap, and that is when Liam decided to grab one of the six buttons I had and run off with it to who knows where. As I couldn't chase after him, the button disappeared. It strangely re-appeared on Monday, (shortly after mentioning it to my sister on the phone) when I did the button holes and sewed the buttons on.

The automatic button hole feature is so far, one of my favourite things with the new sewing machine. I am sure I will discover more favourite things along the way.

On Tuesday morning I tried to take some nice pictures.... I guess these will do. I mean, the kids are in the shot at least!

If you would like to see more Creative Spaces, pop over and visit Kirsty at Kootoyoo.

More Pajamas!

Another two pairs of pajamas - this time with planes and helicopters. The boys just love pointing out all the planes!

 

Boy 1 and Boy 2

I made my boys matching pajamas, using Kwik Sew 3126 and some lovely, stripy flannelette I got from Spotlight.

Liam's Thomas Pajamas

Here's Liam, helping clean up after dinner. Isn't he a good little boy?

He is wearing his new Thomas the Tank Engine pajamas that I finished today.

I cut them out last winter when I was making pajamas for Ryan's birthday. Liam got the leftovers.

I made the pants a week or so ago, and finally did the top today.

The pattern is Kwik Sew 3126. I think between mum and myself we have made 17 or 18 pairs of pajamas using this pattern.

Here's Liam, being a good little boy and brushing his teeth before he goes to bed.

Hot Wheels PJs

Liam is the proud owner of a new pair of Hot Wheels pajamas. I made one of my nephews a pair of these last year, there were enough leftovers for Liam, but I've only just got around to making them.

I reckon Noah will be wearing them by the end of winter.

A couple of things I did differently. I read on someone's blog ages ago a tip for joining elastic. You butt the two ends up against each other and then sew them to a piece of ribbon. This reduces all the extra bulk where the elastic joins. I was also recently reading the sewing thread on Essential Baby, and another member was discussing how she "Dad proofed" pants by using a piece of ribbon to indicate the back. I know its not a new idea, my mum used to do the same, but it got me thinking. I have decided to combine both ideas, and came up with this: Elastic joined by a piece of ribbon that also identifies the back of the pajamas!

I have a pair of Thomas the Tank Engine pajamas cut out ready to make. I must get onto that....

Ryan's Pajamas

Shhh! Don't tell Ryan, but look what he is getting for his birthday from his Auntie Carmel!

Thomas the Tank Engine Pajamas!

I made them in size three, because he is a big boy - he is only turning two , but he is growing very fast - Look out Lachlan, he's catching up!

Frogs and Snails....

On Saturday, June 7, I made Liam a set of flannel sheets and cut out some pajamas for Liam. The material was from Spotlight, and has frogs and snails (with googly eyes) all over it.

As Monday was a public holiday, and I cannot for the life of me find my interfacing (I lost it when I was moving stuff from one room to the other) the pajamas had to wait until Tuesday. On Tuesday I made a trip to Spotlight and got supplies, including some nice matching buttons.

The pattern is Kwik Sew 3126. I borrowed it from mum (thanks Mum!) I made it in the smallest size, and folded the hem twice. I got an extra pair of pajama pants out of the fabric which should come in handy.

As you can see, Liam loves his new pajamas!

Finished!

Well, I finished! It really didn't take that long. You know how I said a couple of posts ago, that I would have the pants finished by the end of the day, well I have a teeny, tiny confession. I didn't. I did get the waist band done, but half way through one of the leg hems, I ran out of bobbin thread. Not to worry, I actually half expected it to happen.

What I didn't expect to happen was this... I was winding a new bobbin up, and while it was spooling away, I was brushing the fluff out of the bottom of my machine. This is standard for me. Its pretty good, as if I didn't do it when I was winding bobbins, it wouldn't get done. And it gets done well, as there isn't a bobbin case in there to get in the way. Win - win! Anyway, brushing away, hmmm... its taking awhile. I look uo to see that I am out of tread on the spool, its all on the bobbin, which isn't even half full. You would think I would have been able to tell, but I never noticed. And no thread even closely resembling it... except on the overlocker.

So I wound thread on two bobbins yesterday. And today, I re-threaded the last thread back onto the overlocker, and finished the pajamas.

Now all I need to do is go on a mad hunt for the scrap fabric leftover from this, so I can begin my related mini project.

Paige's Procrastination Pussycat Pajamas

Ok, I'll admit it, I have big UFO in my sewing room. I have been working on these pajamas for Paige for a couple of years now. (I'm thinking possibly 3 years?).

They have been close to finished for quite some time.

All I need to do to finish the pants is hem them, make the casing for the waistband, and put the elastic in.

The top needs the sleeves hemmed, the bottom hemmed, button holes and buttons and it's done too. So a bit more work to finish the top, but really not that much to do.

As you can see in the picture on the right, I have trimmed it with pink piping, so heaps of time and energy has been spent getting them to this point, so I don't know why I haven't finished them!

Well, now I have confessed, I guess I have to finish them. I will start by finishing off the pants. The pussycat print has given me an idea for a related project. See if you can guess what it is! I am sure I will have at least the pants finished by the end of today.