super hero t-shirt

It's become a bit of a tradition here to applique a t-shirt with J's age on it at each birthday. The last 2 years I've appliqued onto a ready made t-shirts but this year I'd forgotten to get one and with no car and no clothes shops and being too stingy to pay for delivery I decide to drag out the dreaded overlocker and have a go at making one. Plus it's been kids clothes week challenge run by Elsie Marley this last week so what better time to have another go at making some kids clothes. I only worked on this for one day - idea is too work for at least an hour a day for 7 days - so technically I don't qualify for join kcwc but do checkout the flickr pool for more kids makes and ideas.

I made a couple of t-shirts a good while back (aaah it was 2 years ago wow!) for kcwc but I've not gone near the pattern since then. I didn't have a lot of knit fabric left and at one point I did go and have a look in hubbies wardrobe to see if I could salvage a t-shirt he wouldn't miss! However there was just enough left to make this one though with the addition of some very cool Kokka Super Heroes fabric from M is for Make to tie into J's super hero obsession.

As before I used the raglan t-shirt pattern (well it's more of an e-book really) from The Scientific Seamstress - a great pattern with loads of sizes and very full instructions on sewing with knits so well worth getting.

It went together pretty well if you ignore the temperamental overlocker which likes stitching but not trimming - exhibit a

I used a combination of the overlocker and my normal sewing machine although you can complete the whole thing on your standard machine no problem. On the sewing machine I used woolly nylon in the bobbin and normal poly as the top thread. I had a couple of issues with skipping stitches even though I was using a ball point needle but changing to a 90/14 seemed to solve that. 

I did try using the triple straight stitch (a stretch stitch I hadn't taken any notice off before) for top stitching the hems but I would just use normal straight stitch next time. The triple stitch made them hem pretty wibbly and made holes that are bit too big for my liking by the time it'd stitched 3 times for each stitch, although at least I know the hem won't burst!

I'm going to make more of these now that I've made this one, before he gets too old to want a t-shirt made by his mum. maybe I could keep making them but just make the number smaller as he gets older what do you think?

Bye for now





PS Did you notice that, 2 blog posts in 3 days, phew need a lie down now ;)

commission accomplished

 

I find it pretty nerve racking making things for other people, don't
get me wrong I love it but I do stress myself out sometimes. When it's
a gift it's not quite so bad but when someone's commissioned you to make something, well all I can say is I'm slowly getting to used to it. I am a real fuss-pot so that probably makes it worse. However it's such a buzz when you hand over the finished item and they love it.

Last week I caught up with making a personalised cushion that Mandi (Hi Mandi if you're reading this) asked me to make as a gift for a friend to celebrate the birth of her little girl Elise. What a perfect opportunity to use the girl version of Children at Play. Kate at M is for Make had a great wee fat sixteenth bundle of this range which worked brilliantly for this cushion. I still have the fat quarter set of the the boy version of this fabric range waiting to be turned into a quilt for Jamie - must really get onto this as he keeps asking me when it'll be done.......no pressure then!

I've got another cushion to make, this time no names involved just some Lotta Jansdotter Echo and some linen - oh dear what a chore that'll be .... NOT, you all know how much I love Echo and of course linen! Imagine that, getting paid to work with fabric you love, I can hardly believe it myself.

I'm also working on an order for 6 personalised pencil cases and shhhh but I've got my final PIF gift on the go too.

bye for now, I'll be back soon to show off my recent giveaway successes!

PS when photographing a white cushion it's probably advisable not to use a white background.

I'm back

Well I'm fed up waiting for my arms to be pain free so I'm doing a little bit of sewing again. I'm going to try and pace myself from now on which is going to be interesting as I'm kind of an 'all or nothing' person.




Today I've started on a birthday present that is long overdue. It involves applique again and this time I thought I'd try out the blanket stitch setting on my machine. I really like how it looks as you end up with a neat edge stitch and decorative stitches at the same time.

  Applique: The Basics and Beyond 

Turning inside and outside corners can be tricky but I've found great instructions in this book.I bought it ages ago and haven't really used it until now but it looks like it's going to be really useful.

I've got loads of projects planned including some halloween bunting using some great fabric from Riley Blake and I've still got the green cord trousers to finish yet as well as a few Christmas projects too so plenty to be getting on with. I'm also planning on featuring some book reviews and highlighting tasty fabric finds too.

So anyway that's it for now hope to see you soon  :)