Journey to the Nether (and better reading comprehension)

Normally Custom Fabric marinates in my stash for a bit before I work up the nerve to sew it, but not this print! 

My 9-year-old daughter is shifting away from custom made makes, but she loves Minecraft, so for this print she made an exception. I, of course, had a ton of great ideas for fun, feminine shirts with this print, but all she wanted was a hoodie. So, Max & Meena's Max raglan it was, then.

Fortunately she's got a Minecraft buddy who's a little more flexible on feminine clothing. So for her friend (not pictured), I was able to stick to my original plan and make a CKC Delaney.

Apparently I was overdue for a really big sewing mistake, because while making this top I mistook the "normal back" neckline for the front neckline, and carried that mistake all the way to the finished product. You would *think* that having a too-long neckband would have clued me in to the problem but... having had other issues with other CKC patterns before, you would be wrong. I've used this pattern to modify dresses before, but this was my first time following the instructions as written. I didn't really figure out what happened until I stick the shirt on my daughter to model, and by then it was hours before the party we had planned to gift it at: too late for a remake, sigh.

Ah well, you win some, you lose some. The friend was still happy to receive the gift despite the flaws, and I do still think it's a cute design! Definitely a make-again, but next time I will read the instructions more carefully.

Surprise Snack Hop 'til you Drop

For our first Disney trip, I ordered a ton of fabric and then... didn't actually make anything for the trip. Oops. Over the years, the Disney makes trickled out, but I vowed that the NEXT time we went to Disney, I would be more prepared. So I stashed up. A lot. 

So much, in fact, that when a friend went to Disney, I had extra fabric just waiting for a home! This is another Patterns 4 Pirates Basic Tee, sewn up literally overnight. My friend loves to Snack Hop, so she got a big kick out of the shirt the next morning when she picked her daughter up from a sleepover. 

And I got the satisfaction of a new make, well placed.

Sidekicks Patronus Pajamas

It's not very often that I do a selfish sew, and I'm still on a quest for some patterns that reliably fit and flatter my figure. Pajamas, however, don't need to be flattering. They just need to be comfy! This sidekicks print was a "Round 1" offering from a host that was just starting up, and I was pleased that it came it looking (and feeling!) great. Sometimes there's a learning curve on custom hosting.

For the T-shirt used the Patterns for Pirates Essential Tee, and for the pants I used the Pattern Niche Portlander Pants. The shirt was a quick & easy make. Turning the drawstring on the pants was a bit time consuming - and trying to use my button hole foot on a knit (with interfacing!) to create the eyelets was also an adventure I'm not keen to repeat, but the cuteness of the end product was hard to argue with. I'm long waisted, so I think I'm going to add an inch to seat/front of the pants next time I make it. And this will be a make again, for sure! I just need to work up to trying the same thing with the 3+ yards of fabric it takes to makes pants for myself!

Rescuers Tee

Speaking of once upon a time, I ordered a panel from Japan for my Rescuers-loving (local) nephew at the start of the pandemic. Through fits and starts, it took almost 6 months to get to me. 

But once it got here it made a great tee! I did something I never do: flat-out raided another panel in the 3-panel set for enough "background" print to make the sleeves and back match the front. And it was so worth it. I loved the result.

This tee is made from the Tie Dye Diva Zee's Tee pattern (4T), and I added the ringer sleeves myself to help Wilbur pop. There isn't a lot of Rescuers stuff on the market out there, so this was a well-timed (and well loved!) addition to his closet.

DC Hero Capsule Wardrobe

Once upon a time, I ran into a sale for Stained-Glass DC fabric that I could not resist. I bought a yard and a three-panel set. Then, many years later - like, at least 3 - my SIL indicated a hero theme on her baby registry: Marvel and DC. Suddenly, I had my calling.

Having recently discovered the joy of Grow With Me clothing - and the capsule wardrobes people make with it over on Apple Tree - I was eager to try one myself. Having hoarded this fabric for so long, I resolved that I was going to use it ALL UP for the occasion. What I had not planned on was... how many baby things you can get out of a yard. Especially when accenting with solids.

From the panels, I managed a 6m Onesie (Robin), a 9m Onesie (Superman) and the back of a 3-12m Grow-with-Me Cardigan (Batman). 

From the yardage I got the front and sleeves of the cardigan, a pair of 3-12m Grow-with-me pants, a pair of 3m bummies, and a very adorable 3m hat. This was my first shot at a true capsule wardrobe, and I am pleased at how it turned out. It was gifted at the shower in July, and I can't wait to see it on my nephew!

Bob's Burger and some Fuzzy Future Rulers

When I'm *not* looking, I can always find tons of fabric I do not need. But once I start looking...

This spring, we received a very exciting announcement; my husband's brother (one of seven) and his wife were expecting! Out of an abundance of caution, they waited until pretty far along in the pregnancy to make it public. Which was great for the excitement - soon! soon! But also... cut into my shopping window. Plus, when it comes to blankets, I've become very picky. 

Fortunately, after a few canceled orders and some late-night trawling of my most dangerous territory - the B/S/Ts, I found a Cotton Lycra Bob's Burger Panel (originally intended for a shirt) and a Single-Minky Game of Thrones Blanket. Neither of these were a "magic blanket" (aka, made of Double Minky), but in a pinch, they would do for my GoT loving BIL and his Bob's Burger-loving family! I backed the CL Bob's Burger Panel with a fleece from Joann's, and "Future Ruler" was toddler topper set so that provided its own backing. They were a shower gift when we went up to visit during the summer, and I think they will be well loved.

Pride Rock Bowling Raglan

One of my favorite fabric shops has started a yearly "Blank-a-Palooza" where they sell toddler toppers, ostensibly to be made into blankets for Christmas gifts. But, they don't limit themselves to the traditional blanket bases (Minky, Double Minky) for the event. And while browsing, a thought occurred to me - what IS a toddler topper, if not a panel-plus-fat-half rapport by a different name?

This particular artwork caught my for my brother, who never can have enough handmade Disney shirts in my opinion. I picked up a blanket topper in CL, and the picture panel was almost perfectly sized to make a men's raglan. It took me a while to find the perfect shade of maroon for the sleeves, but finally I did and then we were off to the races. 

This garment is, as usual, made from the Cole's Creations Jerry Raglan. I used the panel for the front and the backing for, well, the back. This a quick, fun sew - and quite the stashbuster when you're sewing in a men's size 42 as I was.

According to my mom this shirt was a big success, and now my brother has another Disney raglan to go out on the town (or lounge around home) in!

Proof that a blanket panel turned into a shirt can smell - or look - just as sweet!

A Tradition Broken

One of my most honored Christmas Traditions for... the past decade, as it turns out, is to *dream* about finishing my Christmas Traditions quilt but then... not actually do it. This quilt sprang to a start in 2011 when I sent my sewing machine in for service, and then caved on the fabric for this pattern in a Best Quilts for Christmas Magazine. 

I pieced it in 2013 and 2014, and I don't even *know* when I started quilting it... but I do know my Mom has been on me to try out her Handi-Quilter for a couple of years, and I have resisted. This year, however, when we were packing for that June trip I discovered I had extra space in my checked luggage and so, in true last-minute fashion I caved and I brought it. Yes, I submitted my massive multi-year quilting effort to the whims of Airport Luggage Personnel. Twice, even. Fortunately for me, United Airlines brought me and my bags out AND home safe.

I'd already done maybe 2/3 of the quilting on my regular machine at home, but the idea of finishing it in one sitting proved too appealing to resist. I'd never worked with a "Medium-Arm" machine, but it does seem like a practical way to marry the spaciousness of a long-arm with the freedom of free-motion quilting. All I had left to do was the outer third. I used my mom's technique of putting dry-eras marker on sheet protectors to "try out" my design, and I settled for loops and squiggles.

Here I am working the quilt. The handi-quilter is definitely nice to work with: it's got lots of space and good speed control. There was definitely a learning curve on threading it - I'm glad Mom was there to help with that - but overall it went WAY faster than quilting on a traditional machine, and with a lot less wrestling of the fabric. Here's my mom's account of the adventure.

It only took me a few hours (well, maybe four or so) to finish on the Handi-Quilter. Below, you can see my final design:

Next up is binding this creation; and this year, I'm actually optimistic that I will have it done by Christmas! Wish me luck...