bunting: 1. thin cloth for making flags, streamers, etc. 2. flags, or strips of cloth in the colors of the flag, used in holiday decorations 3. (of American origin) a baby’s garment of soft, warm cloth made into a hooded blanket that exposes only the face.

(Above is McCalls pattern 2219, which I did see available for just over $3 on ebay and etsy.)

I have about 12 boot sized boxes of patterns that I have collected over the years.  Among those are some out-of-print baby patterns from the days of my little ones.  It has been a delight to go through them with new hopes for the first time in years.  About 15 years, to be more exact, since that is the age of our youngest child.   I am still sewing for my children on a regular basis, but there is something about a baby project.   So a couple of weeks ago, I decided to make a baby bunting for the coming grandchild.

Since making polar fleece ponchos over the last few years, I have had a stash of fairly large remnants due to the circular cut out of the ponchos.  I have made convertible mittens, a baby bib, and mini mittens for babies.  I was still able to find several pieces of one design, and, with minimal patching, work them up into a unisex baby bunting.  I even found an old red zipper in my supplies, so didn’t have to go out to purchase anything for this project.

———————————-(wrong side out view of front bottom)———————————–

The patch work was only used for the front body section and, now that it is done, looks like it was meant to be that way.  The pattern was cut to create a box-like roomy area for the feet, as well as have attached, fold-ever mittens.  The lined hood has clean lines and no exposed seams to make it uncomfortable for tender baby skin.  The pattern and sewing directions for the hood  have folds and shapes that make it  a challenge to picture how it will go together, but if the directions are followed, it all goes smoothly.  These efforts to create a fitted garment should make it stay on well.  I used red ribbon for the ties, but don’t know if that will hold up in the wash very well.  They are easy enough to re-thread with something else if need be.

If you click to enlarge the picture, it should be easier to see the fold-over mitten at the end of the sleeve angled so as to be up to the right of the hood (your left).  Polar fleece makes it possible to skip some of the double hem folding, but it can be a good idea to zigzag the edges in various places so they won’t be too bulky.  I did this at the openings for the mittens.

And here is our cooperative teddy bear, once again modeling for us.  This bunting is for up to an 18 month size baby (whatever that means), so the little bear is swimming in it.   Now, we are just waiting for the baby.

Dear Grandbaby,  I am so full of ideas for you.  The new life that God has created in you is such a gift and my heart is bursting with love waiting to smother hug you.  We don’t know if you are a boy or girl yet, so I’m just practicing lots of things.  One recent project is these little mittens which are sized to last until you are about 2 years old.  (I’ll make some out of “girl fabrics”, too)  I got the pattern from the book: Oliver + S Little Things to Sew: 20 Classic Accessories and Toys for Children.  I already made a very soft polar fleece bib using one of the book’s patterns.

The directions in the book are good, but I’m adding a few things I did to help me, just in case you want to make them for a doll or a teddy bear someday.    First, one of the keys to making mittens is to pin the pieces for both mittens at the very start to make sure that both a right and left are being made.  Once the sewing begins, it is difficult for me to visualize which one I am working on!  Next, I have noticed the seams are less bulky if the 3/8 inch allowances are zig-zagged.

You will probably find it easier to use pins with balls on the ends.  I use some extra long ones that were sold for use with quilts.  Otherwise, the pins tend to get lost in the soft pile of the fleece.  With the ball ends, time isn’t lost trying to grab hold of them.  However, you will want to spend some time finger pressing the seams open after sewing them, before you go on to the next step.  That will help everything to lay better and sew together more smoothly.

In the left hand picture below, you can see the process of the thumb seam.  Then, on the right one stair-stepped below, notice that only one side of the mitten is sewn.  It is much simpler to put the wrist elastic casing on before making the tiny circle of the cuff.

For the casing, I have used both store bought single fold bias tape or made my own.  I bought my first bias tape makers for this project.  The size for the various bias tape makers seems to refer to the finished width of the tape.  Such a small amount of casing is needed for your little wrists, that it is a good way to use up odds and ends of cotton fabrics.

The directions said to draw a line before pinning the casing in place, but as much fun as it is to write on fabric, I had trouble getting something to show up on the polar fleece.  I decided to just use the measuring tape as I went along.  For the first pair of mittens, I tried just sewing the elastic in when I sewed the other side seam, but it made a lump that I thought would be bothersome for your tender skin.  I also noticed that keeping the elastic totally on the outside makes it much more adjustable.

It wasn’t too difficult to sew the other side seam while keeping the casing open.  Then, elastic was inserted using the time honored tradition of safety pins.  Probably the hardest part of the whole project was getting the ends of elastic together and under the needle of the machine to sew.  I’m wondering about doing that part by hand next time, especially if the elastic needs to be tightened up to get the mittens to stay  on.  I don’t want them too snugly around your wrists, but a lost mitten is always sad.

Lastly, a pseudo satin stitch was recommended for edging the cuff.  The polar fleece tended to bunch and stretch when the zig-zag stitch was done that close to the edge, so on one pair I used some narrow satin ribbon to stabilize it.  This should be very soft for you.

Once again, Mr. Bear has agreed to model for me, even though 6 month to 24 month size mittens give away his diminutive size, looking more like boxing gloves on his graceful figure.  He chose the plaid pair, as it contrasted better with his fur coat. Sadly, he does not have thumbs.

Looking forward to nibbling on your fingers when I help you put your mittens on.

Love, (Grandma) Lulu

Sewing pins kept in their original plastic box containers is handy enough for storage, but after a few times of picking them out of there, my fingertips begin to feel as if they are undergoing some sort of electric shock treatment.  There are many cute pin cushion ideas out there, yet one thing has held me back.  Dust.  I have one pin cushion that someone gave me and I have watched it collect dust.  Well, not just sat there and watched minute by minute, but I can see the development of the dust layer every time I go into my sewing room.  Fabric can’t be simply wiped down like wood furniture and I don’t fancy regular vacuuming of my pin cushion.  Don’t call me OCD.  I refuse to give in to labels that messy people make up for those of us who strive for order!

Last week, I began a serious scouting for what I might have in the house to solve my problem.  I found this lovely covered tea mug that my husband had brought me from China.  With his permission, I began it’s transformation.

Since it is opaque, I didn’t have to be concerned about the finished look of the bottom.  I just cut a wide circle of some washable red velvet, stuffed it with scraps of polar fleece and stuffed it as tightly as I could down into the mug.  I think I will try using plain old polyester fill next time, since the polar fleece seems to have become too compact in a few places, making it harder to insert pins.  I didn’t want to use any harder substance like rice or sand that might damage the smoothness of the pins.  I would also probably try to position the cushion just a bit lower in the mug, but not low enough that it was hard to reach in for the pins.  I had fun filling the mug with a bunch of my pall point pins, then checked to see if the lid still fit.  Success!  It looks like an exotic drink with sprinkles on top. 

Since one of the goals is to be able to keep types of pins separate, I labeled the inside of the lid with permanent marker.  I thought of taping the original label in there, but there are still some pins in the box, so I kept that label there.

I will be on the look-out for another covered container, like a tin or glass dish.  If it is glass, I will need to come up with a neater finish for the bottom of the pin cushion.  I think just gathering it, then slip stitching a small circle of fabric will suffice.  If the tin needs to be weighted for stability, I’ll put some dried beans in the bottom.  I expect there are similar mugs sold at places like Cost Plus, but I’ve been trying to only use things I can find at home, not make special purchases for this project.  I love it when practical solutions turn out beautiful.

Before last week, it had never occurred to me to make a bib out of polar fleece.  But, with nieces announcing babies coming, I was having fun thinking of gifts.  One book that I found:

had patterns for cute little mittens, so I dug out my polar fleece scraps.  Between that and other reading regarding homemade diaper options, it suddenly dawned on me that polar fleece might make a soft, cuddly bib using a pattern from this same book.  The fabric is water repellent and strong.  And Voila!  Here we have it-

I suppose I could have come up with my own bib pattern, but I don’t have any little bodies around to measure, and while the bear makes a good model, the proportions are probably not close enough to design from.   Also, I appreciated the thought that went into this pattern, with the wider area across the shoulders and a side closure.

I will add a few tips for sewing:  The polar fleece is trickier to get the bias tape around and the double layer at the bottom with the pocket would have been impossible without doing a zigzag over the seam allowance to flatten it.

I made my own bias tape and find that it is useful to iron one side of it slightly over the other, putting the wider half on the underside while sewing, so that I don’t have to worry about it catching on the underside while I’m sewing.  My strips were 1 and 1/4 inch wide before I did any pressing, but if I do another on fleece, I might make the bias tape a smidge wider.  A friend suggested putting some flannel on the front to add some absorptive qualities, but I didn’t want to cover up the smiling spiders on this one.  I have some solid colors of polar fleece that I might use with that idea.

The bib is so soft, I almost wish I needed one!  Here in Idaho, it can be chilly for 8 months of the year, so maybe there is a market for “winter bibs?”

I started out to make a dress to wear to the wedding.  Then I found one in my closet that fits much more nicely since I lost about 15 pounds.  Only now, after all this barefoot activity, I was cringing at the thought of my dress shoe choices.  I briefly considered going barefoot, since it is an outdoor wedding, but social expectations hung over me.  Besides, the ceremony will take place at a cabin in the woods and I might not be able to see the ground.  It has never occurred to me to make my own shoes before, but it did today.

I mentioned it to dear hubby and he was very supportive of the project.  He immediately thought of the 13 year old deer hide he had hanging in the barn and I experienced my second major *cringe* of the day.  Still, it was leather and free.  It helped that he set right to some final cleaning, softening, and ironing. (He promises he cleaned the iron right afterwards…)  Meanwhile, I searched the internet for ideas and came up with a pattern of sorts.

I must emphasize that I made several mistakes while making this first pair.  Some I may not have yet realized!  Also, I had to make adjustments to deal with the somewhat stiff deer hide.  I traced my feet, making sure that I was fully bearing weight on them, then sort of rounded that out to create the pattern piece for the soles.  I added about a 3/8 inch border all around for a potential seam allowance.  Next time I will probably cut the sole more narrowly where it is under the arch. The topper pattern was sketched by tracing around the toe and sides of the sole pattern, but leaving it in a open “U” shape at the bottom.  I determined the distance of the outer perimeter by placing a string around the sole tracing, then stretching it straight to measure.  Greg doubled checked my results (or did it an easier way) by measuring around my foot with the cloth tape measure perpendicular to the floor.  Again, I made sure I was standing with full weight on my feet.

I cut pieces for toppers and soles out of both outer and liner material, all things I had on hand.  My worst choice in that category was thinking a knit would be comfortable and easy to work with for the topper liner.  I will not do that again. The sole liners were quite acceptable, being cut from a soft, but substantial slightly fuzzy cotton woven.  The outer topper, the part that is seen, is cut from a only slightly stretchy polyesther faux snake skin that my son bought as a scrap in Taiwan 3 years ago!  (waves at Jesse)

Then, based on this blog on making slippers and this equally good slipper tutorial, I began to sew pieces together.

1 )  I sewed the heel seam(right side of fabric together) first, that is, the ends of the open “U’s”.  All seams are a bare 1/8 inch, then reinforced with a very narrow zig zag in the seam allowance.

2)  Next, I attached the sole liner to the topper liner, also right sides of fabric together.

This next step is the most glaring deviation from directions for making the slippers.

3)  I saw that I needed to sew the right side of the outer topper to the right side of lining topper around the upper edge at this point.  To help that seam lay flat, I under stitched the seam allowance to the topper lining.  Then I top stitched the upper opening a scant 1/8 inch from the edge.  This is where I admit that I accidentally sewed one liner-topper combo inside out, but had gotten so far along before I noticed it that it would have been a lot of seam ripping to get it out.  I tried it on as was and decided it didn’t make enough difference for this pair of shoes.

4)  Meanwhile, Greg was moving on to cutting out the soles, followed by using a freshly sharpened ice pick to poke holes a scant 1/4 inch apart about 1/4 inch from the edge:

5)  Then I proceeded to use a large needle and doubled regular thread to whip stitch the wrong side of the fabric outer topper of the shoe to the deer hide sole.  I always began a new thread under the the topper, to hide the knot.  I ended the thread under the topper as well, enabling me to tuck it under with the next bit of sewing.  For the final section, I just tied it tightly, left the cut with about 3/4 inch thread out, then pushed it into the shoe seam with the needle.  I will consider using a tougher thread next time, but I wanted to not make any trips to the store this time around.  We’ll see how it holds up with wear.

6)  I made a simple bow and hand sewed it in place.

You can see that the deer hide stayed a bit wrinkly.  It is also a little slick.  May need to rough it up.  The topper may have been a touch too short, heel to toe.  I added a dart of sorts lengthwise along each side of both shoes because it looked like there was too much fabric there.  Even with all the mistakes, I am ready to try to make another pair.  They are super comfortable and very inexpensive.  There is fashion potential.  I have enough deer hide for at least one more pair.  When that is gone, I will look for a softer leather for the soles, and maybe use two layers it.  The possibilities are endless.

I didn’t want to do it any of the ways I knew about.  I had tried rolling the cutting blade along a straight edge being held in place.  The apparatus slips too much.  Cutting around a shaped form usually resulted in the gradual wearing of corners or inconsistent distances of cutting tool from the edge of the form, and, thus, the incremental change in size of the pieces being cut.  So last Sunday morning I presented my desires to my engineer-inventor husband.  Within a couple of hours he presented me with something I hadn’t thought of made out of a scrap of something he’d been saving for years.  I am now in possession of a custom made quilt block cutting guide.

It is a piece of plexiglass with grooves cut into it with his table saw, not unlike the grooves often used in fabric stores to aide the employees in cutting yardage.  He showed me how helpful its transparency is by placing it on my cutting mat and lining it up with the measuring marks already there.  Then he watched with quiet anticipation to see if it would work for me.

I proved its usefulness immediately.  Within a short time I had cut out 94 sharp-edged blocks, the majority of them from a comfortable sitting position.  My pattern weights were an important part of the process.  (I was surprised to find that the ones I use are marketed as “vintage” now, are no longer being made, but can be bought on ebay for 4 times what I bought them for!  That’s why the link is to a different kind.  JoAnn’s had the best price in my search.  I know that some people use rocks.  I like the felt on the bottom of mine, which keeps them in place better.) I also found it helpful to lightly trace the grooves with my finger nail on the fabric before cutting.  I learned that pushing too hard tended to make it harder to feel the groove and made it more likely that I left the path.

(I stood up for the picture so that things could be seen more clearly.)

This is going to be my first rag quilt, based on a simple design in the back of this book by Leisure Arts. The fabrics are left overs from all of the aprons I’ve been making with mid-weight decorator fabric from Home Fabrics, one of my favorite stores.  It is only appropriate that I use “apron” fabric for a bedcover for my culinary arts major daughter, don’t you think?

I hope he has some plexiglass leftover for my next quilting project.  I’m thinking of the possibilities of other shapes …..

First, I was contemplating running in frigid temperatures while training for the YMCA Christmas Fun Run, then I was deciding to make polar fleece ear warming headbands, and the next thing I knew I was making convertible mittens from a pattern on a torn page from an unidentifiable magazine found loose in the scrap bins.  Now, I’ve finished two pair and am started on the third.  The directions were a little difficult for me to follow, even though I have been sewing for 4 decades, but I have never made mittens before.  I wasn’t sure until the very end that I actually had a left and a right mitten.  Here is what the process looks like:

Taking care to note where pieces should be placed on the fold and which way the most stretch should go, cut the fleece using the patterns below.  I made one of my pairs for extra large men’s hands simply by adding 1/4 inch of fabric at the fold line (keeping the pattern 1/4 or so inch away from the fold) and adding a leetle bit of length to both the cuff side and the finger side.  The thumb didn’t seem to need an adjustment, even for my big gorilla’s hands (6’3′ son, size 15 quadruple wide feet….).

convertible mitten top

mitten body pattern

convertible mitten original pattern

(Any of the photos should enlarge if you click on them.)

The lower thumb portion IS supposed to be cut away from the main body of the mitten.

convertible mitten original directions

Above is a link for the original instructions.

All seam allowances are 1/4 inch.

In order to make sure the wearer can use his or her opposing thumbs to full advantage, I kept the mittens laid opposite each other as much as possible.  The first step is to cut off ONLY one of the thumb sections from each mitten, as indicated by the wavy line on the pattern piece:

Next, fold up the lower portion of each remaining thumb flap, right sides together (if you can’t tell which is which, then probably no one else can either), and stitch only from the fold, around the curve, and end at the mitten body.  Keep the main body of the mitten free:

As it says on the magazine page, “The unseamed part of the thumb will be the top side of the mitten, and the side of the thumb to be seamed will be on the palm side of the mitten.”

There should be four pieces cut from the “mitten top” pattern piece.  Do your best to sew two pieces right sides together to end up with two mitten “finger pockets.”  Turn them right side out.

Place raw edge of each mitten top (or pocket) (right sides together) on the placement line with the closed, round end toward the wrist end of a main mitten body.  Keeping upper layer free, stitch 1/4 inch from raw edge.  Then zigzag along edge.

To finish the wrist cuff and finger edges, the instructions suggest trimming with pinking shears or another edge shaping pair of scissors.  I didn’t have those options, but found I liked the look of zig zagging across both edges either now or after the side seams have been sown.  If you do zig zag stitch, I recommend that the upper presser foot pressure be significantly decreased unless you want a ruffly effect…

BEFORE joining the side seams, however, the elastic should be sewn in place.  The 3/8 inch wide elastic is easy, but wider pieces can work, too.  No need to run out and buy the exact width.  For elastic length, I measured the wrist of the person or model, then added about 3/4 inch to that measurement.  No need to have it tight, but do want it to stay on.  Next, I anchored both ends of the elastic where the elastic placement line would meet the edge of the mitten body.  I like the added strength of having the elastic sewn into the side seam and didn’t notice any uncomfortable bulk from that.

By dividing both the remaining elastic length and the mitten wrist into fourths, pin the elastic in place.  Sew a couple of stitches at the beginning of the seam, then, continue to sew while being careful to apply equal tension to both the front and back of the seam so that the machine needle won’t break.  You will probably have to hold the starter threads very firmly to get this going.

Pin raw side edges of each mitten body right sides together, leaving thumb and opposite section free.  Sew, again, keeping thumb free.  Also take care that mitten top stays free of stitching.

Now, whip stitch the thumb raw edge to the mitten raw edge:

Turn the mittens right side out, including the thumbs and verify that you have a right and a left mitten with opposing thumbs!

This is when I chose to zig zag the wrist and finger edges, followed by top stitching the finger separation lines.  You may be tempted to sew those lines longer than the pattern indicates, but if it is sewn very much more it ends up pushing down between the fingers.

So, here they are in all their cozy softness and memories of the original polar fleece project.  See them below on model’s hands:

An unexpected happy project.  Sometimes life just happens even better than I’ve planned!

How to manage clothespins while trying to hang clothes on the line to dry has been difficult  -  until this week.  The clothespin apron that I just made has finally resolved multiple issues that had made the otherwise enjoyable sunny task challenging.  First of all, the clothes pins are now with me wherever I am in relation to the clothesline.  Also, no more bending over or reaching up, depending on the container.  No more trying to hold a bundle of the pins in my hand as I walk around or twirl the clothes line.  Hence, less effort looking for the clothespins that have sprung out of my grip onto the lawn.  I can see straight down into the expansive pocket to choose the correct type of clothespin for the job, one or two at a time.  If I’m hanging a particularly long or heavy item, I can reach into my pouch and get more as needed.  I’m all for exercise, but there are times when conserving your strength and efficiency are better.

I used Simplicity pattern 4282, view F, with some modifications.  A heavy cotton decorator fabric was my fabric of choice, which I found for a good price at Home Fabrics in Boise. I decided to finish the edges with single fold bias tape, instead of the more complicated application of lace trim.  I also used that method to hem the pockets.  I put extra pockets, from other views, on the outside of the big pocket, since I have never had too many pockets on anything.  Probably the most important change was leaving the main pouch pocket all open except for securely stitching it in two places near the upper edge so that it wouldn’t just fall open when filled with clothespins.  This is very important for another reason.  I had experimented with another apron and found that pockets that went straight down, no matter how large, created a torque on my wrist which was highly uncomfortable.

It is difficult to see the reinforcement stitching in the second picture, but it is about 1 1/2 inches of layered zigzag stitching.  If I ever make another, the one thing I might do differently is make the outer edges of the pouch a bit diagonal, reinforcing where the line becomes horizontal.  That would also mean adjusting where I put the extra pockets.

This genre of apron should actually stay clean, thus avoiding wear and tear in the washing machine.  Therefore, it should last a long time.  And hanging out clothes just got more fashionable, too.

If you appreciate sewing at all then a few pictures is about all you will need.  The only thing I need to say is that the whole main floor of fabric vendors is the size of a floor of a department store in a mall.    Each vendor has a space jam-packed with goods, with a small area for getting a closer look.  The floor above had some fabric and many tailors and seamstresses hard at work.

The pictures mostly just look at what was right on the aisles as we walked the main walkways.  The walkways form a huge, tightly woven grid.  It is very difficult to keep track of where one is.  However, there are entrances at at least 3 corners of the building, if you can locate a corner.

Just like at the open, bazaar style fresh produce market, there are numbers over each store.

There were a couple of places that had thread and various ‘notions’, but the best selection of those things was in the other specialty shops on alleys surrounding the fabric building.  I purchased 2 zippers from a store FULL of shelves of zippers of every color imaginable.

I plan on going back sometime by myself, or with someone if I can find anyone here who likes fabric as much as I do, and spending hours enjoying looking at everything.  THIS I will miss when I come back home.