Hayden's Grammy Jammies

I finally figured out how to get myself back to the blog after a break and that is to make something for Hayden. He is so much fun to sew for and such a good model as well. His momma mentioned that he had outgrown his pajamas and also that it's kinda hard to find them roomy enough for his chunky little arms. I pulled out my Kwik Sew Sewing for Baby book that I bought when Hayden's momma was about his age. It has an assortment of basic patterns for newborn through 18 months. Some of the styles look a little dated but there are great basic pattern pieces for pants, tops, rompers, etc. The fit is much roomier than the ready mades.

Just look at that sweet face! He loves his Grammy Jammies. I've already made a second pair and bought fabric for a third.

Did you know that September is National Sewing Month? National Sewing Month began in 1982 with a proclamation from President Ronald Reagan declaring September as National Sewing Month "In recognition of the importance of home sewing to our Nation"

I hope you're keeping your machine humming this month in celebration!

Little Hilltopper

Okay, I know I said I was all caught up sewing for Baby Hayden but I saw a men's red and black striped T-shirt on the clearance rack at WalMart for $3.00 and it reminded me of the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers. Since Hayden has a gown for his dad's school, I thought he needed one for his mom's alma mater. I bought the largest size they had so I would have plenty of fabric for the gown and accessories.

I used Kwik Sew 3090 again for the gown and Kwik Sew 2433 for the hat. The tutorial for the pacifier clip can be found here. I took the pocket off the T-shirt and made a tiny little pocket for the gown.

 I like the elastic at the bottom edge to keep little feet from poking out.

I was able to salvage the knit ribbing from the neckline of the T-shirt and used it to make the sleeve ribbing for this gown rather than the hand covers.

And this is my sewing buddy, Kitty Boo. She loves to keep me company when I sew. I found her at the Humane Society with that "take me home" look in her eyes. It was a trick. She is a stinker!

I mailed this little surprise to the expectant parents last week. I think Hayden has enough gowns. My friend, who is a nurse in labor and delivery, told me that babies need sleep sacks nowadays rather than blankets. So, guess what, I bought a pattern today for sleep sacks. I just thought I was caught up!

Kwik Sew 3090 for Hayden

I decided that Baby Hayden needs a special little gown to wear home from the hospital. I've had this idea bouncing around in my head for some time now but couldn't decide exactly how I wanted to personalize it. I found this fun applique on Etsy for the H and Smell the Roses font from Designs by JuJu for the name.

The gown is Kwik Sew 3090 which I have used a couple of times before. I definitely wanted the little hand covers on the sleeves but changed the pattern a bit so that there were no raw edges when the sleeve flap is flipped back.

Patternreview link

The hat is Kwik Sew 2433. It can be sewn up in about 10 minutes! The fabric is Organic Cotton Interlock from Fabric.com. It was described as white but had a creamy natural look to it. I thought creamy would work fine for this project. I washed and dried the fabric and completed the outfit. When I took it outside to photograph, it was splotchy as if it had bleach splattered on it. I was a little bit upset, thinking I would have to make the entire set again. However, I soaked the outfit in Biz, washed a couple more times, and it turned out white. The fabric is a nice quality, very soft for babies, but, whew!, never had this happen before.

Patternreview link

I think I'm all caught up now for Baby Hayden. It is, however, still National Sewing Month so I need to get busy sewing on something!

Tiny Little U of L Fan!

I've been waiting for a long time to show you this little project. One of the first projects I made for Baby Hayden was a pair of University of Louisville baby shoes resembling Toms. His parents are fans since the dad-to-be went to school there. However, with every little baby item I make, I think of several more pieces to go with it. So the project never ends. After finding a couple of free patterns on the internet, I ended up buying the shoe pattern from this Etsy shop. It includes sizes from newborn to 12 months.

 I had some U of L fabric left from an old project which I used to line the shoes. I still had U of L fabric scraps left so I went to Hancock Fabrics in search of red cotton knit to make a gown. No luck at Hancock's so I went next door to Rugged Wearhouse and bought an XL T-shirt from the men's department for $2.50. This provided plenty of fabric to make a gown, bib, and hat.

I cut the little logo squares from the fabric, turned under the edges and stitched to each little piece of the outfit. 

I used the coverstitch machine to finish the neck ribbing after stitching and turning it to the inside. I trimmed off the extra as seen often in R-T-W to avoid bulk.

The bib is doubled and the edges are bound with bias binding. I added a snap to the back. I don't use Velcro because it sometimes snags other items in the washing machine.

The gown is Kwik Sew 3090. The hat is Kwik Sew 2433. For the bib, I traced a bib that I already had. I guess I'll have to stop adding to this little set now. I plan to take it to a baby shower today!

Coverstitch Update

I decided to write an update on my decision to buy the Janome Coverpro 1000 CPX since I have received several inquiries lately related to my past posts about my search for a coverstitch machine.

I sew a lot of knits and, honestly, should have purchased a coverstitch years ago. Most of the knits I sew can be done almost entirely with the serger and the coverstitch. The Janome Coverpro 1000 CPX works great for my needs. I must admit it did take a little practice. It does not sew quite as smoothly as a regular sewing machine. But maybe it is not supposed to. I wasn't able to test drive any coverstitch machines before I ordered the Janome from a local dealer who carries Janome machines, but no coverstitch machines, in stock. I based my decision on the information and support from the Janome Coverpro forum at Patternreview.com. I can't imagine any question that couldn't be answered on the Coverpro discussion group. They even suggest the best suppliers for needles and accessories. There are little tricks to be learned, such as how to end the stitching in the middle of the fabric, such as a sleeve hem,  rather than sewing off the end of the fabric. There are great Janome tutorials for this on YouTube and I still refer to them if I haven't used the coverstitch for some time. Believe me, if you don't end the stitching correctly, your entire row of stitching ravels out!

As with any new machine, it takes practice and experimentation with the different fabrics. For example, I soon learned that, when hemming a lightweight knit, I needed to add a little support to the fabric so that the hem doesn't tunnel. I use Design Plus ultra-soft double sided fusible to fuse the hems in place and to prevent tunneling. I haven't tried other brands but I'm sure there are other options available as well.

This is an example of a sleeve hem on a very lightweight knit which I fused first with 3/8" double sided fusible. Not only does it prevent tunneling, it also helps me to press up a very even 3/8" hem. Since coverstitch hemming is done from the right side, it is important to work with an even hem.

For this medium weight jersey knit top, I was able to use the coverstitch machine to finish the neckline band, the sleeve hems and the bottom hem. I made a self-fabric binding and sewed it on with the regular machine first because, sometimes, I  pull the binding a little too tight as I sew it on. I try to get it right with a long machine stitch before I serge or coverstitch so I can easily remove the stitching and sew it again until I get the look that I like. I have experimented with a row of stitching on each side of the seam as I coverstitch as seen in RTW, but decided that I have more control with this method.

This is the sleeve hem of the same top. I fused the hem with the double-sided fusible and sewed the hem before sewing the side seam. Since this is a medium weight knit, I could have sewn this hem without the fusible, however, I have found that it is much easier to coverstitch narrow hems with the fusible.

This is the bottom hem of the top. I sewed the front and back hems on the coverstitch before sewing the side seams and adding the ties. I didn't use the fusible on the bottom hem since this is a medium weight knit. It worked fine without it and did not tunnel.

Now for the fun stuff! I tried to find ribbing for this Kwik Sew 3090 knit baby gown at the local Hancock Fabrics. They don't carry it at all. I went next door to Rugged Wearhouse, an outlet type store, to search for a ribbed garment I could cut up and use for ribbing. I found Gap tank tops in the junior department for $1 each! That's a lot of ribbing for $1. I was able to remove the ribbing from the neck and both armholes and use it for this gown and bib. It was already the right size and pre-folded for me. I guess it doesn't take much to excite me because this find made my day! I still have the rest of the tank top to cut up and use for ribbing on other projects.

This little gown is made from two boys t-shirts I found on the clearance rack at WalMart, a stripe and a coordinating solid. I used the solid for the neck trim, sleeve band, and for the hat. The hat is Kwik Sew 2433.

For this type of binding, I sewed it on right sides together, stretching slightly. Then I pressed to the inside and pinned without turning under the edge. I sewed with the coverstitch and then trimmed close to the stitching. I notice this method used often in RTW knits when I do "snoop" shopping.

I like the elastic at the bottom which pulls in the gown a little to help keep baby's feet covered. I quartered the elastic and the gown bottom, pinned, and stitched with the regular machine before turning to the inside and final stitching with the coverstitch. I used two different colors of thread because I was too lazy to change the thread but I don't think baby will mind.

I made all these projects in just a few days using primarily the serger and coverstitch machine. I have sewn knits for as long as I can remember, but never with the professional results I enjoy with the coverstitch machine. It would have been great to try out several machines before purchasing but they just aren't available to me locally. I especially would have liked to try out a serger/coverstitch combination machine. However, it would have to be extremely fast to convert back and forth to make me happy.

Good luck with your search for the right coverstitch machine. I would still be sewing knits if I didn't have one but, as I mentioned earlier, I wish I had purchased one long before I did!

A Sewing Emergency! and a New Summer Top

I had a little sewing emergency over the weekend with the Bernina that I use for most of my sewing. The machine is fine but it stopped communicating with the embroidery unit. And, of course, I have a stack of projects that I need to monogram. I drove 75 miles on Monday to get it to a reputable Bernina dealer who promised to have it ready in about a week. Of course, he also showed me the new generation of Bernina embroidery systems in a non-pushy sort of way. I was quite impressed with the Bernina 780. Things have come a long way since I purchased my system in 2003.

• The bobbin holds 80% more thread.
• Freearm embroidery
• Dual feed
• 1000 stitches per minute
• USB connections

I have begun my research but, hopefully, my old machine will be a simple fix, maybe a short in the cable.


I miss my Bernina and really wanted to sew a summer top last night. I have a lightweight Brother travel machine on loan to my daughter. I pulled out my Singer Genie that I purchased in 1973 or 1974 when I was in college. Last year, I had it supposedly "restored" but knew that it still wasn't quite right. Oh my, it sounds like a freight train with all it's parts about to fall off. It had no stability to sew even a straight seam. Frustrated, I put it away and pulled out my dependable Singer featherweight which was made the year I was born. It sewed beautifully!!!

For the neckline of this top, I always make bias binding rather than facing as the pattern suggests.

This is one of my fabrics that I purchased last summer at FabricMart in Honolulu. It is a woven rayon and feels wonderful. I don't know why I waited so long to sew it up. Kwik Sew 2866 is such a quick pattern and can be made in about 1 1/2 hours. 

I can't seem to get that Bernina 780 off my mind. Any advice from others who have this machine or have taken it for a test drive?

Kwik Sew 3740 and Knit Tips

I'm still working on my one and only New Year's Resolution which is to reduce my fabric stash. This is my 12th sewing project this year. I don't blog all of them because some are actually a little boring to sew so I'm sure they would be even more boring for you to read about!

I decided to make a few long sleeved t-shirts since all of my RTW tees have shrunk nearly up to my belly button! I used my Kwik Sew 3740 and cut the neckline about 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 higher at center front. I found this dark gray cotton blend knit in my stash which, at first, I thought was pretty ugly. Why did I buy that? I offered to make my daughter something out of it but she wasn't interested. Determined to use the piece, I cut out a long sleeve t-shirt. I had to add a center back seam since I only had 1 1/4 yards. I cut self-fabric neck "ribbing" about 1 1/2 inches wide and folded in half.

Patternreview link

Once I got past fighting with the curled edges and got the thing seamed up, I couldn't stop stitching on it. I used my coverstitch to topstitch the neckline and the sleeve seams.

I decided to add one of those little decorative V's in the center front just because I see them on all things casual and sporty.  I discovered that stitch 309 on my Bernina looks very similar to what I see in RTW. I drew a V with my chalk marker, added stabilizer underneath, and updated my plain, gray t-shirt.

I convinced hubby to help me with the pics. He is actually pretty good! This is the Plain Jan(e) version.

A little sporty with a touch of Burberry plaid.

Brightened up with a red fleece vest.

I showed my daughter my trendy V in the front and she replied, "Ooooooh".  I'll bet she wishes she had taken me up on the offer to make her one!

A few of my Sewing with Knits Tips. 

• Prewash the fabric in the manner that you plan to wash the finished garment, especially if it is cotton or a cotton blend.
• If you are sure of your sleeve length, hem the sleeve before sewing the sleeve seam, especially if hemming with a coverstitch.
• Sew one shoulder seam, add the neck ribbing, and then sew the remaining shoulder seam. Press the shoulder seam towards the back and stitch it in place at the ribbing/neck edge so that it lays flat.
• Sew the sleeve in before sewing the sleeve seam and the side seam which can then be sewn in one continuous seam.
• I usually hem the sleeve just a smidgen longer than I think I want it to be. It always works up a bit with wear and elbow bending.
• When hemming with a coverstitch from the right side, I sometimes draw a line on the right side with my Chakoner marker. If I press up 1 1/4" for a hem, I draw a line about 1 1/8" from the folded edge. I can then "straddle" the chalk line with the presser foot.
• If the knit is especially stretchy, I secure the hems with 3/8" double sided fusible before hemming with the coverstitch. This also prevents the hem from "tunneling" and the stitches from becoming buried in the fabric.

KwikSew 2866

Have you ever noticed that all the ready-to-wear basic summer tops are pretty much the same pattern? They might be rayon, silk, jersey knit and maybe they have lace inserts, different necklines, etc. but the basic silhouette is the same. I got a good deal on this KwikSew pattern on Ebay last year and just put it away and forgot about it. I got the urge to sew up a few quick tops for summer and decided to give it a try. It's great! If I had showed it to my daughter before sewing up a top for her, she would have probably rolled her eyes because the illustrations on the front are so basic.

I used the medium size with view B neckline and added to the length. I also eliminated the back seam and my daughter can still easily slip it over her head.  The fabric is a polyester woven from Hancock Fabrics.

I'm not a big fan of facings on this type of top so I cut a self-fabric bias binding to finish the neckline. I didn't cut off the seamline before adding the binding because she didn't want the neckline to be any larger.

This was definitely a make-it-tonight wear-it-tomorrow project. Sarah loves it! I have already whipped up two more tops in rayon with this pattern which I'll share later.

Kwik Sew 3612

I just wanted to share a fun little bag which my American Sewing Guild Neighborhood Group made a few weeks ago. This bag is made from 8 fat quarters (or 8 pieces 18"x18"). It makes a very roomy tote for carrying sewing or knitting projects, a trip to the beach, or shopping. For my tote, I used my stash of boxer short fabrics.

Next, I plan to finish up a jacket from my Goodwill fabric stash and get it photographed. What have you been sewing this summer? Garments? Accessories? Gifts? 

Kwik Sew 3740 (with neckline adjustment)

I decided to make Kwik Sew 3740 again with an adjustment to the neckline. The first time I tried this pattern, I cut the neckline by the pattern and I like that top very much. This time, I wanted somewhat of a loose turtleneck/cowl which is high enough at the neckline to wear with sweater vests, cardigans, etc. and also a little bit warmer now that the temperature is in the 20's and 30's occasionally.

I placed my tracing paper under my original pattern and redrew the neckline. This was somewhat of a guess as to what I thought looked right. After I completed the top, I found a discussion on Patternreview.com about drafting cowls which indicated that if you draw a line straight across the shoulders, you should drop the front neckline about 4 inches. Lucky for me, that is exactly how much I dropped mine!

For the cowl neck, I cut a rectangle about 15 x 24 wide. The circumference of the cowl after seaming should match the distance around the neckline. (Actually, mine was ever so slightly smaller to help hold in the stretchy neckline) My neckline circumference is about 22 1/2. I allowed a little extra for shaping at the back seam. I first stitched a straight seam and tried on the cowl. I decided that it would be a good idea to let out the part which would be the fold on the cowl to make it a little looser and give it a little more fabric to "cowl". I tapered back to the original seamline keeping it at 22 1/2 .

Once I had all the adjustments made, I sewed the top up very quickly with my serger and Janome coverstitch machines. If the lightweight jersey didn't roll, I could have it stitched up in about an hour. Does anyone have any tips for sewing with knits that roll?

 
I plan to make several more of these in other colors. I have always enjoyed sewing with knits but REALLY enjoy it now that I can get professional (and stretchy) hems with the coverstitch!

Kwik Sew 3915

I'm starting to really like Kwik Sew patterns, especially since I got my new coverstitch machine. I picked up 3915 a couple of weeks ago when I had a coupon from the local fabric shop. Kwik Sew patterns are a little pricey and they hardly ever go on sale locally. This is a new pattern and I couldn't find any reviews on PatternReview.  I took a chance and it turned out pretty nice. I will definitely use this pattern again.

Since I wasn't sure if I would like it, I did a test sew with a piece of cranberry red polyester interlock knit that I purchased at JoAnn Fabrics on sale for almost nothing. Well, I didn't waste that piece of fabric because I love the pattern and plan to shop for more knits tomorrow.

This was an extremely quick top to make. I sewed everything on the serger and coverstitch machine except for the little loops for the buttons and the row of gathering for the front collar.

What did you make today?

Kwik Sew 3740

I ordered a new wardrobe builder pattern from PatternReview a couple of weeks ago because it had lots of nice reviews. It is listed as one of the top ten patterns for 2010. Kwik Sew 3740 includes a cowl collar long sleeve pullover top and a sleeveless tank top. I had a pretty nice piece of jersey knit fabric in my stash which I actually found at WalMart for 99 cents per yard! I haven't used a Kwik Sew pattern for myself for a few years so it took a few try-ons and adjustments to get the right fit.

I read on PatternReview that sometimes the cowl seam shows in the front. I stitched the seam as instructed the first time around and, sure enough, it did show a bit. Then I made clips in the seam and stitched the front 7 inches of the neckline/cowl seam opposite of the way the pattern instructed. In other words, the front seam allowance is actually on the outside of the pullover between the front and the cowl. The cowl drapes over the exposed seam allowance. The seam never shows when I am wearing the top.

 I always save the little clear elastics that come on ready-to-wear garments to hold them on the hanger in the store. When a neckline or any other area is a little too stretchy, I stitch the elastic to the seam to stabilize it. For this top, I stitched the back neck seam down to the top only in the back from shoulder to shoulder inserting the elastic underneath as I stitched, stretching it slightly. The top feels much better after stabilizing this seam. These clear elastic pieces are also great to stabilize shoulder seams.

I used my favorite double needle hem technique with woolly nylon in the bobbin as described in this post.

What are your favorite patterns and tips for knits?