A potholder for a friend

I made this extra-large potholder for a friend this week. On New Year's Day, hanging at her house, she brought out a Calaphon Dutch oven and an indoor grill pan, both of which she was no longer using. She said I could have them. I was thrilled because those are two pans missing from own kitchen. Score!

I decided to make her something to thank her and landed on this potholder thanks to a new email rolling into my inbox each day. It's called the Sew Can She Newsletter. They deliver one sewing tutorial to you each day. Free! Not bad, right? The tutorials come from all over blog land, and you can submit your own to be considered. It's just another easy way to find inspiration and tutorials you might otherwise miss. So last week, the email include a potholder tutorial that used this exact same coffee cup fabric! I had it in my stash awaiting some sort of inspiration, so I took it as a sign and whipped this up. I didn't use fusible thread, as the tutorial calls for, but that's a good idea I'll have to look into. And I just did some straight-line quilting with a zig-zag stitch thrown in.

Hope my friend loves it! The finished size is about a 10-inch square, which is really large. Nice for use as a counter-top hot pad, too!

Oh and hop over to the blog Boy Oh Boy Oh Boy! Stacey is gearing up for a year-long Sewing for Boys sew along! Fun! They featured one of my Henry Shirt posts this week. Thanks for the invite, Stacey!

2011 retrospective: A year of sewing

Here's a mini look at just about everything I made in 2011. Not every little thing is on here (including my most recent! Forgot the puppet theatre!) But most of it is there.

Looking at this, I'm kind of impressed with the amount I was able to do in a year. Go me! I suppose if you break it down, this is still less than one finished project per week. But I will so take that.

Let's break it down further, shall we?

I made four bags: a roll-up grocery bag, my Going-on-a-Walk bag, and the 241 Tote and the Go Anywhere bag, both from Noodlehead. Also did a clutch.

I made four pillows: a patchwork pillow, a crochet doily pillow, a monogrammed pillow, and an embroidered pillow for Jack's room.

I made a bunch of kid stuff: bibs, burp clothes, a nursing cover, baby shoes, baby blocks, sun hats and more sun hats, super hero capes, appliqued shirts, a bird mobile, a baby blanket and a taggy blanket.

I made clothes! Four different skirts, two dresses, a button-up shirt for Luke, two Halloween costumes, a bow-tie, a shirt for myself and my scarflette!

I made gifts. A baby's first Christmas ornament, a baby gift set, an apron or two, the puppet theatre, coasters, a quilted sunglass case, a dahlia pin (for myself) and a photo necklace.

I have learned this: I rarely want to make the same thing twice. This is why I could never have an etsy store! I am most content when I am learning something and trying something new. The side effect is that I rarely master any one thing. But that's a tradeoff I'm OK with. Wouldn't it be boring to always make... bibs or little kid clothes?

So, what will 2012 bring? Some of the same. But many new things and projects, I'm sure. Maybe my first quilt? Or a dress I make for myself, start to finish? I'm excited to see.

Mostly, I'm just exciting that I know I will always, always find something to be inspired by -- and another good excuse to buy more pretty fabric.

Here's to a happy 2012 all! Cheers!

One more Henry Shirt post: Pictures and resources

There it is! My Henry Shirt in action. Isn't it cute? I really do love it. I'm so thankful for this Sew Along because I don't know I would have tackled this project without it.

Two notes about those photos: isn't that dogwood a wonderful red? I love it in the fall. And yes, my kid is wearing his pants backward. You're not crazy. 

Back to the Sew Along wrap-up: I learned so much. I know next time the results will be even better. I want to jot down a quick list, for my reference and anyone else's. Here are some things I would do differently next time:

• Take more time cutting. I think my cutting was not 100% as accurate as it could be. 
• Use 3/8 inch -- or maybe even 1/2 inch -- seams. This is because I make such skinny little children. (Like, my 3-year-old weighs less than 30 pounds.) The shirt doesn't fit too badly honestly, but a slimmer cut would work well, too. 
• Try a fabric besides cotton. I love cotton for the ease in sewing and the fabulous patterns and for being the fabric I'm most comfortable working with. But I think it might be good to try a different textile for this shirt, especially for the main body pieces. 
• I'd follow Leila's lead and cut the shirt a little longer. I believe she did that by adding two inches or so to the main front panels, the side panels and the back. This would help not just to lengthen the shirt but to make my hemming issue a non-issue. 
• I'd add some top-stitching to the pockets and the collar. 
• I'd like to try buttons next time, if only because these snaps just aren't working for me! (And I realize the issue there is probably me.) After I took these photos, they all basically popped off. 
• My collar skills need work. This one is a little messy. 

If you want to make your own shirt and follow along with this Sew Along at some later point, here are all the posts you need.

• Day 1: Preparing your fabric and getting ready. Krista /Leila
• Day 2: Cutting. Krista//Leila
• Day 3: Preparing to sew. Krista ///// Leila
• Day 4: Assembling the shirt body. Krista/Leila
• Day 5: Assembling and attaching the yoke and sleeves. Krista/Leila
• Day 6: Assembling and attaching the collar.. Krista/Leila
• Day 7: Finishing touches(snaps and hem) and reveal. Krista / Leila

Also, here are a few links to some other relevant Web sites and resources.

Sewing for Boys: Official Web site
One Girl Circus: Blog of book author Karen LePage
Patterns by Figgy
Sewing for Boys Flickr Group

That's it! Thanks to anyone who followed along. :) I can't wait to try something else from this book. What should we do next?!

Henry Shirt Sew-Along - Day Seven, We're done!

There it is! My finished Henry Shirt!

I'm quite proud of myself, and very happy to see this bright little shirt. It is far from perfect. The hem doesn't match in the front, and the collar can be a little wonky. The snaps keep popping off. But you know what? It's the most advanced garment I have ever sewn by far, and I think it turned out pretty well considering that. What a cute little pattern.

I have more to say about this, but this morning has been packed and busy and I don't have time now. I'll try to get some pictures of the kid wearing it and share more tomorrow, officially wrapping up the Sew Along. Thanks for much if you followed along here or on Leila's blog. See her finished shirt here!   It looks so professional! Thanks, Leila, for pushing to get this sew along started! I would not have a finished shirt today without it!

Henry Shirt Sew-Along, Day Six

Little known fact about me: I am terrible at finishing projects. Like, I very jazzed about the idea and the starting and say jazzed all the way up until I am about 90 percent of the way in. Then those last few steps somehow feel like torture. Tomorrow will be brutal. How will I ever possibly hem a shirt and put on some snaps without melting into a puddle on my floor?

But that's tomorrow. Today, we're still good. We're in the 90 percent. Occupy the Henry Shirt!

OK, I'm off my rocker right now. Let's get to it.

Today we form and attach the collar.



Start with a simple 3/8 inch press on the bottom of your outer collar piece. Make sure you've got the right bottom! I referred back to the pattern paper just to make sure.

When you line up the under collar to the main collar, you'll notice something. It's smaller! This was a scary moment for me, because I often cut things a little wonky. But in this case, the pieces are meant to be different, because you cut the under collar on the bias. Which is a fancy way of saying, this piece of fabric will stretch, and so it is OK that it is a tad smaller.

Here they are with one side sewn together. See? Stretchy! 

I should have said this earlier in this process, but a good iron and a lot of pressing is so helpful. You've got to iron the hell out of all your seams after each step of the process to make things really lay properly. It's a life-saver! I especially went wild with my iron after this step above, where I sewed the two short ends together.

Then you attach the collar to lining to the shirt, leaving the main piece floating free. That gets sewn together first.

And that's the last good photo I have of the process!

You'll flip the collar over and line that folded edge up, covering the unsightly seam bits on the inside of the shirt. Then you edge-stitch it down.

And then look at that....

Your shirt is really now a shirt!

Check out my Sew-Along partner Leila's nearly finished project on her blog, Bilingual Baby. We're almost done, which means I must summon all my will-power to not rest happy with what I've done so far. Cause I'm really happy with that. Like, I just want to put the shirt under my pillow for safe-keeping. But I won't. I'll finish it, I promise. Check back tomorrow to see!

Henry Shirt Sew-Along, Day Five -- here she goes

Day Five, Henry Shirt Sew Along. This was a tough day for me! Tough but ultimately really satisfying, because everything works out. And by the end of this, your shirt is really allllmost a shirt. Miracle of mircales!

The agenda today is sewing together the yoke and sleeves. Ladies and gentlemen, can I say, until this day a "yoke" to me was always the pretty yellow inside part of an egg. Apparently, it also is what you call the upper back (and front?) part of a shirt, the part that connects the two sleeves. I figured that out a while ago, but I'd never sewn one before, and I'm just throwing it out there for anyone who is nearly as clueless as me. You're welcome.

So yoke and sleeves. I took many photos of the various steps (Steps 14 through 25 in the rad book Sewing for Boys) but the problem is this: I made a major mistake in this sewing round. I misread the diagram that shows how to pin and sew the yoke pieces to the bod. I actually misread the directions as well. My problem was I stopped stitching things together when I hit the seam on the underside of the arm.

Let me show you. 

SEE?!?!  This is where I stopped, leaving my front panels flapping in the breeze.

I don't know why I didn't get this. When rereading, I see that the diagram is really very clear, as are the directions. I guess it just comes down to never having made a garment like this, and to sewing at night or with kids running around. Distracted and clueless -- this is the result!

It wouldn't have been such a big deal, but I moved forward and stitched my arm holes together.

 

Then I took these photos, all proud of myself.

But yeah, the yoke front is still not attached. I thought that was happening at the same time that the collar would be sewn on.

It wasn't until I started work on that that I realized DUH I was supposed to stitch the whole yoke together. HAHAHA!  And I could no longer turn the shirt inside-out properly, because I'd closed up the arm holes.

Thank God for ye old seam ripper, my truest of true friends.

Ah, there. That's better.

Come back tomorrow when we'll attach the collar. And things don't go nearly as wrong there as you'd expect after this!

Don't forget to check in on Leila at Bilingual Baby. Her shirt is looking killer!

Henry Shirt Sew-Along, Day four

Today the shirt really starts to come together. Exciting! So let's dive in, shall we? We're doing the section of the Henry Shirt from the book Sewing for Boys titled, "Assembling the Shirt Body," steps 9 to 13.

I think a lot of the sewing today is what elevates this project to "advanced" status. At least, that's my guess, because there are a few curved seams. Curved seams can seem very confounding when you're trying them for the first time.

You'll line your pattern pieces up to see how they'll fit together like this.

But then when you flip to put them right-sides together, the way they'll be when you stitch them together, you find this:

They don't line up anymore, of course, since the curved parts are going different ways.

Sewing them together really feels a little like magic. It just takes some practice. This is the tutorial I used when I learned.  You can also Google if you need more help and you'll find more tutorials and even YouTube videos that walk you through it. Bottom line, it's really not that hard.

There's a good diagram in the book and the authors advise not to over pin. That's good advice. Just a few pins will do it. Start from the top point and let the fabric roll and curve a bit as you maneuver the fabric together.

Then stitch it together slowly, smoothing out little bubbles that form. They'll stay bubbly away from the seam area, but there, where it goes through the presser foot, it should be nice and smooth.

You'll do this four times, attaching the sides to the front and back panels.

The instructions each time say to then "finish the seam allowance." I actually skipped right over it the first time around and top-stitched my seam down without finishing. I think those four words are easy to miss! But what it's saying is to be sure to first finish the seam allowance by either sergering, cutting with pinking shears, or doing what I did -- using a zig-zag stitch. This ensures the fabric won't unravel when you wash and wear the shirt! 

There's my finished seam.

I made one other mistake, too! It came when it was time to attach a closure strip.

First you line it up, right sides together, and pin. And stitch this edge together.

Then you sort of re-press it into place, with the crease down the middle and the other long-end ironed under a quarter inch.

I didn't do a great job of accurately pressing this the first time around. You want it so when folded in place, the fabric under the shirt just crosses over the edge of the front of the closure strip. Because when you edgestitch it in place, you want to just grab all layers of the strip.

The first time, I didn't. I missed some of the places where it was folded under. See? That wasn't going to do.

So out came my very best friend, my seam ripper! Not a big deal. It happens, right? Just rip the seam out slowly and carefully so you don't accidentally cut a hole in your fabric.

I did this, re-ironed and made sure everything was better lined up.

And that was it!

You can really see the shirt starting to come together. Isn't it fun?? My only worry right now is that it is a little boxy. My guy is SO skinny. I would not know where to begin to make it skinnier, and I wonder whether I have been using the wrong seam allowances. I'm careless at time with my seam allowances, figuring as long as I keep them all standard, it's fine. But I think I've been using 1/4 inch, not 3/8 inch. That would have helped to make things a little tighter, eh?

Be sure to check in on Leila and see how things are going for her shirt.

And if you're sewing along, please be sure to leave us a comment! We'd love to hear how things are going for you.

Oh and Happy Halloween, from my little matador and bull!

Henry Shirt Sew-Along, Day Three

Anyone out there sewing along with Leila and I? (We're making the Henry Shirt from the book Sewing for Boys.) I'd love to hear from you! Or, if you come across this at a later date, I'd love to hear that, too.

Onto day three!

Today is all about getting prepared for the major sewing. It's the section titled "Prepare the details" and includes steps No. 1-8.

If you do this section with a sense of focus, it shouldn't take long at all. If you do it like me -- while drinking wine, watching reruns of Sex and the City and Seinfeld, and using a needle meant for knits for quite a while before realizing that's why your thread keeps going all bonkers -- than, yeah, it might take a bit longer.

First on the list is ironing on your fusible interfacing. I used a Pellon light-weight fusible web found everywhere. Follow the instructions. Easy peasy.

First you iron it to the closure strips. 

Which you will then iron in half length-wise with wrong sides together. Then unfold and iron the non-interfaced length down, wrong sides together, a quarter inch. I had to be really mindful of that quarter inch, because if you have ever made your own bias tape, the instinct is to fold it all the way to the crease and then iron. Nope! Just a quarter inch.

Then you iron it onto the back of the upper collar.

Next, you're going to make an inverted box pleat on the back. This is where I got nervous and re-read the instructions 25 times. Because "inverted box pleat" is not something I do every day. First, I put the markings on my fabric. You can do this during the cutting stage, but I often do it like this. Once my fabric is cut, I lay it right on top of the pattern paper and use a water-erasing marker, folding the fabric down to make the line line up. Does that make sense?

Here you can see the full box where the pleat will form drawn on.

Next, following the diagram in the book, I pinched the fabric together, bringing the two sides of the box together. With right sides together.

Then I sort of flattened it down.

I flipped the fabric over to see how it was looking on the right side. This matched the diagram in the book fairly well, so I am hoping I got it right. Gulp!

I pinned it and pressed it.

Then put a few basting stitches (a stitch set to your longest stitch-length with no back sewing at the beginning or end) across the top and down two inches into the pleat.

So it looks like this. And I hope that's right!

Moving on, you'll press the pockets to form the top (make sure you have your fabric going the right direction if that's an issue for you!) Then you'll sew the bottom edge, right sides together.

Finally, you'll add the pockets to the side panels. One note: the instructions don't call for a top-stitch along the top of the pockets. I didn't add one, but I think it might look nice if you did! The pockets first get basted along the sides (stay inside the seam allowance!)

Then the bottom is edge-stitched in place. Edge stitching is just what it sounds like -- stitching that runs right along the edge.

And that's it for today!

Hope you're having fun! The shirt is really going to come together in the next day or two. Exciting, isn't it?