Christmas Sewing Projects: Part Four

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For my fourth and final Christmas sewing project, I made the Winter PJ's by Peek-a-Boo Pattern for my little nieces. I have had this pattern for a while but this was my first time to use it and I LOVE it! Easy to follow and produces excellent results!

Super cute and cozy! I made a size 5 and 18 month. Both were great fits according to their momma! :) I used rib knit for the cuffs and a medium weight cotton jersey knit for the main body. I got both fabrics at Jo-Ann's in the Red Tag section when they were an additional 50% off. It was a pretty sweet deal and I just love the print!

These pj's are a quick sew and who doesn't love that???? I also love that I can sew all the seams with my serger, except for the top's hem, the topstitching of the collar, and the waistband. Because I couldn't fine my twin needle, I just used a stretch stitch on my sewing machine.

The instructions for this pattern are excellent and I highly recommend this pattern for beginners, as long as they are comfortable sewing with knits, which I know can be a challenge. Of course, I no longer fear knits thanks to my serger! :) The only part of the pattern that I did not follow involved attaching the collar. I used a 1/4 inch seam allowance to attach it rather than the 1/2 inch used throughout the pattern. I attempted the 1/2 inch initially but I could see it made the ribbing too narrow, so I changed to the 1/4 inch.

Another thing I LOVE about this pattern is that there is actually a front and back to the bottoms, unlike other pj patterns I have used. I think this makes for a better fit. Since I do not have clothing tags, I came up with the idea of using a small piece of ribbon to make it easy to tell the front from the back. I am sure this is not a novel idea, but I was pretty happy that I thought of it for this purpose. 

Please, ignore the long thread that was not clipped prior to taking this picture. :)

I highly recommend this pattern and I know I will use it over and over again, as the size goes all the way up to 8 years. And as my nieces love to run around in their pj's as long as they can! :)

Well that concludes my Christmas sewing project series.

Happy Sewing! 

Christmas Sewing Projects: Part Three

On to the third part of my Christmas sewing projects. I am so excited and proud to share this third one for many reasons! First, it is absolutely ADORABLE! Second, I have never made anything like it before! Thirdly, I made it for my sweet three year old niece that I love to pieces! Fourthly, did I mention it is ADORABLE?!?!?! ;) Please, let me present to you Ellie the Baby Elephant!

Is she not the most adorable little creature ever???? Ellie was constructed using this pattern by Ruby Jean's Closet. Actually, I purchased the complete combo pattern package, which includes the instructions for making Ellie, her diapers, hair bows, wardrobe, and travel case! You cannot beat this deal or the quality of this pattern! I had never made a stuffed animal or doll before completing this project and I was initially very nervous, but this pattern walks you through every step. The instructions are perfectly clear and provide excellent tips on how to sew around the little curves and points of the pattern to get great results. Ellie is professionally designed...all raw edges are hidden inside and the trunk and eyes are attached from the inside before sewing Ellie shut. The hardest part of completing Ellie is sewing the front and back together and attaching the trunk. Sewing the front and back of Ellie together is not exactly difficult but rather time consuming, as you want to proceed slowly. But the time is well worth it! The trunk is difficult to attach simply because of the small area you have to work through, but once you get started, it is actually pretty easy.

I did not have time to make the traveling case, but I plan to because it is too adorable not to make! I did make some clothing though. I made three diapers, three hair bows, and two dresses.

The instructions for Ellie's wardrobe are also very clear and easy to follow. The most difficult thing about making them is that they are small, which means the sewing and turning is a little more intricate but not to fear! (By the way, there are many more pattern pieces included in Ellie's wardrobe-bib, pants, pj's, overalls, bloomers, etc.) Everything closes with Velcro, which makes it easy for little hands to put on and remove. Notice, I made the bows to coordinate with her dresses and diapers. :)

And the outfits are an excellent fit for Ellie! :)

Seriously, how can you not fall instantly in love with her???? My niece seemed pretty amazed when she opened it on Christmas day. I think she did not know what to think about it at first, especially the removable diapers, which of course she wanted me to "change" as soon as she opened her. :) I think she will have lots of fun with Ellie over the years. I can't wait to make my littlest niece one for her birthday.

For the above Ellie, I used this linen fabric for the body and some pastel pink broadcloth for the contrasting ears. I only purchased half a yard of the linen fabric and probably used less than half of that amount. The contrasting ear fabric requires scrap pieces. So Ellie can be constructed using minimal fabric. I bought this bag of stuffing, which was more than enough (I have well over half of it still left).

I used black shank buttons for her eyes, which worked really well.  I made her diapers out of premium cotton broadcloth and her dresses out of quilting cotton. I had most of the supplies laying around for Ellie, except for the eye buttons, linen fabric, and stuffing.

I had so much fun making Ellie and cannot wait to make another one or to add to my niece's wardrobe collection! See this is really a great gift, as you can continue to add to it! Once I make the traveling case, I will be sure to share my review of the pattern as well.

Some advice for making Ellie: 1) copy all the markings on the pattern to your fabric pieces- this makes things so much easier; 2) take your time-the end results are worth it; 3) line things up properly-the nose, ears, and eyes; 4) use strong, quality thread for attaching the nose and eyes; 5) and most importantly have fun! Honestly, all of this advice is provided in the instructions. Just follow them and you will do great!

Hurry on over to Ruby Jean's Closet to get your Ellie pattern today. And be sure to check out their other adorable patterns. They specialize in girl's clothing patterns and I have bought several of these myself. :)

Happy Sewing! :)

Christmas Sewing Projects: Part Two

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Up next to share from my Christmas sewing is The Snow Day Fleece Hat and Mittens by Peek-a-Boo Patterns. I bought this pattern back in November, but last week was the first time I was able to sit down and make it. I only made the hat this time around, which made for a very quick sew. I used this adorable owl fleece (remember my owl craze??) to make these matching hats for my cousin's little girls.

They turned out pretty darn cute if I do say so myself. :) And the girls loved them!

As to my review of  the actual pattern, I think it is a must have! Super easy to follow with several different style and size options. Make the standard hat like I did or make it without the pompoms. For little ones that like to take their hats off or to keep those ears extra warm, make the ear flap version. With seven different size options, you can make one for all the kiddos. I made the XL (child) size for my cousin's oldest daughter and I could actually fit it on my head, so I think the XXL (tween) would be a perfect fit for me! :)

This pattern is also an excellent scrap buster, as it really takes a small amount of fleece. The longest continual piece you will need will be for the hat band. 

As I said above, I did not make the mittens, but I read through the directions and they were easy to follow. Pictures accompany the instructions for both the hat and the mittens, which are always an added bonus. This is a great pattern combo at a great price.

Make one and you will probably never buy a ready made hat again! Why do so when you can make your own with your kids' favorite print choices??? :) Go get The Snow Day Fleece Hat and Mittens today and see how fast you can whip out a new matching set for your little ones. I know they will be a hit! :)

Christmas Sewing Projects: Part One

I hope everyone had a truly wonderful, blessed Christmas! I know I did! So thankful for the wonderful time I had with family and friends as we celebrated the Savior's birth.

On Friday, December 13th (I know, Friday the 13th!), I submitted my last final for the semester and so began my one month vacation from school. That first Saturday was devoted to cleaning my house, as it had been poorly neglected over the past two weeks. Sunday I rested, while Monday began my mad dash to get all my Christmas projects and shopping done. My sewing projects kept me busy right up to Monday, December 23rd. It was my goal to be done that day, which I basically accomplished, except for a little hand sewing my mom asked me to do, which didn't take too long. So overall, last week was one busy week. Now I have some time to sit back and breathe and actually enjoy my vacation from school, as well as begin to share some of my Christmas projects, now that they are no longer a secret. :)

First up is my infinity scarves. I think I may be a little late to the program, but seriously, where have these beauties been all my life??? I LOVE infinity scarves! I made my first Girl Charlee fabric purchase specifically for these lovely creations.

These are only four of the ten I made. The others had already been gifted. For these scarves, I needed two yards of fabric each (because of the length); however, two yards made two scarves. The finished dimensions of these babies were approximately 14-inches wide and approximately 6-feet in circumference. I used a half inch seam allowance and my serger worked beautifully to sew these babies up, especially after my brilliant sewing friend Erin gave me the perfect tension setting for working with cotton jersey knit. (Thank you, Erin!) I have written it down and posted it to my serger! Well that was my first project! I hope to get pics of each of the recipients of these scarves wearing them. I actually have one of my grandma wearing hers. (My mom bought one of the scarves from me for a Christmas present to her mom)

Grandma with her children

She looks pretty classy in her new infinity scarf! Well that is the first of my Christmas sewing projects. I will share another tomorrow!