Little Stitches Week 14 - Pattern R - Cuddle Kitty Toy

Little Stitches Week 14 - Pattern R - Cuddle Kitty Toy

Slowly, but surely, I am making my way through the book. I know I way being way ambitious trying to do one project a week, especially with my busy work schedule. But the good news is: I'm over halfway through completing all the projects and I still have friends making babies. They just don't seem to stop reproducing! Work has been hectic again, and has put a damper on my sewing time, last weekend I helped throw a baby shower for a very close friend of mine and even though I was on the planning committee, I could't come empty handed. So I decided to make something simple for her.

Pattern R - Cuddle Kitty Toy - Difficulty Level: 2

I met Nancy (and her husband Steven) at a Halloween party six years ago. I had just started dating my husband and we were in the phase where we started introducing each other to our friends. Nancy and I met and we clicked immediately. It was one of those moments where you know you're going to be friends. And here we are, six years later. I married that boy and Nancy and Steven are having a girl. Life keeps moving on. Nancy is an extremely talented wardrobe stylist for commercials, who hates to sew. Funny, right? I've actually been teaching her how to make her first quilt so I opted to make something small for her little girl instead. And the Kitty Toy seemed perfect. Since I've been helping her with the quilt I wanted to pick out complementary colors for the Kitty Toy and red and aqua were the perfect choices. They still feel feminine without being over-the-top girly.

I'll openly admit my first mistake. I got all excited and wanted to save time so I laid my main panel and backing fabric out together to cut them at the same time. Only, I laid them directly on top of each other with both fronts facing up and started cutting. I was about a 1/4 of the way through cutting when I realized my mistake. Um, yeah. You need to reverse the backing fabric so when cutting both fabrics together (which does save time) you need to lay one facing up and the other facing down so the wrong sides of your two fabrics are together. Um hum. Just call me the queen of stupid mistakes.

Realizing my mistake I flipped the bottom fabric over and cut them again. This pattern is easy BUT you're working with a lot of curves. Cutting curves can be challenging, so I recommend making sure your rotary blade is extra sharp. Put a new one in if you can. The sharper the blade, the easier it will move around the curves. Also, have a sharp pair of scissors on hand. These will come in super handy for snipping into those corners and you may find yourself using them to help snip trickier portions of the curved pattern. But just remember that you want the fabric for the front side of your cat facing up and the back side of your cat facing down, otherwise you'll end up with a reverse cat, like mine. Oops, again!

I did reach another little stumbling block with the stripes on the tail. The pattern says to cut more than needed, so I am assuming that the spare stripes go on the back of the cat but I didn't read that step in the instructions and you can't really ever see the back of the cat in the pictures so I couldn't tell if she wanted me to put stripes on the back of the tail as well. So I only put them on the front and ended up with extra stripes that went into my scrap bin.

But I do have a little TIP for any of you as anal as I am. It does add an extra step, but not much time. If you're diligent about making the 1/4" folds on your stripe pieces but are having trouble eyeballing them, I suggest doing a 1/4" basting stitch (using your 1/4" foot if you have one) and then ironing along that as a guideline. Then you can easily pull the basting stitches out after you've ironed.

Since you are working with a lot of curves, clipping into your seam allowances (but not into your seams) is the key to making your kitty look curvy when you turn her outside out. The use a turning tool to help get those small curves precise and also the stuffing up in there good.

This is one of those projects that comes together quickly and easily. I think from start to finish it took me an hour, two tops. And it makes a cute little baby gift.

So what are you working on? Link up your latest projects here and show everyone what you're making. You can share your projects in any start from start to finish and join in the sew-along at any time. I'll keep the linky party open all week. Remember, you can also share your "Little Stitches" projects anytime in the Undercover Crafter Sew-Along Group on Flickr. See you next week - if work hasn't killed me. Just kidding!

Little Stitches Week 13 - Pattern E - Comfy Jumper Dress

Finally, this week I can share a finish I've been promising to show you for way too long. This is another one for Arden. Her mom, Caroline, and her sister, Mayah, helped me pick out these cheery fabrics before Arden was born, which was in July, so it makes this finish embarrassing. Even more disconcerting is the fact that I made this in the 6 month size, so who knows if it will even fit her now. Ugh.

Pattern E - Comfy Jumper Dress - Difficulty Level: 3

Seriously, I couldn't find my sewing mojo on this one, right from the start. And it's not like it's a super complex pattern. I started this one early in my "Little Stitches" journey and didn't finish it up until today. Like, right now. Seriously five minutes ago.

My first mistake I didn't even notice until a couple days ago and seriously, reading back over the pattern, I don't know how in the world I even made a mistake like this. See the "V" slit I made in the back? Yeah, that's not called for in this pattern. And I just figured out how I screwed that up. I was making this at the same time I was making the Easy Empire-Waist Top and I swear I had to have accidentally turned to those directions when I was making the bodice. That's the only thing that make any sense to me. I am literally shouting "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" In my head. I didn't realize I had made the mistake until I started attaching the top to the skirt and realized it was the back and thought it was an odd design. Yep. No. Just me being an idiot. Thankfully it doesn't ruin the whole thing.

Before I realized that colossal mistake, my struggles started with the pleats. The instructions for the pleats made me scream out loud, several times. They are also the main reason I walked away from this dress on numerous occasions at the beginning and probably what turned me off from finishing it even after I figured them out.

I've been sewing for years and I know how to make a frickin' pleat. But the way the instructions for these pleats are written they might has well been in Chinese! Seriously, I started to second guess my years of sewing. Finally, after stepping away and coming back to the dress, I resigned to throw away the instructions and just rely on the basic sewing knowledge I possess and make my own damn pleats. They ended up just as they were supposed to, I just don't know why the instructions were so complicated.

Finally, I returned to the project and the other day I started to attempt to attach the bodice to the skirt. Much to my frustration, the bodice seemed to be too big for the skirt. I swear this was a doomed project. But I was determined to finish it, even if it wasn't exactly like Amy's and I resolved to gather the bodice if I had to in order to make it work.

But when I came back to it today I realized that I was trying to pin the back side of the bodice to the front side of the skirt. After a 90 degree turn of the bodice everything fit into place without gathering. I think I just let this one get the best of me and once the mental block was up, it was difficult to get around it.

All said an done, my only real complaint (other than the confusing pleat instructions) with this project is the raw edges. It's one thing to have raw edges exposed on the inside of the garment if it's not lined but if I'm going to go to the trouble of lining something, I expect the raw edges to be hidden in the lining.

That said, I would make... sorry... WILL make this dress again. After I've had some time to do a post-mortem and process my mistakes and come to terms with my faults. But next time I will make a small modification when attaching the skirt to the bodice to hide the raw edges. My plan is to fold the top of the skirt and the lining down 1/2" and sandwich the bodice in between the two and then top stitch the bodice to the top. That should solve it.

Sorry it wasn't all roses around here today. Should have been. I just spent the most lovely morning with my friends Liberty and Ramona, hand stitching in the park. It was glorious, but even writing about this dress stressed me out. Ugh. Hope your finishes are more fortunate than mine.

So, what are you working on? Link up your latest projects here and show everyone what you're making. You can share your projects in any state from start to finish. I'll keep the linky party open all week. Remember, you can also share your "Little Stitches" projects anytime in the Undercover Crafter Sew-Along Group on Flickr. See you next week - if the next project doesn't kill me. Just kidding!

Little Stitches Week 12 - Pattern C - Pillow Sham

Welcome Back for week 11 of the "Little Stitches" Sew-Along. This week I had to whip up the pillow sham for Arden, to match her bed skirt, since I'm going to see her mommy this weekend! It's been way too long.

Pattern C - Pillow Sham - Difficulty Level: 3

Arden's getting big, and I've been planning to make this pillow for her for a long time so I suspected that it was high time I actually got around to whipping it up for her. I knew that this project would be an easy one and the difficutly level was more for the overall project featured in Pattern C, rather than just this pillow sham. In fact, I was able to whip it up in less than an hour this morning.

Yes, this project is quick and simple. It's also pretty straight forward - not many surprises here. When you create the back panel, both of the right sides of the fabric face up when you're aligning them so it creates a natural opening when you turn the pillow.

The only tip I have for this one is when you're basting your top panel to your muslin. Due to the added layer of fusible fleece, it can get a little slippery. You don't need to use your walking foot for this one, but pins can help ease any fabric slippage. I also recommend taking each seam one side at a time, meaning I stitched my seams from one end to the other and didn't pivot at the corners. I started with one of the long sides. Then I stitched the seams on each of the short sides. The key here is to stitch both seams in the same direction. I recommend starting at the long edge you just basted and stitching towards the remaining open long edge. This way you can cheat your fabric toward the opening in case you encounter any slippage and this will minimize puckering.

Otherwise, this one's super easy and it makes a fabulous, quick gift. I can't wait to see how it goes with Arden's crib skirt.

So, what are you working on?Link up your latest projects here and show everyone what you're making. You can share your projects in any state from start to finish. I'll keep the linky party open all week. Remember, you can also show off your "Little Stitches" projects anytime in the Undercover Crafter Sew-Along Group on Flickr. See you next week when I'll show you my latest finish.

Little Stitches Week 11 - Pattern K - Modern Diaper Bag

Welcome back for another week of the "Little Stitches" Sew-Along. You're going to see a lot of different fabrics this week because I've been working on making three of these puppies simultaneously.

Pattern K - Modern Diaper Bag - Difficulty Level: 4

Now, although I've been working on this bag thrice-over they're all still in various phases of construction. But one of them is finished and already living with it's new owner, Nina. You can read more about my friendship with Nina here because this isn't the first thing I made for her in this book. But I knew she really wanted a diaper bag, and I promised her one. Unfortunately it got to her just a little later than I planned.

Since Nina is one of my closest friends, and coincidentally, we share a similar aesthetic I decided to cut into my coveted Wrenly to make something special just for her. I had intended to keep this Wrenly print in my stash to make something for myself, as it was becoming increasingly more difficult to find, but I knew she would love this print as much as I do so it called out to me for a special project like this one. When it came to the lining I initially chose a print from Pat Bravo's Modernology line. Then my stylist friend, Nancy, tried to convince me to use the Lizzy House Castle Peeps print that I had chosen for the same bag I was making for my sister-in-law. I agonized over the choice. And I almost went with Nancy's suggestion, but in the end I put things back the way they were because I thought it would better suit the recipients of each bag.

Cutting and attaching interfacing are the most tedious part of the process for me. It's a necessary evil, but I sometimes wish I could be independently wealthy and just pay someone to cut out pattern pieces from fabric for me. No, not a good waste of money (and I am joking) but seriously, it's the part I hate the most in sewing construction techniques. Because of my loathing I decided to get all the cutting done on this bag in one fell swoop. I planned to make three so I cut all three out at the same time.

To save time I doubled (and sometimes triple depending on the thickness of the fabric/interfacing) up on the layers so I cut cut out pattern pieces in multiples. My little pattern weights came in handy for this and it helped cut down slightly on cutting time.

As is often the case, there were a few instructions that read like Greek to me and made me second guess my own sewing knowledge at times. I mean, I've been making pleats and darts since I was a pre-teen but reading the instructions on how to make the box pleats in the pockets confused me at first. I had to take a step back, remind myself that I know how to do this, and just dive in and make a frickin' pleat. In the end simple is always better and don't doubt yourself.

The second time I was making this bag (which is in the final stages but not yet complete) I encountered yet another problem while reading through the pleat directions again and I sewed the pleats on the bottle pockets too small and had to re-do them to get the pocket round to fit the lining properly.

Once your pockets are in it's pretty much smooth sailing from there. Attaching the bottom panel might give some people a run for their money. Make sure you're matching up the centers of your panels as you work your way around and check your corners. Sometimes you have to go slightly over the 1/2" mark to make sure your corners seal up correctly. If this intimidates you go slowly and don'y be afraid. You'll get the hang of it. Attaching the bottom of the exterior should also be a little easier. If you place your fusible peltex correctly, you can simply follow the groove around.

The darts in the cell pockets shouldn't be an issue, they're just a little thick so make sure to take it slow if your machine has problems handling bulk. And that goes for the topstitching as well when you're finishing the bag. Due to the fusible fleece, the seams can get a bit cumbersome, especially at the seam intersections. Take these slowly, but don't forgo the top stitching. It will definitely help to secure and reinforce the bag.

When it comes time to attach your magnetic clasp you're supposed to follow the directions on the fastener, which in most cases simply state to push through the fabric with the prongs on the clasp. I was able to accomplish this on the first one I made, with a bit of effort. You're pushing these prongs through several layers of fabric and interfacing, so it can be a little tough. A trick I used to make it easier on the next-go around was to use an awl to get the puncture started. Be careful how large you make the puncture in the fabric because you don't want it to fray or tear. I recommend just guiding the tip of the awl through and then letting the prongs do the rest of the work.

I didn't have as much trouble with this bag versus the Everything Bag. I also love this bag for it's stylish presentation. The Modern Diaper Bag is definitely a monster of a bag. I mean it's ginormous! I think Nina can fit her baby Roxana in there! You'll be seeing more of this bag as I finish up the other two.

I really hope Nina likes this bag and gets some good use out of it, even though it was delivered two months late.

So what are you working on? Link up your latest projects here and show everyone what you're making. You can share your projects in any state from start to finish. I'll keep the linky party open all week. Remember, you can also show off your "Little Stitches" projects any time in the Undercover Crafter Sew-Along group on Flickr. See you next week!

Little Stitches Week 10 - Pattern F Cap

It's Week 10 of the "Little Stitches" Sew-Along. Don't get me started on the Comfy Jumper Dress. It's still unfinished and in my UFO pile. Not because it's particularly difficult, but because other projects have taken higher priority status over it. Sorry Comfy Jumper. I swear I'll be showcasing you soon! (Is it weird that I'm apologizing to an inanimate object?)

Pattern F - Cap - Difficulty Level: 3

I met Jeremy through my husband. They've been friends for years. Jeremy is part of Marc's pack of guy friends and I've always adored him since the day I met him. That adoration only grew when he started dating Megahn. They're both, now, part of our close inner circle of friends that I call the Venice Crew. We all live in the same neighborhood. We can walk, or bike to each other's homes and I am so lucky to have such a great group of friends who I know I'll have for the rest of my life. Jeremy and Megahn got married in 2010 and they welcomed their first child, Jude, into the world this December. My plan was (and still is) to make a larger gift for them. It's in the works and will be finished soon I hope, but I couldn't go empty-handed to Meaghn's baby shower.

If you're a regular reader of my blog you know my sewing time has been limited lately. On the morning of the shower I was still gift-less so I woke up a little early to make her just a little something to tide her over until I could finish her real gift. And as they're one of the few people of the MANY (and the list keeps growing) people I know having babies that knew they were having a boy so I thought this little hat would be perfect, and quick.

I cut into this green lattice fabric that I've had stashed forever. It's simple but a favorite of mine. The only problem is, when I was cutting it was early and I wasn't concentrating properly so I also cut the portions of the other hat listed in this pattern from this fabric as well, so some day you'll see this fabric again when I get around to making the butterfly hat.

When you're laying out your pattern pieces for the brim of the cap you can try to nestle the curve of the pattern piece into the curve of the fabric where you just cut. It doesn't fit exactly but you can get somewhat close to help save some of the fabric waste.

This one came together pretty well, but if you're nervous about curves this definitely has a lot of them. My advice is to take your time on the curves. Reinforcing your seams and snipping into the curves to help ease them around is key. Don't cut corners there. (No pun intended!) When you're snipping into your seams be careful that you don't cut in too close to the seam allowance, as these can fray over time if you don't give yourself proper distance from the tip of the snip and the actual seam. But it is a very important step. This helps to reduce bulk and make your curves easier and smoother. I recommend using a pair of small, sharp scissors whenever you clip into a seam allowance.

The only real problem I ran into when making the cap was that my lining ended up just slightly (less than a 1/4") bigger around the band area than the exterior of my cap. I could have easily solved this by stitching a slightly tighter seam into the band, but unfortunately for me I was rapidly running out of time so I fudged it.

The lining isn't as pretty and tailored as it should be but I was able to slightly gather the small overlap when I was stitching the lining to the exterior, which created a slight pucker in the lining. I justified this error because it's on the lining and will never bee seen when worn and I just plain didn't have time to fix it. Instead I affixed my label over the pucker to try to hide it as much as possible. Megahn was pleased with it, so in the end, that's all that matters. I can't wait until Jude is old enough to wear it because I think he's going to look incredibly dapper. It's just so cute and it's easy enough to make in a morning.

So what are you working on? Link up your latest projects here and show everyone what you're making. You can share your projects in any state from start to finish. I'll keep the linky party open all week. Remember you can also show off your "Little Stitches" projects anytime in the Undercover Crafter Sew-Along Group on Flickr.

See you next week when I'll show you my latest finish: Pattern K: The Modern Diaper Bag.