The Bat Crew!

Today, we celebrated May birthdays for two of the children...with presents also for the little guy, even though his birthday isn't for a few more months. But first, we went to church. When we picked up the kiddos, their mom had dressed them in their Batman® outfits. EVERYONE loved them! And I have to say, "The Bat Crew" did look pretty adorable!

These outfits were a lot of fun to create...and I got to use some of my thrift store scraps in the bargain.  I could have bought Batman® shirts, but where would the challenge/fun in that be?  BTW...after I finished Zola's little top, I noticed a tiny hole in the back.  So I cut out one of the Bat Signal ovals from a leftover scrap and appliqued it as a cover.  So she has a tiny Bat Signal on the back of her dress.  I love that quirky accent!  Sassy, just like her!

It's Batman, Y'all!

Our youngest great-nephew, Nathan (age 2½), is obsessed with Batman.  His mom mentioned to me one day, "If you could make him ANYTHING with Batman on it, he would go nuts."  I made Timothy a Batman cape and mask a few years ago, and Nathan wears it all the time now.

So I went online and found all kinds of Batman prints.  I settled on one that was black with the yellow oval "Bat signals" and ordered enough to make shorts for our two nephews, Timothy and Nathan...and a 5-year-old cousin, Owen.  Then I bought black T-shirts at WalMart and used knit scraps to applique the "Bat Signal" on them to match the shorts.  I used my pattern from the cape that I made a few years ago.  Let me tell you, I am not an expert at applique...and sewing black and yellow and making it look halfway smooth was definitely a challenge.  I think maybe I should have done the oval itself in yellow and stayed just inside the knit line.  NEXT TIME, I will know better!

 
I couldn't leave out Zola.  Girls like superheroes, too, y'all!  So I used a thrift-store knit t-shirt in yellow to make her a pillowcase dress, and I had just enough print scraps to make a tie.  I covered some flaws in the dress (aka HOLES and stains) with a big black bat...and I even added a small "Bat Signal" from the print fabric on the back to cover a hole.  It's not the best dress I ever made...and we'll have to put a black shirt and leggings or shorts underneath it...but Zola won't care!  She will have Batman like her brothers...and that's what really matters!

I didn't get a single picture of all three children in their matching Easter outfits.  I was going to do that at the egg hunt, and it rained and the children went in three different directions.  Oh, well...maybe we can do better with Batman!  Time will tell!  Stay tuned!

Somebunny's Gonna Look Darling!

A few weeks ago while shopping in west Little Rock, we passed this outfit in the window of a shop that sold children's clothes.  Well, you know where my mind went!  I snapped a photo and went in search of pink fabric.

Since chevron is so "hot" right now, I opted to use this instead of the "windowpane" fabric used in the outfit modeled in the window.  I also found a bunny outline I liked a little better - and a couple of long-sleeved t's on clearance. 

Here is the "before" - and the "afters" for my niece Zola and my cousin Harper, who are about 4 months apart in age.  I think they will be darling little "bunnies"...don't you?!

Aunt Debbie Made It!

When I was a little girl, my sister and I could not wait for the new catalogs to arrive each season.  We would pick out what we liked, and my Mam-ma Polly and my mother would do their best to make us something very similar.  I remember one year when I had an orange double-knit "shift" dress with a pocket near the hem that held a black and white polka dot scarf.  I also had a beautiful white knit peasant-style dress that featured button holes around the neckline and wrists.  Black velvet ribbon was threaded through these button holes and created an accent.  All of my friends coveted this dress!

So I guess it's only natural that I would want to create the fashions I see online for Zola and Olivia and the boys.  I have started saving photos of cute outfits and ideas (and of course, Pinterest is a plethora of material!).  The end results are starting to come to life.

Our high school mascot is the panther... colors are red and black.  So I made all of the children "panther" shirts.

 

 

 

 

 

Then I started on my stash of saved photos.  I went through the thrift-store t-shirts I had purchased... as well as a couple of polka-dot camisoles I purchased on clearance at Wal-Mart... and I started sewing.  I also bought several bandeau tops at Wal-Mart on clearance ($2-$3 each) and made skirts... zebra print and solid black.  Some of this material also became accents for other projects - and even a pair of pants for Zola.

 

This was a cute little outfit I saw on Zulilly. 

 

 

I got this knit shirt at the thrift store (it even had the flowers I used in the finished product).

 

And "Voila!"  My version!

 

 

This was a shirt I retired from my closet... a solid shirt from the thrift store... and an idea I got online...

 

 

 

 

... and these are my versions for Zola...

 

 

 

 

 

 

And finally... I took this thrift-store knit top, a screen-printed t-shirt from a local nursing center (also purchased at the thrift store)... and created my version of another little outfit.  I have a stack of ideas yet to come... but I may have to stop and work on Halloween outfits next!  Stay tuned to see what else my kiddos will be wearing.  I'm only limited by my imagination!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, and Thank You, Mom and Mam-ma Polly... for your inspiration and for teaching me to sew!  I know that Mam-ma would LOVE these outfits... I can just see her fingering the details of each one... and it makes me smile.

Can You Really Wear Out a Sewing Machine?

The short answer is... YES!  In the middle of making superhero capes for my nephew, Timothy, and his cousin, Owen, my 2-year-old Brother locked up and refused to budge.  We tried replacing the belt.  My husband and I took the machine apart and gave it a good cleaning.  Nothing worked.  We decided to cut our losses and buy a new machine, since you can get a good basic model for less than $150.  I have not even asked what it would cost for someone to look at the Brother, but I may ... just for backup purposes. 

Meanwhile, I ordered a Singer (better warranty - more metal parts) and by January 1, 2013, I was back in business!  So far... things are running along pretty smoothly, and the creative juices are flowing.  This machine lacks a couple of fine features the Brother possessed... leaving the needle IN the fabric when sewing stopped, and three speed choices in addition to the foot pedal... but overall, the stitches seem nicer and more consistent, and the satin stitch for monogramming is dreamy!

I finished the capes and matching masks (Thanks, Pinterest!)... and moved on to sewing for my niece, Zola.  I was searching for something in my scrap basket one day, and one thing led to another, and soon Zola had new pants and tops, appliqued tees and more!

Before... a pink ladies sweatshirt and snakeskin print knit turtleneck...

After... a pink jumper, pants, (and striped pants from a scrap);

and a red print jumper and leggings!

My mother-in-law gave me a book from the Singer Sewing Library called Sewing for Children. It has lots of tips and ideas that I can incorporate into making children's clothing.  I have already utilized several ideas... and these four bibs were part of the results!

Finally, I utilized several scraps to create a "Toy Story" outfit that is suitable for my niece, Zola... and Nathan can wear the pants later.  I also made Zola this adorable T-shirt.  Thanks again, Pinterest!

Pinterest also was the source of a darling set of fabric scrap "quilted" ABC's.  Timothy is loving his "letters!"  I still have lower case and numbers to do, but they are super easy - and a great way to utilize smaller fabric pieces.

I don't have a photo, but I have also turned a red fleece scarf I purchased at the thrift store for $1 into more than a half dozen "Valentine Owie bags" - rice bags that can be heated in the microwave or frozen for those "owies" that happen to all little kids!  These are heart shaped, super soft and cuddly - and sure to please all my little kiddos!

Next projects?  A coat for Zola, Easter outfits, more scrap projects... and yes, more applique.  When I look at all I did in the last two years, it's no wonder the Brother quit working.  Let's hope the new Singer is up to the challenge of all these projects!  Stay tuned!