Time for a change- Toddler capsule part 3

I’ve never really been much of a refashioner. The refashion challenge on the Sewing Bee has always felt like a bit of a mystery to me. How to visualise how something could become entirely different! This means that I usually start with cuts of new fabric, nice and flat and without seams or other features to work around. So it’s a bit of a change for me to be cutting two things for Toby from some of my maternity and post maternity clothes.

I found a pair of linen/viscose Capri length trousers which are far to big on the waist and a Raime Miette skirt that I made after Toby was born, but hasn’t seen much wear. They were both perfect for turning into summery trousers for Toby. I recently downloaded the High Tide Trousers from Made By Jacks Mum so then it was just a case of planning how to make the most of the fabric available.

It definitely took a bit of figuring out how to get all the pieces out and on grain. I had to let out the hems to manage it! There was a lot more usable fabric available in the skirt than the trousers so I decided that the best route forward was a contrast waistband and pockets.

It really is ages since I last sewed a woven garment, so I was a but unsure as to how well these would fit over his nappy. Toby is also quite a bit shorter than the age 3 size at the moment, but I figured that being as these trousers are designed to be rolled up anyway I wouldn’t worry about shortening them. I can always add an extra button to give an additional length option.

At the moment, the rolled up length is ankle grazing when standing, and about knee length when sitting or on his bike which is actually really lovely for this current beautiful weather. Being covered up but loose fitting and cool saves too many worries about sun cream!

I used a nice new fine needle to sew, and then finished the seams on my overlocker because the fabrics do both fray. I didn’t want this to be a really complex sew, so I decided to skip the back welt pockets and Toby certainly wont miss them! The front patch pockets are more than roomy enough for collecting treasures, and I even remembered to pop a handmade label in to the side seam of one pair.

One of my favourite parts of the pale blue pair is that I was able to reuse the faux drawstring from the capris into a functional one in these trousers. The instructions tell you to use buttonholes for the drawstring, but I already had some 5.5mm grommets which were perfect and speeded up the final few sewing sessions too. Because these have an elasticated waist they are still really easy to pull on and off for changes, but look pretty smart too!

Now I’m just hoping that the good weather holds so he can get lots of use out of these for the summer!

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Hoodie and Harems- Toddler capsule part 2

I made Lottie some MBJM harems as part of her mini capsule and loved them so Toby needed some in his capsule too! I’ve always been a bit unsure about the dropped crotch on harem trousers, but I think the fit on these is spot on. Plenty of room for a nappy and freedom of movement, but slim legs and cuffs so that there isn’t too much volume.

This purple sweatshirt has only about 10% stretch so it’s been waiting for ages to find a suitable use. These harems work in lower stretch fabrics so it seemed like a good option.

There is a great big through pocket in these trousers, so I thought it would be fun to tie them in with the striped t-shirts. I also used rainbow thread for the topstitching as another fun little detail.

Usually I want the seams to disappear invisibly from the right side, and that was my intention with these. When they are stretched though you can see just a hint of the rainbow overlocking, which I actually quite like!

I have already made Toby an I CAN hoodie since I tested the pattern with Lottie, but haven’t been able to share it yet. This is his second one, and as soon as I saw this monkey fabric on the Poppy Bear Fabrics Facebook group I was sure he would love it! One of his favourite animals is the monkey, and this fleece backed sweatshirt is so soft. This is the basic version without the colour blocking and the pockets so that I didn’t need to break up the pattern.

This time I didn’t have a suitable colour of bias binding, so I went for the simpler version of the hoodie where the seam allowances are just topstitched down. I also topstitched the hood seams, like I have before on some of his hoodies, because I don’t really like the way that the inner and outer hoods move around without it.

I want to save as much of the monkey fabric as possible, so I thought I would use the purple sweatshirt for the hood lining instead. It means that I think I have enough fabric left from my 1m to make another jumper in the future.

Both of these got a thorough toddler road test and passed with flying colours. They have been through toddler gymnastics, climbing on banks, jumping, leaf kicking and stone throwing. He just looked so comfortable through all of it so there will definitely be more. I’m even thinking they might be cute as shorts!

Making masks

I know I’m not alone in the sewing community in making cloth masks, and I’ve been pretty small scale compared to many. This week though I decided that it would be a good idea to make a couple for myself and Matt, and also for my parents and sister.

I was rummaging through my cotton offcuts and fat quarters for another project, so it was fun to pull out a few scraps which were a bit small for other sewing. I tried to choose a print with each person in mind because I wanted them to be comfortable with my choices but also for them to lift their mood and make them smile. I went with prints on the outside and a solid colour inside to make it really easy to get it on the right way around. These prints are all fairly simple designs, but with uplifting colours!

The pattern I have used is from Patrick Grants Big Community Sew project. I wanted a shaped mask because quite a few members of my family are glasses wearers at least some of the time and my understanding is that the rectangular pleated masks don’t mix so well with glasses. This pattern was a pretty quick easy sew is you are comfortable with curved seams and small seam allowances.

These masks won’t last forever. I didn’t worry about finishing the internal seams so there might be a bit of fraying eventually, especially if they are washed regularly, but I’m still hopeful that this is a temporary situation and I’m pretty sure they will outlast their need. It is possible though that if we end up wearing them a lot then everyone might need a second so that they can be washed after each use.

My sister works in a research lab using lithium and needs to wear a mask to help keep the moisture content of the air low. She says she might continue to wear these masks once she is back at work too. They are much prettier than her standard masks.

I know that people in essential services that are wearing masks everyday have found the elastic behind their ears really uncomfortable. This mask has the elastic going behind the nape of the neck and over the back of the head instead. Hopefully it will be a suitable balance of comfort and practicality. We won’t be wearing masks all day, or needing to replace them regularly so I think that these will do the trick for now.