The Prototype

I've been working on a mitten prototype for my girls. I started with this Green Pepper pattern. The original pattern is for overmitts and the linings that go inside them. I have made those mittens many times but I wanted something a little smaller for the girls. I narrowed the sides of the mitten and added a cuff. This is a scrap this fabric from this Jalie sweater top.

Here are my modified pieces.

Here's the problem. This fabric makes cuffs that are too bulky. I'm going to try with a thinner knit. My original plan was to make the main part of the mitten two layers; fleece on the inside and wool on the outside. But, that would add another layer to the cuff area. I'm still trying to figure out what to do. The thumb is too long also.

Here's the original pattern piece for the hand/wrist.

Here's the model. It fits but I'll make it better. Expect to see more of these tomorrow.

Green Pepper #150 Children's Oregon Jacket

Okay, I finally got this puppy done. It turned out well if I do say so myself. I hope it fits until winter. He is growing like a bean. I may have to stop feeding him.

Son: Mom, why do I have to wear this. It's warm outside.
Mom: You just do. Why are your eyes all squinty?
Son: Mom, it's so bright out. I'm hot.



Son: *SIGH* Mom, why do I have to wear the hood?
Mom: Listen dammit*, just hold on a second okay?
Son: *sigh*


Son: Mom, can I go play now? The Sisters** are getting into my sand castle.
Mom: It'll just take one more second. Hang on. Do you have to be so squinty?
Son (jumping and sticking out arms at weird angles): Bttttttzzzzzz. Btttttzzzzzz. See my super ice powers??
Mom: *sigh* Hold still, one more second.



Son (attempting to run away): ICE POWERS! ICE POWERS! I'M FREEZING YOU!!!BBBBTTTTZZZZZZ! BBBBBBBZZZZTTTT! Stop you hot evil woman.
Mom (smirking and being hot): One more photo. This is the last one. bbbbzzzzzttt, yourself.
Son: AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, I'm burning, I'm burning!!! She's burning me with her evil burn powers!!!!!
Construction note: I decided to add one of the hood reducers. I extended the hood several inches so it would cover more than the original version. But, I didn't know how much to extend it. So I added this contraption so we could expand it if we needed to.



Mom: Okay, this is the last one.
Son: BBBBBBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTTTTTT. You said the last one was the last picture.
Mom: Well, hot evil ladies lie. Stand still.
Son: bbbzzt.



I did something different with the lining this time. I bagged the sleeves so I'd have an easier time with the eleastic casings. Usually I have the raw edges of the lining and the outer fabric. Because I bagged the sleeves, I have nice edges that I don't need to finish. Now, when I fold it over the make the casing, I won't be dealing with turning it under twice to finish the edge.

Here's the folded over section without the elastic. I just flipped and stitched. Much easier than flip, flip stitch especially when you are dealing with slick fabrics.

This is where the zipper, overflap, lining, and hem all meet.

I ended up using all three kinds of seam sealant. See this post for my science experiment. I used Seam Grip on the hood and neck. I figured that this would get the most wear and tear and that since it was on the anterior part of the body, it would see the most rain. I did not like working with this sealer. It is hard to apply, stinky, and gets all over everything. It also has to cure for 12 hours which puts the ky-bosch on progress. Even after it was "cured" it was very tacky. It stuck to itself and my sewing machine repeatedly. When I was putting in the zipper, it was sticking to the machine as if life depending on it. If I was using it on flat seams like a tent it would be way easier. The hood is curved and then, of course, so was the neck. If I had a child-sized dress form it would have been easier. I would have turned it inside out and pinned it to the form. Then I could have easily painted the goop on. As it was, it was sort of pinned to my duct tape double. There was a lot of fiddling and I ended up getting it on the floor once and my hands many times. I used Seam Sealer 3 on the arms and side seams. This is easy, easy to use and dries quickly. I used the K-Tape on the hood where I attached the webbing. It worked great for this.

* No, I don't really cuss at my kids. Sometimes I do feel like I should.

** My son doesn't know his sisters' names. Yes, they are identical twins. Do they look identical? Not really. Instead he calls one or both of them The Sisters. Yes, it's embarassing when he says,"Mom, The Sister in the yellow shirt kicked me!"

Repair Man Joe

Today I'm Repair Man. I thought I sewed nice, tough garments. Yea, right. All you have to do is give it to a four-year-old for two weeks to see if you can really sew. That boy can flat destroy things. So today, I'm a'fixin' things that need fixin'. It's always humbling.

Repair #1 - This is one of the tops I made him for Christmas. It's KS 3234 and I have used that pattern multiple times. The coverstitching had been mangled so I just stitched over the top of the existing stitches. I am perplexed about why is broke in so many places. I can understand if it breaks or comes apart where I tied it off but it also broke several other places. That seems more like a stitch or thread malfunction.



Repair #2 - This is the Green Pepper coat I made him in September. This coat is worn just about every day and he plays outside in the cold 3-8 hours a day. He plays hard. He's a boy. The armpit had started to come undone so I just stitch it back together from the right side. I folded the seams in and topstitched. Pretty? No, but it's in his armpit and this coat is about function, not fashion.



Repair #3 - This is a store bought cotton shirt and I have no idea how he ripped it like that. He has recently moved into the top bunk of a bunk bed and things seem to get snagged on his ladder. Of course, he doesn't use the ladder but instead jumps from the top of the ladder. Who cares if the shirt is stuck between the ladder and the bed? Not him, that's for sure.


I used a knit interfacing and then stitched from the right side using matching thread and the three-step zigzag stitch.


From the front side.


Repair #4 - This one is a biggie and not pretty at all. I made him a rockin' snowsuit January of last year. Actually, I had no idea it was so long ago. I thought I made it this year. I had to go to PatternReview to find the date. It was a little long when I made it for him so the crotch hung a little bit low. Well, you can see what happens when a four-year-old has a saggy crotch. It totally rips out. In this picture you can see there was a lot of damage. From the bottom of the zipper to the knee area is completely torn out. There was no way I was going to take it apart to sew just the outer shell.


I pulled the seams into alignment and topstitched it all together. The purple lines below show all the places I had to stitch it back together. I did a little bit of hand sewing on the horizontal line below the zipper placket. It was too thick and bulky and there was no way to get in there with a sewing machine.




Repair #5 - I have a very independent twin and I have a very girly frou-frou twin. The girly one loves pink and loves ruffles. Her favorite shirt (below) is a turtleneck with a ruffly bottom. The ruffle is coming off and it's a size 12M. They are 2.5 years old so the shirt is very tight now. At one time it was supposed to be a dress but now we use it as a top. I will probably repair this top but then it will "disappear" so she can't find it.


In it's place, I think I will make her this BWOF top (09-2008). It's for a woven but I think I'll use fleece. She has another pink ruffly top that is pink/dark pink tiger stripes (oh yes, she's a fashion goddess) and it's a fleece. I don't have any pink fleece but I think I can make her happy if I add some cute beads or embellishment (see, this is why I need the embroidery machine!!!!).


I think there is lots of room for embellishment with that top yoke.



That's my Saturday. That and laundry. Whoop-eeeee.

2008 in Graphs

I love graphing so when Lindsey T showed her progress in graphs I just had to copy borrow her idea and do it too. I found some interesting results especially after I filtered out my earlier attempts at sewing. I started garment sewing shortly after I signed up for PatternReview on 4/8/07. So, it's been 20 months since I started garment sewing. In that time, I think I've come far with my skills. I have sewn 77 garments thus far this year and feel like most of them are wearable and look mostly RTW. I have also figured out which pattern companies work with my body type. Here is a graph showing all the patterns I used for 2008. There are 12 different companies with BWOF, Jalie, and KwikSew being my favorites.



If I just graph the time since I tried BWOF , you see much different results. Once I tried BWOF, I didn't buy or try any more of the Big 4. The Vogue pattern was one that I sewed earlier but then finished much later because I hated it. The Green Pepper patterns are the ones I use for my kids outerwear. When you factor those in, I use basically five companies.



This shows all the different types of garments. Surprisingly, I made as many dresses as I did coats and casual tops. I did quite a bit if kid sewing which surprised me. I always feel guiltly because I'm not sewing for my kids. It's very interesting to view things this way.


I'll have another entry for my goals and reflections on specific garments later on. Dinner calls.

Questions and Answers

Thanks for all the nice comments guys! I'm trying to answer my questions more frequently so you're no left hanging for more than a week. And thanks (?!) for the horrifying stories about your own children who have had ER visits. Yikes!

Here goes:

Imaan has left a new comment on your post "Burda 09-2008-114 Retro Dress/Jumper": I was just about to ask, HOW DO YOU DO this with three kids? And work (cabinbaby)?????I have two under 3, and work full time, and ...just don't seem to find the time!!! any tips? Also, until hubby makes you are sewing space, what are you using?

Imaan: I do a lot in the mornings before the kids get up and I do a lot after the kids go to bed. I'm not really into that housework thing. :) I do the minimum because the kids just wreck it again in 20 minutes.

melissa has left a new comment on your post "Burda 09-2008-114 Retro Dress/Jumper": Fantastic fit! I hadn't even realised this was sized for Petites, how annoying (for me!). Do you think you could share how you did your runner's butt alteration? I haven't got a swayback, but I've noticed my bum is definitely, umm, perkier since I upped my mileage recently and just this week I had to take in a wedge in the CB seam of my TNT trousers for the first time ever, so maybe I should look into this. It's not something I'd heard of before, but from one sewing runner to another, I'd be grateful for a tutorial if you get the chance!

Melissa: I think it is just your standard swayback alteration. The next time I make a pair of pants of a fitted blouse, I'll snap some pictures for you.

sandy has left a new comment on your post "Burda 09-2008-114 Retro Dress/Jumper": I love your brown shoes! Can you tell me who makes them?

Sandy: I'm embarrassed you asked. I got these shoes from LL Bean when I first started as a teacher. This is my tenth year in the classroom. I still like the shoes and they are obviously well-made.

Kristine has left a new comment on your post "Green Pepper Oregon Jacket for Kids": Dawn, where do you get your materials? This is a great tough weather jacket! BTW, I'm putting a small gift in the mail to you Monday!

Kristine: I have the best fabric boutique up here in Anchorage. They don't have a ton of stuff but what they do have is qual-i-ty. It used to be called Three Sisters but it merged with a quilting store. I think it is called Seams Like Home now.

Kat has left a new comment on your post "116 Pieces . . .": Yikes! 116??? What pattern is that again? I'll be sure to avoid it :) . And I thought tailored jackets with over 20 pieces were annoying.

Kat: This is BWOF 11/2006 #138. It only has 58 pieces but I'm making two.

lynn has left a new comment on your post "Bitch Fabric. Really?": Hi Dawn!I have been looking all over for the Bitch Bitch Bitch fabric. Can you tell me where I can get it or do you have it to sell?My girlfriend and I make silly items with it. Recently, we found a yard of it and made snoods for our dog show friends and they loved them and want more. But we cannot find the fabric. Can you help us?Thanks!

Lynn: I don't have any of this fabric only the swatches. That store doesn't have anymore of the fabric either. Sorry! :(

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Snap Press is here . . .": I am interested in purchasing a Snap press, but have no idea what kind of dies or snaps to get. I was looking at snapstore.com and sent 2 emails.....looks like they don't answer email. So I am at a loss it seems. I am interested in sewing from infants to children clothes at present. No diapers yet, but plan to in future. Can someone help. Appreciate it much!

Anonymous: I have the snap press from them and the dies for the size 16 metal snaps. I think they recommend the plastic resin snaps for diapers and smaller size 14 snaps for baby clothing. Here's what I found on their site about the snaps.
"These polyacetal resin preemie snaps (size 14)are ideal for young infant and preemie clothes. Preemie caps (#14) work with size 16 studs and sockets.

Size 18 is a special size. It's cap diameter is between size 16 and 20. It's stud and socket are exactly the same as size 20 snaps. The post on the cap is a bit longer than size 20. The reason I order it is because people like to have size 20 on diaper wings and the less bulky size 16 to touch the baby skin. However, the regular needle on size 16 is not long enough to go through all the layers. Because of the unusual size and it's extra long post, the manufacturer's price for these two is about the same.

Size 20 polyacetal resin snaps are very popular in diaper making. We have more than 20 colors to choose from."

Hope that helps.

Green Pepper Oregon Jacket for Kids

The full review is here at patternreview.com.

Is my son cute or what? This jacket is made of three layers: XALT breathable laminate on the outside, polartec 200 as insulation, and polyester wicking sweatshirt fleece as a lining. I put the slick side against the skin.



This is the drawstring for the waist.


Here is the hood drawstring. I will change the hood next time. It shows too much cheek and forehead.


The sleeves and hem were easy. Cut off the lining an inch, fold up the shell material, fold under the edge and edgestitch.




I'm not sure that I like what happens when the hood drawstrings are tightened. The drawstrings are only attached to the lining so it pulls the lining snug but not the rest of the hood.


I put reflective tape on the back of the coat too.



Next up: The girl coats. I haven't traced this off yet but there are a lot of pieces!

So. Close.

I am so close to being done with my mini-wardrobe.

1. The skirt is done except for a little bit of hand hamming on the bottom.
2. My purple (magenta?) top needs to be hemmed.
3. I need to photograph the black pants again and the skirt. I would also like to make a composite photo of all the outfits.

After this stuff is complete, I'm going to tackle winter coats for my g'owls. They are from the 09/2006 BWOF. Here are two different views with the line drawing. I won't be embellishing them like these.

I'll be making my son a Green Pepper coat.

It's that time of year again.

Questions and Answers

These are regarding my Simplicity jacket I made last week.

Dana asks...
Does the adhesive from the tape build up on the needle when you're sewing?
---No, the adhesive does not gunk up the needle. And, another bonus, it makes the foot slide nicely over the tape.

Kat said...
That is a great tip! And cheaper than buying a Simplex or whatever that gadget is called.
---Kat, I had to look up what you were talking about. The Simflex looks like a great tool sto have. The tape is mainly there to make it easy to write on ans to help the foot slide over the tape. Here is a link to the Simflex on Nancy's Notions. Thank for pointing out another tool I need. :) For now I just use my quilter's cutting ruler to square everything and put it in the right spot.

This question was asked about the Green Pepper mittens I made last week.

Kat said...
Did the pattern give recommendations or you just knew what fabrics to put together?
---Kat, Green Pepper is really good about giving you advice on what kind of fabric to use. One of the hardest things about making nice, durable outerwear is finding the right fabric. Green Pepper sells some of the fabric and notions they recommend.

Green Pepper 206

ETA: Here is the patternreview.com review. And here is a link to the Green Pepper information on these mittens.

Had to make The Boy some new mittens because the old ones were put too close to the exhaust stack of our furnace. It is a handy place to put mittens and boots beacuse it is warm. In this case, the mittens were too close and the nylon melted a bit. I have one pair cut out and one of them sewn. I don't have another set of buckles for the other ones so they may be a while in the making. This is a Green Pepper pattern. They have good, rugged outerwear patterns for adults and kids. This is the kid pattern. I'll put a real review on tomorrow.

I added a toggle with elastic at the edge of the cuff so snow and water will stay out. I also added a reflector strip to the right-hand mitten.

The palms are Cordura. The main fabric is XALT Waterproof/Breathable fabric.

The inner mitt is Malden Mills Polartec 200. I made them separate so that we can pull them apart and dry they quickly. Also, we can stick a hand warmer in between the two layers so he can stay warm but the warmer won't be too hot against his skin. Those babies get cookin'.

My Plan for the Weekend

So, I got all those new knits from Gorgeous fabrics but haven't done anything with them. I am finishing up a snowsuit for my son. You can see a review that I did here. That snowsuit is a size 4 but I lined it so it ended up smaller. He is 3.5 YO but that snowsuit is too short for him. I am almost done with the size 6. All I have to do is add the cuffs, hem the legs, add elastic, make gloves loops, and attach then and I'm be done.
Next on the to-do list is to hash out the shirt for Butterick 5147. I made a drastic SBA but I think it was too much. I made my own facings and want to attach them before I make up my mind about the SBA I need to FBA.
After that, I am making a light jacket for my Grandpa-in-law. I have to find a lightweight zipper that is long enough and that is proving to be difficult.
Here is a dream list for this weekend:

1. Finish all outstanding projects.
2. Trace out the sheath dress for the Butterick pattern. Cut muslin.
3. Finish making light jackets for my daughters. They are cut out but not sewn.

I am guessing I'll get to change a lot of dirty diapers and do a lot of laundry but a girl can dream.