Getting shirty ...

The B&W striped cotton for little mans shirt was cut out some time ago but it kept getting put to the bottom of the 'to make' pile as other things took precedence but today it made its way to the top.

The shirt is not yet completed but I need to put it aside for now and consider things like making dinner (or the kids will revolt) but I hope to finish it tomorrow.

All that is left to do is the hand sewing on the inner collar edge, making buttonholes and adding the buttons which won't take long.

As I was sewing I realised that I have never sewn a woven shirt before, knit shirts yes but no wovens, so today was a first for me. While it is far from perfect and was only a basic pattern, I am pretty happy with the result. It can only get better from here ...

EDIT: Hand sewing and buttonholes are done, just need to sew the buttons on now.

Another one done ...

Using the same pattern as the long sleeve t-shirt, I have sewn up the sleeveless black t-shirt. Nothing fancy, just plain and useful.

The pattern itself is fine but I do not like the methods they use to attach the neckband or finish the sleeve edges on this version.

For the neckband they would have you stitch the seam of the neckband, fold it in half with right sides out, pin the edge of neck, stitch and turn upward but this does not give a nice finish. I prefer stitching one edge of the neckband around the neck right sides together on the outside, turning the band in and over the seam allowance and stitching in the ditch from the right side. This gives a better finish and looks nicer, imho, so this is what I did.

For the sleeves they have you turn under a very thin double hem and sew which, again, is not the best finish. If I had enough fabric (unfortunately I didn't) I would have applied sleeve bands as per the neck finish but turned the whole thin inside including the seam allowances and stitched from the outside, where the bands are inside and unseen and the end result is much neater. Oh well, next time.

Alternate plan

I had some grey drill put away to make little man some shorts for next summer but he saw it this morning and asked if it could be pants instead. We are heading into Autumn and while it does not get cold here it does cool down compared to what we are used to so pants are useful and the drill is not too thick as to make them uncomfortably warm.

A pair of simple pants has been cut from the same pattern as the previously sewn shorts but to make them a little different I omitted the large side pocket (partly due to insufficient fabric) and added instead a hammer loop coming from the small back pocket and a narrow pocket beneath it.

The pants are loosely cut and with these additions look similar to carpenters pants and, while he is only 8 and doesn't need these features, they help give an interest to otherwise plain pants. The loop and pocket is pictured here and because I didn't have a pattern I just made it up as I went along.

They may or may not form part of the SWAP for Stitchers Guild but that will depend on what I can make to go with them. Due to fabric limitations I could not make them any longer and while they are the right length now he will probably out grow them in no time at all but that is not a problem as I will simply cut them off and convert them into the shorts I intended to make in the first place.

EDIT: I have just cut a sleeveless t-shirt from the remnants of the already made black long sleeve t-shirt but that's as far as I have got.

Simplicity 2318

A simple long sleeve t-shirt was made today from this pattern, nothing flash just plain black and long sleeve.

I did not attach the pocket as the fabric was a light weight interlock and I did not think it would support it very well. I also did not make the yoke pieces from a contrasting colour (as suggested on the pattern) as I wanted a simple black shirt for him to wear with lots of other things and choosing one colour for the yoke would limit those options.

The pattern itself is straight forward and very easy to make but when sewing with black thread on black fabric on a day when it is raining with very little daylight it is a bit of a challenge.

Anyway, that is the first shirt is done and that makes 3 items (2 pairs of shirts and one shirt) completed towards my goal of 11.

I might just get there ...

Another one (almost) done

I have spent today making another pair of shorts for little man, this time a plain black drill with white top stitching, using the same pattern as the previous aqua pair. They are nothing flash but they will be a good wardrobe basic for him, he lives in shorts almost year round.

The shorts themselves were fast to sew but the top stitching took some time.

All there is left to do now is add a button to the back pocket, but it is late afternoon and the light is fading so it will have to wait till tomorrow.

One down

There was not a lot of spare time today but I did manage to sew up the aqua linen shorts, the first item in little mans 'swap'. They are nothing fancy, an 8 yo does not need fancy, they are easy on and off easy care shorts for every day wear. Best of all the likes them so that's a good thing. The linen was the left overs from making shorts for one of his big brothers almost ten years ago, so they were pretty much no cost as well.

Progress ...

Such as it is!

No sewing has been done yet, I am still waiting (for help) to rescue the sewing machine from the garage, so all I can do at the moment is trace patterns, cut fabric and assemble threads, buttons etc. so I will be ready to go as soon as the machine is uncovered.

The items cut out and ready to sew are:

• 1 pair aqua linen shorts
• 1 pair black drill shorts
• 1 black and white striped short sleeve button front shirt
• 1 black long sleeve t-shirt
• 1 aqua sweatshirt

My plan has changed slightly and at the moment it looks something like this.

The patterns are not yet decided so these line drawings (borrowed from the net) are only indicative of type of garment. As the weather here is quite warm, we are in Autumn now and today it topped 33c (felt like 37c), and winters don't get all that cold so I have included items EJ can layer if he wants to and items for both warm and cooler weather as it can be quite changeable.

I doubt I will get all the sewing done and items made before the SWAP end date but I am not too phased as I am only participating for myself and not for the competition, there are far too many wonderful sewists entered to ever think I would have a chance.

So, I will be done when I am done, before the end date or not ...

Loving their style ...

Style Arc have just released their new March patterns and their freebie for the month ..

My favourites have to the these two ...