Challenging Corduroy

 My stitching up of clothes for gorgeous grandsons continues!

I am a sucker for a good fabric for boys so when I saw the Dinosaurs in Diggers and on Scooters fabrics at Flamingo Fabrics I couldn't resist :) Two more tops from that, by now, well-used Jalie pattern. I think these are the 15th and 16th that I have made from this pattern.

 

 Tops are only half the story though, a boy needs trousers too! These were my first ever attempt at sewing with corduroy and it was a messy business, there was fluff everywhere. I was really worried cutting out that I would get the nap going the wrong way somewhere, but fortunately it all worked out fine. The pocket fronts are supposed to be running parallel to the legs in case you are thinking that I hadn't noticed :) 

The elasticated ribbed waistband was a real struggle to get on, so I think next time I will attach the ribbing back and front with a gap at the back to thread the elastic through rather than trying to attach the waistband with the elastic already stitched to it. 

Both these and the smaller pair are patterns from the December issue of Ottobre I do like flipping through each issue deciding what I would like to make. I thought the fluff from the gold corduroy was bad but there was bits of wine coloured fluff everywhere by the time that I had finished these :) 

Now that looks like a full outfit for a boy doesn't it? Well wait there is a bit missing!

Granny-made underpants to complete the ensemble! These are made with the free Speedy Pants pattern from Waves & Wild and were another first for me. The fabrics were remnants from last year's t-shirt making so they were a very cheap make indeed. Our grandson was so happy with his surfing koala pants that he sent me a photo of him wearing them with the matching t-shirt :) I think there might need to be Speedy Pants tucked in with all clothes parcels from now on (as well as a little something chocolatey!).

You win some, you lose some

 Sewing clothes for my grandsons is definitely testing my abilities and not just my ability to stitch a straight line! I have been making more tops for the boys, and matching patterns has again been a challenge.

First up a Snowman top for the littler grandson

and a win! A Snowman the right way up :)

Next up, a much more ambitious Octopus Hoodie for the older grandson. Some wins here too

Check out the pattern matching on that front pocket! I confess to being a little bit thrilled when I saw that :)

Sadly the joy did not last, unbeknownst to me there was a disaster waiting in the wings!

 

 I hadn't realised until I put it together that I had cut the hood pieces out upside down because what I thought would be the top of the hood when it was sewn was actually going to be the bottom. So those octopi and boats you see above are all going to be upside down when the hood is worn up! Naturally when I realised that I also discovered that I didn't have enough material left to cut out another two hood pieces :( 

Rather than ditch the hood altogether ( I was tempted!) I decided to soldier on and hope that my grandson wouldn't even notice.

Fortunately he didn't and neither did his parents until I told them!

This snuggly Bear top for the littler grandson restored my faith though.

A perfectly placed hedgehog made me so happy :) 

Then just for a change a double-sleeved Fair Isle t-shirt for his big brother. I have actually had this fabric since the recipient was a baby so it was really good to finally get around to making something for him with it. 

You can no doubt imagine the happy dance that ensued when I saw these stripes :) Fortunately there was no patterns to match up or make sure they were the right way up with my last makes for them.

Given the length of the queues outside our local Post Office before Christmas, these outfits were made up into several parcels that would fit in the letterbox at the end of our road to be sent off. I am happy to report that they all arrived safely and the recipients were pleased to receive them. The little chocolate gifts inside each parcel might have had something to do with that too though :)

On a roll

The new obsession continues!

I have had a Jalie t-shirt paper pattern sitting in my cupboard for over a year and had the fabric to make several t-shirts sitting next to it for nearly as long :) If there was ever a time to dig it out and have a go then surely this was it!

Having only ever used pdf patterns before tracing patterns was a whole new world, so once I had managed that it was time to get busy.

So, that is what I did.

First up a penguin pirates t-shirt for the littlest gorgeous grandson! This fun fabric from Jelly Fabrics has been sitting in a drawer calling to me for months! I am so pleased to have finally used it :)

Next up a bigger pirate t-shirt with contrast sleeves.

Then a little cream rocket t-shirt with fabric that I bought in Japan on our trip there last year.

and a blue rocket t-shirt for big brother.

Then I got carried away and made 4 more t-shirts for the boys mixing up fabrics when I was just short of enough for a whole t-shirt.

The pattern Jalie 2918 , bought from Sew Hot, includes 27 different sizes in the instructions from age 2, which was one of the reasons that I bought it, as I intended one day to make matching t-shirts for my son and grandsons.

Well that day had arrived! Matching t-shirts for Daddy and his boys :)

I knew that my son struggles to get t-shirts that are long enough so I asked my d-i-law to measure one that she knew fitted him and send me the details. After a bit of mathematical confusion (the first cut was nearly dress length!) I finally worked out what length it really needed to be :)

I had never attempted a v-neck before but I am quietly pleased at how they have turned out, well apart from the exception below.

I used jersey ribbing for all of the v-necks except for the three matching t-shirts where I used the same jersey as for the body of the t-shirt. My son tells me that the smallest t-shirt is impossible to get on over the head of our grandson so I have asked him to send it back and I will change it for ribbing as the others all fit him fine :( I am guessing that the neckline strip on that t-shirt is not cut to have the greatest stretch in the fabric for the neck opening so there isn't enough give, hopefully replacing it with ribbing will solve the problem.

The pattern cost £14.50 and at the current rate of production I am down to just over £1.60 per use, which helps to justify the cost of the fabric, well in my mind it does :)

Have you developed any new obessions during lockdown?