Tutorial: Sailor Inspired Button Pants

Here's something I never did before. Not until I decided I would make it this time. 

I will tell you the whole story, yes, don't worry. I had this green pants I bought for myself last year, but only wore it once, so, I wanted to make them into something else for baby G. I knew what kind of piece I wanted to make (pants), but I didn't want them to be ordinary. I wanted something different, but couldn't really think of anything that would please me 100%. 

I will surely show you the before and after of the pants refashion, but today I have been working on a new tutorial.. so let me get to this first. 

I made up my mind about what type of pants to make when visiting my sister's I saw these pair from my 5 year old niece. 

Top: original pants from my niece; Down: my experimenting

I liked it so much I brough them with me so I could copy the pattern. I had to figure out how to make the sailor like closure, that's something I had never done before and wasn't sure how it'd be done. So, there I was staring at it, over and over, until I finally grabbed a piece of scrap fabric I use for experiments and tested if my thoughts on how to make it, were any right. They were, so it was time to make it on the final fabric, with no fear of messing it all up. 

First thing you have to do is mark the place where the opening will be on the front piece of the pants. From that mark, measure 4cm into the centre of the pants front. Pin it. Then cut a 12x10cm rectangle, and put in on top of the front piece, right sides together. Make sure, one of the edges is right where you've pinned before (4 cm away from the opening mark). 

Turn it around, we're going to work on the wrong side of the front piece now. Sew a line on both sides of the one you've drawn on the fabric to mark the opening. See images above to understand it better, I'm not sure I am making myself clear. The porpuse is to cut in the middle of those two lines you're going to sew. 

Now, don't be afraid! You can cut your openings. Then turn it around, and pin it. See above images: front and back view, how they both will look like. 

Then, you will sew only one side of the opening. In the front side of the fabric. That will be the side I have marked on the picture below, for the left side, and the oposite on the other. After you do that, get to the back of the fabric again, and fold the rectangle to match the edges (see second picture below). Pin it in place (closing your opening this way). Then you will sew the other seam just like on the 3rd image below. 

On the last two pictures above you can see how it will look after you sew it. Closed and opened. Now the only thing left to do it make button holes and add buttons to it. 

Use your button to mark the correct lenght for your button hole. Draw the button holes on the front of the fabric. Make sure they are symmetric. Sew it on your machine. Add the buttons (I did it by hand), and you're done. 

I really screwed up my pants on one thing. Go back to the start of my post. Look at the original pants. Did you guess what I mean?! There are only two buttons on each side, and one of them is ON the waist band, which I haven't added to my pair yet. What can I do to fix it now? Use three buttons on each side. Easy! The problem? I only had 4 of these buttons. I will have to find another ones, that I have 6 of... =/ Next time I should pay more attention. 

There you go, here's what I've been working on all evening. I hope it's clear and useful. 

Winter Love Flowers Outfit

October is going by and still without a single post in here... Shame on me!!!
Truth is I haven't been sewing as much as I'd like to, still I did finish a very cute project I had on hands: G.'s new Winter outfit:

So, let me tell you all about it. 

Baby G. has this so-very-cute t-shirt that I just love-love-love, and one of these days I was staring at it and feeling sad that one day it won't fit her anymore, and that day would be pretty soon, she grows fast. 

So, I took that original t-shirt and draft my own pattern. I had to consider that the fabric was much heavier and I would have to make it bigger. So, just copying it wouldn't be enough. 

Original piece (by Zara): Butterfly shaped sleeves detail. Front. Back. 

It was a hell of a hard work but I made it. I had to make some adjustments but it turned out better then expected. 

The tunic. Front, Back and Pocket detail. 

I loved how it turned out. Did I mention that before?! Adding the rounded pocket wasn't planned but I had fabric left and wanted to add something different, somthing me to it, so the pocket it was!

But after the tunic was done, I wasn't happy enough. I still had lots of this brown fabric left but very little of the one I used as bias and decorations. I wanted to make something out of the brown fabric still, and my mother was to one to suggest: make her a matching pair of pants. 

Pants front. 

Firstly I doubted it. I thought the fabric would itch, but mom was right... it's a heavy fabric, to wear on very cold days, so she'll probably be wearing it with a pair of collants underneath, so, why not? 

Pants back and pocket detail (her name's initials)

A new pair of pants it is. 

Perfectly sewn inside and outside. Just like I like it. 

Not that she would need it, she's been given lots of clothes, but mommy here just lovessssssss to sew for her, what can I do? And besides, there's way too many fabric on my pile right now. I have to start using them all... which I've been trying for almost a year. lol. 

What's a lady without her bag?

So before September ends, I should share a few things I did while it lasted. 

I made a new bag. I decreased a pattern I had used a few times before to make this one smaller. I also made it with two small handles. 

 The previous one I meant, was this one:

Covered in lace, bigger than the one before, closes with a clip. No inside pocket like the smaller one. One only bigger handle. This one was made like 2 years ago actually, and I never used it. 

I also made two small clutches, using a free pattern online (click here). Here they are:

I loved them so much! I want to make a few more, I have a few ideas to make some original ones. 

Yesterday I finished a new tunic for little G., and today a new bag organiser, but that will be shared later!!! 

October is coming, that's my month, so let's enjoy it!!!

It Smells Like Christmas Already

Yes it does. And it feels good. 

A few weeks ago, I FINALLY finished my Tilda Santa Claus. I started it about a year ago now. I wanted it for my last Chritmas, but it wasn't possible to finish on time and then I just kep postponing. I would look at it and think: it's still a few months to Christmas, and there's this or that to do first. And it went like this for almost a year.

But it's September. It is that time of the year when I start thinking about Christmas and making deco items and gifts for my dearest ones. Somehow I am even more enthusiastic about creating seasonal items than I had been before, so here's a bit more of my finished Santa:

I can consider this a little refashion too, because I used an old red corset (I had made long ago) for the Tilda's clothes. And yes, I did cut a corset to make a doll's clothes if you're wondering. I didn't wear it for years because it's ziper broke... And I just new I wouldn't be fixing it so soon. 

Playboy inspired onesie

Painting ain't really my thing!
But I had some fabric paint, my mom has left here from when she painted G.'s birthday banner. and I had a friend coming to my town, with her lovely boy. She's actually an e-friend and it was the first time my family met hers.
I wanted to make something for the boy but let's admit I am not really good at coming up with boy gift ideas. They made it easier for me though, they are both tattoo artists and I knew they like hardcore things for little D.
So, using my mom's fabric paint and using my drawing skills, I made him this playboy themed onesie:

I'm planning to make a few more versions of onesies, but I have no clue when... as always...

From Consume Tendencies

Image origin

It hit me just a few seconds ago, so before I change my mind, I'm about to make a new commitment to myself, and I am making it public so I keep up with it. 

A get a lot of clothes FOR FREE, some I like, some I don't... some I donate and some I get to turn into something new when the fabric is lovely. 

SO, why on earth, do I have the need to buy any new clothes?! Seriously, there's a shopping center right by my house, and every now and then I go there with baby G. I always bring something home with me... either for myself or for her. 

And I'm saying enough now. With my sewing skills and my free clothes I have enough to get myself new clothes at any time. 

My commitment consists in buying NO more clothes (for me or G.) until the end of the year. I'll only make an exception if the item is really needed and not only wanted. 

A Dreamcatcher Mobile

A couple of weeks ago I bought the latest number of one of my favourite magazines, and I read about this contest. Participants are suppoused to create a baby mobile to enter. I thought it was pretty interesting and decided to try myself, too. The greatest thing about it, is that all the mobiles sent for the contest, will be donated to a child Institution. I actually wanted to participate with more than one, not to have more chances to win but to donate more than just one. 

So, I wanted to make my mobile but was kind of running out of ideas. I tried to search for some inspiration online and ended up on a youtube video teaching how to make a native american inspired dreamcatcher. I thought that was very interesting and that I could do something nice out of it. 

I totally re-created what I saw and learnt from that video. I used the same technique, but I used complete different colours for the dreamcatcher. It turned out like this:

Then I had to decide how to turn a dreamcatcher into a nice baby mobile. And after some thinking I came with up with an idea for my project. At the edges of every stick I added a heart. Half of them were made of fabric and stuffed, and the other half were made of fabric decorated felt. 

I loved it so much... and so did baby G. She wanted and would have played with with if I had allowed her to. I used her mobile support to take my pictures, it actually would wonderful in her room, actually the polka dot fabric was used in her blanket, pillow and curtains, and for a moment I thought I could keep this mobile and make another one for the contest. But nope, this is the one I'll send. I have until October 10th to do so, but I want to send it as soon as possible. It's already packaged!

Wish me luck, though I'll feel equally happy if I don't win.