2015-September: Wildflower Large Diaper Cover

*** UPDATE!!  I found a great use for this cover after all! ***

This was back before I got into wool for overnight.  I was frustrated that the covers I had for over C's fitteds (at night) were just too small to really cover all the bulk we needed for her.  So I made a large cover from Arfy's pattern.

I LOVE this print, by the way!  I wish it would come back in the cotton knit.  Anyway.

This cover was not very successful!  It was too big and gappy for C.  You could still see the fitted peeking out at the legs, which was the very problem I was trying to solve.  This was my first time sewing FOE (fold-over elastic) so maybe I did something wrong!

Anyway, we used this maybe twice and then I gave up.  It's beautiful, but not functional for my babe.

2015-September: Pink Princess Shorts

These are the shorts I made for E, knowing that Parsley Pants pattern + wovens = tiny clothes, so I made her the Size 10 and it fit great! (She was 4!)  I think I may have shortened the elastic; I can't recall.

The reason they have yellow stripes down the sides is because my pink girly fabric wasn't wide enough!

She is still wearing these this summer!  My only problem is the pattern only goes up to size 10, so when she grows, that's it for Parsleys. :(  I guess she does still fit them in KNITS, so at least there's that.

Can anyone recommend a larger kids'/bigger kids' cute pants pattern?  My girl is only 5 but apparently she's a giant.

***Update!  The Parsley Pants pattern is not small!  Read this!!

2015-September: Woven Sheet Shorts Turned Baby Pants

This project was kind of hilarious.  Not just because these are made out of an old bedsheet that had ripped.

These started out as SHORTS for E (she was 4 at the time), but were so small, I turned them into baby pants for the not-quite-one-year-old, C.

I used my trusty Parsley Pants pattern, but it was actually not to be trusted!  Not for woven material, anyway!  I had only ever made these pants out of knits before this.  I tried using the size I had used before (I think it was size 7 as per E's measurements -- still huge!), but she couldn't even pull them on as I was fitting for elastic.

I repeat: with no elastic in them at all, she couldn't even get these shorts on!  What the hell??

Pocket lining!

So instead of crying (OK, maybe I had a bit of crying in there), I just turned around and made them into baby pants!  After chopping off about 8" of my prepared elastic, they fit C. just great!

They still do!  They're little summer capri pants now.  And I know I can add more elastic down the road, because they've got the room for it!

My next project was the needed shorts for E., but I figured out that with this particular pattern and these crazy wovens she should be wearing the size 10.  I repeat: my 4-year-old is in a size 10.  Who are these other micro-4-year-olds that these "sizes" are supposed to fit?  Thumbelina?

***Update!  The Parsley Pants pattern is not small!  Read this!!

2015-September: Upcycled BumGenius Pocket AIO

This was my (weird) idea to turn a BumGenius 4.0 into an AIO.  Why?  Because I was so fond of the AIO style, and I had an old "Sweet" color BG that I never really liked much anyway.  Experiment away!

Showing the diaper mid-construction.  I also replaced the elastics.

First, I sewed some OBF (bamboo fleece) to the inner of the diaper.  It wasn't easy!  I scrunched it up like CRAZY to get it through the machine without getting the PUL caught in the stitch.  Seriously, don't try this at home.  I won't again!

Then I added a snap, so that a regular BG microfiber insert could snap in, and agitate out in the wash.

It worked out pretty well, but took way too long to dry.  I still stow it in the diaper bag from time to time.

But I learned that, yes, you can add snaps to a"normal" pocket diaper to make the insert agitate out!  Oh, how I dislike taking out inserts!  With my first baby, I was all about pockets, but with my current  baby and AIO love, this was a great discovery.

2015-July: Birthday Dress for K.

Before we moved across the country, I had to make a "last" gift for my friend K's daughter, K. (Last before we left.  I will certainly make you other things if you want me to, K.!)

So I pulled out my pattern for the Everyday Playdress and made one for K!  Don't be fooled; the bottom woven skirt is a print of patchwork.  I didn't actually do all that patchwork. (But I did do future patchwork, ha-HA!)

I handwrote a tag with my old name idea (DoriNori) on it.

As you can see, at this point I was getting quicker!

2015-June: Summer Dress

This was my second foray into making a playdress for E.  I really, really, really like the way these two prints came together!  The top is an old maternity dress that was given to me, sleeves are my old shirt, and the bottom is woven cotton.

It's funny, to me this screams "SUMMER!" but most everyone else thought it looked like a "Fall" dress.  At any rate, E. liked it -- though not even a quarter as much as she liked (and still likes!) her Winter Dress.

Pattern is again Love Notions Everyday Playdress.  Last time I made the crossover neckline, and I liked that one better than the basic crewneck (for ease of dressing).

2015-June: Cloth Diapers x 2: Strawberries and Ooga Booga Small AIOs

I made two small AIO diapers in June, though I guess I didn't take any process photos OR specific finished item photos.  So, you can see pix of my baby in them!

The first was a strawberry one with snaps.  I sewed a fixed Zorb pad to the inner and added some snaps so that another insert could snap in and agitate out.  LOVED THIS DIAPER.

Second was an Ooga Booga print with Velcro (hook-and-loop, whatever).  I made it the same way, but into this one I sewed a fixed hemp insert.  The snappy insert was a cotton terry.  Loved this one as well, but it did need extra drying time, turned inside out.

So you see a trend -- I really liked sized AIO diapers for my second baby!  They are just so convenient and fit just right.  Now she fits into the one-size ones, but I still like sewing her larges without all the extra snaps.