Finishing Things

 Because of the new baby coming we have been emptying out the basement so we can finish it. Three kids in one room is squeezy enough. We can't do 4! Anyway, I was using a corner of the basement for my sewing space and have been evicted. I pulled out some "current projects" and sorted them in groups of things that could be sewn with the same thread.

Anything that isn't needed or can't be done (like altering a dress to fit a not pregnant me) before the baby got labeled and put on a list to wait until post-baby to even think about. There are 2 boxes full of this type.

I nicely folded my fabric around comic book cardboard (like suggested on this post at Smashed Peas and Carrots) so that when I can put them back on the shelf they are ready as mini bolts of fabric. And, I sorted my fabric by types and make great lists so that if I do NEED something, I know where to find it fairly easily. So, what have I done from my pile of things to finish? Quite a bit. Some of it small and some bigger.

Using some fabric that was given to my by my sweet neighbor Marie, I made my baby girl some much needed warmer weather PJs. I bought a 3 pack of undershirts (used the white one with these), and just added some little cap sleeves (thanks to the great instructions at Make it & Love it) to match the pants. The pants I just drafted by tracing around some bottoms she has that fit her. I think these are her favorites that I have made for her. she even started super posing for the pictures.

This is a pair I started a long time ago and just needed to hem, put in the waist band and sew the  applique down. They look like they are really comfortable.

Another pair for my daughter. This time I used some t-shirt left over from a pack I bought from my boys when they were smaller. As far as PJS are concerned, I think using cheap (and I mean cheap as in 5 shirts in a pack for $5 or less cheap) is just fine. For her shorts I so just didn't want to hem them, so I found some left over trim (I think I bought it to make hair clips that I never got around to) and just sewed that on. I think it makes the pajamas look a little more girly.

I'm short, but I don't like short skirts. Well, I should say I don't like really short skirts and quite frankly, no one would want to see me in them. So, when I ordered some jersey skirts from Old Navy (like the olive colored one below) earlier this summer, I was sad to realize after I had worn and washed it, that I had accidentally ordered a petite size in one of the skirts (no wonder it felt like I was flashing people!). Anyway, I had seen these extender slips around and though that would solve the length issue and the "this is a little too see through" issue. Well, it looks weird with the jersey shirt, but I can use it with other things. The lame thing is that I bought a slip from a thrift store for practically nothing, but to find the trim I really liked, I spent too much. Normally I don't buy anything without a sale or 40% off coupon at the fabric store, but I had neither when I found this. So, hopefully it will at some point serve me well and will be worth what it cost.

There are still projects left in the "current projects" pile. I also have a few other things I was going to add to this post, but they are maternity related, so I decided to post on their own so someone looking for that type of thing doesn't have to scroll through my other rambling projects. 

Also, I have a ton of recipe reviews queued. Watch for another post about that tonight or tomorrow...or Sunday. I'll try to do 2 a week for awhile. there really are that many and they have 3-4 recipes on each post!