Project Sewn: Going Global Lounging Pajamas

Hooray for Project Sewn!

(Okay, never mind the Project Sewn thing. I couldn't get my blog to link up!
- gbt 5/26/2014)

 

Recently I learned about Project Sewn. Hoping it will help me whittle down my fabric stash, I decided to participate. This week the theme is Going Global! My sewing machine went to the Far East; Japan and India. My Asian print, woven, silky polyester finally found a purpose! At a clearance sale in JoAnn's a few years ago I fell in love with the piece, but it has not spoken audibly to my heart until now when I made these lounging pajamas.

Since harem pants have made a comeback I used a pattern I've had since the 1980's craze, Butterick 5610 for the bottoms. The only variation to the pattern is that I put in a solid red Lycra bandeau instead of the elastic casing the pattern suggested. For the top I used McCall's 6794 with just two minor changes. I made a traditional facing for the neck instead of the bias binding, and I made the sleeve holes smaller. (So I can raise my arms without showing unmentionables!)

Our family has a deep love for the Japanese people as my husband was a missionary in Japan in the early 1970's and, thirty years later, my daughter also served a mission in Japan. The doll I'm holding is a treasured souvenir.

My flip-flops are embellished with fuzzy-yarn crochet.

The robe that I made from McCall's 6408 works well with the set. I made  it a couple of years ago when my adult clog dance group performed a Russian number.
(Scroll to the end to see the group picture.)

Here's the top worn with jeggings. (I love the fishtail back on the top!)

Here are the harem pants doubling as party pants.
(I made the top, but, sorry, I don't remember the pattern number.)
The pants worked great for my morning yoga today!

I made all the hats and we each made (or hired out) our robes and pants.
 Yes, that's me in the middle jumping!
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It's been a great trip! Thank you for the ticket, Project Sewn!

 

 

Grandma's Baby Doll With Cape

Here's a little cape I made out of a plaid fleece remnant. It's from Simplicity 1564. Cherish is visiting the lion statue outside the West Clinic in Pocatello, Idaho. Matching pants made from another fleece remnant. Isn't the model adorable? :)

 

 

 

Taken with my flip phone.

Vogue Pattern # 8975

 

This is the second dress I've sewn off V8975, It was hard finding coordinating fabric that I loved that were two-way stretch. The polka dot fabric came from Hancock and the other crazy fabric came from JoAnn's. Although I'm a veteran seamstress the pattern was a little difficult to follow on a couple of accounts. It has been a while since I've "bitten the bullet" and bought a Vogue Pattern, and I expected more for the money you have to lay out for a Vogue Pattern. (Although I got the pattern on the $5 sale!) The neckline was to my liking on the first dress I made off this pattern, but this one turned out a little low for me, but, lucky me, I had a great matching camisole! The flower accessory came from a sale at JoAnn's. The necklace and earrings my sister, Carol, made for me back when the clay jewelry was fashionable. I love it that the necklace copies the motif in the fabric and the earrings repeat the flower theme of the posy accessory. You can see some of Carol's newest beautiful designs at her Etsy Store called Silver Trove. The shoes are from Born. I love this dress because it is so comfortable, different, is all-season. It can also be accessorized in many different ways because of the different colors and designs in the fabric, and can be worn appropriately for many different occasions from wedding reception, church, out to lunch, or a housedress! I'll post a picture of the other dress soon!

Journals from Composition Notebooks

Our church Relief Society is putting together gift baskets for girls graduating from high school. My contributions are theses journals. I like to make journals out of composition notebooks which I get at Walmart for just under a dollar.  I glued pictures from old calendars and used scrapbook paper. As you can see, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Mary Englebreit designs! Some of these are also decorated with stickers and duct tape, etc. A fun thing I learned to do watching an artist on Youtube is color the edges of the pages with crayons in rainbows of colors used in the designs. The journals are covered with plastic folders I found last week at Walmart for 50% off the clearance price of 75 cents each. (The photos would have turned out better if I had taken the covers off first!)

Fronts

Backs

Table of Contents (Just printed on white cardstock.)

Close-Up of Two

 

 

 

Recycled Bath Towel and Washcloths

This is what happened last week when I cut an old, ragged bath towel in four pieces, serged around the edges, and decorated with a calico print, ribbon, and lace from my scrap stash. The pot holders are made from the same fabric stash and interlined with old washcloths. (A family favorite way of making the best pot holders ever passed down from my maternal grandmother.) Yea! New kitchen towels and potholders for moi!