Do-do-do-DO!!!

A few months ago I was trying to think of something to make for my 4-year-old nephew, Toby. At that time I still hadn't been successful at many boy clothes and since I haven't actually seen him in person since just after his 2nd birthday, I decided to go with something fun instead. I figured he'd appreciate anything more than a boring ol' pair of pants anyways. I settled on a super-hero cape because what little boy doesn't want to be a superhero?! With some input from Toby's mom, I created this awesome purple & orange (his favorite colors) Captain T-Man cape. It's reversible, and I gave him a lightning bolt as a symbol because I hear that he's got a fair bit of energy.

I'm actually looking forward to Oscar (or Irene!) getting into the superhero phase so I can make another one!

My New Obsession

Pants!

I am currently obsessed with making pants. This is exciting because just a few years ago I was terrified of making pants. For some reason I had it in my head that pants were a "high level" sewing project. How wrong I was! My first few pairs were recycled projects - I used my old clothes to make the pants. By using a pair of the kids' current pants, I managed to make a pattern and make a couple of wearable pants for them. Nothing to brag about but they served the purpose. Above you can see Irene in her (toilet and in her) new sweats made from...my old sweats. I didn't add the stripe, in case you were impressed.

And here's Johan in a pair of T-shirt recycled sweats that I had made for Oscar when he was a baby. These were some of my proudest pants until now. So comfy and not too ugly!
Above is a pair of shorts that I made for 2-year-old Oscar from a pair of my old pants. Ugly. Uncomfortable. He never wore them. And of course there have been a number of pants involved with my pajama experimentation, but not until last week had I made a pair of pants I could be proud of. I present, the flat-front train engineer pant:

Ok, you're probably not impressed. I know. But I think it's a combination of the fact that I managed to make a pair of pants that aren't totally elastic-waisted (the front of the pants are flat, like big-people pants!), but I've also made them adjustable (the elastic in the back has button holes to adjust the size) and, most importantly, I love, Love, LOVE the seersucker stripes! This may be one of my favorite projects to date!

The Goods

So much has happened for me on the sewing front in the past week! As I've mentioned before, I have a dream of opening my own small sewing business. Nothing fancy but I think we can all agree that it would be awesome to be able to create and get paid for it! But due to my own insecurities, I put that idea on the back burner...sort of. For the past few weeks I've been steadily making a collection of items to sell at the monthly flea market here in Gwangju. While a week ago my main goal at the flea market was to have someone buy something. Really - I'd have been thrilled. But now it's suddenly become so much more important.
It turns out that there is a program in Korea where the government will give a $4000 grant to individuals who they think have a good business plan/idea. So my husband has come up with a plan and I am now business partners with a Korean friend here who also sews! Should our proposal be accepted, we will receive the money to spend as we like (on business-related goods only of course...but seriously...$4000 to spend on fabrics and notions and even a better sewing machine!!! Heaven!) And we will also be eligible for an even bigger grant next year. As of now, I think we do have a good idea. The things I make are more western style which can be hard to find here for a decent price (a flimsy pillow case top at Baby Gap here would run you $60) Not to mention the fact that I'm willing to custom make an item (you choose the fabric, style & size!). My partner's style is naturally a little more Korean but she has a lot of the technique that I'm lacking as well as the insight into a Korean mother's point of view. One of the things that she suggested we focus on is the aprons, selling them to day cares and even expanding into adult-sized ones. We'll see what happens, but for now I really hope we sell more than one item at the market!

Halter Happiness

Last summer I got fancy and decided to make some halter tops for Irene. If I remember correctly, it was my first time making something involving an actual pattern (found here under "Beach Party Top"). They came out surprisingly well if I do say so myself! The one pictured above was a real doozy to make - not because of the pattern itself but because I got over-ambitious. Each of the different colors/prints in the top are a different piece of material which I pieced together. It came out alright but trying to get them together without looking too sloppy was a nightmare! In the end, it came out a little too snug and a little too stiff-feeling so she never got much wear out of it after all that work!
My second attempt was much more enjoyable to make and definitely more comfortable for Irene. I found a really pretty, gauzy scarf at the store for about $1 and knew it would be perfect for a summer outfit. With a loose, lined bodice and a breezy, light-weight skirt, this top was made for Korea's sweltering-hot summers!

Reverse Your Purse

I mentioned in a previous post that I am not a purse wearer. I don't like having my hands tied up and, frankly, I'm always just a little nervous that I'll get up and leave my purse sitting in a restaurant/taxi/shop/etc. But a couple of days ago I stumbled across a tutorial for an easy bias tape bag at my new favorite craft/sewing site, Prudent Baby. It looked simple enough, and I'm always looking to expand my skills - I've never done pleating before and I really suck at bias tape- so I thought I'd give it a whirl.
I made the pattern (our printer isn't working so I had to do some improvising) and cut out the material the night before, and yesterday while the big kids were at school and Johan was taking his morning nap, I threw the above bag together. It took me just about 2 hours to complete and that's including the time it took me to make my own bias tape (I didn't have any to match the materials). It's reversible and I love how the two sides go together in a Japanese-y way. And the best part - the red side is plain old cotton for every day use but, although you can't tell from the photo, the white side has a silky texture and a fancy look so if you're planning on hitting the town after work you can reverse your purse and be ready for a night out!
In fact, I loved the purse so much that I had to try it again. So after I put Johan down for his afternoon nap I picked out a couple more fabrics that I love and got to work. This time, though, I shrunk the pattern down a bit and as it turns out, I happened to have some bias tape that matched perfectly and I had exactly the right amount with just 2cm to spare. (I can't tell you how much I love it when that happens!) I finished the second bag in just about 1.5 hours (or 1.5 episodes of my current favorite drama which, being the multitasker I am, I have to watch as I sew). Now I'm so obsessed with these little purses that I'm thinking I'll have to change my ways and become a handbag gal!

Pillow Case Tops

One of the simplest dress ideas out there for little girls is a top called "The Pillow Case Dress." And, you know what? It's also one of the cutest and most practical! The name comes from the fact that one can easily make a simple dress for a toddler/small child by using a pillow case (or a scarf really). I originally got the idea from my sister-in-law (THANK YOU, Shannon!!) This was way back when Irene was just a toddler and I had never really sewn much, if anything, in the way of clothes before. I decided to give it a whirl and, while my first attempt's results were less than pleasing*, I was on my way.

For the past 2 summers, the pillow case dress/top has been a staple of Irene's wardrobe. In fact, because of the loose cut of this style top and the fact that Irene was a chubby toddler, many of the tops I made for her last year still fit this year. Of course this is great from an economical standpoint (and remember, one reason for me starting to sew in the first place was $$) but from a creative standpoint, it's a little disappointing. I was really looking forward to making a whole new wardrobe this year, but her drawers are busting as it is so I've got to be content with only a handful of new tops this year. Here are some of my more recent pillow case dresses/tops:

*I blame it on the fact that I'm not actually able to use pillow cases since Korean style is not suitable ;)

Animalwearing Revolution

My daughter loves to play "umma" ('Mommy' in Korean). Not so much to her dolls though. No, my daughter has just one special little one: her puppy...aptly named "Puppy" (we're a creative bunch here...my son's best buddy is a sheep named "Sheep") Because they saw me carry their younger brother around in my carrier everywhere we went for the first 10 months of his life, naturally carrying their "babies" was something they wanted to do. Irene was content using our discarded Baby Bjorn when Johan outgrew it, her apron, Oscar's overalls...pretty much anything that would hold that puppy to her chest, but I had another idea.
My first attempt at making an animal carrier for my kids was a semi-success. I wanted it to be simple enough that they could get in and out by themselves. I ended up with this cut-off apron style seen above. It had one strap that just went around the neck and another that could be tied behind the back (naturally I'd have to tie it but once tied it could easily be slipped on and off.) While Oscar's carriers seems to have fallen off the face of the earth, Irene's animal carrier has gotten considerable use in the past few months, but it's limitations were quickly made obvious - it doesn't work so well as a back carrier. (think noose around the neck!) So, I've finally gotten around to revising my design and created the following:

I presented it to Irene yesterday afternoon and she was thrilled. It now fits more like a backpack with an adjustable hip strap held together by velcro and two shoulder straps. I had to add the chest strap because the actual square of material was quite wide due to the awkward shape of her "baby"and as a result I was worried that the straps wouldn't stay on her shoulders. All in all, I'm quite satisfied with the carrier. She loves it, I love the material (cute little stuffed elephants), and it's got room to grow so hopefully it should last a while!