Back to school sewing

Hello everyone!

This month has started out with a little bad, but also a lot of GOOD.  The bad initiated from carrying my infant son around.  He is an adorable 13 month old boy who weighs 20+ pounds!  Obviously, I am not used to carrying that much weight on any given side, and began to develop left arm pain.  An office visit to urgent care confirmed an overuse injury, and I was prescribed a topical anti-inflammatory cream.  I was also advised to wear an arm sling two hours a day.  Oh yeah, and the total healing time will be 6 WEEKS!

I admit that I was not pleased to hear this news, especially considering my August plans.  How would I take care of my family, do my daily activities, and put in time to sew?

The little arm pain culprit!

 Thankfully, it has all worked out.  The first week my arm was in so much pain I didn't attempt to sew a thing.  However, as the pain began to subside to a dull ache, I got in gear.  I knew that sewing would be a challenge, so I started to prepare as many patterns on my list as possible.  I cut patterns, adjusted them, cut the fabric, and organized projects into bins.  "If you build it, they will come..."  Or in my case "If you prep it, the time will come."

As soon as my arm began to function, I happily took out some of my bins to get started.  And the results of my efforts is what I am showing you today!  Here are the "back-to-school" inspired outfits for my older kids:

For my oldest son, I sewed NL 6406.  He wanted a pair of pajamas in this woodland creature cotton knit from Joanns. He loved the color blocking of this pattern, and chose where he wanted the solid and the print to be.  He is 10 years old, and I sewed a size 8 (the largest size on the pattern). I added four inches to the top, and three to the bottom.  It worked well for my son because he is SO tall and SO slim.

Overall, this pattern was a winner!  The fabric was not much to be desired, as it kept getting sucked into the throat plate, so I am glad to be done with it.  But the pattern turned out to be exactly what my son envisioned.  He has happily worn his pajamas already!

Ok, are you ready for a throwback?  Here are the FIRST pair of pajamas I ever sewed my son during Christmastime, when he was 4 years old:

Time sure does pass quickly!!

For my daughter's back to school outfit, I was the one to do the choosing this time.  My daughter LOVES surprises, and I had a wonderful tank top from Ottobre in mind for her.  The construction was simple, but the design was interesting enough that I though she would really like it:

And she did!

This is the Hot Stop tank top from Ottobre 03/2015, and it was a JOY to sew!  I made a size 134 cm for her, as she is 8 years old, and it fits her pretty good.  My only tweak would be to shorten the arm straps 1/4" on each side if I sew this one again.  I remembered after the fact that I had to shorten the straps on the Ottobre overalls I sewed her earlier this year too.

The fabric I used is a pink leopard print from Denver Fabrics, and it was a mediocre fabric.  While the print is bold and lovely, the fabric does not have the best recovery, which makes me a little sad.  I will have to see how it comes out after a good wash.  

I used the same black cotton knit for binding the armholes and neckline.  This top is beginner friendly, and once again, Ottobre magazine comes through with clean, beautiful construction inside and out! Love, love, love them!  

**As a side note, I have subscribed to the kids' magazine for two years straight, and have not been disappointed yet.  However, I did not renew this year because I have SO many magazines from them. I will definitely keep an eye on the issues released in the future, and purchase as needed.  I think the family magazine will be coming out in a few months, and I am totally intrigued to see what Ottobre will come up with!**

There you go!  I would definitely sew this one again if my daughter wants another one.  She has worn it to church, and may want future options.

So, lastly, I wanted to leave you with a sneak peek of my next review!  I couldn't let my daughter get away with wearing a cute tank top all on her own:

I am wearing the Aurora tank, a Seamworks pattern by Colette, and I look forward to sharing more about it with you on Wednesday.

Stay sew-filled!