When Life Gives You Lemons
Make Lemonade … Isn’t that the old saying?
I have been working on a pair of shorts for Ethan. I had seen a pair of groovy plaid, patched shorts at the Gap and thought it would be easy to sew up a pair.I learned a few things not only about sewing, but my own process and organization.
- I need to sew up a “practice” item first. My second attempts are always better than the first.
- If I want to sew nice looking clothes, I must sew more to perfect the process.
- Sewing a project over a matter of months does not work for me, I need set aside time and just get it done in shorter periods of time (I finished the aprons for Becca & I over a weekend).
- Measure, Measure, Measure again.
- Look BEFORE you cut.
- When placing pockets on … Make sure you are holding the shorts right side up *blush*.
- When tackling a project don’t make it impossibly harder than it is, just because. Try it out, then modify.
Without further ado I present my models ….
As you can see the same pair of shorts fits them both. *sigh*
The shorts did not come out as I had visioned, however they are still on the cute side and fit Becca fabulously. How I managed to turn a pair of shorts from a pattern for a one year old boy into shorts for an almost four year old, I cannot say.
Lemonade!
I will try again after our vacation to sew up another pair. I also want to sew a skirt for Becca, then I have a long list of potential sewing projects.
I am insanely behind on everything. I need to get prepared for our vacation, Becca’s birthday, read blogs, finish up some projects and clean the house. AHHHH! Ok deep breath … Mantra *it will all get done, it will all get done, it will all get done* Phew ok I feel better …
Have you ever worked on something, and the end result turned out to be nothing like you had imagined?
June 26th, 2008 at 9:40 am
May I inject some balance as a long, long time sew-er (I did that on purpose). First they look darling. I haven’t seen Madras in forever and they always look so cool and comfortable.
About sewing:
1) Patterns have always been on the “generous” side because women’s vanity prompts them to buy small. Even though these were for children.
2) Despite the vanity issue, people are not assembly-lined productions so some give is to allow for custom fitting.
3) To defray the costs to the manufacturer and the retailer and passed to the customer, patterns come printed for multiple sizes. It makes sense to reduce the stock on hand. I tend to get tissue and transfer the size I am currently making and not cut the pattern tissue then I can make another size in the future.
4) Making a prototype is the 4-H way. I have “cheated” and just pinned the tissue together but I have been doing it for a long time. I have used (when it used to be cheap) plain muslin but the quilters fixed that price-point. So I have at times used garage sale sheets instead that I have washed well. Choose anything that will free you to make mistakes because it’s how it’s learned.
5) Another 4-H thing was our project books and “round up.” Keep a sewing journal that is divided into “Tips,” “Project notes,” and whatever sections you identify plus a “Project Summary” section where you summarize each project/pattern (having a kind and knowledgeable sewing acquaintance help you evaluate your projects to get started might help) and when you make the actual item or make it again later you have it written down what you planned to do differently and what worked well. The notebook remembers and you don’t have to.
6) The only way to learn to sew is to do it regularly and finish what you start. You can’t know how it will turn out until the last thread is knotted and it’s tried on.
Looking forward to seeing more modeling of future projects. I think the decline of sewing is a travesty because my self-made garments always fit better (when I followed my own rules) and lasted longer than store-bought.
June 26th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Oh yea, I’ve done that several times, and there have been times I just threw the thing away! I wanted to make my 12 year old (when she was born) some dresses, and I did the collar ALL wrong and got so mad! I found them a few years ago and just threw it all out, cause I never did finish it.
Robinas last blog post..The drama of daughters
June 26th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Adorable…Love love love them.
The Laundresss last blog post..Who knew I was this exciting?
June 26th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
All the time!
They are cute shorts even if they did not turn out how you wanted them to.
Awesome Moms last blog post..Super dee duper
June 26th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
It’s what I do best on the sewing machine! I can it “adding my own flavour”!
Gails last blog post..Bringing Back "Ugly"
June 26th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Hey, I think it’s great that they’re big. I would be mad if I put in all that effort and they were outgrown right away. My daughter is wearing a shirt that I made for her last year, and it’s still big on her…She may be wearing it forever. ha ha.
Heathers last blog post..Nursing…Without Nurses
June 26th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Almost everything at all crafty doesn’t quite work out as I planned. Oh well, somethings are better, some are worse. I don’t have a sewing machine so all of my “sewing” projects are done with iron tape. lol The pirates vests I did for Aidan’s 2nd birthday were fantastic even though they took much longer than I anticipated.
The shorts look great, and longer is better for Ethan cause then you don’t have to worry about sunburn.
Gwens last blog post..I am Savvy
June 26th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
You sew?!?! Nice!! I am just [trying] getting into that too!! I have been seeing way too many really cute things that are way too expensive and I KNOW that I could do it myself!!!
Very few things work out as I plan…they usually come out better!!!!
Helens last blog post..BBQ Tip #1…and #2
June 26th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
I don’t sew. I can cook, though!
Guinevere Meadows last blog post..In Which I Contemplate My Dorkiness
June 26th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
“Have you ever worked on something, and the end result turned out to be nothing like you had imagined?”
Oh yeah Chelle, having children turned out to be nothing like I imagined! LOL!
Those shorts are awesome, they look great to me and I love lemonaide.
Have a great vacation!
Coris last blog post..I’m In Full Swing
June 26th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
I LOVE Becca’s model pose! The shorts look great. It’s not quite the same, but I ran out of chocolate chips so I tried to fake it with my spur of the minute chocolate (heated cocoa powder, sugar, milk, butter in a sauce pan than cool it…) it didn’t work at all! It didn’t even solidify in the freezer! Other than that, my projects rarely match the proto-types…I like to make my own patterns based on a cloth item I trace for sewing…and I don’t knit a swatch to determine my gauge when knitting…I guess I like the surprise
(Great tips from Deb!)
June 26th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
That’s some mighty fine lemonade! I truly, truly believe my second attempt at sewing something is always better. Cute shorts!!!
June 26th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
You. SHOULD BE. On. MY FAVOURITE SHOW PROJECT RUNWAY!!!!!
I so admire that you can so. Those shorts are AWESOME. Lemonade, indeed!
June 26th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Oh my…. I meant SEW not SO! BRUTAL typo!
Haley-Os last blog post..Embracing…And Letting Go
June 26th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
All the time Chelle….all the time
But I think they looked really cool 
Nice to put them on during summer.
Have a wonderful weekend.
June 26th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
I love the fact that they fit both. Adorable!! I think you are so damn crafty woman. I am sometimes amazed but hey- you are a super mom with some super crafty ways. have a great night!
Rachels last blog post..Teething and Sleep
June 26th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
Chelle,
They are cute and Becca and Ethan are looking cute as ever! Isn’t Becca’s birthday coming up soon?
Charmaries last blog post..overturned
June 26th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
My mother is a really really good seamstress. She has made beautiful clothes for many people over the years. She had made some gorgeous dresses for me as well as costumes and the like. She has trimmed and hemmed and taken up and sewn buttons and on and on and on for as long as I can remember. But she has NEVER in my 39 years, NEVER NEVER EVER has she made a pair of pants that I could wear. I’m talking to the tune of probably 50 pairs of pants or more over the years as well as shorts but NEVER has one single pair fit me. I am made weird, my inseam and the distance from the top of my pants to and through the straddle is like mens pants not womens (I usually buy my jeans in the mens department) and my mom has NEVER EVER EVER EVER made a pair to fit me.
A really famous college baseball coach told me one time, “Practice does not make perfect, practice makes permanent” and I’m telling you, the more she practiced making me pants, the worse they got.
Just letting you know….for no reason at all….because I’m dumb like that.
June 26th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Yes, yes & yes & funny enough it also involved sewing, lmao.
However, i think the shorts turned out great but yes, they do look much better on Becca then Ethan, lol.
I, too, have learned to measure twice & cut once, lol.
Love the pic of Becca. She truly is a model there.
Marzs last blog post..Keeping up & toys
June 26th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
They look fabulous on both kids, but I think they really suit Becca!
Much More Than A Moms last blog post..Things That Don’t Suck
June 26th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Those are so cute! So the question is, will they fit Ethan when he’s nearly 4?
Hollys last blog post..Once upon a time
June 27th, 2008 at 12:41 am
Those are really groovy shorts - REALLY CUTE!!!
Hope you had a good day - Kellan
Kellans last blog post..Just Call Me Mom
June 28th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Those shorts look adorable! You’re being too hard on yourself. If I could make something that looked that good, I would be incredibly happy.
crystals last blog post..Who do you want?
June 30th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
The shorts are adorable! At least you are sewing and getting some experience in. I brought my sewing machine home from my mom’s YEARS ago, and left it alone for so long that I’ve forgotten how to thread the bobbin!
Devilish Southern Belles last blog post..OMG!