Raine Style Pajamas

I am the lucky mom of a great kid. My daughter is my pride and joy, of course, and I will brag on her without warning, ad nauseum. Just so you know.

When she was born, I thought about all the cute girly things that I would get to make for her... but, no. Ever since she was three, girly have been O.U.T!!! I've experimented with this or that garment, with mixed success. She definitely has a sense of style that is playful, tom-boyish, quirky, and totally her.

When we strolled through Jo-ann's one day, she browsed through the silkies, and pulled out a jungle print fabric with jaguars on it. Beautiful, but what would she wear made out of that? I talked her in to looking at the cottons, and we picked out some different animal prints for an outfit (posted about soon). I hoped that would be it. But, no. The next time we were in Jo-ann's she headed right for that same fabric. She REALLY loved it. Really. Hmmm I thought. OK, it's on sale. One yard. I'll figure out something.

Well, I figured out pajamas. Shorts and a tank top. (had to go back for about 2/3 of a yard to make the top) I found some hem tape and some bias tape as well, since I knew those edges would ravel. The week before school was out, I cut them out - along with 2 pairs of shorts and a sleeveless top (hope she's going to like that one).

Yesterday, I fiddled with the serger (looked in the instruction manual, too) so that it would sew that lightweight, slippery fabric properly, and got the pieces put together. The hem tape around the arm and neck openings didn't work out, so I pulled out the bias tape, to discover I had gotten the extra wide. I made do.

I think the bias tape edging worked out all right.

Then, when she tried on the top, the neck opening was too big. That always seems to be the case with a tank top pattern. I took a cue from last summer, and threaded elastic through the bias tape at the neckline. I was happy to have the wider bias tape at that point. Then, what made me even happier was being able to open it up and use it to make the casing for the waist band of the shorts. I ended up using the hem tape to help finish the hems of both the top and the shorts. There should be NO RAVELING!

Awesome waistband!

Once she tried them on, she did not want to take them off, so I count a success in finding Raine style!

She had to change so we could go to White Sands, though.

T-shirt Dresses

Yes, it HAS been a while since I've posted here. I've been rather on a life-overload lately. I've done some sewing, but due to circumstances beyond our control, there were several weeks where Roxanne and I didn't get to sew together. The last time we did, I cut out the skirts for the t-shirt dresses we were wanting for our summer wardrobe. I put Roxanne's together first, and I think it turned out pretty nice.

There's a purple stripe in the skirt. No, really.

Roxanne added a little white lace around the neck and sleeves and at the bottom of the skirt, to help dress it up a little and add interest.

Then, I worked on mine. I wanted pockets, so I added them in the side seams. I'm more of a leave it plain girl, but then, my skirt fabric was lots of tiny little flowers, so no lace for me. I wore mine over the weekend, to see how well I would like it, and I thought it quite comfy and cool. That would be in the temperature sense, not in the chic sense... just saying. Here's how mine turned out.

comfy!

So, not the height of fashion, I admit. Still, with a pair of shorts underneath, this is going to fit the bill for those warm - no, lets face it HOT! - summer days. I think we each want at least one more.