New Shorts

I made a pair of shorts for my little guy, this week. The fabric was way too cute, not to.

I used a free pattern from Oliver+S, called Sunny Day Shorts.

The fabric compliments the back pack I made him, before he was born. This is the back pack fabric.

This is the shorts. Summer foxes, on a camping trip.

I've made lots of shorts over the years, since my boys got two or three pairs, every summer until they refused to wear Mom made shorts. So I thought I would share a few tricks, which I find makes the project quicker and easier.

After I sew each seam, I cut the seam allowance in half, and overcast the edge. I also use the triple stitch to reinforce the crotch seam.

Nice clean finish, and the shorts will easily survive frequent washing. You can see the triple stitch on the right side of the picture.

In turning up the hem, I first baste a line of stitches where I want the first fold. Then I fold the fabric along the basting line, and zigzag close to the edge of the fabric. Then I measure and turn up the hem, and stitch close to the fold. The zigzag doesn't show on the outside, and the edge is nice and flat.

The pattern called for a rather complicated method of adding the waist band. I went for quick and tidy. I sewed the waist band into a circle leaving a one inch opening near the "top" of the band. I stitched the seam allowance open, and trimmed it. I folded the waist band in half, and sewed it to the top of the shorts (making sure the fabric would be right side up, when I turned it up), and overcast the edge.  Then I ironed the waist band up, pressing the seam allowance toward the shorts, and edge stitched the seam allowance to the shorts.

See, all nice and neat! All that is left is to feed the elastic through the hole on the inside of the waistband.

I leave the hole in the back open, in case he grows and I need to put in a longer piece of elastic. Because the seam allowance was stitched down, you can't even tell.

Ready for action!

I plan to make more, but right now, I am out of elastic, in the correct width.

A River Runs Through

After a month with no significant rainfall, today, the sky has opened up.

There is a river, running through my backyard. It follows the path that Doug Dog has worn into the ground as he chases the squirrels along the top of the fence.

The river ends at scenic Hosta Lake.  In case you think I am crazy enough to step out in this, the pictures were taken through the dining room window. I am hiding in the house, with my coffee.

While standing in the dining room, I discovered that my Christmas Cactus is budding.

Silly thing has no idea when it is suppose to flower,

During the hot weather, I have, of course been knitting a winter cowl. It is small and doesn't sit in my lap.

This is my first project in Brioche knitting.  The pattern is Avoiding Exposure by Kate Atherly. It still needs blocking, which will hopefully make it a bit straighter. The only change I made to the pattern was a two-colour long tail cast on.

The yarn is worsted from Feisty Fibres, in colours Fierce and You Aren't The Boss Of Me, You Jerk. The kit was part of the "Tits Out Collective", more information here. some of the proceeds from the kit went to the Nipissing Transition House. If you would like a kit, you can get it here, but you have to buy it before the end of the month.

Weebrawbag

I saw this on Instagram, and decided I needed to make one.

I see Doug is not impressed.

The pattern is available on Craftsy. 

I used the wonderful knitting fabric I found in Almonte.

Back view of the sheep. I seem to have cut off the top of the bag. The casing is a scrap of batik from an earlier bag.  I need better rope for the closure, if I make more. I used clothesline, and it is a bit stiff and rough. Any suggestions on where I can get nice cord this thick? I added tabs to the end, like I do for zippers.

It looks about the right size for socks, a bit small for a shawl. The front pockets can hold tools, a phone or a snack.

It was hard to fussy cut the fabric, and get exactly what I wanted on the pocket, but this sums it up, I think.