Thursday, April 23, 2015

Micro cloth bag

I'm supposed to be beginning a muslin on some men's shorts for my husband, so I can make them up in a heavier weight linen I got from Hancocks a year or so ago, but I just don't have the energy or get up and go right now.  I just feel down.

 Anyway, I've been reading a book called The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.  I've been doing a milder version of this book through my house.  I've only had the book for several weeks and I didn't think I needed a clean out that badly, but I will say the book has me thinking differently.

Anyway, on to the bag.  I had done a purge of my younger boys closet and I had 2 garbage bags of clothing.  I didn't really want to add to our landfill or the very big pile at our local Good Will that I've seen in the past, but I have been wanting to have some extra fabric to play around with.  So, for the time being, I'm leaving the bags in our garage.

Now, on to the bag, I took a pair of jeans that had holes in the knees, and I cut above the hole and below the hole, then I cut off the hem.  I cut off the inner leg seam on both pair and I sewed both legs together and the bottom up.
 I measured 2 inches from each bottom corner and drew a line and sewed along that line, then cut off the excess.  I overcast the edge of the top, made some buttonholes, sewed a casing  and threaded some bias tape through the top.   Then I took some fabric squares I've been saving up for block quilting and self lined them and made them pockets on the front.   I took a robe tie and cut it in half and used it for the handles.  We had a warehouse sized package of microclothes and several packs given to us from those talks they give you in the warehouse store, and they were all stuffed in my hall closet.  I even have some in the laundry.  I'm going to fold them all up and put them in the bag and hang them on a nail in the garage.
The bottom.  Doesn't look too bad.  While I'm in this weird funk, I may just play around with the fabric in the bags.  

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

First Choice Boxers Notes to me

This post is more of notes to me than it is a review.

 The front and the front fly.  Mark the top of the short at the dashed line and the blue dot.  Mark the fly section 2 inches down in the center of the fly section.  (Fold in half to find center.)
 Sew the back center portion (the piece cut on the fold) to the sides pieces on each side.
 Inside view with finished SA, ironed over to the side and top stitched like a flat felled seam.
 When the back rear piece is sewn to the sides and then sewn to the fronts, turn the boxer short so the right side is up.
 On the right side, place the fly section and sew down one side, then turn and sew to the blue dot mark.  Clip from the SA to the blue dot to release the fabric in this area.
 Sew the SA across the top to stitch down the top.  This will be turned inside out and the top area folded over and ironed down.
 On the left side, fold the fly area over to the blue dot and stitch across the top.  Clip to the blue dot from the outside area.
 On both sides press under the SA at the bottom of the fly area and pin.  Iron down the SA all across the top.

 Measure the elastic.  (This happens to be 1 1/4 instead of 2 inches).  On this side stick the elastic all the way inside to the edge, pin and top stitch all the way down the fly area to the bottom.

 On this side, stick the elastic 1/4 inch past the center mark and stitch.  The stretch the elastic and pin, top stitching all the way down the fly extension to the bottom.  Sew channels across the top.
Finished boxers.  The rest of the instructions were pretty clear to me, but the fly area holds me up for some time until I figure it out or can get my husband to help me understand the instructions.  I like that the fly area on these boxers are a 2 inches deep.  These were for a chunky son.  The seams did not match because I was using a small remnant.  I may make him another pair.  I'd like to see how these do.  This will give him 2 pair so far.  I can't really think of a thing more to sew.  We've been just sick with allergies this season and it seems our spring calendar is very busy with family matters.