What’s so maybe?

I know you all are eager to see the 62 tshirt bags I’ve made, but first a quick post to prove that I do make stuff out of other materials.  It’s not all tshirts all the time over here -

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Sometimes, it’s awesome Ikea fabric that I bought for no reason other than I couldn’t leave the store without it, and a thrift store baby blanket that (again) I bought for zero reason whatsoever.  Seriously – I think I bought this blankie after Jonas was already two.  That would make Violet four.  I bought a girl-colored fleece baby blanket when my girl baby was a four year old.  it’s possible I have a bit of a hording problem.

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My sister in law had a new baby girl this summer.  When she had her first, Joe handled the new baby gifts.  I remember him shopping and boxing up a bunch of baby boy clothes.  This time, she had the baby while he was in Iraq.  I didn’t even know, because the emails only went to his account.

Weeks later, when he got home, he said something along the lines of “Oh, my sister had the baby.  Can you, like, knit something or something for her?”

Honestly – it’s amazing the man has lasted as long as he has.

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All folded up and ready for wrapping.

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I thought about it and cursed at Joe and checked out baby clothes online and finally went and stared at my fabric stash for a while and thought “Hmmm.  That Ikea fabric would match that baby blanket that nobody has ever used…. ” and a “quilt” was born.

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Maybe Katy.

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I’m putting “quilt” in quotes in the same dismissive way McCain says “health” because it’s a pretty lousy quilt.  It’s barely quilted.  Where it is quilted, it’s puckered and amateurish (because God Forbid I read a freaking tute or check out a library book or take a class or something before I do this.  Winging it has always served me sooooooooo well in the past, after all.)  I didn’t piece together the top – the blanket was a patchwork fleece blanket.  I basically cut a piece of fabric to fit, cut letters out of the extra, appliqued them on, then attached the two together (and not all that neatly.)

Love love love the back of this thing.  That fabric is sooo happy.

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I unpicked the hem all around the edge of the blanket, cut my fabric the same size as the hemmed version, then rolled the fleece back over the raw edges of the floral to “bind” it.  (Did that make sense?  Here – maybe this will help – )

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What did I tell you?  The back is definitely the best part.

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This blanket was definitely a learning experience.  It has it’s flaws, (boy, does it ever) but it was made with love for a sweet new niece, it’s soft, it’s happy, it’s more than big enough for learning to roll over and chew on toys and find your feet -

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Shown with 35lb terrorist for scale.

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- it’s machine washable, it’s girly without being too precious…  I think it works.  It’s certainly good enough to puke on, which is what I remember my kids doing on their blankets at this age.  Well, that and…  eh, let’s just skip the poop talk for once, shall we?

Welcome to the world, Katy girl.  Hope you like your blankie.

Fun with Tshirts, part 2

When I last left you, I was busy appliqueing any little boy shirt that got close enough to my sewing machine. I knew there was a reason I still had all those little baby washcloths!  Terry-cloth bowling pins are fantastically soft, AND absorbent! Score!

Well, of course I cannot be permitted to sew for the boy without bestowing twice as much crafty goodness on the girl.  Forget the fact that she asks me to make her things then never wears them (as opposed to Mr. “Is my bowling shirt clean?” Jonas.) Forget how he loves to “help” me sew and is really into the whole process while she really wants me to just magically make things appear without having to take any time away from playing with her and/or cleaning up after her.  Forget it.  Just make me something, woman!

Her wish is my command.  A few more reconned tshirts for your viewing pleasure -

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This summer she REFUSED to wear anything with sleeves.  Even if it was the Fourth and her only patriotic shirt happened to be a T instead of a tank.  What’s a Mommy to do?

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Well – this Mommy didn’t feel like sewing.  So she got out the scissors and cut away everything but the front and a couple of long straps.  It was cute, it was comfy in the heat, it didn’t work so well in the car because the knots bothered her back.  I’ll have to rethink their placement if I ever do something like this again.

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Along with refusing to wear anything but tank tops, the Twink generally refuses to wear anything but skirts.  Imagine my surprise when she picked out a tank and shorts outfit at the store as her “first day of school” outfit.  Imagine my complete lack of surprise when we got home, she held up the top, and asked “which of my skirts do you think this will match?”  Argh.

The answer was – none.  She had no skirts that her new top even remotely matched.  I, however, had two mens XL navy tshirts.  Hmmmm.

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For those of you who follow my other blog – yeah, she totally didn’t end up wearing this on the first day.  To review – she asked me to buy the outfit.  She then rejected the shorts and conned me into making this skirt.  After all that, she chose to wear an old, slightly stained sundress for her first day of kindergarten.  It’s a miracle she’s survived this long.

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This skirt was really quick and easy.  I just cut the bottoms off of the two shirts for the two tiers.  Of course, then I decided that I liked the raw, unfinished edge – so I cut up the hems.  Way to plan ahead.  She’s pretty happy with it, though, considering it’s navy blue.  Blegh.  Princesses very rarely wear navy, or black, or brown.  Those are generally “bad guy colors”.  If I sound like an expert on this, it’s due to the fact that I’ve sat through many a lecture on the subject.  I can tell you that gray is also unacceptable… unless it’s “sparkly, or shiny.  That means it’s actually SILVER, not gray, and that is the color of TIARAS, which makes it VERY princessy.”

While I was cutting up shirts, I opened this one up and stretched it out flat -

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Nice toes.

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- and had a crazy idea.  I thought to myself  “Hmmmm.  That there is a stretchy circle.  A stretchy, finished circle about the size of the Twink’s waist.  A stretchy, finished circle about the size of the Twink’s waist with a bunch of extra fabric around it.  Hmmmmm.”

So I cut out a circle around the neck hole and  – voila! – with no sewing at all not one tiny bit just cutting no sewing did I say no sewing? because this was seriously a 3 minute project I came up with this -

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Twirliness helps offset the un-princessy color.

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Super-twirly super-quick super-simple circle skirt.  It sees absolutely no wear thanks to it’s plainness and color, but I feel like if I could be bothered to applique some hearts or flowers or maybe add a ruffle or something it would get worn.  And if I ever find a mens XL shirt in pink I know exactly what to do with it now.

So.  Tshirts.  What do you do with ‘em?

Fun with Tshirts, part 1

Lately, I cannot stop making shopping bags out of tshirts.  Seriously.  Can. Not. Stop.

A couple of years ago, when I read this post on MDK (It’s the last one at the bottom – you’ll know it when you see it.) I thought “Wow.  Now that is obsessed.  I don’t think I could ever make that many of anything without wanting to eat my own yarn.”

Then I discovered the joy that is sewing up the bottom of a tshirt and calling it a bag.  We have way more cloth shopping bags than one house could possibly  need.  Maybe I’ll take some photos and do a freaky “welcome to my crazy” post like Kay.

But today?  We have some (slightly) more creative tshirt projects to discuss.  First on the list is everyone’s favorite – the ripped off from some wonderfully creative person on Etsy monster shirt!

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Grrrr.  Argh.

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I saw these shirts a couple of years ago and thought HOW CUTE!  HOW FUN!  HOW EASY TO DUPLICATE! (Sorry, creative Etsy vendor.)  I’m assuaging my guilt by not selling, or even giving any away as gifts.  Surely there’s nothing wrong in seeing a cute idea and using it to make your own child a shirt?  Right? Yes?  Moving on.

I actually made this applique for baby Jonas (I’m going to say right around 1 year), but liked it so much that when he outgrew the shirt I cut it out and saved it to reuse on a bigger one.  I think it’s just as cute the second time around.

Jonas likes his monster shirt, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not like monsters are what he’s obsessed with.  He’s not living, breathing, eating, sleeping monsters.  I make Violet tutus and princess outfits and magic wands, what could I make for Jonas that would inspire the same amount of giddy joy?  Of out and out excitement?  What could I make that he would want to wear every single day, while telling me what a great Mom I am?  Oooh!  I’ve got it!

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Yes, really.  Also – I need to point out that he did the styling for this photo himself.  When I asked if I could take a picture of him in his bowling shirt, he yelled “WAIT!  I just need to get a bowling pin!”

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Sorry, ladies.  I’ve got the Mom of the Year award in the bag thanks to that shirt.  Better luck next year.