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12.09.2008

sewing complete

well, i am officially finished with my Christmas crafts. these pants were supposed to be my practice pants (my THIRD pair of practice pants!), but it took too much time so they will be the pants i give indi for christmas.  




so here's the story on the pants.  i made the first pair of practice pants according to the manufacturer's pattern/instructions, but it was WRONG!!!  i couldn't believe it!  [i decided to use a basic pants pattern that i own rather than the Make Baby Stuff website pattern.]  despite the fact that the pattern was wrong, i made some adjustments and couldn't wait to try them on indigo this morning.  they turned out to be a wee bit small.  i could barely get them over her hips (without elastic) and without being hemmed, they were too short!






i made a second tiny pair of practice pants, again, according to the pattern, to see if i did something wrong, or if it was the pattern that was wrong.  it was the pattern.  so in order to get this pair of pants (first pic), i had to make my own pattern (!) -- kind of tricky for a novice!  if you look closely, you'll see that the flowers point down on one side and up on the other.  also one leg's slightly wider than the other.  but, hey, that's what makes them unique (?) or this is what i tell myself!

we also finished the doll.  dan embroidered the face.  i would highly recommend doing the embroidery BEFORE stuffing the doll.  





isn't that too sweet?

without further ado...  and seriously, you guys, i am NOT a good seamstress.  any one of you could do this.  trust me.  this is like baby beginner stuff.



next we will be on to making wooden toys.  i get to be dan's tool girl.  i was thinking next year we should probably start on this stuff BEFORE december.  but that would involve planning which would take all of the fun out of last minute rush projects!


11 comments:

  1. You have inspired Chris and me! I love the doll! I want to make one too...but seriously I don't know how to sew! Did it require a machine or was it done by hand? Chris is wanting to make CJ some wooden toys too! I love, love, love your ideas!

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  2. How much am I lovin' me some Dan, right now? Precious!
    The pants are darling and you cannot tell one side is wider than the other. Indie won't slow down for anyone to get that close, anyway. :)

    Andrea

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  3. You are so crafty and talented! What cute pants!

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  4. OK, so when are you going to start selling dolls? I'd buy one!

    How col is your hubbie?

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  5. rag dolls were traditionally made by hand, but that would take much longer than using a machine. i used a machine. here are the suggestions that i have if you use the pattern that i used, which is listed on my second to last post:

    1. trace out the pattern and then SEW on the lines that you traced for the arms and the legs rather than cutting on the lines (in other words, cut out just beyond the lines). otherwise the arms and legs will be too narrow. this happened to me the first time. they are already pretty skinny, but they have to fit inside the body when you sew it together, so i'm not sure i would go much bigger.

    2. cut out one body piece slightly larger than the other. i would add about a quarter of an inch on all sides, so it ends up being about a 1/2 inch wider and longer. sew the arms and legs onto the SMALLER piece. it will be easier to sew the body together when you can stretch the bigger body piece over the piece with the arms and legs. this made sewing it together MUCH easier.

    3. make sure when you sew the body together that you sew INSIDE the lines where you sewed on the arms and legs. by this i mean sew closer in toward the center of the body. otherwise, when you turn it inside out, you will see the sewing lines where you sewed on the arms and legs.

    4. embroider the face before stuffing the doll. you could even look up embroidery stitches online. i would have had no clue how to embroider on the face -- go dan!

    i learned all of this from having to re-do things over and over. so, if at first you don't succeed, try try again! :) hope this helps and good luck!

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  6. you are doing such a great job!!!! the pants are so cute...and i love the fact that dan embroidered the face. what special gifts for indi! do you have a sewing machine?

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  7. oops...i just read your comment which said you use a machine!

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  8. Rachel, at the risk of repeating myself...you are simply amazing! The doll & the pants turned out terrific! See, I can hardly even thread a needle...we take our sewing to my Mom! :)
    I love that this is something that you & Dan are doing together too...both the doll & the wooden toys. Incredible!!
    Hugs,
    Lisa
    P.S. OH, I LOVED your comment to our blog about the ornaments...you hit it ALL right on the head!! :)
    AND, I did forget to blog the name choice....we just decided on Saturday and in my glee I switched my Mama brain on big time too! LOL
    Nothing new there....giggle...

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  9. Tell BoomBoom that next week I will go and take pictures of all of our horses and blog it for her.
    Then Mom and Dad can print them out and she can see them whenever she wants to. Tell her I will even take some pictures of the goats and roosters. :)

    Later Gator,

    Andrea

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  10. Hey Rachel,
    Michaela says "that doll is fabulous" and "Indi will love it" "when she get older she will look at it and say "My Mom made that for me!" Laurie and Michaela

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  11. The doll came out BEAUTIFUL!!! My sister made a hand made doll for Chloe last year, and it is one of our favorite gifts.

    The pants came out great too. You are seriously much more than a beginner! Did you do the sewing by hand or with a machine?

    There is NO WAY I could make that doll. Seriously- none!

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