After I made Tia's Ash Pants and Flashback Skinny tee, I decided to make a mini version of the outfit for Hazel, but with bloomers instead.
I had actually never tried the Flashback Skinny tee pattern! :O I know! I was an Ottobre subscriber. It isn't a cheap subscription, so I wanted to use what I already had on hand. But I wasn't quite satisfied with the finishing on their instructions. In the end, I always felt my tshirts looked handmade... and not in a good way.
I was also looking for a fitted tshirt and I knew the FBST was a tried and true pattern. Let me tell you, it does not disappoint! This is a must have pattern! After I made Tia's, I went on to make three more in one weekend.
One thing I love about this pattern is that the hem is the only visible line of stitching. I can join the rest of the seams with my serger! This results in a much more professional finish, especially being I don't own a coverstitch machine.
I have (finally) converted to using my serger for sewing knits. I baste the seam in place first and then run it through my serger. It's been great and so easy! I could not, for the life of me figure out how to sew knits on my sewing machine without my hems and stitching eventually popping. Always.
What took me so long to convert to the serger then? Well, I overcomplicated the process by trying to follow the manual instructions for sewing knits on my serger and it never worked for me. Now I just use it in the exact same way as I do to finish the seams of wovens and voila - no problems at all! Go figure!
I have to tell you my Brother serger has been one of my all-time best purchases ever. Dan bought it for me for Mother's Day in 2008 and it has yet to let me down. I took it in for a maintenance check last year (I'm pretty sure you're supposed to do that yearly) and it was in mint condition! It is a workhorse and a steal, priced under $200, which is so much cheaper than the high-end machines. I love it so much and have been thrilled with it.
I found this knit at Craft South. It is the best knit I have ever worked with! It's yarn-dyed, amazingly squishy and has great recovery! I bought almost as much as they had! For me, knits have been a real mixed bag, unfortunately. Some have faded or shrunk a lot, even the more expensive indie brands. I am spoiled by indie wovens being so darn predictable that the unpredictability with knits has made me reluctant to sew with them! But this fabric is truly exceptional! (I don't know the brand - so sorry! It was apparently a Japanese knit!)
The bloomers are a Brindille and Twig pattern. I've made them before, several times, and love them. Hazel picks bloomers by choice all the time. I wouldn't recommend using a quilting cotton like I did here. A double gauze or chambray drapes in a nicer way. But Hazel and Tia love twinning and I love the color, so I was willing to sacrifice drape.
Hazel is at the sweetest stage. She melts our hearts every single day! She's starting to move past the into-everything-tornado-toddler stage, which is making life easier. She loves reading books, coloring and singing. She's talking, conversationally even, and has developed quite an extensive vocabulary, which is so cute coming from such a tiny little thing. She often gets absorbed in what she's doing, so when I tell her it's time for a transition (bath, nap, etc) she often informs me very calmly (sometimes not), "I not weady yet, Mama!" I'm learning she needs a little preparation time for those transition moments and then she's (usually) happy.
She loves hugs and cuddles and I still rock her to sleep for naps and bedtime. It feels like a decadent luxury, a peaceful oasis in our day. We both enjoy it so much! We call her our Little Hay, but she still calls herself Hay-Hay!
I love her! Her piggies! And her sweet personality! Love the twinning outfits💛! I will definitely look into that serger, hopefully this next year. I feel the same way about knits, which makes it even more exciting when I find a good one!
ReplyDeleteAh, she is the sweetest! Your children's faces really do brighten my day, Rachel. On sewing topics, so glad you've discovered the FBST, and sewing knits with just a serger! It's a game changer! You know, you can always do a cuff at the hem of the shirt as well, I do that for Joe a lot for warmer items. Agreed, it's a much nicer finish than a sewing machine hem. As you know, I finally got a cover stitch machine ... Steve asked me if I wanted jewelry for my 40th birthday and I was like, um, actually ... I'm still getting the hang of it, though. Hope to blog about it soon.
ReplyDeleteYes, I meant to add that as long as I don't use a double needle on my hems, a narrow zigzag stitch seems to work well! I think it generally works well because that part doesn't have to stretch over their heads. :)
DeleteCan't wait to hear about your coverstitch machine!
Hi Rachel! I'm super obsessed with your FBST's - they look amazing! And sorry to be obsessive about the knit you used (I know you said you didn't know the brand), but I'm wondering if there is still a way I can figure out exactly what the brand is and/or where I can get some... ? I've never sewn with knits - I've always been too intimidated; and from the sound of some of your previous experiences, I'm somewhat justified. :/ But then, what you describe about sewing with this particular knit, and the results, make me super curious and excited to give it a shot! Would you suggest me calling Craft South or do you have any other clues for how I might track down this knit? Thank you so much for your blog/sewing guidance!!!
ReplyDeleteYES! I would definitely recommend that! I ordered more from them over the phone after I came home from Nashville and saw how beautifully it washed up. I bought all of one colorway (they did not have a lot), but there was another colorway where there was some left. If nothing else, maybe they can give you the name? GOOD LUCK! Oh, I do think perhaps it shrinks a bit so maybe wash and dry it twice (or even three times) before sewing with it just to be safe.
DeleteYour kids are all so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous - I am such a sucker for little kids in bloomers. I even put my youngest boy in them for a while when he was tiny :) I don't know if it helps your knit sewing journey at all but I find jersey a more predictable beast than interlock. Interlocks always seem to shrink in length even after pre-washing. So annoying!
ReplyDeleteAh the shirts look so great and I love the girls' bottoms, too! Glad you're on board with the FBST. I think our two year olds would get along so swimmingly. Funny how they were both sort of high maintenance babies! ;D
ReplyDeleteI too would have sacrificed drape for the smiles of my little ones :) Perfect look for a busy little person. And yep... my hous looks like it has been hit by a toddler-tornado hahaha
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