It’s been raining for days here in Western NC……….. days!! So when Kris got home from work yesterday afternoon, we decided to take a ride up the mountain to see the river and waterfalls. I’ve never seen it so high! The power in those raging rivers is incredible. I took a few photos to share with you. There are also a few short video clips of the waterfalls over on flickr….. here, here, here and here. Take a look at them if you have time… just amazing….. Flood warnings were in the area so when this nervous Mama Hen and her clutch of chicks arrived home, she breathed a nice long sigh of relief.
Mirror Lake 
Cullasaja Falls
Bridal Veil Falls
Dry Falls
Bust Your Butt Falls
a very popular local swimming area for older kids…. anyone up for a swim now?!
This is a sided by side shot of Dry Falls. The one on the left was taken 2 weeks ago when we went hiking up Yellow Mtn. The one on the left was from last night….
Vintage Pillowcase Pants Tutorial – making a pattern from measurements…
After mentioning a possible tutorial for these pants, I had lots of requests. I made this one with the beginner sewer in mind… lots of pictures and everything detailed. It’s my first tutorial, so please let me know of any errors or confusing directions! I’m going to show you how to make the kind of pants I made for my 4yr (Sarah) and 6yr (Lilianne) old daughters. I didn’t have any pants that were fitting them like I’d like, so I made my own pattern. I do want to add in here that most all of my vintage pillowcases had a width of about 20 inches, so please take into account the size of your child. Because nobody wants constricting pajama pants! These will be wide legged pants. Around a 9 inch width for each pant leg, so I’m thinking this will work best for kids ages 4-7…maybe a thin 8 or 9 year old? Don’t worry so much about the length because you can always add length to the pant leg as I did with Lilianne’s. In this tutorial, I’ll be showing you how I made Liliane’s pants, adding extra length to the legs.
What you’ll need:
- 1 pillowcase (vintage is always fun!)
- 3/4in non-roll elastic
First, measure your child’s inseam… from the crotch inside the leg all the way down to the floor. Write that down, it will be your leg length. Now, measure your child’s rise…from the crotch inside the leg to the small of the back (or where they prefer their pants to sit on their waist). Now take that measurement and add 2 inches and write that down. This measurement will be the length of the pants rise.
Now that you have your measurements, take your pillowcase and fold it in half length-wise 
Now, iron the fold very well to make a well-seen crease…you’ll see why later…
Now, lay the pants with the freshly creased fold AWAY from you (very important…don’t ask me how I know this) and get yourself a ruler of some kind. Take your rise measurement and leg length measurement and add them together. Now compare that to the length of your pillowcase. Is your pillowcase long enough? Too long? I found that I needed 34 inches in total length, so I was going to have to add some length to the legs of Lilianne’s…
If your pillowcase is too long, you’ll want to start by taking your leg measurement and starting from the open cuffed end of the pillowcase, measure out that length. Mark it on the folded crease of the pillowcase.
IF you’re adding length to the cuff, like I did, measure out your needed rise length from the pillowcase… I needed 11 in. So I measured starting from the seamed side of the pillowcase (not the open end of the pillowcase meant for the legs!). Measure down the length of your rise needed and mark on the folded crease with a fabric marker or pencil. 
Next, regardless of whether your pillowcase is too long or too short, on the closed end (not the leg end!) of the pillowcase, measure in from there 1.5 inches from the crease (remember the one you ironed in?) and mark it. 
Get yourself a straight edge and draw a line from the 1.5inch mark down to near where your rise length ends and your pants length measurement starts…
You’ll want to make a curve near the end of the rise measurement like this….
Now, you’re going to want to cut off the seam at the top of the pillowcase. Because I need all the length I could get out of this pillowcase, I only cut off the very edge. If your pillowcase was too long, this is where you’re going to cut off the extra as I did with Sarah’s. Lop off, from the top seam, however many inches you need to make the pillowcase the exact length of your rise +leg length. 
Next, cut out that area in the rise that you marked….
Now, open up the pillowcase….does it look like this? I hope so! OK, see that nice ironed crease you made up the middle there? We’re going to cut along that line to make two pieces.
Like this… now you have two seperate pieces… Still with me?
Now, open up the two pieces and lay them like this… The first one will be laid out with the underside of the fabric next to the table. 
Now lay the second piece with the underside facing up. Sandwiched with right sides facing.
Ok, now pin the two pieces together along the cutout on each side…. OR be lazy like me and just line it up and take it to the machine. Sew along the lenth of the curved area of the crotch cutout… Feel free to make french seams if you’re feeling fancy! I don’t….because…well, I just don’t.
Like this…
Now sew the curved cutout piece on the other edge… you should now have 2 matching edges like this….
Now, if you’re adding length to the leg, here is where you’ll do it. If you’re not adding length, disregard the next few steps! I simply cut off the decorative band at the top of a contrasting vintage sheet that I had (that way I already had a finished edge). Measure out enough to add to both your pant legs and sew it right to the bottom of the pillowcase cuff of each piece, right sides facing…
Now, unfold the cuff and topstitch to make it look nice and lay flat…
Now, head to a table and pink the edges so you won’t have as much unravelling when you wash them. Nobody likes strings in their pants tickling them. Or maybe you do…whatever floats your boat…
Unfold your pillowcase and it should look like this…
Now, open it up and adjust it until it looks like this…. still inside out…
Now take the hem of one pant leg and line it up front to back… pin if you like… and head to the sewing machine. Stitch a straight line up one pant leg right over the crotch and down the other leg…
Now it should look like this…pink your edges again..or don’t, whatever…
Next, still inside out, fold down the waistband 1 inch and iron it down…
Now fold it down over again 1 inch and iron…
Head back to your sewing machine… and you’re going to sew down the waistband leaving enough space to thread your 3/4in elastic thru. Where I am pointing is where you’ll start… 
Stitch close to the folded edge all the way around the waistband leaving at least a 1 inch opening
Now, take your elastic and stick a safety pin thru it like this…
Stick the pinned elastic in the 1 inch opening you left in the waist band….work it all the way around the waistband until it comes back out the same hole… be sure it doesn’t twist over while you’re threading it thru….
Once it’s thru, pin it to the other end of the elastic and try them on your child. Unpin and pin as needed to make the waistband fit comfortably…
Head yourself back over to your sewing machine and stitch the elastic together like this…
Now, stretch out the waistband so that the elastic goes into the fold and stitch down the opening. Be sure not to sew over the elastic!
Now, turn them right side out and iron them so they look all pretty. VOILA !!…Behold the genious of your craftiness! Pat yourself on the back and run to try them on your child. I’ve created a flickr gallery for you, so please take a picture for me and post it here so I can see the cuteness too!!
Thought I’d do a quick mosaic of our fun at the fair this weekend and participate in Mosaic Monday that Little Red House hosts each monday. Want to join in with me?
Saturday afternoon, the rain finally subsided and we took a ride out to our local agricultural fair. There was mud everywhere and it started raining on us at the end of our outing, but we had a lot of fun regardless. I thought I’d share some photos with you….. please feel free take a look here to see the rest of what we saw….
…fair food…….mmmmmmm….but, I can’t tell you the level of my utter disappointment and dispair to find no one was selling candy apples….
…a dad and grandad each carrying one baby twin…. I thought it funny how much the dad and grandad resembled and tthat they were carrying twins. So cute!
This woodworker had the most interesting face… and he made some gorgeous woodwork…
A mother bunny and her baby…after I took this pictures I realized there was another baby hiding in there between them…
…gorgeous rabbit whose name was “Copper”….
…a friendly goat that wanted her picture taken…
….watching a calf contest…
…the gorgeous winner of that contest peeking at me….
…and lastly, another shot of those gorgeous baby bunnies… awwwwwwwww… I want a bunny!!
Friday………. again! I just don’t see how the week can go by so quickly. But every week I think that same thought. Anyone got anything fun going on this weekend? We are going to our local fair tonite or tomorrow, depending on the weather (it’s been raining for days). It’s an agricultural fair, believe it or not, no rides or creepy game vendor people taunting you to come play their game! Love that. Just lots of food, animals and exhibits. Love it, love it, love it…. Also, I’ll definitely be switching out summer and fall clothing and sorting thru stored baby clothing and diapers. What I was supposed to do last weekend, but instead I laid around in misery. And then there’s the sewing… I hope to get lots of that done as well!
Finally, after procrastinating just a wee bit, three pair of the PJ pants are completed…. several more to go. I will have the tutorial posted first thing Monday morning! It’s already in the works. These pants are so easy and quick to whip up. And cute to boot!
Had to add a little length to one pair so far (and will have to add length to several more for my leggy gal). I used the hem from another vintage sheet…. I really like the contrasting hem…
Trying to think ahead for Christmas… fabric for a secret project…. I even bought some new fabric from our local quilt shop to contribute to the “project”. The Snippets line by American Jane that Moda puts out. Isn’t it pretty?! So fun and bright….
The rain finally let up yesterday afternoon so there was more soccer practice….
So, tell me, what are your big plans for this weekend? I’d love to hear about them!
I’ve been doing a bit of “fluffing” and decluttering around the house the past few days. I think the nesting phase is starting to hit. Yay! I’m all for that…. this house could always use a little nesting attention! I snapped this pic as I was fussing around…I piced up this vintage hutch at a local flea market and all the milkglass was thrifted here and there. The green bowl and daisy doily too. The herb Pyrex dish was given to me by my super sweet mother in law however….
More free motion quilting practice took place yesterday…. loops….
…pepple stitch….
…some side to side action…. no idea what this is called… but it looks cool!
….stippling….
I’m having so much fun with this quilting technique! For those that have been on the fence about trying it, you should really go ahead and give it a shot! It’s not as hard as it looks…. although it does take some practicing to get the hang of….. and I still need lots of it!
I love learning something new. I have a habit (good? …bad?…sometimes it’s debatable!) of jumping into a new something whole heartedly. No hesitations… just get what I need and go for it. It’s how I learned to sew…. it’s how I learned to crochet…. embroider… grinding my own wheat and baking breads… it’s just how I learn. Anyone else out there like that? Or are you more of planner? Or class-taker?
I LOVE my Bernina 1630 sewing machine. I bought it from a nice woman that had kept it stored for 10 years and NEVER used it. Seriously, she had never even threaded the machine. Along with a Horn sewing cabinet , chair and Bernina serger, I bought the sewing machine for a heck of a deal two years ago. And I couldn’t be happier! However, it didn’t come with a walking foot. And to quilt, you apparently NEED a walking foot. Well, I just haven’t been able to part with the $150 it costs for one of those fancy feet. My 1630 did come with the darning foot however. And that, I learned, can be used for free motion quilting. So yesterday, after watching a few tutorials like this, this and this… I just jumped right in. And you know, it’s not as hard as I thought it would be. I need a LOT more practice moderating and smoothing out my speed of feeding the fabric thru, but it’s so cool! I may just even give it a shot on that baby quilt…… maybe…
Anyone out there free motion quilt? Any pointers or tips? I tried stippling ( I think that’s what it’s called, although my stiches were too far apart) and the pepple stitch (those crude circles you see above and below) . Any suggestions on an easy design to start with? The options are endless!!
Yesterday afternoon, while I was inside fixing dinner, I looked out my front windows to find this……my girls enjoying the first leaf pile of the season! My oldest girl, Lilianne, 6, had taken it upon herself to grab the rake and make some afternoon fun for her younger sister and herself. The photos are not the greatest as I took them from across the length of the front yard from my front porch. My expensive Nikon and telephoto lens are still on order…yeah right….I wish!!
Sigh….how I love these girls…
They played this way for about an hour until Daddy came home… then it was all over… can’t blame them… he’s pretty special … both girls hopped up and made a mad dash for the first hug. Sarah, however, took the time to fly her way there. You go ahead baby girl… FLY!!…
…..were LOW! Nonexistent even….
My weekend plans for sewing and sorting thru fall clothes came to a screaching halt by Friday afternoon. I had the pleasure of being “visited” by a stomach bug or something this weekend. Needless to say, the majority of my weekend was spent lying around in my pj’s and drinking water. I think I’m on the mend however, so hopefully those PJ pants and their tutorial will be blogged within the coming days. But for today, I need to declare war on my untidy home.
So for today, I’ll just share this quick photo of one of my son’s “critter finds” of the weeknd. Over on my About Me page I state that one of my titles I carry is “Chief Bug/Animal Identifier”. I wasn’t being sarcastic or witty…it’s the truth. Countless times a week, my oldest brings me some new creature for us to locate and learn about. While, I may have been a little bug phobic and wouldn’t have picked up a frog/lizard/snake/spider/etc. for anything in my younger life, that doesn’t pertain to me now. While I still have a few sqeamishes about certain “critters”, for the most part, I have no problem handling whatever my son brings me. And let me tell you, it is a varied lot!
Hope you all have a wonderful and productive Monday!
Yesterday, my middle child, Lilianne, 6, came to me and asked for some new pajama pants. It’s getting cooler in the evenings now and all hers are about 4 inches too short now! When did she get so tall?! I’ve made some gowns from my vintage pillowcase stash before and while they loved them then, they prefer pants now. Well, I say they,….Sarah, 4, won’t sleep in anything but her underpants! But I expect (hope) that to change when the real cooler weather hits in about a month. I set to work yesterday on Lilianne’s tracing from a pair of her pants. Let’s just say that cute pair are now in the scrap pile….too tight and waaaaaaaayy too short in the crotch. On to attemp #2. I picked a not-so-special king size pillowcase and made everything a little bigger and aside from them being a little too long (easily rememded with a quick hem) they worked great. And, boy, are they quick to sew! Love it. Four seams and you’re done! Anyone interested in a tutorial?
So after the kids went to bed, I went down to my sewing room (messy AGAIN from the dance bag project) and hand picked several pillowcases for the girls. For some reason, it had not occured to me that those vintage cases don’t come in king-size for my leggy 6yr old (the pair that worked wasn’t vintage, but was a king-size), so I’m expecting a little “fussing and patching” to take care of the length. No Biggie. Next post, with any luck, I’ll show you some finished PJ pants!
Plans for the weekend? Tomorrow, Kris and Aidan are heading out for a day of Father/Son bonding leaving me and the girls here at home. Besides sewing, I’m planning on getting all the kids fall/winter clothes out of storage and deciding what fits this year and what gets passed down or packed away for later. Also going to unearth the baby stuff and see what I have to work with for bundle #4. What are your big plans for the weekend? Got anything special going on?
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