Aunt Pants at Play

babies should not be skinny

2010-01-29T20:13:00.001-08:00

but Posy is in the 7th percentile for weight, and the 15th percentile for height. And for this reason, I was able to use some very small scraps from a maternity dress that I made for myself a year and a half ago (and which Aunt Pants is wearing now!) to make this little jumper for my girl.

This week she's been carrying her birthday balloon everywhere, and telling it "night night" before her naps.

See, here's a little tummy jutting out!
And she's digging the goldfish out of the diaper bag. Yes, you may.

oh no! my daughter and i are matching!

2009-12-11T09:01:00.001-08:00

Mimi bought us this cozy flannel fabric when she came to visit last month.

But don't worry, we won't be wearing matching outfits in public.

finished

2009-12-04T20:27:00.001-08:00

Found the angel at Target.

unfinished

2009-11-21T15:44:00.001-08:00

The stocking that was made for me has a little plush angel stitched to the front of the stocking. I want something like that for the front of this...but this is what I have so far.

The Handmade Dress Patterns GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-11-12T21:03:00.000-08:00

The Handmade Dress Patterns GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

headbands!

2009-11-10T13:46:00.001-08:00

A red corduroy one
to match her Christmas dress, if she grows into her Christmas dress in time...(here, being tried on over her clothes)
and if not, we'll call it a Valentine's dress
but about that headband...just outside of the picture I'm having to hold those tiny hands down. Maybe headbands will have no better fate than hats and clips have had.

But wait! How about this one? She loves how it coordinates with her brown pants and pink top!
Or does she?
Wait a second...
And it's off.
Ah well.

the story of a bathrobe

2009-10-25T12:13:00.001-07:00

Nine months and one day ago, I was wearing this bathrobe.

My water had broken on Jan. 22, but by Jan.23 I was still only in mild labor, so the birthing center wouldn't let me deliver there. I wasn't ready to go to a hospital, so I was at Aunt Pants's house laboring and hoping to deliver my baby there on her bed. I stole this robe - her husband's, a man's XL - out of their goodwill pile and paced the floor wearing it.

Now my Posy is nine months old and the fleece robe has been hanging in our closet since we returned from the hospital (so much for the home birth). I decided the yards of fleece would be perfect test fabric for a bunch of projects I've been wanting to try:

The Sweet Wee Jacket from Amy Karol's Bend the Rules Sewing

and these adorable boots from The June Bride

I also made what I'm calling "stroller pants" - basically, fleece pants large enough to fit on over her regular pants to keep her extra warm when we go on winter walks - and a simple fleece hat.

for owen

2009-10-16T18:50:00.001-07:00

Do you have an Owen in the oven? If so, watch your mailbox for this:

double happiness pajamas

2009-10-05T08:57:00.001-07:00

When Posy wakes up in the morning, she likes to lay on her back, talk to herself, and bang her feet against her crib mattress, as she's about to do here:

I made these pj's this weekend. The bit of pink and white striped flannel that I found in the remnants bin was just crying out to be made into pajama pants. This was my third time making pants for Posy. The first time, they were a little tight across her bumgenius diapers. The second time, they were a little short in the inseam. This time, they were juuuussssstttt right.

With the leftover scraps, I decided to applique a onesie to match the pants. I considered all the standard applique shapes - heart, star, flower, bird, lamb - and the trendy ones - cupcake, robot, owl - and was bored.

The Chinese character for double happiness is commonly used for decoration in both China and Vietnam. You'll often see it at New Year celebrations and weddings, and it's usually in a lucky red color.

I thought it was fitting for the pajamas because Posy is a joy, and Posy asleep for the night is a joy: double happiness.

I've done quite a bit of machine applique using a zigzag stitch. This may have been my first hand-stitched applique, and I used a whipstitch as recommended in The Alabama Stitch Book. With all the edges on the character, it took a while, but I'm really into hand sewing projects these days, and I enjoyed it.

available now!

2009-09-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

Since we launched our etsy shop six days ago, we've had six sales! It's encouraging to know that we're not alone in thinking that storybook designs in modern colors are perfect for unique baby boys and girls.

gift sets

2009-09-25T14:02:00.001-07:00

Soon at Aunt Pants, we'll have gift items available to complement our onesies.

We like bold colors for babies, and think this adorable orange Moda print backed with soft white minky fabric will be a perfect fit with our orange woodland fawn onesie!

crazymane's friend

2009-09-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

I like to do all crafts at least twice.

The first time, I rush through a project out of curiosity - or more, incredulity - to see if it will work out at all.

The second time, feeling at least a shred of confidence that I'll have some success, I go a little more slowly and do things a little better.

Hence the four dolls for Posy, rather than one, the two bibs in quick succession, etc.

And now my first giraffe-horse hybrid animal, crazymane, won't have to live alone. Two by two into the ark, and two by two into Posy's toybox. His counterpart looks more like a real giraffe, has rice in his feet to help him stand with stability, and is mane-free (mostly because Posy has been ingesting too much yarn fuzz).

crazymane the giraffe

2009-09-18T21:33:00.000-07:00

Do you think she needs a trim?

Based on this vintage pattern.

baby scarf and matching hair clip

2009-09-14T20:10:00.000-07:00

I made this scarf and clip for Posy, expecting that she'd start tugging the scarf off as soon as I wrapped it around her neck, the way she pulls at her hats. Nope. Turns out, she loves the thing. It's soft and cozy. And she may end up digesting a bit of its fuzz. It was perfect for a short hike to a waterfall in the San Juan islands.

orcas island

2009-09-13T16:44:00.000-07:00

Family weekend in Orcas Island. Aunt Pants and I break out the onesies while our husbands and parents go for a second hike. Later this week we'll print our tags, and then these will be ready for sale.

refashion: maternity skirt to pants with suspenders

2009-09-03T09:50:00.000-07:00

Pants with suspenders? For a baby girl? Out of old-lady corduroy? For some reason, that's the vision I had for an old maternity skirt that I didn't like enough to keep around for the next (next???) pregnancy.

Just goes to show: ANYTHING can be cute if Posy is wearing it.

fleece jumper, with girl

2009-09-01T09:13:00.001-07:00

first batch of onesies for etsy shop

2009-08-31T20:36:00.000-07:00

We'll have tea-dyed, white, yellow, and blue. I dyed the yellow and blue this morning, and they are beautiful.

Would you like a newborn cap to go with your onesie? Maybe with a tiny woodland creature stamped on the brim?

fleece jumper, take two

2009-08-31T20:30:00.001-07:00

So I still didn't use a pattern or my iron, but I did take measurements, and this time I have a perfectly sized fleece jumper for Posy to wear this winter. The bodice is lined with hello kitty flannel.

I still need to put a button and hook closure on the back (unless that should remain open, and be the front?), and I need to hem the bottom.

Problem is, Posy looks like a peasant in this gown! Maybe I can make it work with some long sleeves, funky tights and a hipster baby scarf. What else could I do to cute it up? Embroider a little insignia on one side of the chest, as if she were wearing a little school uniform? Applique something? A belt?

Once I decide, I'll post a pic of my girl wearing it.

another day, another bib

2009-08-31T20:28:00.001-07:00

no rules sewing (a dress)

2009-08-27T09:28:00.000-07:00

Last night I decided to make a jumper out of a fleece blanket I got at the dollar store. I drew a pattern using a dress Posy wears now, making it a little bigger and adding a half inch for seams.

I thought I might make a tutorial, so I took some pictures.

But then I started doing strange things - the kind of things that would make my grandmother, who taught me to sew (or tried to), roll over in her grave -- if she were dead, which, thankfully, she is not. But don't tell her, please: about my lack of actual measurements, my cold iron, my curvy seams.

I thought, "reversible!" and "pockets!" without any real idea of how that could be achieved.

I'm impatient, and I don't think things all the way through before I do them.

So forget the tutorial - I've got to hide the strange and whimsical steps I took. But next time I will measure...cause I think this dress might have to wait until next fall. It's enormous.

coming soon!

2009-08-25T22:11:00.000-07:00

In the next week or two, we'll have our first hand-drawn, hand-printed onesies available on etsy! Check back soon.

taggie blanket

2009-08-25T22:09:00.001-07:00

Using ribbons that came on gifts Posy received, I made this simple taggie blanket for her to play with.

fitted sheet to dress

2009-08-25T22:08:00.000-07:00

Seattle broke records for heat this summer, and one day, desperate for something to wear that would barely touch my body, I made this dress out of an old fitted sheet. I used the elastic in the sheet at the top of the dress.

rosette dress

2009-08-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

I created this dress for Posy using another hand-me-down from Aunt Pants. What was originally a woman's shirt became an adorable (if I do say so myself) infant summer dress. Thanks to Happy Together for the idea.

dolls!

2009-08-25T21:54:00.000-07:00

Johanna, Ugly Maud, Michelle, and Ira. Posy likes Michelle best, because of the pearls.

I took inspiration from Emily of the Black Apple.

and, Here Comes the Mollie, for my bf who will marry in January. This doll was made entirely of two pillowcases and a scrap of felt.

kimono baby shoes

2009-08-25T21:52:00.000-07:00

My first (but not last) attempt at baby shoes, thanks to a pattern from Home Spun Threads. I wasn't crazy about the final product - without elastic, the shoes tend to slip off.

aviator cap for cool days

2009-08-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

I knit this before my Posy was born.

all from one pillowcase

2009-08-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

Aunt Pants gave me an oversized pillowcase. Her grandmother had cut it open and put elastic in the top, and she'd worn it as a skirt, but she was ready to throw it in the goodwill pile. I snatched it.
And made a onesie and some pants. They're a little too matchy when worn together, true; but I like the onesie with some brown pants, and the pants with a pink onesie.

With still more pillowcase to go, I created a bib. My measurements were inexact, and so the neck was a little too tight to use the snap I had planned to sew on. I found some spare ribbon and a button in my sewing box, which made the neck the perfect size.

I ironed some fusible onto the fabric first to stiffen it up a bit. The back is terrycloth so it can double as a washcloth when the meal is done.

onesie applique

2009-08-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

using leftover fat quarters

2009-08-25T19:47:00.000-07:00

With plenty of fabric left over from our wall art project, I drew inspiration from the bird mobile at spool sewing. I loved this project because I could carry a little bird around in my purse and sew by hand in my free time. Snowed in over Christmas, I finished quite a few of these feathered friends.

Most of my extra fabric went into this baby quilt. It was my first quilt, and I figured it out by googling my way step by step through the process. I designed the appliques myself.

With still more fabric left, I made frames by wrapping scraps around cereal box cardboard, and hung them together using a ribbon that came on a baby gift. I also made a pair of rice-filled bookends.

And a little felt monogrammed "R"

the tree

2009-08-25T17:35:00.001-07:00

Inspired by this image from the Pottery Barn Kids website,

Lumberjack and I went to the fabric store and chose a bunch of fat quarters.

Aunt Pants came over and drew the tree. We cut, and I fused and stitched. Lumberjack hammered wood together to make frames, and we stretched fabric across them and stapled it on.
Ta-da!