Boxers, as far as the eye can see

During a previous fabric.com shopping extravaganza, when I was still at work and had much more disposible income to fritter, I purchased some NFL cotton prints. What need would an Australian have for such things? Well, the leading gentleman loves him some gridiron.


I don't get it, both the love for, and the sport itself (why all the armour? It's like jousting without horses or lances), but then, he accepts my love of Project Runway and Australia's Next Top Model, and compromise is surely the key to a happy married life.

Anyway, I was going to make boxer shorts for him using Simplicity 9958, based on the positive report of the speediness of sewing by Scruffy Badger. Regardless of design, speediness is always a good thing in my book.

So I bought enough fabric for five pairs with the logos of a variety of teams (the advantage of not being American, you can be totally fickle about which team you support) and was primed and ready to sew.

Or clearly not. Possibly it was not my smartest move to purchase fabric and a new pattern three weeks before having a new baby. Possibly that was unrealistic.

No, not possibly. However, it was the project I chose to get back in the saddle after my son was born. I made the first pair as a trial. What I learned in the trial is that it is important to make sure you TURN OVER THE PATTERN PIECE before you cut the other leg. Otherwise you will end up with two left legs, and you really can't just make it work. Sorry, Tim Gunn, I tried, but it just wouldn't work. So I know these are the first pair, because the whole print running two directions is not a clever design choice.

But, in a testament to their success, these shorts were tried on and then stayed on and I wasn't able to properly finish them off (trim the last threads, sew up the gap where the elastic went in), until they had been washed.

I cut out the other four pairs, then they sat there while my overlocker was threaded with the wrong coloured thread. Yes, that's how much I love my overlocker, I use the thread in it to dictate what I sew because I don't want to change the thread. Next time I buy an overlocker I will move up a few price brackets and get a Babylock, because those things thread themselves and figure out their own tension. Probably why it cost ten times my current Aldi overlocker, because it's at least ten times more awesome. I still love you Veronica, but you have shortcomings (my overlocker is Veronica, my sewing machine is Betty).

But I digress. So I have been working my way through the prepped pairs. Two down, two to go. Then I got distracted by St Valentine's Day and the possibility of getting some fancy chocolate if I proposed some small time gift giving.

So I made some out of lovely gingham with a terribly corny appliqued love heart (it's not just a heart, it's a love heart).

I also gave sewing in sportswear elastic a go, which I think is preferred by the recipient, but my goodness it takes forever to sew in. I chose to enclose it, which is why I had to sew around the waistband EIGHT times, but you could just sew it in and have the elastic showing on the inside, because it is fairly soft.

Don't worry, I know what you are thinking, I didn't sew over the pin.

Sewing time may have been increased by sewing the shorts to the waistband. Clever.

However, to increase the desirability of wearing homemade things, I generally attempt to emulate ready to wear when sewing for others, so I folded it over, which I thought was very virtuous of me.

Yes, the tag is also hearted. It's how I roll.

I didn't even realise you could buy this elastic until I read about it on Male Pattern Boldness and it's not something readily available at shops here, but it does look a bit better, I think and I have some left, so maybe the last two pairs will get the same treatment. Maybe. Or maybe they'll sit in a ziplock bag while I sew a skirt.

Lucky IKEA make such big ziplock bags.
 Feel free to admire the side by side food choice in the background: brownies or fruit, you decide.

And now it's time for me to get ready to go to the football. Go Brumbies!

The Monthly Stitch March: Miss Bossy Patterns Voting

So I have a few posts almost ready to go up, but I suddenly realised that February is nearly over and I haven't asked the Monthly Stitch collective to vote for my March pattern.

I'm afraid my selection is rather boring after some of the lovely patterns I have seen, but I am limited by my own sense of practicality. At the moment, I am still breastfeeding my son and hope to continue to do so for a while yet, plus whilst the rest of me is nearly there, my bust is nowhere near my pre-pregnancy measurements, so access and flexibility are a consideration for me.

So I have a stack of Megan Nielsen patterns and I would like any lovely person who reads this to vote and tell me which one to make first. I'll probably make a few and see which I like better, but there always has to be a first one and I think until now I have been a bit paralysed by choice.

On to the patterns.

The first is the Pina top. I'm keen to make this up as a dress later (who knows, this could be April's double challenge?).

Then the Lingerie Set tank top. If I make this, I'll make it quickly, because we will only have another month or so that it will be wearable here and then I'll need sleeves.

The Perfect Nursing Top. Sounds like it should be the one, hey? However, it has a modesty panel, which I tend to find frustrating. Possibly making my own will help, but in general, I find that the generosity of my figure tends to overwhelm those panels. I can always leave it out. I'm also not sure about the gathering.

Finally there is the Wrapped Maternity Top. I like the neckline and the fact that it is a bit different.

To help you decide, I will be making it out of some stretch bamboo jersey. If you think one colour looks more awesome than another, please feel free to leave a comment.

Now whichever you pick, I will come up with a coordinating bottom half, probably a skirt. These will be made out of something fun. Something like this:

 So, if you would like to exercise your democratic muscle and vote for a pattern, that would be much appreciated.

Which top should I make?
	Pina Top
	Lingerie Set tank
	Perfect Nursing Top
	Wrapped Maternity Top
pollcode.com free polls

Also, hooray for me for managing to create a poll. Little things make me happy.

A January retrospective and a February prospective

Not sure that you can use prospective as a noun, but hey, it's the internets, anything goes.

So in January I set out to make

• Monkey big butt baby pants for the young gentleman in my life - check
• Shirred birdy dress for the young lady - check
• Boxers for the leading man - check (but unblogged)
• A dress for me, hopefully a saltspring maxi to enjoy before summer is over - nope
• Toy elephant for the young lady - nope
• Toy giraffe for the young gentleman - nope
• gifts for childcarers (the young lady is about to move rooms) - nope

I also made two quilt blocks. Then I went away for a week, so not too bad. I won't suggest I'm particularly productive, but equally, it's not too shabby. Considering I didn't take the Christmas tree down until 25 January, getting any sewing done was an achievement.

My plan for February is

• Gifts for childcarers
• Finish my iris shorts
• Skirt for the little lady
• UFO black jersey pants
• Blue jays for the little lady
• More boxers for the leading man, I think I might try a production line approach this time
• Four quilt blocks
• Keep knitting my jumper
• Start some granny squares for a baby blanket
• Dress for me?
• Faux chenille blanket for the young gentleman

I abandoned the first dress I started making, because in my current ultra-busty state I no longer fit into the largest Megan Nielsen size (only really an issue in wovens). My bust is currently 15 centimetres bigger than it was pre-(second) pregnancy. I could do an FBA, but really all my measurements are all over the shop - I'm six kilograms lighter than when I got pregnant, but I can't really wear my thinner clothes yet. For me, the body I have after babies is more about the stretching than the weight. So not sure how I feel about sewing up nice woven dresses. I go with some knits instead and just make some skirts and pants.

I think I have probably been too ambitious for February (particularly given that it only goes for 28 days and we are three days in already) but I'm also not going to get sad if I don't get it all done. If I get nothing done, well, that's a different story, but fingers crossed I can get *something* done.

On with the sewing!