Pants for Alyx

 

Erik decided he wanted to make a pair of pants for Alyx for Christmas.  Last year he made a skirt for Anna and did almost all the work; not with this project.  He picked out the fabric and pattern and I pretty much took it from there.  These are the “Baby Bloomers” from the book Making Children’s Clothes by Emma Hardy.  The pattern and instructions were easy and this project would normally have taken me a couple of hours – tops.  But not this year – not with this back.  This project took a full month working in five or ten minute increments and was not finished until after the big day.  Oh, well.  This year has been full of “good enough”.  The lemonade we have been making from our lemons is a little bit off, but not bad.  Enough about life – back to these cute pants!

 

I like a lot of things about all this flowery fun.  I like the pink ruffle at the hem, the contrasting lining.  I like the pants equally well with and without elastic at the cuffs.  The next pair I make will have a contrasting waist and be elastic-free at the hem (keeping the ruffle, though).  Another great thing about this pattern is that it is roomy enough for a diaper-clad bum.  My very favorite part of the pants is the fabric flower on the right pant leg.  I originally made the flower as a hair accessory for the pants, but it looked so cute on the pants I had to stitch it in place right then and there.

 

One of the things I whiled away the hours on the couch doing over the past two months was hand-sewing.  Here is a little doorknob hanger I wanted to create for quite some time.  It was nice to finally get it done.  I keep meaning to put together a little sewing basket with all my hand-stitching projects, mending, etc. so I can work on it while I’m sitting on the couch.  I sure enjoy doing it when I take the time to do it.  I still have a pillow on a chair in my living room that has been waiting to be stitched up for a year – it’s inner pillow form spilling out from time to time.  Oh, my needle is calling . . .