older troublemaker pajamas (new look 6131)

The older troublemakers' Christmas pajamas were easy.  I used New Look 6131 to make them each a full set.

They were quick and easy, which was super beneficial, since I was on a time budget.

dress shirt pajamas (simplicity 5343, 5534)

Last week I found myself with a dilemma concerning the youngest troublemaker's pajamas.  He's wearing size 24 month clothes, which I think is one of the hardest sizes to fit with a pre-made pattern.  Most baby patterns go up to 18 months, and the toddler/child sized patterns start at a size 3.

Since patterns tend to run a little big, I took Zoram's measurements, and then measured the pattern pieces and felt confident that the 18 month pieces would fit.

Trying to make a two-piece set for him like his brothers, I used Simplicity 5343 for the pants, but couldn't bring myself to dress my little guy in the empire waisted frilly top (nor would his dad have been very happy with me):

As I began looking around, I decided I didn't have the time (or the brainpower) to make up my own pattern for a top, nor to size down the pattern pieces I was using for my older troublemakers.

And then it dawned on me . . . what is a pajama top, anyway?  Nothing but a button-up shirt made out of flannel!  Score!!  Simplicity 5534 (out of print, but luckily I already had it in my pattern library) had just what I was looking for!

The pajamas ended up fitting just like I wanted them to, although if I could go back, I would probably make the top an inch or two longer.

(Ignore the new, slightly too big undershirt sticking out of his sleeve.  It'll shrink in the wash.)

girly nightgown

That's right, I did it again!  I made my own pattern. 

To be fair, it was based on Dana's shirt dress.  I used the same style puffed sleeve and rounded neck, and then cut the side seams in a straight line, instead of tapering them at her waist.  I extended it to the appropriate length for Rora, and then to finish it off, added a giant ruffle around the bottom to make it super-girly.

Rora was hesitant to try it on at first, but when I told her it was like a dress she could wear to bed, she hurriedly put it on, and then asked me, "Do I look like a beautiful princess?!"

I think so . . . don't you?

(I can't say that I've ever seen anybody but a pirate princess wear a skull and crossbones, but she's still a princess nonetheless.)

Linked to:

black friday luck

I never participated in Black Friday before my husband.  Since we were married, however, we have not missed a year.

This year, however, was the perfect storm for not going . . . very little money to spend + getting up at 5 am on Thanksgiving to prepare the meal + a sick husband = "sleeping in" until the kids got up at 7 am on Black Friday.

I didn't even look at the ads until this morning at about 9 am.

And that's when I noticed that JoAnn's had their flannel prints on sale for $1.29 per yard (and my troublemakers need pajamas!)

So, I tried to get the kids all dressed, fed, and set up with a movie as quickly as possible, and then left them in the care of their still ill father while I ran out to see what was left.

I had heard that the line for the cut counter at JoAnn's on the day after Thanksgiving is long, but this was ridiculous!  They have a "Take A Number" dispenser, and on a day like today, it had been loaded not only with the numbers 1-100, but they were alpha-numeric. 

I pulled a number: D52.

The current customer: C18.  More than 130 people in front of me.  (sigh.)

I started asking around.  People had been there for four hours just waiting for fabric to be cut!!

So, while I decided whether or not to stick it out, I wandered the aisles.  That's when I saw it on the shelf.

I looked down, blinked, and then picked it up.

I apparently wasn't the only one who thought about throwing the towel in when I found out how long the wait was because I was staring at ticket #C21!!

What luck!  I skipped my way back to the cut counter and waited a mere five more minutes to have my fabrics cut.

I then hurried up to the front of the store to check-out.  That line was not so lucky, but it was good for a laugh.

When you're in a line for 30 minutes, you tend to talk to the people around you.  Turns out, the two older mature ladies in front of me had ventured out on Black Friday to buy sewing needles and bobbins, neither of which was on sale.

I giggled a little as I thought, "You have to be a special kind of stupid desperate to wait in line for 30 minutes for needles and bobbins!!"

The good news is that I got enough flannel to make 7 sets of pajamas for just over $20, which comes out to less than $3 per set!!  Score!

a disney miracle (simplicity 3543, new look 6131)

This past week, my family and I went on a trip to Disneyland with my husband's family! It was tons of fun, and as a little surprise, I told the kids I had written to Mickey to let him know that we were coming.

When we got to California and checked into the hotel, we left for a walk, during which time Tinkerbell stopped by and left each child a pair of pajama pants!

The kids were all so excited! I only took a quick picture of my daughter's, and one of my sons' pajamas, but there were five pair in all.

The infant pajama pants were made from Simplicity 3543:

And the bigger kids' pajama pants were made from New Look 6131: