ctb: project one

i would like to open this sew along with this pullover hoodie that has been cut out, waiting patiently for over a month.  i bought the pattern and the fabric (on sale at joann’s) back in december, but just couldn’t manage to fire up the sewing machine until this week.  after so many weeks of working tirelessly on projects, yet feeling like nothing is actually happening, it’s so nice to return to sewing and the instant gratification it brings.

it’s possible i delayed this project so much because of the jersey lining, and the tales of woe and tragedy i routinely hear of sewing with knits.  i have been reading tips on avoiding such dismay for months now, and while i still have been too lazy to figure out my walking foot, i’m so happy to report a ballpoint needle and beginner’s luck were more than enough to make sewing this soft, thin, stretchy jersey stripe a snap.  it helped that often, the jersey was reinforced by the thick sweatshirt material, which is actually not so stretchy at all, and this 2T as a result is a little narrow in the arms for my rather slight almost 2 year old.

overall, this pattern was easy to follow.  the sweatshirt did get really thick in some places, so i had a little trouble attaching the hood and had to go in by hand a few times.  the waistband had a goldie locks complex and needed to be adjusted a few times (first too small, then too large) before i could attach it without any accidental gathers.  the author does note in the pattern it might be tricky, so i think from now on i might wait to cut the waistband until i have finished sewing the body, so that i’m sure of the size.  i actually ended up sewing it a little like quilt binding, leaving the two short ends of the band unsewn until most of the band was attached to the body, because knits are stretchy and simply can’t be trusted with their size and shape until you have them largely committed to their purpose.

i’m a little embarrassed to say that, after stumbling on this tutorial recently, this is the first project that i evidently sewed my buttons on correctly. glad to have that most fundamental measure of sewing competency (“well, i can sew on a button…”) under my belt.  other than that, my first jersey project actually looks pretty good…i’ve sewn enough now that while i continue to make mistakes, at least i can hide them relatively well!

reese actually caught sight of this shortly before it was finished and became really fixated on it, pitching a small fit when he couldn’t wear it (fashion is about the only thing that ruffles his feathers).  when he woke up from his nap today feeling discombobulated as usual, he immediately perked up when he saw his finished hoodie and got to try it on.  he pitched another fit when we took it off for bedtime.  in between, he styled the rest of his outfit and props for this photo shoot…he’s still not as consistent of a ham as his big sister, but we got our first on command “smile!” today.  overall then, i’d have to say this item is a major success.  unfortunately, it seems he’ll definitely outgrow it before it cools off enough to wear it again after the next few weeks are behind us.

many more projects are waiting in the wings, including some that will test this early luck with jersey.  stay tuned!