Pajama Time

With little ones, isn't the best part of the day bath time and getting them ready for bed in a snuggly pair of pajamas? Since my children are grown, it would be weird if I did that now, but I still love a nice pair of warm pajamas. For Christmas, I used this pattern to make pajamas for my sweet granddaughters:

See pattern here

I thought the design was darling! As a bonus, it came with a pattern for the American Girl doll size. 

In my experience, pattern company sizes for children run a bit large compared to store sizes, so it's best to go by measurements when selecting a pattern size. My granddaughter is seven, but I made a size six and added some length. The pattern called for packaged bias tape to finish the edges, but I made a bias tape with a nifty bias tape maker instead. It's softer than bias tape trim and it also complimented the cuffs at the wrist and ankle. I skipped the interfacing in the cuffs. I actually tried it first as suggested in the pattern, but even a light interfacing made them too stiff for my liking. The flannel I used for the trim was heavy enough to hold its shape without the interfacing. I also reinforced the snap closures with some interfacing on the wrong side of the fabric in the snap areas.

The pattern also has a pair of pajamas that would be perfect for summer. I love how they turned out so much, I might just make another pair or two or three!

A horse? Of course!

My granddaughter Prentice loves purses and ponies, so why on earth wouldn't I make this for her birthday?

kwiksew.mccall.com/k3970

I have a stash of fabric the size of Texas and I'm pretty sure I could have found something there that was cute enough for the project, but when I saw Riley Blake's My Sunshine Paisley, I couldn't say no. It's not my fault that it was perfect for the main purse fabric. The cute pink and orange polka-dot for the purse lining, pony ears and accent heart came from Jo-Ann, as did the fur, trims and yarn for the tail.  

The pattern was simple. There weren't a lot of pieces. The instructions were straightforward and easy to follow. I wish I could remember how long it took from start to finish. I do have a habit of seriously underestimating the time any project is going to take, but sweet Prentice loved it, so that's all that matters. It's a fun project, so if you have a purse and pony lover on your gift list, you should give it a try!