The Sew and Tell Project

I’m going to go off the beaten sewing blog path a bit with this post.

I want to talk a little bit about one of the reasons I sew.

If you’ve read this post, you know that sometimes I sew to preserve a legacy. If you read this post, I also sew to create a special childhood memory. And sometimes I sew just for the joy of creating something for myself.

For the most part, modern day sewing is a luxury that I engage in frequently. I want to be honest here. For the most part, I don’t need to sew many things that I don’t actually want to sew. While about 50% of my sewing is related to pattern testing or blogging, ultimately every project is the result of me trying to push the idea from inside my mind into a reality that benefits and somehow meets the needs of various members of my family.

I don’t usually sew out of the same necessity as maybe our mothers and grandmothers did. I sew because I love the art and I love the finished product. For this reason, I rarely sew on commission from others. I can barely keep up with my family’s needs and wants and I don’t want the pressure of sewing for others to diminish my joy and peace in my hobby which is therapeutic and fulfilling to me.

But as I’ve indicated in this post, I do sometimes encounter a need where my ability to sew is truly a gift.  In modern America, realistically I don’t actually need to sew to “clothe the naked” but I can do it to express my love for someone by providing them with properly-fitting clothes. I also know that as my children grow, the need for me to custom make their clothing might be even greater as they are expected to be far taller than the average consumer.

Last week, I exercised a special type of sewing with a little project for Pebbles (Baby Miss).  Pebbles has had near constant ear infections since October 2015. After trying a few different things with our healthcare provider, we were finally scheduled to see an ENT and then bilateral tube placement to give her some sweet relief!

I was surprised when they told me that Pebbles could come in street clothes that opened in the front for her surgery. She does not like to wear zip-up or snap front sleepers and instead wears play pants and t-shirts to bed most nights.

I wanted her to have something special and comfortable to wear for her surgery. I also wanted to send just a bit of my love for her into the OR with her.

Pebbles loves watching “Mickey Mouse Pub House” every morning during breakfast. I purchased this Minnie knit from the Peek-a-Boo Fabric Shop and paired it with solid black cotton lycra from the same shop. I think I have sewn through 8 yards of the black solid over the past year!

For Pebbles’ top I finally used the Kimono Kid pattern from PAB. I usually refrain from buying patterns unless I know that I will either a) use them a lot or b) use them immediately. At the time, I did not anticipate ever making a Kimono Kid for any of my own children as the pattern only goes up to a 4T and Pebbles is my only child still in size range. But I did know that I would want to make several as baby gifts, and now that I have a snap press on its way to me, I know that is more likely to happen.

I made Pebbles’ top in a size 3T and paired it with the Happy Buns Britches. I also made the Happy Buns in a size 3T and used the elastic waistband option. I had made the Happy Buns before when Pebbles was an infant. I had forgotten how easily they come together. One of my favorite things about the Happy Buns is that they are a quick sew, and are a slim fit, but not quite as slim as leggings. I had originally purchased the Minnie fabric to make Pebbles a Gloria and will still do so. I think the pants will pair nicely under a Minnie Gloria.

I am happy to report that Pebbles loved her “Minnie jammies.” The same day surgery staff also thought they were perfect for her. The surgery was quick, simple, and very successful. In fact it was so successful that these pictures were taken the same day of the surgery after she took a five hour midday nap!

I am definitely going to add the Kimono Kid to my frequently used pattern rotation.

What do you sew out of necessity?