Gigantic Sweatshirt Refashion Tutorial!

Last summer, while scouring the clearance racks with Joshua, searching for dress pants, I came across this little (or I should say gigantic) gem...

It was cheap, it was huge, and it was the softest sweatshirt I had ever felt!

At first I thought it would just be a very cozy lounge top, but I have a weakness for leggings and tall boots, and something about this sweatshirt just begged to be tailored into a stylish addition to my afor mentioned weakness...

So I went for it and it was so easy I thought I'd share my methods!

 I began by trimming the neck, basically just cutting away the existing neckline...

I then turned the sweatshirt inside out and retrieved a similar (better fitting) shirt from my closet.  I laid the my size shirt over the large sweatshirt matching the collar and the upper part of the sleeves.  I traced the sides and the arms leaving about a 1/2" for seam allowance...

Then I cut along my lines, pinned the sides and sleeves, and sewed along each side using a 1/2" seam allowance!  (I love this material because I don't have to finish the edges, it doesn't unravel)

It's hard to see because of the lite color, but this is my finished seam...

Ok, so now it's starting to look more tailored, but I still have a problem...

The sleeves are miles too long, and the collar looks like someone cut the neck out of a sweatshirt (which someone did, but that's beside the point!)...

Ok, sleeve problem first, I measured the sleeves of the shirt I used as a pattern, and cut the sleeve to that measurement minus the length of the sleeve cuff.  ( that sounds confusing, but I plan to sew the cuff back on to the sleeve)

I trimmed the excess sleeve off of the cuff, and turned it right side out.  I then pushed the cuff inside the sleeve and pinned it all the way around...

I sewed it together using a 1/2" seam allowance.

And when turned right side out, you can hardly tell where I performed the surgery, and the sleeve is now a much better length!

Ok, now for that unfinished collar...

I have these very attractive coconut buttons that I thought could add a little character to the sweatshirt and I decided the collar was the best place for them...

 

So, I cut a 5" slit in the front right side of the collar...

And removed that ugly little triangle design...

I folded the exposed edge of the slit over and pinned it to the other side of the slit, and sewed it in place using a 1/4" seam allowance stopping just past the end of the slit.

Next I folded the collar under by 1/2" all the way around.

And sewed it in place using a 1/4" seam allowance...

I finished by hand sewing two of my buttons next to the slit seam at the collar and...

Tada!

 

 

And a Happy New Year!

Our Christmas extravaganza began with Noah's school musical program, and there is just nothing like watch an enthusiastic bunch of 4 years olds belting out Christmas songs at the top of their lungs! 

We continued the festivities at Grandma and Grandpa Painter's house where Gigi got her very own pony...

She wasn't excited at all ;-)

And the kids got a Sesame Street couch to share...

 Of course, sharing isn't always easy...

And it can be exhausting, even for Superman!

After all the fun with the Painter Grandparents it was time for some Christmasing with Nonna and Papa Sacco!

Nonna splurged on special Christmas outfits for the kids this year...

So of course, once dressed we had to attempt to get the perfect picture...

And after multiple attempts...

I think we nailed it!

And who ever said sitting at the kid's table was no fun!

 

Of course, presents are great...

Especially personalized super capes made by yours truly...

But no toys can compare with the awesome play power of Uncle Joshua...

And everyone knows that the very best toy of all...

is the box!!!

 



A Little Mommy Introspection! And a Very Merry Christmas!!

Since the moment my beautiful baby boy was placed in my arms, I feel like I have been under constant pressure to be sure and not only enjoy every moment of his (and later his sister's) life but to capture it via picture, video, and keepsake.

It's a work of love, with bittersweet moments, folding and boxing those sweet little onesies, moving from those tiny newborn diapers to the next and the next size, watching that sweet toothless smile transform into a toothy grin!

And at every stage I remember thinking THIS is my favorite stage, look how cute and beautiful my babies are, I'm going to miss this stage when it's gone...

Of course there are moments I can't wait to be over as well, tantrums and arguments and general contrariness etc.

But those things are easy to forget when I'm rocking my daughter in the chair in her room, as she snuggles into my shoulder and whispers "momma", or when she looks at me and says "I yuv YOU!"

Or when Noah pushes me right to the edge of frustration and then says "Mom?"..."I love you always!"

I have moments when I think about those vague but intimidating teenage years to come when I love yous might be the exception instead of the norm, and those arguments and tantrums may be more prevalent than ever.  When my kids won't want to hang out with me the way they do now and there won't be anymore quiet moments in the rocking chair.  sniff.

But the thing is, I have done a pretty good job documenting all of those special moments, and so far I haven't taken a lot of time to go back through them...

I love that I have them captured at each stage and I know I will appreciate them more as the kids continue to grow, but as much as I love to look back at those tiny baby faces and remember those sweet moments, they don't make me feel a sense of loss the way I thought they might, they don't give me that sad feeling of time gone.

The fact is, I love each stage we come to, and Noah and Gianna are both very different individuals from who they were in those pictures and videos.  I love who they are and while I can appreciate and enjoy those memories, they don't hold me because I am so wrapped up in who they are today.

 

I'm not sure whether this is a universal truth or just a me truth, but I thought I'd share it.

Merry Christmas!