Bassinet Sheets to Pajamas

 Hello Readers. I was given a big pile of the cutest bassinet sheets. They were soft cotton knit, like t-shirt material.  I don't have a bassinet or a baby so I could do something else with these sheets. I decided to make pajamas.

 Who needed new pajamas? Me!

A sweet wonderful on-line sewing friend @brightpracticalfabricart sent me a collection of cotton knit bassinet sheets made by Poppi & Max

These are a soft knit cotton, like a t-shirt. I first noticed the giraffe and it really caught my eye. (My mom loved giraffes and they make me think of her.) This is a really pretty giraffe. I cut the elastic from the outer edge of each bassinet sheet and then I thought about what to make. 

 

I realized I needed summer pajamas and since I am a hot sleeper, tank tops would be great. And they don't use a large amount of fabric. I had smallish pieces of fabric to work with here so this seemed like a good plan. I used the Luna Pattern by Helen's Closet Patterns. You can download it online and it is such an easy sewing pattern to use.

 

  I extended the length of the body as far as I could with the length of the bassinet sheets. I wanted a longish shirt.

 

 I could get one tank top from 2 sheets. One sheet for the front of the shirt and one for the back. 

 

I made matching shorts to go with each shirt. 

 

 I used other shorts as a pattern. And I kind of made it up as I went along. That wasn't  perfect because the fabric was different in stretch.

 

I added a center piece to make the shorts wider. That worked really well. The next pair I cut bigger and wider so I did not need to do this.

 

I used elastic for the waistband that I had it on hand. I wanted to use items I had. I used blue thread in my serger for the edges of the shirt and legs of the shorts. I liked the contrast of colors.

I made 4 sets of pajamas, but these giraffes are definitely my favorite. I used pink elastic and white thread for this set. The giraffe is the star of the show. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Linen Luna Tank

 Hello Readers. It is hot, hot, hot! Maybe because it's summer... Maybe because the world is on fire... At this point I'm not really sure. One thing I do know is that when it's hot, I need iced tea and clothes that breathe. Like a linen tank top.

 

 Before and after.

 

 I have been in loving linen lately because its so nice in the heat. I went searching in my sewing stash for some linen pieces that I could make into a summer tank top. I washed the linen pieces that I had before sewing in case they shrank. The linen I have is from my mother-in-law so it was probably designed to be used in home decor. I was hoping this linen wouldn't be too thick or heavy to be the summer shirt I was wanting. But let's try and see if it works. (My life philosophy!)

 I wanted to make the Luna tank from Helen's Closet Patterns. You can get it free from the website. (Thanks Helen!) This is a super great project for beginners. And check out that size range!! 0-34!!! That is amazing!

I printed my pattern pieces on my home printer and put the paper pieces together. I set the paper piece on the fold of my fabric.

 

I had to move my pieces around to get a front and back from my small piece of fabric but usually you would just fold your fabric in half, put your paper pattern on the fold and cut your fabric pieces out.

Linen frays very easily and quickly. I decided to use my serger on all the edges right away so they wouldn't fray during the sewing process.

My light gray serger thread matched the fabric really well. 

The linen had a nice drape to it. It is a heavier weight linen but I liked it as a shirt. I liked it so much I left the serged edges just like this. I didn't sew in the neck band or arm bands like the pattern directed. (I have trouble following directions.) The edges looked good to me and because they were only one layer of fabric. It keeps the from getting bulky which would make the hemline get thicker and stiffer. It would lose its light flowy quality. 

 

Video summary.

This tank top turned out great. I liked it made of linen and it will be so nice in the heat of summer. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

*Year End Note From Chickie- This is a great piece. I love the linen and I added a cardigan to wear it into fall.