You win some, you lose some

 Sewing clothes for my grandsons is definitely testing my abilities and not just my ability to stitch a straight line! I have been making more tops for the boys, and matching patterns has again been a challenge.

First up a Snowman top for the littler grandson

and a win! A Snowman the right way up :)

Next up, a much more ambitious Octopus Hoodie for the older grandson. Some wins here too

Check out the pattern matching on that front pocket! I confess to being a little bit thrilled when I saw that :)

Sadly the joy did not last, unbeknownst to me there was a disaster waiting in the wings!

 

 I hadn't realised until I put it together that I had cut the hood pieces out upside down because what I thought would be the top of the hood when it was sewn was actually going to be the bottom. So those octopi and boats you see above are all going to be upside down when the hood is worn up! Naturally when I realised that I also discovered that I didn't have enough material left to cut out another two hood pieces :( 

Rather than ditch the hood altogether ( I was tempted!) I decided to soldier on and hope that my grandson wouldn't even notice.

Fortunately he didn't and neither did his parents until I told them!

This snuggly Bear top for the littler grandson restored my faith though.

A perfectly placed hedgehog made me so happy :) 

Then just for a change a double-sleeved Fair Isle t-shirt for his big brother. I have actually had this fabric since the recipient was a baby so it was really good to finally get around to making something for him with it. 

You can no doubt imagine the happy dance that ensued when I saw these stripes :) Fortunately there was no patterns to match up or make sure they were the right way up with my last makes for them.

Given the length of the queues outside our local Post Office before Christmas, these outfits were made up into several parcels that would fit in the letterbox at the end of our road to be sent off. I am happy to report that they all arrived safely and the recipients were pleased to receive them. The little chocolate gifts inside each parcel might have had something to do with that too though :)

You've got to pick a placket or two!

 Over the summer,as you know, I had great fun making clothes for the gorgeous grandsons. Once I had made them (more than) a few t-shirts I decided to branch out and have a go at polo shirts! 

My, by now, well-thumbed Ottobre magazine had a pattern for a polo shirt so nothing ventured, nothing gained. 

 

Well the nothing gained bit was right! I struggled with getting my head around the instructions for getting the placement of the cut for the placket so my first attempt was definitely a bit off centre! Fortunately, I had (just) enough fabric to cut out another front piece and have another go.

Very considered cutting later I had my very first placket and in the right place to boot!

Well, I couldn't make for one grandson and not the other so emboldened by my success I stitched up this one too.

I am not by any means a dressmaker so the finishing touches on some of the Ottobre patterns are often a surprise to me, like this bound neckline, but they are always worth the little bit of extra effort (and at times, some head-scratching!).

I am currently working up the courage to make a couple of showerproof jackets for the grandsons, fingers crossed they do not turn out to be a step too far :) If nothing else, it will keep me busy in this new lockdown!