Another year, another update

Well, it has been more than a year...again. I am no longer preggo, in fact we just celebrated Baby Bear's first birthday (she was 2 weeks early, but I managed to waddle across the graduation stage without my water breaking).

Lately I have been hitting up the dollar rack at my favorite thrift store and doing some reconstructions. I figure I should at least post some of those and some of my mending I do for the Moo (who I can't believe is almost 11).

Today I took a pair of size 4/5 girls pants in a beautiful linen blend and made them fit my size 12 month Bear.

Before

They look about the same after, only smaller.  I will try and get an action shot next time she wears them. 

I didn't take pictures along the way, but here is a rundown of what I did. Size 4/5 is made for post diapers and we use cloth diapers (big bottom resulting) so I decided to leave the inseam area intact. I removed the side zipper (you can't see it, but it is there). Next I took off the waist band with a seam ripper. I wanted to still use it, so no hacking with scissors. Here is where I sewed the side seam shut where the zipper was. I grabbed a pattern I like for baby pants to adjust the top, but a pair of pants that fit would also work. I only ended up taking about half an inch from the top because of the diaper.  I did add a bit more dip to the front, which made the waist band not fit, but that was fixed a bit later when i dealt with the legs. I checked length (use pattern or etxisting pants) left room to hem them and cut across. I wanted these to be wide in the legs, as I like that look, so I barely took in the side seams, just enough to let the waistband fit.  You could easily take them in more. I may do so later, I haven't decided. There was elastic sewn into the back waistband, so I removed it. I added the waistband back on, leaving a gap to add new elastic all the way around. Now I measured some elastic to fither waist, put it in the band, closed it up, tacked the sides of the elastic to prevent rolling, and hemmed the bottom. Overall, the whole thing took about an hour, tops. Not bad for $1 baby pants.

Next time I will take in progress pictures. Speaking of next time, I have this shirt:

It is a girls small or extra small, but it is the type that is made to be wide and crop.  I love the white design on it, so I brought it home. My first thought was baby dress., but I was looking at the sleeve cuff and sleeve line and saw haremember pant for Bear (Harem pants only work for me if you are of diaper age). Now I am waffling back and forth. Dress or pants? When I decide, I will post picturtes. In progress ones too. Till then.