This is the first time that I make a fully lined jacket.  It really was not as hard as I had thought it would be.  It did help that it had simple lines and the outer fabric is a double knit with a bit of stretch.  The lining is a cozy and soft flannel.

I have never liked the lining fabrics normally used in jackets.  They're cold when you first put the garment on, and stick to you if you are too warm.  So I decided to use flannel, which will be much more comfortable for a child to wear.

This jacket is about to be shipped to Pine Ridge, along with several other things.  The school principal is back and ready to receive warm clothing for her students.  This school goes from pre-K to 12th grade, so just about any child size will fit somebody.  For now, here are a couple of photos of the jacket:

This is absolutely the easiest blanket I have ever made!  I think it took me longer to get all the fabrics nice and flat than to sew them together.

I used 1 yard of each fabric.

The top layer is a cute cotton print with teddy bears.  The lining is a plain broadcloth, and you could use any cotton fabric such as quilt backing.  The interlining is sandwiched between the two fabrics. I used a piece of flannel to give baby a little warmth.

Before starting, make sure you have washed all the fabrics so they are already preshrunk when you lay them out.

Put your three fabrics flat on a table or, if you're limber enough, on a clean floor.  Pin all around, leaving a space of about 5" for turning.  Stitch, clip the corners at a 45 degree angle. Turn over and stitch the opening closed.

Done!

I made myself NOT start anything new till I had completely finished several of the Summer outfits I had started.  I intend to send those to my "adopted" family in Pine Ridge.  The family has four children, three boys and one girl, all age 5 and under. 

Armed with several size charts, I did my best to hopefully make clothes that will fit them and maybe have room to grow.  The striped fabric is a knit that was quite uneven and was difficult to make and align the stripes.

The little girl's outfit is made of a knit fabric that looks like denim but is more comfortable because it stretches.  I really liked this fabric: it keeps its shape and looks like it won't show dirt too easily.

Here are the photos!

A while back, when I posted how to draw your own pants pattern, someone asked for a skirt pattern tutorial.  Specifically, we were talking about making what is called a sloper, which is the very base of patterning.

Browsing on the net, I found this site that has an excellent tutorial for a pencil skirt sloper.  So, I am not going to re-write what Deby wrote so well.  Click on this link to go to her site, So Sew Easy

Four years after disaster stroke Haiti, they are still among the poorest and neediest nations in the world.  My favorite group, All Crafts For Charity, decided to devote a month of crafting to make much needed clothes.  We made some pillowcase dresses and other Summer dresses for the little girls, and some shorts and tee-shirts for the boys.

This was great for me because their climate is similar to ours in South Florida.  I am better acquainted with cotton and lightweight fabrics than with what is needed in cold climates.  So, I put aside the knitting needles and got busy at the sewing machine.  It reminded me of when my children were small, and I would make some of their clothes.  As a matter of fact, the little airplane buttons were left over from when I made my son some overalls.

If you like to sew, knit, or crochet, there are plenty of opportunities to lend your skills and to help out these innocent kids. Reservations in the USA are also always in need of clothing.  If you're not sure how to get started, feel free to contact me or leave a comment below.

With the proverbial strength in numbers, the group collected a lot of outfits for those poor children.  Here's my modest contribution: