A Lovely Christmas, nice and warm now!

A very Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! We've always done the day in a very low-key way: sleeping late, making a big breakfast (this year it was eggs, sausage, bacon, and waffles), then spending a few hours opening presents. Then we all get to spend a few hours playing with our gifts before we assemble to order take-out Chinese food for dinner (a tradition we started a few years ago).
This afternoon I decided to spend some time in the sewing room, finishing up a project that's been languishing for a few weeks. It wasn't a difficult project, yet I had a hard time staying with it. But now it's done, and I can start thinking about what is next on the project list.
A few years ago I had made a fleece jumpsuit (using a pattern from PatternMaster, of course), and it had gotten a lot of wear every winter. However, two things about it had always bugged me: the sleeve cuffs were a bit too lose, and there were no pockets. So this year I decided to make a new one and fix those issues.

No, it's not a terribly flattering garment, but it's not supposed to be! It is, however, very comfortable.

Pockets!! I borrowed a method I saw used in some fleece sleepers I spotted at Target. Instead of the traditional inseam pocket with two layers, there's only one piece of fleece, sewn onto the inside of the front section. The front pocket opening is turned and stitched, and the pocket piece is sewn to the side seam of the back section. This gives much less bulk, and the pocket is always facing the right way!

Booties!! I drafted a pair of booties using the free Wild Things program, and grafted them onto the legs of the jumpsuit. I had made a casing in the tops of the booties for elastic, but it turns out I don't need it; they stay in place just fine.

And to keep me safe on the wood floors, the bottom of the booties are done with Jiffy Grip, with a layer of fleece on the inside for comfort. In retrospect, I should have used either another layer of fleece for padding, or a thin piece of foam. But hey, I'm not planning on taking any long hikes in this anyway.

A Sewing-Related Gift

My son gave me an amazing book for Christmas that I was not familiar with at all and am totally in love with already:

This book is big, heavy and gorgeous. The photography is outstanding and they have lots of close-ups for details. The accompanying text is wonderful as well: there's a lot of historical context that helps you understand why fashions evolved the way they did.

It was a wonderful gift, all the more so because he chose it himself and not because it was something on my wish list.

On the Horizon

I've signed up to go to the Northern Virginia ASG Chapter Retreat next month. I had such a good time last year that I just had to do it again. Now I have to come up with a sewing plan and decide what will be the best use of three days of uninterrupted sewing. Suggestions welcomed!