summer camp pajamas

In the Spring, a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love

With apologies to Alfred, Lord Tennyson, in the spring a not-so-young woman's fancy strongly turns to thoughts of summer camp (which pretty much equals love for me).

I had a long summer camp hiatus when my kids were growing up, but I got back as soon as I could. In 2010, I was able to go to a 3 night Cub Scout camp with my two older boys. I went in 2013 and 2014 with my youngest son, and graduated to Boy Scout camp with all 3 of them for the past 2 summers.

Prior to my 2010 camp experience, I felt compelled to make myself a new pair or pajama shorts. I'm not sure what I was wearing at home at the time, but I instinctively knew that summer camp was an occasion for new pajamas.

One of the summer camps I used to work at holds a staff reunion weekend every other year; I got to attend in 2011 and, wouldn't you know it, ended up making a pair of pajama pants for the occasion. When I realized this camp/pajama connection in my life a few weeks ago it was like a light bulb went off: "pajama breakfast" was a weekly event at both camps I worked at, and it was definitely an occasion to dress up for! Of course, pajama breakfast is not a thing in Boy Scouts, but I do need to look presentable for late night/early morning trips to the latrine.

Sadly, I wore out my 2010 pajama shorts and found myself in need of a new pair, so I scoured Pinterest for a pattern to use up some of my fabric. To say I have a lot of fabric is a gross understatement, but I tend to hoard it and save each piece for just the right project. I have some fabrics that were given to me and while I didn't particularly like them, they were good quality and at least a yard so I knew I would use them for something, someday.

The colors in this fabric are NOT my colors; I never in a million years would have purchased this fabric, but  it instantly came to mind when I discovered the free City Gym Shorts pattern & tutorial by Purl Soho.  I initially planned to use an orchid colored bias tape for the trim, but I LOVE how the turquoise pops against these warm pastel hues. Incidentally, I made the bias tape myself- it was my first time doing so and certainly won't be my last! It won't be my last time using this pattern, either. I am crazy in love with the bias tape and curved hemline.

For my next pair, I plan to draft side front pockets, and change the waistband up a little bit, but I'm definitely hooked! The tutorial was well written and easy to follow, and it's easy enough for someone with very little sewing experience.

Use it up

My primary focus in choosing the word deliberate as my word of the year was finishing up craft projects and not buying new craft supplies without a specific purpose. I have meditated on this old proverb for several years, and want to incorporate it more into my habits (and purchases).

Actually, I am really dying to cross stitch it as some sort of sampler, but that doesn't help my myriad of unfinished projects, does it? Maybe it will be a reward for me, when I finish up all of my current works in progress.

Here are reports on my progress from three different craft fronts.

Knitting Over the holiday break, I knitted four hats! One for my son, one for my niece, and two because I had yarn without a purpose and a 14+ hour round trip to my sister-in-law's house for Christmas. I also tried to continue knitting a second sock that was about 58% done, but for the life of me I could not figure out where I left off in the instructions or how to make it the same as the first one. I unravelled it to a point where I thought I knew what was going on, knit about 2 more inches on it, and then unravelled the whole thing because I still wasn't satisfied! I thought about just starting over, but then I wasn't sure I had followed the directions exactly on the first sock, so I unravelled a perfectly completed sock! What can I say? Perfectionism and procrastination are conjoined twins in my world. So now I have two balls of yarn rolled, ready for me to learn to knit two socks at one time... eventually...

Cross Stitch I have so many projects pinned, but before starting ANY of them, I am going to finish what I have already started. (cringe) You can't unravel cross-stitch like socks with the freedom to start over, so I've got my work cut out for me. I know for a fact that I'm still holding on to a project that I started in high school, and one from when I bought my first house almost 20 years ago. Both of those projects were specific to match a room or theme that no longer exists in my life, so I may give myself the grace to part with them.

One work in progress was a sampler that I intended to incorporate into a pillow cover. I am proud to report that all the work from the second zig-zag line down has been completed in the last week! I found that I had used up the light gold thread that I was using, so I still need to go back and fill in a few spots. (purchase- one skein of embroidery floss for a specific project)

Sewing This is the worst of it, y'all. I want/need to make new covers for my living room couch pillows, and a valence for my kitchen. I don't have the right fabrics for these projects, but am allowing myself to purchase them if I find what I need at a reasonable price. The first project on my list to tackle was a requested Superman bib for my nephew's first birthday party. Being the mom of boys, I had a lot of superhero fabric in my stash, but apparently I gave it all away in my pre-moving destash of 2015. 

A craft/fabric store like JoAnn's is to me like a liquor store is to an alcoholic: a huge temptation-fest with the capactity for things to go very wrong, very quickly. But I had to buy Superman fabric for the bib, so off to the store I went. I petted lots of fabrics. I told lots of fabrics they were lovely. But in the end, I walked out with only Superman fabric (just a bit more than what I needed for the bib, but it was justified!) and a remnant fabric that will become couch pillows. Everything else for the two bibs- as well as the matching skirt I made for my niece- came from my stash. Use it up, indeed!