On this last day of November, I am thinking about how quickly the month buzzed by and how busy it was. Lots of work on the house was accomplished and just a bit of sewing. Such is life.
Earlier I made this pair of pants. They are really, really comfortable and I am quite happy with them. I used Simplicity 2369 to make these stretch knit, wide legged pants.
After making the pants, I was browsing in a shop downtown. I saw similar pants but they had rounded pockets on each side. They were stitched without finishing the edges (which works because knit fabrics don’t really ravel). I thought this was a fun addition so I went home and did the same with these pants. I wouldn’t have thought to leave the edges of the pockets unfinished but it worked out well. I suspect if I tried to turn under a curved pocket, it would not look great and would give the pants a very homemade vibe.
This was a fun project and I will make at least one more pair. Next time, I will make the pockets bigger. I drew the pocket size myself and it is a bit too small in relation to the width of the pant leg.
For Thanksgiving we were really fortunate to have all four of my kids, two of the spouses, both grand daughters and my parents for dinner. It was a bit chaotic but really great to be together. My DIL (mom to grand daughters) is a physician and she works one major holiday per year. She had Thanksgiving this year so she was unable to come. We really missed her presence. I love the picture above even with the one blurry leg!
When my kids were little (long time ago!) we always made fudge for Thanksgiving. Licking the pot was part of the process. The boys are still in their pajamas and licking warm fudge here.
Julia was making Muddy Buddies (another family favorite) and everyone joined in licking the chocolate/peanut butter from the bowl. H was thrilled to do this with her dad and Grandpa. It was so much fun. Just in case you aren’t familiar, Muddy Buddies are Chex cereal coated with melted chocolate and peanut butter, then they are shook in a bag with powdered sugar. My kids love them.
Julia was making the cranberry sauce and H was her sous chef. We make this recipe every year. I posted about it here if you want to check the recipe out. It is delish and not difficult to make at all.
This girl was adorable as always. I pulled out the tub of dress up jewels (a thrift store find when Julia was very young). Being a toddler with style, she decided to just wear as many as possible. Hahaha – she felt so fancy. She is talking quite a bit now and spends her days mimicking her big sister.
Being a Grammy is just the best. My neighbor boards horses and she was so kind to let the girls come over and feed her animals a carrot now and then. We walked across the pasture between our houses with the little ones and enjoyed hanging out with the horses and my neighbor’s dogs. Both girls are very fond of animals and being able to feed and pet them was thrilling.
OK – that’s it for now. I am working on a very old WIP and will share it once I get the binding completed. So, coming soon – a finish – albeit a small one. But a finish is a finish, right??
Linking to a few fun sites. Check them out at the top of the page.
Oh so fun to read this post, see all the happy faces (and blurry leg), and see the up close photos of the grands. Little A is rockin’ those beads – stylin’! H looks pretty at home in the kitchen. Muddy Buddies are yummy and highly addictive. Those pants look fantastic on you!
That leg was kicking the whole time so not a chance of a decent shot. It was such a nice holiday. I don’t eat chocolate so no Muddy Buddies for me. I will say I ate a whole lot of Chex Mix though – actually I ate a whole lot in general! The usual for Thanksgiving. 🙂
Wasn’t it great to be with family again? I’ve missed my kids & grands so much! There was so much laughter and hugging to go along with all that fabulous food. And my 3 daughters-in-law came over on Friday to learn how to make pillowcases…a first for all of them. It was all so satisfying. I’m glad your T-Day was good, too.
Yay for sewing with your DIL’s. I gave a machine to two of mine and the third has one already.
We had the best time. I am extremely grateful for the special holiday we all had.
Such a pleasant and fun post Bernie. Happy Thanksgiving indeed!
Beth
Thank you Beth. It was a wonderful time with the family. I feel so grateful.
Hi Bernie! Your post gives off such relaxed vibes. Retirement is grand, isn’t it?!! Oh, your granddaughter with all the jewels is just priceless!! She looks absolutely fabulous. And what a big help H was with the cranberries. Muddy Buddies – yum, yum, yum. The fudge cleanup crew from the past is so fun – we still do that as well. Finally, the four generation picture is equally priceless. Fabulous memories of the 2021 Thanksgiving. {{Hugs}} ~smile~ Roseanne
Such great memories of the weekend. I am so very grateful for my family.
Adding the pocket to the side of the pants is a great idea; many women’s clothing manufacturer’s are starting to make long deep pockets on the sides and it thrills me to have useable pockets! Looks like a really lovely time together with family for Thanksgiving. I hope you have a great last day of the month and wonderful December.
Thank you Yvonne! I am looking forward to making another pair of these pants. The pockets will be both wider and deeper. I need to figure out how to put stabilizer behind them so the weight of my phone doesn’t pull on the fabric too much. I am sure there is a way! 🙂
Looks like you had a wonderful family time over Thanksgiving, Bernie! All those favorite family recipes, too – yum! I love Muddy Buddies. I’m so impressed with those pants you made – they really look comfortable!
We had lots of cooks in the kitchen which was very fun. Our menu doesn’t change too much year to year for Thanksgiving dinner. I suspect that is how it goes with most families. Traditions are so much fun and create wonderful memories!
Those pants look wonderful and comfy, which makes them perfect! I love little A’s fashion sense with all the jewels, and the four generation picture, which is really precious. It seems like you had a wonderful time. So happy that you could get everyone together!
Thank you Mari. I am looking forward to printing a copy of the four generation picture. We did have a great time. I hope your holiday was just as wonderful!
Super cute pants!!! And fun time with the fam, Bernie!!!
Thank you Nancy. Hope all is well with you!
Glad you had such a happy, relaxed Thanksgiving. Love the pants too – the raw edge pocket is a great idea, I’ll have to remember that one!
Hey Kirsty – I was so happy to see your recent newsletter in my inbox. Seems like you are all settling in well.
The holiday was a blast – sad to see them leave but now we are back to our routines. Take care. 🙂
Your pants look wonderful on you. Deeper pockets help hold a phone so makes sense. Love the photos of family times and one memorable one I would frame in your new home is you walking with them to the neighbors. It’s precious, so generous to show love of animals to them and remembering nature.
Thank you Kathy. I love the picture out in the pasture. The girls really enjoyed visiting with the horses. Luckily these are elderly horses and are very calm for the most part – They are fine with being petted and fed snacks without getting too jumpy. Hope all is well with you. 🙂
Ooh, Bernie — I own that pattern!! Have never made anything from it but I just LOVE your pants and you are inspiring me to make some of my own! Looks like you and your family enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving together. I enjoyed seeing the photos. So much love!
Thank you Rebecca. Make the pants – you’ll love them. Share a pic when you get them finished?
Great idea for the pocket on the pants. It looks great.
Thank you!! Simple little pockets but they look cute.
What a fun post! I’m glad you were able to spend time with family over the holiday. The generational photo is ❤️! And the necklaces!! Your pants are adorable. And hey, that’s saying a lot. I cried Boo when I saw that wide leg pants were back. I didn’t really want to relive my high school years, and am very attached to my skinny jeans and leggings. But you make them look so stylish. I’m sure Julia thinks you’re one of the cool moms!! (I know, too many !!s)
Well, don’t you worry – I still like my leggings. I am not a huge fan of skinny jeans but do have a couple of pair I still wear. I was worried if I made leggings with this particular knit fabric the legs would get baggy – so I opted for the wide leg pants. Both are fun though. 🙂
You have such a beautiful family – the radiant smiles!!! The black and white picture is so sweet. Thank you so much for sharing these intimate family moments. Priceless!!!
Thank you Preeti. It was a wonderful (though tiring!!) weekend. When is your trip to India??
Great job on those pants! They look casually elegant! I love the family shots – so much fun and so many great memories. Hooray!
Thank you. Looking forward to making another pair. Right now I only have a lighter gray knit and a deep red. Not sure either of those are going to work and I can’t get to a store… so it will have to wait a while. 🙂