Keeping it Real
I feel like I need to note something about this blog: this is not a place where I will show you how seamlessly and effortlessly I completed beautiful and seemingly perfect projects. This is the real deal- the trial and error, the failed executions, the 99 ways to not make a light bulb in addition to the final product. Sometimes I’m successful in producing a Pinterest-worthy project but even if that is the case there are always mistakes along the way. I think this might actually help someone learn from said mistakes, and maybe it will make someone laugh. Seriously, Noodle is starting to realize I’m not funny, and one of these days Mr. Hubbell is going to strain an eye muscle rolling them at me so maybe at least one person will appreciate my humor. Just in case you don’t: remember I created this blog to empty my brain. You don’t have to read it.
Dragon Pants
Like all children (and some adults), Noodle wears holes in his clothes quite often. Usually I just let him wear the holy clothes but he is never more well-behaved (har-dee-har) and it just results in a disheveled looking child (this is compounded by his recent decision to dress himself). Three year olds definitely keep life interesting! In an effort to improve his overall appearance and make his clothes last a little longer, I thought I would patch his jeans. Pinterest to the rescue!
I found many different jean-patching ideas and showed them to Noodle. He was very specific about what he wanted: “Teeth on the top AND the bottom Mama. Don’t forget the eyes! I want it to have eyes!” Somehow, he got it into his head that it looks like a dragon so I spent several frustrating days trying to figure out why he was asking to wear his “Dragon Pants” before I finally figured it out and got to work.
Materials:
-felt or fleece in white, red, and black
-handy-dandy hot glue gun (mine is named Clementine)
Step One: Open up!
One of the reasons I loved this project was because it was really easy to do in little steps over a couple of days. With a sick baby and little sleep that was essential. I roughly measured the hole and marked it on the red felt and white fleece (I used leftover polar fleece but felt would have been better). I cut out: the teeth, a big square of the red felt, two white circles, and two smaller black circles while sitting on top of the toilet during Noodle’s bath time. He thought it was hilarious that I was working on his “dragon pants” in the bathroom. Hey- you do what you gotta do to get the project done!
*Helpful tip: cut the top and bottom out at the same time by folding the fabric in half!
Step Two: Stick it to me
Let it be known that I wanted to sew this on my machine to give it a cleaner look and make it more secure. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the pant leg on enough to get the hole under the needle. I’m sure there is a way to do this (besides hand-sewing which I loathe) but as a new sewer (sewist?) I have yet to learn the finer tricks of the trade.
I really wanted to use the fabric glue that didn’t work for the Hedwig costume. I also thought it would be more flexible for little knees and washable for tired Mamas. I followed the directions- apply an equal amount, pin into place, and let sit for 2-4 hours. Results: not only did it only stick in a few places, it also left stiff pin-holes. GRRR. Why don’t I learn my lesson with these things?!
Clementine to the rescue, again! Things moved much faster now. I turned the pants inside-out, glued the teeth in place, then applied a liberal amount to ensure maximum red felt coverage.
*Helpful tip #1: when glueing the teeth, make sure to glue as close to the line of the hole as possible. It will help prevent future fraying.
*Helpful tip #2: shove some paper in the leg so you don’t glue the leg closed. Trust me.
After the glue cooled down I trimmed the red felt down. Don’t mind the crappy lines, at this point I was pretty tired and just started hacking away.
I glued down the eyes (white circles first, pupils second) and Voila!
Noodle adores these pants so much I’m afraid he might rip holes in his other jeans just so we can make more “dragon pants.” Now that I know to use hot glue, the next one will move much faster. I’m actually looking forward to doing this again and experimenting with different faces. If I’m feeling crazy I might even let him help next time!
Noodle & Nora 