Sewing list for Miss E

Miss E loves skirts and dress, not too fond of shorts and pants.  So I would really like to whip her up some lovely simple dresses to get her through the holidays and beyond.

Here's my list for her . . .

                               

Source: happytogethercreates.com via Kathryn on Pinterest

And how cute is this??

Source: ikatbag.com via Kathryn on Pinterest

I have lots of doilies, so this one should be high on my list!

Source: decortoadore.blogspot.com via Kathryn on Pinterest

This one could use up some old tshirts lying around . .

Source: lilblueboo.com via Kathryn on Pinterest

I think she would love this . . .

Source: lilblueboo.com via Kathryn on Pinterest

And last one . . . .

Source: lilblueboo.com via Kathryn on Pinterest

That should keep me busy :-)

Sewing list for me.

And hello again!  After another long absence, I am back on my blog and all inspired to get into the whole sewing thing again.  Our final ever renovation/extension has been completed and I have my own little room in which to craft away the coming September/October school holidays.  What better way to get back into blog-land than to make myself a list of sewing projects?  So here goes in no particular order . . .


Number 1

I need to finish this shirt from Hot Patterns.  I made a practice one a couple of years ago and I love it.  Time to make a real one!

Number 2

Source: makeit-loveit.com via Kathryn on Pinterest

I think this top looks really simple to make and could be quite flattering. Only one way to find out!

Number 3

Source: oneaviandaemon.com via Kathryn on Pinterest

Another wonderfully easy to follow tutorial that I'm hoping will get me churning out a few work shirts.

Number 4

Source: blog.mariadenmark.com via Kathryn on Pinterest

This one I'm thinking could also be a work shirt if made in nice enough fabric.  What do you think?  Otherwise I'll be churning them out in a few different colours ready for summer.

I will post pics as I finish a project.  Only 5 more sleeps till holidays!

Goodness gracious me!

I don't know if you all are fans of "Hattie and the Fox" but it's one of my kids' favourite books and whenever I exclaim I think of it! We Love love love Mem Fox in this house. You can read all about her here. But I digress . . .

It's been nearly a year! Yes! A year! Where has that time gone? What have I been doing? Are you still out there? All questions that I ask myself on a regular basis.

Well, since you asked . . . our family home has had a massive renovation (September-October-November 2010), the usual Christmas/family stuff happened (December/January) and then I went back to part-time work for the first time in 7 years! Holy Moses and wasn't that a shock to the senses? But I'm recovering well and I should be able to start having a life outside work again soon. How is it that two days a week has taken so much out of my time? It's supposed to be part-time, people! But I suppose that is the nature of teaching - your brain is in teaching mode during term and it takes up a lot of energy. Plus, I think I had forgotten how challenging Year 9 students can be. Oh, but funny! I tell you I just laugh from morning to night -that hilarious brand of teenage angst. (You do know I'm joking, yes?)

Amazingly, I have found some time to do some crafty things. During the June/July holidays, a local shopping centre had this deal - $5 to make your own stuffed bear. So we went along and the kids chose a bear skin each and the lady there put it over a big hose connected to what actually looks a lot like a fairy floss machine. The kids stepped on the foot pedal and Voila! The bear skins were filled with lovely soft fluffy filling. The hole in the back of the skin had threads already there that were just pulled up and knotted to close the hole. Very clever. Also very clever were the little outfits they were selling for $10 a pop! I refused to buy the outfits so we went home and made our own.

E's polar bear was definitely a ballerina so we made a leotard and a twirly skirt for her to dance in.

And Oscar's bear became an army doctor.

For the doctor's coat I used Enid Gilchrist's dolls' clothes book and I just winged it for the mask and hat. Also drafted a pattern for the polar bear's leotard and it is just a simple two layered circle skirt with elastic waistband.

Oh, it's good to be back!

Sewing with Knits

Recently I've been inspired by a bunch of Crafty Mamas to start sewing with knits. Here are a few of my adventures.

This is Ottobre 4/2009 LIttle Maid shirt. Lovely pattern but the horse print is a rib and I think I stretched it a bit while sewing so it doesn't sit perfectly. I am going to try it again with a sturdier knit.

This is an IMKE from Sewing Clothes Kids Love. This is becoming a favourite and I've already made three! I only have pics of two though as the third one was a present for someone and I forgot to photograph before we gave it!

Here is Miss E's IMKE

Purple is Stella knit from Crafty Mamas shop and the pink is from the op shop :)

And here's Mr O's IMKE

And yes, he *wanted* to look like a stunned mullet in the photo. With milo on his face. The pattern knit has ninjas all over it so he loooooooves it.

I think I have to learn more about how to use my overlocker though - it's not being nice to me :)

What have I done lately?

I've made a shirt for Miss E! Gearing up for her 3rd birthday on the weekend so will have lots of posts to do with that soon!

I used this pattern as I love Indie Tutes and follow her blog. Always so inspiring and down to earth.

Thanks for looking!

A shirt for me

Well I finally finished this shirt for myself. Hmmmmmm. Jury is out. Well actually no it's not. It has decided, beyond reasonable doubt, that this shirt makes me look pregnant. Not a look I"m going for at the mo! What do you think?

Here is what it looked like on the beautiful model in the latest Ottobre women's mag . . .

I got rid of the shirring - five rows thank you very much! Because it gave my muffin top a muffin top. I also have made the skirt but it is a bit big. I'm thinking the shirt is too big as well - should have made the size down. Instead of shirring I just put ties on the side - a suggestion from Lissy on the Crafty Mamas forum. But I think, if I'm going to keep it, I need to take in a lot of the fabric in the side seams. What to do, what to do? You can see all that extra material that would have been taken up in the shirring. Any suggestions?

Some sewing for me :)

I finally made myself the wallet I've always wanted! I bought this pattern in a co-op and it sat on my desk for a couple of months while I became more and more irritated with the coins falling out of my falling-apart wallet down to the depths of my handbag.

The only good thing about having a wallet with a hole in the coin compartment is that you always find a treasure when you're digging around in your handbag looking for a tissue or a pen :) Bonus!

Here are some pics. I was very happy with how it turned out - although sewing through that many layers is tricky when you don't have a denim needle and are impatient to get the sewing done. so I only managed to break 4 universal size 80 needles on this one project :) Blasted Zips!

This is the outside zip compartment - there is one on the other side too. I am using one side to hold all my membership/loyalty cards. I don't know how I have so many! The other side I've got stamps and business cards and doc appointment cards. I love this - in my old wallet the cards would always make my wallet bulge and get out of shape. I can't see this happening here.

This is the outside of the wallet.

This is the wallet open and you can see from left to right there is a zipper compartment for coins, space for cards, more cards with the notes compartment behind it and then a pen loop although you can't see it well in this photo.

Here's the open coin compartment.

And the notes compartment looking very sad and empty:)

And here's my lovely pen loop. I love this - no more digging around to find a pen.

Thanks for looking and please leave a comment if you like - I like to know that I'm not just blogging to myself :)

Some recent sewing

I have a lot of things on my to-do list and finally, finally I am nearly finished a gift for somebody special who gave me a heap of flannel last year so I could make lots of raggy quilts. I don't think she reads my blog so I think I'm safe posting he pics here.

So I made a pair of warm winter pyjamas for both of this lovely Mama's boys - I'm a chicken when it comes to sewing stretch, so the tops are just from Big W and I appliqued (quite badly) their initial on each one so that they can tell whose pj's are whose! They are quite close in age so I made them the same size. The flannel is from spotlight.

Along with each pair of pj's I have a sock monkey - I have yet to make them - they are almost completed but just need their limbs sewed on. So I've added a photo of a sock monkey (same socks but different colours) that I have made as a special order for a friend overseas. I wonder if she'll read this and think "Oh it's mine!!" :-)

He was so lovely to make - I didn't use the machine - and it turned out so much nicer than my machined sock monkeys. For some reason (it's that stretch fabric thing!!) the seams just always seem to split :(. I never have a problem with the ones I've hand-sewn. Any ideas on what I"m doing wrong?

Haven't posted for ages so I just thought I'd let you all know that things are happening - I just don't have 36 hours in the day. I wish!

Regular Rhythm Restored

Tried the dress and jacket on Miss E last night sans Wondersuit and it fits beautifully! Phew!

So here are some pretty bad photos of her with it on Thursday night - she's very grumpy and it's no wonder as she spent Friday vomiting! But is better today so the party must go on tomorrow!

And no, she won't be wearing the duckies pyjama pants as part of her ensemble. :-) The patterns are from Ottobre Design 3/09 - Three-way Dress (18.) and Jacket "Poet" (19.)

Thanks for Looking.

I have been sewing up a storm!

Yes I have! And here are some pictures to prove it.




I found a whole heap of fleecy backed tracksuiting at the local lifeline. It wasn't a complete steal (hence I haven't blogged about it!) but it was in great ocndition and hadn't been washed or cut so I bought it. I made the purple trackies above and have made another three pairs out of the other colours I also snaffled at said Lifeline shop. Miss E is desperately in need of some long winter pants to dag around in as she is growing like a weed!

The chef's hat she is wearing is actually a birthday present for a niece - I made her an apron out of the same fabric for Christmas so this should be winging its way to her very soon!



And this photo just because my children are cute :) And yes, we peel our mushrooms. I know some people don't and they think I'm crazy but there you have it. We are peelers.



And this beautiful dress is from the current Ottobre 3/09 (this dress but with different sleeves). It is so easy to sew up and hopefully will look cute on the birthday girl in a couple of weekends time. I am also making up the jacket that goes with it so stay tuned for more pics. Will try and take some of Miss E in said dress as well.

I have also been making costumes for Kindy and heaps of other stuff including curtains for Miss E and other assorted things. Photos to come when I'm organised!

Ciao ciao!

My first Ottobre pattern and family photos

I finally made my first pattern from the Ottobre mags I got a subscription to at Christmas time. It is the shirt (21) from Ottobre issue 3/2007. It was the backorder I got when I subscribed. I made the 116cm for Oscar who is just in size 5's. It fits him perfectly so will be making the next size up for the next one.

It is a lovely quilting fabric I got on sale at Spotlight and some snaps left over from my nappy-making days. I love it - went together really quickly.

Here's a photo of it from the website of the professional photographer who took our family shots last weekend. She did a great job don't you think?

http://rachelrichter.com.au/blog/?p=2330

Thanks :)

Cutting out day!

Today, even with a head cold (poor me!), I am determined to have a cutting out day. Or half day, it's now 1pm, but we had the morning out and having a play so now that we're home and luncheoned it is time for me to get organised!

I have a heap of Easter Chicks to make for next weekend and a whole heap of other projects as well.

Eep! Better get to it!

Bunny, bunny, bunny . . .

It's so funny . . .

Ahem.

Here is a lovely little frock I whipped up tonight for the Crafty Mamas March Challenge. Theme was BUNNY GOODNESS.

I found this lovely cot sheet in a Vinnie's a couple of months ago and decided it would be too cute not to make into something. I made all my binding from some vintage fabric I got from a friend and basically just did a pillowcase dress with elastic in a casing at the front and back and bound armholes. I'm quite happy with how it turned out and glad I put the little bunny off to the side a bit. So all up it cost me $4 (the sheet) and some thread and my time. Miss E will have a lovely dress to wear over the Easter break. Very happy here. Plus, I've entered my first CM Challenge! Yay!








Thanks for Looking :)

My first Enid

I finally took the plunge and drafted my first pattern! It is the shortie nightie and pants set - I think it's from the sleepwear book.

I am quite proud of myself as I've never drafted anything before and it went really well.

The only mistake I made was in the construction - I didn't gather the front anywhere near enough so it was HUGE! So I made another casing with some bias and put elastic in - but I botched that too and tried ot extend it and . . . . well it was a bit of a disaster. You can see that the neckline doesn't sit properly - but I will redo it soon. Yes. I will.

I promise.

Here are the pics.

A big thank you to my wonderful Auntie Robin for sending me her old Enids. Thanks Auntie Rob!!

And also thanks to the wonderful gals on Crafty Mamas especially Tracy, for all their help and encouragement.

And I've also just finished my first Ottobre pattern -a shirt for Master O - and it is fantastic even if I do say so myself :) Great cut and wonderful design - glad I'm not quite a novice though as I'd probably give up halfway through. Pics to come when I can get them!

hugs to all
Kat

Christmas Gifts!

Here are some of the gifts I've been working on.

For my sister - a reading pillow from this pattern



.


Assorted I-spy bags for adult friends. Hopefully they won't go completely nuts from trying to find tiny things.






An apron for one of my friends.




Yet another sock monkey - this time for my nephew and it is made from really long football socks. So he is reeeeeeeaaallly tall and gangly. With cauliflower ears, black eye and the other eye swollen shut :) I enjoyed making him.






But the thing that I'm most excited about is the Doll cradle/carrier I made for Miss E. My friend, Donna, made a beautiful, beautiful doll for E - isn't she gorgeous?







And here is the carrier with matching pillow and sheet. I'm hoping she will love it to bits! It was really easy to make and you can find the tutorial here.





So I think I'm just about finished making all the Christmas presents. I also made four raggy quilts but haven't photographed them yet. I'm really happy with how they turned out too.

All in all I'm very excited to have made the majority of our Christmas presents this year. It's been really fun and I'm hoping to do it again next year.