KCW Day 6! Already!

So I have struggled this week due to a whole range of reasons, but at least finished something early this morning.

Another dress for S.

Pattern:

Lucy Dress from Be Be Bold. Bought it at a craft fair years ago and now am making up the biggest size which is a 4. A very cute pattern, with straightforward instructions. I especially love the pleated sleeves.

Fabric:

Japanese cottons also from Be Be Bold. Wooden buttons from Spotlight.

Sewing:

Cut it out and did a little sewing on Monday. Then a few hours late Saturday night/ Sunday morning. No dramas, perhaps as parts are similar to some Oliver + S things I have made.

Of course S loves it. It has already been for a pony ride and some pretty spectacular climbing at the park!

KCW Day 7/Something I prepared earlier

So on the final night of Kids Clothes Week, I didn't sew anything.  I did spend some time (hours?) laying out fabric and patterns, but was crippled by indecision, and fatigue perhaps.

But I have this top which was made late last year I think, that never got blogged.  And it fits my Liberty theme.



Pattern:
Oliver + S Swingset tunic, Size 3 for Miss S.  My second time with this pattern; I made a dress version when S was a baby, which has recently been worn lots by her little sister.



Fabric:
Liberty Hello Kitty Strawberry Fields.  It took only 50cm of 115cm wide fabric, plus some plain lawn from Spotlight for bodice lining.



Sewing:
Again, easy as I'd done it all before, and it's an Oliver + S pattern.



S loves it, although wishes it were a dress. It does make for easy climbing, though.  

So glad to have done KCW again.  It definitely helps me to get stuff done, and to blog.  I will be at it again next time, in a just a few months (now it's four times a year!).  Thank you Meg from elsie marley and everyone else involved.

KCW, Days 5 & 6

Day 5: Slept early without sewing (again!).

Day 6: Another late night to make Miss S's new favourite dress, worn today. A pretty, pastel dream of a dress for our girlie girl.



Pattern:
Oliver + S Ice Cream Dress.  Size 4 to fit well next summer.  Great pattern which I have made once before here- that version was very well loved.

Fabric:
Liberty Tana Lawn for mid section- it took 40cm (of wide width, 135cm or so).  From Gardams a few years ago; I think the print is Poppy and Daisy.

Pink gingham from The Fabric Store- beautiful shirting similar in feel to the Liberty.  S loves this one- she has been taking this fabric from the stash and using it for dolls' picnics for some time.



Sewing:
Straightforward the second time around.  After putting on the pockets, I said to my husband 'I've lost my mojo' (no response as he was asleep!), but I decided to do just a bit more, and then it seemed so close to finished, I just kept going.  Soon (well at 3am), I had this pretty little dress!

I do love being able to go out as a family on the weekend and having one of the kids in something I just made the previous night.

I also love that she loves it as much as I do!

KCW, Days 2-4

Day 2:  Slept early and didn't sew!
Days 3 & 4: Another Class Picnic Blouse, this time for Baby Girl D.



Pattern:
Oliver + S Class Picnic Blouse in Size 12-18m for 11 month old Miss D.

Fabric:
Liberty Tana Lawn in Hello Kitty London print (Japanese release).  Had 75cm of 115cm wide fabric.

Sewing:
Lovely, as per last project in this pattern.  Sleeve hems even harder in this smaller size! This pattern is great for Liberty Tana Lawn.

Slightly big at neck- tighter elastic next time maybe.



Adorable on and received lots of compliments when out today!

KCW, Day 1

Stayed up late to get this top done in one night.

Pattern:
Oliver + S Class Picnic Blouse, Size 4 for 4 year old Miss S.

Fabric:
Liberty Jubilee paisley. This is old stuff. I don't think they make Jubilee anymore; it's a cotton/wool blend (mostly cotton). I made a skirt out of this in the mid '90s, but the fabric may be much older as it came from my Mum's stash back then. Got the Size 4 out of my remaining 95cm of 90cm wide fabric. Very soft fabric that frays easily and is a bit jumpy.



Sewing:
First use of this pattern, usual reliable Oliver + S instructions, cute result. Again I struggled with going over multiple thicknesses with my machine so the elastic ends were sewn in by hand. Sleeve hems were a little fiddly as too small to go around my machine's free arm.



So cute on. Slightly big on S who is really a Size 3.

Yay! This fabric owes me nothing now.

Merry Merry Christmas!

The last of the ornament gifts to be given. Made of Dad's retired shirts and scraps left from kids clothes and quilts.

May the holiday season bring you great food, company and time to appreciate life's gifts.

Mr Penguin and other things

Since last post I have been sick (with four kids there are so many opportunities to pick up bugs it seems), but still have snuck in a bit of sewing.



Last night I made this Purl Bee penguin for a dear friend's new little boy. I did cross stitches instead of button eyes and put a jingle bell in the body. I do love him and of course spent a bit of time posing him and admiring him in the middle of the night.






Mr Penguin will go with these bibs.



Made out of panels (from the Craft Fair last year, can't remember the brand) with terry toweling backing and my own bias binding out of a denimy looking fabric.




In other news, I have fallen in love with this cover of the latest Frankie, which my lovely husband brought me home from work last night! He knows me well.

Last day of KCWC!

So I have managed one project a night for four nights now, and something for each child. I am quite sleep deprived as a result but very happy with my efforts.

Mr F was delighted to find his new hat this morning and wore it to snuggle in bed with us!



Pattern:
Oliver + S Little Things to Sew bucket hat.  Size Large for 5 year old Mr F.

Fabric:
Groovy Guitars by Michael Miller fabrics and black gingham from The Fabric Store. Sew-in interfacing for the brim.



Sewing:
My first go at this and I did the no hand sewing way shown at A Little Gray.  I will continue to use this pattern this way- so easy and still a very professional look. The top stitching really makes the brim look great. I don't have any excuse for buying kid's hats now.





Worn to Kindy today!

KCWC has been great for me. I have learnt...

I am not that quick at sewing! No one hour dresses here! Each fairly simple, one night project this week  took around four hours for me, but that included cutting and sometimes preparing the pattern. I think I'm a slow edge-stitcher/top-stitcher, but it means I hardly ever have to unpick- so shouldn't that make me faster overall? Anyway, I did get stuff made.

To maximise my sewing speed I need to not have to change thread much, not do hand sewing (those hand-bound pockets!), reuse patterns that are already traced and cut and familiar to me, and avoid pinning wherever possible (kind of essential for the crown of a hat though). And not muck up my overlocker threading! I am also slowed by my set up time as I take out my machine and everything I need to the living room table and then put it all away at the end of the night. An organised, dedicated sewing space would so help!

Also, it is not that hard to blog regularly. My trick this week has been to do a draft on my iPhone while breastfeeding!

Thanks so much to Meg at Elsie Marley for hosting KCWC- I will be there sewing along next time!

Now for some sleep tonight...

Puppet show shorts (again)

Some basic shorts for Baby D, who is now five months old!



Pattern:
Oliver + S puppet show shorts previously made here and here, in Size 18-24 months. As I have said before, the sizing of these is on the small side. Plus baby girl is on the big side, and usually wearing a cloth nappy.

Fabric:
Linen in a natural/putty kind of colour from The Fabric Store. It is lovely stuff. The back tag is twill tape from Typo.

Sewing:
I know this pattern well- this is my fifth pair. I usually have trouble getting through all the fabric layers at the pocket binding when attaching the pockets, but this time I couldn't even get through the previous step of sewing the binding onto the pockets. I kept breaking my thread despite changing around needles and presser feet. Maybe the fabric was too thick, maybe I need a denim needle, or more of a home decorator sewing machine? Don't know- I just moved on and sewed the binding on by hand. Weirdly, I had no trouble this time when attaching the pockets. Did flat-felled seams again, which I love.



I'm so happy with the end result despite having to sew into the wee hours of today to get them done.

This is what they are like over a very bulky (old fashioned terry square) nappy.

She seems thrilled but I think it's more to do with getting a bit of attention from Mum than the shorts.  Our wonderful baby girl!

Popover sundress

Day two of four for my KCWC.  A dress for Miss S. She looks happy enough but wasn't keen to pose.



Pattern:
Oliver + S popover sundress. Made before (twice!) in dolly version. S measured at Size 2 in the chest, but I did Size 3 with Size 4 length.



Fabric:
Same denim as yesterday's shorts, plus white piqué for the yoke (from Gardam's), red ricrac and the cutest purchased bias binding ever from No Chintz for the straps.



Sewing:
This dress is never as quick as I think it is going to be! Again it is a simple pattern, with little finishes (that take most of the time) that make the dress really cute. I think it took four hours including cutting and some kiddie interruptions.

As you can see, S has a terrible time keeping still (unless she is doing a puzzle) but she is a great prancer!

Kids Clothes 4 day Challenge!

So I'm late to join the current Kids Clothes Week Challenge hosted by Elsie Marley. I really need to clear some stash- to the point that my husband told me I should be doing this every week! 4 days is probably more realistic though.

I started with these shorts last night for Little Boy B.





Pattern:
'Aqua' shorts from Ottobre (3/2008). Previously used for Mr F here. I retraced in Size 92 (F's were 98 and are pretty big on B), but should not have bothered as there is negligible difference.

Fabric:
Lightweight denim from Spotlight. Previously used back here.

Sewing:
Straightforward but the navy top stitching (and all the changing of thread) took a bit of time. I am copying shop bought clothes a bit more now- so no pressed apart seam allowances, and a little extra non decorative top stitching to hold them flat.






Little Boy B was previously seen here- what a great baby he was! And now he is two and a ragamuffin! Could not keep his shorts clean in the time it took me to pick up the camera.



Three days to go- aiming for one easy item each night while the kids sleep!

Last summer's dresses- Part 2 (or the Three-way dress)

A couple of Three-way dresses from Ottobre 3/2009.  Cute, summery, easy pattern.  Made the 92cm (smallest) size for Miss S who was nearly 3 at the time.



This one was out of lovely Japanese seersucker from Be Be Bold- got it out of half a metre (helps that S is quite small), but alas, not enough for sleeves.




This one is in a cute elephant patchwork print poplin and Spotlight Spots and Stripes, with the frill sleeves.  I think of this as the Vicky Cristina Barcelona dress, as that was what I was watching on SBS when I made it (love that movie).  


And here is Miss S in it on her 3rd birthday, our wonderful big girl.  

Last summer's dresses- Part 1

Must blog about these while I still vaguely remember making them.  Miss S wore all of these a heap last summer, yet I seem to have next to nothing in the way of photos with her in them.

First up we have the Oliver + S Ice Cream Dress (which first appeared in this post ages ago).



This was worn through most of last year- in cooler months layered with a white long sleeve top and red tights.  A lovely pattern, beautiful inside and out (I did French seams).  The strawberry fabric was scrap left over from a dress of mine from Uni days.  Miss S loved it and it got heaps of compliments.  I will definitely be using this pattern again.

Next we have this Raggedy Ann print sundress made using this tutorial.



Very easy pattern and looks great on (much better than on the hanger).  The border print fabric was left over from a dress of my sister's- and I think I still have enough for another dress! Trim fabric is Spotlight Spots and Stripes.

Here is Miss S looking very grumpy in it.



I do remember the straps slipping off a bit- maybe need to tweak the placement next time.

Other dress details to come!

Recycled cashmere bunny

Finally I make something out of the considerable stash of old jumpers I have been saving.  I love the idea of making stuff out of old and otherwise unusable stuff, but I can't say my craft habit really means much for the environment- often it just means I hold onto stuff I may never use.  Anyway, this was an easy gift for my cousin's baby.  It ended up wonderfully soft and charmingly imperfect, I think!

Pattern from Martha here.

I used my Mum's favourite cashmere cardy that got eaten- machine washed and dried to be extra fluffy.
Plus a scrap of old Liberty for the inner ears.



Did a Dick Bruna inspired face, and had to add a tail.



Can I now get through my old jumper stash by making one of these for every baby that comes along?