Monday, January 26, 2009

Dress and tee

Last night I ran out of time to post an entry here, so this is a catch up bit. I made a t-shirt for my boy. He loves camo pants and shorts, and loves his tops to all match specific bottoms. If I made him a camo t-shirt I think he'd love it and would always wear it with his camo shorts ... but I wouldn't like that at all. So I've made him a green and black t-shirt. I really like how it turned out. Its been a long time since I've made a raglan tee at all, and this one has a really nice shape. Its from Ottobre, 3/2006, number 30.



Tonight I made a dress for my toddler. I just made it up so I hope it fits. It's based on a "traditional pillowcase dress". She's been asleep the whole time, so I couldn't take any measurements or hold it up to her to see how it's going. I think the neck elastic might be too long - ie the top of the dress might be too wide. We'll see tomorrow. I love the fabric though, and I love how the pockets came out. You can't see it well from these photos, but it also has orange rick rack peeking out from under the hem.




Friday, January 23, 2009

While the black thread is in the machines ...

While the black thread was in the machines, I decided to sew a couple of pairs of black undies for my daughter.





Pattern is Ottobre 4/04, number 38. It's super quick and easy.

I put a tag in the back of the second pair, but only thought of it after finishing the first pair, so I'll see if she needs me to add tags to the others. The tag is just a little piece of really cute braid. I like adding tags to help kids find the backs of their clothes easily, but don't normally do it in t-shirts or in things like undies, incase the tag is scratchy. This little bit of braid will hopefully be soft enough to not be scratchy. And as a bonus, I can write the size on the back.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Quick sewing, quick post

Wanted an earlier night then usual tonight to catch up on some sleep, so just made a quick plain black singlet for myself. I used fold over elastic for the neckline and sleeves which seems to reflect differently in the photo - I don't think it stands out as much in real life. At least, I hope not, otherwise this singlet might be destined for pajama-wear.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

I may not have written, but I've been sewing

After getting into a good habit of regular posting, I've taken a few days' off. School holidays and people coming and going here has meant I just haven't had much time. I have still been trying to get stuff done. It's just been a little slower then I would have liked.

I've been working on nappies. My toddler needs a new set (she has fitteds with woolen covers for night time, and they still fit fine, but when we go out I like all-in-ones or similar, and this is what she needed). In the last post I had made one nappy to try out and it was great, so I had to make a lot more.

So ... I took a day or two cutting them all out. That was probably around the 16th and 17th. (I had a day of housework before that too.) Then there were lots of snaps to apply before sewing could begin. That was on the 18th.



On the 19th I finished 4 nappies - 2 purple ones that have beautiful soft minky PUL for the outer, and 2 pink ones that are a crushed velvet PUL.


On the 20th I finished sewing the rest of them, but then had lots and lots of snaps to apply. I did some of them yesterday (the 20th), and today I finished the rest of them - seven nappies completed. All of them are minky outer with a hidden layer of PUL.


Here's a close-up of just one of the nappies.


I know that nappies are a fairly quick thing to make, but things have been so busy here that I haven't had big periods of time to sit down and just sew. I've had to snatch moments of time here and there. The result is that it has taken days just to get these done.
Combined with the one trial nappy that I made earlier, and two that I've bought, that gives 14 nappies. Fourteen nappies should be plenty.
My arms are aching from all of those snaps.
In the past week I've applied 308 snaps, or if I count the trial nappy also (on the 14th) that's 336 snaps.
Tonight I also made a singlet top for myself - another quick project.

Before Christmas I made myself an A-line skirt, which I love, and a t-shirt to match. The t-shirt is quite nice - little cap sleeves and a gather-y bit at the bust (like the singlet), but the fabric has already started to look a bit scruffy, after less then a month of wearing it. It was also a little loose to start with, so now its looking a bit daggy all round. I also prefer singlet tops on these hot days. Finally I got around to making myself one.
I'll wear it once or twice, and if I like it I can make myself a few more in similar styles.
Here is a pic of the skirt that it is to match. I made this before Christmas. I didn't take a pic then and just took this one now, without ironing the skirt. When I get around to it, I'll replace the picture below with a better one.

Next on my list - another pair of undies for my son and one for my oldest daughter, t-shirts for the kids, and most urgent, I have to think of a present for a nephew for this weekend. We already gave him a pencil roll for Christmas, so it can't be that. Most birthdays I make him some shorts. Hmmm ... will have to think about it.





Wednesday, January 14, 2009

No sewing tonight

Last night we went out and it was a little late when we got home (late for kids, that is). I had to get the babies in bed before the big kids, so in the end, the kids weren't all asleep until about 11pm. Then I had a few quick things to do (like clothes washing) and just as I was heading to bed my toddler started waking and crying loudly; it was as though she was trying to wake the others, although I know that she wasn't. Anyway, in the end I didn't get to sleep until about 4am, and strangely, the kids all still woke before 7am. Needless to say, I'm too tired to even cut out my next sewing task tonight. I'm just going to post a couple of pics, sort some washing and get to bed.


Yesterday I made some bookplates. I'm guessing most people know what these are, but just incase ... they are little bits of paper, usually with some sort of decoration (picture, swirls or whatever) and a place to write your name. You stick them into the front of your books.




The blue one in the second picture is the envelope that they went in. It was printed with Print Gocco. On the back of each little piece of paper I've put a strip of double sided tape, so it can just be peeled and stuck into books.

I also made a beaded dragonfly bobby pin.

For my niece's birthday (which was one of the birthday's we were celebrating last night) we gave her a little parcel of a few things, including bookplates and a dragonfly bobby pin. There was also some writing paper, a book mark, and other things that I can't remember now in my current weary state! They were sort of trendy stationery things from the shop Kikki.K. Actually, the bobby pin that we gave her wasn't the one pictured here, but one I made earlier and forgot to photograph. It was basically the same though.

Monday, January 12, 2009

A nappy to test

Once again, I haven't been able to get a huge amount of sewing done today - only one nappy. I had hoped to get the nappy done during my babies' morning sleeps, but I only got it cut out and worked out and ended up sewing it up and snapping it tonight. And I had a little less sewing time tonight then I planned because I got talking with my neighbour (who will probably read this, so perhaps I should say that I got talking with my lovely neighbour!).



The sewing is very crooked around the wings, but it will work as a tester to see if its the right size for my toddler. If it is, then I can line up a heap of them to make all at the same time.


Sunday, January 11, 2009

Quick one




Undies for my boy (Ottobre pattern, 4/04) and the flower yo yos - the red one from a couple of nights' ago, and the pink one from tonight.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Crazy Days

Things have been busy here the last two days. I ended up taking my youngest to the hospital emergency department last night with wheezing. We got home at about 1am. She's fine, although still not 100%. A good excuse for not making anything yesterday.


The day before, she was a little bit wheezy but not as bad, so I didn't want to leave her alone after she went to sleep - so couldn't use the sewing machine. I did sew a yo yo flower in bed beside her though. Forgot to take a picture so I'll have to show you that tomorrow.


And for tonight ... ANOTHER WRAP! Just kidding. Finally did some undies for my daughter. They are the Jalie panties pattern.


I have made two other pairs of knickers for her, using a different pattern - from Ottobre, 4/04, but those knickers aren't available for photographing at the moment so I'll have to show you them later.

So - checklist of things for follow-up posts -

  • flower yo yos
  • knickers made earlier

I was going to make undies for my boy tonight too, and have started them, but I'm really tired after last night and I think I should just get some sleep.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

The final wraps - Thank goodness


Here are the final wraps - again, two the same. I promise, no more wraps tomorrow.




And for completeness, I'm adding pics of the only wrap that I haven't already shown here. I made quite a few of them before Christmas, and have made more of them in the same fabrics for all except one, so you've seen pics of all the fabric combinations except for this one.




And these are the cards that I put into some that we gave away. The pictures were drawn by my two older children - the dragonfly and the butterfly by my 5 year old boy, and the dinosaur by my oldest daughter when she was only just 6. I think that 5 to 6 is the best time to collect cute pictures from kids - things my oldest daughter (now still only 7) draws now are excellent, but don't have that same simpleness to them.

Anyway, these are the first things I've printed using my print gocco set, and it was so easy and fun. I'll have to try things in colours next! We did do a Christmas card that my daughter drew in colours, but I'd love to have more of a try of it.




Being school holidays, the older two kids (5&1/2 and 7) did some craft again today. They made tissue paper flowers and some little "zoomy crazy bugs". The bugs came in a kit. The picture of the flowers showing lots of different ones were all made by my daughter, who kept going with making flowers after I had to stop, so she played around with it a bit, and wanted to make a vase full for her bedroom. That left only the two daffodils (perhaps more like jonquils) that my son and I made for the dining table.






And by the way, those "crazy bugs" actually do go and are quite fun. They are styro shapes that the kids covered in paint and shiny cut outs, etc and then stuck wheels into.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Getting sick of wraps yet?

Didn't make anything yesterday. My toddler was fussing - perhaps a little bit unwell, and then at night the older kids took ages to go to sleep, so I just couldn't get anything done.



Would like to have something different to show you today, but I just have more wraps. I did two in a completely different colour scheme to the others - black, white and a light brown. I actually really like them. And incase you're wondering when I'm ever going to sew something else, I'll tell you. I have two more wraps cut out which I hope to do tomorrow just to get them finished, and after that I'm onto sewing undies for the kids, then shorts and tees. I don't usually do the same thing for so many days in a row.






Because its school holidays, and because I have kids to keep busy, I have a pic of another craft. Wouldn't normally bother posting pics of this sort of thing, but I did commit to getting crafts done, and also, it might give others ideas for things to do with their kids. This morning we painted paper fans. The fans were bought but plain white (from a craft shop) so I just put them out with paints, and the kids loved it. I didn't try and do anything particularly special with mine (just to do it quickly as I knew a baby would need me shortly).






Sunday, January 4, 2009

Origami frogs

Today was a very busy day. The morning was spent tidying the house and fussing with a toddler who wouldn't have her sleep - so no chance of much in the way of crafting then! But look at my beautiful, clear dining table!







(I know that most people always have a clear dining table, but my table is one of my really bad areas - I do leave stuff on it a lot. And leading up to Christmas, the kids were making cards and lots of other stuff was going on, and it got really bad.)

My older two kids had been away for a few days and just got home tonight, so that made the evening busy. I let them stay up and watch a DVD, and I watched some of it with them. While they were watching they were doing some origami, so that is my craft for the day. I made an origami frog for my boy.



And this final picture shows the frog I made with the frog my daughter made beside it.


That's it for crafting for me today.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

More wraps

Today I made four "wraps". I hesitated to post pictures of them here because they're for gifts, and I don't want anyone I give one to, to think that I'm just giving them something that I haven't given any thought to (like I just grabbed it from a stash of gifts waiting to go to anyone or something). But you know, I find that with homemade things, even if I make them for lots of different people, that is impossible.

Usually, if I make the same thing for a few different people, its because I've found something I really like and I want others to have them too. That's certainly the case with these wraps. I've made three for myself (one for my diary, one for cards and one for drawing stuff/activities for taking to cafes and the like to occupy the kids), and my oldest daughter has asked for one for herself. I also plan on making a variation of them for each of the kids to take on holidays - with all sorts of things to occupy them either in the car of if its raining while we're away. So I don't just give these away because they're easy to make, but because I genuinely like them!

The other thing about giving away these wraps to people, is that I spend time trying to decide on fabric that would suit each person and also on what to put into them. I do often make a couple of each fabric (sometimes just because I don't want to part with them, so I make an extra for myself - I'm sure I'll find more uses for them!), but that's only when I've found a fabric combination that I really like.

So anyway, here goes. These are the wraps that I made today, and I actually have a few more planned before I stop with these for a while.

I made two in each fabric combination, so I've pictured one of each closed, and one open to show the inside fabric.








Friday, January 2, 2009

What I made the first two days of the year

Today is the perfect example of why I may have problems getting something made every day. When I finished the last post earlier tonight, I was all set to sew quite a few things - they were all lined up and ready to go. Then my bub woke up and needed a change, a feed and a cuddle. So I didn't have as much time as I expected.

Still got something done though! This is what I made tonight.



Its a "wrap" for either a diary, notebook and a few pens, or for cards, notebook, stamps and pens to make sending thank you cards, etc easier, or for notebook, activity books and pens to take when you need to keep the kids occupied (eg in a cafe).

Here is a view of the inside:



And here is one I made earlier, filled with just a few cards and things.



Yesterday (1 January) I made a hat for my toddler. Its the first time I've used this pattern and I'll make a few changes before I use it again, including using softer interfacing - the top part looks so stiff.




A New Year and a Fresh Start

Its been a while since I have written anything here, but I thought that after a long break, I'd try to post more regularly again. Not sure how it will really go, but its my aim at the moment.

To start the year I'm setting myself a challenge. I want to complete something handmade each day. I don't really think it will be possible to do it every single day - I have 4 kids, including a 19 month old and a 3 month old, so nothing can be planned that well. But I'd like to average one thing a day - if I miss a day I can make up for it; if I know I'll be busy coming up, I can make extra things earlier. And importantly, I want to use mostly materials that I already own.

Why am I setting myself this challenge? I already feel that I make plenty of stuff - I sew all of the kids' clothes and some of mine as well as dabbling in other crafts.

Mainly because I waste too much time at the computer finding new things that I want to do. I love new ideas and seeing what others are doing, but over the last year I've gradually spent more and more time working on ideas, and less time getting things actually completed. I figure that by aiming to complete something each day, and then posting a pic in my blog, I'll be forced to do the making part first and head to the computer after its finished.

And by using materials I already own, I'll be making things that I've planned on making already, rather then getting carried away with more and more new ideas. By the way, I have said, "mostly materials that I already own" because I want to allow myself to buy things like zippers, buttons, etc to match fabric I own.

So, I have modelling clay, shrinky dink plastic, print gocco supplies, beads, embroidery threads, tons of fabric, and I'm sure a lot more. If I really run out of time some days, perhaps all I'll be able to do is fold an origami swan or a good luck star.

I'll be back later to post pics of what I made yesterday, and what I'm about to make today.