Sim

Simplicity 5581

It may be wishful thinking on my part but i have this theory that if i keep making summer clothes, summer will come. No such luck. I made this bucket hat for my soon to be four year old. It’s made from Poly thread, and cost $7.99 a meter. This is a medium,. I made it a little bigger cause she  often wears her up and some growing room for her big brains.

This is the inside of the hat. It is lined with the same material as the outside. I used some black 12 mm Poly Cotton Bias Binding to finish off the join. The pattern says to use Grosgrain ribbon but i didn’t have any.

The hat turned out well and pretty princess is happy.

Now just for some sunshine.

Another T-Shirt for pretty princess.

 
I made Pretty Princess another T-shirt. The sleeves and hood are left over from the first T-shirt and she picked out the blue material which has pirate ships all over it. I tired to stear her towards some flowers and butterflies but she wouldn't have a bar of it. At least they are bright colours black on children all the time is depressing. I made a six this time, which i am not really sure of the point cause around the tummy it's only another 3mm. Lucky that Pretty Princess is straight up and down. She loves this top and i think letting her pick the material helps. The sleeves are a litte long to but as my middle child Miss Diva  points out that she needs longer sleeves cause when she wipes her nose on i can roll them up. mmmmmmm 8 year old logic sometimes makes sense. Just to make it clear these are not two seperate T-shirts. The sleeves and the hood are attached to the blue material and the blue material is a single layer. I am off to swimming lessons for the kids. Have a great weekend.

Burda Kids 9614

Burda Kids 9614 for pretty princess.

Just one more month  of Winter. So i have decided to start making my younger two t-shirts. Pretty princes loves bright colours and the bonus is she can support her older brothers pedal prix team this weekend. So here is the information.
Pattern Description: T-shirt for kids
Pattern Sizing:
3-13, I made a size 5 which is what pretty princess is.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Sure did i made version B
Were the instructions easy to follow?
Yes, I have had so much trouble with Burda Patterns before but this took me roughly a day to put together, In between the "Mums".
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
It Delivered. It was easy to put together. The neckline is easy to put together. It hangs well on her. It's got nice body length which is normally a pain for me as pretty princess has a long torso.
Fabric Used:
100% cotton jersey Yellow with white polka dots
Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:
None
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes i would recommend it to others for a quick easy project to put together on a weekend, and you can mix and match the pattern to bring them into either winter or summer.

I love the yellow and purple mix. Problem is now i can get it off her to go into the wash.

Book Week

Well it's that time of year again BOOK WEEK. and what better way to celebrate Book Week but have all the kids dress up. My Daughter Miss Diva decided she wanted to go as a leopard, mmmm a challenge i was waiting to sink my teeth into, This is Simplicity 2855 in a medium, It's a all in one jumpsuit with a zip up the front, a lined hat the fastens under the chin, a tail sewed into the jumpsuit, lined mittens and lined spats that cover the top of the shoe and are secured under the shoe with elastic. I made it with faxu fur in a leopard print, and the tummy, inside of the ears, and the under side of the mittens in a cream coloured faux. She loved it and couldn't wait to get to school and show it off :) Iam happy she is happy.

McCalls 5836 dress for Pretty Princess

I was thinking to help summer along I would make Pretty Princess a dress. I used McCalls 5836 version F. The dress is made out of checked purple and white, with little bumble bees all over cotton.There are no zips, it's a pull over the head which at the age of three is all pretty princess can handle. Close fitting, lined bodice dress with pleated skirt, shoulder straps with gathers,  ruffles and are mid-knee length;. I made a size four which is pretty much what she is in normal clothes, but there is still room for a growing princess to last to the end of summer. And by chance she wore it today to kindergym and they were selling doll clothes. It was fate cause the ladie had made overalls in the same material but blue. So without a  second thought (which often gets me into trouble) i brought it for her baby.

Who are the Smurfs Mum?

The other day Miss Diva saw the trailer on the television for The Smurfs. "Mum who are the Smurfs?" Well i almos feel off my chair. i only turned 30 this year but boy did that make me feel old. So for the older two birthdays (They are only two days apart) I took them to 3D Smurfs which was a rip off as only some of the movie was in 3D and it cost more for the privilege of wearing their glasses which they make sure you hand back at the end of the movie with a bucket shoved into your face as you head for the exit. I loved the movie, i even teared up during some of it which i am not that sort of person. So here is a photo of my three trouble makers My little man (12), Princess (3)and Miss Diva (8) standing in front of their promotional sign. I also have a new favourite Smurf Gutsy Smurf (He wears the kilt)

This bag belongs to little Miss Diva, it's a new school bag from the McCalls 6410 pattern range. I followed view A only cause the trend at the moment is this type of bag. It's size is 36cm by 28cm. No Zippers. I used a Pink Butterfly cotton i found in the quilters corner of spotlight, The bag is fully lined with Hot Pink Cotton and has a inside pocket. Is has a meduim weight interfacing and i used sew in fleece cause i couldn't afford the fusible one, but it turned out. There are two pockets on the front held together closed with velcro. The front has four white D rings but i would be interested in using the same sort that are found on bags. The strap is one lenght which is hard cause you can't adjust it to your height, will be looking at ways to work around that, I will be making this bag again she would like a blue one. It's a great size it's fits a couple of A4 books plus her lunch and a hat.

A Knitted Stiped Blue Beanie.

Last Weekend i made this Blue striped beanie, for no one in particular. It stripes are 8 light blue and 5 dark blue. It's made roughly for a six to eight year old head or a 54 cm head. Got ideas for more colour combinations........

A Winter top for Little Miss Diva

I made a size 8 top for my little miss Diva.

New Hat

With the sun coming out to play in South Australia, I have decided to make my three angels some bucket hats. My two youngest are outdoor children, they hate being coped up inside. I used SIMPLICITY pattern 5581 and a red soccer ball pattern lined with a plain cotton inside. They way i have sewn in the lining makes the hat reversible. This is a small Adults size but it fits my seven year old and she does not have a big head. The pattern probably took me the best part of the morning from cutting to sewing. I am planning on making plenty more.

Jackets for Winter in the middle of summer

We are in the middle of winter, or what is ment to be Winter. Today is 23 degrees and spitting. It's weird not that i mind the cold, think i was ment to be born in a igloo. But i am not making and buying any more summer clothes for my children one because Spotlight seems to be bringing out winter patterns and i am sure my kids will get heaps of summer clothes for xmas, so i have decided to make demin jackets for my kids from a Burda pattern. Burda patterns always challenged me, i find their patterns confusing but not to let it beat me i am going to finish this one. This is Chocolate one with Red Linning. and is for my oldest daughter. It has taken me nine hours of on and off work to get this far. The frist picture is of our six foot xmas tree, took a couple hours with THE KIDS HELP.

My middle childs new hot pink pants

This a BURDA pattern, size 8, pair of pants. This is slow progress due to the fact for some reason I am not finding the instruction that easy to follow which means i can only sew when all the kids are in bed dues to the fact i need to concentrate.
The first three steps were for the Hip Yoke Pockets. I finished off the outer edge of the pocket with some bias tape, looks white in this photo but the it's a light pink.


Step 4 to 6 were sewing on the back yokes and back pockets.
Later tonight when the kids are in bed i will sew the side seams and inside leg seams.......
Last photo is of my daughters room after i spent a couple of hours to clean it this morning. Sad thing is i know that it will only take them a couple of minutes to trash it. Now waiting for the dear husband to come home, ment to have his parents coming round to visit kids for their birthdays this weekend.

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes.

Wedges seem to be back for Spring and summer 2010.

Which is fantastic since I missed the first time it came around, and they're going to go perfectly with this season's headscarves and turbans. With lots of legs this season, you are going to need a shoe that helps shape your legs and butt while still being walkable. So this is the shoe for you! They're easy to move in, or even run around (not that I will be doing a lot of that).

A wedge shoe is different from other heels because the heel exists in a large "wedge" from heel to toe. The wedge, in comparison, sits under the heel and then follows the entire length of the foot to the toe. A platform wedge has the area from the ball of the foot to the toe raised up equal to or less than the heel height.

One of the great things about wedge shoes currently is that the color choice is almost unlimited.
Your color selection can range from a traditional black, to a vibrant fuchsia, to a classic or wild pattern. The key thing to remember about the color is to choose the color based on the look of the outfit.
Simply by changing the color of the wedge, the entire outfit can change

 

 

 

Sick family and a missing husband in action

Have been busy last week, but with the other half away for another two weeks the kids all got together and decided that they will get the flu and just cause mummy and daddy taught them to share they would give it me to. I don't think mum's should get sick ever, well while being cuddled up on the lounge with my blanket i managed to finish a hat. I have done four of these already but still have four more to do.

Missing My Extra Kid

Well my man has gone away for three kids and i miss him like mad already. Worse thing is he is out of phone range, so i don't know when i am going to hear from him next........

New sewing project, trying something different.

This is my new sewing project, I am making C but with A arms. Due to the fact I am not blessed with toned tanned arms (doesn't help it is winter here).

I am using a Silk Jersey Knit in a stunning deep purple. Which should make me look thinner but bring a little colour to my wardrobe.

I pre washed my uncut material in cold water on the delicate cycle (delicate cycle does not get used a lot in my house) and chucked it in the dryer on low heat setting. After reading that some knits will shrink after the garments first wash.

* TIP ALWAYS START WITH A FRESH, NEW NEEDLE FOR EVERY NEW PROJECT. (Confession that i do not always do this.)

Need to run out and buy a size 75/11 (European and American sizes which is funny cause i live in Australia) stretch needle. Best used for bed linen jersey, knit cotton, fleece, jersey with elastic, Lycra, silk jersey, velour jersey, velvet, lingerie. A stretch needle has a deep scarf to prevent skipped stitches. And if i can't find a stretch needle i will have settle for a ball point needle.

TEST FOR THE RIGHT NEEDLE SIZE:

1. Cut a piece of thread that you are using for your project about 12 inches long and thread it through the needle.
2. Hold the thread vertical and fairly taut.
3. Then from the top spin the needle. It should slip down the thread. If it doesn't, you need a larger needle.

Progress on the bathers

This is what i have done on cita's bathers so far. I have decided to make the lot so she can pick and choice what she wants to wear, to her liking ......... On another note my birthday is coming up and my handsome husband won't be here. He is going a adventure with his dad. I don't mind really. I want him to spend some time with his dad, i will just miss him lots, we have never spent three weeks apart. Not sure what i am going to do with myself. Three weeks with kids on my own, i am going to either going to run into his arms or loath him, throw three kids at him, grab the car keys and run. Love you baby xoxoxox

What I will be sewing this week.

This what i will be working on this week. I will be making view C. This is for a friend, her daughter is doing a Jazz Solo competition.

Description

These unitards are designed for two-way stretch fabric with a 75% stretch. We suggest cotton-Lycra¨, nylon-Lycra¨, swimwear fabric, and stretch velvets.

These very close-fitting unitards are all designed with an empire waist and feature a contrasting fabric bodice. View C have a tank style bodice and the neckline and armholes are finished with elastic and View C features the short leg style.

The second is some new bathers for my daughter Nikita's swimming lessons. The chemicals in the pool are so strong she has lost her colour in the last lot i made her.

Description

DESIGNED FOR TWO-WAY STRETCH FABRICS WITH 75% STRETCH AND GREATEST DEGREE OF STRETCH ON LENGTHWISE GRAIN

Suggested Fabrics: Swimwear fabric with Spandex Lycra ®.

Girls' mix and match swimwear. Halter style tops have lined cups.

View A tankini-top ties at back neck.

View B top has band with hook closure on back, and ties at back neck.

View C boy-cut panties have waist and leg openings finished with elastic.

View D panties have front lining and waist and leg openings finished with elastic.

View E pull on A-line skirt has waist finished with elastic.

(Really sorry got my pictures back to front and can't work out how to move them around yet)

How i spent my weekend

This was the moon last night at about nine o'clock (Saturday the 26Th of June) It was a particle eclipse.

When i was not stargazing I spent the rest of my weekend knitting, and i made this VEST for my youngest daughter Stacey. It looks really orange in this photo but trust my it's Chocolate brown, pink and purple.

Getting Cold in South Australia

It's getting so cold in South Australia, That i have decided to make the family coats and when it comes to mine i want a what I call a "STATEMENT COAT"!! So this is what i have decided to make but i don't think mine will be in red, i have rosy cheeks as it is so putting some red against my face makes it look worse. I was thinking a emerald green, to bring out the green in my eyes.