Ottobre 301.

Crafty Mamas forum has the occasional sew-a-long, where a few people commit to making a particular pattern.  This time it was the Ottobre 301.  Although I should be doing my embroidery challenge (I did attempt it for the record- but more on that later) I decided to try the 301.

It took about 15min to trace the pattern, and had I not messed up the neck it would have taken about 45min in total to sew together!

The result- very effective and happy. Size 98 for my 2.5yo.  I cant wait to get my 303 (the adult version) so that I can make myself one!

here are the brag pics (in the PJs).

ta daa

ta daa again

and for some reason blogger wants this sideways.

What I have learnt:

• 
  
  not to take a seam allowance on the neck or the binding.  Otherwise it wont fit over your toddlers head and you have to cut it off.
• 
  
  Binding is heaps easier to attach in the flat.
• 
  
  That after you cut off the neck binding, you have to attach the new binding in the round, and that is a pain!
• 
  
  that the top still looks good even if you cut it on the wrong grain. 
• 
  
  That this hilco fabric doesn't have alot of stretch on the wrong grain.
• 
  
  That I love Stella and hilco!

Maybe next time I should not cut it out in front of the warm open fire with my gorgeous kids running about...

Hand Embroidery sign up!

Oh this was a hard one!  I mean you have to be so motivated to sit down and (well for me) design something and then have the patience to stitch it out.  I am yet to do mine... but I have 4 more days...

Anyway.  If you have completed yours please sign up below.

Mini Messenger bag

This bag was actually inspired by one that another Crafty Mama made.  I asked permission if I could copy here. She was cleaver enough to make her own pattern.  I have never made one of these so I followed a tutorial my mmmcrafts and just changed the dimensions to suit a little person.

The little person was a 5yo from Tylers kinder. Little girls are quite easy to sew for, or hard as the possibilities are quite broad. This is all pending whether their parent can sew, as the bar is raised higher if they can. I only found out on Thursday that she is having her party on the Friday.

So starting out, choosing the embroidery... I bought Love Chirps by Huups.  Did you know that there is an English button so you don't have to try and interpret the German... I know now! And also when you get sent the file, you get sent them in many different format... yup I found this out after a couple of frantic emails!

So I am getting ready for the embroidery... the fabric doesn't fit in the hoop! I am not up with using Filmoplast so I had to cut out a new front panel!
And then of course when I went half way through the embroidery realised that the fabric was the wrong way around. Really I meant it! Its a feature... anyway...

Then its all done, figured out the middle and cut the front panel. It is in the middle, but still doesn't look it. So I added another embroidery to try and balance it... did it work?

So lining time. The lining was cut out wrong (my fault) luckily I had some of my favourite dot fabric and cut it out in that.

Then I made the base too wide, so the bag is shorter, and the front panel is too big. So I had to tuck it over the back more, making the embroidery be closer to the top. I put the "love" at the bottom to make it look more even.

And the back panel was not as straight as I wanted it to be, so I popped on some ribbon to hide my shonky sewing. I like the end result!

I am so glad that I am stubborn and persisted.

So it is a rather easy project... I just cant seem to get it right.  But no-one would know.  The child's grandmother is a sewer and she was really impressed.

I have written all this to show my trials and topsy turvy journey for making this simple messenger bag.  I will make it again, and in fact think I will make it for the little girl who is turning 6 at the beginning of September.  At least this time I might have more than 1 nights notice!

 

are you up?

Just wondering who else is up at 1.22am?

What are you doing?

I am trying to finish off a birthday pressie for a georgeous little girl who turned 5.  We got invited to her party today, and its tomorrow.  So off I trott to try and whip something up.  I am about 80% there now, but will tell that story when I blog what I have made.

im off to the land of nodd now...

Some people just know how to press your buttons!

And today its in a good way!

Crafty Mamas July swap was share your crafty passion.  I was fortunate enough to be hooked up with Sara from Willow and Moo fame.  And the results, well my stomach is doing back flips!

I hung it up on the wall (its a bunting), and the photos really don't to it justice.  The room is quite dark and needs a paint.
Ellise ran up to me skipping with a massive grin "thank you mummy!" and Lily was equally excited!

And this one is for me! :D 

journal cover and a key fob.

Some winter sewing...

Snuggly PJs!

Using the Scientific Seamstress easy fit shorts and pants, I whipped up a couple pairs of PJ pants for the boys.

This pattern is very very easy to put together.  The hardest part is the elastic! Oh and if you dont like hemming, just overlock the edge, they are only PJs afterall.

The front and the back shaping is the same.  I would not be using this pattern on my favourite fabric.  I think more shape would be better, but for Pjs this is perfect!  I have also made myself a pair, but want to use elastic for the waist instead of cased elastic iykwim.

And of course, when you take pictures of kids, the age doesnt matter- you have to make some sort of deal to make them stay still!

And I also made the girls a nightie.  Will try and make some more of these as they were super easy.

just a peasant top, extended to a dress. The girls love them!

Comon people- challenge this month: hand embroidery/ smocking!

Quite honestly, smocking scares the bageebers out of me!  Not to mention that I have no real need to smock anything at the moment.  I think with all that work I would not have my children go near it!

But the whole idea is to be challenged!

So I am going to try the hand embroidery option.  I have a MILO vest that I have knitted last year- about 90% of it, so I am planning on hand embroidery that for my little one.  She is obsessed with pink, and the vest is a turquoise, so I best try and embroider something pink on it for her.

So sign up below, and show is your finished creation at the end of the month.

So can you buy fabric when....

your partner/ husband (or equivalent) is hanging around?

I'm not exactly sure why, I deserve to buy fabric, but I cannot go online crafty shopping while my husband is out of bed or hanging around.  He has to be either out or in bed. 

Its strange... its not like I don't need what I am buying.  I can explain and justify every purchase... and its not guilt that I am experiencing!  He even gets shown when I get the parcel!

What do you all think?

 Do I have a fabric/ yarn buying problem... don't answer that- the answer is of course NO! I don't!

Its a good thing he doesn't go into Spotlight with me, the place would go bust if he did!