Pattern Testing

I volunteered to be a pattern tester for Dear My Kids and was asked to make the cowlneck vest.  I made it out of a cream cotton jersey I found on sale for $2.50 a metre.  The pattern came together very quickly and, other than finishing the neckline, I had no problem sewing with a knit.  It was fun sewing something that I would not have normally chosen. 

Car trash bag

I made this car trash bag for my dad for Christmas.  He doesn't like when I buy him presents but he's okay if I make something for him.  He's fanatical about keeping his vehicle clean so I think he will appreciate it.  It has an adjustable stap to fit over a headrest or a little tab that can fit over a knob on the dash.  It is a double bag -- there is an inner piece that you tuck a used bread bag into so you don't actually see the trash bag.  I used heavy duty interfacing so that it would be fairly stiff and added buttons inside so that if you cut slits in the bag, you can slip it over the buttons to hold it in place.  The idea is stolen, this time from Allyson Hill.  I haven't actually seen one of her bags in person but I'm sure they are much better than mine :).  

The outer fabric is echino nico bus in yellow; I kept the selvedge on the bottom and I really like how it turned out.

Linen Stocking

The littlest will be three in March and finally has her own stocking.  The accents are momo freebird and the main body is linen.  I love the colour combination but looking at it in pictures, maybe linen was not the best choice!  I really need to try again to give it a good iron (I did iron it, I swear!) or I could take it apart, add some batting and quilt it . . . hmmm.

I stole the peekabo design from smidgebox and added some hand embroidery.  I love how it turned out.

Lunch Money Cuffs

My oldest is in Sparks and needed an under-10-dollars Secret Santa gift.  Since the whole family was attending the party, I made two lunch money cuffs so that the littlest could participate, too.  I used the tutorial on A Lemon Squeezy Home and loaded them with $5 each. They were super quick to make.  Both actually went to the same little girl -- she was the last child to pick and the reward for being patient was two gifts.  (Note to self: when next participating in a secret santa, wrap small gifts in big boxes). 

The vast  majority of the gifts had some sort of licensed character on them but the recipient of these was pretty excited to get cold hard cash.  I'm not sure how long I'll be able to get away with "homemade" before J. decides she doesn't want to be different.

Far Far Away 2 quilt - almost finished

I am almost finished the quilt for my new neice.  My husband just laughs at me because I thought I would get it finished before I went to visit at the beginning of November -- now I'm thinking it may get there in time for Christmas!  I machine stitched about 1/8 of an inch away from each seam and then handstitched around each picture.  The binding is linen and is handstitched.

Oliver + S Sunday Brunch Skirt

I have to get a picture of J. wearing this skirt because it is so cute on! A little more grown up than the ruffly stuff I have made for her in the past but she still seemed to find it very comfortable. I can see why everyone raves about Oliver + S patterns. Now I just have to find time to make the matching jacket . . .

Infinity Scarf

I was looking for a quick and easy teacher gift and this infinity scrarf is definately it, taking under 45 minutes to make.  It's made of two pieces of voile - forest hills in sea and water - cut into strips 12 inches by the width of the fabric and then stitched on all sides.  It's wonderfully soft and drapey, and can be worn in one loop or doubled up.

Diaper and Wipes Case

When I still toted diapers and wipes with me, I carried them in one of those zippered plastic bags that crib sheets come in.  I found it useful because I could just grab it and put it in the stroller or a backpack depending on where we were going and if I needed to change a diaper, I could just grab that and everything was in it.  When I saw the pattern from You Can Make This for a bag with a window so you can access the wipes without taking them out, I knew I wanted to make it for my brother and his wife who just had their first baby.  It ended up being a little more "loud" than I pictured in my head but hopefully they get some use out of it.

Doll stroller

This doll stroller has many, many miles on it and the seat finally gave out.  I used some canvas fabric from Jessica Jones' Amusement Park collection and some store-bought bias tape to make a new one.  I was suprised how quick and easy it was just using the old seat as a pattern. 

Far Far Away 2 quilt

This top has been finished for a couple of weeks but I'm really not sure what to back it with or how to quilt it.  I'd better decide soon though as I haven't got much time to finish it before my trip!

Another little girl to sew for!

My twin brother and his wife had a little girl (their first baby) a couple of weeks ago. Yea! another little girl to sew for! At their request, I made this plastic bag keeper for the baby's room. I thought Far Far Away would be a gentle introduction to princesses!

Phoebe bag

I made this purse for my mom for her upcoming birthday.  I love the fabric so much I want to keep it for myself, though!   The exterior is Sketchbook Garden in Slate Isso Ecco & Heart from Hawthorne Threads and the interior is a super soft brushed cotton.  I might just have to make another one for me!  I used the free pattern from artsty craft babe http://artsycraftybabe.typepad.com/tutorials/phoebe_bag.pdf

Fitted Skirt

In the last few months, J.'s requests for clothes changed from pink to purple and just lately from as-twirly-as-possible to as-tight-as-possible (*gasp* visions of future negotiations regarding "appropriate" clothing are flashing before my eyes!). 

I had one knit in my stash so whipped up this skirt for her. She was super excited when she put it on -- it was "exactly what she wanted" (despite being neither pink nor purple) but apparently the knit was too stretchy and within minutes it was not tight enough for her liking.  She hasn't worn it since *sigh*.  Oh well, it probably cost a buck took all of about 30 minutes to make.

Alice Birthday party

We didn't actually act out the movie (which, I realized the day before, is what J. planned to do!!) nor did I go overboard with the theme but it did seem to be enough for J. 

I made her an Alice dress from a butterick pattern for a Dorothy dress.  She was so thrilled with it that she's only taken it off to have it washed since then.  And her BFF has requested the same one from her grandma. 

I had a bit of trouble with the collar but otherwise am happy with it.


 
 
The girls made shrinky dink charms to add to the bracelets they fished out of "Alice's Pool of Tears" for charm bracelets.  They also "caught" kerchiefs, which were not quite in keeping with the theme but were super cute.

I made tissue paper pom poms using Martha's tutorial and they were fantastic!  So easy (and cheap!) and add a great pop of colour.  I bought mismatched tea cups at a local thrift store and sent them home with the girls after the party. The dollar store fake flowers were supposed to be given away too but I forgot. Ooops!

Birthday skirt

I gave J. the skirt early  because she was going to her year end celebration and, at 4pm (the party started at 6) decided she wanted something special to wear.  I haven't yet finished the top to go with it!

I used the tea party ruffle skirt tutorial at Craft Gossip and the pictures don't do it justice - it's super cute!  I would definately make this again.  The only change I would make is to make the bottom ruffle a bit fuller to balance it out.
 http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-tea-party-ruffle-skirt-for-girls/2010/06/08/

Teacher gifts

This year I wanted to involve my daughter again in making gifts for her teachers.  I made the coffee cozies (using the tutorial from house on hill road http://houseonhillroad.typepad.com/coffeecozy.pdf ) and J. sewed the buttons on.  She loved them all except the one made of Michael Miller Feeling Groovy, which is my favourite.  I ordered that fabric when she was in her everything-purple-all-the-time phase but she took an instant and intense strong dislike to it. Oh well, my gain!

I wrapped them using Create Studios Petal pusher pockets, which were so easy, so cute and so impressive! http://createstudio.blogspot.com/2009/11/petal-pusher-pockets.html

Girls clothes pt 2

I also made K. a halter top from the tutorial at http://www.thegreenwife.com/tutorials/toddler-halter-top-tutorial/

Her reaction when I tried to put it on her was "I don't need that apron" but once I got it on her, she wore it happily for the day.  I think the next time I make it, I will make the neck a little lower and narrower but it's so cute!  I just want to kiss her pudgy shoulders when she's wearing it.

Girls clothes

I finally made a jumper that J. likes (although probably not as much as I do!)

Feeling of accomplishment

I finally used "Design it Yourself Clothes" and made MYSELF a skirt this weekend.  And today I put in an invisible zipper and made my own bias tape to finish the bottom.

K's quilt top finished!

and I love it!  It's not perfect by any means (don't look too closely at my mitred corners) but I love how the colours and the white turned out.  And it looks great with her new wall colour and the Ikea rug we picked up on the weekend.  I'm very excited to finally be decorating K's room.  I realized if I want to choose what goes in, I had to do it quick!  K takes after J and has a mind of her own!

Birthday skirt and shirt

My littlest turned two this month!  She loves to wear all of her sisters hand-me-downs but I wanted to make her something of her own so I made a patchwork skirt from the Moda Bakeshop tutorial and appliqued a number 2 on a plain white golf shirt.  She kept telling everyone all day "I'm three, actually" and because she got a laugh has expanded that to "I'm six" (or eleventeen or whatever!).  What a darling she is!

Donuts anyone?

I really can't seem to get multiple pictures to work *sigh*.  I made this for a present for my daughter for her second birthday.  I used a pattern from Sweetie Pie Bakery but just changed the writing on the box.  Tim Hortons is like a drug - my girls will do anything for timbits!  The donuts are very very cute but K calls them cupcakes.  She knows cupcakes (and loves them) but I don't think she's ever had a full sized donut. (I really should start making things the girls are familiar with!).  Anyway, they have been playing with them, which is all that counts!

Love bird

I made this Love Bird from Molly Chicken's tutorial.  His body is terry cloth, his pants (?!) are flannel and he has a little bell inside.  He went to a new little baby - well, I'm not sure the baby actually got to see him before his older sister absconded with him!

Valentine's gifts

This was adapted from a tutorial from Sweetie Pie Bakery.  I made one box but then lost patience so made the second one into a little purse.  The girlies loved them but didn't really get it as they've never been given a real box of valentines chocolates!

Been busy . . .

Here's what I've been working on for the last couple of months.  I wish I knew how to include multiple pictures in some sort of organized way so I think I'll just do a post for each thing.  I should learn more about it but since this is just for me, I'm not going to get all wound up about it!

This was another birthday gift for a 4 year old girl - just a plain sketchbook covered in pink broadcloth and Jessica Jones fabric from JCaroline.com. I mismeasured (oops!) hence the little strip on the bottom.

Buttercup birthday bag

I just love these little bags!  This one was a birthday present for a four year old girl.  I debated about whether it would be an appropriate gift or not (and obviously decided what the heck!).  There were about 30 (!!!) little girls bearing gifts at her birthday party but I bet this is the only purse she got.

Duvet cover for the kid who wont use a blanket

My little one sleeps in the coldest room in the house and does not like to be covered up except in her "blankey" which is, being a baby blanket, tiny and not very warm.  I found a crib duvet at Jysk for sale for $8. but, as I told my husband, Jysk didn't have a duvet cover in the right size so I had to make one ;).   I'm not in love with the fabric but the price was right ($7 for 3 metres) and it is soft, cozy flannel.  Here I was thinking that K. would be excited to have a new duvet and I could ease my momma guilt and cover her up every night when I go to bed but she HATES the blanket - has a fit if I try to put it in her crib with her.  J. loves it though so when we let her she piles into bed in her fleece nightie, covered with her princess sheet, princess blanket, K.'s duvet and her duvet *sigh*.

I'm starting a new quilt!

I've ordered the material (Luna from Maywood Studios) and can't wait for it to get here.  This is my second quilt and I learned so much from making the first that I'm not going to make the same mistakes again, lol!  Despite my husband's misgivings about so much white, I'm going to make a pinwheel quilt like the one over at V and Co.  It is for my almost two year but how dirty can she get it??

Jumper Dress (that doesn't jump)

I decided to make J. a jumper (in her favourite colour!) but when I told her what I was doing, I didn't even think about the fact that she wouldn't know what a jumper was!  When I got her to try it on, she ran to the mirror, bounced around and then looked at me with sad eyes.  She said "It doesn't jump".  I knew what she meant but I laughed and then when A. got home, I told him about it.  J. got extremely offended, and said, complete with the requisite "you're so dumb" roll of her eyes, "I didn't think it would jump, Mom, but it's supposed to twirl".  Despite the lack of twirl, she tried (unsuccessfully) to wear it to bed and was very excited to be able to wear it to school today.