Old-fashioned girl

I’ve had this fabric for yonks, so long I can’t even remember where or when I bought it, but I think it was about 8 years ago. I still really like the colour combinations but somehow it also has a bit of an outdated feel to it. I’m not quite sure if it is outdated enough to be retro-cool or just old, but I’ve decided I don’t care, so there. The patterns are Ottobre yet again. I realised miss 3 has grown so much since last Winter that nothing she owns will fit once the cold weather arrives, so I’m getting an early start on making a few warmer clothes. I also picked up a beautiful velveteen Osh Kosh jacket in the exact same red at an op shop on Friday – bargain!

Obsession

 

I would say I am an on a roll, but it’s more like a manic obsession LOL.Here are some capri pants from Ottobre 3/2009 – black stretch denim with aqua top-stitching. I nearly had a conniption trying to do all the top-stitching, the thread was proper top-stitching thread and kept snapping, even though I had a nice thick needle and had loosened off the tension! Liam’s t-shirt was quickly run up while watching Doctor Who. It is Ottobre 1/2006. I think I have finally conquered getting a good finish on binding the neck of knits, this is pretty much perfect especially next to those chubby cheeks – aren’t they adorable!

The twirly skirt is a full circle, cut using the lines on my cardboard cutting board, with elastic threaded through an attached waistband, for which I actually needed to dredge up some maths and work out the length I needed using pi!!  The frill is about 3 times the circumference of the hem.

Tartan jumping

I bought this beautiful stretch velour fabric a year ago to make pants but strangely the child in question grew. I still had just enough, but needed to put a seam through the pants to get the length so I’ve covered up the seam with some lovely tartan ribbon. I gathered the tartan ribbon with gathering threads then sewed it down the middle with zigzag so that the pants would still be able to stretch when needed.The beret is one I knitted last year to match a jumper I also knitted. The model refused all requests to stay still so all the shots are blurry!

Knitting goodness

What is the one thing guaranteed to inspire a bit of knitting?

Procrastinating about an assignment for which the due date is imminent!

The weekend my uni work was due I got these pants knitted (and the assignment done). I’m consequently now on a knitting kick and have whipped up this little pinny, AND two more lots of lovely wool are currently winging their way to my needles.

The model was being particularly disobliging but still looks rather cute. The stripey pants look a bit short but they’re good with boots on, and I have a left-over ball of wool I can extend them with when she grows.

The pinny was fun, and knit up very fast in lovely thick yarn. The maths involved just about did my head in, but at least it did result in even holes in the end.

Misc.

I have been in an odd frame of mind the last few weeks. For some reason I fell into thinking I couldn’t blog XY&Z because I haven’t got around to photographing AB&C… consequently nothing has been getting blogged. So, here is what I have photos of, the rest will just have to wait!

First, some froggy pants for Milly with a matching T-shirt. I am a bit wary of making t-shirts ‘cos I find it so hard to get a professional finish on the neck bindings with my little old machine, but I had this piece of dark green knit lying around which went with the pants and it is pretty hard to get a green t-shirt for a two year old girl otherwise. It looks black in the photo but is really a lovely forest green. I’m so pleased with how well the applique has turned out. I used double sided iron-on to stick it to the shirt then zigzagged around the edges with my machine. The fabric of the applique is lovely too – it’s from Fabric Tales, a gorgeous Japanese online fabric store.

Secondly, the alpaca jumper for Milly which I promised myself would be finished a week from when I blogged about it, and sure enough it was finished but took 2 months to be blogged. I bought this alpaca a year ago for my birthday and didn’t intend to knit something this big. I didn’t want to make a trip back to Hahndorf where I bought it so I found a red wool that is almost a perfect colour match, although the alpaca is much lighter in weight – can you see the difference? (Actually you can in this photo but not in daylight).

And the last thing I have photos of is this outfit of stripy cuffed pants and matching apron. I had it all finished and ironed ready to photograph. Milly was desperate to wear it, then she weed in it two seconds later *roll eyes*. So through the wash and back on without a press, never mind!

Motivation at last

You are reading a post from 2008. Part of my continuing efforts to transfer all the posts from my old blog into the archives of my new one.

Motivation – it is definitely a strange thing… It has basically been 5 months since I did much sewing, but suddenly I am on a roll again (Yay!)

I cut out this little crossover tunic top for Milly months ago, and finally sewed it up last week, along with a little matching pair of wool leggings. Laura liked it so much she wanted one too. I didn’t have pairs of buttons to match but I think they look nice and quirky with odd buttons.

The Raggedy Ann and Andy pants were a curtain, half of which I think I sent to Kerry in a swap (??). I love this little slouch pant pattern, it’s the same one as the spotty pants in my last post. And lo and behold I actually did have a pair of buttons that matched perfectly for this pair.

 I have one small piece of fabric with a Raggedy Ann and Andy pair on it, suitable of a applique on a shirt – put your hand up if you would like it!

Summer pants and Curtain pants!

  

Summer pants – for me for a change 🙂 Made from polished cotton. I cut them on the bias and left out the side seam so that they would fall nicely. Also added a self fabric belt and belt keepers to the elastic waist. I think I’ll make another pair, they are so cool and comfy.

And pants for Miss Milly which I ran up last night from an old curtain I bought at the op shop. The fabric is like a cotton sateen and I still have plenty of it left. I dressed little miss in her cardigan that I knitted from Jo Sharp ‘silk georgette’ yarn – it’s a mix of alpaca, wool and silk and was so lovely to knit with. The pattern is from an old knitting book of cardigans and matinee jackets that I also bought in an op shop. Big sister took the photo so I had to choose between the one with milk curds on her face, the one with her head cut off or the one that’s slightly out of focus…