Remember a couple of years ago when I made that cowl dress for Lil? She wore it over and over and over again. A few months ago it retired to the “too small box” and I made a mental note to sew her another one before she outgrew the pattern.
And here is the new addition, which I’m sure will fit her for another two years! I actually added a couple of inches to the hem of this one to make sure that it will fit for awhile so it’s looking a bit roomy at the moment, but super comfy don’t you think?
This is the biggest size this pattern comes in (5/6), Lil is little but turning 7 in a couple of months and there is plenty of wriggle room. It’s definitely a roomy pattern – but that’s the intentional fit I think.
I almost died when I started sewing it together and realised that I had accidentally cut a little hole right in the front of the dress! Argh! I tried patching it up but it looked dodgy and messy so ended up sewing a little heart patch over the hole instead. To start with I was annoyed but now that it’s all finished and she has worn the dress a few times I actually think it adds a cute, subtle detail.
The fabric is Hilco Campan stripes, one of the best quality knits I have ever worked with. I’ve sewn a lot of items with Hilco knits and they wash and wear amazingly, no fading or pilling or stretching. Telling you again…good quality knits are worth every cent! Lil’s only complaint…it’s too hot! Ha! I know she will wear it a lot though, it’s an easy one to throw on without any thought and it’s just as nice to wear out as it is to bash around the house in.
SUPPLIES: Hilco Campan striped knit in blue and hot pink Heidi and Finn Cowl Neck Jumper Dress
So, we are super late to join the Rainbow Loom party. My kids have been asking for months if they can have one but I have been saying no, no, no – much to their dissatisfaction! I really wanted a loom in the house though because I love it when the kids get crafty (and I’m looking forward to joining in too!) but I didn’t want to give them something for no reason…trying to teach them that we don’t follow school fads. I bought a loom kit a couple of months ago to put away for Lil’s birthday – but August is soooo long away and Oscar is really into these loom bands too so I bought a couple more kits and put them away for Easter instead. This year for Easter the kids aren’t getting too much in the way of chocolate, they will get a loom kit and a special book each too. Easter falls at the beginning of our school holidays and this is part of my clever plan to keep them occupied (for a few days anyway!) I like to sew something for the kids for Easter, usually pyjamas but they don’t need new ones at the moment so I decided to try out Anna’s new Road Trip Case pattern instead.
There are a couple of different pocket variations that you can make the Road Trip Cases with, the one I’ve used here is designed specifically to house all the Rainbow Loom bits and pieces.
I love that these are portable and organised – hopefully making clean up time that little bit easier! My favourite feature is the clear, zippered pocket – love seeing all those colourful bands when you open it up!
This is another great pattern from Anna (I’ve sewn a couple of her bags here and here), it was a little bit time consuming, but not difficult and all of the detail is worth it. Well, maybe it wouldn’t have been as time consuming if I wasn’t sewing three at once! Lucky Harvey isn’t big enough for something like this yet! I choose fabric and cut everything out on a Friday night, did most of the sewing the next afternoon and then finished them off on Sunday night. So all done and dusted in a weekend!
I’m looking forward to the kids excitement when they get these on the weekend…well, they will probably be more excited about the looms than the cases but I’ll be happy anyway!
After the success with my first Everyday Skirt I filed it away in my mind as a good garment to sew for present-giving.
Then it was my sister’s birthday and I was trying to decide what to make for her and knew she would love one too!
I think she is used to me asking, “hey, can you send me photos of that…” when ever I make something for her and I didn’t even have to ask this time – she just sent them through!
This skirt was easy to make the first time around, but even faster and easier the second. I love that I can make a size small out of 1 1/2 meters too because that’s the most common length of fabric I buy for the stash.
What do you reckon? The next Make It Perfect model? I think so! Happy birthday sis!
SUPPLIES:
Liesl + Co, Everyday Skirt Amy Butler, Lark, Treasure Box in Ocean Blue
On the same night that I made my two Scoop Tops, I also churned out two new Renfrew tops. 4 new tops in 5 hours, not a bad effort for a one man show!
I made my first Renfrew top a year and a half ago and have had intentions to make more so I’m glad I finally go around to it.
This time I went without the cowl neck. I do love cowl necks but wanted something a bit more suited to Summer and didn’t have enough of either of these fabrics to include one anyway.
On this first top, I went for the short-sleeved t shirt option. Everything as the pattern states but I didn’t put cuffs on the sleeves because they were too long without the cuffs so I just turned them under and hemmed them. I made this one out of a knit from Girl Charlee. While I love the colours in these stripes I don’t love the quality of most of their fabrics. The fabric is cheap though so I guess you get what you pay for, it’s not too noticeable but already starting to pill after a months worth of wearing.
The second top I made with 3/4 sleeves. This one is just right for those days that are going to be warm but start out a bit chilly.
I made this top out of some Hilco Campante jersey. It is amazing fabric. I know that a lot of people look at the price of European knits and baulk at the price, but I think it is totally worth it if you want to end up with a quality piece of clothing. This top cost me around $30 to make, the one above cost around $13, but I can guarantee you that I will be wearing the Hilco top for years beyond what the cheaper fabric will last. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not opposed to buying cheap fabric (for some projects) but really…I wouldn’t hesitate buying a top for $30 in the shops so I can’t see the point in skimping on a sewing project that I put time and effort into. Anyway, point is that if I am going to sew something that I want to last for a long time, good quality fabric is the key.
Both of these tops have been worn a lot since I made them, and with the stash of fabric I have to get through in my sewing room I can’t see myself buying a basic knit top from a shop for a long time!
SUPPLIES: Renfrew Top sewing pattern by Sewaholic Patterns Grey/multi stripe knit from Girl Charlee Pink/petrol stripe Campante knit by Hilco
Here’s the thing. I’m not a fan of going to the shops. I used to like it but somewhere along the way I got over it. I think it’s more that I feel like I’m wasting my time wandering around the shops and usually can’t find much that I like anyway.
Anyway, when the weather started to warm up I wanted some new tops. Last summer I was pregnant and most of my summer tops had been stretched or worn to death. I had bookmarked this freebie Scoop Top patter from Skirt As Top awhile ago and thought it would be a great quick project to freshen up the wardrobe.
I made two tops in 2 hours! How’s that for an achievable project to get done in one evening?!
This first one is possibly my favourite top at the moment. I used white knit for the front, then mixed it up a bit with some cotton lawn on the back.
The cotton lawn has no stretch, but there is enough stretch in the front of the shirt to make it work. The lawn is light-weight and silky, really lovely to wear.
I’m really happy that I decided to use a contrast fabric on the back, it’s out there, but not too out there and the plain white on the front helps to break up the business of the floral print.
The second Scoop Top was made from a knit I bought from Girl Charlee ages ago. These tops are so quick and easy to sew – there are no sleeve pieces, the sleeves are cut with the front/back in one piece. I’d recommend them for a beginner sewing with stretchy knit fabrics, it can be a little tricky to hem the curved front and back hems though. My hems aren’t perfect, I pressed the hem up then sewed down using a regular straight stitch on my sewing machine. It worked okay but they still roll up sometimes. The pattern does give instructions to use stay tape or interfacing on the hems to stop any waviness, but I was up for a quick and easy project that night and didn’t want to fuss about with it. Sewing the hem how I did it is fine, but I do need to give the hem a good iron before I wear it.
Oh, and besides being so fast, I really really like the lowered hem at the back of this top. It makes all the bending, twisting, squatting, kneeling, sitting that comes with life with kids so much easier when you aren’t pulling down the back of your shirt all the time!
