I recently sewed myself a version of the Everyday Skirt from Liesl + Co. The skirt appealed to me because 1. it looked like a quick, yet flattering sew and 2. the elastic-backed waistband means that it will still fit me when I (eventually) lose the last few lingering baby kilos!
I was right, it was a really quick and easy skirt to sew. I did everything exactly as instructed and ended up taking about 2″ off the length before I hemmed it as it was really long. The finished skirt is a great fit and comfortable for everyday wear. I love the side pockets too, it’s always nice to have somewhere to stick your hands!
I chose this fabric because I wanted something that I could wear with my brown boots and that would also look good with stockings or leggings on colder days. Our Summer still hasn’t properly arrived (boo hoo!) so I’m glad that I didn’t choose a brighter fabric this time.
I made a size small and managed to cut it out of 140cm (1 1/2 yards) of fabric. The requirements ask for 1 3/4 yard so it’s good to know you don’t need quite that much. Next time I make one I’ll try to remember to take 2″ off the bottom of the skirt when I’m cutting out the pieces to save on fabric wastage.
I had no intentions to make myself a nappy bag. I’ve got lots of big bags hanging around that I was planning to use for the baby…until I saw Anna’s new Super Tote pattern. And then my plans changed.
Another project added to the list of things to do before baby arrives!! But I couldn’t resist, the bag is great – really roomy with four elasticized side pockets inside…
…and my absolute favourite part – the zipper! Nothing worse than having a choc-a-block full nappy bag with no closure at the top and having everything fall to the ground when your bag topples over. Actually, I think the zipper was what sold me! As with Anna’s Sidekick Tote pattern, the Super Tote was simple to put together. Anna has really outdone herself on this one though simplifying lots of steps and features that seem like they should be really tricky to master.
I’m trying really hard to dig into my ridiculously out of control fabric stash and use up what I’ve already got at the moment. I was tempted to lash out and purchase some new fabrics for the bag but made myself stick with what I had in the cupboard. I like the fresh combination of colours – especially the purple and aqua together.
So, I’m partly organised…nappy bag made, but still haven’t packed the hospital bags! Maybe a good job for today seeing as I’m due in 9 sleeps!?
SUPPLIES: Super Tote pattern by Noodlehead Prints Charming cotton drill from Spotlight Art Gallery, Urban Mod, Pointelle in Celeste Alexander Henry, Heath in Metal Grey/purple-toned cotton drill
After seeing a whole heap of happy sewers with their Wiksten Tanks, I thought I’d give the pattern a go too. It looked as though it could be suited to maternity style as the top is fairly loose and unfitted.
I sewed a muslin size small first and it was a bit snug and didn’t offer much tummy-growing room, so went up to a size medium. After reading a few reviews, I also raised the neckline a little as it is pretty low usually. I wish I had brought it more on the sides because it is gaping a bit on me still. I also cut length off the back of the top, it looked funny hanging so low, but I kept the curved front to give my more tummy coverage. And I opted to add sleeves too after seeing a few cute sleeved versions around. I’m 30 weeks pregnant now, and think that the top should fit me for most of the rest of my pregnancy. I’m hoping that after I have the baby, I’ll be able to take the sides in a bit and still get good wear out of it post-baby. The fabric is something I picked up at Spotlight last week. Not sure what it is but it feels really silky and smooth and is super comfortable and light to wear. There was a 30% off sale happening so it only cost me $9 to get enough to make the top with a bit left over for another project so I’m not too worried if it doesn’t work out post-baby, a $9 maternity top suits me fine!
It’s so much fun having two lovely little nieces, this Christmas I took advantage of it and made them a cute dress each. I so wish that I was more into sewing when Lil was little, she would have had the best wardrobe ever! Oh well, for now I’ll have to get my little girl sewing fix by making things for Poppy and Nancy!
This one was for Poppy. I used the free pattern for the Cross Over Pinafore found here. It was very straight forward and easy to sew. The pinafore is reversible, giving two dresses in one. I also made a nappy cover using Dana‘s free pattern here. Because the dress is so open in the back, it really needs something underneath, especially for Summer. A pair of tights would look cute for cooler weather.
And this one was for Nancy:
I made these dresses before I found out I was having a baby boy and while I was in production-line mode, sewed another one for myself *just in case*. I’m not sure what I’ll do with it…present box for another little girl or maybe I’ll hang onto it for another day.
SUPPLIES: Erin McMorris, La Dee Da, Oopsy Daisy in aqua Erin McMorris, Weekends, Dots & Loops in violet Alexander Henry, Birdseed in pink Sandi Henderson, Ginger Blossom, Vintage Dot in breeze David Walker, Get Together, Flock of Birds in gray Anthology Fabrics, Sweet Tea, Floral Burst in coral Sarah Jane, Children At Play, Gingham in coral
It was a long time ago that I dreamed about sewing a leather bag. Two and a half years ago to be exact. Then I couldn’t decide on a pattern to use and didn’t know what style I wanted and was worried that it wouldn’t work with leather, so the idea was pushed to the back-burner and the leather folded up and put away for another time.
I would look at the leather from time-to-time but still undecided on what pattern to use, never went any further. Until recently Anna from Noodlehead released her latest pattern, the Sidekick Tote. I knew it would work perfectly for what I had in mind and was excited to get sewing.
Anna sent me the pattern, but my sewing plans were put on standstill while I had to wait for the bag hardware to arrive. Finally on Friday night I got sewing and finished this beauty in one night! It was a great sew, very straightforward and easy.
I was a little worried about sewing with leather and couldn’t find my leather needle anywhere, so ended up using a regular needle in my sewing machine and it was amazing. Even over several layers of leather and fabric, I had no problems. I did go slowly when it was super thick (like topstitching through the side seams on the top band) but there were no problems at all. The leather is really lovely and soft and thin though (I bought it from a local saddle maker, if you’re wondering where I got it from).
It took me awhile to settle on a fabric for the pocket and lining. I really wanted to steer away from anything floral or too “pretty” and am so happy with my choice of typewriter fabric from Melody Miller. I haven’t had this fabric for long, but absolutely love it and only wanted to use it for a special project. The front pocket dimensions were changed a little to make sure that I got the whole typewriter in the middle.
The thing that really won me over with the bag pattern is the recessed zipper top. AWESOME! Now I can throw my bag around and not worry about things falling out or the kids getting into things too easily. I used a shot cotton for the solid green fabric. Because shot cotton is a little thinner than regular cotton, I used two layers to give it extra strength and stability. I was going to use the typewriter fabric for the handle, but the print was too large and messy, so I was happy to find this brown bag handle webbing in my stash and used that instead. Strong and practical – I wish it was slightly darker, but am still happy with it.
Here’s a shot of the back of the bag – it looks just as lovely without a fabric pocket, just using the leather on it’s own. I’m loving it and going to make another trip into the saddle maker’s shop this week to see what else he has lying around.
Thanks, Anna for an awesome pattern – she rocks at bags and thinks of all the little things that are appreciated when you are out and about.
SUPPLIES: Sidekick Tote pattern from Noodlehead REAL brown leather Melody Miller, Ruby Star Rising, Typewriters in Neutral Kaffe Fassett, Shot Cotton in Moss
I recently sewed myself a version of the Everyday Skirt from Liesl + Co. The skirt appealed to me because 1. it looked like a quick, yet flattering sew and 2. the elastic-backed waistband means that it will still fit me when I (eventually) lose the last few lingering baby kilos!
