Poor Sick wee lass

It is Adele's turn to have the chicken pox. Poor wee girl has so many little pox marks. They aren't as awful as Ryan's but there is many many more. She is not a happy girl. They seem to be bothering her a bit more than Ryan's did. I feel so sorry for her.

So, in a way to try and make her a bit happier I thought I would make her a dress I have been eyeing up on the internet for a while. There are 100's of versions of this dress, it looked easy and I didn't really feel like buying a pattern.

The bodice is done by shirring the fabric. The guidelines I found on line said to double the chest measurement. But I think next time I will add maybe 10 cm. It was a bit big and I had to cut quite a bit off. I was worried all the elastic would pull out so I zigzaged the back seam a heck of a lot and it seems to be holding o.k.

I made really wide straps as the dress is so heavy. I used over 4 metres of fabric. This also means it is super duper princess twirly! Like THE most twirly dress in the world!!!!! I used my gathering foot on my overlocker as I was trying to make each layer not as gathered as the skirts I had been making. But I must have improved my skills at using it as the layers are still very gathered. At least it is a positive mistake. It also means I ran out of fabric and had to put some white in the layers. Its makes it look sort of patchwork.

I was at a discount store a few days ago and they had little $5 tiarra's. I couldn't help myself, I brought one for Adele. She has barely taken it off. Even had a bath with it on. Yes I know, encouraging the "Princess Syndrome" but you know, I grew up thinking I was a princess and dressing up like a princess and I joined the Army, liked doing "boy" subjects at school and still got covered in dirt. So at this stage in Adele's life I am not too worried.

Right time to think of what to make for dinner....

Tx

Baby's quilt done

I am pleased to say it did end up a bit smaller than I thought so will be a good bassinette sized quilt. I am rather pleased with how it came out. I don't do a lot of triangle sewing as it freaks me out. On-line every-one has perfect points and well beautiful perfect quilts and sometimes I make a quilt like mess! Things not lined up nicely and points not pointy. I am not one to un-pick a lot as I like quirks and usually the mess up has taught me something for the next quilt.

The backing, in the end I used a flannel. I couldn't find the cuddle when I went into Spotlight, I saw this and loved it! AND... I want to be able to use a (few) merino wraps, the ones I make so I don't want the quilts to be too warm. Might over heat baby and that would not be good! I noticed when I got home that I must have a "thing" for this type of faux patch work fabric as now the baby has this and Adele has two pairs of brought PJ's in similar type fabric.

I used the flannel for the binding too, mostly because I couldn't think of anything else and I had the perfect amount left over to make binding.

I am so pleased with it!!!!


So I had a bit of a baby scare on Monday night. It was all o.k. Had a bit of mointoring and told to slow down. Since I already have two (sick still) kids I am not quite sure how exactly to slow down. I am hopefully going to be swapping my Monday night shifts to Monday day shifts so that will help. Thankfully it is school holidays at the moment so less time running around after the kids. I have opted to not go to anymore markets and well not really sure what else I can do. Strangley it has gotten really cold but orders have dropped off which I guess is a small blessing too. Only two pairs to make today.

Thankfully the other mums in coffee group dont mind me and my poxy children still coming so just getting sorted for that.

Tx

Another quilt for the baby

I thought I would make a quilt for the baby's bassinet. Looking at it now it might be a bit on the big side. I guess you cant really have too many. I am yet to sew it together but this is what it will look it. I have admired this sort of design and have always wanted to make one. I cut out 5 inch squares during the summer holidays for no particular reason. Which was great as this morning I had a whole heap of colours and a whole heap of whites ready to go. I was planning to do a simple chequer board but then I remembered I want to do one like this, so I set about cutting.

I made a plan, did a bit of maths and it turned out to plan.

I used the method where you sort of make two squares at once. So 24 colours and 24 whites make 48 mixed squares.

This quilt, if you have eagle eyes. is the same fabrics as the other quilt I made the baby. When you do a bit of dress making there is always so many scrapes of fabric. About a year ago I started keeping them. I can see why people to it, I have made these two quilt tops, plus I have easily have enough for a couple more quilt tops. All cut out and ready to go. Pretty handy as I have a few friends having babies soon, I love making and giving quilts but to buy all the fabrics outright can be a very expensive gift. This way I can give something I love to make and it doesn't cost the earth.

So tomorrow, hopefully, I will sew the top all together, I think I might have enough scrap pieces of batting to make the middle, though I think on the back of this one I want to put some cuddle/minky. Ryan told me that I need to, he thought the baby would love it!

I am on a bit of a roll at the moment. It helps we are on school holidays so no rushing out the door early and we are able to spend all day at home.

Tx

A new top for me and my belly

I am seriously low on clothes. I find maternity clothes so expensive and you really don't wear them for all that long. But the other day Pumpkin Patch was having a sale, a real sale, things were cheap. So I brought a pair of pants and a top. The pants are pretty ugly, but are SO comfortable. It got me thinking though, I need some clothes. I brought a pattern a while back and today is the day. I made this top this morning. It was so quick and easy (once I had made a few changes) that I might make another one. But I do say that about a lot of things I make and I never seem too. Well not for myself anyway.

So I used Kwik Sew 3694. It is not a maternity pattern but I could tell it would work and it does! I made a few changes. I could not get the neck line to sit like in the pattern cover. It sort of hung like a cowl neck but in a not cool way. Since the neck didn't work I guessed the sleeves wouldn't either as it used the same idea. So I just put on a neck and sleeve band. I think it works o.k. It is gathered on one side, I think a lot of maternity tops have the gathering on both sides, but there is plenty of room and with 9 weeks to go I will need every spare but of space possible. I used merino knit. It is a nice funky pattern and quite nice and soft. I brought this, a green and pink for Silly Goose, but no one has been all that keen on them. So I am using them for me and Adele. Adele is going to get some leggings and if I find the time I want to make the baby a wrap.

Right time to feed the troops, Adele is all sad because she thought she heard Ryan talking about ice-cream when he was talking about an Ice drink. She couldn't understand why she didn't get any ice cream and he did. There were tears and I think she finally understood. She did have to go and check on him though.

Tx

My little Jedi

 I am in a bit of a finishing mood. I have a few almost completed projects lying around and now is the time to finish them off. So this morning I put the binding on the new baby quilt. It had been sitting there for a while, all pinned and ready to go. I was going to use the pink in the squares for the binding, but this morning I changed my mind and used a flannel piece I had left over from Adele's ballet bag. Be nice and soft around the baby's face. It is a different pink but I still quite like it.

Today is the last day of the the term for Ryan and this week at school has been book week, finishing today with a dress-up day. Yes, I know that a Jedi is not really a book character, Ryan is into Star Wars at the moment and if I am going to make him something I want it to be something he is really in to. Plus I went to the mall yesterday and found a Star Wars book. Soooo yes a Jedi is a book character.

I used a Simplicity pattern, number 5512. It is a black wizard or something clock, looks very ominous. But made in this brown merino/polar fleece blend it is perfect. Most importantly Ryan loves it. Blair and I had a laugh at school as we over heard one of the mum's talking about her son being a Jedi too "but he doesn't have a real cloak". So passes the "other mother" test. I feel a bit bad because a notice was sent home telling parents not to hire costumes and try and use what they have around the house. My cloak cost $24 to make. And his tunic is an old shirt of Blair's. So whilst is looks great, it really didn't cot a lot.

I had a heart stopping moment though, I was sewing it all up Wednesday afternoon and I had not cut out two sleeves (I am blaming baby brain) and I had the smallest piece of fabric left. Since I had got this from Auckland there was no popping into town to get more. In a total fluke I could fit the missing sleeve on to the scrape, it was completely off the grain and a small bit missing, but no one will ever know I am sure. Thank goodness!!! I tell you, school age kids is so much harder than babies and toddlers!

I think a bit of nesting might be kicking in as I have a strong desire to make up the baby's room. The only thing putting my off is what to do with the stuff dumped in there. Amazing how a spare room will become a dumping ground. It needs to be done, I only have 9 weeks to go and I have this overwhelming feeling that this baby is coming early. Or maybe that is just wishful thinking.

Tx

Ballet Bag

I like to be able to keep bags of like things together. Now that Adele has started doing Ballet, well more like "Ballet", she has her tutu and her book. We always seem to forget her book. I brought her this fabric ages ago and have been struggling to find time at the moment to get everything done. But as the kids are home sick and not up to doing much except fighting with each other I made her bag. It is a really simple long rectangle, folded in half and then all sewn up. I put a frill around the top to make it look a bit more girlie. She is pleased and has already located her ballet stuff and filled the bag and hung it on her door handle.


So we are home sick. I have a feeling it will be for a while. Ryan has the chicken pox. They are every where!!!!!! All over his face, body, in his hair line and even on his butt. Some of them are big and poxy. The ones in his hair are big and scabby. He is mostly ok. Just a bit over being sick. Worse, for him, is he has to miss a party tomorrow. I thought Adele would have them by the weekend, but no, the nurse said she will be spotty about the time Ryan looks good. School holidays aren't too far away now and I was hoping this would all be over by then. But I some how don't think so.

I think it will be MCd's for dinner tonight.

Tx

New Gloves

Ryan is very pleased right now. He is quite liking his new gloves.

A lady asked me, via my FB page, if I could look at making her some merino gloves. So this morning I have been playing around with a few ideas on how to make them. The ones I made for myself are a tad too small. I squeezed my hand into my pair and Ryan instantly was "Oh I like them, can I have some, black!"

So then the next wee while was spent playing around with a Ryan size pair. The first ones, oh dear, the thumb was so small, he couldn't fit it through the space at all. But the second pair, perfect. We put a blue binding so they are his school colours. So he has put then on and not taken them off since.

Now Adele wants a pair. Pink and purple of course. So looks like that will be my afternoon, making a pair for her. I know I have pink but I might have to dig to the bottom of my stash to find purple. I know I have the smallest wee bit some where

Tx