Knitted romper.

 

During the past year or so, I have become utterly obsessed with knitting.  In fact, if you've followed me on instagram, you'll see that that's what I've been up to, whilst seriously neglecting my blog.

I discovered some gorgeously knitted baby clothing while scrolling around Pinterest, which led me to connect with some instagram feeds that are just to die for.  Soft, cuddly, cute, cleverly-designed baby knits everywhere.  One gorgeous feed would lead to another - pictures of babies dressed top to toe in snuggly bonnets and rompers, topped with beautifully textured cardigans in the most gorgeous colours - I fell so much in love, I could hear little cartoon hearts popping all around my head.  It's stuff to make you swoon.

Most of the designs in the feeds I've been stalking are made by mothers and grandmothers in the Scandanavian region - most predominantly Norway and Denmark, where I guess knitting is a way of life due to the cooler climate.  These ladies seem to knit up pieces in the blink of an eye - a photo posted on their feeds of a cast on row seems to materialize into a fully completed garment three days later, and often they are working on three or more projects at one time.  It's mind-blowing!

And the fact that many of these very talented women now sell their patterns online is wonderful news for everyone who loves to knit.  And many of them have been translated into English, which is even better news.

I have always been in love with rompers and bonnets; both when I sew, and now also when I knit.  This romper is made from a design by Ministrikk, and is a wonderful pattern to start with if you are looking to dip your toes into knitting something beyond bonnets or booties for a baby.  Ministrikk offers many (though not all) of their patterns in English - you can check out which ones by clicking on the 'English' tab along the top of their page.  The patterns are sent to you in PDF form once you've paid via Paypal.  So you can buy it, pay for it and be knitting it ten minutes later ;)

 

The pattern is for a textured, vintage-styled romper that is knitted flat in two pieces and sewn up at the sides, with the straps buttoning at the back waist.  I've not yet knitted a romper with the textured pattern, but have made a few simple versions in plain stockinette, or with a pattern running up the centre.



The romper above is knitted with a panel of lace running up the centre.  I used chart A1 from the Sweet Alice dress from the Drops Design site.  The pattern is 16 stitches wide, and I needed an odd number of stitches so that the panel ran smack through the centre of the front, so I reduced it to a 15 stitch wide pattern by eliminating one of those purl stitches (symbolized  by the black dot) in the middle of the chart. 

 

The yarn I used to knit this was the Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, in Duck Egg blue (I think)  which is probably slightly thicker than the yarn recommended in the original pattern.  But I can never say no to this yarn, it is super soft and snuggly, and comes in so many beautiful colours!

This is a wonderful and easy to read pattern - it's been translated perfectly.  I find that alot of patterns from this part of the world are very differently written from ones that originate from the UK and Australia (which tend to dole out row by row instructions), so at first glance, it may be a bit strange.  But after reading through it, it all becomes quite clear and straightforward.  (Note: this pattern includes short row shaping in the back.  If you're not familiar with short rows, or any other technique on any knitting pattern, YouTube is a wonderful resource!)

And no, sadly, I don't have anyone to dress this in.  That's probably the worst thing about my knitting addiction.  All this squooshy, knitted goodness and no one to play dress ups :(  I'll be graduating onto knitting larger sized pieces for my kids soon, but in the meantime, these cute baby knits have me hooked.

Girl's camisole from recycled linens.

 

I haven't visited a thrift store for a lo-oo-ng time.  Not to shop, anyway.  I've dropped off stuff in the donation bin, but have resisted the temptation to step inside one for nearly a whole year.  I know that if I do, I will more than likely come out with five times as many things that I dropped off in the first place.

My sewing room is overloaded to the point that I can't move three steps in any direction without encountering a tripping hazard.  Between my op-shop-bargains which I have housed in secret for many years (shhhhhh), AND my addiction to fabric (AND now, also yarn), I have pondered that I quite possibly have a serious hoarding problem, and  I am making it my mission (as I have for many years before this one, and without much success), to de-clutter once and for all. 

But I can't bring myself to bin any of it.  Not one bit.  And, so thus begins a sewing binge.

I made this camisole for Sophie out of an embroidered pillowcase and an unused and still packaged up bed sheet. The front and back panels were cut from the pillow case, with the rest of the pieces being sliced from the sheet. 

There is a bit of a colour mismatch going on between the pillow case bits and the sheet bits, but nothing a soak in a bucket of Napisan won't fix.  Sophie wanted it to be dress length, but it looked to much like sleepwear, so it got the chop.

I used the pinafore pattern from this wildly popular Japanese sewing book - it is also  a wildly popular pattern  amongst the sewing-for-kids crowd, and for very good reason.  It's easy and versatile and can be thrown together in an hour once everything is cut.  And it just looks so good.  On it's own in the summer, and over t-shirts and tights when the weather gets cooler, it is a winner.  I have made a dozen of these in the past few years, and will no doubt make a dozen more.  And if you're looking for a pattern as someone who is beginning to sew, it's an absolutely perfect project.



 If you were thinking about getting this book, bite the bullet and just buy it!  All the patterns in it are sized from 90cm - 130cm (approximately aged 2 - 8), so it's great value. It's floating about Etsy and eBay at the moment (as you can see at the link I provided above).  I am never giving this one up, it really is one of the best books.  EVER. 

Rompers from deadstock shirts

I'm mucking about at the moment with a new romper design, which I hope to list in the shop in the near future.  It's actually looking a little over-run with rompers and bonnets at the moment, but I can't help it!  Rompers and bonnets are just too cute.

Once the pattern's all sorted, I plan to make them up in *proper* fabric, but in the meantime, I've been carving up some old dead-stock shirts that I have had lying about for months (possibly years).

These are a lovely, soft chambray and I've sliced and re-stitched several up already, into pinafore and bloomers for Sophie, and pulled one or two out of the pile myself for wearing about the place.

I've just about shredded and de-buttoned every single one, now.  And the romper is coming together beautifully.

Fright night.

Both the kids have got somewhere to be this Saturday.  In this part of the world, the tradition of Halloween is quickly gaining momentum, what with every shop in the land having at the very least a small section devoted to kids' dress-ups, sweets shaped like eyeballs and severed fingers and a pumpkin-face version of just about everything.  There's a long break without much going on between Easter and Christmas, and Halloween has slotted nicely into the Australian calendar of things to do.  Let's face it, if it weren't for all the Halloween merchandise, retailers would be displaying all the Christmas stuff from the start of September, and we'd be preparing for that.  Or in my case, still leaving it until the last minute.

I secretly really like Halloween, because I love costumes, and the supernatural, and the dark.  My husband hates it, and thinks it's just an excuse to sponge lollies off your neighbours and to pitch eggs at cars.  He admits that he is cynical, but only because that was the sort of thing he did in his younger days, and he says he didn't have to use Halloween as an excuse, either.

Anyway, this year we've decided that Cameron can go trick or treating.   He is going as the Grim Reaper.  A lovely friend takes her kids every year, and knows all the best places to go.  He's ten now, and he only has a few years of trick or treat left in him, so we thought we best let him see what all the fuss is about, before he gets old and cynical like his father (who, I will add, is lovely in all sorts of other ways, just in case he is reading).

Sophie is going to a Halloween disco being held at the kids' taekwondo club.  She was excited about dressing up as Jack Skellington, but I didn't have enough time to throw together a stripey suit.  Maybe next year.  Instead, I convinced her to go as a baby vampire bat - she loves baby animals.  Even ones capable of infecting you with rabies.

I made her a bonnet based on the ones I sell at my online store, replacing the rounded bear ears with pointy batfink ones.

The wings were made from a stretchy lycra material, using this awesome tutorial.  I have had this one pinned for ages!  When I suggested to Sophie we dress her up as a bat, her only request was that she would be able to dance!  This bat-wing shrug is so comfy to wear, simple to make, and just so effective - perfect for dancing, too!  I also stitched up a pair of black bloomers to wear over her tights (just because I love them so <3).  Oh, and she's practicing the snarl for nearly the past five years.

A bit of greasepaint on the nose is about all I'm capable of when it comes to face-painting.  I would love to learn how to do it, but this one's too wriggly and Cameron has always been very tactile defensive.  He hates face-painting, temporary tattoos, refuses to let me write my phone number on his arm with marker if we are going somewhere crowded (he prefers carrying a laminated card) - he just hates being drawn on.  He runs home from school to scrub pen ink off his hands, yet needs to be told without fail every day to clean his glasses and brush his hair.  I hear most ten year old boys are like that, so I'm not worried.  Not yet.

I can't wait for Saturday - I'm looking so forward to seeing all the children in their costumes - kids and dress-ups!  Two of my very favourite things!  I hope you a spooky and scary-fun Halloween!

Checking in.

I have been making little wings for little tunics this week.  In between looking after a sick small, treading the mill at the gym (!) and doing the general domestic duties gig.  I'm hoping to have a small selection of clothing for sale by the end of the coming week.  Did  you see the shop thingy in the sidebar?  Feel free to have a bo-peep.  I'm really not expecting to sell a single thing, but I've had a fun time making little clothes.  It all looks a bit Blyton-esque, actually.  That wasn't done on purpose, mind, but I like how it looks so far.

I have to take a break from sewing for the shop so that I can make a few things for Sophie and myself and write up some new tutorials.  Yes, TUTORIALS!  Remember those?  I'm not sure that you miss them at all, but I do.  I know I said it a couple of posts back,  but there will be a new one soon.  No, really, there will x

Twisted Tuesdays.

I was contacted by the lovely Laura of Titchy Threads several weeks ago, asking if I'd like to participate in her upcoming Twisted Tuesdays blog series.  At first I turned her down (albeit disappointedly) - this year has been just crazy so far, and I regrettably replied that I didn't think I'd have the time to join in the fun.  I was a bit sad after sending off my RSVP-in-the-negative; Laura's patterns are awesome!  A little while later however, she sent me a second email explaining that things were changed up a bit and her blog series was going to span seven weeks instead of just one, and without too much more coaxing, I was happily on board!

I chose to make her Twisted Tank, because although I now had more time up my sleeve, my schedule is pretty hectic and unpredictable at the moment, and this tank top is an absolute breeze to whip up!  The way Laura has designed this is so clever - the top is cut from two pieces without side seams, so rather than having a back and front piece, you have a top and bottom which joins diagonally.  The spliced pocket adds extra interest again.  There are so many ways you could put this together, mixing all sorts of prints and colours.  I actually spent more time choosing fabrics than sewing it together!

I went for a sort of show-time theme when making it up, the grey and the pink were pieces I already had in my stash.

I added the hem frill and second striped pocket (the black and white striped fabric came from an old t-shirt) to give it a sort of circus girl look.

Still in keeping with the circus thing, I made another top without the frill and extra pocket.  I have had this odd-shaped remnant of black and white harlequin print in my possession forever, and teamed with white, it was perfect for this top.

Just a plain pink pocket here, I cut it a size bigger than I should have so the corners don't line up with the diagonal seam, but that's okay.  I like a big pocket.

(Just a quick note:  Astute observers will notice that this is not my daughter.  This is my friend Lauren and she's helping me out with modelling duties today.  Sophie has been going through all sorts of growth spurts and the the fabric I chose unfortunately didn't afford enough stretch to fit over her belly.  Oops.)

The Twisted Tank pattern also includes instructions for a basic tank with the traditional seams running down the sides, so if you're not feeling confident with the twisty version, have a practice and you can make up a standard version instead.  In fact, the basic tank pattern is perfect for up-cycling old t-shirts, which is something I just love to do.  All Titchy Threads patterns have clearly illustrated instructions and handy tips, and this one is no exception.  And, as the Tank pattern spans all sizes from 0 through to 12 years, it will last you years and years and years.  What's not to love?

The Twisted Tuesdays blog series has been run over seven weeks so there are lots of other versions of this tank top to check out!  There is also a fantastic Twisted Trousers pattern which is next on my to-do list.  Visit Laura's blog, be inspired by all the amazing outfits other bloggers have made from the tanks or trousers, or both - and then give it a go yourself!  You won't regret it.  

Thank you blouses.

I made two of these blouses (using the same pattern I used here) as thank you gifts for the Nevaeh and Taylah, who were the little girls who helped me out when photographing my projects for Handmade for Baby.  It's funny, isn't it, that when you desperately need to photograph a baby under twelve months old, you don't know of a single one.  Sophie would have gotten the gig, but she was way past one and therefore not young enough for this.  My poor daughter was already a has-been at the age of nearly three.

I really was lucky to find two of the most delightful and well-behaved models, both of whom had parents who were so accommodating at such short notice.  Nevaeh's parents in particular, as they didn't know me from a ball of string and travelled twenty minutes to my home when a mutual friend put us in touch with each other.  She was gorgeous and petite and wriggly with big blue eyes.

I'd never met Taylah before either, although I have known her mother, Michelle, since my late teens.  I messaged Michelle to see if Taylah would be able to help me out.  They were on holiday at the time but came to my rescue as soon as they returned home.  Taylah photographed like a seasoned professional and made my party hats look a whole lot cuter.



I ordered a book for each of them as a thank you to go along with their little blouses, wrapped up together with a box of chocolates for the Mums' and Dads'.

And of course, now that the desperation for tots one and under is no longer an issue, I personally know about a dozen kids who fit the criteria, which is typical.  However, I'm so happy with the way the photos and everything turned out, I can't imagine the end result any other way.   Cheers to my adorable little helpers and their parents...
 

Work in progress - winged romper.

I'm working on this little romper with optional wings. I'm hoping to set up shop later in the year, selling a few bits and pieces. That's why things around here have been so quiet - sorry. This little suit is still in development, but I'm liking it so far.

A romper from shirt sleeves.

I found an awesome men's shirt from the op-shop in my most favourite shade of grey.  I had in mind that I was going to make Sophie a blouse and after I sliced the shirt up every which way, I somehow burnt a big hole in the back with my crappy excuse of an iron.  Oops.  My fault, I should have bought a new iron weeks ago.  The thermostat on this one is a bit emotional - sometimes barely warming up a couple of degrees after being switched on, and at other times it's over-enthusiastic and agitated for no good reason.  If it were human, it would be my twin.

The leftover sleeves gave me enough fabric to make this baby romper.  I made this using Simplicity  3508, which is a reprint from a 1950s pattern (I'm not sure if this is still available, but you could try your luck on eBay or Etsy). This will remain unworn for the foresee-able future as I don't know anybody who is pregnant nor small.  Which is probably just as well because although this is tiny and cute, it's not perfect.  I'm going to practise this one a bit more and make some changes.  Especially to all those buttons.  And buttonholes.  Moan.   Making buttonholes is like the worst thing ever.

I have another similar sized shirt in my stash and I'm thinking I might have another go.  Maybe I could get two rompers out of the next one?  I might try that on a day I'm feeling a bit clever, but not before I buy a new iron with a better attitude, I think.

Shoulder button top.

This top is a sample from a pattern I drew up based on something I saw in a children's fashion magazine.  I figure this is a great design for summer or in winter to layer over a long sleeved tee.  This one is actually made from cotton sheeting and is prone to a bit of wrinkling.  I'm thinking next time I'll try a light denim or a light wool check for cooler months.

The bloomers were made from some fabric leftover after I made this.

I've been thinking a bit more lately about putting together a small collection of clothes and selling them online.  Even though I have a husband who runs his own business, I have remained blissfully unaware of the requirements and responsibilities of running a small business.  I'm kind of regretting that now and doing some research on the inter-web, and asking friends in small business what to do.  But, they don't seem to have any idea either.  Etsy?  Big Cartel?  I'm definitely not one to sit at a market stall all day, so online's the preference.  Any suggestions, tips, do's and don'ts would be very helpful and much appreciated :)

I'll have a bit more time for sewing now this one is starting kindergarten in a couple of weeks.  Can you believe it?  She turned four about a week ago. 

She has been working those dimples of late and spends ages in front of the bathroom mirror watching them appear and disappear by moving her 'magic face'.  That's good, because she is going to require a truckload of cuteness if she thinks the behaviour she's been exhibiting at home of late is going to swing with the Department of Education.  The school holidays and the excitement of having her brother at home to play with (whether he likes it or not) has been making her just a tad over the top.

I will miss her terribly, but I'm so excited for her.  My big girl.  *blub*

Clownie romper.

More projects from the scrap pile.  I ran up this little romper from a piece of floral fabric I had left over from this dress  that I made some time ago.  There wasn't quite enough to make something for Sophie, but still a substantial enough remnant to make something.  I'm not sure who this is for yet, but I'm sure somebody I know will be having a baby at some point in the future, or know of someone else who will.  Not me, though.  No way!  That horse has well and truly and gladly bolted.  Phew.

My obsession with all things circus-like is an influence here.  The clownish frill around the neck is made of a grey and white cotton seersucker, bound with self bias and left with a raw hem.  I was sort of experimenting at the start  and didn't have the inclination for time consuming niceties such as hemming ruffles.   But as I was making my way through it, I was having fun watching it all come together, and did in fact start paying more attention to detail toward the end.  Too late for the neck ruffle, though.



It buttons at the back with two vintage buttons  (the top one is concealed by the frill), and opens at the crotch with snap fasteners.  The type you hammer on. That was a first for me, and I was surprised how easy it was.  Noisy though.  I was hammering away and my husband yelled, "What ARE you doing in there??"  "I'm making a baby romper!  Derrrrrrrr...!"




This is such a light little suit, it would be just fine on it's own in the summer months, but I can see it worn over tights in the cooler weather and topped with a cosy cardigan and cute knit hat.  I really wish I had a little baby to put this on and photograph - awwww,  too cute!  I really miss being able to dress Sophie in teeny, sweet clothes (not that she's ever been that teeny).

 And I really love this autumn-ish floral and am quite disappointed that I'm almost completely out of it.   I possibly have enough left to make a doll and some scrunchies, but that's it.  That's sad.

Bubble pants

If you're a regular visitor, you'd know that Sophie owns hundreds of pairs of home sewn bloomers, but I wanted to try to make some that were a bit different than her regular ones.  These are one of the test pairs I've run up, based on a pattern from this book.  I say based, as after the initial run through, some of the pattern pieces needed a bit of re-drafting, which is NOT a fault of the book, but rather somebody's round tummy.  Sewing would be a whole lot simpler if my girl was a more standard size.

I had some black linen left over from a previous project and managed to get the main pieces of the shorts cut from it (after some jiggering about).  The pockets were cut from a fat quarter of quilting cotton I bought years ago when I had a thing for spots.  Everything matched up really well, which is not always an easy thing to do when you're working from your scrap pile.

Of course, these took a bit more time than one of my standard run-them-up-in-an-hour stick-elastic-thorough-all-casings efforts, but the construction is really simple, and they look much more polished.

Actually, these took a lot longer than they should have.  Ten days, approximately.  This included the initial ones, the pattern drafting, the procrastinating, etc.  I just wasn't in the mood.  I have been having a bad run with the sewing machine of late, and have just had to get up and leave it be for days at a time.  I get phases like that.

I really love that the pockets can be made out of a scrap of eye catching fabric you might love but not have any other use for.   In addition, the pockets themselves serve as a wonderful cache for all sorts of treasures.  Sophie had been wearing them for an hour before I managed to grab the camera and take these shots.  After taking photographs, I changed her into long pants and found inside these ones some stickers, a half-eaten cracker, two buttons and a texta lid. 

I may be inclined next time to redraft the pockets (again!) into panels that extend the entire height of the shorts.  If she managed to collect that many trinkets in the space of sixty minutes, there's no telling what might end up in those pockets after wearing them for an entire day.  I would not be game to check.  Other than that, though, these are great, if you have a child-sized child (if not, it's easy enough to widen the shorts panels and pocket, and adjust the waistband and leg binding to fit).  I want a pair!

Blouse bootcamp.

I've had a bit of a Peter Pan collar thing happening lately.  I'm not sure that Sophie is demure enough to carry off this sort of style, but I had a 'what the heck' moment and thought I'd give it another whirl anyway.  I made this top using pieces from several patterns, the back and front from one pattern, the collar from another, the sleeves from something else, making slight adjustments to the joining pieces so that everything would fit together nicely.

 

But, as usual, although I wrapped my tape measure around all of Sophie about two hundred times before I cut the fabric, fit was still an issue.  When I make something for my girl, I have to make it quick because she can grow a size overnight.  Cameron was exactly the same up until the age of five, and then weighed the same for three years as he grew lengthwise (he's nine now, and almost as tall as me).  I'm hoping Sophie will have the same period of vertical catch-up

So did it fit?  Yes!  But...was it a comfortable fit?  We decided we should put the new blouse to the test.

Firstly, some teapot action.  All good.

Then a bit of kung-fu fighting, and some quicker-than-the-human-eye Hong Kong Phooey kicks.

Next up,  an action-packed extended version (or three) of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.  Sophie likes to add her own bits to this song and the entire thing once through takes four or five minutes to sing.  It is seriously intense stuff.

Finally, some Madonna vogue-ing.

Woohoo, no ripped seams or buttons flying off - hooray!   It even got through a thank you bow.

Ta-daaaaaaaa!  Well done, blouse! 

Still though, I probably won't be making this one again, not for Sophie anyway.  She is getting less keen on the girly stuff and only agreed to model this one after being bribed with a new packet of Crayolas.  Which is a shame, because I love this sort of clothing for little girls.  I'm trying to think how I can incorporate Ninja Turtles and the world of Lego into this style of dress, but, surprise, surprise! -  I am drawing a complete blank.  Any suggestions would be welcomed.