4 little skirts for 2 precious girls

I whipped up these skirts for my two nieces. Nice light, cotton skirts that the girls can wear while they are with their Daddy. Don't you just ADORE that turqoise blue with pink flower fabric?? I have some left and want to use it for something special. Not sure what yet! LOL

Merry Christmas Ms B (Handmade Christmas 2014)

I always like to give something special and unique to the kid's teachers. I feel like they have been part of the child raising team and I like to appreciate them and spoil them just a little at Christmas time. The teachers who look after my ASD kids can NEVER be loved on or spoiled enough! 

Anyway... I have finished a scarf for Ms B (Milly's teacher). This was not the original plan - I wanted to make a beautiful ruffly scarf but it turns out that I didn't order enough yarn. Note to self - don't go by how many grams, go by how many yards it recommends on the pattern. STUPID me!!

I quickly frogged the last scarf and began work on another - and I was really pleased with how it turned out. It's simple, pretty and I think it suits the recipient perfectly. So that's one person ticked off my Handmade Christmas list! 

Pattern

Shorts in July

The countdown is on! Next week we head up North to the warmer climate and to explore the top end of Australia. I whipped up a pair of shorts for my big girl to wear since she has outgrown all her summer clothes. They are a lighter denim fabric so it should go with all the tops she has. 

My poor girl was turning into an icicle while I took this photo. She was saying with gritted teeth "COMMON MUM!! It's freezing! My feet are going to be blue in a moment!"

Skirting around it

Last summer I bought a massive pile of cute summer cottons in the hopes of making the girl's summer wardrobe. PFFFTT!! I got a whole lot of nothing done! So this summer I figured I might have a go at making some things. The elder madam's recent growth spurt means that this is becoming a reality! Nothing like a sobbing, hormonal, pre-teen girl with her head leaning against her chest of drawers wailing "I have nothing to wear" (let me begin by saying - she does have things to wear, she was in the middle of a hormone induced meltdown!) So what does a Mama do when her big girl is wailing that she has nothing to wear? 

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A new way to use shirring

Well it's new for me anyway!

I am horizontally challenged girl with vertical stunting. In other words I am a short, plus size girl. Buying clothes can be a nightmare. 3/4 pants look like 7/8's on me. Tops swim around my bust and arms, but fit well around my hips. I have found an online store that sells reasonably priced and lovely plus sized clothing, but they don't fit me perfectly. So I need to do something about that.

Take this pink tank top below. Gorgeous colour, lovely fit except around the bust where it just hangs. So I took in the sides, shirring it instead of sewing it. It makes it look really good! As if it's meant to have a slight bunch on the sides. When I sew it with normal stitching it just looks weird, because the amount I have to take in is ridiculous!

Then take this dress. My dream dress that I was watching for about 5 months and as soon as it went on sale, I snapped it up!! The trouble is that the neckline was somewhere around the middle of my stomach. That kinda doesn't work, especially if I don't want to give other people nightmares!! This was a fiddly bit to adjust. The amount I had to take up meant that the neckline looked really jagged and weird if I used a straight stitch. So in comes the shirring. It doesn't look half as bad. This photo was taken from on top of my shoulder, but if you look straight on, it looks like it was made to be this way.  

Overall I am one happy Skipper with some new clothes to add to the wardrobe now that I have taken the time to adjust them.

Romper

**Again excuse the dodgy photos, but my eldest does not like having photos taken and nor will she willingly cooperate and sit still for me.

I saw this project on Pinterest and thought, "I might make that one day". But after recent growth spurts and after buying her a whole summer wardrobe in a size 10 - that she promptly outgrew in 2 months, we have had to scramble and get her a few new things. But we can't afford to buy her a full wardrobe again, so we bought her a few things to tide her over, and I need to sew up some bits to make up the rest.

I thought the style looked very retro and she loves it! Although she panicked a bit when she needed to go to the toilet. LOL All good... she made it!

So hopefully she will be able to wear it over this summer and not grow out of it in a month!! 

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Sweet little cardi

Another finished project under my belt. :)



I just love the buttons!!!

Crochet Cardi

This is the first item of clothing that I have crocheted, apart from a scarfe and beanie, but that doesn't count! It's basically this pattern from Ravelry but with a few changes so it would fit my big girl.






I love it! It will go really well with a lot of her summer frocks.
She loves it - and I know that because she took off with it and put it in her drawers before I could even get a photo of the finished product!! Talk about keen!!

Maxi Dress # 2

I finally finished this dress off for Mop's summer wardrobe. I'm not 100% happy with it, because I mucked up a bit, but I'm not going to tell you which bit. :)

Still... she looks glorious in it... if not rather hippy.



Right... onto the next few dresses!! :)

Summer Wardrobe - dress #1

So... I'm protesting against all the tarty-two-dollar-hooker clothes that are out on the market at the moment. I will no dress my little girl in shorts that barely pass as knickers, tops that rise in the midrift, showing the belly (HOW is that sunsmart??) Anyway... I'm not having it! I will not buy from these retailers. So I decided to make the girls their summer wardrobe this year.

And this dress number 1 - a maxi dress for mop.

WIP central!

So... I've been busy working on many many projects!

Here's a glimpse:



*A dress I made and designed myself - just a tad proud!*

I'm participating in Spotlight's Block of the Week with some friends. Unfortunately these are the only blocks I have done so far. I stuffed up the second one, and haven't gotten back to finishing. That's ok. I'll get them done as I can.



I'm using these colors for the BOW:


I'm also doing a project from a Better Homes and Gardens Mag, I'm loving this, because I can pick it up and mindlessly do it while watching TV.





I'm using leftover bits of wool that Mum donates to me, So this is basically costing me nothing!

I've also made a start on my niece's quilt:



See? Lots of WIP's but barely any finishes!! :)

Mummy? Can you make me something?

My littlest princess was feeling a little miffed about her older sister getting dresses and skirts made for her, and she wasn't getting anything. On a quick dash into Spotlight to get some shirring elastic, Milly asked me "Mummy? Can you please make me something?" Trouble is that this little madam has about a gazillion more dresses than she can possibly wear. She gets the hand-me downs of her two very girly cousins plus whatever Nanny, Grandma and I buy as well. Dresses and skirts she didn't need.... what could I make her? Then I had the perfect idea. Headbands!! So I've made her two... one in the same fabric as Mop's ruffled skirt and this material. She LOVES them. Mother of the year goes to.... *drumroll please*...... ME!!! :)

Ruffles galore

This week I've been trying to recupperate from a flu thing I've had. It's been nearly 4 weeks since I first got it and I'm still feeling lousy!! Anyway... enough whinging. This week I decided to try and make Mop some bits for summer to wear. This is one of her skirts. I had this small strip of fabric, less than a meter, and I thought it would make a cute skirt!
I put a ruffle on the top as well as the bottome - I thought it would look smashing, and I was right. I love the look!

Make a wish....

So ages ago Mum gave me this top - she didn't want it, it didn't look right on her. I didn't want it either because it was too boxy and a bit to "old" for my liking. So I put it in a box to upcycle later on. Today I finally got to it. The recent warm weather has got me motivated to start sewing Mop's new spring/summer wardrobe. I want to make as much of it as possible so I don't have to buy tarty little numbers that are more suited to a tramp than a little girl. So I pulled out the unwanted top and decided to revamp it into something amazing.

I think it looks MUCH better on Mop!!!



This is my first attempt as shirring, and I have to tell you.... I'm hooked. I am going to make a stack of stuff with this method. It's so easy and looks sooooo good!!!

An 11.59th hour finish

Yesterday I was meant to finish this project. It is good friends of ours little girls birthday party, which my DD was invited to. I couldn't be bothered. And I started it really late yesterday... then this morning crawled out of bed to finish it. It had to be finished my 12:30pm today... and I finished it at 12:20pm. 10 minutes to spare!! :) Talk about a close finish!!

When the birthday girl opened her present, she immediately held it up against her body, realisation suddenly dawning on her. "So THAT'S why you took my measurements the other day?" I smiled, "That's right!" She admired it a while longer. Then I noticed her friends looking at it, one particular girl looking at it in admiration. "Did you MAKE that??" she finally said. I felt a little bit proud. I had impressed a 9 year old. :) The birthday girl finally put it aside and sighed "I wish it was summer!"

Happy birthday Aimee!

Happy Birthday dear Niece!

I can't believe she is one! It seems like only yesterday she was a snuffling little newborn!



Her Mummy hinted rather strongly that she wanted a cute dress made for little madam, so I took some measurements and this is what I made.





(Excuse the shoddy background, but DH was working so there was stuff everywhere)

I based it on this tutorial: Sunshine Dress

My first dress....

When Skipper was 17 years old, doing her final year of high school, vulnerable, impressionable, she also was taking Home Economics. She tried to make a dress - and it was a shamozzle. She tried to make an apron - and it was even worse! She tried her hardest to learn to sew, but she just couldn't grasp it.

"You are hopeless Skipper! You will NEVER learn to sew!" The words my Home Ec teacher still ring loud and clear in my ears.

Well do you know what??

(Excuse the blurry shot, my 8 year old took it)


I made this. :)



BITE ME MS M!!!

Summer skirts

I resent my 7 year old looking like a emo, grungy, rock star. There I said it. I do not like the clothing for "tweenies". I like my little girl to look like a little girl.

So I whipped up these. I'll be making more bits for her as summer comes along, but this is a good start.





She can't wait for warm days to be able to wear them! :)

Milly's Sundress.

Doesn't this fabric scream summer? I'm so proud of this dress because I winged it and didn't use a pattern. I thought about what I like and what I wanted, and then went for it. I MAY do up a tute later on, if I can get around to making another one. Though next time I might go for a fuller skirt.

What do you think?

Pre-loved bargain!

 

 

A score from the op-shop.

50 cents each. I figure I can "modernise" these as I make them. They are simple patterns for kids clothing. $2 well spent I reckon!