Baby blanket and some end-of-the-year thoughts...

I finished the simplest baby blanket for the coming baby of my sister in law...
One side is made of Fleece, the other is Cotton. I added an applique and finished it in the easiest way possible. I saw this method in Parparim's blog... it is easy and cute...
The applique is from Izzy & Ivy Designs... free!!!
So here it comes...




Now for the end-of-the-year thoughts...
I have learned a lot this year! I baught many patterns and so much fabric... and sewed many items,
My zippers got better. I made pants for myself, and a couple of skirts...
I've made many many clothes to my girls and quiet a lot of gifts...
Lessons for me, for the coming year:
1. I have so many patterns! Think before you buy!!!!!
2. Try to resist the urge to sew the girls everyday clothes... They have enough! They have more then enough! Special occasion clothes are enough!
3. sew more for me! I do NOT have many clothes... I can always make use in some more.
4. Do not sew skirts... you rarely wear those, even though they fit and you like them...

Plans for the coming few months:
well, January and the begining of February are difficult months. I have many cakes to make. Two for a good friend's daughter and three for my soon 4 years old girl!
so for January - I need to make the birthday girl a dress... and pants for my self.
On February I'll probably start with the Purim costumes...
and after that... we'll see :-)
Bye for now!

I've been away...

I haven't posted in very long...
Much worse, I didn't even keep track of all these amazing blogs that I have been monitoring closely for the past year or so...
I'm having some difficulties these days, I get tired easily and need a lot of sleep, I have very little energy for anything but what MUST be done; handling the girls, working, sleeping...
I hope to get on track real soon.
I still managed to finish a gift for a friend of mine. She asked for a Yoga Bag. We found together this free pattern by Amy Butler right here...
It took me too long, because everything does these days, but really is it a very easy pattern. I did not use interfacing because I used red drill fabric for the outer fabric and I figured it is good enough.
I had nobody to model the nag for me, so the picture isn't really great, but it really is OK, looks like the original bag.
I hope my frind likes it!



I also almost finished a baby blanket for my sister in law... I hope topost about it really soon, and I hope to get back my lost energy real soon, as I have so many plans...

happy holidays all of you who celebrate Cristmas and new year!

new baby set...

Well, I made already quiet a few attempts for a baby gift for my sister in law who is due in two month. Nothing was really it...
but this is!




The romper is from an old Ottobre issue, I have already made it several times. for example right here. It is made fo baby cord. The jacket I also reviewed in the past. But I made it with fleece on the inside to make sure it is warm.
I like it...

I still want to prepare a blanket and maybe some other stuff.

On another note, I am having some difficulties these days being creative. There's a lot on my mind and for the first time in many years I find myself prefering to do nothing at the evenings... I'm still doing things, but I guess a lot less then usual. I hope I return to being my old self really soon!

more carolines...

As promised...




Pattern Review:
There is really not much to it... you attach the layers of the skirt, you construct the pants, then you attach them together at the top and treat them as one for the sake of putting in elastics...
I've made no changes from the pattern. Only two points to keep in mind
1. Stretchfabric ONLY!
2. The pants are long... from the images in the Farbenmix site I thought the leggings are not the full length of the leg, so I first made it longer, to make sure it'll be good for the winter. As it turned out, that was not needed at all! The pattern as it is drawn is for long leggings,
I like this pattern, I'm sure I'll make it every year, because it is cute, simple and very suitable for school and kindergarten!

On another issue... for the past two days Israel has faced terrible fires! The origin of the first fire is still unknown... but the additional fires are caused by people... unbelievable! Many people died, thousands of people lost their homes, 3 million trees were burnt, many many wild life animals were lost... and it is not over yet...
The fire is not too far from our home, we were asked to close all windows. We really hope it will end soon!

Caroline, simple and practical!

Caroline by Farbenmix... need I say more? I was not aware of this pattern until I saw this blog entry of WillowAndMoo... I did not win that giveaway, but I wasn't going to let it stop me!
I did think long and hard before buying this pattern. It looks simple, I think if I tried hard enough, I could have come up with the correct measurements for a cute knit skirt over SCKL Riviera pattern...
But then I realized - I want it to fun! I want results... yes, I think money used to buy good patterns that will serve me for years to come, is money well spent! don't you agree???
Anyway, I got the pattern, and I already made three pairs. The forth one is in the works. and I love it!
It is easy, and simple, and so practical, if the winter ever starts here, my girls will still feel pretty going to school, but they will also be well dressed!





The other two Carolines will be posted really soon!

My 4 years old insisted that I take a picture of her in her favorite dress.... the Dora dress.

Let me tell you, no dress I made for her comes even close to make her happy the way this Dora dress, which I baught for her several months ago, makes her happy and it cost me practically nothing... makes you wonder... should I be offended? :-)

Ruthie's Romper

I saw this pattern not long ago... And I had to have it!


I thought it would be a great outfit for Hanucca...
I know, rompers are not practical...but for a party, when I am near her all the time, I thought it's just cute enough to justify being not practical. I mean... we have to sacrifice to be pretty.. right?
Anyhow, I couldn't get the shirring right in my new Brother machine, so I returned to my old Sovina for that.
First, the pictures




Now... the fabric... gorgeous, right? I am not sure what it is... it's 100% if I remember correctly, but it's not quilting cotton, it's draping, not wrinkly.. I love it. I got it about two years ago in dotsnstripes, my favorite English store. I really need to have a family member go to the UK again...

The patter,.. My girl is 98 cm... So I chose size 4 for her and it is HUGE! It's good, because I plan on the romper for next year too... But it was very long... The pants length without the ruffles (that are pretty big) were longer then her legs... So I had to shorten it quite a bit before I could attach the ruffles.
I like the explanations, I like the pattern. I am not sure I'll make it again, my 7 years old is too big for that, and I don't the need in having two rompers for my 4 years old... again, this is not something I can send her to preschool with.

If I do make it again... here's what I would do different - I attached the ties as instructed... but I think it should have been more to the center, because the ties seem to be too wide for my daughter's shoulders...
and I'd cut it much shorted to begin with.


On another matter - I won a giveaway!! and not just any giveaway... I won the Rosetta Ruffle bag by Sisboom! Let me tell you, it was so hard to choose just one pattern from all the patterns right here... But then I saw this two amazing example of the Rosetta bag made by Jenny from sewprettydresses and Tas from LittleBozzle... I knew what I had to choose... Thanks so much, Madeline, for letting me know of my winning. Thanks for much Sisboom!

Little Girls Big Style... Review!

I guess most, if not all of you are aware of this blog, Conefession of a craft addict... But just in case you are not... go there! Have a look!
So when I understood Mary Abreu is having a book... I waited... and it arrived last week!
You can see some of the outfits from the book in its flickr page !



About the book
so pretty! great photos.. great inspiration! I can see my girls wearing any item in this book, and feeling special! There are only four basic patterns, but endless variations! All patterns are made of woven fabric, which is great also!
The paper is made of a very high quality! I think the patterns are simple, very easy, and so the book is very good for beginners, that want to sew for the little girls in their lives very quickly and with great results!

So this weekend I pushed aside some other tasks... and I started! The first thing was the basic top and ruffled pants outfit. I made it in just a few hours... very easy!
I madeit for my 7 years old. I traced size 6, and added seam allowance as I was sure (I didn't even check...) that size 6 will be too small.
I ended up with a cute set, a bit too wide for my girl, but that's OK, because in the coming winter she'll have to wear a top under the set, and in summer after that, this outfit will probably fit just great!
The pictures were taken at home... not the best place, but I really didn't want to wait...
So here it comes...





well, I still have two more items that need to completed soon, and then I promised my little one a dress from this book!
so... until next time! :-)

It's so easy 2672... boy version or girl version...

I have been very busy lately. Mostly I made cakes for some family birthdays and doing some over time at work :-(,
This is what I made for my sister's son.
I don't like boys' cakes... so boring!


But I hope he'll be happy!

For over a week I didn't even come near my sewing machine! I've missed it!!! so when I could, I completed a romper I started two weeks ago...


I have two ladies on my life that are due pretty soon. One with a girl, one with a boy. I planned to make this romper for a boy... but when it was ready and all that was left was putting the buttons.. it didn't look like a boy's fabric after all. what do you say? If I attach blue buttons... will it be a boy's romper?

I didn't add any ruffles or anything, so switching the buttons is very easy... but I'm not sure! I could really use an input on this!

As for the pattern itself...
I left out the buttons on the bottom... I plan on waiting to see the romper actually fits before I make it again, this time complete and with emballishments.
I did make the pants part longer, because both babies are due in the coming winter, and the original pattern is for a short romper.
The fabric is gorgeous baby cord. It is gorgeous.. right?
I did nothing else different. And it came out very quick and easy. It just looks a bit big for a newborn baby... but I really don't remember that well... Still, if the romper fits a 3 month old baby, that's also OK... but I guess I'll just have to wait and see...
all in all - a very easy cute pattern. the size is questionable, and so is the fit... because I could not try it on.
I'll have to wait to decide if it looks good enough to make it again.

I did learn, doing this romper, to use my machine (my new pretty machine :-)) for buttons loops (so EASY!!!!) ! So I'm happy!

The cakes parade!

So... My 7 years old is 7 today!!!!
I brought her a cakes to school today. The party is in two days!
She's gotten so big! It's easy for a sewing mom to keep track of how much her kids gotten big, right? patterns I traced only last year no longer fit!
well... dear, sweet girl... happy birthday!
I made her a long sleeve Tini, since this will be a weekend of parties, and we must have enough pretty cloths.. right?

(again.. not great pictures... I will have to take better pictures at the party!)



And here come the cakes!!!
The castle cake is a bit in 'offset'... but my girl wouldn't let me fix it :-). It's inspired by many castle cakes in the net, and specifically by a Lindy Smith cake.. Can't remember the name of the book right now...

The Ballerina is from Debbie Brown 's enchanted cakes... and the colors are so much better in life! I have to take a better picture!





Next week I have to make to "boys" cakes for my sister's son...
Then I'll finally get back to sewing! I miss it so much!!!! I have so much planned!

playing hide & seek in my house...

The other day I sent my little one up the stairs to undress before I come to give her a bath. She sometimes enjoys hiding and gets thrilled when I pretend to look for her, She usually hides under the blanket. Not this time,
Look where she was...

Yes, I'm ashamed to admit.. this is only a part (a big part, but still... only a part) of my fabric stash... and this is where I store it.. unfolded in the bottom of my closet:-)


Now, I am very busy getting ready for my 7 years old birthday. I was missing a winter dress for my little one (and if I manage I will also make another dress for my 7 years old too). I didn't have the time to try a new pattern so I used my beloved Tini!
you may remember the many-many Tini-s I made this summer.. (if you don't - here are the links - Tini1, Tini2 and Tini3).
So I made the Long-sleeves Tini!
I made it a size bigger.. since in the winter I may want to put some leggings under, plus, I want it to fit throughout the winter..
I really like it!
I will have better pictures next week at the party, but right now...



Bye for now!

Butterick 5497 - new fall top for me

This is the pattern

It looks great, right?
I order it a month ago, and dared to try it last week.
I used some not very stretchy knit, very nice one, and it now one of my fall tops, and just in time too... as tonight it started to rain.

I looked at my closet the other day, and I was happy to find out that this past year I have sewed many tops for myself. I am still behind on zippered pants, which are still a challenge, but the tops are great, all are in use, or will be soon when its colder outside.
Now as for this top, I'm not sure. It is unique, somewhat out-dated, I think. I think it looks good on me but I'm not sure as it very big in the bust area and very snug on the belly, and I'm not used for this look.




what do you think?

The pattern review:
The instructions are very very clear, I followed them and had no problem.
sizing - I made size 8, it is very snug on the belly, but big (I think it should be this way) on the bust. I have s small bust though..

If I make it again I'll have to make the belly part a bit wider.

Changes I made: for the neck you are supposed to just fold it in and sew, I don't like it, it never comes out OK to me. So I cut another two pieced at the same shape as the neck and sewed them in as facing.
I at first didn't fully understand how to make the gathering in the shoulders,so when I made it I didn't leave enough room for the neck facing and had to fix it manually... to bad, But it worked out OK, and if I make it again I'll remember that!

Don't know if I'll make it again, as I'm not sure the top looks so good on me... but if I wear itto work and get compliments,... then yes, as it is a vety easy top!

As for my many many packages... they are all here! I have so much fabric, which is great! I am stilling missing some types of fabric (such as fleece and solid knits), but I enoough for now!

For the next couple of weeks I am starting the November birthday Marathon! My girl celebrates her birthday on 9/11 and me nephew one week later. They both need thee cakes each.. One for school, one for the after school care, and one for the celebration. I will probably be a bit too busy to sew... but I will sure try. I'm hooked!

Fall set!

We went out on Friday to celebrate my father on law's birthday. This was a great excute to dress my 7 years old in her new Butterick skirt
This is an official fall set. I just need to find or make a different blacktop, that isn't see-through :-)

The pattern is Butterick 4593.
The skirt is just great! It is a bit too wide, so after it was prepared I sewed in bias tape to the left of the back part (two pieces, one for each side of the zipper) and put elastic in it. This fixed the problem very well.
The bolero is newlook which I reviewed in here .
The top, as I said, I need to find another.
My little one wore the Hoverrock I made her last year. what a great pattern! it'll be good for her for the coming winter too!


I also made my 7 years old an Olivia top (Farbenmix Olivia, of course). But I made it out of rib fabric, and it is too wide to be a top under a bolero, It's a cute top though.

Yesreday I spent some time checking out the Embroidery function of my new machine. I used the piece of feltalready interfaced that the machine was sent with... and this what I have!

I think I'll put in on the Olivia top, What do you think?


My girl's birthday is in two and a half weeks... so much to do till then!

Many packages on the way!!!!

To start with, I've been planning to go on a trip to 'Nahalat Binyamin', the fabric street of Israel for several months now, so I've been saving my money for this trip... It was canceled every time for reasons beyond my control!!!!
Anyway, when a close friend of mine told me a month ago that she will spend two weeks in the USA... and that she wouldn't mind bringing me a package... how could I say no??? So I order a package to her. She's my friend, I didn't want her to have to carry too much, so I tried very hard to keep the order not-too-big. This package I'll probably get next week!
Three day after I made this order, my brother in law told me he was going to be in Boston too... he's a guy.. so he can carry much more, right? I placed an order in fabroic.com for him too.
and I was soooo happy!
Then my brother in law called me from the US, to say they changed the hotel. It was too late however and my dear, great package could not be collected....
now I was soooo sad!
I had to do something to feel better. So I placed a tiny order on etsy, for some Japanese fabric. Never had these fabrics fabric, wanted to know how they feel.. They are kind of expensive though, and the shipping was also expensive. but still... I placed the order and I am waiting for it to arrive now.
Meanwhile, Fabric.com contacted me to say they have my package back. Since I already paid for it... I decided to ask them to ship it to me to Israel. Those of you who live here probably know that as much as they have great price for the fabrics, they are the most EXPENSIVE store I know when it comes to shipping costs. But I did it anyway.
I had to add 54$. More than the fabric cost me.

so now I have three packages on the way.
and they cost me much more then I have planned.
And I have no budget left for my Nahalat Binyamin trip... If I ever do go on it!!

Now, you may think all I did in the past few weeks is internet shopping, but I also managed to finish some items...
this is one:

This is "Vilkas" from Ottobre. I love this patter. made it many times before in smaller sizes, and will make this one again when the winter finally arrives.
I also made a very pretty skirt for my 7 years old, but there are no good pictures yet!
Weekend is almost here!!!! finally!

new look 6582.. and some news...

Well, this has been quiet a week...
October and November are usually busy months in my family. We have several birthdays, the holidays are over and the whole idea of taking a day off after the big August vacation and all these holidays seems ridiculous.
If I could take a day off... just to go fabric shopping...
Anyway, I had big plans for this week, as my big girl is turning 7!!! (in a month, yes, but we just started the planning phase - what party will she have,what will she wear, what cakes does she want...)
In between I had my niece's birthday party. The party was kind of last minute, so I just didn't have the time to make the cake I wanted, but here's what I did manage...


I also finished this week two boleros for my girls. I love boleros for this time of the year...
The pattern is New look 6582.


I plan on making also the dress.. but will have to wait.
Now please note - I forced my girls to wear the boleros first thing in the morning, they barely woke up.. over their jummies... because it's very sunny right now, and I think it'll be at least a week before they actually need to wear these. So, you'll just have to imagine that they are properly dresses... Ok? :-)



Isn't it cute???

I made some changes from the original design. In the pattern instructions - the bolero is made of one layer of knit fabric. I made the front and back parts out of two layers (cut the pieces twice, put the back and front together and sewed, then I sewed the inner part with the outer part (right to right) turned and top stitched. I then treated this whole thing as one and added the sleeves. I like it better because I think the front looks better this way, more finished, and you cannot see the back of the fabric.
as for the size - I made size 3 for my 3.5 years old, and it'll be good for next year I hope, and size 6 for my 7 years old, and she will not fit in this next year for sure.

now for my big news!!!!
I have a new sewing and embroidery machine!!!
look!

After two months at sea it's here!!! it arrived two days ago and I didn;t even have the time to do anything but look at it and try a couple of stitches, But really.. isn't it great!!!!
have a great week!

Simplicity 3902 - another dress..

Fall has arrived. Yesterday it started to rain... good thing I already started sewing for winter already!
I always look for long sleeve party dresses for my girls. I know jumpers work well too, but they require a matching shirt under the jumper, so basically they require planning a head.. not my strongest side...
so when I saw this pattern



I thought it has great lines, and many possibilities.
It came out very fast. I made size 3 for my 3 years old and it is too WIDE. I should have checked... too bad.
I will have to try another dress...maybe this one again but after narrowing all side and back parts... maybe another one, more fancy and twirling, maybe Faliz again... don't know.
It's not a big deal...this dress will be ok in several month, and I do like the sleeves, don't know... would love to hear your thoughts on that!
But it probably will NOT be the dress my girl will have for my big girl's birthday party next month.
I did a rolled hem on the bottom and it doesn't look all that great. I'll put a red bias tape instead...
Now for the pictures
(Lady N is after a very long day... so she's not her smiling self... never mind that)



Buit I really don't get it! how come size 3 of one simplicity dress is too small and one is soooooo wide????