Sunday, May 23, 2010

Next month will be all about me!

Yes, in June I'll try to make some stuff for me!
I plan pants, skirt, and two tops - just for me!
This month was so full, and now it's almost over!
First - I got from my husband the WII Fit Plus! Wow!!! I'll ignore the hint of me needing to get into shape and focus on the good things!
It's so cute!
Now I need to find the time to read (can't do without it!), sew (don't want to do without it) and sports (no more excuses... plus - It is fun!) and all this in the evenings once my girls are in bed...
Even with the WII, I did get some stuff done.
First - this baby set. (I already made one before). Not sure why I did it. I thought it's a cute baby gift, and I can make one to wait for a friend who's having a baby girl...

This time I put on buttons and shortened the straps. It looks better to me...
Nie-Nie
I then made the nie-nie skirt. I LOVE the way it looks, but, Wow, the work!!! So much work! I omitted one ruffle, and made the band far narrower (my dd has a round body, and skirts just tend to slip below her waist, so the broad band just didn't look good).

I usually really love designer's patterns, and make them in pairs, one for each dd, at least! But I had enough with the ruffles!!!! and with gathering!!!
I believe I'll make this skirt again... but not soon, and not with a smile... Only if one of my girls asks for it...
Kyoko
I also made my first ModKid pattern! I made the Kyoko!
I love how simple it is, and yet, it looks so special. The booklet the pattern arrives with is beyond my wildest expectations! Such great explanations.
I made the dress for my three years old. She's kind of sensivitive in her clothing, and I had to convince he to let me put on the obi. but when she allowed me...

This pattern will be very much in use!

Bye for now!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

More dresses...

A few more dresses for my girls...
My first try with the famous Olivia By Farbenmix! I didn't get around yet to making the upper dress, but the knit one I made was the easiest thing, and turned out really cute!
My three years old LOVE it!
I guess it's really comfortable, appropriate also for the kindergarten activities. a HUGE success... So I know there will be more!

I also made two more Tinis.
My 6 years old loves hers! It's made from poly cotton, so really, no need to iron. It's wash-and-go!


My 3 years old still didn't get hers... I am still thinking if I should give this dress as a present to a friend's daughter... I know I should... but I have troubles giving this dress away!
I just love the fabric of this one. I got it over a year ago from dotsnstripes. How pretty is that????

I am going tomorrow with my husband to a zimmer (is this a word in English??? I am not sure... ) I mean - the girls are staying with their grandparents and we will sleep, eat and rest in a country house for two whole days! We haven't done that since my three years old was born...
To top that, on the way over we will stop in Nahalat Binyamin - the Israeli street that is full of fabric stores!
I can't wait!
So, until next week...

Monday, May 3, 2010

Mccall 4444 - (Almost) first self-made dress!

Well, It is not a first, I made one dress last year, but it didn't come out as well as I hoped... as well as the model on the pattern looks...
But then again - if I don't lose at least 10 kg, and get at least 10 more cm to my height... :-)
Anyway - I decided to try another dress, Mccall 4444


So, in a few words... This pattern is 'easy mccall'... It was NOT easy for me. Now, I am not a very experienced sewer, and there's a lot I don't know... but I expect 'easy' pattern to be suited for my skills...
The pattern is actually expalained very well, but the neck bands were a bit difficult to understand, and it has many steps... again, not my idea of an easy pattern.
Then again, I haven't made many women dress's patterns before, so maybe it is an easy dress pattern..
I've used quilting cotton. So the dress doesn't drape as nicely as in the picture... but it still looks nice.
Changes I've made:
1. I cut size 8, and expanded to 10 from the hips down...
2. I had two yards of this fabric so I didn't have enough fabric.. so I cut the dress parts about 2 cm shorter then needed.. thinking that I could add contrast fabric or something if needed later on. As it turned out, I don't think it's needed.
3. the gathering in the top area - the pattern's instructions call for gathering using two long stitches and pulling them together. I've tried that three times, and each time the thread was torn. I finally added elastic in the left part, and stretched it as much as I could when sewing.
4. in the neck bands - I put a button, not two hooks and eyes.
Other then that - no changes...
Here is it:





I actually think it looks good.. (though it requires some ironing). I like the top part, it is very special in my opinion.
The dress fits very nice over my top part, but is not too revealing (it is not, right?) I mean - even when I bend, nothing is shown that shouldn't be...
I might make another dress... this one certainly took much of my time and I know that my next one will take far less. However, since I am not a 'dress person', I want to make sure that I actually wear this dress before I make another one!

Saturday, May 1, 2010

baby set..

A friend of mine had a baby girl a month ago.
I wanted to make something as a baby gift. I do not usually make such gifts, I am under the impression that most people prefer gifts that they can replace, and do not value the work and effort put into a handmade gift. But here I am talking of a co-worker, that had gotten her 'shop bought' gift, so I thought I would add something!
I used the itty-bitty dress pattern from MadeByRea.
The cute reversible jacket, the apron and the application are from patterns that I baught from preciouspatterns.

Here is the outcome




And all together


I hope she likes it!