newlook 6405... old pattern

Hi all...
My computer is back to life! And I didn't fix it. Goes to show that sometimes all of us need a rest!

Anyway, I discovered it's back and right away downloaded all the pictures from the last month. I don't think I'll have the energy or time to show them all now.. But I better start! (These days are very long, finding solutions for the kids, each one in a different place, while I have to work!!! two more days, then I'll take several days off work till the school year starts!)

So the first pattern is Newlook 6405.
I made it before, several times, and then I forgot it for years!
Lately I found it again...
Unfortunately, size 10, which is the pattern I traced and used 4 years ago... no longer fits.
Since I'm lazy, I didn't bother to trace a bigger size again. Instead I just added seam allowance and in the bottom (front and back) I added several cms more, because this top is SHORT!!! So I made it twice. LOVE it!

I see I already reviewed it before.. right here I look at the pictures.. from 4 years ago.. I was so thin!!!!!!!!!!
Now I want to show you a blanket fr my 2 years old little girl... that I started a year ago. I don;t think quilts are for me. I like the result.. but not the process. The top part is fun to make, but the filling and the binding... not my cup of tee. Don't know if I'll make quilts again. Maybe only the tops with fleece for the other side of the blanket...

I have more to show.. but I'm too tired now. So, I promise!
Bye for now, enjoy the rest of the Summer!!

boleros... a lot of them!

So, I made many many boleros lately, for the girls and for myself...
for the girls I used NewLook 6582 (already reviewed the pattern right here).



This time I made it much better... I made it two sided!
Love the way it turned out!
A word of explanation - I made it twice (using two different fabrics), then I put them one on top of the other, right on right, and sewed it together, I then turned the right side out through the arm hole. Now I only had to finish the armholes...
Here's what I made for the girls..
This one is two-sided,but with the same fabric...


This one is made of two different fabrics..



But I don't have a good picture of the other side... This is all I have...



The dress on this picture will be fully 'exposed' soon...

for my own bolero I used Mccall 5006


I made view F using a light knit, though the pattern recommends either a stable knit for the view or light non-stretch fabrics. ButI made it using two layers (as I did with the newLook pattern), so it's not too light. I like the way it turned out!



The pattern review
what's not too like??? I live this view! I made size 8 and it is OK, but I think this pattern is very forgiving that way...
I didn't use the recommended fabric type, but rather a very light knit (but two layers of it), and I love it!
Using two layers and making it two-sided fixes the issue of seeing the wrong side of the fabric that I saw people commenting about in patternReview.com..
Will I make it again? I might, I just need to see that this one is being used!
I may also try other views, I think this pattern is very useful!

This is it for now, The holidays are finally over and within a week I'll have to change my focus and get started on my eldest's birthday plans.. I love birthdays!

Have a good week!

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!

NewLook 6613 and Simplicity 2467

new summer dresses for my girls!
These dresses are easy!
In fact, Newlook 6613 is one of the first patterns I ever tried! and it was great from the first try!
I already made it several times for the my big girl and some of her friends.
I really like the shape of it and how easy it is... but I don't like the exposed back.
This time I wanted to add a bolero.. I looked for a sleeveless dress to make to match... and NL6613 seemed just the right thing!

I already posted a pattern review for this pattern right here!

The bolero I chose is from Simplicity 2467:


And here are the results...







Now for some conclusions and thoughts...
NEWLOOK 6613
1. I like the dress, simple as it is. It can be embalished, but I chose to only add piping (my first piping!!!!) as I thought it will look better this way.
2. For my almost 7 years old I made size 8, and made the elastics in the back in a smaller size. I made ths skirt longer, since she really likes long dresses. The fit is great!
3. for my 3.5 years old... well - here's a problem I have and I had to see it coming... In all of her fitted dresses lately... they are very snug on her! I know why! I made her size 3... I should have made 4. I made the elastics pretty tight... In my mind she's still a baby! I can't seem to get over that! After I cut the fabric (or before, when I trace the pattern) it just looks to big for her! I keep forgetting that my baby is getting bigger! But that's my problem... Not the pattern!

Simplicity 2467:
1. I made the bolero - twice. Size 6 for Lady H, size 3 for lady N. They were both big! wearable... but way too big!
2. I like the shape - and how easy it is. So easy... took me about an hour to sew!
3. I changed the design just a bit - instead of a button and a loop. I decided to add ribbons on both sides to make the bolero two sided!

4. I'll have to make it again, but in solid color, something to go with every sleevless outfit my girls have...



I also have a skirt pattern to share... But it'll have to wait, as I still don't have any pictures...

Bye for now!

Simplicity 2464.. new princess dress!

About two weeks since my last post... I didn't mean for it to be so long... but the days go by so quickly...
Anyway, we're very close to the end of the school year here... and the summer vacation will be here in notime! (scary!!!!)
In September my dd will start school... first grade. We are all very excited about that.
Last week there was a farewell party in her kindergarten. I thought of making her a new dress for the occasion (yea, sure, she really needs new dresses..). I was halfway through that dress when the kindergarten teacher annonced that all kids must come dressed in white. Damn!
So the dress was completed in time, but is still in the closet.
Still, I like it.
It's Simplicity 2464. I like the look of this dress.


I chose size 7 for my average build 6.5 years old. It's big, and long, but I managed it with the elastics on the back, and she has room to grow.
As for the instructions - great. The only thing I couldn't understand is the section of attaching the skirt to the bodice. I think they may have meant to attach the front skirt part to the front upper part and the same for the back, but I'm not sure. Anyway - I did the bodice back and the skirt and the attached the skirt to the bodice.
Changes from the original design - well, I left out the strip of fabric on the bottom of the front part. Don't know why -but when I added it the front part was too long... I just omitted it.
here it is!


I really like that the shoulders are covered in this dress, not much of the back is exposed. Makes it a good choice for the summer. My girl LOVES this dress!
I also managed over the weekend another top from NewLook 6106. I made it before - and I will make more, just probably not this summer :-)


As for my plans to come... I think that for the coming few weeks I'll only make kids' clothing... I've got a lot on my mind and managing 'grownup projects' is a bit too much for me right now... I might give a try to a new swiming suit for myself though. Maybe...
That't it for now!

my new summer outfit!

Ok then, between some other 'old' stuff I managed to make a summer outfit for myself
But first, the old stuff...
my 6.5 years old started a swiming course! She's getting so big...
So I had to make her another swiming suit, using KwikSew 2605 pattern.




I also made a new Olivia for my 3 years old, since the pink Olivia I made for her last month is by far her favorite dress, and I can hardly wash it between her wearing it. So now she has a new one!



Last weekend I wanted to get "tasks" out of my head. I was asked by a couple of friends to sew dresses for their girls. I don't usually mind, but when three friends ask me together (I mean, a part and not knowing on each other, but at the same time practically), and at this time of the year which is busy as it is... well, I decided to get it done with.
I finished one Tini for a friend, another Tini for another friend is almost done, and I still have some tasks ahead... but not so much!

In this Tini I didn't use elastics for the neck opening but rather FOE. It is much easier, and I thought the added color is also cute! I hope my friend likes it!

Then I got around to make some "me" stuff. Not much though.
I first made a simple peseant skirt... (drafted by me...). I don't like it too much... It doesn't fit great, but it's comfortable to wear around the house...
I then went over my stash of pattern to find a good easy summer top pattern for a friend, and I saw this one - NewLook 6106.

I am not even sure how long have I had this pattern around.. I think it was from a couple of years ago, I was too scared of handling knit fabric and I just put it a side.
anyhow, I love it!

By far one of the easiest knit patterns around, it sits really nice.
The sizing is perfect, I made size 8, view C.
I did change something - the pattern calls for using same interfacing before attaching the neck binding, I ddecided to try without it and see if there's a problem. I am glad to report that the neck opening is stable enough without the interfacing, making a simple top even simpler.
I actually got a compliment when wearing this top :-)!
Ok then, till next time :-)

New look 6405 - Love it!

Well, I had such a busy week!
First, I usually make all my fabric shopping online. I know this is not the best way to buy fabric, but really - I have no other way...
But, last week I took several hours off work, my husband returned home early to take care of the girls and I went with a friend to the best place in Israel to buy fabric! Nahalat Binyamin. And I got so much!!!!




Then, this weekend, I made another attempt of NewLook 6405. I loved this pattern since I saw it, but never gathered the nerve to actually work with knits...
Well - the pattern is great, but it took me so long!
The first attempt I made was for size 8. Not that I'm so small, but I've learned that the pattern sizes of Newlook runs really big..
well - it was too tight!
So I didn't even finish it, and I started my second version, size 10. This one fit nice, I understood the instructions, all was well - until I attempted, according to the instructions, to top stitch the neck band!
It became all wavy!!!!
I saw some pattern reviews of this pattern, and one of them mentioned that it could be done without the top stitch, so I had to attempt it the third time!
(I actually got some nice tips how to top stitch, but didn;t get to that yet).
Well - third time is a charm!
I love it!!!!
it's too short, not my faborite fabric, but I love the shape, the fit! I'll make it again, and again, and again!



What did I learn:
Tips for next time -
1. Make the top a bit longer!
2. Do not top sticth this top unless I'm sure I know how to do it well
3. Otherwise - a great, quick top for summer (it also has a long sleeve vesrion - I'll try that too!

Good Day!
Miki