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!