In need of a new summer top, I let MiddleMiss choose a skein of yarn from my Vintage Purls stash. She chose a variegated pink called Tickle Me and I decided to design a t-shirt for her.
By the time I could try it on her and decide I didn't really like the look, I'd got all the way past the sleeves and several rows into the body.
It got put in the I don't like you pile until I felt like spending more time working on the design some more.
MiddleMiss noticed I hadn't been working on it and asked me when I was going to finish her top. She was a little shocked when I showed her a re-wound ball of yarn and empty needles the next morning!
I'd changed my mind that night and decided to use a ready-to-go pattern instead.
(I cast it on that next night.)
This is
Hine (another Kelly Brooker design).
But, in my usual fashion, I had to re-work the numbers as it's not written for 4ply.
I started on Thursday and have got this far already. I've done the ribbing on the sleeves, sewn in all the ends and sewn on the buttons which are all the jobs I hate doing when I've finished.
Only the stocking stitch body to go to keep MiddleMiss happy.
(Need some movies to watch - always makes it go fast!)
So, MiddleMiss turned 7 on Sunday.
J told her that I hadn't really had time to make a fancy cake so hopefully she wouldn't be disappointed as she was just going to have a plain round cake.
She was impressed with the pink glittery sprinkles and fancy squiggly candles and said she liked it anyway.
Then J cut her a piece and she was even more impressed that it was a Rainbow cake!
It was loads of fun to make and even tasted good too!
Idea from
here. Recipe and instructions from
here. Other creative types over
here.
If you're a regular reader, you might have noticed that I've been working on a cardigan version of the
Sweet As... t-shirt. MiddleMiss was wearing it for our
photoshoot in the park.
It has the same heart motif down the side and puff sleeves, but also features a shaped body, pockets and sleeves done to full length.
The pattern's in the testing* phase at the moment so should be ready for release mid-November. Just in time to whip one up for those heading into Winter in the Northern Hemisphere!
For more craftiness look over
here.
*I'm still in need of testers for sizes 9yrs and 10yrs. Let me know if you're interested through the thread on Ravelry.
Guess what MiddleMiss lost this weekend?
Please excuse the grubby, playing-outside-in-the-garden-all-day clothes!
All of a sudden it got very loose and as it was getting close to bedtime she wanted me to pull it out so it wouldn't come out in the night and get lost.
It's always a little sad when the top teeth come out. They completely change in the way they look with adult teeth.
Oh, well, I suppose they have to grow up eventually!
Hi to all my new followers! And thank you to everyone leaving comments for my giveaway - it's really helping with design ideas!
There's still time to enter if you haven't already. I'll be doing the draw sometime tomorrow afternoon and will blog who the winner is straight away, so you have until I post again to enter!
Last week I did some tracing and cutting which has slowly been sewn together (as spare time appears amongst the mess that is our renovations). Today I finally finished!
These are the jeans I made for MiddleMiss. I used the 'Clarabella' pattern from the latest Ottobre magazine. When I got this issue and read that these pants are specifically designed for slim-hipped girls I knew it would be a well used pattern for me. MiddleMiss never fits any shop-bought bottoms (pants or skirts) unless they have adjustable waists and then they have to be so bunched up it's uncomfortable. Whenever I sew her pants/shorts/skirts I have to modify the pattern so much to fit (usually 2-3sizes difference between the waist/hip and length).
And, never one to make a plain pair of pants, I had to dress them up a little. The back pockets are just cut from some cotton I had in stash (I interfaced them to get more 'wear' out of them) with a strip of pink velvet ribbon across them. The front hip pockets are lined with the same fabric with the edge showing (kind of a faux-piping look) and the same ribbon to accent. All topstitching is done in matching pink, too.
They fit her perfectly and she hasn't taken them off all afternoon!
As the jeans only had the hems and belt-loops to sew, then the button to put on, I still had enough time left to finish off the other half done project.
This is using the same pants pattern, but cut down to short length.
Even though I had planned on sewing completely from stash, I ended up having to buy more thread for these shorts for BigMiss. But that's not too bad anyway is it?
I did the same with these back pockets also.
I could have done a size bigger for BigMiss as they're a little tight round the waist.
I think the problem though, is that the pattern is very high-waisted. These shorts fit LittleMiss also but the button can't be done up because it goes right across her belly button.
I'm going to change my traced pattern so the waist is 1-2" lower and see how that turns out. If I can get it right I think this will be a well used pattern for my girls!
Today has been very productive. For me, that is - nothing happened on the building front. They get a long weekend as they're waiting on more materials to arrive.
I spent the day holed up in my office keeping the sewing machines company.
It took me most of Tuesday to trace & cut a pile of patterns, then cut out the material for this t-shirt.
BigMiss is quite pleased with it.
I also made these easy bike-pants.
Artsy photo taken by MiddleMiss
I've been meaning to make some for the girls to wear under their school uniform for ages (little girls have no modesty when playing - or even just tying shoe laces!) I wasn't sure how the pattern was designed to fit, so only made one to see and choose what sizes to make each of them. This one fit MiddleMiss perfectly - without even having to put elastic in the top. (I'll see how it goes with wear as to whether I put any in.) I have to make a bigger size for BigMiss still.
Then LittleMiss felt she was missing out, so I spent the rest of the day cutting out and sewing up this top.
Excuse the still-half-asleep look
I'm not too sure if I really like it though. It seems too wide. It might end up going to cousin J for a birthday present in a couple of months time.
And yesterday I finally got around to blocking the top I finished knitting for BigMiss.
She had great fun posing for me!
I'm halfway through writing up the pattern for it, and already started on the prototype for the DK/8ply version.
Until our internet is back to normal speed that is.
I should be grateful, really, as I've spent less time than usual on the net since it's been so labouriously slow. But I've wanted to post about all the crafting I've been up to but can't bring myself to spend half a day waiting for pictures to upload.
Today is normally my child-free day (morning) but as my normal work days over the last two weeks have been interrupted by poor sick kiddies I'm spending it at work doing a little catch-up. And as I can connect up my laptop to the internet at normal speed while I'm here, I thought I'd also have a quick catch-up on what I've been making lately...
First up, I've been doing a test crochet for a lovely designer on Ravelry for a cute skirt pattern. I just finished weaving in the ends yesterday and took a few pictures to put up on my Projects Page:
This pattern is Coconut Ice due for release next month. I made it longer than the pattern says so it sits at MiddleMiss' knees. It's made in BWM Cotton 8ply in colours Teal and White.
Next up, I've been sewing a bit also. My step-dad's father passed away from cancer recently and Mum & P visited us over the weekend of his funeral. They bought a big box of clothes with them to sort through and put in the clothing bins and there was a fair amount of good quality woollen clothing that I had to keep. There were two knitted cardigans that looked hardly worn - great for unpicking. There were three heavy-weight jersey-type fabric cardigans that would turn into nice warm winter jerseys or jackets for the girls and there were two pairs of wool-mix dress pants.
So, two pairs of this (one a slightly darker brown than the other):
Turned into this:
A very nice dress for BigMiss who has been asking for a dress for the last two years! She likes it a lot, though I can't say the same for J - he thinks it looks like it's got a hoop in the hem when she wears it. I'm making a nice pink top to go with it so I'll get a modelled photo when I've done that too and you can give your opinion.
A close-up of the flower detail:
I couldn't buy anything decent to embellish it with so I just made a crochet flower and put beads at the centre.
The only other things I've been up to lately have been design/knit work on my own patterns some more. I finished the Amelia dress and am yet to write up the pattern for it. I've knit a little of (and frogged) the jersey for the prem twins, but have worked out all the grading for the pattern so just have to re-knit it and write the pattern as I go and it'll be ready for testing.
Here's a sneak peek at the Amelia Dress:
Where to start?
I've been getting a lot of knitting done lately...a lot of things finished.
I finally finished the OL I was doing for BigMiss
Very happy with how it turned out and it gets the approval of BigMiss so she will wear it! (Always important after all that work).
I also started and finished the Elenka I was planning for LittleMiss. I did this more as a tunic/top instead of a dress as I figured it'd get more use that way. Made with BWM cotton in 8ply with the 4.5mm needles as the pattern said so it's turned out loose and light - very summery.
And another one that is loved so will be worn. She loves it so much she had to dress her doll in it today (too cold for her to wear).
And, not really a finished item, more a 'got round to blocking' is my Bloom for MiddleMiss
And another favourite item too! This I knit with Cleckheaton Tencel Wool which is very silky feeling and drapes nicely in this.
So now all my girls have a knitted summer top from me (BigMiss' is the
Tropical Lily I made a while ago and has been getting good use).
And to show how much they enjoyed their 'photo shoot' (and climbing the apple tree) here's a nice group photo:
couldn't get them all without leaves/branches in the way
And I have also finished the Spring Butterfly I was making for a friend's new baby, but that hasn't blocked yet so no photos.
But, I have also cast on a couple more projects too. I'm doing a Rainbow Dress for my SIL's new baby and have decided to enter the comp/KAL on
Budding Designers Downunder for Kelly's Vanilla. I'm doing the NB Vanilla and it is sooo cute and tiny! I've finished up to the change in needle size and I don't think I have a KP 3mm circ...which is tempting me to buy a new one from Vintage Purls (and you HAVE to buy yarn while you're at it to "save" on postage) so it might have to wait until next week to finish.
Buying yarn. That reminds me, I got a nice package of Peaches & Creme cotton in the post this morning destined to become dishcloths (never done them yet, but such a good idea!) that I still have to take a photo of. But I might hold off until tomorrow when I'm expecting my (latest) VP order. She had DK Merino this week and it was a one off wool so I couldn't help myself blush. And also to take photos of is my VP Summer Sock Club that arrived yesterday! So exciting as it's my first sock club. So far I've been good and haven't cast it on (very tempted) but I'm trying to discipline myself to finish my sister's sock first. (I'm only doing one as I intend to send it off to her to test for fit before I start the next one.) And somehow I need to figure out how to stop myself from looking on the VP website every Monday as I'm spending WAY too much! Self control is not something I seem to have much of!
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