Dance pants and new Pyjamas!

I've been going crazy at the sewing machine since the speech competition is over, trying to make up lost ground on the sewing front. I've become used to hiding in the sewing nook that my poor children have almost forgotten they even have a mum! Until that is when I emerge from the nook proudly showing off my new finished project.

Hopscotch dress size 12 made in Modkid/ Michael Miller interlock and to be used as a winter nightie.

Ottobre #301 t-shirt view B  and Sandbox pants made into Thomas pj pants (only because I don't have a pj pattern) minus the pockets and in a size 8.

The children needed also a decent pair of stretchy pants to dance in when they have weekly classes on Monday. So I used the Nature Walk pants to make these "dance pants" out of stretch fabric.

Team these with the Ottobre #301 top view B in Red and the Hopscotch top in red and we have our winter dance uniform covered.

Now maybe I can get on with other things on the list, like more t-shirts for the boy and the much needed Sandbox pants in corduroy for the boy and in black tracksuit fabric  for miss 8 for school.

You'll have to forgive the lack of photos as my computer doesn't like doing as it is told at the moment - the photos come out sideways when they have already been flipped to the correct position.

She won! She won!

Tickled pink and smiling from ear to ear today as my girl made her speech in front of parents, staff and students at our little school. She did really well but was met with some very stiff competition. We were tipping a second but she came FIRST! by one point! The judges said it was because she knew her topic and came across as very knowledgeable - and of course the costume stood her in good stead also.

I had made my version of the Family Reunion Dress as a back up just in case the mind was changed and she wanted to be Minnie Mouse instead but as it turned out she was happy with the Dorothy costume. Never mind, she has a new dress for when the weather warms up now. It will give me time to do the buttons.

Making up for lost time

This week has been rather hectic in our household. I've had a sick child with Impetigo staying at home because he is very contagious.

Thankfully, we have him on stronger medication that will now end the fortnight long sojourn at home and he can go back to Preschool and see his friends. Both he and I are looking forward to that day when he will no longer have unsightly looking marks on his beautiful face.

I have been pottering along with the sewing. I've put aside the first top and sewn the warmer version for miss 8 who has in desperate need of some warm gear. Unfortunately, I don't see it fitting her for long. I made it in a size 12 but the fabric is quite thick so maybe this is the difference.

I will endeavour to get on with the other three when I have the time to do so. There are other things more pressing though from the list and some that weren't included at all.

Miss 8 has been chosen to be in the finals for the year 3 speech competitions at school. Her subject is "Dress-ups" and she has asked me to make her a costume so that she can be "Dorothy" from the Wizard of Oz. Easy fixed! I will just use the Music Class blouse in white cotton and the Music Box Jumper in blue and white gingham and we'll have our costume.

The Eagle has landed

We have Wedge Tailed Eagles living on our property and occasionally we see them in and around the yards. They generally keep to themselves but when they are hungry .... they will sit and wait and wait some more. This morning I found one particularly large character making a perch out of our little chicken coop in the backyard. Needless to say, the chooks and myself were not impressed.

I did attempt to take some shots but with this marvellous hearing capacity these birds have, he wouldn't have a bar of my light footed tip toe-ing closer to get nicer pictures. So as soon as I was within enough distance, he was off!

I have finally managed after a whole week of running around, to start on the much needed Nature Walk tops. Miss 8 has grown out of everything so of course is in desperate need of something warm to wear when out and about. I started on one of her tops first.

I'm hoping to finish this one and another by the end of the weekend.

A creative side to life

I think everyone has a creative side to them. It is just a matter of how you express it, that makes us all unique.

Some people like to dress themselves up in flamboyant clothing while others like to do fancy things in the garden. For me it is stitching and sewing beautiful things, mostly other people's designs but I make them my own with my choice of fabric and embellishments.

This year I have decided to embark on a project that I thought I would have attempted years ago, but as many say, time didn't permit and priorities fell elsewhere.

Well I have finally started this project and that is to make my children's clothes.

Why? You ask. Well simply for the challenge and also to be able to have some control over what they get to wear without having to pay for overpriced, not so good quality garments that could last only one wash because they shrink.

I have an ever growing stash of fabric that up until now, grew and grew and didn't shrink as much. Because of this project, I get to use this fabric that I have collected and very appropriately make beautiful clothes for my children.

Here is the list so far ...

Miss 8

5 Sandbox pants (Oliver + s ) in black for school
2 Sandbox pants in corduroy
2 Sketchbook shorts (Oliver + s) lengthened to pants in denim and corduroy.
4 Music class shirts (Oliver + s) long sleeved and in a size 12
3 Music class skirts - 2 in corduroy and one denim
2 Hopscotch (Oliver + S) skirts - one corduroy and one denim
and at least 5 Hopscotch tops all in Stella Knit fabric with the exception of two in Moda City Weekend interlock.
Nature walk (Oliver + s) pants in black for dancing.
And Nature walk tops as jumpers - 2 of those
Pyjamas which will probably be a Nature walk and Hopscotch combination in Stella knit - probably purple.

The young master (age 5)

5 Sandbox pants in black for school
4 Sandbox pants in corduroy and denim
2 Sketchbook trousers in some sort of winter fabric to which I haven't decided yet.
3 Sketchbook shirts at least
and an abundance of shirts made using the t-shirt pattern from Ottobre Design
Nature walk tops as jumpers - 2 at least
and probably a pair of Nature walk pants to dance in also.
Pyjamas will be a combination of Nature walk pants and Ottobre tops but also using a pants pattern to accommodate some much adored Thomas the Tank Engine fabric.

Some is already done but others are still way way down the wish list. As I progress I will fill you in and share and show the finished (or in progress) products.