Two Pillowcase Dresses and Half a Hat

Ooops, I started this post almost a week ago but never got it completed. I had spent the weekend before last plodding away at some pillowcase dresses. Initially I made this first one from an online tutorial I found. It's cute but wasn't what I was looking for so I wrapped it up with a box of crayons and stuck it under the Christmas tree at the girls' daycare. Pressies were being donated to the local woman's refuge. Hopefully whoever receives it likes it and hopefully it fits. The "categories" they had given for pressies was for little girls 0-3, which is rather a large bracket so I wrote 18mths-2yrs on the label in the hopes that it makes it's way to someone that is not already too large for it. That being said, it did fit my girls (tried it quickly) and even though they are 19mths they are almost the size of your average 3 year old so maybe it'll be okay. And if it goes to a younger child, well, next year.



Then I looked at pics of finished ones I liked on the net and watched some youtube tutorials and then I came up with this. It still needs it's ribbon so kinda just looks like a square with it's corners cut off at the moment. I think I'd like a nice lime green. A trip to Spotlight is in order. Just not sure when I'll get there. Maybe not til Friday. I'll get some nice ribbon for the blue one I want to make as well. Hope it looks nice when it is actually all finished. And on one of the girls.

I did it with French seams and everything. Oh, how I love youtube tutorials.

It was the 2nd last lesson of my sewing course last Monday. I started working on a hat. A Lazy Day sunhat. It has sizes for kids and for adults. YAY! I want to make a couple of hats for the girls and one for me. I'd forgotten to measure their heads before I left home and seeing as I had mine own head with me to measure whenever I wanted, I started firstly on mine. Here it is half finished.

It's a reversible hat and this fabric will be the other side. I need to start keeping an eye out for some more grown up looking fabrics as I have stuff that's more little girly. It was a bit tricky picking out 2 that were suitable to be stuck on top of my head. Hopefully these will work okay.

And then there were two

I did manage to finish the elastic on my first Christmas dress on Sunday. I photographed it for you. I wasn't happy with it, however, as (what you can't see in the photo but I wish now I'd snapped) where the top of the neckline folds over and is sewed down to the dress, it was coming away. The method advised in the pattern instructions for if you are sewing without an overlocker/serger is to just fold it down, press it, and zigzag stitch all the way around, leaving the obligatory inch at the back to thread the elastic. So, this is what I did. But I musn't have done a wide enough zigzag as it really only caught the very edge of the fabric and once the elastic was in and pulling the fabric, it didn't old. Decided to unpick it all, zigzag the edge and then just sew it down using a normal straight top stitch. Only issue was I'd run out of thread. D'oh! So, yesterday saw me back at Spotlight purchasing some new thread (among other things) and last night at my sewing class I re-finished the neckline.




I had also started working on the second Christmas dress on the weekend. I managed to get it all cut out and the bodice sewn up. Then last night I pretty much completed the rest. Just left with the elastic to put into the neckline. Only a few mins worth of work and it nearly killed me to not finish it but when the class is scheduled to finish at 9pm and everyone is packed up and waiting to leave, "just another 5 mins" doesn't really go down well. I'm hoping to find a few spare mins later this afternoon to do it. Gotta get some work finished first, though. Then it's just a matter of attaching some sashes and they're done. Nice.

Had hoped to pick up some shirred fabric from spotlight for those overalls I want to try but they only had some boring plain colours and it was $20 per m. They had heaps of lovely options last year that were way cheaper. I know because I made us all some dresses. Maybe I can sacrifice my dresses to overalls. I'm not overly attached to them. Just liked the fabric.

Oh, and done of these days I'll get back to my cushion cover tutorial. I haven't forgotten.

Progress

A sewing blog without progress photos is really rather boring. So, thougth I'd share a snapshot of where I am up to with the first Christmas dress. I haven't done any more since my class on monday night so this is it with the skirt and lining gathered and joined and then all of that attached to the bodice.
Elastic around sleeves and neckline and sash around waist to come. Need to purchase a new bit of ribbon for the sash around the waist. The colour I got is, I think, perfect (a lovely light purple), but I've decided that I'd like it a bit thicker. I think. At least I'll go and see if there is a thicker version of the colour I want. Hopefully I'll get to finish it off on the weekend sometime. Mostly likely Sunday.

I want to do Santa photos with the girls tomorrow. I have the below batik fabric that I was thinking would make some cute pillowcase dresses. Wonder if I'd have any chance whatsoever of getting some knocked up tonight. They look pretty easy so you wouldn't think they'd take a massive amount of time to sew.

Hmm, but then again I was considering a spot of late night shopping tonight with my sister and I do have these gorgeous skirts my mum bought the girls last year (sorry 'bout the sideways photo. I have rotated it and deleted and re-uploaded a few times but it's just not happening) that they've been waiting to grow into. Mum is coming with us to get the Santa photos so it'd be nice if the girls were wearing her skirts. I'm not a fan of dressing them exactly the same but I can go with tops and shoes in different colours. Yeah, I think I'll do that. The pillowcase dresses can bide (might add that I've been searching for a tutorial that I like the look of and have found this one so when I do get there, I'll follow this).

Oh, and um, Two Little Fairies Fabric may have had a sale on her facebook page on Wednesday night and I may have purchased yet more fabric. But how I could I not? It was sale!

Cuteness All Round

I finished the second pair of PJs on the weekend and last night the girls wore them to bed for the first time. They were very excited, which was nice for mummy after all her hard work to produce them (those collars are quite fiddly - made me feel like I had very fat fingers!). Even this morning when I took her sleeping bag off and re-exposed her new PJs, D was exclaiming in admiration. Here's a pic of them this morning in their new PJs whilst enjoying their "mook".



Nearly finished one of the Christmas dresses at my course last night. Skirt is all gathered and attached to the bodice (pleats weren't that bad actually and everyone seems to think they look fine - yay!). Just needs elastic around the neckline and sleeves and a ribbon around the waist. I had purchased some ribbon already but have decided that I think I would like it to be wider so it'll be back to the shops for some more, which is fine because I need some other supplies as well. My next project, I think, will be some sun hats for all 3 of us so I'll need to get some nice stiff interfacing. I've been looking at patterns on line and found one that is a) nice and b) seems to have sizing for adults as well as kids. Also, at the local Farmer's Markets on the weekend I saw these lovely little overall thingys made from shirred fabric. They were really sweet and I think they'd be quite easy to sew so I want to pick myself up some shirred fabric and give them a go. My stepmother was with me and is very good at sewing so she'll help me sort the pattern out. Oh, and I think I'd like to sew some cute ruffled nappy covers for them because their little nappies poke out the bottom of some of their summer dresses. Okay when they are wearing pretty cloth nappies but when we're out and about with sposies on, it'll look nicer. Have started hunting for patterns for those too. I think I just need to find a pattern for the actual pants and then lookl up some youtube tutorials re making ruffles. Anyway, those ponderings are for when I get that far through my to do list.

Boy oh boy, this sewing thing was like opening a Pandora's Box. Projects are lining themselves up at a rate of knots!

Tadaaaaaaa...

Christmas Table Runner for the Eb swap is finished. I think I am happy with it. Well, it looks alright from afar anyway. I don't like the fabric as much in real life as I did in the pic on the internet but all bound and finished it looks quite nice. I quilted it on the machine doing a diamond kind of pattern. Didn't always sew as straight as I may have liked. Binding is a tad scary in places. I've never worked with bias binding before. In theory (and in my mind) it would be easy peasy but again, didn't always sew as straight as I would've liked and that affected it. I unpicked parts of it a few times to redo it but have decided to call it a day. It's the back side of it anyway. Again, just don't look too closely and it's fine. Hope my swapee likes it. Posting it 1 Dec. Here is a sneak peak. I'll add some clearer photos later after my swapee has received it. Don't want to completely ruin the surprise.



Finished the first set of PJs on Monday night at my course. The best part is, they fit. YAY! I have never done button holes before. Discovered it's REALLY easy. You do have to be careful to be precise but that's as hard as it gets. Have cut out and started to sew the second pair because we are getting really close to needing them. I have 1 other set of summer PJs but definitely need at least 2. It was roasting last weekend so the other set came out. It's cooled off again now but still, I need to hurry. Will try to get them finished across the weekend and then next week at my course I can go back to working on the Christmas dresses for the girls.

YAY for deliveries!

I have recieved some very exciting things in the post over the last 24 hours.

1. my third package from FQS - 4 weeks after the first 2 arrived and nearly 6 weeks after I ordered it.
2. some new shoes for the girls that I had ordered from Preschoolians. There'd been a bit of a drama with my order (without boring you with the details I just want to make it clear that Preschoolians have been FANTASTIC the whole way - love 'em!) so it'd been a bit of a wait. I was very excited to receive them.
3. My new camera. Happy dance!!!!! (that arrived at 8:30am this morning - when I commented on how early he was the poor delivery guy told me someone shut his hand in their front door yesterday and broke his finger. It was all bandaged up but I could see the dried blood leaking from under the bandage and his finger was heading off in an odd direction from about 1/3 of the way up. He said he's off to the hospital this afternoon to have it set. Can't believe he was still working. OUCH!)

Also, according to the tracking website for UPS my pram should be here today. Oh my, I will be beside myself if it really does turn up. Scared it won't as I have to go out tomorrow and Monday so chances are I will miss it and I don't think I can bare waiting until Tuesday knowing it's in the country. The first one of these prams I ordered (the one that got pinched) they initially tried to deliver on a Friday, 5 mins before I arrived home and so I had to live the weekend through waiting for it. Please can I not have to endure such an horrendous experience the second time around?!!!!! (especially given this time I have no pram at all whereas last time I still had my side by side run-of-the-mill twin pram). - ***UPDATE*** Oh crap, the tracking website is now telling me it's due for delivery on Monday (and given I'll be out means Tuesday - don't even know who the local carrier is so can't call them to tell them). Why, oh why could they not have updated with that when they updated with the "in transit - on time for delivery" (which I had been advised previously was estimated for today)? My expectations were all built up and now they've been just been shot down. I realise this is nothing to do with sewing. Just venting. Between that and finding out that something I have spent hours and hours and freakin' hours on at work is a pile of poo because I was given incorrect data from my team mates and I'm feeling all lousy and dejected. Bring on wine o'clock, I say!

So, with camera in hand, it's time for some photos.

This is what arrived in my belated and final FQS delivery yesterday. The left hand 2 are flannel so will likely become PJs next winter (or PJ tops at least because I think there may not be enough for a full set but I'll get some plain flannel for the pants or something). The right 2 items are the ones I have been waiting on so impatiently. The top right is the backing fabric for my table runner (with which I now have a date this weekend) and the bottom right is for the second dress I want to make at my sewing course. Of course I ordered another 1.5 yards of the backing fabric so that is now on it's way from Fabric Shack. It can bide for another project. It's got a Christmas vibe but is not necessarily limited to just Christmas so it can be used for something else or maybe I just hang onto it and use it for little outfits for the girls next year. I had also ordered more of a different fabric from Fabric Shack for the second dress at the sewing course. So, once that arrives I will have 2 fabrics to choose from. Interestingly they were the first 2 I wanted but there wasn't enough of of one of them at FQS so I ordered and received the other one and started making the dress. So, now I have to choose the second dress from both of my first preferences. Oh the challenges life brings!


Here is what I picked up on sale from Hanc**k's when they had their free shipping offer. This is the stuff that arrived last week. This pic is the yardage. I got 1 yard of each.

And this pic is a fat quarter bundle of batiks that I picked up because they were pretty and cheap.


And now onto the update from my sewing course. This is what I have made so far. Looking at it like this it doesn't look much for 3 weeks of 2hr sessions. Bottom left is the top of one of the girls' Christmas dresses. Middle is the almost completed PJ top and top right is the fabric for the second set of PJs. Once I've finished my TR I might start doing some of this stuff at home. If I can find time, of course, between babies and housework and working etc.

Think I'll leave it there for now.

Bye!

Coming soon...

Seems I should have a camera again soon. Maybe even by the end of the week. Oh please? Please? Please? I have found it really hard with no camera. I have 2 such beautiful girls doing so many cute things and no way of taking pics of it. They played with their daddy out the back with a hose for the first time the other day. No photos. We went out for a family breakfast on Sunday (rare treat to have their dad home from work) and they sat at big chairs (2 stacked on top of each other) for the first time. No photos. Delilah is counting and Sophie says "mango" in the cutest way possible and I am dying to get it on video. I know, I know, I can take others and they'll say those things again. But I can't take these ones again. They only do their first things once. Anyway, the DSLR is being shipped today (I had to follow up with the insurance company - the girl I am dealing with there had authorised the quote they'd received for it about 10 days ago but I'd heard nothing from the supplier - wish I'd followed up sooner!). The iPhone has been ordered but Apple has a 2 week delay in shipping because they are so popular. I'm a week into that wait so hopefully early next week.

Then, of course, I'd love to share some photos with you of the new fabric I received last week and the progress on the PJs I'm making. Also bought some other fabric from Spotlight for the second pair of PJs. This too has owls on it. Really pretty. Different to the other stuff but continues the theme.

And, still stalking my front door for fabric deliveries. Sigh.

So, stay tuned, I guess...

Owwwwwwwwwwwwwwls!

Mum used to do this thing with us when we were kids that her mum used to do with her when she was little. You sit opposite each other with the very top of your foreheads touching. Then she'd roll her forehead down so the bottom of your faces come together and say, "owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwls" as she was doing it. Because of course your eyes look all big and close together and funny at such close quarters.

Anyway, I wasn't able to continue the dress I started last week at this week's sewing course lesson. I found the pattern a little unclear as to what exactly you need to cut out. The teacher at the course, my mum, and my stepmother (both of whom sew) also found it a little confusing. So, I cut out what I thought was right only to have a later epiphany and realise what it was the pattern was trying to tell us. At this point I also realised that whilst I still had plenty of fabric left, due to the way I'd cut out the other pieces I could not get the remaining peices from my fabric in the dimensions in which it's needed. So, I've ordered another 1/2 yard with my FS order and will put it aside for now.

Means I needed a new project. I purchased this cute owl fabric in my original FQS order. It was end of roll for them so I could ony get 1/2 yard. When I originally ordered they also had a white version but that was all gone by the time my order was cut. I've decided to make some PJs from this and then I'll find some kind of more plain fabric in a coordinating colour (probably just at spotlight) and make the second pair from that. I'll give it a little mix-n-match by doing the pocket on the owl pair from the other fabric and vice versa. The pattern I purchased is long sleeves and pants but I'm doing these for summer so have cut down to short sleeves and shorts. I quite literally had just enough in 1 yard - 1 meter would have been a more comfortable amount. I had to pin and cut one piece, then butt the next piece up exactly to the edge I'd just cut. Not a mm to spare. Will be slightly less finnicky with the second pair as purchasing in Aus, I'll get it in metres. That extra 9cm will make all the difference. Got it all cut out this week. Next week I'll start sewing. This is my chance to learn how to do button holes. In the meantime, need to go buy myself some buttons. Here's a little piccie of the fabric.

Beginning... well, sort of!

So, sewing class started Monday night. Only it didn't. Rocked up to find everyone standing outside the classroom, which was full of tressle tables, drop sheets, paint tins, rollers, brushes, etc. Seems someone decided to organise to have the room re-painted and didn't stop to think that meant we couldn't use it. So, instead we had a quick chat outside the room. Introduced ourselves, showed each other the patterns we'd chosen, asked the teacher a few questions to make sure we were all ready for next week, and left.

My final cushion cover and tutorial is going to have to wait a bit. Got broken into in the early hours of Sun morning and the lovely people who so nicely welcomed themselves into my home decided to generously help themselves to both my iPhone and my DSLR (among other things - including my car!) so I can't take the accompanying photographs. Sorting the insurance stuff out and will do it when I've got replacements. In the meantime my girls keep doing cute things I'd so LOVE to get on camera but can't. Trying not to get all bitter and twisted about the whole thing.

My third package of fabric never did arrive. The tracking information I have (which is only while the packages were in the US) shows that it was scanned through US customs to leave there a couple of hours after the 2 packages that I already received. Didn't think it would get to me over a week later. Think I'd better email the Fat Quarter Shop and let them know. Maybe they can track it down somehow.

And lastly, I am now waiting on some more packages of fabric. I took advantage of the Hanc**k's free shipping promotion. I could get quite addicted to filling my house with pretty fabric.