Month: December 2009

craft, sewing

A flurry of scarves

After Christmas I get to blog all the things I made as Christmas gifts that I haven’t been able to show off before now!  When I came across Kate’s brilliant linen scarf tutorial I knew she’d solved a few gift dilemmas.

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These scarves are super easy to make. I plan on making more when I find some more soft linen to work with. Apparently they double as table runners, according to my aunts. This one went to the school principal as a thank-you for the amazing job she does.

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They were fun and quick to make – what more can you want in a hand-made gift (whether it be a scarf or a table runner). Thanks Kate!

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by thornberry
children's clothing, crochet, kids clothing

Summer sundress for Stella

This crocheted sundress was started in mid-October, and completed on Christmas Eve.  It had a few periods of hibernation while I was working on other projects, but was a very satisfying item to crochet.

Summer daisy sundress

The pattern is Summer Daisy Sundress by Lisa Naskrent, which was published in Interweave Crochet, Summer 2008 issue.

Summer daisy sundress - hem detail

I used 8 ply cotton from Bendigo Woollen Mills, in the colour Fennel (which I don’t think is available any more). It feels fairly heavy, but I think will be okay to wear – that is, if Stella will ever agree to try it on.

Summer daisy sundress - bodice detail

I really love working in Bendi cotton – I have quite a few of their lovely big balls in a variety of colours and am planning on making lacy short sleeved cardis for each of the girls (among more utilitarian items like dishcloths and hot pads). No promising a completion date!

by thornberry
children's clothing, kids clothing, sewing

Stella’s Christmas dress – New Look 6745

Stella’s Christmas dress is New Look 6745.

New Look 6745

The fabrics are three coordinating prints from Amy Butler’s Daisy Chain line.  I dug around in my ribbon stash to find some pregathered eyelet trim to use around the skirt and sleeve hem.  The big bow on the back wasn’t on the pattern, but ties come in handy to make things fit better on Stella and I knew she’d like a bow.

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The dress buttons down the back – I have finally learned to sew buttons on with my machine, and can’t believe it’s taken me 25 years to attempt it. Easy peasy, and SO much quicker than sewing them all on by hand!

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Stella looked lovely in her new “ballerina” dress on Christmas day. As far as she’s concerned, every dress with a full gathered skirt is “ballerina” or “barbie”.

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by thornberry
other people's craft, patchwork, quilting, sewing

Christmas quilts for the grand-daughters

Obviously, I don’t have any grand-daughters (at 41, I suppose I’m technically old enough but whew!  that’s not the case) but my mother certainly does – my two beautiful girls.  Mum made each of them a quilt for Christmas.  She was a little worried that it may be a bit like bringing coals to Newcastle, but since I haven’t even begun the embroidery for the quilts I eventually plan to make the girls, I assured her that the girls would be thrilled to have quilts of their own now – especially ones made by their very special Grandma.

Mum made an eye spy quilt for Stella.

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She is thrilled about all the “amimals” on her quilt. I can see many hours ahead finding them all and the other objects there are to spy.

Clare’s quilt is a reversible, quilt-as-you-go quilt Mum made at a class at her favourite patchwork shop.

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The other side has softer colours.

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I especially like the all the little girls faces.

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The girls were thrilled with their quilts – Stella had her day and night sleeps wrapped up in hers while we were away at our family Christmas get-together, and Clare has spent every night under hers since. There is love sewn into every stitch. Thanks so much Mum.

by thornberry
children's clothing, kids clothing, sewing

The old and the new

The old: Advance 5799, circa late 1940’s.

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The new: Summer Soiree fabric by Paula Prass for Michael Miller.  Together, you get this:

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It will be Clare’s Christmas Day dress this year. I made it a little longer than the pattern, and she’ll be wearing it without a boofy petticoat underneath (although she has requested one).

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There’s a nice big bow on the back – I have really got the hang of the rolled hem with the overlocker now and used it along the sides of the ties. The armhole and neck facings are wide bias binding.

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This pattern was so old it wasn’t printed – all the pieces were cut to size with notches and circles for marking. I had a couple of construction challenges, since the instructions assume that you completely know what you are doing, but overall I’m pleased with the dress. Stella’s Christmas Day dress is almost done too – just buttonholes and buttons to go!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all. Hold your loved ones close and let them know how much they mean to you.

by thornberry
children's clothing, kids clothing

Cinderella dress and jacket

Last night I was struck with a fit of insanity and decided to start and finish sewing a dress and jacket for Clare before our family Christmas gathering today.  I used fabric covered in a card print with scenes from Cinderella on each card for the dress, and pink drill for the jacket.

Cinderella dress & jacket

The pattern is a vintage Simplicity one, size 5, circa 1980. Luckily for me it was a “Jiffy” pattern – and it only took 2 1/2 hours all up to sew, including applique time (I had cut it out a week ago, so that shortened the making process last night somewhat).

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The dress is super simple – four gores in the skirt sewn to a shaped elasticised bodice, then with shoulder straps added. The original pattern has pockets set into the side seams, but I didn’t have enough fabric for them.

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The jacket is also super simple – the sleeves are just “grown on”, as is the facing. Only two pattern pieces! I appliqued Cinderella scenes from the leftover dress fabric onto the front and the back of the jacket. The ones on the back are in order of the Cinderella story, under instruction from Clare.

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It looked so sweet on her today! Fairly short, as expected from a 1980 pattern, so Clare accessorised with leggings. Back up to the sewing room tonight, as I still have another three outfits to sew up before Christmas day!

by thornberry
miscellaneous

Grade 1 done and dusted

That’s it, school is all over for another year.  Clare has just found out who will be in her class next year, and she’s not with her “school best friend” who she’s known since infanthood and has been with through kinder, grade prep and grade one.  However, she’s dealing with that okay since she is in the same grade as her “home best friend”.  But today, the final straw – her new teacher “is a boy, not a girl”.  Devastated.  But my first thought?

“Oh no, what will I make for the teacher gift next Christmas instead of a bag”?

by thornberry
2009 CAL afghan, crochet

December CAL squares and a little bit of karma

The last two squares for 2009 are done.  Falling Star (Ravelry link) is a lovely pattern – easy to work and effective.

2009 12" block CAL - December, Falling Star

The last one for the year was Double Framed Lace.  I chose this pattern instead of the Craftster one.

2009 12" block CAL - December, Double-Framed Lace

There is a story behind this square. Somehow during the year I began using more than one ball of yarn per square but only in this colourway. That meant that when I got to doing the last square I didn’t have enough yarn. And it’s been discontinued.  I did lots of internet searches on etsy and eBay and elsewhere in an attempt to track another ball or two down with no success. So I put a post on a wanted thread in a Ravelry forum.  About half an hour later I received a message that a very generous person who had read my wanted post remembered it when she saw two balls of Vintage Hues in this colourway offered on the Aussie Swappers forum.  They run a karma swap, where you offer up a couple of balls of yarn to anyone who wants it, and the person who claims it then offers up some yarn to anyone who wants that yarn, and so on.  It’s not a direct swap – it’s just karma!  So She Knits claimed the yarn for me, put up a couple of balls of her own yarn to continue on the karma swap, and then Silver Creek Spinner sent the yarn to me!  I was so excited to have enough yarn to finish my blanket, and just blown away with the kindness of strangers.  I must have been good to someone in a former life!  Thanks again to both ladies.

Both squares are crocheted in Cleckheaton Vintage Hues with a 6.5mm bamboo hook, as usual.  I’ve ordered some Rustic in Midnight Tweed to join them – each colourway contains some dark blue, so lets hope that I’ve chosen wisely.  No promises that it will be finished before the end of 2009 though.

by thornberry
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