Yes, I’m still posting garments that I made at Sewjourn!  Each of my girls received a 2 + 2 skirt, in size 4 for Stella and size 8 for Clare.  Both fabrics are from Heather Ross‘s Far, Far Away Chapter 2 line.  They are a cotton/linen blend and a medium weight – perfect for skirts that can be worn all the year around.

This one is Stella’s. The back is elasticised, and there is a side placket with self-covered button and snaps to close it. Although with the elastic, it’s not really necessary, but it’s such a gorgeous detail.

Really, it’s this attention to detail that makes the Oliver + S patterns so special. I seem to be building up a collection of them. The blouses from this pattern are already cut out; I just need to sew them up. Clare has refused to model her skirt until I have made the blouse so that she can wear them both together!

And to show off the placket when the skirt is undone:

These photos show off stray threads that need clipping! I hadn’t noticed until I’d taken this close-up. I’m looking forward to completing these outfits soon. Although I have a large number of projects cut out again at the moment! And maybe now it’s time to sew up something else for me – the Parfait dress perhaps?

My girls love their pillowcase dresses.  Actually, in our house they are pillowcase nighties.  I made a couple more when I was at Sewjourn – Stella has been stealing Clare’s.

The softness of these old pillowcases makes then perfect for nighties, and they’re also perfect for the hot summer nights ahead. Loose and cool, and highly adjustable – they fit for years.

There are a million tutorials around for pillowcase dresses. I use one that has elastic through the top of the front and back, and then the armholes are bound with bias and they tie on the shoulder. It means that there is no drawstring around the neckline. I used the same bias binding for the armholes and the trim near the hem.  Actually, I’ve made so many of these now that I don’t even refer to a tutorial.  They take around half an hour to make.

The best bit? This nightie matches the bed sheets.

I didn’t just sew for myself last weekend – I finished off these bathers for Clare as well.

The pattern is Kwik Sew 3605. Clare wanted the view E skirt, but attached to the bathers bottoms from view D. It was easy to do – I just made both, then basted them together at the waist before attaching the elastic. The top is view A, the tankini top.

I found the swimwear lycra at Rathdowne Fabrics. It was a large panel with motifs printed onto it in a way that suggested they were originally going to be cut out as singlet tops (or similar). This gave me a few challenges when I cut out the bathers. I managed okay in the end. (There is also a flower print right on Clare’s bottom, but you can’t see it under the skirt). I made size Medium, which is a 7-8, and there is still plenty of room in these for Clare (who turns 9 in January).

She’s pretending she is sunbaking at the beach. These weren’t hard to sew. However, without a coverstitch machine, it’s really not possible to get the inside looking as good as the outside. But I’m glad that I had an overlocker. I made her hat a couple of years ago – it is Nicole Mallalieu’s Kid’s Hat pattern.

This little skirt was made for Stella before I went away to Sewjourn.  Rachel gave me the lovely fabric the last time we were there – so I don’t think that it has languished in the stash for too long!

I made size 4 for Stella, but didn’t have quite enough fabric for the waistband – so I used different fabric! Let’s just call it a design feature. This pattern is wonderful – beautifully drafted; everything fits together exactly as it ought to and the way that the pockets are done above the side pleats is just superb.

The instructions were wonderful and this skirt has lots of beautiful details. Classic but with a modern twist – I really do love Oliver + s patterns! However, Stella has decided that she doesn’t want to wear it. Hmmmmm.

I’ve been collecting embroidered and crocheted doilies and trim from op shops for some time now.  I always thought that I could incorporate them into some clothes for the girls.  In combination with a whole lot of soft blue denim (also from an op shop) I made these two dresses over the past couple of weeks.

The girls wore them to church last weekend when it was absurdly cold, so they layered them over long-sleeved t-shirts and leggings (and also found cardigans to go on top). First up, Stella’s dress.

This is New Look 6613. Another terrific kid’s pattern from New Look – I think that they are my favourite children’s pattern designs (other than Oliver + s). They’re well drafted, the instructions are clear, they’re easy to assemble and they have interchangeable features. And they’re bargain priced.  What’s not to like! I made this in size 5, because that was what had been used the last time I made this pattern. After cutting out the pattern pieces in the denim I played around with trims and doilies until I got a layout that I liked.

The back is elasticised with three channels of narrow elastic. It should fit for a couple of years at least!

Clare’s dress is New Look 6821. After measuring Clare and the pattern pieces I made this in a size 6, with size 7 length. The bodice is still very roomy. I think that it’s shaped more for a teenager than a child – others on Pattern Review agree that it seems to run very large.

The girls helped me to choose the doilies and trims for both their dresses, and Clare had considerable input into the bodice and sleeve options that she wanted for her dress. Rather than adding a ruffle to the shoulder straps, we used some of leftover doily trim.

The front and back tucks are another lovely feature of this pattern. The doily overlay on the back bodice pieces created more bulk than I wanted for an invisible back zipper, so I used a lapped zipper insertion method instead. It’s come out quite well.

But as with everything that I make for my girls, the real test of success is whether they like it or not. And did they like their new denim and doily dresses?

That is a yes from Clare….

And a yes from Stella! (And no, I don’t know why she is holding a brick.  One moment she was just standing there, by the time I held up the camera and clicked she was holding a brick.  What can I say.  That’s my Stella.)

I enjoyed making them too – it was nice to do something that little bit different, and very satisfying to work almost entirely from op-shopped stash. I’m looking forward to seeing the girls wear them as intended, during summer without all those layers! Roll on sunshine – this weekend is looking like a corker!

You all know that I like a quick sew.  Not all of the time – I’m not afraid of more complex or time-consuming garments and it’s often good to undertake a more challenging project – but often, it’s so satisfying to finish a quickie!

This little bubble dress is view B of New Look 6882. I made the size 6 for Clare, which I’ve made before. So simple! She really likes her other dress and finds that it’s a super comfortable and cool style to wear in summer (not that the weather is even vaguely summery here yet). The bias binding casings are simple to do, and I estimate two hours tops for this dress, including cutting out.

The bias binding doesn’t match exactly, but it was in stash. I used wider binding for the neckband to make it easy to enclose the gathered neckline, and so that when I finished it the neckband would appear to be the same width as the hemline and sleeve casings. The fabric is from Spotlight but from years ago. You’ve seen it before, but there is still a little bit left!

I’ve used this pattern four times now.  That’s what I call good value!  Stella has just begun wearing the view F version I made for Clare back in 2007, and it looks so sweet on her that I decided to pull out the pattern and make another one.

Once I pulled out the pattern pieces I discovered that I’d originally sewn this in size 5. Stella is four years old and is skinnier than Clare was at the same age, but she’s taller, so I made size 5 again. It should fit her for a couple of years. It is rather loose across the back at the moment.

The bodice fabric is Kaffe Fassett quilting cotton, and the skirt is stretch denim. The ric-rac trim was crocheted by me, using Kate’s pattern. I attached it with a straight stitch around the front and bottom hem of the skirt and across the front seamline.

This really is a delightful pattern. Unfortunately it is out of print – if you’re looking for it I think you’d need to scour eBay or Etsy – or choose something similar.  It’s also a fast sew.