KCWC 2012

I don't know if I am mad or not but I have signed up for KCWC (Kids Clothes Week Challenge) over at Elsie Marlie. The basic premise is that you spend an hour a day making kids clothes for a week. It starts today and I think that my sewing time will have to be spent in the evening. Hopefully next week I will be able to share what I have made. I sat down last week and planned what my children need and the list includes a brithday dress for baby L and a sunbonnet in the next size up, H would like a sunbonnet too and if I get time there are a few things on my sewing wish list but we will see!

We are into the second week of school holidays and today we went to the dinosaur museum. So far we have had a nice balance between time spent at home on doing little projects (or not so little as in the case of the great bedroom shuffle that took place over the weekend) and a few local outings.

Well time to get dinner ready so that I can sew tonight

Giveaway

Just thought that it was time to give a little back to the universe and so I am hosting a giveaway on Julie's lovely blog This Cosy Life. Please head on over and have a little look around and enter for your chance to win this reversible baby bonnet made by me.

Giveaway open until Sunday 22nd July.

Toasty warm

Autumn fading, winter comes

Frosty mornings, tingling thumbs,

Cold red noses, cold red cheeks,

Warm woolly socks for icy cold feet,

Gloves and coats and hats for all!

Now King Winter, you may call. 

author unknown to me.

 

 

A recent finished project - wrist warmers / fingerless gloves to keep the little ones warm on frosty mornings. 

 

 We have had a few strong frosts since I completed these and I must say their little fingers do seem warmer though I am sure that they do not suffer from cold fingers as much as their Mama does.

 I am working on a pair for me and have set myself a goal of having them ready for when school resumes next week. 

My girls in their Rainbows

 I finished the rainbow tunic that I was working on for H a fortnight or so ago - not much chance to sit and upload the photos hence the delay. This is the tunic that was to be an Easter gift then a birthday gift (mid April) and was finally a 'here you go I finished it' gift!

These photos were taken on the morning of the first day that H could wear her tunic. She loved matching baby L. The skirt is a lot fuller that the one that I made last winter but I think it works well and as H discovered when we arrived at our playgroup that day the fullness means that she can pull it up to make some pretty neat wings - heheh.

The pattern is "Bloom" by Georgie Hallam but I worked the skirt without the lace work making it the perfect no thinking knit for me.

sweet siblings

Baby's sun bonnet

Here is a little sun bonnet that I made for Baby L. It strikes me as ironic is that I am getting the time to put it up here in a week that seems will be full of rain (and the last day of summer). I worried whilst pregnant about having a baby in summer and how we would cope with the heat! As it turns out we have had a very mild summer punctuated by lots of storms and rain – our lawn didn’t even turn brown.

Anyway back to the bonnet, it was made almost entirely from supplies I already had (the only thing that I had to purchase was the interfacing for the brim). I used my favourite Bali Batik on the outside and a blue floral for the inside. The pattern was from here and I would highly recommend it. I changed it by omitting the ribbon ties and putting a button and elastic loop closure, as this seamed more practical than trying to tie ribbons on my beautifully chubby girl.

I think that bonnets look so awesomely sweet on babies and I am planning on making Baby L a cool weather version maybe with wool or corduroy for the outer.  Still deciding if i will use the same pattern as her summer on or maybe try this one.

I recently used freezer paper stencils to adorn a few t-shirts for my boy. I have used this technique a few times in the past - but those early experiments were for gifts so I hadn't really had a chance to see how the paint stood up to repeated washing.

One of the gifts from last Christmas was for my youngest brother and after seeing him this year wear the t-shirt that I stencilled and how clear the image looked after months  and months of a 21 year old's laundry routine I decided to revisit and decorate some t-shirts for A.

 

There are lots of tutorials available and images can be found in a number of places. The first that I did was the paper airplane found here. So appropriate for my paper plane folding boy (I am sure that on some days he folds a dozen!).

The second design was freehand, inspired by A's other love - stones (and I was also trying to use up some of the freezer paper scraps).

In action at A's mini sports fun day

I love the results and what's more both shirts are on high rotation, often being picked out by A. It was a fairly quick project that could be done in small pockets of time, so perfect for me. Now I want to make more, perhaps a few for H and even some for me when I am back to pre pregnancy shape!