Showing posts with label Jacket. Show all posts
Lady in red
Monday, 1 June 2015
Well, it is officially winter here. I can no longer deny it or pretend the cold weather will go away soon because my wishful thinking cannot cancel morning frost, cold southern wind and gloomy gray skies.
But fear not! There is a way to brighten up winter days! I think R's new red jacket has the ability to do just that!
You & Me - While she was sleeping
Monday, 26 May 2014
They say more babies are born on rainy days. I don't know if it is just a myth, but it actually was raining on a cold August day when Little Monkey entered the world. I loved her while she was still in my womb, but when I got to meet her face to face my love for her extended beyond measure. She was (and is) perfect. Her little fingers, so tiny nose, her cute toes...
Once she was born, Little Monkey was placed on my chest, and we began forming a beautiful relationship. When she needed a change of a nappy, my husband and I did it showing her that we cared. When she was hungry, she had free access to the most delicious milk. When she was sleepy, we were happy to cuddle and kiss her to show her she was safe and loved. When she was awake, we played with her, talked with her, explored with her, showing her that she was important. Once she could hold her head we started reading to her. Reading is still one of our favourite things to do!
Last week Pam talked about her journey with her children and grand children. I love hearing how all the hard work we as parents (and those surrounding and supporting us) put into building positive relationships with our children that foster their development and shape them as individuals, pays off. It really puts things in perspective for me, especially on days when I am tired and want to be alone, but all Little Monkey wants to do is play cars with me!
Little Monkey is one of those children who appreciate quality time. Lots of it! Her little face lights up when she gets to build a railway with her daddy, or when Little Monkey and I got out for an ice cream and just chat. She loves to put our chairs right next to each other at dinner table, and my heart melts when she looks at me and says, "Mummy, you are my best friend". Of course I stop being her best friend for a short period of time when I insist she has to brush her teeth or do something she doesn't feel like doing! Then she says, "You are not my best friend any more. Daddy is my best friend". Oh she is hilarious!
If you haven't' realised it yet, I can talk about Little Monkey forever. She is a gorgeous person and my faithful companion.
For this series I wanted to tell you about one thing Little Monkey and I love doing together. We both love playing outside. We play together. And we have a lot of fun!
It is getting colder in my corner of the world, so I decided to make something to keep us warm while we have fun bike riding, going down the slides, running around and throwing sticks.
I am only taking baby steps at sewing for myself. To date I have only made two wearable things - the Sorbetto top (see here) and the Staple dress (see here). This time I wanted to make a jacket. I even bought a pattern, but felt a little intimidated by it. My friend Renee asked if I have seen the Woodland Stroll Cape pattern by Oliver + S. I searched the image and fell in love with it.
While she was sleeping I made myself a cape, and I love it!
My cape is 100% wool blend with polyester lining.
Red is my favourite colour. I was so happy when I saw this fabric at my local fabric shop! There were not too many options, really. Only red and beige in wool, the rest was nylon, polyester and the like. I prefer using natural fibers, so the choice was obvious!
The cape you see is my second go at making it. I used my bust measurement to determine the size of the first one. It is obvious I am not gifted in that particular area, and although I had my doubts about the size I went ahead and made a cape... that ended up too small! I also used voile for lining and discovered the cape did not 'move' with me, which was a little annoying. I was not too concerned though. I called this failure a learning experience and made another cape, using my waist and hips measurements to determine the size and 'slippery' polyester for lining.
The cape is still far from perfect, but it is absolutely wearable! In fact, it is very comfortable to wear, and I love it how the 'slippery' lining allows the cape to move with me, which is oh so important at a playground! This was my first experience sewing 'slippery' fabric. It was not as scary as I expected! I am just wondering if there are alternatives for polyester?
I think denim is a perfect choice of fabric for a jacket for an active young human being. It is hard wearing and it goes with just about anything.
I used the Little Red Riding Hood Jacket pattern by Puperita. This was the second time I used this pattern. You can see the first jacket here.
While I chose the pattern and the outer fabric, Little Monkey chose fabric for lining. She fell in love with quilting cotton with brightly coloured trees printed on it - how appropriate for Autumn!
When I showed the finished jacket to Little Monkey the first things she noticed were the pockets and the cool buttons - of course! When I showed her the lining, she got excited and started saying, "Look mummy! Look at the trees hiding!" Then she ran to daddy to show him the cool hiding trees. I swear there is no greater reward than knowing your child loves something you have made for them!
I love the shape of the hood of this jacket. Oh, and a bit of dirt on a sleeve from playing tickling monsters in the leaves adds charm to a garment, don't you think?
Little Monkey had so much fun posing... and the running away as soon as my husband pointed the camera at her!
She slowed down to throw a few sticks in the pond.
Of course there are many more things Little Monkey and us do together, but I might save them for another post ;)
I am looking forward to a post from Christina from 2 Little Hooligans tomorrow!
Would you like to join us as we talk about our kids and sewing? Please feel free to upload your photos to our Flickr group!
Once she was born, Little Monkey was placed on my chest, and we began forming a beautiful relationship. When she needed a change of a nappy, my husband and I did it showing her that we cared. When she was hungry, she had free access to the most delicious milk. When she was sleepy, we were happy to cuddle and kiss her to show her she was safe and loved. When she was awake, we played with her, talked with her, explored with her, showing her that she was important. Once she could hold her head we started reading to her. Reading is still one of our favourite things to do!
Last week Pam talked about her journey with her children and grand children. I love hearing how all the hard work we as parents (and those surrounding and supporting us) put into building positive relationships with our children that foster their development and shape them as individuals, pays off. It really puts things in perspective for me, especially on days when I am tired and want to be alone, but all Little Monkey wants to do is play cars with me!
Little Monkey is one of those children who appreciate quality time. Lots of it! Her little face lights up when she gets to build a railway with her daddy, or when Little Monkey and I got out for an ice cream and just chat. She loves to put our chairs right next to each other at dinner table, and my heart melts when she looks at me and says, "Mummy, you are my best friend". Of course I stop being her best friend for a short period of time when I insist she has to brush her teeth or do something she doesn't feel like doing! Then she says, "You are not my best friend any more. Daddy is my best friend". Oh she is hilarious!
If you haven't' realised it yet, I can talk about Little Monkey forever. She is a gorgeous person and my faithful companion.
For this series I wanted to tell you about one thing Little Monkey and I love doing together. We both love playing outside. We play together. And we have a lot of fun!
It is getting colder in my corner of the world, so I decided to make something to keep us warm while we have fun bike riding, going down the slides, running around and throwing sticks.
I am only taking baby steps at sewing for myself. To date I have only made two wearable things - the Sorbetto top (see here) and the Staple dress (see here). This time I wanted to make a jacket. I even bought a pattern, but felt a little intimidated by it. My friend Renee asked if I have seen the Woodland Stroll Cape pattern by Oliver + S. I searched the image and fell in love with it.
While she was sleeping I made myself a cape, and I love it!
My cape is 100% wool blend with polyester lining.
Red is my favourite colour. I was so happy when I saw this fabric at my local fabric shop! There were not too many options, really. Only red and beige in wool, the rest was nylon, polyester and the like. I prefer using natural fibers, so the choice was obvious!
The cape you see is my second go at making it. I used my bust measurement to determine the size of the first one. It is obvious I am not gifted in that particular area, and although I had my doubts about the size I went ahead and made a cape... that ended up too small! I also used voile for lining and discovered the cape did not 'move' with me, which was a little annoying. I was not too concerned though. I called this failure a learning experience and made another cape, using my waist and hips measurements to determine the size and 'slippery' polyester for lining.
The cape is still far from perfect, but it is absolutely wearable! In fact, it is very comfortable to wear, and I love it how the 'slippery' lining allows the cape to move with me, which is oh so important at a playground! This was my first experience sewing 'slippery' fabric. It was not as scary as I expected! I am just wondering if there are alternatives for polyester?
I think denim is a perfect choice of fabric for a jacket for an active young human being. It is hard wearing and it goes with just about anything.
I used the Little Red Riding Hood Jacket pattern by Puperita. This was the second time I used this pattern. You can see the first jacket here.
While I chose the pattern and the outer fabric, Little Monkey chose fabric for lining. She fell in love with quilting cotton with brightly coloured trees printed on it - how appropriate for Autumn!
When I showed the finished jacket to Little Monkey the first things she noticed were the pockets and the cool buttons - of course! When I showed her the lining, she got excited and started saying, "Look mummy! Look at the trees hiding!" Then she ran to daddy to show him the cool hiding trees. I swear there is no greater reward than knowing your child loves something you have made for them!
I love the shape of the hood of this jacket. Oh, and a bit of dirt on a sleeve from playing tickling monsters in the leaves adds charm to a garment, don't you think?
Little Monkey had so much fun posing... and the running away as soon as my husband pointed the camera at her!
She slowed down to throw a few sticks in the pond.
I am looking forward to a post from Christina from 2 Little Hooligans tomorrow!
Secret Squirrel: Stop 6 - As It Seams to While she was sleeping
Sunday, 1 December 2013
About three weeks ago I was sitting at home checking my e-mails. Then there was a knock on the door. I opened it and there he was - Secret Squirrel in all his glory! He said, 'G'Day, may I come in?'
Ok that's not what really happened, but saying that I was dancing in the middle of our kitchen after receiving an e-mail from Victoria from As It Seams passing the Secret Squirrel mission on to me would have been a tiny little bit embarrassing... Oops, I just said that!
I am a huge fan of Secret Squirrel and have been sewing along for a few months. Here are my previous Secret Squirrel projects. Please feel free to click on images to read corresponding posts.
I was very pleased when Secret Squirrel contacted me via Victoria from As It Seams and gave me these five acorns of inspiration:
Where the wild things are. Blue. David Bowie. Pockets. Great Britain.
In my view these were the trickiest acorns Secret Squirrel has delivered so far! However, While she was sleeping, I managed to create an outfit for Little Monkey that incorporated these acorns - all five of them!
I have had so much fun sewing the Mara blouse by Compagnie M last time I had to give it another go. I made a dress version this time and I love it! Doesn't Little Monkey look so smart in it? And oh so grown up!
Ding-ding! The dress is blue! Well, it is made out of denim, the most beautiful and soft denim I have ever touched. It is so incredibly light I did not believe it was denim at first, which amused the shop assistant I think. The colour is so rich! Perfect for this challenge. I bought it from House of Cloth in Bendigo. A shop well worth a visit if you are serious about fabrics you are using.
I opted for butterfly sleeves again. They are such a cute shape and cover gentle skin from harsh Australian sun.
Apart from being the most adorable kids book, Where the wild things are proved to be a tricky acorn! I am sewing for a girl, and the main character is a boy (although any parent of a toddler will recognise their child in little Max). In the book Max tames the wild things and becomes their king. I was not going to make a wild creature costume for Little Monkey, although she probably would have enjoyed it. Instead I used the colour of kings. What colour is that I hear someone ask? Purple. Purple is the colour of kings. I picked this lovely fabric with purple flowers on it for the yoke of the dress. Apart from being the colour of kings, purple is also Little Monkey's favourite colour. When I bought this fabric I became the best mummy on the planet right until I said no to watching cartoons at bedtime!
I actually went to House of Cloth to buy this fabric for the yoke. It is Liberty fabric. Do you know much about Liberty? Liberty originated in London. I am not sure if Liberty fabrics are made in the UK nowadays, but I thought that was enough to cross Great Britain off the list. Yep. No Big Bens, double decker buses or anything else that would usually come to people's minds when they hear Great Britain. Liberty fabric is what comes to mine.
What do you think about the buttons on the yoke? Aren't they gorgeous? They are vintage buttons. I also bought them from House of Cloth. I used one to make a hair clip for Little Monkey to match her new dress.
Buttons is one thing Little Monkey loves. She also loves pockets. In fact everything I make for her has to have buttons or pockets. Preferably both. At first I made patch pockets for this dress with pin tucks on them mimicking pin tucks under the yoke, but they made the dress look too busy and took attention away from the yoke. In-seam pockets seemed like a better solution. I used this tutorial by House of Estrela to make the pockets and a trick from this tutorial by Sewaholic to make them invisible.
The last acorn left was David Bowie. I did not even know where to start! I Googled images of David Bowie, we played his music which Little Monkey did not appreciate. I even quizzed my husband! Poor husband, I think by that point he wished I was never chosen to host Secret Squirrel!
David Bowie stars in the fantasy film Labyrinth. The film opens with an owl watching a teenager, Sarah, reciting lines from her favourite book called The Labyrinth. A little later on the owl transforms into Jareth, King of the Goblins, played by David Bowie.
I made a Del Ray bolero by Cali Faye Collection for Little Monkey and embellished it with a funky owl (David Bowie) based on this tutorial by Me Sew Crazy. In fact, I made two Del Rays. The original bolero was too small for Little Monkey. I made another one a few sizes bigger, and it is rather roomy on her. Oops, but not an issue as Little Monkey will get plenty of wear out of it. This bolero is very stylish and can be worn with just about anything!
What do you think about the interpretation of this acorn? I thought it was very clever and out of the box. My sweetest husband called it cheating - again! He said there should be a rule that there can't be more than 5 degrees of separation from the original acorn. Well, let's see... David Bowie - Labyrinth - Jareth - Owl... only 4 degrees. Sweetest husband, surely this must fit your strict criteria of interpreting acorns of inspiration ;)
This was our third attempt as taking photos of Little Monkey's new outfit and she was well and truly over it by the time we finished.
That's it. Five acorns of inspiration delivered by cheeky Secret Squirrel, one new outfit for my Little Monkey.
Secret Squirrel and I have had a lot of fun getting to know each other. It is sad he has to leave. But he is ready to travel again and has a new set of acorns for those willing to accept his challenge:
St Basil's Cathedral. Snowflake. Buttons. Harry Connick Jr. A long time ago.
If you would like to join Secret Squirrel on his journey, leave a comment on this post and check your inbox in a week’s time… you may be the chosen one to pass on the baton of creativity that is SECRET SQUIRREL!!!
If you don't receive a message form Secret Squirrel you can still sew along and share your creation in the Secret Squirrel Flickr group. But please do not blog about or upload photos for January's Secret Squirrel until January 2nd. Secret Squirrel's next stop will be revealed on January 1st!
C'mon, I know you want to join the adventure! There are some amazing prizes to be won!
Winter cuteness
Saturday, 18 May 2013
It is getting colder in my corner of the world... Brr!!
Little Monkey needed a new jacket. I loved the Little Red Riding Hood Jacket pattern by Puperita. The jacket looked so sweet and childish, and yet very stylish. It is fully lined, which is just what I wanted.
I
had some gorgeous lilac coat fabric and coordinating quilting fabric I
chose to use for lining. I was very excited and a little nervous about making
my first ever winter jacket. Puperita has been very supportive and gave
me some useful tips on sewing thicker fabrics.
The pattern was perfect. The instructions were flawless. The support was appreciated. The jacket turned out pretty sweet :)
"Mummy, Mummy, purple jacket! MY jacket!" squealed Little Monkey when I showed her the new jacket. Yep. The best compliment.
The bell shaped details on the sleeves of this jacket is further proof of Puperita's attention to detail.
The smallest size in this pattern is 2-3. It is a bit roomy for Little Monkey who is size 1-2. That is not an issue since we have a few cold months ahead. A bigger jacket means she will get a lot of wear out of it. It also means Little Monkey can wear a jumper underneath her jacket on very cold days. Yes there is such thing as very cold days in Australia!
How cute are these wooden buttons?!
I love pockets with flaps.
The length is perfect for monkeying around.
Yep, fully lined.
Just chillin'.
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