Christmas Countdown

It happens every year. At the end of the summer school starts and I begin to plan Christmas presents. I write lists, I shop around for supplies, I search for ideas and then write more lists (often in different coloured pens to show how organised and efficient I am - yes I always did revision timetables in different coloured pens too!).

Then suddenly it is mid-November and I have lots of lovely looking lists but no actual presents ready to give. Ok so it is only mid-November, there are still 5 weeks left (ok, 6 until Christmas but I can't count the last week as 5 weeks this weekend I will be on a plane with three very excited little people and a big suitcase full of lovely home made presents) but to ensure peace and tranquility in my mind I think I need to get on with making some of the presents. I am currently cutting out like a mad woman...

 and next week I will be sewing like a demon. I will then be able to approach Christmas with the serenity expected of a person who write colour coded lists.

I am also slowly working on my winter coat. I will do a full progress report tomorrow but in the meantime have a look at these buttons...

What do you think? I am not sure. I went to two shops the other day and these were the best on offer. Should I keep on searching?

Dotty Patterned Jersey Dress

As I hinted the other day, I have a new toy. One of the parcels waiting to be collected on my return from holidays was this:

I've hankered after an overlocker for a while now but doing the Hong Kong finishes on my red and white dress confirmed my 'need' (quite different to a 'want' you understand). I mean I can't be spending hours finishing seams if I am to get everything on my to-do list sewed up can I?

And, a further bonus, (as well as having gorgeously professional looking finished seams) is that the world of jersey and knit is now mine. 

Time to reveal parcel number two

Several bloggers have already extolled the virtues of this book. It basically contains three basic patterns for jersey - 

a crew-neck t-shirt

a raglan sweatshirt

and a jersey dress

along with 6 or 7 ways to vary each pattern to give you a variation on the theme. In addition, it has very complete instructions on how to sew up the garments and good tips on using an overlocker (which I found extremely useful as the instructions that came with the machine were good in that I managed to thread it and get it working but knowing how to use it properly is another thing altogether - and in some ways quite different to a sewing machine - this is undoubtedly not news to many of you but may be useful to someone who has never used an overlocker before).

Anyway, having spent a little time getting acquainted with the machine - the results of which you can see here, I decided it was time to make up a proper garment (rather than a winged home-made pattern item).  I was tempted to make up the t-shirt first but the only jersey fabric I had in my stash was this

which I felt lent itself rather more to a dress. So the dress it was. I went with the basic pattern as drafted without any modifications partly because the aim of this project was to see how I got on sewing almost entirely on the overlocker rather than  testing my pattern modification skills, but also because, actually, the basic dress pattern was the one that I felt suited this fabric the best.

The dress is made up of a bodice section, a waistband and a skirt section. It has gathered sleeves and, being jersey, no need for closures or darts. I put it together entirely on the overlocker and used my sewing machine only to topstitch down the neckline (after it had been overlocked) and for the hem.

top stitched neckline - and you can see the overlocked edge that has been topstitched down in the background

Overall I am pretty happy. I love the gathered sleeves and I will probably use the bodice section (lengthened) and sleeves pattern pieces to make some tops. This pattern also lends itself to using different coloured fabric for the skirt and/or waistband sections.

And the real bonus? This whole project, from getting the fabric out of the cupboard to doing the final - 'aren't I clever' mirror pose - took slightly less than 2 hours. What is not to like?

gathered sleeves

I will leave you with a photo of my overlocker in action, which also gives you a peep at the fabric for my winter coat....

Je n'ai rien a mettre

Pour la premiere fois je participe a Je n'ai rien a me mettre.

Ici vous avez deja vu 'le boy jean' mais pour ajouter un peu je posterai cette semaine un petit tuto pour le pantalon/jean - valable pour fille ou garçon....comme petite diversion de mon manteau...

My first participation on the site Je n'ai rien a me mettre....this month it was a creation for 'him'. Step up the boy jean - already seen here. But in celebration I will add a tutorial for the boy jean/trouser - equally good for boys or girls later this week...it will be a welcome diversion from my winter coat...

Winter Coat(s)!

As mentioned what seems like many moons ago one of the major projects on my list is a new winter coat. I seem to have spent a rather large amount of time searching for inspiration (aka buying and reading magazines rather than doing anything useful!) and have now reached a sort of short list.

I thought I would share with you my quickly-put-together mood board of inspiration, courtesy of polyvore. (On a side note you should head on over there if you fancy a bit of interior design or fashion fun - I reckon it could be very addictive.)

But, back to the matter in hand. My winter coat. As tends to happen what starts with one idea for one garment ends up taking on bigger proportions. Not only do I now feel compelled to do at least some pad stitching, having followed Gertie's Lady Grey sew along but I think that now what I really need is a winter coat (think smart-ish - see top three images below) and a autumn/winter jacket (think maybe plaid? and definitely more casual).

Oh the dilemmas of the seamstress!

On a slightly more positive note I have identified the fabrics I am going to use and they are currently winging their way to me. Next step find a pattern and do a muslin!

Amusing a 5 year old with tonsillitus

Mme E has been ill. She hasn't been able to speak, or eat and we have had no skipping now for three days. Properly ill.

However, the antibiotics are now starting to kick in and she wanted to do something this afternoon (she had already exhausted the Hello Kitty colouring pages this morning). So out came three plain grey tops sewn up last night on my new toy (more to come on that later) and my box of 'bits and pieces' and she spent a good couple of hours designing her new tops.

No. 1 Two pink buttons

No. 2 Black lace shoulder adornments (and a further piece of black lace round the bottom, not shown) finished off with a golden button

(she seems to have been channelling her Fame meets Madonna in the '80s vibe here!)

No. 3 Pink and black striped bow and ruffle

Three new tops. One happy girl.

Boy Jeans

There are lots of things I expected when petit monsieur came along....more football, less barbies, more rough and tumble, less tutus....

But one thing I didn't expect was a stubborn determination regarding what is acceptable attire.

Believe me (and those that know me and Mademoiselle E can vouch for this) I have lived through a two year old deciding what she will (and more often, will not) wear. But just because I have lived it once doesn't mean it is any easier second time round. Particularly when the only response I get to any kind of attempt at persuasion is "I am boy".

Apparently boys wear jeans. Which means they wear jeans every day. Even if they have several other pairs of extremely nice trousers. If they are not jeans they are not to be worn. Boys wear jeans.

This is, of course, fine when his jeans are clean and dry but when they are in the wash or still damp this causes problems. Hence the new boy jeans. Whipped up one evening whilst his two other pairs whirled round in the washing machine.

He was a little sceptical at first but I had pre-empted this and enlisted the girls and the builders to comment on his smart "jeans" and we were away.

The white thing sticking out of his pocket is, apparently, a pistol (oh yes, he really is a boy).

The back view

And an action shot (well, a post about boys wouldn't be complete without an action shot would it?!)

Holidays!!

The radio silence has been because for the last week or so I was mainly doing this.....

I am now back home and planning late autumn winter projects (including of course Christmas). I reckon if I don't sleep between now and around 15th December I have a chance of getting everything done ......

xxx