Kwiksew 1235 Jumper and Mini Hudson Pants for Beatrix

I used to hate sewing sportswear but now, I don't mind it so much.

Especially when there are such cute patterns available.

Case in point.

And

The adorable Mini Hudsons 

Trixie has grown out of her last PE kit

Hatteras hoodie and Mini Hudson pants.

Time to sew a new set.

Made to match her new sneakers.

Stenciled with my Plaid Stencil paints 

I can't deny it, those shoulder ruffles won my heart.
I was given this pattern in a box of sewing supplies (those that read regularly will know I am often given boxes of goodies)
It is discontinued and I have had trouble finding it online, it may be rare now.

It is not oversized, I made Trixie the six and it fits but with not a lot of growth room.

The green, un-brushed, cotton fleece, 3/m, was from Eliza Fabrics in Sunshine. It was extremely wide and I couldn't see any flaws when cutting it. 

The marled ribbing was a lucky find in Spotlight, it was a remnant and proved a good match.

From three metres of the main fabric, I was able to cut a track suit for Lidia (to be blogged) the Kwiksew jumper, two pairs of Hudson's and a LTTS bear hood (which was scrapped together when Trixie was disappointed not to have a hood on her outfit)

I really like Hudson pants in all their forms.
Mini's, Mens and Womens.

I sew mine a  little differently.
I like to top-stitch my pocket bags (I also like to use a t-shirt fabric for the inner bag to reduce bulk)
I also make a far simpler waistband.
I stitch the centre back (of the waistband) leaving a gap for the elastic to thread through.
I then fold and press the waistband in half, wrong sides together and baste and neaten that edge.
I then sew the waistband to the pant top, sew, neaten and press the seam down.
I topstitch the seam, stopping and starting at the bulky pocket seam.
After threading the elastic through, I check the fit and then secure it.
The waist tie is faux, a shoe lace!

~My Verdict~
I adore this jumper pattern. Oh, the sleeves!
I want to make all the styles, I think I shall make them as t-shirts, how adorable would they look under dungarees and pinafores?
The pattern is definitely on the slim side so I may only have another year of sewing it.
The Mini Hudson pants are lovely. They are a favourite sew and all my family members have several pairs (of Hudson's) each.

~Trixie's Verdict~
So, I like the shoes, I like the writing on the jumper, I do like the colour, it's green.
I like cuffs (shoulder ruffles) 
The rainbow writing is my favourite bit.
I was sad it didn't have a hood but Mummy made me one.

It will be good for sport.
It has pockets, that is a good thing.

 I did sew these with our Victorian Holiday in mind, I am not sure we will go now but intend to keep sewing as if we were.

I hope everyone is keeping safe, I am consciously aware of what a fortunate position my family is in. We have plenty of space, access to meat and eggs and my girls are proving to be excellent self motivators at their schooling.
I realise others may not be so fortunate and I have great empathy for those struggling.

Please practice self care and remember, ALL out children will be missing school, they will ALL have to catch up.
Staying healthy, mentally and physically is of far greater importance.

Thank you for reading.... xx N

#flattenthecurve 

M7840 McCall's 7840 Blouse for Elsa

Elsa has started a new part time job.

She is working at the Silo Cafe, in Coonalpyn.

A lovely little place that looks over the painted silos and serves very good coffee.
The Silo Art Trail Series is well worth a look.

Elsa is enjoying the work and they are extremely flexible with her Uni hours.
Just before she started (and I mean JUST) I received a SOS for a work blouse.
I knew just the pattern.

Very loose-fitting pullover tops with back yoke and dropped shoulder have collar, sleeve, pocket and length variations. B: Side slits. D: Wrong side of fabric will show on shaped hem.

Elsa's bust put her in the size 12 but I knew that would be huge so I cut the size 10.
I ended up sewing View B with the pocket and the hem of View C.
We also added button as it was a bit 'tits out wahoo' for a work top.
White faux shell for easy care.

The fabric is a mystery poly crepe I picked up in the remnant bin at Spotlight.
It has a matt, textured finish and took quite a hot iron.
It drapes beautifully but was not pleasant to sew, I found it snagged on my hands (but I have workmen hands)

I do like the back yoke detail but it is a single layer. I will definitely cut two and make a double yoke (burrito method) next time.

Elsa will only wear it with a half tuck which adds some waist definition to the look.

It's quite hard to see but the oversize pocket, finished with a top flap, is a nice detail.

~Elsa's Verdict~
The blouse is absolutely perfect for work, the coffee bar and kitchen can get quite hot from the steam and the cook tops.
The looseness of the blouse lets the air flow through which creates a cooling effect.
It looks professional whilst still being trendy which is spot on for the cafe I work at.
Thanks again Mummy x

~My Verdict~

I purchased this pattern a few months back when Spotlight was having one of their pattern sales ($4 each)?

When Elsa said she need a blouse for work but wanted something snappy I knew I had just the pattern.

This design is roomy, very room, really too roomy.

It would be a great pattern for a cuddly petite build as the shoulders are not too full but there is plenty of body ease.

I would advise sizing back, I will cut the next size down for Elsa's next one.

The drape-ier the fabric, the better, I would think.

A nice pattern, it has a separate collar stand which you can omit the collar from.

The sleeves fit in nicely and the armholes are not too wide (I find some oversize shirts are actually uncomfortable and pull at the shoulders/underarms)

The tab front construction is straight forward. It is not the RockStar finish of the O+S Jumprope dress but it does the job.

I finished the hems with a narrow, double hem as they are visible at times.

I will definitely sew it again.

Thank you for reading.... xx N

KwikSew 1556 Pyjamas for A Special Girl

I have a very special friend.
She knits the most a m a z i n g things for my family.
Sends me gorgeous hand-me-down clothes and shoes (oh the shoes)!
We chat daily, on Marco Polo, and she keeps me sane with her humour and her compassion.

I really wanted to do something nice for her!
I offered to get her some wool from the Bendigo Mill but she already has plenty.

What 
To 
Do?

You don't want a gift to be an un-gift, something you have to store or you don't need!

Now, Sarvi has a daughter.
A avid reading, Harry Potter fan, string bean of a child.
What do all children need? 
Pyjamas!
I knew the young lady was a Slytherin fan so when I spotted this flannelette at Spotlight I was stoked.

Now when I said string bean, I mean it and after having my own slinky malinky I know how hard it is to get clothes to fit.
So I asked for measurements and offered custom fit japamas.

I know Sarvi  likes a traditional style so I hunted out the OOP Kwkisew from deep stash.

It only went up to a size 7 but I knew width wasn't a problem, just length.
I added two inches to the hem of the bottom and then added a two inch cuff (when finished) so four inches to the leg length.

I added piping, attaching it to the cuffs before sewing them in place.
(I sew my cuff from the inside and then top stitch them in place, no visible seams)

I didn't want the faux fly so I folded it out of the way.

I repeated with the sleeves.
Two inches to length plus a two inch completed piped cuff.
The buttons are black enamelled shell stitched with green embroidery thread.

The collar and fronts are piped as well.

~My Verdict~
A lovely pj top pattern, good instructions for sewing the piping.
The bottoms are a bit ho-hum, I much prefer the Oliver+S pj bottom pattern with the separate cuffs and waistband BUT these gave me a nice slim fit.
The fabric is a very nice quality and little better than the standard Spotlight stuff.

The japamas arrived and were well received.
They are a good fit, width wise but I think they could have done with some length added.

Lucky I enough fabric to make another pair....

Thank you for reading. xx N

OOP Simplicity 4889 T-shirt and OOP Simplicity 9978 shorts for Jed

Jed works very long hours.

He is often gone by 7am and doesn't knock off until 7 pm, later in Summer.
He likes to change into casual, sports clothes after his night time shower and his current kit was getting a bit tatty...

So I made him some new ones.

Firstly, how about the awesome graphic made for me by the super talented Brittney 
It comes stuck to a plastic sheet and you iron it in place.
Jed saw one Britters had made for her husband and he loved it.
Thank you Brittney, you are awesome sauce!

The t-shirt is ...... its actually a sleep shirt but I really liked the raglan shoulders.

It is sewn in a stable, light weight knit and I used ribbing for the neck band.

I made the shorts before so I already had a pattern to go.

It is OOP Simplicity 9978, from deep stash (no idea where it came from)
The fabric is some BullRush pique knit.
The scraps from Jed's polos 

I really took my time, matching the stripes.

Even inside the pockets.
Mr Whiskers was rather cheeky about the shorts when I made them but he wearing the regularly so I guess they are comfortable.

~Jed's Verdict~
Super comfy, tickled pink with the stencil.

~My Verdict~
Poor old Jed comes rather down the list on the sewing rota but he likes nice clothes (don't we all)? so I try and oblige him.
He is rather self conscious of his tummy (aren't we all)? so I was really pleased that this t-shirt looked good without swamping him in fabric.
I will definitely sew it again.
The shorts are a reasonable amount of faffing about, just for knit shorts, but Jed likes this style a lot so I am happy to make them for him.

Thank you for reading .... xx Nicole