OOP Simplicity 7367 Dungarees and Top for Beatrix

Now, I adore little people in dungarees

Particularly this little person.

I received this pattern in a bag of passed on sewing goodies.

I really like the back of the dungarees, I thought the extra height (in the back) would keep Trixie warm and be very comfortable.

I did fold some fullness out of the lower leg to make a straight leg rather then a bellbottom.

The front yoke is a nice length and does not roll up or drag when Trixie dresses herself.

As my main fabric is stretchy I didn't interface the whole facing, just a double layer behind the button hole placement lines.

The buttons are enamelled coconut shell, a favourite of mine, and are available from eBay

I like to do a double row of buttons for growth.

I stitched them with red thread, for fun!

The side fastens with a loop and button.

Trixie can manage theses fine on her own but as the fabric is so stretchy she doesn't need to undo them when toilet-ing.

I really like early stretch knit patterns. They are often constructed like a woven with 'stretch for comfort' so they have all the nice details.

The top has subtle shaping at the waist and a back zipper for ease of dressing (Trixie dislikes things being pulled over her face so this is great for her).

I played around with the neck and made it a bit higher and used elastic roulette for buttoning. It's cute but overkill and Trixie needs help to do it up. She doesn't mind wearing it though.

The sleeve cap is meant to be eased in but I pushed the gathers up to the shoulder point to make a 'puff'.

The knit is the scraps from Lidia's 80's style jumper (to be blogged) and Tilly's 70's style top (to be blogged). It is a poly/cotton embossed fabric from Eliza's Fabric . I wasn't able to be as fussy with the embossed pattern match up on this top but as it is mostly behind a bib I just focused on grain lines.

I found the hessian buttons on eBay but, sadly, they no longer are available.

The dungaree fabric is from Spotlight.

Normally Spotlight's cord is not the best quality but this is really nice!

Very, very stretchy!

I made Elsa some dungarees (to be blogged) 

(from the same fabric) and they are so comfortable!

I may need a pair for myself!

Dungarees are the perfect home clothes for Trixie.

She is nice and warm, comfortable and tidy but if Dad needs help shifting stock she is ready to go!

They look so snappy over her collection of Liberty shirts.

~Trixie's Verdict~

I like the buttons, they is pink, I just like pink.

I like my pink shirt, and I like dungarees. I like these socks and shoes.

(Dungarees) Are good for farming. They are good for driving the ute.

~My Verdict~

I love this pattern!

Both pieces are just so cute and still very wearable now.

The pattern is a size 4 and Trixie is 5 years old but with the ease in the stretch fabric they are a great fit.

A super cute vintage pattern.

Thank you for reading.... xx Nicole 

DRCOS Hood Onepiece Dress for Beatrix

I had another go at the DRCOS Hoodied dress pattern

It is a free PDF pattern that you can print at home.

I sewed up the size 120 for Trixie in some lilac unbrushed cotton fleece from Eliza Fabrics.
Designed to match her fancy new sand shoes.

Trixe requested a kangaroo pocket.
So I used the one from the Hatteras hoodie 
I lined it with lilac satin, so it feels nice!

Trixie badly wanted to use the 'fish cupcake' transfer I picked out of the bargain bin at Spotlight but with the pocket there was no room on the front. 
So she consented to the back.

The problem?
The hood
Would 
Not 
Fit!

Luckily I had another fish cupcake.

So I sewed her the size 140.

Which was a bit big...

But not Silly big!
Except...

The hood still didn't fit!

And then I realised...
One, I had lined the hood with satin, removing the stretch ease.
Two, fabric choice. I think this may have been meant to be sewn up in a very stretchy lightweight knit.

Oliver and S Playtime leggings

Trixe is quite happy to wear it with the hood being purely decorative.
I am quietly kicking myself for not checking the fit.

~Trixie's Verdict~
I like the rainbow writing, I like my shoes.
The hood is not tight, I like it! I like leggings and dresses.
It is great for bowling and the arcade.
I LOVE the pocket, it is the best, everything should have pockets, you need pockets all the time!

~My Verdict~

One really can't complain when a free pattern isn't quite right.

It is a dear little pattern with lovely shaping and very quick to sew.

There are no directions but construction is very straight forward.

Trixie loves them both and they will be warm and snuggly on house days.

The company offers multiple sizes, including adult ones (women and men) so definitely worth a look.

I bound the raw edge of the neck with cotton webbing tape after I attached the hood.

This stopped the neck stretching out as well as just being a nice finish.

The Oliver and S Playtime leggings are always a nice sew. Sewn up in cotton ribbing, with a stencilled print, they compliment the hooded dress.

Thank you for reading... xx Nicole 

Dress with Open Shoulders Lekala #4515 for Lidia

Finally blogging this lovely dress.

On our Victorian holiday, a few years ago, Liddy choose some yellow embroidered organza.

It was quite expensive for Eliza Fabrics, $16/m from memory, and I really didn't care for it at all!

However, Tilly had chosen her pink lace (which I didn't like either) so, to be fair, we purchased two metres.

We both agreed on the dress Lekala #4515 but as Liddy is growing so fast we needed to wait until an occasion to sew it.
(And then I could marinate it in deep stash if she went off it)
Fast forward 18 months and my sister offered to take the girls to the ballet so it was time to sew it up.

Images from Pinterest.

As always, we checked out Pinterest for ideas.
We quickly decided that a nude lining was much more elegant that a yellow.
I didn't have quite enough of the nude satin to line the skirt so I used some zingy, yellow stretch satin I had purchased from the remnant bin at Eliza's.

Sewed up in a light weight neoprene or something heavy-ish, with drape, it would look amazing and be quite a straight forward sew.
Although the side zip gives a flawless back finish I will definitely use a back opening the next time I sew this dress. Lidia has to squeeze into it as it is so firm across the bust.

We finished the sleeves with the cuff BUT I  think you could leave those off.

pattern here

And finish them like this.

It wasn't a difficult sew, just time consuming.
I cut the dress from the nude satin and then used those pieces to cut the organza (taking care to match the lace placement). I then pinned and overlocked those pieces together and then treated them as one.
(So I sewed the darts in the two as one pieces)
This eliminates any show through seams.
I then cut the lining from the satin.
I out the two dresses, wrong sides together and then gathered the sleeves and added the cuffs.

The bodice top is finished with a casing and elastic is threaded through.

I machine stitched this casing but Lidia didn't need the full elastic and I wasn't happy with the visible stitching so I unpicked it, hand sewed it and added a small elastic channel, at the centre back, for ease.

The invisible zip went in the side seam, up to the under arm. I actually lifted the zip as high as I could and it was still only just enough ease to get on.

The pop of yellow skirt lining was a happy accident. I hope, when she sits down, it peeks out.

It is so rewarding when you sew something you start off not so keen on and then fall in love with.

~My Verdict~

This was a great pattern that I think I over complicated with my fabric choice.
Liddy won't wear this again (she squeezed into for some photos but couldn't move her arms)
The pattern fitted together beautifully and sewed up very well.
I will definitely sew it again but use a much longer zipper and NOT an invisible zipper.
The first zipper broke when Liddy was trying it on and i had to unpick all the hand sewn lining and replace it (the zipper)
Then, on the night of the ballet the replacement zipper broke so my sister sewed her into the dress.
I have since replaced it with a regular zipper.

~Lidia's Verdict~
This dress is just gorgeous! The fabric was not nearly as beautiful on the roll as it looks sewn into the dress pattern. Mum lined all the lace up perfectly at every the seam. 

The only thing I would change is instead of putting in a side zip, maybe a back zip because it is rather tight getting on. It is beautiful and I cannot wait to wear it to the ballet.

As the evening could be cool, I sewed a cape  to wear over it.

The girls had a marvellous evening at the ballet and both felt like princesses.
I can thoroughly embrace the 'experience' gift.

Thank you for reading.... xx Nicole 

Special thanks to Matilda for the photos.

Lekala #5657 Cropped Polo for Zara

Zara sent me a wish list.

I thought I would make the polo first as I had a pattern in mind.

The custom fit Lekala #5657 

Zara's Inspiration Picture from Pinterest

The button tab does not fasten but Zara said she didn't mind.

So I cropped it!

Fabric choice was very important for this sew. Lekala patterns tend to be very fitted.
To be safe, I knocked up a wearable muslin.

I used a remnant of extremely stretchy cotton/lycra knit.
Reversed so the bats were on the inside.

The front placket was extremely quick to sew but very effective.
I covered the neck seam with cotton webbing for a sturdier finish.

It looked hopeful on the mannequin...

Liddy obliged me and tried it on.

It was too tight across the shoulders on her and a bit gappy around the middle.

But she really liked it and requested her own.
Custom fit to her and quite a bit longer.
Jed was heading to Adelaide for business so I asked him to drop it at Zara's door.

Winner winner chicken dinner!

~Zara's Verdict~
This polo top is exactly what I asked for. It's so flattering, the sleeve length covers my arms to the most flattering part, with the low cut front being sexy without crossing a line. 

The collar is such a funky length that makes it different to other basic polo layouts. 

~My Verdict~
Okay, so it doesn't have the button front BUT otherwise, it is a great pattern.
It took two hours to cut and sew and the custom fit meant I could sew it for an absent client.
Personally, I think the collar is a little big, a little 70's, but Zara loved it.
I also think I left the sleeves a wee bit long but Zara likes that as she can roll them if she wishes.
As long as we use a *very stretchy fabric* we have a winner!