Toddler swimsuit

We just arrived home from a 3 week holiday in Malaysia! Three weeks of warm weather and days of deciding upon the pool or the beach, or both! The girls loved it. There were long stretches of beach play and hours paddling in the pool. All of this, of course, required new swim wear. After many great reviews of the La Jolla swimsuit from Peek-a-boo patterns I decided to buy myself a copy and give it a go. I am relatively new to sewing knits using a twin needle and I can't understand why it has taken me so long to give it a go - it's great and gives such a professional finish to knits. The pattern fitted well (I sewed a size 3 for Miss S who is 2 1/2 years old) and the instructions were clear. All in all a success - and Miss S loved them too! If only we were still on a sunny beach in Langkawi (sigh)

Hoot Hoot

We have a number of our friends who are having babies in the next few months and my head has been full of ideas for handmade baby gifts. I found this lovely owl pattern on Pinterest sometime last year and made a cute version for my little niece for her first birthday. It was such a sweet pattern and an easy to follow tutorial - I decided to make two more for upcoming babies.

I love how this photo captures owl #2 in mid fall from the tree!

Aesthetic Nest - Pattern testing!

I was excited to receive an email from Anneleise from Aesthetic Nest a few months back to be one of the pattern testers for her new pattern - yes please! The pattern was for a child's top in a classic boat neck design. I loved every part of this process. It started with a pdf version of the pattern, complete with instructions and pattern pieces. Anneleise has provided a number of variations in her pattern as well at the original boat neck design. I decided to try the pleated version first and because I loved the look so much, I did the classic version as well. Such a versatile pattern - so much fun! Check out her pattern, formally released in her etsy pattern shop - Wee Muses Sewing Patterns

The pleated version

The classic version

Toddler Booster seat

This makes a square cushion (35cm x 35cm) and 15cm high - it is the perfect size for my dining chairs and lets Miss S fit snugly under the dining table.

For this project you will need:
0.7 cm outer fabric
0.6 cm lining fabric
35 cm velcro
36 cm zip
1.5 m Piping cord (I used a nice thick cord - approx 0.5cm in diameter)
0.3cm piping fabric

My first  decision was to make two cushions (well a cushion and a cover - you know what messy eaters toddlers can be!) Today we will concentrate on the inner cushion made from the lining fabric.

From the lining fabric cut:
2 squares (37cm x 37cm)
3 rectangles (37cm x 17cm)
2 rectangles (37 x 10cm)

To make the inner cushion, take the two smaller rectangles in the lining fabric and the velcro:

Now take the 3 rectangles from the lining fabric - these will form the other sides:

The 2 lining fabric squares become the top and bottom:

The lining cushion is complete ready to be stuffed with bean bag pellets - next time, the all important outer cushion, complete with spiffy piping!

Toddler booster seat

Miss S has hit that toddler age - she knows her mind and shares it willingly and sometimes forcefully. This morning we had a huge discussion about what to wear - she insisted on the "butterfly" dress which turned out to be a plain blue skirt with one random and obscure butterfly embroided on the back - I didn't even know the butterfly was there! Anyway, these opinions also shared about food. After one evening which I have since labelled the "chicken meltdown" (how dare you Mummy feed me plain chicken and rice) we have started eating dinner as a family. Miss S now willingly eats whatever we eat - phew! Anyway, such a long convoluted start to the fact that we now need a booster seat at the table for Miss S to eat with us.

Inspired by this fabric:

And this tutorial from Prudent baby, I have decided to have a go myself. I am thinking removable cover, square shape with piping and a seat tie - I will keep you posted.

Winter Jacket

The days are quickly getting cooler and shorter here in Melbourne and with that comes a need for a warm winter jacket for Miss S. I made a lovely navy blue version of this pattern for her last year and I had some improvements for this year's jacket. The pattern and instructions are spot on but I was unimpressed with the buttonholes I created on last year's jacket (nothing to do with the pattern - more the fault of the operator). After my first attempt at bound buttonholes for the pram seat liner I decided to use them again on the jacket. I also added some pockets in the side seams and created some facing panels - all easy alterations but improved the functionality of the jacket. I am pretty pleased with the result - think Miss S is too!

I added a pleat in the back for more ease - I think it give the coat a nice A-line look as well.

As well as bound button holes I drafted some facing panels for the lining.

A close up of those bound button holes

Pockets in the side seams for storing little treasures - Miss S loves picking up small stones so a great place to store them.

Baby Carrier

This project is super easy and will take you no time at all!

You will need:

• 0.6 m stretch cotton sateen (this is usually 95% cotton and 5% lyrcra or spandex - it has a nice slight stretch across the grain and is a little thicker than regular cotton fabric)
• thread
• a small amount of stuffing - really this is not totally necessary but it does make a bit more comfy for bubs

You are basically using the whole piece of fabric, on the fold and cutting a curve along the non-folded edges. You will have one piece (60cm high x the width of the fabric) which you will join together to form one loop of fabric. To do this you could use a regular seam but for extra strength and a neat finish I used a french seam - easy, just follow the steps below.

You should now have a loop of fabric joined by the french seam. Follow these steps below to finish your carrier.

This will create a nice comfy edge along half of your carrier for bubs to rest against.

Finished!

To wear, sling the carrier diagonally over one shoulder- the padded edge to the front. Open a pocket for bubs to sit in - their bottom will sit in the curved french seam (another reason for making this seam nice and strong). Move bubs about until they are comfy - I have found that when they are little, bubs can curl in nicely and fall asleep.

I have even managed to use it for Miss S to support her when carried on my hip - it sure does save lots of tired arms!