Knit Wit

I was told by my midwife to take it easy and just cruise on the couch. That's not an easy thing for me to do, so I've been knitting. I found all of the patterns on Ravelry, but since you have to have an account (totally free and well worth the few seconds that it takes to set on up) to view the site, I've linked to the original location of the patterns.

 Pixie Baby Hat

 Baby Bonnet with Ears/Horns

Baby Bubbles Smock, Saartjes Booties, and DROPS Bonnet

 Lucille Cardigan and Bonnet

I've also finished Charlotte and Penelope's outfits for the open house that we're having in April. I wrote about the projects here and here a few months ago. The total cost of materials was probably around $15. The denim came from 2 clearance remnant bits, the lining was a donation from my mom (more than 15 years old), the lace was from a skirt I got in 8th grade (I'm almost 34, you do the math). I also used snaps, thread, elastic, hooks, and thrift store zippers, that I already had on hand.
 

McCall's 5791, a combination of views. The denim is not this dark in real life.

The jacket is View E from Simplicity 3513, and the skirt is McCall's 5461 (discontinued).

 

Swap-o-rama-rama Report #2

Took my daughter and her friend to another Swap-o-Rama-Rama yesterday, this time just for kids' clothes, at the Re-Discover Center in West LA/Culver City. The idea was the same as the last time: bring a sack of clean decent clothes to donate, then pick through the sorted donations for some garments to take as-is, or alter at the various DIY stations in the swap space. Because this one was kids' clothes, the garments were sorted by size. The girls had a grand time putting together outfits and modeling for each other, giggling and posing. But they also took advantage of the alteration stations and the kind wise women who were available to share a skill or a tool.

Me, I did some handstitching, to reverse-applique a t-shirt, and to make myself a yo-yo headband from scraps of a tie-dyed shirt:

Sewing For Baby

I finally got around to taking some pictures of some of my baby sewing.

I made onesies, using McCall's 6103, out of some old t-shirts and a baby blanket.


This was an old long sleeved T that Rick gave me a while ago. The patch on the arm is actually the tag from the inside of the shirt. I used leftover bits from another t-shirt for the binding.


I highly recommend buying elastics online. You can find a great selection of styles and colors, and it's much cheaper than buying it in a brick and mortar store.

This, and the next two tops, are just peasant style tops that I made using my own pattern. This blue and white fabric was a vintage thrift store find. The pants are made out of old T-shirt sleeves.



I tie-dyed this fabric myself.


This adorable zebra fabric was in a huge box that I got from a friend of a friend. Gotta love free fabric.


I used this tutorial for the kimono top. The pants are made from old sweater sleeves.


I used this tutorial for the little dress. The orange fabric came from an old maternity top, and the flower from a vintage sheet.


I made these leg warmers out of some clearance bin knee socks from Target.



I a car seat canopy using this tutorial. I bought this Alexander Henry fabric about 2 years ago. I bought a bunch because I loved it and it was on sale. I still have a ton left. The yellow fabric was in the same box of free fabric that the zebra fabric came from.


The diaper bag was made using Ikea fabric for the exterior, and an old sheet for the interior. The zipper is a vintage thrift store find. I used this tutorial.

Hope you like,

NinjaEema

Daughter's Halloween costume--done!

We went to Scotland over the summer, and saw a parade with a lot of pipe bands, and this seemed like a doable costume to plan for this Halloween. The kilt and blouse she already had; the vest and hat are mine; we bought the socks and shoes. I made the bagpipes, the sporran (little pouch in front of the kilt), and the tabs on the socks. The pipes are made to be fitted around an alto recorder, so she can still "play" the recorder in its disguised form. Pipes and sporran are made from an old scrap of herringbone wool, a cut-up black t-shirt, wooden dowels, a crocheted belt, an old pin, and some craft felt. Still need to make a strap so she doesn't actually have to hold the thing constantly while partying in costume. ;)

Blackwatch Baby & Delft Darling Dresses

Neither one of thee are spectacular or overwhelmingly complicated so I'm grouping them into one post.

This dress is actually a much darker, richer green, but for some reason it came outalmost like a teal in the photos. It's about an 18/24 month size and made of good old-fashioned velvet. I bought the dress at a thrift store about a year ago. It had a horrible crispy lace ruffle around the bottom and a HUGE ugly, stained white bib around the neck. I first removed both of those and the cut a new hem ruffle and a small stand up neck ruffle out of some plaid taffeta I had that is similar to the Blackwatch plaid. I hand sewed both ruffles onto the dress myself in a hotel room in Pensacola. LOL. I also hand hemmed the bottom ruffle. I had the plaid as a remnant for under $1 and the dress was thrifted for $1. Total cost of the re-do was about $1.30.

I call this dress the Delft Darling because it is white and blue like a piece of Delft pottery I used a 1970's pattern for the basic shape of the dress but made a few changes. Instead of one skirt, I made two skirts; I felt it added to the dutch look of the dress. I also gave it a stand up ruffle collar instead of a bib and I made contrasting cuffs on the sleeves instead of elastic on a single color. The dress is a small toddle dress, I'll have to dig up the pattern to find out exactly what the size is. One sleeve is NOT bigger than the other, it's just the way it looks in the photo because the wind was blowing it around. I hand sewed this entire piece at the hotel in Memphis. It's made from a pillow case (28 cents at a Salvos in NY) and about1/2 a yard of old $1-a-yard fabric I had laying around. The zipper is new and was about $1.30. The approx cost of the whole thing is $2.80. I plan to add an embroidered scene onto the over skirt eventually, either a design that mimics the fabric pattern or a small dutch pottery scene. It depends on how elaborate I want to get with it.

Jenny at Kerrfect!

Spring Fling Pillowcase Dress

I completely hand stitched this dress in a Residence Inn we stayed at in Memphis. I was bored and had brought some sewing supplies with me so I figured why not!? It's made from a 50 cent pillow case, about 10 cents worth of vintage lace from a thrift store and some green remnant fabric that I think cost me $1.20, but I only used about 3/4ths of it. The buttons were on sale at Jo Ann's about a year ago and were 20 cents. Grand total of approx $1.70. It's made from a 1960's pattern I had with me. I really liked the exterior fabric, The crisp white and bright flowers really got me. I simply cut the pieces and made it as the instructions said to. The only things I did differently was to add the lace trim on the dress and to substitute drawstrings in the bloomers for elastic. to do this all I had to do was to make the "string" out of the floral fabric by folding it over twice and sewing it down.




Jenny at Kerrfect!

Rosebud Pillowcase Dress

I made this dress from a pillow case I bought at a thrift store for 50 cents I think. The pillow case had a yellow cuff at one end and the main body was this white muslin with yellow rose buds. I used a vintage 70's patterns for the main dress shape, but I added the front ruffles, sleeve ruffles and other trim on my own. The lace trim was more thrifted vintage lace from a bag of various type that cost me $2, so I used probably 10 cents worth of that. The zipper is new and was $1.30. This makes the total cost of the dress about $1.90. I sort of had a mini-Marie Antoinette vision when I picked up the pillow case and examined it and so that's what I was going for here. I wish I had a little one to put in the dress so you could see it better but I don't It's a size 2 if I remember right. I made the front ruffles by folding strips of yellow over on themselves and sewing them down with a piece of lace over the seam, then while I was making the top half of the dress I just pined them on in a ruffled way and sewed up the seams, then I came back and hand tacked the ruffles down. I added the neck line lace and hem lace after the dress was completed. The arm ruffles were also added after the fact. They are the edge of the yellow pillow edge, folded just as they were on the pillow. I simple cut them larger then the arm holes, sewed up the under arm edge and ruffled as I sewed. The lace trim went on last to give the arm ruffles a more finished look.




Jenny at Kerrfect!

Yellow Rose Childs' dress

Here is another new dress I just put the finishing touches on this afternoon. This one too is made out of a vintage twin bed sheet I found in Memphis; it was $1.98. The vintage lace trim is also from a Memphis thrift store and cost about 30 cents. The buttons, chiffon for the sash, elastic, biastape and tulle for the petticoat are all new, but were things I already had (except for the tulle, it was on sale 50% off at Jo Ann's. The total cost of the dress & petticoat is about $4. I used a vintage 1959 Simplicity pattern (3413) in a little girl's size 8. I've found a pretty good way to make the petticoats I think, This one is slightly different than the one on the blue dress I posted earlier, but was much more simply made and seems to give me more poof. I've really lucked out with having just the right amount of trim for the dresses I've made so far! LOL. Hope to have some more stuff to post tomorrow as well.

Jenny at Kerrfect!

Lavender & Roses Dress

This is my latest completed project. The muslin I used for the body of the dress was a vintage twin sheet that I bought at a thrift store in Memphis for $2.50. The lavender lace trim on the neckline, hem and covering the belt buckle was also bought at a Memphis thrift store and cost me about 10 cents. The zipper and belt buckle are vintage, salvaged from old items. The only things that are new are the grommets and interfacing I used on the belt and the netting on the petticoat. I used about 2 yards which I just got on sale 50% off at Jo Ann Fabrics. The elastic and the ribbon I used for the petticoat were things I've had for a while, lol but they were used when I got them too. I'd estimate the total cost of making the dress to be about $5. To cover the buckle I simply wrapped the lace trim around it until it was completely covered and then I secured it with a few stitches. The dress is a child's size 8 and made with vintage McCall's pattern 5428 from 1960. The petticoat is of my own devising!

I am sorry I haven't been posting very much. I've been neglecting my own blog as well. I am trying to get into the local monthly downtown market as a vendor and I've been trying to build up and put the finishing touches on some of my items so that I can (hopefully) sell some of them and get more people interested in Upcycling items!

Jenny at Kerrfect!

Rompers & Undies

I fell in love with this pattern a few weeks ago at one of our local thrift shops. I have so many pictures of myself as a kid wearing this style of shorts and tanks, typical 80's kids wear. I knew that I had to make a speedsuit (romper) for Charlotte.


This interlock came from the remnant bib. I LOVE remnant bin shopping. I used bias tape for the binding and ties since I couldn't find any fold over braid at the store and I didn't feel like ordering any.



This interlock came from the thrift store. I've been really lucky at finding great fabrics at my local thrift stores.

I also made another batch of undies for Charlotte. Three of the pairs are made from thrift shop fabric and the other two are made from remnant bin fabric.


I used fold over elastic for this batch and I think that the edges look fantastic. They really look professionally finished.

NinjaEema