KCW day 8 and still working...

Just like I said I would, I've worked on my WIP Kid's Clothes Week, but I couldn't blog about it, since I left to Spain. I arrived yesterday almost at midnight, so no sewing or blogging, I just went straight to bed. 

So, the reason why I am still talking about day 6 is clear now. 

I managed to put a few pieces together, cut the remaining pieces, chose my buttons (although I have changed my mind already). 

Today's the 8th and last day of the KCW, and I've been working on my piece again. There's not much left to do, since I was able to bassicaly finish the back of the dress, and I am just three stitches away from finishing the front. Then I have to put them together, add button holes and buttons, and add a fabric band... where? You'll be able to find out when I'm done. 

I just wanted to show you all this because I will try to finish it later today, but I am not sure if I will be able to, so you can see what I've done so far. 

Baby G. is napping and I don't want to wake her up with the sewing machine's noise. I can use my machine in the evening when she's sleeping, it doesn't bother her, but apparently it does when she naps. She allows me to sew a little when she's up too, so that's great. What about you, sewing mammas? When do you find the time to sew when your little ones are around?!

KCW. Day 6 and the forgotten romper dress

I said I was done when I finished the only thing I did for the Kids Clothes Week. And I really thought I was , but it seems I just couldn't let it pass like that, when a thought came across my mind. All the way back to January, I started a new romper dress for my daughter, but then I went for the PR&P challenges, then there was Sew in Tune, the Pinterest Challenge, Sew-vivor, The Sew Off, Peques de Cine and April is ending and the romper dress was nowhere to be seen anymore. After I found it, I couldn't find the rest of the fabric - apparently I kept them separated! I spent 1h over midnight searching for it yesterday, because I really wanted to give it another try before the KCW was over. 

I'll try to do it today. Since January the only thing I did was sewing the pockets about two days ago. But later today I'll be off to spend the weekend over my parents.

KCW: The Flower Fairy Dress

It's the third day of the Kid's Clothes Week challenge, and everywhere on the blogland I see people sharing their wonderful creations. I told you I wasn't quite sure if I would join in the fun or not. But with so many great things coming up from basicly everywhere, I couldn't help but to enter my own little thingy too. 

I guess this week's the perfect oportunity to finally finish my niece's dress. It was promised her since the time I made her brother an outfit for the boy's themed week on PR&P season 6. 

If you followed me, you know I had planned to make her something for the details week challenge on PR&P all stars season. Well, I didn't! =( And since I didn't get anything done, I thought it'd would fit pretty well the Spring formal themed week, on the same season of PR&P. Well, again, and just by a couple of days I didn't again. 

As I said above, KCW was just my excuse to get it done. 

I actually worked on it last week, I cut the pattern and all the pieces into the fabric. I used the same french burda magazine pattern I used for my daughter's knock-off challenge, using a bigger size of course, and not doing any changes to the original pattern.

The dress is pretty simple (pattern), but the fabric is so light, and fresh and beautiful in colour and details. And the cherry on top is the detailed flowers belt. I added pink bias on the collar and arm holes for contrast since I used pink ribbon on the belt too. 

Actually my mother sewed the pearls to the flowers while I was busy sewing somthing else. She was visiting and feeling bored, so I gave it to her to help me, since the detail from the belt was done long ago, and left waiting. My first idea was to have it making part of the front bodice piece, but then I visioned it as a belt, and as a belt it was made. It tights on the back, and niece L. can wear it with or without the belt according to where or when she's wearing it. 

Here's how to do the flowers!!!

This is probably my one and only entry for the KCW. It's the first time I sewalong this challenge, and I am loving it, but this is going to be all for this time. I have important things to get done this week. Have fun!!!

Sewing Challenges

Apparently all the sewing blogsphere is busy with this week's challenge:

see more HERE

I'm still not sure if I will participate or not. I'm still feeling so so tired! At least my little girl feels well again. It was an entire week having her sick, she's so thin it hurts me... 

Here's something else tempting... I love knock it offs...

see more HERE

I just might sew along too, not sure. I won't say I will anyway, because I was so sure I could sew along Project Run and Play, but only managed to get the 2 first weeks finished. I had wonderful plans for week 3 and 4 but oppssss I missed it! So, for the next challenges I'll just hope on them and see what happens. 

Peques de Cine II

more about it HERE 

This challenge, consisted in creating a knock-off from a movie or series that we like. And then, after recreating the look, we should try to recreate a scene from the movie/series. So, as you can guess, I couldn't do that with a sick kid. I mean, she doesn't always collaborate when she's ok, wonder how it'd be with her sick?! Besides, I would never bother her with my sewing obsessions when she's not feeling well, 'cuz no matter how much I love those internet "things", I'm a mom first and have to care for her.

I chose the movie Pan's Labyrinth, which I love to death! I remember watching it on the cinema with V. back in 2006, and we were the only ones in the room. People thought it was a kid's movie... can you believe it? It's a brutal movie that mixes up a world of fairies and the Spanish Civil War. It's not a movie for kids, for sure. 

source

I knew I wanted to choose a child character for my project after I did a few researches through Tim Burton's movies (he's the man, what can I say?!), and was madly in love with Christina Ricci's character clothing, specially the black and white dress from Sleepy Hallow.

source

I mean, I'd love one of those for myself. I also adored, Sweeny Todd's wardrobe, but they weren't kid appropriated and I didn't have a light on how to make them look like so.

source

I then thought of some movies I enjoyed that had kids on it, and of course, Pan's Labyrinth was my final destination. Ophelia (the character I chose), is a girl that dresses simple vintage dresses, with enchanting details... pleats, slight ruffles on the cuffs and necks. I had three picks, and I went for the nightgown she wears most of the time on the screen. Only because it was the one I could get clear (or clearer) pictures from.

That was also my choice, because the nights are getting warmer and I thought that a nightgown would be something she would wear. I mean, I am sewing to save, right? So, there's no point to sew something that wouldn't be wearable on a daily basis.

I made it a size 3, when she's not yet a 2, but I wanted to make sure it'd last for a while.
I addapted a pattern from an old french Burda magazine, it was from a plain dress, and it had a zipper on the back, so I had to adapt it to have a button placket on the front of the bodice and shape the collar into a peter pan collar too. I had a little trouble with it, and had to do and undo the collar a few times until it got just perfect.

I used a small white lace to embellish my collar. Other details I added was the piping on the cuffs, and the waistband. The sleeves are puffier than the original, because I didn't make any changes to the original pattern on that matter, and I like it better this way. It even looks more puffier on her, because it's still a bit too big for her. The skirt has some pleats but it was kept simple, since I couldn't really tell how the original was made. And I even watched the movie again, especially for this challenge. 

And to finish, here's an overall look G.'s new nightgawn. 

I didn't want to push her too much, she's still not feeling 100%. And besides that, she's still too young to understand why she should pose this way or that way. It was just fun to see her walking around with it, and realise she enjoyed it. 

While I was sewing it, she was asked What's mommy doing? - Pants! She answered. lol

If you liked this, check out the flickr group too.

Tutorial: Ribbon Roses

Today I am bringing home a post I made for Keeping it Simple, about a year ago. I just checked the link and I've realised there's something wrong with the pictures. It is a good thing I will postt them all over again for you. 

I tried to come up with something simple to share, and I thought about one of the frist things I've learnt when I was a little girl. And it is: how to make a ribbon rose. You can make them with any ribbon and the results are always pretty.

1. Make sure you have your favourite ribbon, or the one matching your future project.

2. Fold your ribbon in half, just like you see in the photo.

3. Then start putting one of the sides on top of the other, and then again.

4. Go on doing that until you're left with a smaller tip.

5. The next step, is to hold your ribbon on the tip's edge and let go of the rest of it. It will look like a braid.

6. Grab the smaller tip and gentle pull it. It will start forming your rose shape. You have to keep pulling until it is perfectly shaped.

8. I haven't really finished mine, but you can either sew it, or use a glue gun to keep the flower petals in place. Now, you can use your roses in as many projects as you'd like.

I hope you've enjoyed this! 

Peques de Cine I

Have you noticed this button on my side bar?

Well, it is another fun sewalong from Maria's Loca por la Costura blog. I commited to sewalong too, but after all, I missed the deadline. It was two days ago, and I actually finished mine yesterday, but couldn't take any pictures, or pretty much do anything else.

My little girl got worst last monday...I think she's finally getting better, but still not quite fine. At least she ate something that didn't get thrown away... finally!

I'm planning to share my project though, as soon as she's recovered, so stay tunned!

Here's a peek...

source