Nursing Nightgown

So, here's something I've never made before. A nursing nightgown. And there's always a special feeling attached to accomplishing a garment we've never tried before, isn't it? 

I already had two nursing friendly nightgowns to add to the maternity bag I have to carry to the hospital, but I thought a third would be pretty good. Besides, I know I'll spend my baby's first week, pretty much wearing nightgowns only. So, it was worth giving it a try and make myself a new one. 

And all I spent on it was 1,45€ (elastic and "clips" - don't really know the proper name for them). I was able to re-use what I already had once again. I used a baggy nightgown that I got in that huge pile of clothes I just blogged about a few days ago. The print was awesone, and it was made of a 100% cotton knit, so it was perfect for what I wanted. 

I didn't use a pattern. One of the other nightgowns I said I already had, was used to help me cut the new pieces. I sort of drafted the pattern for the chest part though, because I wanted it to work just right. I used 2,5cm wide elastic as bias and it worked just great. I had the elastic in my stash, but since I used pretty much the whole thing, I bought some more to replace it, if I hadn't it wouldn't cost 1,45€ but 0,50€ only. That's a good thing! 

The straps are a little darker than the elastic because they were reused from an old bra I wasn't using anymore. And, the two other changes I made, was adding a pleat in the front to allow for the belly... we all know it doesn't just dissapear after a baby is delivered, right?! 

And, I shortened it a bit, doing a new hem.I would keep the original one, I liked it, but there was a hole close to the hem, and I was forced to cut it a bit. It wasn't much though and it still is a modest gown I can wear in public (read: hospital). So, it is already packed in my bag and waiting for the day this little boy decides it's time to meet the world outside. 

The Firecracker Dress (test)

I was one of Chelsea's lucky testers for her latest pattern The Firecracker Dress/Tunic. I was assigned the dress lenght, in size 2, because, you know, this is a little skinny girl I have here. Can't believe she'll be 3 next month.

This was a pattern I had to try first to find out that I love it. I liked it when I first saw it, of course, and that's why I wanted to test it for Chelsea in the first place. But not until I finished my own, and be closely aware of the details, and the possibilities, that I've actually fell in love with it. In fact, I have started another one already, in a bigger size.

Anyway, I was so happy to test such a quick dress to make. Three pattern pages only, no piecing or anything... that felt great for a change. I'll admit that patterns with too many pages to assemble together, make me a little annoyed. Of course, when the final garment is done, most of those times I just forget about how boring and time consuming putting them together was in the first place. And, of course (too), we only have to tape pieces together once. 

When I started sewing my dress, I had already seen a few tunic lenght options poping in the testers group, and because the tunic is a long one, I thought it would turn out a little too long as a dress, but NO, the dress is the prefect lenght for my little girl. She loved it so much, but I just might have to make her another one, in a different fabric because I made this as a gift for her little cousin - who's actually turning two next month too. 

Pattern calls for contrasting fabric in the bodice, since it is made of 3 separate pieces sewn together. So, sides and center should be in a different fabric, but I had this fabric I was given in a blog swap, and I wanted to use it, and I used it for the entire piece. I really liked to see my one-only-fabric-version, and I also thought maybe someone else was curious to see how it'd look like this. In the original pattern, the dress ties on the back with two bows, also in the pattern you will find different ways to tie it. I also did mine differently from any of the exemples. Here's how I did it...

And because my niece (who the dress will go to) is still on diapers, I also made a matching cover up. I am not so satisfied with it. I used a pattern I self drafted when my own daughter was 18 months, but it has no front or back, it is the same pattern piece for both, and it looks a bit weird. Not too mention I think this will be too tight on her legs... we'll see.

Oh, this is such a little dancer approved dress. She loved to move and swing and twirl in it. All in all, she was excited the day we shoot the photos (daddy did), and most of them are just too cute.

WIP: maternity

I thought I wouldn't be sewing anymore for myself. Not until after I gave birth to mister S. but here I am currently finishing another garment for mommy. And this is a very handy one... any guesses? I just need to buy some little supplies to have it ready. I think I'll be able to finish this today! Yey! I'm excited!

Pinterest Inspiration

 

Because I feel like sewing something and don't know what to sew... I have been going through my Girly Inspiration board on Pinterest. These two photos did get my attention (click on them to get you there, if you want to)... Do I feel inspired? I might feel inspired! 

I should start my Pinterest Challenge again... I should do so much, but,where's the energy? There are some things happening backstage again, I wish I was able to show them all right now, but I can't. 

featured

Click image to take you to the post. 

Pam over Threading my Way featured my bag on her blog. 

Let's talk about (piles of) clothes

It's been quiet here in the blog. I am 32 weeks long by now, the weather got warmer, and I feel more and more tired by the day... 

I've been sewing - a little - though. But most of all I spent a lot of time doing laundry. Lots of it, until I started to notice some water was coming out from the back of my machine and flooding my kitchen floor. It took us a whole week to get the problem solved and yesterday - finally - everything was ok again. Now there's a whole lot of laundry to do, because, even though I had washed most of what I had to, the pile grew in a week of impossibility to do any laundry at all. 

But why did I have so much laundry to do in the first place? Oh yes! Guess what?! I was donated lots and lots and lots of clothes. I have gone through it all, I first washed and fold it all, then count it. There were 89 pieces total (not to mention the ones I've put away to donate after a first selection as soon as I got home). My refashion pile has grown a lot and I don't want to keep it in stock for too long, I already have some ideas for someof the pieces I got. I might even make my first fedora hat... Some of those clothes went straight to my closet as they were, and some are waiting for me to get my after pregnancy body to see if they even fit me at all... the rest, of course, is part of the refashion pile right now. 

With the warmer weather, I've also been sorting through G.'s clothes, putting away what doesn't fit anymore, so many winter clothes. I've donated so many already and try to sell others, but I am not yet ready to part from my handmades. Not yet! It's funny, I can easily donate my own stuff, but I just can't pass away the things I did for her (or the baby once he grows out of his pieces too). The good news is that LOTS of the things I made her, are growing with her, and others are perfectly suitable for her brother to wear. 

I do have too much clothes in this house at the moment though. LOTS of bags, and boxes, and clothes on every single piece of furniture. I don't want my refashion goals to become too obsessive and lately I've been wondering if all these items and the "I won't give it away because I can turn this shirt into a pair of leggings" aren't cluttering too much already?! I guess I am feeling overwhelmed and I need to get rid of some of these bags of clothes. Actually I just took 3 bags to a charity shop on one day plus 5 more are waiting on my car to follow. They were mostly pieces from this last amount I was donated and G.'s clothes that actually still fit and some that don't... (you just wouldn't believe how many shorts my G. has - hence giving away things that still fit - and no, I am not talking about handmades). 

When everything goes missing over here!

I usually spend most of my mornings online. Wasting my time, going through blogs, fb, e-mails, etc. Today, I took G. to daycare, went on buying some zippers and came home determined to continue working on some pillowcovers I was ordered. I pinned the first zipper to one, and went to my machine. Was just getting ready to change my zipper foot and start sewing when I realised, my zipper foot went missing. 

I don't know why it keeps happening to me lately, but apparently, in every single project that I put my hands on, something goes missing... It started with the snaps, which I found the day I got my post up. I bought two more colours by the way, and can't wait to add them to the onesies (one and two) I made for my baby boy and were still snapless. Then, I lost the elastic for the romper I did for G., and that one hasn't appeared yet. To finish that romper, I had to reuse some elastic from some old tights. 

Today, as said above, was my zipper foot. Because of this, I was able to organize my entire sewing/crafting space. I've put everything in the right place, some things were waiting for that for months. It felt good. I was looking for the zipper foot as I went but I wasn't that worried about it though, I have another sewing machine which foot I was counting on. I found it, and am ready to start working now. I have no clue where that other foot went to. I wonder if any of my cats decided to play with it and its hidden under any furniture or something?!