Nappy!!!

Here t'is!!! :D My first nappy!!

Well, not actually my first - I made some for Hannah before she was born... but they never quite worked out. Hmm. So this is the first properly functioning one... lol


The outer fabric was chosen by Hannah on our last spotlight trip. She was off wondering around with my cousin, and decided to pull this fabric off the shelf and bring it over... lol.

Composition:

Shell -

Outer fabric
Full layer of 1mil PUL
Full layer of Hemp Fleece
Inside layer of Chamois

Lay in pocket -

Outer - Chamois
Soaker - 2 layers of Hemp Fleece
Booster - 1 layer Microfibre

Christmas Day!! (and other christmas photos)

Well... what a frantic day - and then some!!!!

We actually cheated, and gave Hannah the first of her christmas presents on christmas eve. Due to the HUGE rush that we had on christmas day, and our desire for her to play on it when she first received it, and the fact that she does not understand christmas yet...

So she had a lovely 30 minutes playing on her gym before the freezing Melbourne weather headed us all back inside.


Oh - and according to Hannah, this is how you go down a slide:

She is a little too impatient to use the steps, but we are working on that. Once the weather improves it will be going out onto the grass, as I would really rather that she was not going to take the knees out of all her pants, or else the skin off her knees.

Hannah woke at 11.30 Christmas eve, and refused to go back to sleep. Poor thing got stuck, and woke up hysterical... it took 10 minutes just to calm her!

So after a lengthy failed attempt to settle her, we gave up, and she came out and (as it was now well past midnight! and hence officially christmas day) was given a present to open. That worked a treat, and kept her entertained while we continued to wrap other presents and get everything ready for the next day.

About 1.30am we finally got her back down, as were able to resume preparing for the next day uninhibited... which for me included finishing her christmas dress!

4am I finally finished and got to bed!!!

Christmas day, the alarm goes off at 9am, and DH and I quickly exchange presents, before Hannah wakes at about 9.15.

Hannah joins us in bed, and has a great time ripping open all the presents!

Amongst other things, she received a couple of books (The Very Hungry Caterpillar is in the picture), some blocks, some clothes, a toy drum, some little rubber cars, a pair of sunglasses... and a few other bits.

Once presents were unwrapped (during which time I had control of the camera) I handed the camera over to DH with the daunting task of taking a photo of Hannah and ME!

I am VERY thrilled to say that he did an amazing job... and, although I did remove a few blemishes with photoshop, I am very happy to have the shot displayed at the top of this post!

FINALLY now (at about 9.45) it is time for Hannah to put on her dress!!!


At just after 10, we went to my mothers, where we met up with a family friend, and after a bit were joined by my 2 bothers and SIL.

Hannah looked like she should have been in with the presents, between her dress (which matched our wrapping paper rather well!) and her bow... lol. But she is at an age where that is just lovely and christmassy.

After a bit, we dumped Hannah there for half an hour while we went home to pack the car, and then we picked her up, and went on to my aunts (one of my fathers sisters) to see my father.

Quick nibblies there, and we were off again to christmas dinner at another aunts place (this time one of mums sisters) for christmas dinner (got there at about 1pm)

Roast Lamb, Roast Pork, Chicken, Veggies... YUM!!! All perfect for the FREEZING weather (top of about 13.5 degrees for the day!) Then Kris Kringle/presents (Ellie got the pants from her PJ's - we did not get the top finished in time, so she can have that later), quick desert... and we were off again!

We managed to get out the door by about 4pm, and off to MILs place (2 hour drive).

Poor Hannah was asleep within minutes of leaving, and had to be woken at the other end! She was absolutely perfect all day! Not a single grizzle (despite the 20 odd people at my aunts!) and gladly entertained everyone! It was really nice, as this was the first christmas without my grandmother, and Hannah did a really good job (as the only person under 13 there) of filling that void.

SO - MILs about 6pm. Just in time to see MILs partner for about 30 seconds before he left for work, and MILs partners son, DIL and grandson (same age as Hannah) for about 5 minutes before they left!

So more presents (including a furry blue vibrator from my MIL!! lol - actually a small furry blue vibrating homedics massagy thing), then more food (including some roast Lamb that MIL had set aside from the night before JUST for me, as she knows that I do not eat ham, and I LOVE lamb - which I thought was amazingly lovely!)

Hannah went down to sleep at about 11, then we stayed up until 1am with MIL, BIL BILs wife (2 month old niece was there for some of it too) and DH playing trivial persuit (I was the only person who knew that a collection of eggs layed in one sitting was called a clutch).

Hannah decided to sleep in my bed half the night (meaning I didn't), so about 8am Boxing Day morning I kicked her and DH out of the room and went back to sleep for another hour, then DH and I left Hannah with MIL while we went to spotlight, and got some fabrics. DH even picked one out himself for me to make something for Hannah with, which was fun!

We got home again about 10 last night, to face a house left in complete disarray! Ah well - it was worth it for a lovely Christmas!

Retrooooo

Hannahs latest dress. The fabric is a corderoy... but it is much lighter than standard corderoy.

I did not really like the break in the pattern from the seam between the bodice and the skirt, so I added some brown ribbon (stitched with orange cotton) to break it up, also using the ribbon as a tie at the back of the dress.

I am really pleased with the outcome. This was my 3rd re-do of the pattern, and by far the best finish/fit.

My only wish is that Hannah had darker hair, so she was better able to pull of a dark dress - but it hides the dirt and stains!! So it is worth it either way.

Dresses

The latest additions to Hannahs wardrobe... which will likely end up set aside for next summer, when they should fit perfectly.

These are a design that I am adjusting for a customers order, so here I was experimenting with different changes. The top dress is made to the original pattern, where the second one I made with a facing, instead of bias binding (which is why the neck is a little wide - I did not allow for the extra for the seam - oops) and the buttons only go down to the top of the skirt, not the full length. It is also a little shorter.

She has another one made to the original pattern in a blue striped cotton.

Going back to the first photo - she is riding the bike that her Pop got her as an early Christmas present (he lives interstate, and does not drive at the moment, so he would have had trouble bringing it down for her at Christmas, even if he himself makes it). She is totally in love with the bike! (Although she was not so keen on the hat that her uncle bought for her... lol)

Overalls!

This fabric was love at first sight!! I was planning to make some overalls to list in my shop, and this fabric was perfect!!!

I very vaguely based it around a Burda pattern... vaguely in that the shape/proportions/design is all completely different. But I wanted a guide for the height.

I did not really want buttons/clasps on the front, so I put hidden buttons under the waist band. (Hannah would try to bite them off if she could find them!). I also changed the shape of the front, and added a band under the front chest peice.

I also changed the design so that it has studs through the inner leg, which much to my delight worked out PERFECTLY! I added a facing, which I doubled over and sewed into place, so the fabric for the studs is 3 layers thick, so it will hold well.

I have had a request for some for a boy (these were a trial/excuse to make something for Hannah), and I am thinking I will do them in a similar colour set... his and hers. lol.

Spotlight sale!!!!! :D Some is for orders, some is for new items, and some just because I fell in love with it!

Our VIP night was a big flop - the demonstrator was sick, there was hardly anyone there... all the better for me to shop! At least I would have likely covered most of their extra wages for the night... oops!

I could not resist slipping up a couple of photos from todays shoot...

Brown dress

Couldn't keep you waiting any longer... Here is the dress!!!

It is vaguely based around the simplicity pattern that Novy suggested, but at the same time it is entirely what I set out to make... if that makes any sense. The skirt length and shape was taken from the pattern... and the straps, but only for convenience... I could have told you in detail what it was to look like before I knew the pattern existed.

The really exciting bit (for me) is that the finished product is EXACTLY what I envisioned!!


While I think of it, here is Hannahs jumpsuity thing (not quite a jumpsuit, as it does not have feet). It is too big, as being just pre-summer I wanted it to fit next year as well. The aplique was an afterthought, as the plain white/cream was a bit boring.

As you can see, I was not all that fussy about the finish. All the edges are just rolled hems. I was more just keen to have something warm enough to put on her that night (HA! less than a week later, and it was 32 today, and will be 36 tomorrow!)

Some of last nights efforts

Please excuse the bad photos. My proper camera is out of action.

She was not too happy about being made to try on clothes... she is just tired and grumpy in general, really.

But this is my fabric challange outfit. I am still not entirely happy with the skirt, but I am quite pleased with the top. I am not big on blue, though, so I am not sure if my discontent with the skirt is the skirt or the colour.



These are the pants I made. Again, not the best photo. I will try to post better ones later.

The fabric is corderoy, and it has ribbon and stuff running down it. The fabric was $17.95/m but it was worth it! I have some more of it, and I need to work out what I am going to do with it... (I made a skirt from the scraps as well, but I did not manage to get a photo before Hannah got sick of the whole clothes thing).

Boys outfit!!

I have my first boys outfit for my shop!!! I had to pre-make one, not having a son to sew for myself... so I hope that it sells.

I cheated a little on the applique... I saw a similar design somewhere else, and thought it would be perfect for this outfit.