Sewing fun!

A shameless show off post today. After months of inactivity, my sewing machine has whirred back into life. I've made a very simple drawstring bag to hold Alice's friend's first birthday present. It's my first attempt at appliqué since I was in school, so I'm quite pleased!

And as we're basking in beautiful Spring sunshine, I thought Alice could do with a new hat. It's reversible, and the purple side is waterproof. Handy for our unpredictable weather! It's a bit wonky in places, but I'm very proud of it, and Alice likes it a lot.

First Attempt

When it comes to sewing, I have very little experience, but the idea of making clothes really appeals to me. I guess it's best to try it now when Alice doesn't point blank refuse to wear the odd things I make for her. With that in mind, I bought a book with patterns in the back and decided to give it a try. I picked a simple dress, but the smallest pattern size was for 2-3 years, so I had a go at making it smaller. I also decided I'd like it to be a top rather than a dress as Alice still isn't using walking to get around and she gets cross when she crawls on her dresses. In retrospect, I should probably have stuck to something that I didn't have to modify as the finished result looks a little crazy. I've fiddled with it a bit and found she can wear it in two ways:

Both look a bit odd, but what can you expect from a sewing novice and a pair of old curtains?

Wind the bobbin up, clap, clap, clap

My track record with sewing is poor to say the least. My first proper experiences of using a needle and thread came in secondary school during "Textiles", the modern name for Needlework. In my brief career, I managed to break two school sewing machines and a fair few needles. If my teacher remembers me, which I doubt, I would imagine her memories are not positive ones.

I hated sewing at school and struggled for hours at home with a lot of help from my mother to make my projects look vaguely acceptable. This makes it more strange that I should have suddenly had a desire to start sew again. I think it began with the baby leg warmers. It felt great to have made something cheaply that did the job well. I just wanted a bigger project.

My pram has been sitting forlornly by the front door for months now as I always wear Alice in the mei tai when we go out. I have been struggling to carry the bag full of bits and bobs babies necessitate. I decided I needed a backpack, but didn't like any I saw in the shops. Here was the perfect opportunity to try out my new found interest in sewing. My mother has very kindly leant me her sewing machine. It's the same one I swore at under my breath so many times ten years ago, but we seem to have got on much better now. I'm very pleased to have finally produced something I'm proud of. Lots of wonky hems, a few holes from unpicked threads and a very simple design, but I did it!

Baby leg warmers

Sewing is not a task that I find particularly appealing and frankly, I'm a bit rubbish at it. However, I came across Babylegs recently, and thought they were fantastic. Having finally discovered a comfortable baby carrier (more on that another time,) I've been heading into town with Alice wearing socks, tights and trousers to keep the cold at bay. Not ideal for speedy nappy changes. Leg warmers seemed like the perfect solution. Unfortunately, as we are now officially a single income family, I've been trying to cut back on spending money on fripperies. Imagine my delight at discovering this handy little project: Make Your Own Baby Leg and Arm Warmers.

Although I lack a sewing machine (I've had very bad experiences with bobbins...) I managed fairly well with a needle and thread and made two pairs last night. They've been for a test run today and although I wasn't mobbed by parents eager to know where they could purchase such stylish leg wear, they certainly did the job. Another bonus is that I now have a baby who looks like one of the kids from Fame. A good result all round.