Sofia's Coat

We've had a tough weekend with tummy rumbles and back pains so I haven't had time to properly show this off. Heck, I can't even remember what day I finished it.

I know I spoke with my aunt on Wednesday evening and she put it in my head to add some ribbed cuffs to the lining to make the coat a bit more wind proof.



It was a bit fiddly, but not anything difficult. I skipped the part in the directions about shortening the lining sleeve by 1" and instead I sewed up the side seam and cut off the bottom 2". Then I sandwiched the cuff between the sleeve and the cut off piece and used a stretch/overlock stitch on my regular sewing machine to stitch the whole thing together.



Finally I followed all directions and sewed the rest of the coat together. I also threw in a pair of matching mittens from the new Oliver + S-book Little Things To Sew.

I haven't gotten around to adding the snaps to the coat - Sofia snatched the coat up and haven't let me have it since.

I am considering putting in a temporary zipper because she's not very keen on the buttons. I have a thick, orange zipper at home that would match the orange elements in the fleece, so I'll have to think about how to add it now - after the coat is done.

Sofia's thrilled though and is wearing it to daycare today. I hope it keeps her warm enough.

Fluffy post!

It's no secret that Oliver + S is my favourite children's clothes designer.

When Liesl announced last year that she was writing a book with Little Things to Sew I was very excited. And as soon as it was possible I pre-ordered a copy.

Yesterday it peeked out of my mailbox as we came home from the stables, and both girls were very excited to have a look inside.

I managed to have Isabel put her horse-smelling clothes in the bathroom to be aired out and then I made coffee for me and we all sat down and had a look.

I think the girls requested one of everything, and I have already agreed to make Isabel a tutu. I want to make a messenger bag for me and the smaller version was so cute I think I'll make one each for the girls.

But, lately we've had quite a cold spell. It's been snowing all day today and it's -1C which translates to about -10C with wind chill. So tonight I'll put Sofia's coat on hold for a little while and see if I can't make the girls some mittens. I have some warm lilac and white wool and I still have a large piece of the strawberry fleece I used for Sofia's coat lining left.

I haven't looked at the pattern for the mittens, but I hope I might be able to make the girls a larger version and line the wool with the fleece.
The wool is too scratchy by itself, and the fleece is too thin.

I hope it's a quick project because I really want to get some progress on Sofia's coat.
I started out making just the button tabs last night. Then I thought I ought to try the buttonhole presser foot and see if I could make it work. Which it did.

Next I started assembling the right front panel which was done in a jiff.

By now Rickard had asked me to join him downstairs for coffee and a movie, so I said I'll just finish up the left front panel as well so I'm on an equal footing for when I start tomorrow (today).

But of course I had to try and organise the left over pattern pieces and really, sewing the back yoke to the back panel wasn't that big a deal?
And then a top stitch?

And why not the shoulder seams while I'm at it so I can hang the WIP from a coat hanger?

I had to force myself away or I would have done the side seams too.

After the we had finished watching some HIMYM-reruns I went upstairs again, but it was really too late to get anything done by then.

Tomorrow I have taken the day off since Isabel has her Sport's Holiday week and she and Sofia are sleeping at their grandparents' Thursday-Saturday. We're going to town to buy some nice cake and a present for their cousin who turns 5 on Thursday.
Then after lunch Isabel is due at the stables again for her last try-it-out session of the week. She was very happy about it yesterday when I picked her up. She had been allowed to ride a REAL horse! By herself!

I'm thinking regular riding lessons will not be too far off in her future.

Happy birthday to me!

I have a birthday coming up in a few days and I got a bit of birthday money to spend, along with some savings from before.

I have wanted to get some City Weekend by Liesl Gibson for Moda for a while now but all of the prints and colour combinations were so pretty I had a hard time choosing.

But today I finally made my decision.

I bought a red combination to make a Jump Rope Dress or School Photo Dress for Sofia.

And this yellow combination will become another School Photo Dress for Isabel - or if I can enlarge it, a Jump Rope Dress.

It may be that I will have to swap the colours - I'm not sure how Isabel will fit in the yellow, but I'm pretty sure the red will look good on Sofia.

I also bought two knits to try out in preparation for Modern Workshop. Everyone I spoke to says the City Weekend knits are a dream to work with .. so I'm giving it a try.
I think the knits will become either a Bedtime Story PJ or Nature Walk Pants and a Hopscotch Shirt.

Happy Birthday indeed!

change of plans - in a good way

I got a nice change of plans last night.

I had so much to do and I explained to the girls that they would have to shower and not bathe because I had so much to get done in the kitchen I didn't want them to be alone in the tub upstairs.

They both agreed and we set off home from the store with out groceries to get started.

But just as we had parked the car in the driveway Rickard came home. He had left the office early and was home almost 45 minutes earlier than expected.

So Isabel had a shower and Sofia got to have a bath. Both upstairs and I got on with the cooking.

Meatballs started in the Kitchen Aid, peanut butter chocolate fudge sauce on the hob, a load of whites in the wash and a batch of Nigella's Breakfast Bars in the oven.
Once the meatballs were fried I started a stew for Saturday.

When we sat down to eat an hour later it was the first time I had sat down since leaving the office.

After the girls were in bed I didn't have any energy left to go upstairs and sew. I was going to just watch an episode of Big Bang Theory, but I ended up re-watching Inception, parts of it anyway. By 10 pm I was wiped and went to bed instead.

Today I leave the office early (around 1 pm) to pick up the girls. Then we're getting everything ready for our company tonight.
I have to make pannacotta for dessert as it needs to set in the fridge for a couple of hours.
And we need to straighten up the house a bit. Stuff is lying all over.

Isabel asked to be allowed to wear her new dress tonight, but I asked her to wait until tomorrow when we have family over. She agreed.
She tried it on last night and she looked very pleased with it. She approved of the pocket in front and kept smoothing out any and all wrinkles. I caught a glimpse of her fingers and they were smeared with black crayon or marker. Luckily it was all dried and didn't leave any marks.

She declared it her most favourite dress in the world.

Dresses and evening plans

Isabel's dress is done. I finished it up last night while watching old Plunkett & MacLeane and two Eli Stone episodes (I have a celebrity crush on Jonny Lee Miller at the moment).

Isabel has still to try it on with sleeves, but she tried it before and it fit her perfectly.

Tonight, my R is away on business up north (which is pretty much anywhere in Sweden since we live in the far south) and planned to be home after the girls' bedtime.

We are having people over for dinner on Friday so I have to go to the store with the girls tonight to pick up the veggies. I didn't want to get those on Tuesday when we have company on Friday.

We're having tacos, and I have to put together a stew for Saturday when we're having the family over for dinner.
And I planned on serving meatballs for dinner tonight. Not an ideal choice since we'll be home a bit late, but ... I promised.

All the cooking will seriously impede my sewing time. My next project is a coat for Sofia. And I have a folding tote cut out that I should sew up first. But that's a quick project. I might have time for both ...

... I love you Mummy ...

I don't really like getting up in the morning. I'm much more of a night person and I prefer to sleep in.

But getting up to see this and hear her say "I love you Mummy" makes it a lot easier.

Princess Di is wearing a new dress ...

Monday morning I cut out the last two pieces for Isabel's new School Photo Dress.

This dress has been on my list for a while. At first I didn't really care for it, but being the Oliver + S junkie that I am I still bought the pattern.
It has a hidden front pocket and an invisible zipper in the back. Both features that would normally put me off the project.

But then I've seen so many pretty dresses from this pattern in the Oliver + S Flickr pool I decided to make it for Isabel.

So I spent the weekend tracing the pattern onto some interfacing to use as templates and on Sunday night I pinned everything and cut out the dress.
I pinned the lining late Sunday night and didn't want to chance messing it up so I left it for the next day.

As the girls were hopping about Monday morning, getting ready for school and daycare I had a few moments to spare so I cut out the lining pieces and decided to get started sewing in the afternoon.



It was a lot easier than I had anticipated. The instructions to all Oliver + S patterns are always top notch.

So since I excel at following directions I had the dress constructed in record time. I would have had it almost completely done on Monday night, but my serger is a bit too loud to run at 11 pm, so I had to stop.

I finished up last night, and all I have left is attaching the lining to the zipper and sewing in the hook and eye and buttons. But I didn't want to do that sewing last night since the dress is white. I was sure I would prick my finger and bleed all over it if I attempted that at 10 pm.

More to come.

Sewing progress

Last night I started sewing a School Photo Dress for Isabel.

Now, I know the old saying: Pics or it didn't happen! But I'll leave this as a teaser for later tonight.



I will share these though. Popover Sundresses for the girls' dollies. I used my Oh-Cherry-Oh Layer Cake and Charm Pack to make them.
One layer cake piece fit one dress panel, so in total 4 layer cake pieces (2 for the dress panels and 2 for the bias tape) and one charm square to make one dress.
These was even leftovers to make an apron or a head scarf.

Oh, joy!

I'm sewing again!

I have only cut out the pieces, but I'm going to start sewing tonight.

After I come home from the fabric store.

I also signed up for Pink Chalk's Fabric Club. I'll get 8 yards of solids once a month, this first shipment will be in pinks.

As I was re-organising my fabric stash I realised I have very little solids or the equivalent of solids (tiny dots, stripes, checks). I guess when I buy fabric from the States I tend to get the prints since space in the shipment is limited. I need to get better about that.

So tonight, if the girls aren't too tired, hungry and cranky we're going to the fabric store.

I want to get fabric for linings and bodices, I'm getting oilcloth for a coat for Sofia, some acetate lining fabric, some broadcloth, my favourite gingham in several colourways, 2 pillow forms 16" square, zippers and thread.
I will try my very best not to get any more printed fabric as I have loads and loads of that at home.

I found some cotton heirloom fabric that I think will make a nice dress for Isabel and one for Sofia. They had two patterns and of course I preferred the one that cost almost twice as much as the other.

I also plan to get some interfacing to trace pattern pieces on. It will be a lot more durable than tissue paper.
I'm not a huge fan of tracing patterns though as it takes so long, but once it's done it will save me time.

I hope.

Enough is enough.

OK. That's it.

I have to get back to my sewing.

I was browsing the Oliver + S pool on Flickr and I saw so much of the pretty!

I also have to get my hands on some of the City Weekend fabric before it's gone forever. Only problem is how to chose.

I think I'll buy myself some for my birthday which is in two weeks.

Arranged

I saw a blog post a few weeks ago with awesome fabric organisation.

She had used backing boards for comic books to wind up fabric on for storage. It looked neat and tidy and just what I needed.

Unfortunately all the backing boards I could find were sold by people who (like me) wouldn't brave the entity that is the Customs Office and sell internationally.

So I had to look up a local stockist. And I managed to find one too. Rickard picked up the boards for me on Monday and I started re-arranging the cupboards immediately.



This is how far I've come and I have to say that while it looks good (great, even) it does take up a lot more space than it would if I had folded it neatly and put it in piles.
It's a lot more accessible this way though and it's easier to see what I have and what goes with what. Estimating the amount of yardage I have is also easier.

I have some ways to go before I can say I'm finished, and I also have lots of fabric that I will pack up and store in the attic.

I will modify this idea for that fabric so I can remember what I put in storage.