NIKKI-SHELL

Lincel Tova

I've been sewing up a storm recently, i just keep forgetting to take photos.  I pretty much spent from Saturday night to Tuesday night sewing, i've been sewing late into the night on Saturdays until around 2 or 3am, i like that everyone else is in bed and i get to sew uninterrupted!  I've been sewing some coats for the lovely Stella (she's a very patient client), i made a dressing gown for my poorly little Esme finished my Freddie vest and made up this extra long Tova as a birthday gift to myself (i turned 34 on Monday).

DETAILS

Pattern: Wiksten Tova
Fabric: Lincel Denim tencel/linen from Tessuti Fabrics
Alterations: My last Tova felt a little tight across the back even though i cut a medium. I thought i'd need to go up to a large but it fit well everywhere else so instead i added an extra inch and a half to the back and created a pleat at the neckline. This worked perfectly! My other alteration was to lengthen it to mid calf.

This dress will be on high rotation in my wardrobe this winter! 

(the little jacket was an op shop find on Monday)

Kiddy vertebrae for Mia

After my last post i carried this knitting project around in my bag without really doing much work on it until last weekend when i decided to get it finished before heading back to work. 

So, i knit knit knit. On the sofa. At swimming lessons. Anytime i could. Until it was done.

And she's pretty pleased with it :)

DETAILS

Pattern: Kiddy Vertebrae
Yarn: Heirloom 8ply Easy Care from Morris & Sons
Alterations made: I lengthened the sleeves to the wrist, otherwise i made it as is.

My girl up there turned 8 last week, i can't believe i have an 8 year old!  Time sure does fly.

It's knitting weather

The weather seems to have suddenly changed this past week.  We have rain and it's chilly, just the right kind of weather to be sitting on the sofa watching movies and knitting.  I've been working on a Kiddy Vertebrae for Mia.

I'm using some Heirloom Easy Care 8 ply that i picked up on sale at Morris and Sons a few months back.  The best thing about this wool?  I can wash it in the machine!

I'm 4 inches through a 12 inch sleeve then have the other sleeve and the ribbed band to go.  It's knitting up quickly which is good because stocking stitch gets boring after a while ;)

While knitting i have the other small people of the house sitting either side of me asking when i'll be knitting their cardigans.  Esme is happy with a green cardigan but Heidi is a little more particular in her choice.  She wants a red and blue cardigan with hearts and stars and the gold heart buttons Bri gifted her the other week.  She'll be getting one of these instead.  I may knit a heart or star into it instead of the owl ;)

We have so far watched Season 1 of Glee, The Iron Lady, Tin Tin, The Inbetweeners, Season 1 of The Walking Dead and a few other movies.  What tv series are you watching? Recommendations?

Studio visit

Last Sunday we visited Brianna in her new studio....

Jealous much?! I certainly am.  

She set the girls to work knitting their own mittens on the machine...

Heidi needed a little help and Mia gave it a go but this girl took it all in her stride and even cast off herself!

The finished mittens (which have been worn every day since)

Heidi didn't get time to make a pair but Bri allowed her to wind off some purple wool to make some at home on my machine.  Wool winding is noisy business it seems!

A very inspiring and educational visit, homeschooling at it's best!  Thanks Bri.

Tova

Life has been a little busy lately, so busy that i've had little time to fit in any sewing.  The Easter weekend fixed that though, i spent all of Good Friday and most of Easter Saturday and Sunday sewing in my pj's...pure bliss!

My first finished project was the Wiksten Tova.  I've had my eye on this pattern for a while but it was quite pricey.  Luckily it's now available as a download for $10!

Details

Pattern: Wiksten Tova
Fabric: Liberty Lantana Ayse Red from the stash
Other info:I made a medium which fits..just.  It's a little snug across the bust and i'm considering making the large next time.  The length is in-between the top and the tunic, i wanted it longer but was limited by the amount of fabric i had.  The only other change i made was to bind the neck edge rather than having the collar (On Colette's recommendation).  The collar sticks out rather than standing up straight which could be fixed by curving the pattern piece a little more but binding works just as nicely and it mirrors the binding at the cuffs.

Then on Monday i sewed up an extra small version of the Tova for a wonderful young lady (who is the daughter of this wonderful lady).

Details

Pattern: Same as above
Fabric: Japanese cotton from the stash
Other info: I made the extra small.  Maybelle is 10 and this will be on the large side but this means it will last longer (better too big than too small i say!).  I added a few buttons and bound the neck edge instead ofthe collar.  The length is top length but will be more dress length on Maybelle.

 

This is a fantastic pattern!  I'll be making more for myself (in this linen/tencel fabric next) and my girls have taken a fancy to it too but i'll need to grade the pattern down for them. 

 

My baby is 4! How did that happen?

BIRTHDAY DRESS

From: Handmade For Children. see previous projects here, here and here (oh how much she has changed! sob! I don't ever want her to grow up.)
Fabrics: Spaced Out Snow and Mandarin Zin linen both from Tessuti Fabrics.
Notions: Elastic, pom pom trim and a snap fastener.

Heidi requested a jack in the box, a visit to the beach, fish and chips for dinner and a picture drawn by her Daddy of which she received every single one (plus more, including the above dress).  At bedtime she told me she was a very happy birthday girl and had had a wonderful day.  What more could i ask for?! 

BurdaStyle book

I'm a wee bit late in showing you this.  Last year i was asked to participate in BurdaStyle's first book, now if you've been reading here for a while you'll know that i worked with BurdaStyle a few years back, blogging and representing them at the Stitches & Craft Shows here in Australia.  BurdaStyle is a fantastic online sewing community which i have been involved with from the beginning in 2007, it has been wonderful to watch it grow and see how it has influenced people to get back into or start sewing.

For the book i was asked to sew a variation of their skirt pattern, i removed a layer of fabric, lengthened it and added deep pockets with a contrasting lining.

There are 5 patterns in the book with many variations, you can check them out here.  I'm particularly taken with Casey's version of the dress.

And although i'm not much of a blouse girl i do like the one in this book, it's more top than blouse i think.  I'll be trying this one out.

 

Avert your eyes. I'm wearing no clothes!

After a busy morning of rearranging and cleaning messy bedrooms i sat myself of the sofa with a coffee and an apple strudel scone to have a browse through my blog reader.  I checked out Jorth who is knitting endless amounts of baby clothes while banished to the sofa, Clementine's Shoes who has been remote craft camping and Sew Brunswick who is new to blogging and sewing up a storm.  I browsed though others then stopped by Oonabaloona who never fails to inspire me and make me laugh.  She's been creating her own croquis along with a few others and i almost choked on my scone when i saw her versions (go have a look!)

What a great idea! Why did i not think of doing this before?  I have fashion croquis books but really, who is 9 heads tall?  And i'm certainly not that skinny.  Of course, anything you draw onto these will look fabulous but then when you actually put it on yourself it's not going to look the same is it?  So, i pulled out the camera, stripped to my undies and took some photos (no, you can't see them!).  My girls thought this was hilarious of course and stood in a row watching and laughing.  I followed Lladybirds tutorial and a few hours later i had this....

TOTALLY different to the croquis in my books!  I don't have Photoshop (which i think gives a better result) so i used GIMP instead and although it's a little rough i think it'll do the job nicely.

When i have a little more time i'll make up a few others in different poses.

Missoni skirt

Time flies doesn't it?  I hadn't really taken much notice about how long it had been since my last post because i've been so busy, i've been working, kid wrangling, friend visiting, sewing, reading and beavering away on this project.  It was Jayne (Brianna's Mum) who wagged her finger at me yesterday complaining about my lack of blogging that prompted me to pull the camera out and photograph my latest project.

A Missoni tube skirt.  I purchased 45cm, cut the width in half to create the front and the back, sewed up the sideseams and added elastic to the waistband.  it took all of 20 minutes tops!

Missoni for a fraction of the cost in the shops? Yes please!

Happy now Jayne? ;)

A new beginning

I've started something new.....head over here to find out more.