Sewing for Lucy

The dresses I made Lucy for Christmas are now mid thigh length tunics, so I thought it was time I did some new sewing for Lucy.

I used Townmouse's Isabella flutter sleeve top pattern and some fabric I bought at The Fabric Shop in Otara (formerly Designer Textile Outlet). Lucy has a thing for pink.

My most recent pattern purchase is Heidi and Finn's Cocoon Dress pattern. I am running out of days before her birthday at the end of September, so the Cocoon Dress may be a Christmas dress.

Summer Sewing Update - Dresses for Lucy

Getting stuck into the list was postponed as I was distracted by pretty dress sewing. I made Lucy-the-niece two Heidi and Finn Pintuck Dresses before Christmas.

She won't wear them. I ask, "Lucy, where are you new dresses?" She says, "Too hot." And then she says, "T-shirt," as she points to her tummy. Hmm. I think they are very cute and they were pretty simple to make too.

I also made my cousin Kell's 3 month old a tunic/dress using Ginger Baby's Plum Pudding Dress pattern.

Tiny Skirts and an Apron

Baby Lucy turns two very soon so I have made her three summer skirts as part of her birthday present.

I simply cut across the width of the fabric and went for a total length of about 30cm/12", to end up with a finished length of about 25cm. So quick!

I was going to make each one from a single fabric until I saw Linda's cool skirts, and decided to do some mixing and matching on two of them. Four of the five fabrics are from Spotlight.

A weekend or so ago, I can't remember, I also made Lucy an apron at the request of her Mum. Lucy is getting some kind of kitchen set up for her birthday (perhaps the thought is that Lucy will take after her Nana who is the best baker).

I had a final length and a waist measurement and went from there. It's fairly unimaginative. It could have been a lot prettier. I found the cotton lace and old ricrac in the stash and added them, in an effort to make it less plain.

One week of school left until the hols. Thank goodness. I am looking forward to a week without school work and a change of head space.

A Second Shirt for Lucy

I got Baby Lucy's second shirt finished recently. After cutting two right sleeve plackets I decided just to sew up the wrong placket and re-cut it in the right place. You can see the mistake if you look for it, but given the floral fabric ($6 at Spotters) and fact she will be wearing this under a jersey or cardi in winter, I am not too worried.

I love the Peter Pan collar and the pin tucks.

One Shirt and One Fox

After a week of mistake after mistake the first shirt is finished.

I decided to use domes rather than make buttonholes - thinking that would be tidier. But then I sewed all the domes on wrong side up so had to unpick them all. And because the buttons were attached to the domes, they all came off too.

Today it all came together and it is now in the mail to baby Lucy. If it fits, I will be finishing the other flowery one and making a third with the fabric my sister-in-law sent me during the week.

The fox is closer to being done, although I am out of essex linen so until more arrives, it is sitting in the half done pile!

I plan to add one more light x block under his nose to finish it off and then I want to add an 8" border of essex linen around the whole thing. It will end up about 48 x 48", 122 x 122cm. Not sure if that's a particularly useful size, but if you are only three and a quarter you will fit under it or perhaps hang it on your bedroom wall.

One Armed Shirts

My sister-in-law asked me if I would make baby Lucy a couple of long sleeved winter shirts. I quite like sewing for Lucy so said, "Of course." I had Oliver and S's Music Class Shirt and Skirt pattern on the shelf just waiting.

I haven't used an Oliver and S pattern before. I am pleased the pattern is printed on slightly thicker tissue than that yukky brown tissue the likes of Simplicity and Butterick are printed on.

I read on someone's blog that when she wants to make say five shirts, she cuts out all the pieces and then does step one on the first shirt, the second shirt, etc. The blogger says it saves time. So I cut out enough for two shirts. My test shirts really. My sister-in-law is still choosing material.

They are certainly not quick shirts to make - although I reckon the short sleeve version would save hours!

My favourite part of the shirts are the pin tucks.

My least favourite part of the process is the sleeve placket. It is super-fiddly.

Anyway, I am about 75% done. I would be almost done if I hadn't cut the sleeve placket in the same place for the left and right hand sleeve. Ack. Fortunately, the required 1 meter of fabric the pattern calls for is quite generous, so I have enough for another sleeve.

Not sure how wintery looking these fabrics are. I just thought they were pretty. Both from Spotlight. One only $6 a metre.

Birthday Pants

What one year old ensemble would be complete without frilly pants? Unfortunately, I couldn't get any more of the Japanese cotton from Spotlight that I made the dress out of, so I went for green spotty pants which match Side B of the dress.

I have used this Tie Dye Diva pattern before. The pants take me a couple of hours to whip up. I haven't sewn off the elastic yet. I did with the first pair I made Baby Lucy at Christmas but then I had to unpick the leg and waist casings to loosen off the elastic! I am not making that mistake again.

Lucy's Birthday Dress

The last page of instructions took about 2 hours to master.

First of all, maintaining a 3/8" seam allowance around the sleeves was not going to happen, so I reverted to 1/4" to avoid little puckers. Then I sewed the wrong pieces together and ended up with this ... some kind of cape-like situation!

So I unpicked the sleeves and the sides. Re-sewed the sleeves and then the side seams made sense. I would say I am an average sew-er with at least 30 years on and off sewing experience, so I will say the pattern was lacking in a couple of places especially when it came to sewing the sleeves. I also think the photos in the pattern would have been easier to follow, if the fabrics were higher contrast.

Anyway, one Sunday morning later it's finished.

I don't love that one section hangs lower than the other. It doesn't in the pattern, so I am hoping once it's filled with one year old puku (tummy) it will even out!

If I made this top again, I would use fabrics with less contrast because don't like the way the ties stand out on the B side. Or maybe the trick would be to use a different fabric for the ties that blends in with both fabrics.

I plan to make some frilly pants, like these ones, to match. And then these cute shorts and this top. Perhaps for Christmas. As if I need a reason.