it is a wrap....trimming it again

i had the idea for these brewing and pieces languishing in basket for months, nothing like a deadline to give you a push.  i needed that push and i am so pleased with the result.  many thanks for these amazing pictures go to my lovely and uber talented friend susan.

here is where we started, originally i had not planned on using the green fan flowers (it is fair to say i love a neutral and muted colour pallet) but miss pitter can carry off any colour so it was back in the mix and allowed me enough fabric to squeak out two bands of colour on each scarf.  the blue tulipish pattern was a much lighter cotton and was whipped into tags, as everything is much better with a tag.

 

my trimming pieces along with crochet panels of alpaca, cotton and thick linen have been pulled together to make a family of loop scarves.  the wool is reassuringly wintery smelling and the cotton backing means no crys of itchyness from the littles.  the linen was destashed from my mother on a recent trip and is thick and soft. for all outings these will be a go to for most of the year and i am hoping to have these in use for many years yet.
 

voting opens on the pinterest board on the 1st of june and runs until the 5th, do check it out and give your favourite a repin. i highly recommend looking over the past years at some amazing work.  this has been another challenge i am so glad to have joined, i have such lovely things from it and will find more amazing crafters no doubt.

 and this is me enney pitter......hi (many of you will know the rare feeling of a photo of yourself you like....this is one for me)

trimming it

well all these little bits have come together for a car park/construction/street map inspired play mat.

n.b. always park your giraffe thoughtfully.  i really like the open ended play a simple mat like this provides, aside from the car/animal farm combination it has been a local map for outings and piled high with block for city building and pulled up over a chilly lap and investigated.  and so much nicer left laying out on the floor than some cartoony, busy riot of colour plastic shop bought thing (rant over)

.........

this mat came together simply in a few hours and would be a great project for a beginner sewist or if you needed to whip up  a quick baby shower or first birthday gift.  in saying that it is the 3 year old miss pitter playing away in the photos (without the normal promoting and/or bribing required) she happily pottered away for over an hour. win/win.

i began with this lofty brush cotton drill (i think it would be equally pleasing on a piece of denim).  my piece is 28 inches by 25 inches and seems about prefect for play and folded for transporting.

after squaring up my trimming pieces i played with the layout taking photos with my camera phone so i could look over them and pick out a favourite.

i then pinned, trimmed and stitched, 

if you were a beginner or perfectionist you could fuse your materials in place

 stitch the cotton tape first then a zigzag around your trimmings fabrics.

then bind , i could not help myself mixing up the black binding with some royal blue and white. i had to have white, as my adult self had to provide clear points of entry onto the mat and there had to be two to minimise the chance of disputes.

(if anyone would like a more complete tutorial let me know in the comments and i'll get to it)

and in the end this is what is left on the table....i am very happy and the mat is an everyday play item already, chocolate stained and fought over.

well and truly trimmed i would say!

if you have got this far and would like to vote for your favourite trimmings project (wink, wink), the voting is conducted via pinterest follow this link to pin your favourite/s between the 1st and 5th of June.

warm and worn...kids clothes week

with a few delays and absent days i have caught up on my commited hours to make a jacket each for master and miss pitter from more of those old woollen blankets.  after recently being inspired by the lovely Wendy from small forest shop i finally took the plunge into sewing with blankets i have had stockpiled for the past six months.

what can i say...i feared for my fingers almost every stitch and was ultimately surprised my efforts only resulted in one broken sewing machine needle and a few machine alarms.  the overlocker pulled through unscathed even when asked to do its thing with 4 layers of blanket sandwich!

this is one of the first things i have sewn for master pitter, which considering he recently turned 2 is probably lax of me but the new jacket has had to be photographed stains and all as he has been so proud and possessive since i told him it was his...it was very good for my moral and likely to spurn more boy sewing!

 

this is a from a pattern i drafted a couple of years ago and have made in a bundle of different fabrics, i find the cropped sleeve and waist work well for offering some warmth or sun coverage during busy play.  my generosity with sizing means both jacket should see at least 3 years wear which is part of the reason i was so happy to finish miss pitters jacket with some of my late nans floral embellishments.

i was think this might be a good first pattern release for me...i will work away during the winter, let me know if your keen to whip one up yourself.

now i will have to ignore the new fabric on my table and go back to my list

3 in the hand...a quick sew

it was very late in the night before the house settled and i could pay some attention to the pile of good intentions i had for the kids clothes week.  in the end i decided to start at the end with something simple to get back in the zone and not tax myself more than necessary. 

i managed to pop together 3 winter collars for the little pitters, two for miss and one for the master.  a lovely old woollen blanket, a few vintage cottons, and a few tidbits from the depths of the draws pulled together nicely i think.

for the little pitters i have found this style works well, it sits straight against the back of the neck and around the ears but rolls nicely over the collar bone and cheeks at the front

and just as well we are still burdened with easter chocolate to pay for the required modelling services.

i was considering making my pattern up as a pattern tutorial if there was any interest do let me know.

preparing to rug up.....kids clothing week

we have jumped from a balmy and comfortable autumn headlong into ''where are my sock, those big thick socks''.

so this round of kids clothing week is all about lovely soft, cuddley and warm layers to wear when we are stuck inside this coming winter. not especailly pinworthy i am sure but i will be happy to cuddle and pat the wearers for warmth.

i have had the oliver + s sailboat pattern for about 2 years and am finally breaking it out.  after reading thought the insructions as a late night pleasure i am at a loss why i have not made the top earlier.  i will be hitting my vintage flannel sheet stash for two tops. a hopeful two tops for miss pitter.

i am also planning to successfully convert my 20 minutes pants pattern into a size 2 and 3 for the little pitters.  with the plan being i can make some heavy cord, denim and brushed cotton pants without to much bulk at the waist. two pairs for each, mmmmmm!

if all goes well who know where the mood will take me....

if things go swimmingly then you might see some woollen coats and collars to fend off the bitingly cold breeze.....drawings tomorrow for anyone who wants to see pants magic planning..

pin sticks be gone...

a little deadline procrastination has resulted in my sewing a pin cushion finally! in all my years of crafting i have never had one getting by with jars, tins and regular pin sticks.

master pitter is very fond of things that could result in injury so pins scissors and quick unpicks have been locked away....until now......

the pins are free to rest in the softest linen cushion with french knots to keep them company. i included a loop so it can hang on the wall away from interested hands when not in use and the base has a magnet for swiping up any strays.

we have a hazy light today so i will photograph more at a later date, thinking of making more and adding to my shop stock plans.

now i am more convinced that i need to treat myself to some clover patchwork glass head pins just to add to its soft pearly character....ohhh and i have lots of patching in my future too.

a little easter on the way...

hopefully there will be two little girls with smiles when these eggs get 'cracked' open ................

i am rather partial to big brooches on little girls and these scrappy dappy rabbits (yes one is in its egg already) will be fun year round i think.  the eggs are simply cut from old packaging paper, then add a few stripes of washi and sew closed.  to make the stuffed egg in one go i stitched about 2/3 the way around the unfilled egg and then inserted the rabbit, ears folded and continued back to the start.  i also find when stitching paper it help to set your stitch length to 4/5 unless you want to make a rip-able perforation.

in other eastery news miss pitter had a rabbit bonnet made. i used the cozy winter hood pattern from oliver+s little things to sew. and like a slew of crafty others i drafted my own pattern to convert the ears from the original bear shape to floppy bunny ear.  you will find a picture of this cheeky rabbit over on my instagram feed (over in the side bar there....) in truth the bonnet has barely been off with the only exception being sleep time and for trying on by other want to be bunnies.

and there are a couple of bunnies, Bernice and Bertram we shall call them (the basil pattern from hop skip jump) well on there way to completion in time for egg delivery day. i'll pop pictures up when they can see, have articulated arms and lovely pink noses ready for sniffing.

fabric a go go ..

as i am already go on the hand printed fabric swap the second go is the umbrella prints trimming competition.

the trimmings competition started on the first of march and after mulling over my pack for a few months a little crisp breeze blew in the other day and suggested an idea to me.  now i do not think this little plan had a hope of winning big, but i do know if i can make it a reality there will be three possibly four snuggly pitters in this home.

there will be some creamy linen and %100 alpaca wool along with most of the trimmings pack.  the other two trimmings pieces will likely end up as a spiffing pin cushion.

and i can say i am more than i little tempted to get a second pack and see what pops into my head.

i will be making the most of the 31 of may deadline.  if you want to join in please do, you can find the details here.  you may note that voting is done via pinterest so do pop over and follow me here and the voting board here.

a little challenge on the side...

the postman delivered a little treat today, my umbrella prints trimming pack. 

each year they run a little competition using there sweet packs.  this year the competition period runs from march to june with entrants posting their wares onto a pinterest board.  i am a lot excited but it is a competition so you will not see my plans until i am done.

this year i'm in and i have my best friend joining me, will anyone join us? do let me know in the comments.

new for master pitter and momma

you may have seen that miss pitter gets the lions share of sewing goodlyness, but after sorting her heaving wardrobe as part of a mammoth (love that word and wish that woolly mammoths were not a thing of the past) tidy (tidy is a very polite term) i can no longer justify making her many more clothes for a year or two at least.

so

master pitter and momma get a turn.

i have bought my first 2 japanese pattern books (i know you have had them for years.)  and with my pocket money i was off to the fabric store to load up, yes more, but much more manly than usual

so there are plans afoot and after finishing off my last market commission it will be a go go.

miss pitters kit

linen,cotton and vintage doily with dot bias ties

the lovely cotton print on the back with a button tag label

so many times miss pitter stands beside me at the machine and asks if what i am making is for other boys and girls and so many times i say yes.

there is a little whimper, a dropped lip and then the light switch is flicked and she asked if she needs to try it.  ohh so helpful you may think but i pay in chocolate for this kind of help.

but all tolled i think she comes out trumps in the wardrobe department this is a selection of her summer kit.  i feel a little relived looking back on these and saying yes for you miss pitter.

fine wool apron with doily breast plate

little pitter leg cozies (or robot legs if you are 3 and cool)

recycled merino hat with fabric trim and button (when your 3 all you need is a warm head)

voile and white linen pop over with mustard bias from nonnas stash

the softest linen i have ever touched with doily front.  the back panel is from the same voile as the above top

and buttery soft drill with vintage lace pocket and knee details, once again thank nonna for the lovely extras