(sew)everyday notions

There's a pretty steady stream of tshirts & shorts that get made for my little man (3 yrs). They don't take much fabric, often I recycle old tshirts from myself & the Mister, and they take pretty little time. I don't usually blog them because they're too busy being worn! But here's a few I've made recently... instead of continually self-drafting (can you call it that when you just copy a RTW garment??) I bought 2 of See Kate Sew 's boys patterns - the Recess Raglan Tee & the AZTEC hooded vest . I debated on spending the $$ for two simple patterns, but the styling and longevity of the patterns (both go to kids size 8) means I'll get lots of use from these two. And they sew up great!! Above: I've got the long-sleeve raglan in size 3T twice, with cuffs. Fully sewed on the serger except for the zigzag hem (seriously can't be bothered rethreading the double needle!). I scooped the hem on the blue/white one for a bit more style. ...

Any day now, I'm going to become an Aunty for the first time! It's all pretty exciting and of course I had to make something for him or her. A baby quilt is always a winner, it looks like you spent a lot of time & effort on it (which I guess I did!) but it's also practical - something to throw on the ground for tummy time, take for play dates, and of course keep for always as a keepsake. I still have a few quilts my mum made when I was a baby and they are very precious to me. I tried to pick fairly neutral colours, although the peach colour probably makes it look a bit more girly than I originally had planned. I then found this cute rainclouds print for the backing (organic cotton on sale for a great price) and decided to add a small pop into the front of the quilt too. I did a very random strip quilt pattern, just chopping different lengths & using the width of the fabric.To break up the strips, I sliced one long edge off, then just inverted and sewed it a...

A very practical toddler backpack that isn't covered in licensed cartoon characters is hard to find. So I made my own. I love the navy/orange combination & also the individuality of this bag (so you can't mistake it for anyone else's). Pattern: Penguin Backpack, Oliver +  S (obviously I didn't use the optional penguin styling pieces- although I think they are super cute). From Book Little Things to Sew Fabric: Navy-white stripe cotton canvas, IKEA. Lining, cotton chambray, Spotlight. (Both stash) Also used: High-vis neon orange bias binding (front stripe), orange travel strapping. White strap connectors. Navy plastic heavy duty zip. -Lincraft. Some notes: I found the Oliver + S book at my local library & traced the pattern. The directions were great & the bag came together very easily.  I added in a front hanging loop to make the bag easier to carry, and allow for less strain if there was just one hanging strap. Of course I end up carrying...

fabric - loose weave denim, spotlight pattern - maritime shorts, grainline studio I'm trying to take the time to sew the things I wear on a daily basis. And with a little boy to follow around all day, these Maritime Shorts from Grainline fit the bill easily. Like a few other sewers,  I had to adjust the centre back seam. After making a wearable muslin, I sewed a size 10 & changed the back pieces accordingly: took in approximately 2cm from the centre back seam added 2 darts, both in the centre of the two back pieces (approximately in the middle of where the top of the pockets sit). I made sure I didn't sew on the pockets until I could try the shorts on to fit. Both darts take in about a 1.5cm each. I then adjusted the length of the waistband to fit the changes made.  Because of the loose weave of this denim, I knew these shorts would stretch & loosen during wear. I usually wear a belt but I wanted to do something to keep the fit snug al...