kcwc – days 6 & 7 – FO 25 & 26

Phew…made it! I actually finished the outfit.

But before I share can I just say thank you for all the kind comments on my last post. You are all just so very kind.

For my first kcwc I was planning to make one of Heidi and Finn’s Cowl Neck Jumper Dress

image courtsey of heidi and finn

and Stitch and Whimsey’s Oh Suzanna Smock.

image courtesy of stitch and whimsy

Both patterns were in my pattern library and I planned to upcycle one of The Husband’s shirts for the smock and a dress donated by Ma SIL.

However, this plan changed at the beginning of the week when Button was invited to a birthday party today at a children’s play centre.  She needed something new, but not a frock.  I wanted her to be able to run and play and have fun without being encumbered or losing her modesty.

Muuuuuuuum! Let me go and play!

So I went with the Oh Suzanna Smock and Peek-a-Boo skinny jeans.

As the top was made from new fabric rather than an upcycled shirt I went with the elasticated sleeve:

Button loves the pockets:

Speaking of pockets…I lined the jeans pockets with the same fabric:

It’s these little details that make me love sewing clothes.

There are cute little back pockets too:

These are just begging for embellishment!  Maybe on the next pair…

I used a triple stitch and good old Gutermann thread to do the topstitching:

It’s the first time I’ve used this technique and I’m really rather pleased with the result.

As is Button. She got to run and climb and slide and jump in complete comfort, with room for cake. Which, in my book, makes my first attempt at kcwc a success.

These two patterns are going to get some use over the next few weeks.  I’m planning to upcycle those shirts, and I have a pair of Daddy’s jeans to use too…she has outgrown her current pair of denims so these are a priority.

But, I still owe her that little knitted dress, so tonight I downloaded and taped the pattern:

This should be a quick make.  I think I might be on a roll.

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kcwc -days 4 & 5 – no sewing but a great result

Lawks a lordy…still no flipping pictures of sewing progress, but yesterday I did make it to the sewing loft. My progress is thus:

1. Oh Suzanna smock – sewn but awaiting elastic at the neck and sleeves to finish it.
2. Lilac jeans – I have the back yoke attached and topstitched.  I have the front pockets almost finished.

When you write it down it doesn’t seem like much but I did spend several hours in the sewing loft yesterday.  I think it will all come together tomorrow.

Today…well…today was a very different sort of day.  I’ll tell you about it but if you’re only here for the sewing do feel free to duck out now and come back tomorrow for a kcwc update.

Between parent/teacher meetings at school and hospital appointments that ran way over time I didn’t make it to the machine today. And we’ve had a bit of news at the hospital that has me feeling faintly exhausted, so tonight I’m not sewing…just a few gentle rows of knitting and a movie.

You may have noticed from pictures of him that The Boy has divergent squints in both eyes.  This means that both eyes tend to turn out towards the side of his head.

Another little gem of a sweater Made by Ma!
Edited thanks to Ma to say this is Pattern 2338 from Jolly Beachcomber Knits (a great book), knitted in mystery Aran weight donated by my lovely friend Liz.

As well as this he has little to no binocular vision.  So he has very limited 3D perception, which affects things like walking up and down steps, catching a ball, even walking from a carpeted floor to a tiled floor can make him pause whilst he works it out.

He has amazed us with his ability to develop splendid coping strategies… so much so that unless you knew he has a problem, you wouldn’t be able to tell.

So the surgery that we thought was today, but wasn’t, is a small operation to straighten his squints.

Today we met with his surgeon who noticed that he had a bit of an eye infection. This is nothing new.  He gets them all the time. Turns out he has a problem with a blocked tear duct.

At this point I threw in a perfectly innocent question about whether this would have any connection to recurring problems he has with runny and blocked noses. Problems that we’ve spent 2 years trying to get someone to take seriously and tell me something other than “he’ll grow out of it”.

Yeah…he might…but in the meantime he’s miserable every time he gets a cold.

The surgeon promptly decided that when she operates to sort out the blocked tear duct, she’ll have an ear, nose and throat surgeon in theatre with her, who will check out that side of things and do any treatment necessary.

It took less than 10 minutes for her to decide this.  I cannot tell you how grateful and relieved we are.

So, the upshot is that before Christmas our little man will have a surgery to resolve his issues with his continually sore eye and his problematic, if exceptionally cute, nose.

His squints will then be fixed at a later date.

It means another surgery, which I’m anything but thrilled about.

But I am thrilled that finally someone has listened to us and is prepared to help The Boy.

So I’m drained because a two year struggle to be heard is over…and I’m not sewing…and I’m OK with that.

PS…apologies for crappy iPhone pictures.  

kcwc – day 3

Bought more fabric…lilac needlecord for the skinny jeans.  Actually, Ma bought it…thanks Ma.  Button is thrilled.

But not as thrilled as she is with the new hightops that Ma and I bought her to go with this outfit.

They are from Next and Button nearly exploded when she saw them!  I may have to get her the pink ones too…and make her a pink outfit to match.

However some progress was made.  I taped together the jeans pattern and cut out the fabric. But it was so dark in sewing loft last night I couldn’t get a decent picture for love nor money.

Today, however, I’m actually sewing.  The Oh Suzanna smock is coming together nicely. It’s a delightfully simple sew.

And we found out today The Boy isn’t having surgery tomorrow so we all feel a little lighter…for now.

Back to the loft.  Pictures soon I promise.

kcwc – day 2 – not much to report

I started the day with the best intentions. I knew I had some things that needed doing that weren’t remotely related to sewing lovely clothes for the kids, but hadn’t banked on the afternoon being lost too.

It was in a good cause…having the windows measured for eventual replacement.

But it means I’ve still got nothing to show for day 2 of kcwc.

That said…I’ve taped together the Oh Suzanna Smock pattern and cut it out from the fabric I bought on Monday.

It’s the most delicious cotton lawn.

I’ve also purchased and downloaded Peek-a-Boo’s skinny jeans pattern.

What’s not to love.  Skinny jeans for boys or girls.  A bajillion sizes.  I’m really looking forward to using this pattern as both my kids look adorable in skinnies and I have at least 4 pairs of adults trousers in the sewing loft ready for re-purposing for them.

I see quite a few iterations of this pattern in my future.

And whilst I was on the Peek-a-Boo site I also downloaded this pattern which is available free of charge.

So flipping cute.

This won’t be made during kcwc, but I’m envisaging this in the lovely “fauxbury” plaid I recently bought, trimmed with black, possibly velvet.

So no completed garments yet, but definite progress. And I’ve allocated more than the requisite hour to sewing related activities both yesterday and today…which is more that I’ve done for quite some time.

Hopefully the top will be sewn tomorrow.

 

kcwc 1 – Kitty – FO 24/2012

Ok…so strictly speaking this has been finished for a week or so, but I’ve not had the opportunity to share it with you yet.

And it’s a really cute way to kick off my first ever kcwc.

Pattern: Kitty from Donna Higgins at Heirloom Stitches

Yarn: Araucania Sock Yarn -it’s a mystery which one!

I love this pattern and I love this yarn.

The colours are  even more saturated in real life, but because of the variegation of the yarn, it’s not too bold.

Unlike my daughter, who, quite frankly, is ‘bold’ personified!