My weeks work!

Over the past fortnight, I've been working on a big custom order of accessories. I can't show it to you juuuust yet - not until all pieces have been received by the people who are getting them.

It was so much fun to do something a little different, but it was also nice to be back at my sewing machine, creating little wearables again.

I whipped up five of these little sets this week; Two custom orders, two gifts for little friends' birthdays and one for Mollie.
I especially love the little (charcoal) merino leggings, I do so wish I could make some in my size! So snuggly. I hope their new owners will agree.

I also made this wee top, to match this pair of leggings that my Mum gave Mol after a recent trip to Cotton On Kids. The main fabric came in a parcel of fabric from the lovely Nin. It has a slightly brushed feel on the back, making it nice and warm.

These outfits are so much fun to make - and pretty much the perfect small girl get-up. The pieces work well together, but also as separates. And you can easily chuck a merino underneath, or a cardi on top, and they go through the cooler seasons, too. I have a feeling I'll be making many more in the coming weeks!

A bit of making, and a touch of nesting.

The 'Make my week, baby!' posts have been lacking lately, I know. I'm sorry!

To tell the truth, it's not really because I've not been sewing - just that the making has slowed a LOT since I got out the bags of clothes and things and realised that this babe is going to be need to be changed four times a day to even get through the things in the drawers! Who knew one family could have so many teensy outfits?

I have focused my crafting on a few slightly 'girlier' items, because those are the things we are lacking in after having two boys. I'm still fairly convinced that this wee bundle will be of the male variety too, but I want to have a few 'pretty' things just in case.

I made two more of the little peasant style dresses - this time in lovely quilting fabrics from Spotlight. Last time we were there the floral caught my eye, and I couldn't leave it behind, despite the $18/m price tag! Luckily this project takes less than 1/2 a metre, because that is all I could justify buying!

The wee cloths and hooded receiving towels (backed in the matching cottons) are inspired by the lovely Dee and her Birthnotes series (Go! Read it all! That woman is amazing!).

(I've been sewing other things too - but that will have to wait a wee while to be revealed. )

(Dress by the amazing  Hikkepik on Felt. Abraham got it for my for Xmas - juuuust in case!)

With only about 3 weeks of pregnancy left, my energy levels are starting to wane. We've had a very, very busy month and I'm ready now to just relax and wait for the next chapter to begin (one more thing on this weekend, then *breath out* relax!). It is amazing how time can seem to both fly and drag both at once. I feel like I still have a big list of things to get done in the next 21 days, but also that I simply cannot wait to wrap my arms around the new one, and breathe in a great big sniff of that amazing newborn smell.

In the mean time, I just sneak into the nursery every day and sit in the nursing chair, and imagine.

Make my week, baby: Weeks 5 & 6

 I had a feeling the crafting would have to slow down a bit once our non-holiday routine kicked in. It's much harder to fit it all in between pick-ups and drop-offs, playcentre, Yo Gabba Gabba viewings and snack servings.
I've also been a little distracted lately. Summer seems to have finally arrived, and we have been busy with beach outings, and our very first family camping trip! (I'll try and blog about that tomorrow, seems worthy of its own post..) We've been busy trying to eat as much sweetcorn as humanly possible, and making the most of reasonably priced peaches and nectarines. All in all, Summer has taken over a little, in the best possible way.

But, don't get me wrong, there has been a little crafting. I haven't forgotten the project altogether!

Firstly, I finished up this wee vest, from the delicious wool that Steph sent me. It's Malabrigo 'Pollen', and by golly it is scrumptious (the pictures really don't do it justice!). The pattern is Felipe, and whipped up super quick.

That was all I had made for the bump, until today.
I spent today sewing up a storm of patterned t-shirting, and came up with two onesies and a few t-shirts for Otto, too. I love to make these envelope/90 minute tee style shirts. They very rarely turn out looking anything other than awesome, and they are the perfect staple tee for hanging out around home and going to playcentre : )
(I've just realised that most of these photos are less-than-awesome, I apologise for that. They looked fine on the camera, and I really don't have the energy to re-take them!)




On a crafty, but not baby-related, note: I also finished up some sewing I've had lying around the studio for months now. These cushions are filled with fabric scraps (making them lovely and heavy. Perfect for brothers to toss at each other..) and make good use of the largest of my odd buttons. Love that.
(Yes, the wall could do with repainting. The joys of renting!)

Make my week, baby: Week 4

This week, I decided to do things a little differently : in true Rhiannon style, I decided to start knitting on the hottest week of Summer we've had so far! I'm so smart. hah. But really, some amazing lady told me that I would knit baby hats on circular needles (because double points and I just don't get along..) and I had to give it a go. And then I had to try and do one with stripes.. and well, the cardigan? I don't have any excuses for that one. I just love the pattern so much, I found some wool at the op shop, and had two days left in the week : )
(Hat is this pattern, and the cardigan is another one of these.)





I don't know if you can tell by the pictures, but these wee sets are made from 70's stretch towelling. Am I the only one who has a thing for babies in towelling? It just seems like the perfect fabric for little ones. And these colours are too, so hard to find baby clothes in bright colours these days!
The hats are, of course, more Sweetpea Pilot caps. And the pants are made from the Kwik Sew pattern I used for the merino ones.)



Lastly, I think I nearly perfected a pattern for newborn harem type pants this week.
(They are, heavily, inspired by the pants by this incredibly talented woman. I take no credit at all for this design.)
I made these from light sweatshirting type fabric, and put ribbing bands on the waist and the cuffs. Ribbed waistbands are so wonderful for little new pukus (and for pregnant ones too..), much softer than elastic. I plan to make a few more pairs of these, in a bigger size, they seem like they'll be the perfect comfy pants.


In other news, I'm sure most of you saw that the first of our wee pregnant-bloggy-quartet welcomed her little one earthside this week! Congrats Stella, and welcome to wee Garland James. You are both very lovely, and have me feeling incredibly clucky!
Dee, who will be next, is going to be giving us some baby-related tutorials and posts over the next few weeks. I'm feeling so excited about all the babies at the moment! Eeee.

Make my week, baby: Week 3

Don't you love those weeks where you feel like you haven't really achieved much, and then you realise that, actually, you've done much more than you think? This week has been very much like that for me, craft-wise at least.
I had planned a blog post in my head where I explained to you all that I've been too busy sorting the studio, ready for a bit of a room switcheroo, and hadn't actually managed much sewing at all. But when I went to take photos of things this morning, it turned out that some magic sewing fairies must have been at work, and my 'finished' pile was actually rather impressive!

(Sidenote: I have no idea why the grass is a different shade of green in every photo. Editing the photos was only making it worse, so you'll just have to forgive me. Please?)







I made three more of the newborn wrap tops this week. I told you they were addictive! I made a cream and brown one for our babe, another the same as a gift and a blue and brown one which I am swapping for a skein of the most beautiful wool I've seen in a long time. (With which I will attempt to knit one of those delicious hats with the little cords on the top.)






I finished my WIP from last week. A stretch'n'grow type suit, using the KwikSew pattern #3090.
I repurposed a merino turtle neck for the main part, and some merino scraps from a top for the binding.
I'm absolutely LOVING the press snaps at the moment. Despite them being rather pricey, I want to put them on EVERYTHING. Might have something to do with the satisfaction/stress release of hammering them on?



This was my first attempt at the Sweetpea Pilot Cap. So cuute! Why is everything little so, so much cuter? I made this from a recycled wool jumper, and some spare ribbing, and it came together in about 20 minutes. Yet another highly addictive pattern - I already have more of these in the works.

Lastly, this week I made these:



It's pretty much impossible to tell what they are from this photo, so I borrowed Aesop's friend, Froggy, to help demonstrate:

They are swaddling wraps! Pretty nifty, aye? I used the tutorial over at Prudent baby. I took a few liberties with the sizing, and also used wool blend knits instead of flannel. I'm not entirely sure how practical they will be, but they sure are sweet. I think they'd make very cool baby shower presents, too.

And with that, my week finishes. 3 down, 12(ish) to go!

Make my week, baby: Week 2

Okay, so I miiiight have gone a little overboard this week. Can I use the excuse that it is Abraham's last week of holidays? And that I'll have less time for sewing as of Monday? Or is extreme nesting instinct enough of an excuse for the fact that I seem to have made one thing per day this week?!

This was the WIP from last week. It's a bit of a funny one, totally not my usual style, but I love it all the same. I used the same pattern that I used for the bunting last week, and made it from olive linen and polka dot cotton. Abraham tells me it's like extreme 'casual wear'. Still working out if this is a good, or a bad, thing.





This set will, hopefully be one of the first outfits the babe wears. It's teensy tiny, and I estimate that it will fit for approximately 2 days, but I couldn't resist making it! I used two merino tops that I picked up at the Sallies, for a few bucks each. I'm so pleased with how 'professional' looking they are (I heart my twinneedle!), feeling much better about the fact that I just can't afford to splash out on Mokopuna/Nature Baby etc.
(Pants and bodysuit are Kwik Sew 3811 and the hat is from this tute)

Girly things. So weird to be making girly things! But, like I said, if by some strange chance this bebe is a girl, I want to have just a few 'pretty' things to put her in. I'm not big on pink, so these seemed like the perfect compromise. They're made using this tutorial, it was so easy I think there'll be a few more in the next few weeks!





I think there might be a few more of these little tops, too. I love wrap-tops on newborns - so easy to change- but they get a bit bulky if you're then also having to put another top over them (to go out etc), so making a wrap jumper seems like the perfect solution! I found this pattern, and then tweaked the sizing a little ( it seemed tiny, and my babies are far from tiny!). I still need to get another two snaps, but I love love it.



And this is a work in progress.. it's super close to being done, but needs snaps and a little handstitching. It'll be my number one for next week : )

Phew!