Friday 23 November 2012

Just a few ideas I'm running away with....

I've been making a list of things I can make.

Nappies (OSFM and Wraps, not maybe the terry part, because that's a lot trickier)
Snapped-together kitchen roll/cloths
bibs
Washable baby wipes
Bags to keep clean/dirty wipes in
Washable breast pads
Washable nappy liners
Snuggles for buggies (those lovely fleecey inserts that have the feet on in buggies)
Fleecy straps (for buggies, car seats and seat belts)
Feetsies (shoe type socks for crawlers)
Book bags
other waterproof bags
glasses cases.
.....

Wednesday 7 November 2012

Fabric Fabric Fabric

It's a really exciting day today.
I have been spending lots of money, which is naughty, I know, but worth it.

Most of these fabrics that have arrived were ebay, and dead cheap (fat quarters), but some of them were from www.plushaddict.co.uk
They arrived the day after ordering!

These are my fabrics - the Monkey, Lion and Dinosaur were from plush addict, and the others from ebay.
they're all fat quarters (FQs) (half a length and half a width, so approx 50cm x 50cm)
but the plush addict ones are double FQs, which means they are a full width and half a length.

They're all 100% woven cotton, and will be used to make Eleanor clothes.

These are the Kam Snaps and pliers that also came from plush addict.
they are amazing!
So easy to use, which you don't really expect them to Actually be, and millions of snaps (basically plastic press-studs), so I can make lots of fastenings.

I will be starting by making some hand gloves from knitted cotton to attach to the sleeves of baby grows and pyjamas, so that Eleanor can't scratch at night.

Thursday 18 October 2012

I'm looking at nappies now.

I have found a fabulous website for fabrics now - plushaddict.


Their sale and clearance section has some lovely stuff in it.












Now I have to buy some KamSnaps!
I was using Prym press-studs, but they just don't have the variety that KamSnaps has.
Prym press-studs are metal, and KamSnaps are plastic, so they might not be as reliable. But you don't know till you've done it, do you!

















And of course, the fabric that holds all that comes out into the nappy....





Friday 5 October 2012

I'm not thinking about Christmas, honest!

I was directed to this site:
http://www.bernat.com/pattern.php?PID=6823&cps=21191
by someone on Mumsnet, and I had to archive the pattern!
It's fab!

I know it lends itself to other animal designs, too - a different colourway and take off the antlers, and you've got bears, or tigers, or lions (add a fluffy mane!) or kittens or dogs.
Some of those are better without the legs, or add thicker legs.


Thursday 4 October 2012

Right, let's go!

I used to sew a lot.
For some reason, working 6 days a week in a shop and having a baby to look after seems to prevent me sewing.
Which is a great shame, because there are costumes to make and baby clothes to sew.
When I was a child, I remember almost all of our clothes were made by my mum. She was a genius of the sewing machine and overlocker.
I like to sew: I can't knit and I'm not very good at crochet, but I am good at sewing.

I made my own wedding dress, and I can make patterns from blocks.
Not children's clothes, though, because I don't have child blocks.
That's something that needs to go on my list.

I'm fed up of the retail world assuming that because I have a daughter, that she should be wrapped from head to toe in not only pink, but glittery, pink, frilly, blousy, fluffy clothes that have ribbons and slogans on, just in case there's any doubt that she's a girl.
Why can't I buy plain clothes for my daughter?
Why can't I buy basic clothes for my daughter?

I don't even like to look in the boys' section of the clothes shops, because they all say that to be a boy, you must have green, grey, beige, brown or navy, and it must assert your boyhood by having tough slogans and pictures all over them.

yeah, I know, we all know that the gender stereotypng has been done and overdone.

So, this is what my blog is for.
I'm gathering up information of patterns I've seen, fabrics and notions, all into one lovely place, so that I can find it again when I'm ready, and so that I can give my sisters some ideas for when they want to buy me pressies ;)

Number 1:
fabric.
 http://thefabricfairy.com/dino-dudes-pul-fabric-by-michael-miller.html