Baby Sleeping Bag

So my first round craft for So You Think You’re Crafty wasn’t the most exciting and complicated of projects (Did you see the Quiet Book? Wow!), but it was something we really needed.

Putting on a sleeping bag is a great signal to a baby that it’s time to sleep (Doesn’t she look like she’s about to drift off to sleep there?). But summer weight sleeping bags are hard to find, are often in hideous prints and colours, and are way too expensive for something that’s only going to be worn a few months. So what’s a crafty Mum to do but sew one up herself:

Made from a pretty lightweight knit fabric from my local Spotlight, with a lined bodice, snaps at the shoulders and a big zip at the side.

 

It also wasn’t my finest sewing effort – please don’t look too closely at that zip and zip cover. I was winging it and just trying to get the job done quickly with my limited craft time.

And the proof of the sleeping bag is in the sleeping:

Bliss!

I didn’t take photos for a full tutorial, but can put one together if anyone is interested (and fix up a few of my oopsies!). Let me know in the comments if you’d like one. It’s winter here now, but I’ll need to make a few bigger ones for summer.

The blog has been a little quiet of late. Most of my free time is being spent on So You Think You’re Crafty projects (don’t forget to head over and vote for Week 2!). The kids haven’t been sleeping well at night and nap times are no longer overlapping, so I don’t have much time to myself (or energy when I do). I know this season of life will pass quickly. I’m sure you’ll hear more from me then!

So, um, I think I’m Crafty

Do you follow So You Think You’re Crafty? I’ve been following along since Season 2, and this time around, I’m excited (actually incredibly nervous) to say I’m a contestant!

There’s some great craft projects in the first round, and the winner is selected by reader vote. Head on over and select your favourite. It’s an anonymous competition, so I’ll cross my fingers that some of you at least pick mine!

I’m looking forward to sharing more crafty fun in the coming weeks if I make it through!

Baby Overalls

Who can resist a cute baby in a pair of overalls?

The last item I managed to make during Kids Clothes Week was a pair of overalls for Little Miss (and the only thing I managed to sew for her). Once again, the pattern was from Ottobre Design – Pupu (No 4) from 4/2010.

I’d bought a baby corduroy from my local Spotlight a while ago, and used a thrifted men’s shirt for the lining (it was the only matching fabric I could find in my stash).

  

It was the first time I’ve completed a fully-lined garment (and the second time I’ve started one, but that’s a story for another day), so there had to be a few oopsies along the way. I missed the cutting instruction to have the shell pieces right side up and the lining wrong side up. I didn’t have enough shirt to re-cut the non-symmetrical pieces and I didn’t realise this until I’d sewn the whole lining together. I unpicked as little as I could and just used the wrong side for a couple of the lining pieces:

I also couldn’t work out how to sew the one pant leg lining to the shell before turning right way out, so I just folded the hems under and top-stitched after I’d turned it out.

I used snaps instead of velcro and buttons for the fastenings, although I probably should have used a few more along the leg as it does gape a bit around Little Miss’ chubby thighs. The piping trim was a bit uneven (another first attempt for me). I didn’t bother with the pockets, applique and knee patches.

And now I have to give you another cute Little Miss shot – it was hard getting her to stay on her back to take a photo of the front now that she’s mastered rolling. My lens cap distracted her for a few moments!

I can’t believe how little I’ve sewn for Little Miss. Really have to do something about that!

Kids Clothes Week 2011

Kids Clothes Week Challenge for Spring (well, Autumn here in Australia) at Elsie Marley fell right in the middle of Me Me Me Month, so I decided not to blog about it as I went along (although I did have a couple of updates on Facebook). But I did sew along, and here is what I got up to:

We’re heading into winter and some nice snuggly pyjamas were on my mind. I started with pyjama pants for little man, using some flannel that I picked up at Spotlight and ribbing from my stash.

 

I always remember my jammy-pants riding up my legs in bed and getting a bit cold in winter, so I decided to add ribbing at the bottom to help keep them down. I used a pants pattern from Ottobre Design for sizing, but slimmed them down a bit for my tall, skinny boy.

For matching tops, I wasn’t going to go the traditional collared shirt-style – way too much work for the limited time I get to sew these days, and it really doesn’t get that cold here in Brisbane. Long-sleeve raglan T-shirts, using flannel for the sleeves and jersey for the body, are just perfect – not too heavy, but still snuggly and comfy. I used the Villi Viikinki undershirt pattern from Ottobre Design 6/2010.

This pattern has a curve for the raglan section, and while it looks a little different and fun, it was annoying to pin and sew. Next time, I’ll stick with a straight seam (unless I suddenly get oodles of time to spend in my craft room!). I also didn’t bother with top-stitching because I just wanted them done – not good garment construction, but hopefully he’ll still grow out of them before they fall apart! (The photos above were taken before I’d hemmed and finished off the serger threads.)

First fitting: “J not want these ones anymore” – A knife through Mummy’s heart!

So two sets of snuggly PJs were made for the Little Man. He wore one pair for the first time last night, and looked so cute snuggled up in his big boy bed (sorry, no pictures)!

I did make something for Little Miss, but need to take a couple of extra photos before I show you.

Did you participate in Kids Clothes Week? Have you made any snuggly PJs lately?

My “To Cook” List

I have quite a few craft projects and recipes to share with you, but a bad morning has sapped the life out of me, so I thought I’d share a few recipes from around the blogosphere that have caught my eye, and are on my massively long “to cook” list:

	Emeril’s Strawberry Lemonade at Recipe Shoebox - I rarely make drinks, but this looks so tasty and refreshing.
	Chicken Strudel (nibbly-sized) from Clare’s Place - Or make them dinner-size – yum!
	Strawberry Salad with Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing at Simple Bites - I love strawberries, but have never used them in a salad.
	Mango Quinoa Salad with Grilled Chicken from Recipe Shoebox - I’m noticing a summer/fruit theme here. Not so helpful  for an Australian winter!

What recipes have caught your eye lately?

P.S. If you want to see more recipes that have caught my eye, follow along on Facebook or Twitter!