A June of gifts

Thanks for all the kind comments about the cycle wear patterns. I promise I'll get on to uploading them and writing some basic guidelines soon.

Meanwhile, I've been sewing like a woman possessed and just popped up for a bit of air and to throw a few things up on the blog. In between other projects I've squeezed in a few gifts:

First up was a Swingset skirt for a little friend of A's. I hadn't planned to make anything this year, although this is the same kid who received the Moon Bunny skirt and then the Little Kunoichi t-shirt. So perhaps I had set myself a precedent...

Anyway I was busy and I'd excluded a handmade. That is, until A chose the gift she wanted to give: A lurid, fluorescent, fake fur covered, lockable journal that had that sickly sweet, plastic-ky smell of the little-girl-stationary-shop. Ok, so I knew the recipient would love it. Heck I probably would have loved it when I was seven, but that didn't stop me from feeling compelled to balance out the tackiness with an elegant little handmade skirt

I already had the Swingset skirt drafted off in a size 5, and my sizeable fabric stash yielded the floral and plain fabrics along with the matching ribbon and the required elastic. Easy and free!

This really is one of the nicest skirt patterns. The way it hangs and swishes, the perfect neat finish, the comfy double elastic waistband, the pretty ribbon tie and it's just delightful to sew too. Ten out of ten for this one.

Meanwhile a friend had offered me first pickings on her mum's sizeable pattern and fabric stash - all of which was destined for the op shop. I helped myself to plenty of fabric and snaffled the whole box of vintage patterns to pass on to a smaller sized sewing buddy. My friend picked up a piece of fabric that I'd passed over and asked if she could possibly have a skirt made from it - something simple for summer. Sure I said, I know just the pattern...

And so I made the Everyday Skirt. Her waist size put her between the Small and Medium but her hip size was below the Extra Small size. I know this pattern tends to run big and is more flattering if there isn't crazy amounts of gathering at the back. I wear the Medium size and my friend is much smaller than me, so I went with the Extra Small. Happy to say it's a perfect fit and she has promised me a modelled shot from an exotic summery location soon.

The fabric is a tightly woven, fine, semi-sheer cotton with a lovely hand and a slight sheen. While the print didn't appeal to me, the way it sewed up really won me over and I would now say this is a really nice fabric, full stop.

There was a little bit left over and since my friend has a daughter just 6 months younger than A, and since everyone should get to share in the awkwardness that is matchy-matchy dressing, I kept on sewing...

I'd missed making the Teaparty dress one last time for A, and since this one tops out at size 5 I was keen to give it a final farewell. Also, this little girl had inherited two of A's tiny Teaparty playsuits and her parents had loved them dearly. Time for a dress version.

Again, I'm hanging out for a modelled photo! I tried it on A before gifting it and while the body fit is fine it would be very short on her. Maybe not indecently so, but in that vintage pattern, wow, that's short kind of realm. Hopefully on her shorter, younger buddy it will be a nice fit.

Usually this week would see my painting up a t-shirt for P's birthday, but since I've just booked a weekend at the snow, it will be all systems go on merino thermals for the kids. See you again when I next come up for air. :)