Just in time!

Pattern: "Indian Elephant" from Ottobre 06/2014

Yikes!  This baby really is growing fast!  I finished the all-in-one pattern "Indian Elephant" from Ottobre 06/2014 just in time for the little dude to wear it.  It only took me two weeks to make it, but now I know that may be too slow!  Whoah!


This baby is making me a much faster sewist.  Even a week can be too slow in the world of baby growth.  I'm going to have to plan projects for the far future to keep up!  The pattern "Indian Elephant" is pretty straightforward.  It's actually a lot easier than the onesie pattern "Warmly Wrapped" that I finished last week.



The toughest part is applying the binding and, once again, the snaps!!  What in the world is up with these ring snaps and why don't they install correctly!?  This is with the special pliers, too.  The prongs often don't align with the center of the snap and then stick out... possibly with the end result of scratching baby. Not nice.

If he's in hefty stuff-in cloth diapers like today, the crotch gusset is a bit revealing shall we say, but if he's in a trimmer model diaper, it'll fit just fine.  I may still add two more snaps.  Maybe.

Pattern: Indian Elephant, Ottobre 06/2014
Fabric: organic cotton jersey from Lillestoff in print "Pirates" by BORA
Notions: fine ribbing in red, a bunch of snaps, stretchy interfacing G785 from Vlieseline/Vilene, and Vliesofix (two-sided fusible interfacing)
Special Tools: twin needle, snap pliers, walking foot, stretch needle

Onesies! It's a wrap!

After two months with a baby, you start to prefer some types of clothing over others.  At this point, I prefer the kimono wrap-type onesies because they fit over the baby's head a lot easier.  In fact, you avoid pulling something over the baby's head altogether! Hee hee.  Inspired by this preference, I thought to make several onesies and an all-in-one in 2 sizes bigger than my baby's then-current size.  But, after lots of starts and stops, and a baby-growth spurt in between, I finally finished the sewing of the onesies, and they are actually his current size, and just slightly larger.  ((Insert "they grow up so fast" sentiments here))  I still have yet to install all the snaps, but alas, I've run out of them and am on the look-out for 8mm ring snap variety.  What's with me and the snaps, eh?

That one with the pirate fabric and red ribbing is my favorite so far!
Pattern: Warmly Wrapped from Ottobre 6/2014
Fabric: Organic Cotton jersey from Lillestoff in "Pirates" print
Notions: fine ribbing in red, a gazillion snaps, and stretchy interfacing G785 from Vlieseline/Vilene

Here's the all-in-one in progress...

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My First Mabel

Sewing for two new shapes (baby + me) has been interesting!  My figure has definitely become fuller after having the baby, and it continues to change even now that I'm two months postpartum.  I'm not getting too attached to my new bust-line because I've heard everything shifts and changes after having a baby, but in the meantime...

Knits!  I've been sewing a lot with jersey in order to give me a little flexibility with this changing body of mine, and that adorable and speedily growing baby in my life.

The first project I tackled was a super fast pattern that I heartily recommend to those with little time to sew: Colette Patterns' Mabel.

I made a slightly more A-line adjustment to the pattern and added a lining to diffuse some unexpected bulges, but other from that,  it's straight from the pattern sheet.

Pattern: Mabel from Colette Patterns
Fabric: single jersey

For baby, I've been working with knit hemp and knit terrycloth in order to make some cloth diaper inserts.  I've since tested them, and they work really well! They're trim and really absorbent. I'll share the pattern as soon as I trace it digitally  ((we'll see when that happens! Hah!)).

Project: Baby's cloth diaper inserts

Pattern: self-drafted

Fabric: hemp knit, cotton terrycloth

And, those failed diaper covers were converted into breast shields.  Yep.  I just cut 'em up and sandwiched some soft interlock on both sides of the PUL fabric.  So sad to see all those snaps go to waste.  Oh well.