Christmas countdown numbers

Christmas countdown numbers. The idea is to start on 1 December and have the blocks showing the right dates up until December 25. They hang on the wall. I made two 1s, two 2s, and one 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0. They are about 5 x 7 inches in size. I got the idea from an old german Brigitte magazine, although they had theirs made of wood. Its taken me quite a long time to do them, because I usually only have time to sew one seam at a time. But I'm glad I finished them in time for this Christmas. They are a bit wonky in parts, but they are made for kids to handle, so I wanted to make them fun-looking rather than formal.

Nikolaus bags

On 6 December, Nikolaus leaves chocolate, nuts & bikkies etc in the shoes that children have cleaned and left outside their front door (German custom). Apparently, according to Brigitte magazine, Nikolaus will, if pressed, leave these goodies in goody bags too. So this is a Nikolaus goody bag. Now, 3 more to go...

Another Funked Out Peasant Blouse

Here is another go at Lila Tueller's Funked Out Peasant Blouse. I really like this pattern and this one only took me one of my baby's sleeps to make. Its super comfy. The fabric is kind of a semi tie-dye pattern - hard to see in the picture. The camera doesn't seem to like to pick up reddish colours. I think I'll make one more at some point, if I see some more good fabric at Spotlight, but first I'll do the Summer Blouse from the Weekend Sewing book.

Weekend Sewing pants

Here are some more pants I made for my 4 year old from the pajama pants pattern in Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing book. These are some cotton drill pants (I made 2) and I also made a couple of pairs of pajama pants. Really useful pattern. Next I'll make heaps of shorts for him for summer from this pattern.

Funked Out Peasant Blouse

This was my first go at Lila Tueller's Funked Out Peasant Blouse. I don't think I'm quite up to using the multi-colours that everyone else has used yet (although I think their blouses look superb), and I've always wanted an embroidered but plain peasant blouse. So I just used one colour, which probably un-funks it.

I didn't do a side zip, as I found that I could slip it over my head, just. The pic on the right how I originally made it (a year ago now), with an inch added to the length, which I think was a mistake. Also, I added a couple of inches to the upper bodice for bit more gathering. The big pic on the left is a slightly altered version, which I think suits me better (less blessed up top than I´d like to be - I lowered the centre bodice neckline by an inch, and made the lower bodice length the length originally in the pattern.

Having messed up a few McCalls M5050 peasant blouses in the past, I trimmed, serged and sewed the sleeve seam flat on this one. This made threading the elastic around the neckline heaps easier.

Apron from Simple Sewing book

I wanted to make something for a friend of mine who just miscarried, and I thought an apron might let her know we were thinking of her. The pattern is from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing book. I didn't have alot of material, so I didn't include the side panels, I just did the centre panel. I'm not sure it even needs the side panels.

Weekend Sewing drawstring bag

I meant to make a few of these drawstring bags from Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing book before the baby was born. I've cut the material out, but have only made 1 so far. They are so quick to make though. I think it only took me 5 minutes to do. At first glance I thought the pattern was justa a page filler, but having tried to make one a few weeks ago without refering to a pattern or instructions, I had made a mess of the drawstring closure at the top. It was good to have a pattern to follow from the book and to not have to think about it. Trying to live in a plastic bag-less house as much as possible, I know I'll use these wee bags lots and lots. Keeping baby socks etc etc etc in. I think I'll make bags like these out of those test-muslins of shirt patterns etc that I don't need any more.