#Febphotoaday Day 24 to 28

Day 24: Inside your bathroom closet

Well, it is what it is!

Day 25: Green

Our new vintage table cloth

Day 26: Night

..driving home through Oxford after teaching dressmaking

Day 27: Something you ate

Of course, there will be chocolate later...

Day 28: Money

The shameful contents of my purse: some spare change, a bead and lots of receipts....

Something for the weekend

My main achievement this week has been to complete the prototype for a new weekender hold-all. This has been on my to-do list for ages, so finally having a finished product to swing around, zip, un-zip and fill with stuff has caused me a lot of glee. It seems that I can't do anything that isn't in some way baby related at the moment, as the final motivation was the need for something I can use as a hospital bag. Still, whatever the reason, I got the job done - leather trim, eyelet details, chunky zip and all!  This is one prototype I'll be keeping for myself.

#FEBphotoaday Day 23: Your shoes

Wierdly, I already had these photos to hand (part of the great Operation Organized Wardrobe of 2009)

#FEBphotoaday Day 22: Where you work

Back door and bikes at the day job

#FEBphotoaday Day 21: A fave photo of you

...with hammer and hair ribbons in 1980. So not much has changed then.

Bed Cape Triumph!

... now there's a collection of words I never thought I'd write.

The latest result of uber powerful nesting hormones is this shrug, intended to make impending night-time feeds feel warmer and more glamourous. Based on a 60s "Bed Cape" pattern (how wonderful to be in bed with a cape!) from the The Vintage Knitting Lady, I swapped the very basic garter stitch design to the diagonal lace effect from a snood pattern on the Mollie Makes blog.

This is the first thing I've knitted for myself that turned out as well as I'd hoped it would. Adding to the general sense of satisfaction, it only took a ball and a half of budget yarn, so was really cheap - easily under a fiver - and it uses size 9mm needles so was also quick to make. I think this will end up becoming my "In-and-Out-of-Bed Cape"!

#FEBphotoaday Day 17 to 20 (aka slightly banal domestic insights)

Day 17: Time

Day 18: Drink

Day 19: Something you hate to do...

...taking out the bins

Day 20: Handwriting...

... yet another to do list!

#FEBphotoaday Day 16: Something new...

... for someone new.

#FEBphotoaday Day 15: Phone

#FEBphotoaday Day 14: Heart

#FEBphotoaday Day 13: Blue

 

 ...is the colour of some of my favourite things.

#FEBphotoaday Day 12: Inside your closet

This is the tidy corner...eek

#FEBphotoaday Day 11: Makes you happy

#FEBphotoaday Day 10: Self portrait

Dressing up

I've been making so much new-baby stuff for Wingnut lately, that it was about time our big-girl had a look-in. A quick rummage through the vintage pattern collection, and a couple of evenings later....  here are the results.

This 60s fabric makes me very happy. It was bought at a vintage fair from a lovely lady who'd had it in her caravan. I wasn't sure if the Peter Pan collar would meet with 2 yr old approval, but I just about got away with it - thanks to the giant flowers everywhere else!

I've had this Ikea fabric knocking around for ages. The dress was super-quick to make and I'm pretty proud that I sucessfully managed to adjust the pattern from a size 6 to a size 2. Freya told everyone at nursery that "Mummy made it", so I'm taking that as appreciation.

#FEBphotoaday Day 9: Front Door

#FEBphotoaday Day 8: Sun

Sun(flowers)... Okay , it's a bit tenuous, but there was no actual sun outside today!

Vintage fabric inspiration

January was a good month for finding vintage fabric. Here are some of the latest additions to my stash. A good chunk was found in Frocks ‘n’ Stock in Margate, a vintage shop run by the Pilgrim's Hospice - definitely worth a visit if you're down that way.

#FEBphotoaday Day 7: Button

Vintage birthday button gift...

More Nursery Knitting

The last of my currently completed baby knits is this apple green cabled cardigan - another pattern from King Cole's Nursery Knitting. So, who wants to see some more of the finest early 90s baby fashion?

There's a definite tendency towards pastel and wicker-based styling, but there are some great classic knits in there, including this page of booties and bonnets. I've had a go at the pink booties and the pom-pom slippers already, but the little pixie blue bonnet is definitely on my to-do list.

I've got a soft spot for this cable jumper, although the arms could be a little longer. The matinee jackets are sweet - especially the apricot one - but more suited to a girl, so I'll have to wait until Wingnut reveals his/her true identity before I get carried away.

Last, but certainly not least, there are also some more, shall we say, "interesting" numbers - such as this really rather special head-to-toe fair-isle outfit. Well, at least baby is pleased about it - yoo-hoo, here I am!

(ps - I'm secretly a little bit in love with these leggings!)

#FEBphotoaday Day 6: Dinner

Gnocchi tonight - and the best thing is I didn't cook it myself.

#FEBphotoaday Day 5: 10am

Sunday morning popcorn treat at Grandma's house.

#FEBphotoaday Day 4: A Stranger

Four of the lovely ladies on my Saturday knicker-making course - plus their knickers! We're not strangers any longer!

Bootie-ful baby shoes

When Freya was tiny, I discovered the wonder and joy that is a knitted bootie! I'd made all sorts of things for her - cardigans, jumpers, cot bumper, teddy... the list goes on - but hadn't thought about knitting booties. Luckily Grandma Pat was on the ball and Freya's tiny toes were kept cosy all through the winter months with a wonderful selection of knitted footwear.

Wingnut is due in the Spring so keeping those toes toasty is unlikely to be a problem but I have succumbed once more to the nesting instinct and made these little beauties from a King Cole Nursery Knitting pattern book from 1991 (almost vintage!). Knowing our weather it could well be snowing in May, so at least I can sleep easy knowing that all weather conditions have been catered for!

These boots were really quick to make - 1 per evening - so I'm pretty tempted to whip up another couple of pairs.

Okay, so little pom-pom Mary-Janes are not the most subtle of baby footwear, but the way I see it dressing up as a clown in your earliest months is surely a good way to start life! They are crocheted and like the boots, took no time at all. I think I might hold off on making more until Wingnut arrives and we know what flavour baby we've got - I'm starting to run out of ideas for gender neutral colours! By the way, the tanktop is another result of my nesting-knitting and was made using a Debbie Bliss pattern.

#FEBphotoaday Day 3: Hands

A big Friday thumbs up!

#FEBphotoaday Day 2: Words

Today, I shall keep some to myself...

A troup of baby trousers!

When a good friend of mine showed me some amazing baby trousers she'd made using this Made by Rae download, I was inspired to make my own - in a BIG way! As the intro to Rae's tutorial states, there is little more rewarding than a quick easy sew that is not boring. So, four pairs later.... and I'm still tempted to make more!

Rae's tutorial is for a unlined pair, but my friend had lined hers and I shamelessly copied her idea. It's probably a bit tragic to be so enthusiastic, but the lining means that these little beauties are not only cute, they are also reversible - see, they really are amazing trousers! I've used soft cotton jersey for my linings so that they will be super cosy against baby's skin. I added an extra inch to the length of the leg on the original pattern to allow room for the turn up - after all, what's the point in a funky lining if you can't see it!

Here is the method I used to make them reversible...

1. Using Rae's tutorial, cut out one pair from cotton, and one pair from jersey -don't forget to add an extra inch to the bottom of each leg. Follow the tutorial instructions up to the end of step 6, but leave a 1/4" gap in the back seam of the jersey pair, 1/4" down from the waist edge.

2. Once you have made up both pairs of trousers, turn the outer cotton pair right side out. Now, place the outer cotton pair inside the jersey pair so that the right sides are together. Align the raw edges of the waist, making sure that your seams are matching, and sew around the top using a 1/4" seam allowance.

Turn the trousers right side out by pulling through one of the legs. Press the seam around the waist and then sew a line of stitching just over 1/4" from the top edge to create a channel for the waist elastic.

3. Turn in the raw edges on both the outer and inner peices by 1/4" at the bottom of one leg . Line up the inner leg seams, and then carefully pin the folded edges of the inner and outer peices together so that they match exactly. Stitch all around the bottom of the leg as close as you can to the edge. Alternatively, you could slip stitch the lining to the outer fabric by hand. Repeat with the other leg.

4. To finish, thread your elastic through the waistband as per the tutorial instructions, using the gap you left in the back seam of the the jersey lining.

Turn up your leg cuffs, and Bob's your trouser-wearing uncle - you have just completed pair #1 - I dare you to stop there!!

February Photo A Day Challenge #FEBphotoaday

As of 30 minutes ago, I've decided to particpate in a February Photo-A-Day Challenge. I'm usually pretty useless at seeing these things through, but I thought it would be good discipline to see if I can stick to something for 29 days! Plus, i've just found a clever photo app thingy (pixlr-o-matic) that works on Android phones, so it might be a fun excuse to play around.

Here's the list of themes, and if you want to join in, the instructions are here

I'll save my #Febphototoday pics here

.. and here is Day 1: