Season's greetings with matching outfits

Merry Christmas, my lovely readers! I hope you have an amazing festive break wherever you are. We came back from a short break in Portugal last week, where these pictures were taken. 

It's been a while, but I'm back to share some more mummy and daughter twinning outfits with you ;) 

Remember the Cheyenne tunic that made me feel like a cool, chic artist? I was lucky enough to have some of this amazing chambray leftover, so naturally I had to make something matching for Freya. 

I was kindly given this super cute vintage pattern during the Pattern Swap 2019, which was perfect for what I had in mind. It's loose fitting, comfortable, flexible, and not to mention so, so adorable. 

The pattern is from the 80s, and includes a pair of dungarees as well as a blouse with different sleeve lengths. It only comes in one size though, so I had to crack on and make those dungarees before Freya outgrows it.  

I particularly love the front patch pocket and the princess seams for the legs. The crossover back straps are great, too, though I've altered the front such that it is knotted rather than buttons, as a nice grow-with-me option. I also added elastic to the leg hems, for the same purpose. 

A well drafted pattern without too many pattern pieces, together with good instructions, made it a pretty easy and satisfying sew. I really love twinning with my little girl, and hope that it will be many years before she resists my twinning attempts. 

Let me stop here and wish you all an early Happy New Year! May 2020 bring you lots of joy, happiness, and wonderful health! See you in the New Year. 

Dandelion Dandelion Dungarees

I've got yet another pair of Dandelion Dungarees. New and improved this time! See my last versions here and here. 

I found the most fitting fabric for these dungarees. A dandelion print French Terry for Dandelion dungarees. Need I say more? 

Onto the design changes and alterations. 

The last two versions were made in size 3-6m, which saw Freya through the winter months nicely, since they were fully lined and warm. For the summer months (and hopefully warmer weather) to come, I wanted something cooler and lighter, so I went with a bodice lining only this time. 

I also added cuffs at the ankles (shortened legs by 2cm, but added 4cm deep cuffs), in an attempt to maximise the longevity of these 9-12m dungarees whilst minimising any tripping hazard. 

If you were wondering how I constructed the dungarees with the bodice lining only, the very talented Melissa demonstrates it here much better than I ever could. 

Another change I made was raising the poppers so that they sit 1.5 inches higher, almost on the shoulders. As much as I loved the last 2 makes, if I were to nitpick, I wasn't entirely happy with how the straps were sitting. Also, the way the pattern is drafted is such that the front and back pattern pieces are identical; as a result, if you are using a directional fabric (which, let's face it, many cute children's fabrics are), the print on either front or back part of the strap will end up upside down. Raising the poppers by 1.5 inches (and cutting the straps as part of the back piece) addressed this. I used 2 sets of poppers again this time, again, for longevity of wear. 

Finally, I raised the centre back by an inch, as I prefer the look. 

I'm really pleased with how these dungarees turned out! I think Freya likes them, too! They are a little big on her at the moment (she's not yet 9 months, and these are extra long 9-12m) but I think she will grow into them nicely. By the way, I have a funny feeling that she's gonna develop a nice habit of "modelling"/wearing clothes that are slightly too big for her in the months and years to come, especially when they are made by mummy! 

More matching outfits!

Happy New Year, my dear readers and followers! May 2019 bring you great health, endless happiness and creativity! 

I'm kicking off 2019 by showing you more matching outfits, but I'll keep it short today, since you've seen it all before. It's another nursing sweatshirt and dungarees combo. 

First, the Papercut Undercover Hood. It's pretty much the same as the last version, except for the cropped length, and 9' "normal" (instead of 8' exposed) centred zippers this time. Click here for the tutorial on the nursing hack. 

The fabric is a marble effect loopback jersey in teal from Guthrie & Ghani (now out of stock/discontinued). I love the print, not only for its dramatic design, but also for the practicality of hiding the occasional stain that it will inevitably attract. 

There was change from my 1.6 metres of fabric, so naturally I decided to make something matching for Freya. 

To complement the marble effect fabric, I wanted something slightly different, but in a similar colourway. 

Fabric looking familiar? Yep, this is the combed cotton jersey that I used for the baby leggings. Whilst I cut the fabric strategically to leave out the stags for that project, I wanted a bit of festivity for these little dungarees.

And these dungarees knocked her socks off over Christmas. Literally. But I mean, what's not to like? Comfy, practical, and reversible dungarees, with a festive side and an everyday side. Who wouldn't love them? 

What sewing plans have you got for 2019? I expect some usual selfish makes in 2019 (hooray for no longer being constrained by the pregnancy wardrobe), plus even more selfless sewing. I mean, look at this little face... How can I resist? 

Reversible baby dungarees - Poppy & Jazz Dandelion

Having a baby is life changing. Shock horror, it has made me sew for someone other than myself. No, let me reword this -- it has actually made me want to sew for someone other than myself. I mean, look at these chubby cheeks... how can I not shower her with handmade outfits? 

I am partial to a good pair of baby dungarees. So when I saw the Poppy & Jazz Dandelion pattern by the wonderful Lisa at Sew Over It, I knew I had to make a few for Freya. I mean, they are reversible, which means two outfits in one. Bonus! 

And making baby clothes is seriously stash-busting. Remember my nursing sweatshirt? I didn't use up all the the multi-fleck fleece sweatshirt fabric, but what was left was nowhere near enough to make anything meaningful for me. But for baby? It opened up a whole host of opportunities. The fabric is warm and cosy (seriously, wearing the sweatshirt is like a giant hug), ideal for the main side of the dungarees, just as the weather turns colder.  

On the reverse, I used a stripy cotton interlock from my stash (what did I say about stash-busting?), as the orange matches some of the flecks in the sweatshirt fabric perfectly. Although slightly lighter in weight, this interlock is also super soft and cosy. I am confident that this pair of dungarees will keep bubs warm in the winter months without too much additional layering. 

I made these in size 3-6 months, so the dungarees are a little big on Freya right now. But I couldn't wait any longer to share the project with you! With the double poppers, and the rolled up hem, however, I can see these dungarees with decent longevity. 

The construction was straightforward, and only took a couple of evenings. The only thing that was new to me was the application of poppers, but this tutorial made it super easy. They are actually much quicker to insert than bottons/zips/other closures, and so practical for baby clothes. I inserted two rows on the straps (optional in the instructions), in the hope that the dungarees will grow with Freya for a short while. 

I really feel like the "selfless" sewing paid off. I mean, who doesn't love matching outfits? The only problem is that my dear husband is now feeling a bit left out, but sadly for him, my new-found generosity in sewing does not extend further than my offspring... After all, he is already lucky enough to have got not one, but two pairs of PJ bottoms out of me, in my 8 years of sewing ;)