Miss Aine

I got some new doll dress patterns in the post today. I can't wait to try them out! And here's some pictures of dresses I've been making this last week - now that my machine has been serviced.

Last week, my sister-in-law, who owns a little boutique in Dublin city, asked me to make up two little girls dresses for one of her customers, as she was finding it hard to find the time to do them. So, details were texted on Tuesday morning, and I met my mother that morning to collect the fabric.  However, on reading her notes I realised that the dresses were not needed for the middle of May, but actally for that weekend coming (20th/21st April). Panic stations for a bit, then I started to work. I had to draft patterns for the same dress  for a 2 year old and 4 year old, using the little sketch I'd received.  Cut out the pieces, sewed them all up, lined the dresses. Viola! A few puckers on the cap sleeve ;) Dropped the dresses into the shop Thursday morning, ready for the customer to collect them for an event on Saturday. Just hope they fit!

One for the upcoming markets, And one for my god-daughter's 6th birthday (just hope it fits!)

9-12 month size dresses for little girls

Was in a bit of a creative funk the other night - you know when you've finished a project and aren't sure what you're going to do next? So I decided to make a princess dress for Emily and her friends' to use when dressing up.  It had occurred to me recently that something made for dress-up doesn't really need perfectly finished seams inside. So a furious night of sewing ensued.... Quite happy with it.

 I knit this in preparation for my neice's birthday in October.  A lovely free pattern from Let's Knit Magazine It seems a little wide, but it may just be loose fitting. Need to block it now.

I've had this dress upstairs in a box for over a year (I definitely started this one way before Oliver was born - may be more like 2 years!).  All it needed was to be hemmed, the skirt and underskirt. So I finally fished it out and did it - and do you know what, it didn't take that long! Just need some nice sunny weather so I can wear.  Although with the wettest June since records began in Ireland, it might be a while til we see some sun!!

Along with some dress-making! I  made a simple little shift dress with some Cath Kidston fabric I've had for quite a while.  I added a little pocket to the front for carrying my phone, tissue, etc Then, feeling it needed something extra, I crocheted a little edging along the bottom, and along the top of the pocket.  I just made it up as I went along but think it looks okay!

Two jersey tops quickly pinned together, with a little ribbon tied around the middle. Now I just need to find some time to sew them together!

Stole stitch amount from this pattern . Knit with lovely cotton from Lidl which feels so nice when knit! Finished with some fabric from her granny.

Too snowy to venture out today, once we got home from the hospital. It was a great time to work on Smem's dress for my brother's wedding. Its very simple so maybe I'll do some sort of embellishment on it - will have to see how much time I have. Lets hope the weather is better next week so I can get out and get her some nice shoes and a cardie! Also a little pic of tea pot and cozy I made for Mam and Dad. A Jean Greenhowe pattern, of course.

I started making this dress months ago but just don't seem to find time to get to the sewing machine. I didn't have quite enough fabric (an old quilt cover from the charity shop!) so its a little short. And the fabric was really light so I lined the whole dress with a sheet. But it was a bad idea as it just makes the dress too heavy and fat. The bodice is nice though and fits well so I may use that again, and just do a straight or slightly a-line skirt with it.

This week has been a lot better than last week (Zombie Week!). I've actually managed to get lots of housework done, such as washing, hoovering, building shelving units, etc during the day and, shock, horror! I've also managed to get some sewing done!!!!!!!!! I started this dress last week but it didn't get off to a quick start. I've had the knees go in two different pairs of jeans recently, which is very annoying. One of the pairs I had only bought since Smem was born so I cut the legs off below the knees to use for a dress for her. The top part of the bodice is made from some quilter's cotton from a fat quarter that Smem has had going around with her recently. I figured she liked it so why not make into something she could wear. The inside is lined with dark green cotton, which has a light green ruffle at the bottom. The bottom of the jeans has a ruffle in navy mesh. I think it will make a nice party dress. Just need to sew on buttons now.

The dress has now been hemmed. It needs some sort of a belt or sash to finish it off. I bought yellow ribbon, but its a bit too yellow. And a pink sash seems just a bit too much. This gold coloured fabric is nice. It kind of tones down the dress a bit. And I could wear my gold coat to tie it all in.

Apologies for the blurry picture. Took this one on my new phone (fancy touchscreen malarky!). I've been doing quite a bit of dress-making. I finished my stripey pink dress so need to take a photo of that. And I started another dress last night, but its not so successful. I think it looks like it will turn out really boring. So I may have to do some surgery on that.

Apologies for the crap photo. It lashed rain all afternoon so the light was terrible. And I'm not a great photographer! I might add beads or something to jazz it up. In Smem news, had the first episode of her jumping out of the cot just after I put her to bed this evening. I saw her on the monitor trying to look out the window so I'd say she stretched too far and tumbled out. So my first task for tomorrow is the lower the base on her cot!

I've had this pink stripey fabric for ages but just hadn't gotten around to using it. Some small bits had been siphoned off for other small projects but I really wanted to make something for myself. I really only had enough for a skirt though. So I've used the skirt part of a dress pattern that I really like. And I had this pink stretchy halter top at home in Wexford which I may attach to the top of the skirt to make it into a dress. Just need to make a lining now for the skirt and then bite the bullet and try and attach it to the halter top. Hope I can do it so that its still stretchy enough to fit over my head!

Made another dress from a skirt last week, just have to sew the top of the halter together now. I got the skirt while I was pregnant, bigger than my normal size to fit over my expanded hips. Its far too big now but I really liked the colour and details on it so I decided to make it into a dress. I used an old pattern of an empire line dress to make the bodice in a coordinating fabric and then sewed it onto the skirt. It'll make a really nice summer dress - if we ever see any summer again!

This is the outfit I was wearing yesterday, and I wanted to share it as this lovely dress began life as a skirt (nice blurry picture!) I got this skirt many, many years ago, while I was still in secondary school. It was nice but the underskirt would ride up when I was walking, and I don't wear long skirts too often. So it sat in my wardrobe for a few years. Then a few years ago I decided that I would turn it into a dress. I cut a hole in each side seam near to top and zig-zag stitched around the edges to finish the armholes. I also made a little small dart in the centre back down from the neckline to catch in the back a bit. I never wore it, as I was a bit unsure of how it looked. Then yesterday I found it in a suitcase and decided to try it on. And it looked really nice. It's got a nice shift shape. I tied a ribbon in my hair and channelled the 60's for the day.

Smem is in fantastic form again. Woo Hoo! And rather than having three little naps during the day she has moved to two longer naps of an hour or more, each. Oh the bliss! Gotta love getting her on to proper solids. She's had chicken and salmon this week. This morning got to finish the dress I started making for her over a week ago. I doctored a plain A-line top pattern that I bought on sale. It is now empire line, with elastic under the arms to facilitate easy put-on. It's not too bad. Messed up the inside a bit as I sewed it together in the wrong order. But I know for future. And its only a little bit messy in one part. After watching me knit tiny hats for the past two weeks, C asked for a hat for himself. So I made one. Was kinda guessing on the size though so its a little tight around the head and he said he would like it a bit taller. So now I have to make another. I loved doing the coloured stripes. Thoughts of cool cardies and jumpers for Smem were coming to mind as I w...