Ice cream dress

I am continuing on my Oliver + S kick - this is the Ice Cream dress made for Lucy. It's just a little big for her because I made it in a size 2T, but I always think that after the effort I put in to make the children's clothes, I'd like them to be able to wear the clothes for a bit longer! She was supremely pleased with the pockets. This colour combination makes me happy! It's not so clear in the photo, but there are little ladybugs on the pink fabric. I am thinking of making the blouse version of this, one for each of the girls.

Oliver + S

Just a few months ago, my goal when sewing was to come up with something that the kids could wear, that wasn't too difficult to sew. I didn't want to struggle with anything to fiddly. I think it's an indication of how much I've been learning in my sewing course that I am now more focused on producing clothes that look more professional and that are a bit more of a challenge in the actual sewing process. These outfits take a bit more time, but they also look better.

Josh has his own pairs of Oliver + S's Sketchbook shorts now. They have proper pockets, a faux fly and a pleated front, and aren't all that difficult actually. After working through the steps on Noah's pair, I could sew two pairs up for Joshua quickly. I made a pair in the same green elephant print as Noah's and one in this blue and orange camo print. He chose to wear this one! I guess not everyone is a fan of elephants on green! I made an 8T size so that they'll last him longer.


Emma got an outfit from Oliver + S's Swingset tunic and skirt pattern. This was a tricky one but I found a tutorial (with pictures) that explained the tricky bit, so I could work it out. I made my first buttonhole on the tunic, so I was plenty pleased about that.


I am now obsessed and am determined to sew through as many Oliver + S patterns as I can. I can't do all because some of the patterns are for jackets which the kids don't need here in Singapore. I also will have to omit outfits that I think the kids won't wear, no use working on an outfit which fails to pass Emma's twirl test!

navy blouse

So this is it, my Muji-inspired blouse!

My sewing teacher had talked me through knocking off my own version, but in the end, I didn't even have to draft my own top. I found a free pattern online, made some changes and that was it. The navy blue cotton has an embroidered edge, so I didn't even need to hem, which made me happy.

I wore it to church on Sunday, and almost choked when someone came up to me and said that he was guessing that I had made my outfit! It looked homemade??!! But he quickly clarified that he was just making a guess.

Overall, I was very pleased with it. I found the navy cotton at a shop in Chinatown; I'm guessing it's a voile. It sews up very well, runs through my sewing machine and serger so easily. I love it, and I think I have enough to make another skirt!

green elephants

Noah's favourite colour is green. And he loves animals.

So he and this green elephant fabric I found in Chinatown are a perfect match.

I bought the fabric weeks ago, and made the mistake of showing it to him that very day. He's asked for his green elephant shorts everyday since then.

Here they are at last! They are the nicest pair of shorts I've made so far, from an Oliver + S pattern - pockets, pleated front, and a flat front waistband. He was very pleased.

crossing a line

I think I crossed a line today.

But first, the backstory. There has been little sewing done since the beginning of May. All my energies have been focused instead on learning patternmaking. It has felt like I am learning a completely new set of skills, one that involves more math than I anticipated, but I have found drafting a basic skirt block and a basic bodice very satisfying. I am almost done with the beginner course, and if all goes well with my assessment, I will move on to drafting pants. A prospect that I am ridiculously excited about. (Except for the six pairs of Dockers bermudas that I bought when living in the US, I have never been able to find pants that fit me well.)

A related aside: I learned to put in an invisible zip a few weeks ago and that was also ridiculously exciting.

So back to that line.

Today was the first time that I saw a blouse that I really liked and instead of pondering if I should buy it, I pondered over how I could sew it myself. (It is quite a simple loose fit blouse.) I spent a few minutes studying the construction, noted how the necklines and sleeves were finished, and surreptitiously snapped a photo of the blouse for reference. I feel an overwhelming need to speed down to Chinatown or Arab Street to hunt down some linen with an embroidered border.


Alas, I fear other responsibilities beckon and that fabric hunt will have to wait.

obsession

This is how you know that sewing has morphed from being a nice, harmless hobby into an all-consuming obsession.

1. I dream that I am in sewing class, actually working at the sewing machine. And when I wake up and realise that it was just a dream, I actually feel disappointed.

2.I tell my husband that I need to make a trip down to Chinatown to get a couple of small things: a concealed zip, a concealed zip foot, and some interfacing. An hour later, I leave Chinatown $70 poorer, with THREE different fabrics (two to three yards each), an extra seam ripper (can't have too many of those, right?) and a handful of wooden buttons (which were too cute to pass up). Do I know what I am going to do with all this fabric and buttons yet? No. But I have a few ideas and an extra seam ripper if things don't turn out well.

3. About a week later, I am lying in bed with a migraine - the kind that produces a fog of pain. My husband and helper have to handle the four kids. But I cannot fall asleep because my brain won't stop thinking about how to attach a facing onto the yoke of a skirt that I have half done. Pathetic.

Postscript. I am learning some basic patternmaking and am enjoying it a lot. It's complicated some times - so many numbers! - but when I've finished drafting a basic bodice, it feels oh so satisfying. As a result of this course though, I have had no time to work on any kids' outfits.

Drafting the front neckline of my bodice - I took a picture to help me remember how to place the French curve.

gratification

It is always gratifying to see the children happy with something that I made for them. It's one of the reasons why I like to sew. Josh is generally blase about clothes and won't bat an eyelid at whatever he's given to wear, so he'll cheerfully wear whatever I make for him. Noah is usually thrilled to have homemade clothes because it's something that belongs to him and him alone - no sharing necessary! (One of the perils of growing up in a big family!) Lucy is starting to show some vanity and wants to wear whatever is new in her section of the wardrobe. And Emma... well, so long as it's something pink and twirly, she'll heap praises on me. ("Good mummy! You're a good mummy!" or "I love it, mummy, so beautiful!")

Cooking for the children, on the other hand, is sometimes a little trickier. My kids have clearly defined ideas of what they like and don't like. Josh is by far the best eater (and it shows too - every time his pediatrician sees him, she asks if he exercises outside of school. Luckily he has taekwondo and swimming.). Two of his loves are eggs and ham. I made quiche lorraine for Saturday morning breakfast, figuring that it'd be a hit with him at least. And it was. He polished off the leftovers the next day and was sorely disappointed when there was none left. Emma is the pastry queen and will happily peel off the pastry from the whole quiche if I let her, not that I did.

Noah and Lucy weren't all that keen, but that could be because they couldn't wait for the quiche to be done and had eaten already. Oh well, two out of four isn't too bad! I used the recipe from here, but added some romano cheese that I already had in the fridge.