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!

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.

kcwc day 3 and 4

3 pairs of 2T boys underwear.

Some random notes:
1. The final product looks so small, but there are a lot of seams on boys underwear. And topstitching practically doubles the number of seams.
2. I've tried it a couple of times now, and I think sewing with knits isn't very gratifying. There are so many puckers that I have to iron out, but by the time I actually finish up a pair, I'm too tired to pull out the iron again to make everything look nice. I think I am going to take a break from sewing knits for a while.
3. I actually considered just cutting out this underwear from the girls' pattern because I figured, the boy isn't actually going to use the fly opening. I didn't in the end. And I regretted it when I was sewing on the fly binding - it's another two seams; four if you count the topstitching!

kcwc day 1

Yes, I have OCD tendencies.

Because sometimes, once I get an idea in my head, I just can't let go of it until I actually do it. It's like an itch that needs to be scratched. And this is how I ended sewing the children's underwear.

Yup, underwear. Now, I can see how this would seem a tad ridiculous. After all, children undies aren't that expensive. And sewing their underwear means I have to take on sewing knits, which I thought I'd never do just because it is harder than sewing woven cottons. But like I said, it became an itch that wouldn't go away.

I decided to make Noah a couple of new pairs when I noticed that he had been wearing the same few pairs of Thomas the train undies. (I also have to add here that Noah was pretty easy to toilet train - I guess it helps to wait until they are really quite big. I only started with him just before his third birthday.) Since I had signed up for Elsie Marley's Kids Clothes Week Challenge, I decided that this would fit the bill. And since I'm making up some for Noah, might as well go ahead and sew up some for Josh and Emma too. Production line sewing makes more sense, right?

Except that I underestimated how long it would take to cut up the pattern pieces. I started at 11pm, thinking that I'd take probably just a little more than an hour (an hour of sewing a day was the requirement).

Umm, wrong. I am clearly not as good as wielding a pair of scissors and a rotary cutter as I though. And those leg band and waistband pieces got my head all muddled up. I only finished at 1.45am.

But here they are, ready to be sewn up. 3 pairs for Noah, 2 pairs each for Emma and Josh.

Children undies pattern from here

Day 1 done!

outgrown

Of all the kids, Josh is the one who enjoys his food the most. The other kids all went through phases of either being extremely picky with their food, or being simply uninterested in eating. There are, after all, a whole lot of other things to do; eating sometimes can seem like such a waste of time.

Not for Josh though. Even when he was a baby, he ate easily. He used to watch Thomas the train videos during meal times (yes, not the best form). He'd be so glued to the TV that he'd just unquestioningly open his mouth every time a spoonful of porridge appeared in front of it.

All this to say, he loves to eat and so has outgrown quite a few pairs of his shorts. I have been on a mini-mission to sew up some new ones for him. When I was sewing up Noah's pair for his birthday, it was easy enough to do up a pair for Josh. I loved how they turned out.

And I love this picture of Josh. I can't get over how grown up he looks. Most of the photos I have of him are shots of him doing something goofy; this shot below is what he gave me when I said, "Do a handsome face."

Easy Fit lounge shorts in chambray, with front patch pockets that I added

noah is three

Noah is in exactly the same place that Joshua was when he turned three - train crazy. So he got a choo-choo train cake for his celebration at school. I think he liked it because he came home from school and gave me a kiss and a hug, and said, "Love you, mommy."

Apart from the cake, I also made a birthday outfit for the birthday boy. Dark blue chambray shorts from an Easy Fit pattern off Etsy; and a appliqued monogram t-shirt to match. He calls the shorts his "birthday shorts" and he loved them, so I was happy. The shorts took a bit longer to make with the patch pockets and double line of stitching around the hem, but I was quite pleased with how they turned out: not so homemade looking.

Maori much?
I don't know why he decided to pose like that, other than just because he was so pleased to be wearing his birthday shorts and wielding his birthday present: a Thomas umbrella. Such fights that has led to between him and the baby.

This was Noah when he first came home to us. This is on the car ride home - first time in the car seat! He looks suitably bewildered. How he's grown.

joshua is seven

It has been such a big year for the firstborn: he started primary one! There has been some angst, all on my part of course. He has been too busy enjoying school for any angst. He loves watching National Geographic and will pick non-fiction books at the library over fiction any time. He's fascinated by snakes, but so far doesn't dare to have one placed over his shoulders. He asked for a snake cake for his birthday.

Josh picked out a snake cake from a cake decorating book I have. Fondant again! Josh took a look at his cake and said, "They kind of look like worms." But he told everyone else that they were snakes, considerate as he is of my feelings! We had a MacD's party for the first time. We've told the kids that each year we'll only have one big party where they get to invite their friends; and they have to take turns for it. Josh's turn this year, and Emma is already planning hers next year.

Here he is posing with his beyblade, his birthday present of choice this year.

Lounge shorts in navy seersucker. EasyFit pattern from the scientificseamstress on Etsy.