Sewing project: Gathered elasticated skirts again

Hello there, I found a simple sewing pattern on this blog that shows you how to do an elasticated gathered skirt.  I recently tried it out, it was real easy and so I got addicted to making more, seeing that my toddler girl only wants to wear skirts this spring.

So this was what I used to start them off:

100% plain orange Satin (polyester)
114cm width x 50cm/20 inch for skirt and sash (skirt is 16" length)
114cm width x 16 inch for skirt (polycotton floral print)
2 x 6mm elastic x 50cm/20" length
A safety pin to thread the elastic through.
Scissors
Measuring tape and straight ruler
Fabric chalk for marking

These materials are so economical that if I did make a mistake with my sewing, it would not matter.  The satin orange fabric I has it in my stash for a long long time, so I thought I used it for this trial.  It is meant to be a costume material, but she can wear it for party or special occasions.  Will need to find some nice top to team it with.

These skirts suits a 2-3 year old girl with waistline 19-20 inches or 54cm waistline.

Orange satin skirt with a skinny sash

Polycotton floral print skirt

The method and where I found it on this blog:

http://www.thisbigoaktree.com/2012/04/fat-quarter-baby-girl-sash-skirt.html

The sash I made was only about 1" width, but I started with 3" width material, used 2 x 114cm length x 75cm width for skinny sash.  Join two fabrics of 114cm together to  make sash, then I trimmed off excess length once I tried it on my toddler, doing a bow tie with the half-finished sash.

Feeding my little toddler her meals

Family and toddler meal ideas

Ever since my toddler can eat a family meal and have what we are having for meals, we have been eating together as a family, rather than just feeding her dinner first.  For lunch, both of us will eat together wherever it is possible.  That is when she can sit and feed herself, and does not demand a story time session.  I used to read her books as a baby whenever she sits at the high chair.  It is her favourite time of the day, as she gets my undivided attention and devotion!  Nowadays, she is quite independent and can self feed, but she sometimes will demand her favourite book borrowed from the library.  At other times, she will read a magazine or food catalogue from the supermarkets....  Good way to enhance her dining experience.

Hello there, just thought I share some toddler meals I prepare for my own kid.  This blog is a way of recording what transpires in my daily life as a stay at home parent, so it will also include what I feed her hungry little tummy.

Sometimes it is a challenge getting my toddler to sit at her high chair, so I have to try and give her something nice to have her meals in, like cute cutlery and plate, with some interesting food in it, hopefully it will appeal to her taste buds.

Lunch:  Egg, cucumber and avocado multigrain sandwich, with tomatoes,
orange and strawberries.

Dinner: Fettucine with broccoli, grape tomatoes, tuna and mushrooms

Dinner:  Avocado and grapes, Asian stir fry veggies, bok choy and scrambled eggs with rice.

dinner: miso soup and stir fried noodles with red cabbage and chicken mince

What's been happening lately... No crocheting but dabbling in sewing and enjoying some great food by my dad

Hello people!  Hope you are keeping well, for those who check in on my little blog.  Been away from crocheting lately, but I have not been idle.  I've gotten myself into learning how to sew using a recently acquired Singer 160 sewing machine, which I purchased in May, for myself, as a Mother's Day present.

Well, I thought  I could use it to sew toddler clothing for my little girl as well as for my own family.  Perhaps, occasionally sew up gifts for other family members and friends, once I mastered how to use this sewing machine.

To start off, I began using old clothing as my learning pieces.  If the clothing can be recycled or upcycled into something useful, I will refashion it.  Otherwise, will just use the fabric as practice for sewing stitches on the new Singer 160.

Last Sunday evening was a great break away from cooking in my own kitchen and dining at my parents!  It is always a treat and delight whenever my dad gets his hands on cooking for the family. It is good that my mum gets a break from cooking dinner for the family whenever we gather and visit.

So these are just what my dad cooked up, a storm, for a normal Sunday get together dinner.

A Singaporean oyster fried egg dish.  "hao jian"

Asian mixed vegetables stir fry

This is bought from food outlet. Roast pork and duck. 

Sticky rice dish

Yummy marinated baked chicken drumsticks

Deep fried prawns - hubby's favourite

Sewing a gathered elasticated skirt for toddler

Hello there, I found a simple sewing pattern on this blog that shows you how to do an elasticated gathered skirt.  Once I tried it out, it was real easy. It suits a beginner at sewing, that's me.  Just got a Singer sewing machine few months ago, and now I can really try it out and see how I go at this new hobby.

So this was what I used to start it off:

100% cotton, made in Japan, Cherry prints
114cm width x 50cm length
6mm elastic x 50cm/20" length
A safety pin to thread the elastic through.
Scissors
Measuring tape and straight ruler
Fabric chalk for marking

This skirt suits a 2-3 year old girl with waistline 19-20 inches or 54cm waistline.

gathered skirt for toddler

The method and where I found it on this blog:

http://www.thisbigoaktree.com/2012/04/fat-quarter-baby-girl-sash-skirt.html

The only thing I left out was the sash.  Will do it next time.

Crochet pattern for baby girl tricolour beanie, 3-6 months

Hello there, here's another baby beanie I crocheted recently.  Just a pattern I came up with after unwinding the yarn and restarting quite a number of times.  The beanie is finished with a picot edging and a 6 petal flower embellishment.  Thought I try adding a flower to jazz it up a bit, as normally my beanies are plain and without any embellishments.

Will write down the patterns once I can sit down and concentrate...

tricolour baby girl beanie 3-6 months

beanie with a buttoned 6 petal flower

size of finished beanie:  6" height (crown to base) x 7.5" with (base) or 16cm height x 19cm width

circumference of beanie:  38cm approximately

Yarn used for this beanie:

Patons Big Baby white yarn 8 ply or DK
Patons Big Baby  yarn 8 ply or DK
Bella Baby baby wonder sky (blue) yarn (col 80251145 Lot 2210 4 ply

(60% Acrylic and 40% Nylon) for all yarns used.

Crochet hook size 4mm
Burgundy coloured button - 1cm size approximately
sewing needle and white thread to sew button



Make a daisy flower using pattern found in this book Visual Quick Tips Crochet by Cecily Keim and Kim P. Werker,  Wiley Publishing, Inc.

Other alternatives and guides to how to crochet a flower:
http://littlebirdiesecrets.blogspot.com.au/2009/03/how-to-crochet-flower-video-tutorial.html

http://www.beginner-crochet-patterns.com/crochet-flower-patterns.html

Stash-buster challenge - crochet work in progress -granny stripes toddler top/tunic dress

Finished granny stripes tunic

Shell edging

granny stripes pattern

Needle and yarn

Hook

5.0 mm (H)

Yarn

Moda Vera Marvel Plain 8ply

How much?

141.3 meters, 50 grams 0.5 skeins = 154.5 yards (141.3m)

Colorway

cream

Color family

White

Purchased at

Spotlight in Western Australia

Yarn

Moda Vera Marvel Plain 8ply

How much?

84.8 meters, 30 grams 0.3 skeins = 92.7 yards (84.8m)

Colorway

cream

Color family

Natural/Undyed

Purchased at

Spotlight in Western Australia

Yarn

Needles Quality Knitting Yarn 100% Acrylic

How much?

30 meters, 10 grams 0.1 skeins = 32.8 yards (30.0m)

Colorway

variegated

Dye lot

variegated yarn

Color family

Red-orange

Purchased at

red dot

The crochet pattern is from Ravelry.com

Sweet Little Granny Tunic Dress

by Ana Figueira

from Days of Yarning

http://daysofyarning.blogspot.pt/2013/04/sweet-little-granny-tunic-dress-free.html

A stash buster project, good to use up various coloured yarns you may have.

Acrylic yarn, 8 ply or DK used.

Finished item size suits a 2 year old girl.
Measurements:
15.4”height x 17.3” width Chest: 12.6”
39cm height x 44cm width (bottom of tunic) Chest: 32cm

I did only an edging for the bottom of the tunic.
pattern for tunic :
ch 1, 1 dc over ch 2 sp, tr x 3 into 2nd tr st of previous 3 tr group, ch 3, tr x 3 into same st again, repeat to ** till the end of the round, then ss to ch 1, fasten off.

Stash-buster challenge project #11 - granny square newborn blue beanie

beanies newborn 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-12 months.

beanie newborn size

crochet granny square beanie

Crochet pattern for granny square newborn beanie blue

Size made: newborn, 0-3 months

Finished measurements: 6” width x 5.5” height (15.3cm width x 14cm height)

Suits head circumference: 12” to 13”

UK crochet terms and symbology used.

3mm size crochet hook

Bella Baby – Baby Wonder 4 ply yarn (60% acrylic, 40% nylon)

Care and washing instructions for beanie:

Cool handwash, 30 degrees celcius

Do not bleach

Do not iron

Dry cleanable

Stitches abbreviations:

ch - Chain

tr - Treble crochet

ss - Slip stitch

dc - Double crochet

st – stitch

sp - space

Beg at crown, ch 4; join with sl st to first ch to form a ring.

Special note: Rounds 1 to 4 should look like a granny square motif. Only starts curling up once you start doing round 5.

Round 1: ch 3 (counts as 1^st tr), 2 tr into ring, ch 1, *3 tr into ring, ch 1,** . Repeat * to ** two times, join with dc into third ch of ch 3 starting chain to finish round. You should have 4 groups of [3 tr, ch 1] and looks like a square.

Round 2: ch 3 (counts as 1^st tr), 2tr, ch1 into sp created by dc join of this round. *3 tr, Ch 1, 3 tr into ch 1 sp ** x 3 times, ch 1, 3 tr, ch1, join with dc into third chain of ch 3 starting chain to finish round 2. You should have 4 groups of [3 tr, Ch 1, 3 tr] at 4 corners.

Round 3: ch 3 (counts as 1^st tr), 2tr, ch1 into sp created by dc join of this round. 3 tr into next ch 1 sp, *3 tr, Ch 1, 3 tr into ch 1 sp, ch 1, 3 tr into next ch 1 sp **, repeat * to ** 3 times, ch 1, 3 tr, ch1, join with dc into third chain of ch 3 starting chain to finish round 3. You should have 4 groups of [3 tr, Ch 1, 3 tr] at corners, with 4 x 3tr in between.

Round 4: ch 3 (counts as 1^st tr), 2tr into sp created by dc join of this round, ch1. {3 tr into next ch 1 sp, ch 1} twice, *[3 tr, Ch 1, 3 tr into ch 1 sp, ch 1, {3 tr into next ch 1 sp, ch1 } x 2 ] **x 3 times, 3 tr, ch1, join with dc into third chain of ch 3 starting chain to finish round 4. You should have 4 groups of [3 tr, Ch 1, 3 tr] at corners, with 8 x 3tr in each ch1 sp in between.

Rounds 5 – 15: ch 3 (counts as 1^st tr), 2tr into sp created by dc stitch of this round, ch1, then repeat *3 tr into ch 1 sp, ch1 ** till the end of each round, then dc into third chain of ch 3 starting chain to finish each round.

Round 16: ch1, dc in each tr st, dc in next ch 1 sp**, repeat * to ** till last ch 1 sp, then ss to ch 1 to finish this round. Fasten off.

Rounds 1 to 4 are increasing rounds and resemble a square. Once you stop doing the corner groups of [3 tr, Ch 1, 3 tr], your beanie will start to resemble a dome shape (when flat) or beanie shape. To make bigger baby sizes, you can continue to do increasing rounds after round 4 till you have the size you need, then continue with pattern from round 5 to shape it into a beanie.