Tag Archives: girls

Sewing project

Elsa inspired hoodie

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Elsa inspired hoodie by Oak Tag Designs - front

My eldest daughter got a little bit (read, A LOT) naggy toward her little sister to borrow a Frozen hoodie and t-shirt she received for her birthday. So I decided to make her one of her own. I went through all the fabric suitable in my stash for a hoodie, and managed to find just enough light blue and cream, plus light blue ribbing.

I wanted to make it a bit special by making the cuffs have thumb holes, to make it glove like. I made one, but my daughter was complaining it was too tight. I could also see that it would probably just get super dirty when she insisted on doing everything with her hands in the cuffs, so off it came, and I put normal cuffs on.

Elsa Inspired hoodie by Oak Tag Designs

Elsa inspired hoodie by Oak Tag Designs - back

I used this pattern to cut it out, and just changed it to have ribbing rather than folded up.

Kwik Sew pattern 2094

Overall, Im pretty happy with how it turned out 🙂 Bit of a shame (although not at the same time!) that now the spring weather has started, and it won’t be long before hoodies won’t be needed!

Sewing project

Frozens young Anna dress complete (phew!)

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Frozens young Anna dress - OTD

 

Frozens young Annas dress back - OTD

Well, its done, and in the nick of time. Not long now until I will have a 4 year old!

That was a marathon, if I say so myself. The 5 year old declared, “Its the best dress you have ever made”, so that made me feel like it was worth the extra effort. It also fits, Im only not happy with minor things that don’t matter, and I took enough pictures to make a very long tutorial!

Hopefully, the tutorial will be up in a week or two. Prepare yourself for a download-affecting amount of photos, haha!!

 

Sewing project, Tutorial

Cloth wipes!

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I may have failed to mention recently that I have added cloth wipes to my Etsy store!

A few years ago, I used to make and sell them on eBay, but family commitments meant I no longer had the time. They were very popular, and I would even get emailed to make special orders. I still now, get friends asking me whether I can make them some cloth wipes.

Here are the ones I have up on my store at the moment; just click the picture to get taken through to the listing 🙂

5 x blue rose cloth wipes - Oak Tag Designs

5 x blue spots cloth wipes - Oak Tag Designs

A while ago, I made up  a tutorial on how to make cloth wipes. They are very simple to make, so if you find yourself handy with the overlocker…

Cloth Wipes Tutorial

Enjoy!

Sewing project

Flowery circle skirts!

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Floral circle skirts

I have seen some lovely circle skirts on Pinterest, and thought hmmm….

Well, the time had come to make some. One daughter owns about 2 skirts, neither are the right size! The other, despite being a size 6, regularly wears a particular size 4 skirt (no need for the elastic, really!) and a tie dye rainbow skirt that has seen better days back when it was a dress. So I decided I would make the skirts as a surprise for them.

I picked out a floral weave fabric that I had in my fabric stash. It worked perfectly to fit both of the girls skirts. I decided to finish the bottom edge with bias binding. I thought it would be easier, but really, it took about the same amount of time as pressing and sewing a hem. It does look nicer though, and brightens the skirt up. For the elastic at the top, I made it exposed (like all the cool kids are doing with their skirts), and used black to match.

I love them, the girls love them, and bonus.. ! They think they look great as capes and decided to wear them like that all day. Well, you just never know with kids!

And although I didnt actually use a tutorial for the skirts (because goodness, I should be able to pump out some simple math after all that university math I’ve done!), I do recommend that those with fewer math skills, or sewing skills should follow one. The skirts are as simple to make as others rave. And they turn out great.

Here is a tutorial that explains really well how to make a circle skirt.

So good luck, all of you, because I know you are going to rush off and make one now! Vroooommm…

Crochet project

Crocheted crowns!

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Crocheted crown - white and pink

So here they are! The finished products from the one of the lovely hand-dyed balls of yarn.

I looked around ravelry, until I found this pattern, which can be found on the Hatting Madly Crochet website.

They were so quick to crochet up, and as far as I can tell, the pattern was brilliant. This is about the second written crocheting pattern I have followed, so Im not much of a judge! There was only one spot, where I pulled it out about 4 times before realising what it meant. This is clearly because Im a knitter and forget that you can crochet into holes, not just stitches!

They also dont take up much yarn. I was thinking that I might not be able to make 2 out of the 50g ball of yarn, so I did the first one with a cream coloured yarn as the band. Boy, was I wrong. I made it, and then 2 completely coloured ones, and I still have about enough left for another one.

The only change I made to the pattern, was for my 3 year old. I did one less pattern repeat, to make it smaller. I found that even though the pattern is for a toddler crown, it turned out to fit my 5 year old. But Im sure that it depends on tension, and the yarn. To adjust, the website says to adjust the foundation chain by 6 stitches.

The kids love them, and apparently so do the dogs (who just love to dress up, haha!).

Crocheted crown - hand-dyed yarn

So now, Im still not sure what to use the other yarn for! But Im sure something will come to mind.. 🙂

Sewing project

Sweet cotton pyjamas!

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Sweet blue pyjamas ~ OTD

Sometimes Im so busy sewing things for other people and doing repairs on clothes, I run out of time to make clothes for my own kids.

I decided to spend some time making my eldest daughter some pyjamas. Where we live is quite temperate and so I decided to make long-sleeved and long-armed cotton pyjamas.

I used this old pattern I found at an opp shop recently.

Simplicity pattern 8325

 

I thought I would make the girls’ version, thinking it had a yoke. Nope! It is actually a giant collar! So I didn’t use the collar; instead adding lace.

Lacy sleeve cuffs <3

The sleeve cuffs are probably my favourite 🙂

Snap fastening on pyjamas

 

I loved making these pyjamas. Cutting them out well, pressing everything as I was making it, overlocking, putting in the lace..  They came out looking professional, and I feel assured that they will easily last both of my daughters because of the high quality fabric.

<3

Knitting project

Girls lacy cardigan complete!

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Brown lacy cardigan

 

I posted about a green cardigan I finished last year. Not too long ago (ahem, over 2 years ago) I started the same cardigan but in a 5 ply. It was started on holiday, and stopped when the holiday did. It was destined for my eldest daughter. Well, it won’t fit now, so daughter #2 will be having it for this autumn, winter and spring.

Im very happy Ive finally finished it!

Sewing project

A pretty princess skirt!

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Princess skirt ~ OTD

So this week I made a skirt. Its a belated present to my daughters’ friend. She turned 4 sometime in December, and due to the craziness, I didnt have time to make up the skirt. Of course, my eldest daughter picked out the fabric, and then she helped me where she could to make it up. I just made up how it would turn out, as I went along, and I think it turned out pretty cute.

Bottom of princess skirt ~OTD

It reminds me of a princess skirt. And as a bonus, its good enough quality that it can be worn as a normal skirt, as well as a dress up. Unfortunately, I didnt take any photos so that I could make a tutorial. Please comment if you would like a tutorial on this skirt and I will do one!

And as an aside, has anyone seen this before? I went to buy some shirring elastic for the skirt (who did I lend mine to??!) and the only ones I could find where coloured! Looks very cool, but you don’t see it because its at the back anyway!

Coloured shirring elastic

Sewing project

Simple Summer skirt!

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So Ive been cleaning up my sewing and knitting room, and I thought about putting up a blog post about that. But lets face it, its no pinterest photo! Maybe if I got all artsy and did an abstract photo with a lovely pile of folded fabric in focus and the giant piles of sorting blurred, haha!

While cleaning, Ive come across some great light patterned fabric, perfect for some Summer skirts that my wardrobe is calling for. I strictly told myself I needed to wait until I had finished restacking the fabric. And then got on Pinterest, just to “have a look”. Turns out there are a few great tutorials on making easy skirts. Also turns out, me and the kids miraculously didn’t break our ankles hopping over piles of fabric to make this said skirt last night.

OTD Easy Summer Skirt

I ended up using a very simple tutorial from Ruffles and Stuff for a 20 minute skirt. In my usual style, it took longer for tweaking the pattern. I cant stand having to carry small things like a phone, so I added a side pocket. I decided I wanted to wear the skirt on my hips, lower at the front, so i cut the skirt lower at the front so the hem will sit straighter. I also didn’t read the tutorial properly and didnt gather the fabric. I just pulled the elastic to fit it. I prefer it this way as it means the elastic can be stretched the full way when putting it on, until the fabric is straight. On the downside, it is a lot harder to do!

OTD Easy Summer Skirt pocket

A lot of my fabric is what I like to call hand-me-down. Fabric others have bought, and then given the cull. There is some that is factory seconds, and some is vintage, some from my grandmother (who passed away before I was born; I keep it for special things), and some that is just plain weird. And of course, just normal stuff too! After I had decided on the fabric and elastic I was going to use, I discovered that the hand-me-down fabric had previously been tried to make into a skirt. No matter, just a few extra predone seams. Plus some slight darting at the top, of which noone can see because its gathered!

What does your fabric stash look like? Any plans for some new skirts?