Upcycling Inspiration for Kid's Clothes Week

The next Kid's Clothes Week is happening in a few weeks (February 2-8)  and I haven't sewn along for a very long time, but I really love the theme of the next round - UPCYCLED.

Here is a quick round up of a few fun upcycling projects I have done and some tutorials that will work perfectly with this theme and get you ready for KCW.

Upcycled Baby Blankets to T-shirts - I put together this quick tutorial last year sharing how to maximise the fabric in your old jersey baby blankets to make tees for your kids. I bet you have lots of these blankets at home, but if not you can often pick them up cheaply at the thrift store.

Look how little my baby girl is in this picture! She has grown up so much! *sobs*

Upcycled Hoodie Prefontaine Shorts

Welcome to my stop on the Prefontaine Shorts World Tour! Jill from Made With Moxie designed and released this pattern recently and I instantly decided my girls were getting some of these retro style shorts for summer. Here is pair number one of what will no doubt become a Prefontaine Collection.

Confession. I had never heard of Steve Prefontaine before this. I couldn't work out why Jill would call her pattern 'Prefontaine Shorts' so I googled it. And I found Steve and his moustache.

I've gone for an upcycle for this project. My sister and I have a system where she drops over anything she wants to donate to charity, then I go through the bag and take what I like (oops, don't think I told her about that part) then I donate it at my local thrift store because the ladies who volunteer there are so lovely.

In one of her donation bags I found a large grey hooded sweatshirt with a zip up the middle and a pretty bird detail on the lapel. I quite liked it, but when I tried it on I could see why my sister had got rid of it - the fit was really off. Just weird. I kept in anyway as I knew it would eventually have a new life as something else.

The pretty bird detail was the star attraction of the original garment, so it became the pocket. Anna likes it so much that she wears the shorts back to front so she can see it!

For the purple trim, I cut strips from the left over fabric of a t-shirt that I had already cut up for another project (which you will also see this week.) The purple coordinates with the grey perfectly to create the girly look Anna is so fond of. All the stitching on the shorts is done with purple thread, adding some interest to the front which would otherwise be quite plain.

The grey fabric is a thick sweatshirt knit. It is really soft and so comfortable - I'm quite envious of Anna, I really want some of these shorts for myself. Adult sizes please Jill!

Anna is still a 3 in trousers but I sized these up for her to a 4. They are quite baggy but still fit really nicely, and seeing as it's still winter here, my plan is for her to get this coming summer and hopefully the next out of them. After a couple of years Lucy will be ready for them, so I'll get a good 4-5 years of wear between the girls.

Great stuff about the Prefontaine Shorts pattern - there are not many pieces so it's a very quick cut and sew. I also love that they are unisex - it's pretty rare to find a pattern that suits both girls and boys equally. My girls are pretty active and skirts and dresses don't always work for park trips and bike riding so these are a winner. Also, you can use pretty much any fabric you have in your stash. Wovens, knits, towelling for that real 70s look or upcycling an existing garment like I did - everything works.

 

Love it? You can get your copy of the pattern here.

If you haven't already, make sure you pop over and visit all of these ladies so you can see all their amazing versions of the Prefontaine Shorts.

Monday, July 29 The Crafty Kitty

Tuesday, July 30 Craftstorming
Wednesday, July 31 Kitschy Coo
Thursday, August 1 Emmyloubeedoo
Friday, August 2 imagine gnats

Monday, August 5 Petit a Petit & Sew Delicious
Tuesday, August 6   Buzzmills
Wednesday, August 7 The Southern Institute
Thursday, August 8 Sew Jereli & Max California
Friday, August 9 Sew Chibi & Living with Punks

Interview: Jenny from Mend & Make New

It's been forever since I've done an interview, and it's great to be able to bring them back! I love being able to share awesome creative people and their talents with you!

Today I'm excited to welcome my bloggy friend Jenny from Mend & Make New. I discovered Jen's blog ages ago via the Creative Spaces link party. I was instantly drawn to her style and sewing projects and her kiddos are totally gorgeous too! We've since become friends and hopefully we will meet in real life some day - we went to NZ last year but only to the South Island. Next time we will be going North for sure!

In Jen's own words:
I live in the beautiful Hawkes Bay, New Zealand with my husband, Andrew and our two kidlets, Noah, 4,  and Isabelle, 2. We also have a new arrival coming sometime in May! I love pistachio nuts, grapefruit juice and a good eggs benedict and am a bit of a night owl. I also enjoy going to craft markets, school fairs, garage sales and op shops.

Is sewing a hobby you have had since you were young or has it been something you have come to as an adult?
My Mum is a keen sewer and I she got me an ancient black Singer (basically an antique) so I could sew along side her when I was a kid. But I had a very short attention span for sewing at the time and left a trail of unfinished projects in my wake. Because of that, it's only been in the last few years (actually since I started having kids) that I really got into sewing. I found sewing for my kids was a good way to get back into it, since the projects are less time consuming than sewing for yourself, and the results are so rewarding.

 Is/was your paid job or educational background creative?
Not at all! I'm trained as a lawyer!

What types of projects do you enjoy creating the most?
As I said above, I really enjoying sewing for my kids. I've really enjoyed using knit fabric a bit recently and also love to dabble in quilting.

 What are your favourite sewing tools and materials?
I LOVE my overlocker/ serger... I've had it about a year now and I absolutely love it. Recently, I've been enjoying using freezer paper in sewing and craft projects. It makes great stencils and if you trace a pattern onto it, it makes a great iron on template that can be used again and again. It helps you to cut out really accurately and you don't need to pin your pattern! It's a life saver!

Name your favourite sewing inspirations.
I get a lot of inspiration from fellow bloggers especially the likes of Dana from MADE, Jess from Craftiness Is Not Optional, Sophie from Cirque Du Bebe (and Ros from Sew Delicious, of course!) Thanks Jen :)

More close to home, my Mum has to be one of my biggest sources of inspiration (she made so much of our clothes when we were kids) and one of my best friend's Rachelle. Rachelle helped me with a lot of handy sewing techniques when I was first getting back into sewing, and her level of professionalism is amazing.

How do you balance your sewing / creative projects and blogging with your ‘real life’ eg. Paid work, family?
It can be a difficult balance to strike. I use my blog to motivate me with my sewing and other craft projects, but try to remember that sometimes I need to step away to spend quality time with my kids. After all, there is no use them having great wardrobes full of hand sewn garments, but a Mum that's stuck to the sewing machine/ computer, is there? Because of this I try to 'steal' snippets of time when the kids are sleeping/ at kindy etc for the bulk of my sewing and blogging time.
I've just started doing a bit of paid work (part time, from home) for my husband's business; with this combined with a bit of pregnancy tiredness - I'll just have to see how it all fits in.

What other creative pursuits do you enjoy?
I've done a small bit of crochet and knitting, but would like to do more and I'll pretty much try anything if I get half the chance!

Thanks so much Jen!! Make sure you check out her lovely blog and give her some facebook love!

Are you are creative blogger? I'd love to feature you! Email me at roslynruss{at}gmail{dot}com and I'll send you some questions!

Sewing for Babies

One of my FAVOURITE things to do is sew for new babies. There has been a bit of a baby boom amongst our friends lately so I've been having some fun doing lots of sewing for tiny people.

The gifts I'm sharing today were made for little cutie Lewis who is about 3 weeks old. One of the things I love about sewing for bubs is choosing fabric with the parents in mind. What would they like? Are they traditionalists (blue/pink), do they love a more unisex style (grey/red), should I go for cute prints or simple patterns like chevrons or polka dots? Everyone is different and every baby gets a unique Sew Delicious gift.

I went for traditional blue for Lewis but with a cute print. I loved the bikes (Riley Blake Dress Up Days Bikes in Blue by Doohikey Designs) with the red scooters - not too babyish.

The first part of the gift is my go-to present for most new bubs - a nappy pouch. When I started making these and giving them as gifts I had such good feedback from friends that they were so practical and great for popping out without dragging a huge bag with you, that they have become my standard gift. They are also my best selling item in my etsy shop - you can see the ones I have for sale here.

I always fill it up with some newborn sized nappies, some baby wipes and a hand sanitiser.

Next I made a couple of bibs - I find bibs get ruined so when people have a second baby new bibs are always welcome. Anna's bibs were in such a terrible state that I threw most of them out and when Lucy came along she got brand new ones!

I wanted to have different but coordinating fabrics so I chose the Dress Up Days Chevrons from the same Riley Blake range.

To finish the gift set I also made a simple appliqued onesie. I often keep a few plain onesies on hand so a quick gift can be made in minutes if I need to. You can see my tutorial for making appliqued onesies here.

So there you have it! I'm in the process of making a few more fun gifts for some new babies and I will share them soon! Hint - it will involve ruffles!

Needle & Thread Interviews - Abby from Things for Boys

Today I'm excited to welcome Abby from Things for Boys. Her sewing skills are amazing and she is also a complete whiz in the kitchen! We are lucky to live very close by in Melbourne, and I can now count Abby as an 'in real life' friend too! Make sure you pop over to her blog and check out her brilliant tutorials and recipes...after you read this interview of course!

Hi everyone! I'm Abby from Things for Boys. I live in Melbourne with my hubby and Roman, our almost 2 year old. He's a well travelled boy, being born in the UK and then visiting the US at 6 months old. Thankfully, there's no plans for any more world adventures in the near future... I'm quite happy being back in Melbourne and with all my family and friends. 

Is sewing a hobby you have had since you were young or has it been something you have come to as an adult?

I've been sewing for as long as I can remember. I started off making clothes for my Barbies and I've been sewing ever since. My Dad used to work at a clothing factory, but it closed down. Before they emptied it out, he took me pick whatever fabrics I wanted. It was a great way to learn as I didn't need to worry about mucking something up and wasting fabric, so I would just make things up as I went along...most of the time it worked! I still have the Barbie dresses I made all those years ago.

Is/was your paid job or educational background creative?

More like the complete opposite! I did an Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Double degree at uni and then worked as a computer programmer before staying at home with Roman. I'm not sure why I did that degree, I didn't like it all that much. 

  

 What types of projects do you enjoy creating the most?

I love doing projects that I haven't tried before or anything that teaches me new skills. I'm not very good at making the same thing over and over again. I also love making clothes for Roman. Kids clothes don't use a lot of fabric, so they're cheap and come together quickly. Some days I realise that everything he's wearing is Mama-made!

      

What are your favourite sewing tools and materials?

I'm not sure if it's a tool, but Google! Whenever I start a new project I take a look online first. There's always someone who has made what you're about to make so it's good to see how they went about it and how it turned out.  I recently bought my first rotary cutter and it's changed my life! It's so much quicker and less stress on my hand than scissors. Why didn't I get one sooner?

Name your favourite sewing inspirations.

I get inspired a lot by colour and also fabrics. I often buy fabric without having a clue what it's going to become, it just jumps out at me. I also love bright colourful things. This can be a problem because nothing in my wardrobe ever matches, but I'd die if I wore black every day. Right now I'm loving all things green! Blogs are always inspiring too. Some of my favourites are:

No Big Dill

Dana Made It

Fuss Free Cooking

I'm really looking forward to the next Series of Project Run and Play too! 

 

How do you balance your sewing / creative projects and blogging with your ‘real life’ eg. Paid work, family?

I like to keep myself organised so that when I have a bit of time for sewing, I'm ready to go. I keep my work table (our dining table) neat and have fabric out ready to start my next project. I make use of Roman's nap time to get things done and also do a bit once he's gone to bed. To maximise my craft time, I get him involved with the housework, so that we can spend time together and also get some things done. He loves to hand me pegs and put them in the bag when I'm hanging out washing. He also loves putting clothes into the washing machine. Sometimes he isn't as helpful as I hope, but it's still play time for him.

What other creative pursuits do you enjoy?

Anything that takes my fancy. I do a bit of knitting, although not a lot because I find it very time consuming, but it's good for nights on the couch. I also have a few furniture makeover ideas in my head, but I need to clean out the garage to make room to get them started. I also make my own cards because I think paying $10 for a piece of paper is crazy, even if it is sparkly!

Thanks so much Abby for sharing about your sewing adventures here today with us! 

You can find out more about Abby here - blog - facebook - twitter - pinterest - flickr - make sure you pop over and visit her!

Shorts for Boys

This month I wanted to:

-make some shorts for Shorts On The Line
-do some more charitable sewing
-use some of the fabric given to me by my friend Belinda

One project, all three plans achieved!

My lovely friend Belinda had a de-stash and in the bags of fabric she gave me was this grey cotton polyester blend. I tend to stick with 100% cotton, but this fabric was lovely and soft. Also in the bags was a stack of Ikea fabrics. I do love Ikea fabrics, they are usually a riot of colour and bold, large prints. There was about a metre of a large bird print, so I fussy cut some birds and appliqued one each to the shorts.

My usual model was next door enjoying a play date, so I thought given that I was planning to enter these into the Shorts On The Line sew along group, I may as well take the pictures...on the line. Yep.




These shorts will also be given to Hopeful Threads as part of their July project for Children in Families in Cambodia. Fishsticks Designs very generously created a shorts pattern for Hopeful Threads for this project, called the Mud Puddle Splashers, and that is the pattern I've used.





Once I'd cut my shorts out I realised they looked a bit like the grey school uniform shorts so many boys here wear to school. To inject some colour, all the stitching is done in a neon yellow, including the zig zag around the bird applique. Unfortunately the yellow doesn't stand out so well in the photos.

I love this bird. I think it looks like a budgerigar that has just been caught doing something naughty.

Hope this week is a good one for you :)

Needle & Thread Interviews - Lyndelle from Little Olly

Today I am excited to feature my very talented friend Lyndelle. We met in 2009 when our babies were about 10 weeks old. Eight women from our local area with new babies ended up in same Mother's group, and luckily for us, firm friendships were made and remain now. A couple of years ago, I started reading blogs, getting inspired and I decided that I needed sewing lessons. With no room in the budget to pay for lessons, I asked Lyndelle to teach me how to sew. The rest, as they say, is history... and just yesterday I discovered that Lyndelle has been the co-conspirator with my husband and has helped him over the past few months in his secret mission to buy me an overlocker (serger) for my birthday - so I owe her lots of thanks!!

Our cheeky babies Liam and Anna - not babies anymore!

In Lyndelle's own words:
Hi, my name is Lyndelle. I'm thrilled to be part of Roslyn's awesome interview series! I live in Ballarat which is a large country town in Victoria, Australia. I have one little boy who has just turned 3, and like so many mums he has become my sewing inspiration.

Boy's pajamas - currently available in Lyndelle's shop Little Olly

Is sewing a hobby you have had since you were young or has it been something you have come to as an adult?

Definitely something I have been doing since I was young. I remember my mum bought me a basic sewing machine for my 10th birthday, and she was a fantastic sewer. When I was younger I mainly did cross stitch and a bit of knitting and crocheting, then moved on to patchwork and quilting.

 

Christmas Cross Stitch

Is/was your paid job or educational background creative?

In some ways yes it was creative. I have worked as a singer in a band on and off for about fifteen years, and I also owned a gift shop for a couple of years which is where I first started selling products that I had made. 

What types of projects do you enjoy creating the most?

These days my focus is really creating things for boys! We all know how many adorable projects and materials there are for little girls, and I think the boys miss out a bit. I love it when my little boy gets excited about wearing something I have made for him!

 

Little boy's bamboo trunks - designed by Lyndelle - PDF available soon!

 

What are your favourite sewing tools and materials?

I have in the last few years started to use a lot of organic and natural materials. This is mainly due to my boy having sensitive skin, allergies and excema. My favourite to work with is bamboo. It feels absolutely amazing to the touch and is a sustainable material for our planet.

 

Lyndelle's sewing room

  How do you balance your sewing and blogging with your ‘real life’ eg. Paid work, family? 

 I don't have a blog but sell products I have made online in my MadeIt shop. It is always difficult and unfortunately my little fella probably gets neglected a bit when I am on a sewing roll! You do your best and try not to feel too guilty about spending time doing something you love that doesn't involve your kids. Difficult for us eternally guilt-ridden mums.

 

 

Apart from sewing, what other creative pursuits do you enjoy?
I really love all crafts and have given most things a go, but sewing is the one constant. 

 

Thanks Lyndelle! If you want to know more about Lyndelle's gorgeous clothes for boys (and there are a few things for girls too!) you can find her here:

 

Little Olly Made It Shop

Little Olly on Facebook

Happy Easter!

Toy Car Mat - Tutorial

Earlier this year I made this toy car mat for a friend's little boy's third birthday. It was a great success and I got lots of lovely feedback so I thought I'd share the tutorial so you can make one too!

They are really great because they roll up quite small and can be taken anywhere, so whenever you need your little one to be entertained, you an pull this mat out and they are kept busy!

You need:

1 piece exterior fabric 50 x 30cm (20" x 12")
1 piece interior fabric 50 x 30cm (20" x 12")
1 piece car pocket fabric 50 x 20cm (20" x 8")
60cm (23") of wide black ribbon for road
50cm (20") ribbon for tie
black and yellow thread for road stitching
basic sewing tools and equipment

(Recently I made a couple of these for some friends of my Mum - I made them at the same time so throughout this tutorial the interior fabric in the photos will change between stars and spots!)

To start, press all your fabrics. Take your car pocket fabric, fold it in half to make dimensions of 50 x 10, and press.

Take your black ribbon for the road, pin it across the interior fabric about 15cm (6") from the top.

Stitch into place down each side with black thread.

Change your thread to yellow, set your straight stitch to the longest setting, and stitch down the middle of the ribbon to make it look 'road' like.

Take the pocket fabric and position along the bottom of your interior fabric, with the folded edge at the top and the raw edges aligning. Measure and pin every 7cm (2.75") to mark the pockets where your cars will 'park'.

Sew pockets at each 7cm (2.75") interval , finishing at the top of the pocket fabric and reversing to secure the end of the stitch.

Take the ribbon you are using as a tie and position it above the road with the fold of the ribbon on the raw edge of the fabric. Place the exterior fabric on top so rights sides are together. Pin ribbon in place.

Pin fabric together.

Mark a 10cm (4") gap to be left open for turning.

Sew around all edges with a 1cm (1/2") seam allowance.

Pull fabric through the gap you left and push corners out.

Fold gap seams under and press all edges. Topstitch all the way around the mat.

To pack away, place cars in the pockets, fold up and then again (so mat is folded into 3) and tie up with the ribbon.

 You are done! Grab your toy cars and the mat is ready to play.

If you make one please share it over at the Sew Delicious flickr pool!