Crocheted Scarf

I have made no secret of the fact that I have struggled with crochet. I've battled with my tension and have always found it difficult to start with a straight chain. I've been happy to stitch into a circle and have no problem stitching into the chain after the first row but you can't crochet an item if you can't get started. Incidentally, I have the same issues with knitting but have less inclination to improve my skills with two needles. Anyway, I was determined to crack it with a hook, so I had another go last week and goodness me, I managed it. 

Jessica is now the proud owner of a handmade scarf, with tassels of course!

   

Granny Square Poncho

Jessica constantly wants to wrap a blanket around her shoulders so I thought I'd make her a crocheted poncho. That way she can at least keep her arms free. I've essentially made a granny square blanket with the middle missing and a tassel attached...

I began by making a chain long enough to easily fit over Jessica's head and slip stitched it back together to form a loop. I then stitched the sixth round of a standard granny square (6 lots of 3tr 1ch on each side followed by 2ch for each corner) and continued to the twentieth round before completing with a double V edging. Once I'd sewn the ends in I threaded a piece of wool through the neckline (so that the poncho can be tightened once on) and attached a tassel to finish it off.  

Here's my little model showing it off...

Kat's Top for Jess

Almost the minute that Jessica and I arrived in Wales, Katryn wanted to get sewing. She's so ambitious and incredibly confident but she also likes to have me around just in case anything goes wrong. On this occasion she was determined to make a top for Jessica and she decided to make it from some off-cuts of a dress that I'd altered for her. The fabric is stretchy and difficult to handle but she coped well. Aside from the finished article being a little bit long and rather snug I think she did a lovely job. 

Simple Pinafore Dress

I won't attempt to explain how I go about making these pinafores because I don't follow a pattern and I essentially make it up as I go along but I do enjoy making them and Jess is always thrilled with the results. I fully line her dresses and use snaps on the shoulders as fastenings. 

As usual I have managed to make this significantly too big but last year's dress still fits at the moment so I should imagine that she'll still be wearing this crazy cat dress next year.

One day I will tackle a pattern and learn how to use those dreaded paper templates. One day...

Toddler skirt

Jessica chose this fabric from a lovely little shop in Wanstead and it's been sitting around waiting for me to do something with it. At a loose end last night I decided to make her a skirt so I sneaked into her bedroom, took a few measurements and then hit the sewing machine. 

This is a simple skirt made from a rectangle of fabric. Jessica's waist currently measures 20 inches so I cut a rectangle 40 inches by 12 inches plus a little extra for seaming on the length. I double folded and pressed the bottom seam before stitching. This ensured that I had no raw edges on the occasionally visible bottom seam of the skirt. At the top I made a single deep fold and secured it on the machine before feeding a 20 inch length of elastic through the length of the rectangle. I stitched the elastic at both ends of the skirt with the excess fabric ruffled in between. Finally I stitched the two short edges together to form the skirt and here it is...

I couldn't wait for the morning to see if it fitted so I sneaked back in (terrible mother!) and put it on her. Thankfully it was a good fit with plenty of room for her to grow in it too.

She doesn't look like it here but I assure you she was really excited to wear it today. She loves wearing dresses but she's only ever had a skirt once before believe it or not. I'm going to be making a whole lot more I think.

Pompom Skirt

This is my first attempt at making clothing. I have upcycled some curtain lining and net curtain to create this pompom skirt for my little lady. I found it quite challenging to machine stitch the elastic whilst stretched but I’m sure I’ll get the hang of it with practice. I created six pockets to enclose the pompoms in but had to cut it down to five once I’d tried Jess in it. I think it’s a cute little piece and Jess seems to be able to move around in it pretty well. It’ll make a nice Christmas day outfit if she hasn’t grown out of it by then!