Friday 21 February 2014

Baby Boom

There is a baby boom on the way, and it started with the birth of gorgeous Baby C!
The pattern of the Noodlehead divided basket was still on the cutting mat, so an easy choice on making a gift this time around!


Blue as main color, as this seemed to be mummy her favorite color and suits perfectly for a boy.



Pattern: Just like last time we used the Noodlehead divided basket pattern.
Fabric: The fabric is Dots and Stripes from the Up Up and Away collection of Skinny laMinx also designed for Cloud 9. The elephant fabric is from Jay-Cyn designed for Birch Fabrics.

Thursday 20 February 2014

Babyshower

As an expat we get to experience cultural habits and festivities from all over the world and so we recently experienced our first babyshower.
I decided what gift I wanted to offer a while ago but did not start until 1.5 hours before the shower started. 


This timeframe seemed a good 20 minutes short to choose fabric, sew 2 Noodlehead divided baskets, and also take pictures for the blog.



We went to the shower empty-handed but with the promise that –according to normal Belgian habits- we will bring the gift to the maternity clinic.


Pattern: I used the Noodlehead divided basket pattern.
Fabric: The fabric is 1000 Cranes in Cerulean from the Tsuru collection of Rashida Coleman Hale for Cloud 9. The red fabric is Dots and Stripes from the Up Up and Away collection of Skinny laMinx also for Cloud 9. The other turquoise fabric is Free as a Bird of that same collection and from the same designer as the red fabric.

Sunday 9 February 2014

Dubai Tour

Wednesday evening we got a last minute message that the school would be closed on Thursday. This time around not due to heavy weather but because Dubai Tour was about to race through town and so lots of roads would have to be closed down and traffic would probably be hampered. Everyday life was put on hold again, this time for cyclists.
On Saturday we caught a glimpse of the sportive legs.


The showpieces of Dubai Police were dug up.

Tuesday 4 February 2014

A-line dress with 3D-pleats

The last project made during KCW winter 2014 is this A-line dress with 3D-pleats.


Inspired by these gorgeous dresses, we immediately put a similar project on our todo-list. The last day of KCW we cut and sew the dress, nevertheless the handwork took way longer than planned.


The dress was dragged along to gymnastics- and swim classes of the children and was completed while cheering on the kids and watching their progression. The dress in the making was already watched and approved by many mothers.


The daughter and me we are pleased with the final result; my contentment is partly related to the fact I am done sewing pinches.




Jade her favorite color, pink, isn’t really my favorite, we found a compromise in fluo pink and so everybody is happy.


The pleats were sewn together with fluo orange thread. Initially I wanted a more contrasting color for making the pinches, but that takes away the attention from the 3D-effect of the pinch itself to the color of the thread and after all the handwork that is not what I wanted.


Pattern: The pattern is drafted by Curl Up, Doguincho inspired us to fold together the pleats.
Fabric: The fluorescent pink cotton is from Riley Blake Designs and was bought @ Hawthorne Threads.

Sunday 2 February 2014

KCW Winter 2014 - Jacob part 3

KCW is the perfect motivator to work double as hard, and today we made Elias smile! A happy boy thanks to this short version of THE Jacob pants.



Perfect fit at the backside.


Perfect fit at the front side.


And again made out of gorgeous ‘Chinese Blue’.


All pants, it looks like this:
The long green legs together with the short blue pants.



The long blue legs together with the short blue version.



Pattern: The third time in a row we use the Jacob pattern designed by Zonen09.
Fabric: The fluorescent piping was homemade from fluorescent trim (bought @ Vermiljoenshop).

KCW Winter 2014 - Jacob part 2

We finished the pants for Elias yesterday evening, and as soon as he saw the pants, he announced to be wearing short pants only!
It is true that Elias always leaves the house with short pants and Omar usually wears long ones, but I thought to be able to change this pattern by giving him his own long pants. I was wrong obviously!
Consequently we have a second pants for Omar (and we already started to cut and sew the short version Elias requested).


This time around the backside fits perfect without having to tighten the elastic excessively and there even is some room for growing.



The blue fabric was purchased in Shanghai, China (just like these gorgeous Chinese Blues). The fabric is supposedly hand dyed and had to be fixed before washing as the color runs. I was told that the fabric is about 50 years old. The sales lady –who looked double as old as the fabric- also explained me that it was made in her family business; but then my Chinese is quasi nihil so it is possible that I got that completely wrong!
The fabric smelled moist but after fixing and washing, she turned out to be really soft and so gorgeous!


I bought a full role but the role was not very long and on top of that only 45 cm wide. I will have to be make this fabric last a long way.


Pattern: Just like the pants posted yesterday this is a Jacob pants designed by Zonen09.
Fabric: The fluorescent piping was homemade from fluorescent trim (bought @ Vermiljoenshop) and some rope.

Saturday 1 February 2014

KCW winter 2014 - Jacob

New pants are –just like our previous project- something we postponed way too long. We assembled and cut the Jacob pattern (this must be the most used pants pattern at the moment in Belgium) and we made a test pants.


Omar and Elias had a lot of catching up to do as a result of being born to early and apparently they did not yet completely catch up. They turn 8 this summer and this size 6 years old is still somewhat too big. We have to tighten the elastic a lot which does not give a perfect result looking from the backside. Besides that the pants fits like a glove.




Jacob approved and we are ready to make one for twin 2.


Pattern: Jacob designed by Zonen09.
Fabric: The pants are made out of a piece of 100% cotton bought in Ajman @ ‘Bengali market’. The fluorescent piping was made from fluorescent trim we bought at Vermiljoenshop when the online shop still had a branch in Ghent.