Picture Gallery

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Ottobre Pear Shorts

I have had this denim for ages.  I was always waiting for him to reach the great age where I hear the words "these are so cool"!  Yup, this washed out, bleached out, denim is cool, and he loves it.  So I tried the new short patterns from the 3/10 Ottobre issue.  I did not put a knit waistband on the pants.  I just made my own pattern.  I did not think the knit would hold up the pants, so I cut a waistband out of the same material and attached it.  Then I added elastic to make the pants fit.  They are a tad long for my taste, but at least I know his knees (and believe me they are always bruised at this age) will be protected.  I am not too fond of the high hem, but next time I know better and will do it differently.  

BTW, someone asked about what Photoshop version I used.  I am currently using CS4, however CS5 is due to come out shortly, and I will most likely upgrade.

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Ottobre and Japanese Pants

Things that made me smile today....

- sleeping a lot longer then I should

- it is raining outside, thank goodness

- finishing up the above outfit

- a fantastic fitting pant pattern for toddlers

- a great dinner

- cupcakes for desert.

It's raining outside, and I am loving it.  It has been almost six weeks since we have last seen the rain.  It's been promised, but nothing ever came.  The yard, the flowers, and my car needed a cleansing.  The pollen needed to disappear.  For the first time, Nicolas woke up not coughing.  What a relief.  I also love the fact that we are forced to stay home.  I have been so tired, and all day I finally had an excuse to say "No, honey we can't go bike riding" or "No honey, no beach today".  LOL.  I was able to lounge in a pair of pants, no make-up, and just do little things without having to get into the car and drive.  What a relief.  I needed it.

So, this is the finished outfit.  I love it.  I introduced the shirt here (http://kinderkouture.blogspot.com/2010/04/feeling-blue.html) and decided to try a japanese pattern for the pants.  I finally can use their smallest size, and oh it was a perfect fit.  I love this pattern.  I had enough room for a large waistband, no gaping, and the length was perfect.  This is a size 80.

I used a stretch denim that I bought somewhere for myself.  I decided to applique a large flower (actually three of them) on top of the pants with a button in the middle.  As you can see it is a perfect fit.  The picture on the top left is cover of the japanese sewing book I used.  I will have to check what other patterns we could make from this lovely book.  

See the full gallery on posterous

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An old Ottobre favorite.

Things that made me smile today.....

- sticking to my promise of walking twice a week, even though my body did not want to move this morning.

- spending an hour talking to a good friend

- a great dinner

- beautiful pictures by changing my lens

- looking and admiring an old sewing project that now fits my daughter

- a fresh tomato basil spagetti for dinner

I wanted to accomplish so much today, but an all-day headache and a stomach upset kept me from doing much of anything.  To top it off, the kids were fighting, crazy and so getting to me tonight.  So without further ado, I will just post a few pictures of an earlier Ottobre project that I made for my niece last year.  It is a bit big for Olivia, but it works, and is so cute.

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A moi-yo-ich day

Wondering what a moi-yo-ich day is?  It's a me day.  A well-deserved day all to myself.  No cleaning, no washing, no gardening, no errands.  Hard but doable.  I seriously had my doubts that I would get a sewing day, and I did not sit down until 11pm.  I almost did not sit down at all, because the kids are having a terrible time with their sinuses, and Nicolas' teacher emailed me that Nicolas was coughing in class a lot.  So I called the doctor, and according to her, I had done everything right, and there was no other medicine I could give him.  So I left him in school, coughing, but ok.

So what did I sew?  Take a guess.  LOL.  Sorry for bad angle on this picture, but he would not take them off.  He does have a cute butt though.  LOL.  The green fabric is a really nice soft jersey, and the moment he put them on, he just loved them.  These are the Ottobre 4/04  Boys Boxer shorts.  They along with another pair I tried to finish today are going to be his summer pi's.  I also tried to paint a stencil on a t-shirt.  It was hard, and although it did not turn out anything like I wanted, the important thing is that he loves it.

No I am not an artist, and that is quite obvious.  I used a stencil that I got from the internet, copied it to wax paper, and then painted.  It looks a lot easier then it is.  I will have to do some research before I do this again.  I bought the T-shirt at Target.  

Yup - DESSERT - YUM.  The kids never say no to this.

I had a peaceful day today.  I did not worry about things that needed to get done, or how dirty my floors are, I just sat back and let my machine purr while I created a smile for me and my son.  Tomorrow I will have to play catch-up, but that is ok.

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Inspiration

via flickr.com

Another Ottobre beauty. Of course, everything that comes from Pam's studio is usually adorable.

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Inspiration

via flickr.com

A beautiful adaptation of the Ottobre Baby Deer Pinafore Dress.

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Happy Valentines Day

What is not making me smile today?  It's Valentine's Day, and laughing with my hubby, kissing my little ones, eating ice cream, and watching Enchanted made the day all so much more lovely then I could have ever expected.  Oh, and don't let me forget my Valentines gift from the kids.  A red velvet box, with tons of little love notes inside which read XOXOXO, I love you on red hearts.  What a lucky gal I am.  ♡♡♡♡

BTW, my friend took this picture of Nicolas holding the candy.  Seeing that it represents my favorite little fingers, and my favorite candy, oh well I just had to show it.

Now to my third and last surprise of Sewing... Introducing the Ottobre Puolukkapuuro Corduory Pants.  Now say that three times in a row.  ☺☺☺  I  love, love, love these pants.   I took everyone's advice from the Ottobre group and basically cut out a size 74, lengthened to a size 86, then measured again and added another 2 inches.  Perfect fit.  In every way. I cannot wait to make another pair.  I was so excited when she put them on and even the width of the legs did not seem so bad.  I will take pictures of Olivia as soon as I can, but at the moment, she is terribly unhappy.  She has hives all over her little body, and I am so happy that tomorrow is Monday, and I can call the doctor.  I seriously have no idea what this is and it scares me.  She is obviously having an allergic reaction, and I have tried giving her Claritin, Zyrtec and now Benadryl, but she keeps itching her skin.   Oh well, just have to through one more night.  Back to the pants.  The pockets are on the back of the pants, and I decided to add this foe around the pocket to give it a little more pizazz.  Too cute.

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Inspiration

via flickr.com

What a cute Ottobre adaptation of the Suklaatwist Dress. Absolutely love velour.

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Smiley Face

Things that made me smile today.....

- a hot bottle warmer at my feet

- my goose down comforter

- the above picture

- Starbucks Chai Latte

"Good Morning Mom!" Nicolas said, and pointed to his creative moment.  I laughed, while struggling with my next project.  Never in all the time I have been sewing, would I think to make a smiley face out of my pins.  LOL.  He is a creative one my boy.




Ottobre Pants - 3/2003 - Size 74 - #9
Everytime I make a pair of pants from Ottobre, especially in the wintertime, I always encounter the same problems.  First of all, the fit of the front crotch.    It is huge.  Probably made to fit a baby with diapers.  I end up with this enormous amount of fabric in the front crotch, and not enough in the back.  Second of all, the length.  They are too short for what I had in mind.  I lined these gorgeous pants with a jersey knit so she would remain warm in the winter.  I purposely traced a size 86 in length in the hopes she could have cuffs on the bottom.  Nope, the length is perfect with a pair of shoes on.
Then to make matters worse, I put in the elastic this morning (using the Ottobre method) and it had stretched out way too much.  She is 19in. in the waist.  I cut off three inches, and it was just too big.  So I sat myself down, and planned on ripping out all of my stitches, when it occurred to me that I could possibly draw a smaller piece of elastic through, and make them fit.  Great shortcut, however trying to pull elastic through such thick corduroy really took a toll on my hands and fingers.  I intend to use this pattern again, and make notes with every pattern change in the hopes that this does not happen again to me.  I love the width of the them, but not the width of the hips.  I cannot wait for her to grow a bit, so I can use some different patterns.

Olivia - Part 2#
Sometimes life has a way of turning out just right.  First of all thank you Sandra for the good advice.  I will try to emphasize more of the positive things that I see Olivia doing in the hopes that she changes or understands.
Last night, shortly after turning off my light, I heard her little footsteps coming down the hallway.  My room was very dark, so I could not see her enter.  I waited for her to say something, as I heard her breathing.  She finally said "Mommy?"  Since her nightly visits are becoming quite regular, I thought it best to ignore her.  However, she did not go.  She just stood there, quietly.  Once more I heard "Mommy?".  No longer able to ignore her, I turned to her and said "Olivia, please go back to bed".  She turned quietly and walked back to her room.  Thinking to myself how easy that was, I began to close my eyes, but I suddenly heard her crying through the baby monitor.  I waited, and waited in the hopes that she would stop.    I finally got out of bed and stumbled into her room, and sat down next to her bed.  I quietly whispered in her ear "I love you!"  Her crying stopped.  I turned to walk out of her room, and she started crying again.  Too tired to think, I picked her up and brought her back into my bed.  Yes, I know.  That was definitely the wrong thing to do, but under these circumstances, I just cannot find the strength at this time of the day.  I asked her if she was comfortable, and she turned around and said "Yes mommy.  I don't want another mommy, I want you mommy!"  I smiled as she held my hand and fell asleep.

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Ottobre Pinafore Dress

Things that made me happy today.....
- Finishing a dress
- Sewing
- No ice on the roads
- Having heat
- Fix it Friday
New Patterns arriving in the mail
- Crisp fresh sheets on my bed
- a clean house AAAAHHHH

Things that made me happy today....

Finished this little beauty last night.  Still need to attach snaps in the back and finish the pants and top that I planned on making.  I could not hold off posting a picture.  I just love this corduroy print.  The colors are so vibrant and yet perfectly matched.  Pink and red are a favorite of mine.  BTW, I believe I bought these fabrics from IINU.  You can find her link under Blogs I love on the right hand side.

Ottobre Pinafore Dress.  Size 74. 4/2003
Lovely pattern, and as always it went together so  easy.  The bottom ruffle idea I got from NanaCompany (see post below).   I did not want to add too much bulk to the hem and this was the perfect way to achieve it.  I played around with the dress yesterday, and contemplated adding something to the top without making it look to busy.  I have a few ideas, and will show pictures as soon as I can.  Here a few modeled pictures of Olivia.

I love the dress, but Olivia did not, even though you would not be able to tell from the pictures.  She gave her best this morning.  She is actually talking to me the whole time, and never standing still, but my 50mm Canon lens catches everything.  LOL.  I have to admit, that I did not want to make a dress.  I wanted a top.  It is too long.  She needs everyday clothes, and I went a bit overboard on this one.   So I will probably put it up for sale on my Etsy site.  No big deal.  At least I know the pattern is a keeper.  I will shorten it for my next project, and perhaps add pockets or a front placket.  We will wait and see.

A small little something I picked up in Target yesterday.  Loved the design and of course the colors.

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Creatively speaking

My friend Sarah and I decided to get creative with our photography this year. We decided on a theme, and chose to post a picture. This was the first of hopefully many inspiring photographs. Our idea for this week was "The New Year" "Something New". Since I have my head in sewing right now, I decided to create something with my sewing supplies. It was not easy, since my creative juices are not flowing at the moment, but hopefully with a little practice I will jump back into the swing of things.



My Ottobre mishap. The shirt is from the 6/2008 Ottobre issue. The Elly Shirt. I was a bit disappointed with the outcome. On the picture it looked wider at the hems, however the shirt I made is hugging her body. It is not too small, as a matter of fact, it fit her perfectly. I intend to play with the pattern a bit, and make it again. However, this shirt is going to be put to rest. I have no intention of finishing it. I just dont like it. The pants are from the 4/2008 issue. The Vilka pants. I have made them many times before. They are easy to put together. As a matter of fact, I had these pants finished in less then 20 minutes. I did alter the pattern somewhat and added 4 inches to width at the hem. I also left out of the seam allowances because a size 74 was too wide on my little skinny one. I wanted to try the pants with her shirt, but I did not like it. Not fancy enough. The pants did match however with her new sweater. So that made me smile at the end of the day. Tomorrow I will start all over with a new project, and hopefully a happier ending. Tomorrow the kids go to school and I am going to sew from the moment I am alone until they come home. I can hardly wait. Maybe that will put an end to my depression. Goodbyes are tough.

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Less then 12 hours left.

My little Miss Olivia is sick.  She has the flu and a sinus infection or sinusitis.  So the last two nights have been very strenuous.  She stayed up coughing all night long on Saturday.  On Sunday she was running a high fever most of the night.  I finally called the doctor on Sunday night, and got her some antibiotics.    Today, she rarely coughed at all thank goodness.  In the picture above, she is wearing another pair of Ottobre Vilka pants that I recently sewed for her and the top is an Onion pattern.  I love it, and it fits better this year then it did last year.  I have been sewing, but getting nowhere fast.  I am working on a lovely nightgown for her, and I hope to have it done before Christmas.


Tomorrow, my Xmas present arrives at 9am in Atlanta.  That's right.   My hubby is on his way home.  I am sooooooooo excited (and a tad bit tired).  I am so looking forward to a relaxing Christmas break.  The house is clean from top to bottom.  I even managed to clean my dining room (don't laugh Sarah).  It is a joke.  While I have been undertaking one room after another to declutter and organize, my dining room became the home to everything that did not have a home.  After two months, you could not walk around the table.  It stayed that way for almost 5 months.  Now I think it looks fabulous, especially with my newly covered chairs.  Thanks David.

Found this lovely embroidery set for sale now on Dawanda or see more details here.  She makes such lovely embroidery designs, and I can just imagine this on some red fleece for a little girl.

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I Believe..........

Oh yes, my son believes.  His favorite movie of all time is the Polar Express, and tomorrow his class is going on an outing in which they walk to a local church and get to drink "Hot-Hot-Hot Chocolate" while watching his favorite movie.

The moment I saw this flannel at Joann's I knew it would be perfect for his trip.   I made Ottobre 4/3003 #13 pajama pants in a size 92 for him.  I added 2 inches length to the pattern.  Perfect fit.  The shirt was purchased.  He has had it for some time and never wears it.   I finished the embroidery design this morning (Sew Many Designs) and decided that I did not want to stress out tonight since tomorrow I have so many things to do.  I remembered this t-shirt I purchased and added the embroidery to the front.   Now he is set.

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Modelling fun

Really have not been able to capture any really good pictures of Olivia lately.  Little toddler is just too fast for my camera and my skills.  Here she is modelling her new outfit.  I made the sleeves a bit long, and the top is still a bit big for her.  The pants are perfect adding two inches to the length.  Overall, I am happy. 

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Sew Happy!

Yes, I sewed. Aaaaaahhhh it felt so good to be at the machine. It is so enjoyable for me to make something with my two hands. I cannot explain it. More details below.

I just had a wonderful lunch. I bought the kids some Fluffernutter. Oh, I know today it is called something completely different, but I used to love eating a peanut butter and fluff sandwich. I seriously got very excited when I remembered that I bought some of that yesterday. I could not wait to spread it on a piece of fresh white bread. YUM! It was delicious.

I thought about the kids all night. I feel awful for ranting the way I do, but I know that so many mothers have their moments and my blog is about me and my life. No need to hide the inevitable. After alot of thought, I came to the realization that Olivia is always in a good mood when she is alone with me. The whining and crying usually begins when she is with her brother, so maybe I need to watch them together more closely, or hide the monitor in their playroom, so I can hear what is going on. Olivia probably wanted my attention more then anything, which is usually the case. I just don't know how to make dinner and entertain her in my little kitchen at once, without losing my temper. I guess that is my weakness, and something I need to work on. That is one of the reasons, I decided to sew this morning instead of clean the house. I am hoping that the sewing will relax me, which will give me more energy later on in the day. I am planning a night out with the kids, not because of my guilt, but because Chick Fil-A gives you a free kids meal on Tuesdays, and that keeps me out of the kitchen. LOL. So hopefully today will go alot smoother then yesterday, and everyone will go to bed happy.

I made the matching pants today from the Ottobre Vilka Pants Pattern I used last year. It is a size 74, and I added 2inches length to the hem. The ribbon was bought from IINU, and I just love it. Before I finish the second pair, I want to make sure they fit Olivia. I have a funny feeling they may be too long, but we will see. Now I am off to clean the house before the older one steps off the schoolbus. Happy Sewing.

Beautiful tutorial.  Definitely needs to be seen at MADE.


Found this at KI-Ba-Doo . Her work is amazing.  So many creative details.

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Modelled Ottobre Pekka T-Shirt

Here he is happy to model my latest T-Shirt. A quick, simple sewing project that made both of us happy.

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