Birthday overload (dodgy photo overload, too)

If you are thinking to yourself "well blow me! Kathryn Driffield's done a new blog post. I thought she was dead!" then I don't blame you. As you can see, I'm not dead, but I have been manically busy. Up to my eyes in birthdays, sewing orders, face painting, summer fetes, and other fun but somewhat draining activities. No time for blogging (though I have rediscovered Twitter and am now a proper fan).

Anyway, dealing with the procrastination sewing first.... a skirt for me. I have since Christmas been exercising hard and dieting reluctantly. With the result that I urgently need some summer skirts that actully fit and have pockets for my phone. When I'm a size 10 I am going to treat myself to a Desigual skirt but since I am still two sizes away I ran up a Desigual knock-off. It's kind of hard to achieve that edgy Desigual look when you mostly have kids' prints in the stash, but I gave it my best shot....
It's comfy, it fits, and it has pockets. Result!

Then onto Laura's pressing need for summer skirt & leggings combos. These are intended for wear at Hatton Country World and other places where protection from fast slides and grazed knees is required. I ran up 4 sets over the course of a day - it's an Ottobre pattern and has pretty much gone viral in the sewing for girls community. I love it!

And now for the birthday sewing... James turned 6 last week and here's his new jacket. Ottobre strikes again! It's in an outdoor wear fabric that was very cheap at Fabricland in Bristol. It was an absolute swine to sew, so I bitterly regretted choosing a pattern that featured welt pockets. It's not my best work, but it's the best I could do and James really likes it.

Though not as much as he likes his new shorts. Also an Ottobre pattern and huge fun to make.

Then came a crochet aquarium for my father-in-law on father's day. Trouble-free fish! He saw the funny side.

Laura's birthday is the last on the list. Believe me, the four weeks from June 9 to July 8 is tough going in this house - five birthdays, one after the other, with Father's Day thrown in just to make life interesting. I hardly have time to catch my breath! But Laura's is the last birthday where I feel the compulsion to sew. This is her birthday jacket. It's an Ottobre pattern (no? really?), which should have been made up in wool but which I did in fleece. Laura does actually need a fleece jacket and I was getting tired of hearing about her best friend's coat which is pink with flowers, so I embellished the fleece with heart pockets and some flowers. And pom-pom trim just for fun.

It even comes with a zip-up hood. She will simply love it!

I'm not so sure about her dress, and I think she'll be a bit 'meh' too. She really wanted something twirly, and this combination just isn't. Also, I screwed up the collar somewhat which doesn't add to my dress-love, but I think the real problem lies in the fabric choice. Both are pretty enough but lack drape, so they somehow don't flow. I suspect the pinafore will get a lot more wear than the dress, especially once I've added the strawberry buttons.

I felt a wee bit guilty about imposing my own dress choice on the birthday girl (I can't tell you how much she wanted a twirly dress) so I painted some faux Lelli Kellys for her. Don't get me wrong - I don't think they rival the real thing, but they cost me a mere £12.50 (and a fair amount of time). I used sequins, fabric glitter and fabric paint from stash, and hoped to keep them secret from her until Sunday. Unfortunately, she opened the box when they were half-finished, and the cat was out of the bag. She liked them then and now they're blinged up, I just know she'll love them.

Speaking of cats, she decided last week she wanted me to make her a kitten costume for her birthday. With claws on the hands. Now that's a challenge I decided not to try to rise to but watch this space for a Halloween post!

Back to School Sewing, UK-style. Do not adjust your sets!

In theory, I love school uniform. It looks smart, it's non-divisive, and it cuts out a lot of pre-breakfast argumentation. On the other hand, the only fabric UK school uniform comes in this year is poly-viscose. It looks great, it's easy to care for and it feels soooooo yucky to touch.

So over the last two weeks I have made 5 pairs of grey cotton moleskin trousers complete with pockets and fly fronts. The belt loops fell by the wayside for the last 3 pairs though. I tested a couple of Ottobre patterns before settling on the slim-fit version to which I added back-darts because we don't call James 'Bitzer Moloney' for nothing!

Naturally, the sun was splitting the stones at the start of term and there was just one pair of grey shorts in the house, which were left over from last year. They were a bit tight but did him for a day until I knocked up a pair that actually fit.

Laura's uniform consists of a royal blue sweatshirt and black or blue jogging bottoms. I had every intention of buying these but was foiled by the complete dearth of age 2 joggers. So, out with the Ottobre magazines again. I've done 4 black pairs and have a pair of royal blue ones cut out, just to vary the monotony. There was no finessing on these, I can tell you! Only two pairs have pockets and not one pair is beautiful.

I have now officially had enough of dull sewing and am looking forward to the next couple of projects in which black and grey will definitely not be featuring.

Ottobre - guitars, reggae & wailers

I sometimes wonder what the sewing mothers of boys would do without Ottobre. In a landscape dominated by ruffles and pretty dresses (and regular readers will know that I have a weakness for a pretty dress myself!) stylish patterns for boys are pretty hard to find. And then you discover Ottobre and suddenly, there's almost too much choice! The most recent issue was spattered with clothes that I fairly itched to make for James. So I devoted this weekend to some serious boy-type sewing.

My recent makes have probably erred on the cute side. James is nearly 5 and my darling DH has started to query whether tab-hemmed turquoise shorts:



with co-ordinating polo shirts:




and hoody tops featuring photos of the wearer and his special bear, each sitting happily in the pockets of the helicoptor applique:




aren't just a bit too babyish for our boy. Now personally, I'd see him in such garb until he's, oh I don't know, 20? But I can't deny that he looks a lot less streetwise than most of his peers and small children can be cruel. So... time to swap cute for cool.



First up: the Guitar raglan sleeve t-shirt.







Thanks to not reading the instructions (will I NEVER learn??) I put the applique in the wrong place. But James doesn't know that, and it still looks pretty good. I love the applique but am not at all keen on the pattern. The neckline is cut very wide and, even though I replaced the cuff binding at the sleeves with a longer underlayer, I think the sleeves are a tad too short. It's wearable and James, despite no interest in music or guitars, likes it very much, thanks to some careful propaganda along the lines of 'your big cousin Joe will really like this shirt because he likes electric guitars'.


Next: the bermudas that feature in about 4 different pattern versions, the differences lying in the pocket styles. I did the Wailers, which have bellows pockets on the leg, and used some Ikea plaid cotton. I omitted the drawstring because the cotton has quite a crisp hand and I suspected it would crease at the front rather than fall into gentle gathers. I used buttonhole elastic at the back to get them to fit properly.



You will notice that the plaid matches in the pocket and across the side seams. I'm pretty proud of this and simply love the pattern! James also really likes them so I'll be churning out another couple of them for the holidays.







And finally, the Reggae jacket, which is actually a retro-style bomber jacket.



Words cannot describe how much I love this pattern. I had difficulty finding ribbon elastic and am wondering if it's a figment of the Ottobre imagination. After experimenting with ordinary 1cm elastic and FOE, I found some stretch binding in the stash and this was thin enough to do the job nicely. I'll check out where I got it from if anybody's interested.



I struggled with the pockets (this was my first time doing welt pockets and the Ottobre instructions were as sparse they often are for tricky techniques). In fact, during the two evenings I spent sewing this,I had to rip out quite a number of seams, so it's surprising how much I enjoyed doing it. When I had finished it, darling DH pointed out that it was lacking a touch of yellow (this can be a deal-breaker), so I knocked up a badge with a yellow rescue helicoptor on it, and told James that I'd made him a pilot's jacket. And James simply loves it!

Yay! Snow and cake and tow-trucks!

We were at a sledging party today at the Snowdome in Tamworth. It's an indoor skiing place, complete with real snow (heaven knows what their fuel bills are like at the moment!) The children really enjoyed it - even Laura , who prefaced every sledging attempt with "I not going to be scared this time".

I made the 3-year old birthday boy a hoody, appliqued with a tow-truck. After last week's pinafore escapades, I was going to chicken out and use an Ottobre pattern but decided to have another attempt at drafting - after all, it's only been the pinafores that have been failures so far. And there must be something about doing boys' clothes, because this pattern came together beautifully, hood and all. It's still on the large side - I am drilling myself to remember that a centimeter on the side makes 4cm of ease, which is a fair amount on a 3 year old. And I have got to work out how to stop the cotton interlock puckering when I sew along the horizontal. I suspect having a fiddle with the differential feed may do the trick. As you can see, I used the round pockets (skanked from Ottobre!) as the wheels of the tow-truck, and experimented with a t-shirt transfer for the little motif, which reads Les Pet's Autos. I'm going to be putting it in the shop once I've cracked the puckering problem, as part of my Les Pets for Boys collection. It's nice to end the week on a high.

I've cut out (yet) another pinafore, and hope that next week I'll be able to post the final, final successful photos in the Pinafore Drafting tute.

The quick & dirty hat & scarf set

Now the weather has turned colder, James has been using my old red fleece scarf for the school bus run. It's big on me, and absolutely swamps him so I idly suggested this morning that I make him a new school scarf in royal blue. "Oh yes." he said, "And can it be yellow?"

Well, I happened to have some yellow fleece stashed away to make a jacket for him for Christmas (shhhh! don't tell him!) and there was more than enough for a hat and scarf set too. OK, he didn't ask for a hat but, in this house, things match. They might not be beautiful, but at least they co-ordinate.

I used the beanie hat pattern from Ottobre 01/07. I have to admit I couldn't make the instructions out at all (if anybody else had more success I'd be really interested to hear about it) and since I wanted a reversible ear-covering beanie, I did a hatchet job on the pattern. An hour's work produced this set. I can't wait to see his face when he sees it! It's times like this that I love being able to sew.

And now I need to crack on and draft some blocks for Pudsey Bear. All will be revealed in the next post...

Free knitting pattern for a Traffic Jam Tanktop

TRAFFIC JAM TANK TOP (Download and print  from https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BysBb2pJoYVwUm9uclZvVVAyQU0/edit?usp=sharing
You will need to download it to print it!

This is a lovely tank-top for a digger mad 4-5 year old. It features an intarsia traffic jam that goes from front to back, embellished with buttons and embroidery details. The garment would look even more striking with a stripy rib at the welt, armholes and neck. If you (or the recipient!) are not much into tank-tops then the 77 stitch/37 row chart is easily adapted for use in your favourite sweater pattern. By using 4ply yarn and 3.25mm needles, the pattern should be suitable for a 2-3 year old, and aran/worsted yarn and 5mm needles will make it suitable for a 5-6 year old. Probably.








I used Debbie Bliss’ Pima (I think it’s been discontinued) for this tank-top. Any DK weight yarn would do. You will need between 150g to 200g of the main colour (I went just over 150g) and one ball of each of the other colours, though you will only use a tiny fraction of each ball. The pattern is therefore hard on wool but you can always use the leftovers in a nice stripy sweater later. You will also need a pair of 3.25mm needles and a pair of 4mm needles. Also a cable needle, though you won’t be doing much with it, a safety pin, a stitch holder and a wool needle. To embellish, you will need a variety of small flattish buttons to use as wheels and the flashing light on the police car.

BACK
*Using 3.25mm needles cast on 77sts

Row 1 k1 (p1 k1) repeat to end
Row 2 p1 (k1 p1) repeat to end

Repeat these two rows another 3 times more

Change to 4mm needles and work stocking stitch (knit a row, purl a row) for four rows. Place chart. Then continue in stocking stitch until work measures 10 ½ inches from the beginning, ending with a purl row

Shape armholes
Next row; Cast off 7sts (70 stitches left)
Next row: Cast off 7sts (63 stitches left) *

Next row: k2, p2tog, knit to last 4sts, p2tog, k2
Next row: Purl

Repeat these two rows another 6 times until 49sts remain. Continue without further shaping until work measures 7 inches from start of armhole shaping, ending with a purl row

Shape shoulders
Cast off 6sts at the beginning of the next two rows and 6sts at the beginning of the following 2 rows. Cast off the remaining 25sts

Weave in the many loose ends if you haven’t done so already. Yes it’s dull but this is the best time to do it.



FRONT
Follow instructions for BACK from * to *

SHAPE RIGHT V-NECK AND RIGHT ARMHOLE  by working only on the first 31 stitches as follows:
Firstrow: k2, p2tog, k23, p2tog, k2 (decreasing at the neckline and armhole)
turn, leaving remaining 32 stitches on a stitch holder.
Next row: Purl to end (29sts)
Next row: k2, p2tog, k to last 4sts, p2tog, k2 (decreasing at the armhole and the neckline)
Next row: Purl  (27sts)
Next row: k2, p2tog, k to last 4sts, p2tog, k2 (decreasing at the armhole and the neckline)
Next row: Purl (25sts)
Next row: K2, p2tog, k to last 3sts, p1, k2 (decreasing at the armhole only)
Next row Purl (24sts)
Next row: k2, p2tog, k to last 4sts, p2tog, k2 (decreasing at the armhole and the neckline)
Next row: Purl (22sts)
Next row: K2, p2tog, k to last 3sts, p1, k2 (decreasing at the armhole only)
Next row Purl (21sts)
Next row: k2, p2tog, k to last 4sts, p2tog, k2 (decreasing at the armhole and the neckline)
Next row: Purl (19sts)

Next row:   Knit to last 3 stitches p1, k2
Next row:  Purl
Next row: Knit to last 3sts, p2tog, k2 (decreasing at the neckline only)
Next row Purl

Keeping armhole edge straight, repeat the last 4 rows until  12sts remain., ending with the final purl row.

Then:
Next row: Knit to last 3sts, p1, k2
Next row: Purl

Repeat the last 2 rows until work measures the same as BACK to shoulder shaping, ending at side edge

Shape shoulder
Cast off 6sts at the beginning of the next row. Work 1 row. Cast off the remaining 6sts.


SHAPE RIGHT V-NECK AND RIGHT ARMHOLE  by working on the 32 stitches from the stitch holder as follows:

Slip the centre stitch onto a safety pin. Join the yarn at the neck edge to the remaining stitches from the stitch holder. Continue working on these stitches.

First row:  K2, p2tog, knit to last 4 stitches, p2tog, k2 (decreasing at the neckline and armhole)
Next row: Purl (29sts)
Next row: K2, p2tog, k to last 4sts, p2tog, k2 (decreasing at the neckline and armhole)
Next row: Purl (27sts)
Next row: K2, p2tog, k to last 4sts, p2tog, k2 (decreasing at the neckline and armhole)
Next row: Purl (25sts)
Next row: K2, p1, k to last 4sts, p2tog, k2 (deceasing at the armhole only)
Next row: Purl (24sts)
Next row: K2, p2tog, k to last 4sts, p2tog, k2 (decreasing at the neckline and armhole)
Next row: Purl (22sts)
Next row: K2, p1, k to last 4sts, p2tog, k2 (deceasing at the armhole only)
Next row: Purl (21sts)

Next row: K2, p2tog, k to last 4sts, p2tog, k2 (decreasing at the neckline and armhole)
Next row: Purl (19sts)

Continuing decreasing on the neckline only as follows:

Next row:   K2, p1, knit to end
Next row:  Purl
Next row: k2, p2tog, knit to end
Next row Purl

Keeping armhole edge straight, repeat the last 4 rows until 12sts remain., ending with the final purl row.

Then:
Next row: K2, p1, knit to end
Next row: Purl

Repeat the last 2 rows until work measures the same as BACK to shoulder shaping, ending at on a knit row

Shape shoulder THIS WILL BE A PURL ROW
Cast off 6sts at the beginning of the next row. Work 1 row. Cast off the remaining 6sts.

NECKBAND
Join right shoulder seam. With right side of work facing and using size 3.25 needles, pick up and knit 48 stitches down left side of neck, knit centre stitch and mark it with a coloured thread, pick up and knit 48 stitches up right side of neck then 25 stitches across back neck.

WRONG SIDE ROW Work in p1, k1 rib to the stitch before centre stitch, slip that stitch onto RH needle, slip centre stitch onto cable needle and leave it at the back of the work, place the stitch on RH needle back onto LH needle and then place stitch on cable needle back onto LH needle and purl all three stitches together. Rib in k1, p1 to end

RIGHT SIDE ROW Rib to the stitch before the centre stitch, slip next stitch onto RH needle, slip centre stitch onto cable needle and keep it at the front of the work, slip next stitch onto RH needle then place stitch on cable needle back onto LH needle, then place both stitches from RH needle back onto LH needle and knit these three stitches together. Rib to end.

Repeat these two rows either twice or thrice more depending on how ‘filled in’ you like the neckline to be. Then repeat the first row once more. Cast off in rib decreasing at the V as before.

ARMHOLE EDGINGS

Seam left shoulder seam and neckband. With right side of work facing and using 3.25 needles pick up and knit 96 stitches evenly around armhole edge. Work 5 rows in k1 p1 rib and cast off in rib.

Join side seams with mattress stitch

Block and press, embroider the details and add the buttons for wheels and you’re done. Try it on child and wait for gratitude or otherwise.




The Charts. These are really easy to knit but they were really hard to create and they're not great yet. But it's the best I can do! The lines for the tow-truck etc are to be embroidered using chain or running stitch. The big circles representing wheels are just where the buttons would go. The yellow tow truck starts on the front and goes over to the back. The crane is going the wrong way, something my son was keen to point out to me. I explained that it was the crane that was causing the traffic jam but he isn't convinced.

BACK



FRONT


This pattern is free to print but the charts print out really badly. However, I have done a PDF, which Blogger won't let me upload. BUT if you go to the link at the top of this post then  I am assured by the kind people at Google Docs that the PDF file is yours to download and print! I couldn't get it to print direct from Google Docs but once it's downloaded it prints fine.

You may also knit up individual examples to sell if you want – heavens knows, I’ll never have time to! But if you do sell them, please include somewhere an acknowledgment that the pattern is mine! A link to this page or http://www.lespetitsanglais.co.uk/ would suffice.

And finally, something for James

Regular readers may have noticed that although I mention two children in my profile, the only one I seem to sew for is Laura. There's a simple reason for that: I very rarely sew for James. This is mostly because, if given the choice, he'd rather have a new digger than a new t-shirt. But it's also because it's very hard to find nice fabric for little boys' clothes. It tends to be funky camouflage (which I really don't like) or too babyish for a four year old. But today, I hit the jackpot and won 1m of Tyrrell Katz jersey fabric on Ebay!


I am completely thrilled about this - I actually gave James the TK Working Vehicles card for his birthday this year, which he really liked. I also thought about getting him a t-shirt but balked at the price - £15 can buy a lot of toy-digger-action! At the time, I googled TK fabric but found nothing. And now I have a whole metre which will make many, many t-shirts because obviously I'm going to cut the fabric into squares or strips, rather than squander the lot on just one, or even two, t-shirts. I might even offer one up on Folksy - I can't be the only mother with a digger-mad son in the house. But it rather depends on whether James feels he can spare one....

And by the way, I don't often sew for him, but I do knit, so he isn't really neglected! And every garment I knit for him features - you've guessed it - a working vehicle!