Down on the Farm with ChiknGirl

A Bunch of FOs

This weekend I did a lot of sewing and knitting to keep my mind off of some health issues my daughter is having.  Distraction seems to be good for my to-do list.  First is a pair of reversible pants I made for Trevor.  The pattern is my own and I figured out how to put them together to be reversible as I went along.

Navy wide wale corduroy and rocket ship flannel pants.

Rocket ship flannel detail.

These pants are warm and fuzzy and super comfortable.  They will be perfect for nature walks in the cold wet weather.  To help keep his head warm in the cold, wet weather I made him another pumpkin hat.  Last year's hat was almost too small when I finished it and Trevor didn't get to wear it for long.

Pumpkin Hat

This one will last him through the winter and probably for another year or two as it fits comfortably on Anneliese's head also.

Trevor's Reaction

The details -
Pattern:  Pumpkin Hat by Little Turtle Knits
Yarn:  Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in pumpkin and dark brown colors.
Needles:  Addi Turbo US 4 and US 6

Trevor has a stuffed frog that he cuddles in bed and I thought it fitting that he should have some frog jammies to go with.

Froggie Jammies

I've been enjoying cuddling up to his frog jammies.  :)

Next month is La Leche League of Washington's Leader's Retreat.  I'm looking forward to attending.  This years theme is all about pampering ourselves.  I made this apron (and matching potholders not shown) to be given away as a door prize.

Daisy Apron

The apron is fully lined and has a large pocket on each side.  I would love to win this, I may have to make another for me.

I have a few more projects in progress so expect another update soon.

Refashioned Twirly Jeans

  Refashioned Twirly Jeans 
  Originally uploaded by Chikn Girl

A while back a friend was getting rid of her son's pants that he had worn the knees out of.  In a moment of inspiration I asked her if I could have them to refashion.  The pants pattern is by Toni Hamel Designs and can be found at You Can Make This.  The matching headband is another Hooray for Headbands, pattern by Heather Bailey.  Anneliese loves them.  We have a few more pairs of pants with worn out knees, so you'll be seeing more of these in the future.

She loves them.  :)

I'm Sew Proud

Last week I did a lot of sewing.  This outfit is one of the projects I completed.

The dress, pants and purse are from Burda pattern 9740.  I used a combination of 100% cotton woven (the flower print) and a linen blend (the blue/green solid).  The linen blend is quite heavy, but I think worked well with the woven.  I modified the purse so it would be lined.  The headband is a Hurray for Headbands by Heather Bailey.  Anneliese has worn it a couple times already and really loves it.  Loved some grass stains into the knees, in fact.  I think she looks adorable though and I really dig the European styling.  The pants are very fitted with butt-darts (*snicker*) and a buttoned waistband and zipper.  The pattern was easy to follow and I'll definitely be sewing it again..  I'm thinking of a corduroy solid for the next one.  The next one will be one size bigger so she can wear a long sleeve tee underneath.  The sizing was a bit on the small side I think.  I made the size 110 (5) and it only just fits over her butt and across her shoulders.

Next up, some super-fabulous twirly jeans I finished last week, but forgot to photograph.

One Spiral Down

I finished the first Spiral Sock over the weekend.  The increases for the gusset created some interesting pooling.  Despite a return to the same stitch count as in the foot the sock top didn't stripe quite the same way.  I still like it.  :)

I also found some time to do some sewing.  A bag for me!

Sorry for the terrible picture quality.  I know it's operator error, but I'm not sure what went wrong this time.

Twirly Skirt

The only knitting I've been doing is on my swap socks and I can't show you that.  So, more sewing content!  I made Anneliese a twirly skirt from the gorgeous cherries fabric I won from SewMamaSew.  She loves it.

My first sale went to my lovely, talented, wonderful friend Jess.  She has great taste.  :) 

A Bag, Two Heels and Some Cuteness

As a favor for a friend I sewed a quilted bag from fabrics she picked.  I love it so much that I will be making one for myself.  And possibly some for an Etsy shop.  I've been thinking about it for quite a while and I think it would be a great outlet for my creativity.

I've been knitting away on my swap socks and not making any progress.  I started with a gusset and heel flap (headed toe up) and didn't like how the gusset looked so I ripped it and decided to try a short row heel.  I didn't like that one either.  I think it made the sock shorter that it should have been, too.  Stephanie, do you have a heel preference for a heel on a toe up sock?  There is a whole page of sock toes and heels here.

I sewed another little outfit for Anneliese.  She's very appreciative of the clothes I make for her, which keeps me making them.  This was my first time working with a ruffle since I was 12 or so.  I learned a few things and the next one will be even better.

I just finished earlier today a skirt for Anneliese, but I don't have pictures yet.  Look for another post in a day or two.  And as always, more photos are available on my Flickr account, the link is on the right side.  At least, I think that's where it is.

I've been putting together swap packages for a few swaps I'm in.  I really enjoy putting packages together for other people.

I never posted pictures of the finished Swallowtail Shawl.  It turned out great and my Grandma loved it.

Waiting, Waiting, Just Keep Waiting

I ordered yarn for a sock swap almost 2 weeks ago and I'm still waiting for it to arrive.  I grumble at delayed shipping!  I haven't started anything new because I want to knit this yarn that isn't at my house yet.  I sewed a nightgown for Anneliese from a thrifted sheet.  She loves it.  I've got lots of new fabric I should share pictures of.  That is all.

New Pants and Birthday Dress

The blocking wires set I ordered will be here tomorrow.  I'm not so good at waiting, so this weekend I made myself a pair of pants.  No pattern, just cut and sewed.  The linen was gifted to me by a dear friend about 2 years ago.  I had been saving it for "just the right project" and realized that there would never be one.  So I made something I need and will use.  I'm enjoying them tremendously.

I finished Anneliese's birthday dress a few weeks ago, but hadn't taken any pictures.  The pinafore is based on this pinafore from the SewMamaSew blog.  The under dress is a simple peasant smock lengthened to be a dress.  She loves it.

More Pants

More pants for Trevor.  I love this print and when I saw the fabric I knew I had to make pants for Trevor from it.  He even has a elephant shirt that is the same blue.  It makes a wonderful spring outfit.  Figuring out the seams for the cuffs was a bit fiddley, but I found a way to make it work.  I'm enjoying the freedom of sewing without a set pattern and directions.

I've been knitting on the sleeves for Anneliese's sweater and the Swallowtail Shawl a little bit.  It's slow going and I'm having a hard time denying myself the pleasure and satisfaction of a quickly completed project, like making a pair of pants in a night.

Some Finished Objects

I haven't felt much like knitting lately, but I have been enjoying doing a bit of sewing.  On one of our last trips to Jo-Ann's Anneliese saw some Curious George fabric and begged me to make her something with it.  We decided on some pajamas.  This was my first time sewing set-in sleeves.  She loves them and often spends the whole day in them.  The details:

Pattern:  Burda 9747 in size 110
Fabric:  Flannel Curious George print 1.5 yards
Buttons:  4 Fire Engine Buttons
Time to complete:  Two evenings

I've had a few rolls of Malden Mills fleece rolling around in my craft closet for a few years, purchased when they were closing their Seattle store.  I've been wanting to make fleece pants for the whole family from them and started with the smallest member.  Trevor's pants and shirt were designed, cut and sewn without a pattern.  The shirt is a bit wide and I'm not entirely pleased with how the v-neck collar turned out, but it was fabulous to design something myself.  There is a definite learning curve for sewing fleece.

I've knit two rows each night for the last two nights on my Grandmother's Swallowtail Shawl.  I am determined to finish it.