My Creative Side

Eyelet Pants

Eyelet Pants
Originally uploaded by jeanninemccloskey

This is an Ottobre Pant pattern #5 Summer 2007. I needed something to match the shirt and it was the only thing I could think of to sew.
I bought the fabric at Joann's and I must say that I would have preferred a better quality eyelet. I did find one there, which cost $12.99 a yard, but they only had it in turquoise. I looked online and did not find anything either, so this will just have to do. It is nice and light perfect for the summer months, and it does go well with the lace on the shirt.

Flower Girl

I found this material at A&E Pharmacy. Yup a pharmacy. It is an old building and the fixtures look just as old. It sort of reminds me of Andy Griffith or something you would see in a Dick and Jane book. The back side of the store is filled with material, and there are some lovely elderly ladies always willing to hold your baby while you shop.
Anyways, I loved the bright fresh colors, and knew if I bought a yard I could make one for my niece and one for my daughter.

I used pattern #5 from Ottobre Winter 2003. I completely lined the garment in pink broadcloth, therefore eliminating the back closure. I extended the back straps, and added buttonholes to the front straps. It was a very easy and quick garment to sew. What I like sew much about this type of romper is that they can wear it with or without a shirt. Short or long sleeve, in any kind of weather.

Pinafore Dress Ottobre #5 Winter 2003

Pinafore Dress Ottobre #5 Winter 2003
Originally uploaded by jeanninemccloskey

Finally finished everything I wanted. I messed up this dress twice. The fabric was expensive, and I guess I was just too tired at night to be sewing. The first time I wrote the initials wrong. The second time I must have somehow put the fabric too close to my rotary cutter, and it slashed the fabric twice. Well, thank goodness nothing went wrong on my third try. It looks wonderful. Here is a picture of the initials. Here is a picture of the hem.

Ottobre #3 Summer 2007

Ottobre #3 Summer 2007
Originally uploaded by jeanninemccloskey

Part of the set that belongs to Sophia's birthday presents. I will post the other items as soon as they are finished. Very nice fitting pant. I hope it fits. This is a size 74. I did a review here.

Ottobre #11 Summer 2007

Ottobre #11 Summer 2007
Originally uploaded by jeanninemccloskey

Just another gift for Sophia's Birthday. I made this in size 80, however it is not much bigger then size 74. I really like this pattern. I did a review at Patternreview.com. Here is a link

Gnome Wrap Pants and Top Ottobre

Gnome Wrap Pants and Top Ottobre
Originally uploaded by moonchild studio

Is this not adorable! Love the knome fabric. This another design from Moonchild. She is so talented.

Dyeing wool felt

Just found a link to a site that shows you how to dye wool felt.

3 piece Waldorf Kimono style set

3 piece Waldorf Kimono style set
Originally uploaded by moonchild studio.

A great pajama for a child. Found this on someone's flickr page moonchild studio. I love this idea.

Summer is here!

My first Ottobre project for the year is finally finished. I knew I wanted to make this garment the moment I saw it in the magazine. I just wish I could have found the same fabric. The european fabrics are gorgeous, but so expensive. Oh well, I made this test project, and it was incredibly easy and fast to sew. I can only recommend it.

I am working on some ideas for my niece whose birthday is right around the corner. She is a very big girl for her age, so I tried a size 74. I find the top to be a bit small, so I will have to make it again.

Construction:
I had a hard time figuring out how to shirr, but thanks to the girls in the Ottobre group, I was told exactly how to get it done. They told me to buy some elastic thread and slowly wind it around the bobbin, pulling a bit as a I go. Then just sew. So sew I did, and then I steamed the fabric, and wow, I had a shirred garment. It was so pretty. It immediately got me to think how much I am going to like this pattern, and how many different things I am going to do with it.
I did not like the straps too much. The idea is great, but no matter how perfectly a did a rolled hem, the ends always looked unfinished. Maybe someone can give me some advice regarding the ties and how to finish them off. I would also extend the ties by about an inch on each end. Other then that, the pattern went together very easy.

II picked this fabric up in Joann's and decided to use it because it matched a pink and white stripe fabric that I found at Sewzannes (which by the way is so Ralph Lauren and beautiful to touch). I a

Girlie Things

I had so much fun sewing for my son, can you imagine how much fun it is sewing for a girl! There is so much to choose from. The choices for patterns and fabrics are endless. So I always like when I am inspired by something or someone else. Coming up with new ideas is just not my strongpoint.

So I found this burda pattern, and since Olivia is not blonde like me, I thought the red prints would look great on her. I intend to add some more pieces to this ensemble, however I really had to work on another important project.

This was a size 62, and it turned out to be bigger then her normal size 62 clothes. The construction was easy and fast. I had problems with the front ruffle piece, which ended up being too short. I also thought the ruffle was too wide, at least for the baby sizes. I reviewed this pattern here at Patternreview. I will definitely sew this up again, but most likely when Olivia gets a bit older.

Olivia's Room

Although I am not completely finished with her room, I have finished everything important, and thought it was time to get the pictures up on my blog. I actually only have a few small things that still need to be done, like hanging pictures.

Cool Slideshows

First of all, I owe the completion of this room to my parents. If it was not for my father and mother painting and sewing, and their great ideas, I probably would still be working on this room. The only thing I did was the crib. Thanks mom and dad.

My father painted the room. It turned out to be a bit more neon then the paint chip, so we had to paint the room twice, adding a quart of white paint to dim the color. My father also painted the dresser, the dollhouse, and the flower hooks. Yes, he is a great painter!

My mom put everything together. She made the daybed cover, and all of the pillows. She found the carpet in Target, and loved the various pastel colors. I was stuck on pink and green, but she liked all of the colors, in particuliar yellow and pink. She was right. The yellow looked much better with the pink then the green. She went to Michael's and found all the knick-knacks for the wall, and the dollhouse. She also added the roses to the lamp.

I did the crib and the bulletin board, and the pictures which are not finished yet. I saw the bumper pads on a website and fell in love with the plush padding. They really turned out nice. I do realize that they will probably have to come out once she is old enough to stand. The idea for the bedding came from a store in Germany called "Baby Royale". The bedding in that store was simple and very elegant. I copied their boys room for Nicolas, which was alot like this one, except navy blue ribbon and no ruffles. If I can find a picture I will post it.

I am very happy with how the room turned out. Although the room is a bit cramped due to the sleigh bed, it comes in quite handy. I have often spent the night there when Olivia gave me a hard time sleeping. It also allows me to keep my sewing room intact. We don't get that many guests, and when we do, I will have to move Olivia into our room or the sewing room. It is that simple.

Cool Slideshows

Cool Slideshows

Introducing Olivia Ann McCloskey

I think it is about time that I introduce our newest member of our family,Olivia Ann. She was born on January 25th, 2007 and weighed 6 pounds and 7 ounces. She was tiny and small and born three weeks early, most likely from a cold that I caught from my son Nicolas. I was not ready to go into labor so early, but in the end, the entire experience was great. The hospital gave me a nurse for 12 hours. She (Kelley) did nothing else but take care of me all day. No other nurse(s) was there during the birth. I really enjoyed that experience. It felt more personal. I could concentrate on what was going on. The part I hated was the epidural. The doctor had to try five different areas on my vertabrae before finding the perfect spot. That was needless to say very painful and a waste. In the end, I asked them to turn off the epidural because I could not feel anything. I mean nothing at all. I could not even feel my toes, and I felt like my throat was closing. So by the time the baby came, I could feel almost everything again. My upper thigh area and lower back area were still numb. I actually pushed the baby out on my own this time, and it was easy. Labor always scared me, and since I felt nothing while giving birth to Nicolas, I was a bit nervous this time. I liked the fact that I was pushing, and that Lance had to hold my knees and tell me to push. He actually watched the head come out. Giving birth to Olivia was a very good experience, and not at all scary.

So, she is now 12 weeks old, and has just begun smiling and cooing. It is so nice. She is also starting to follow things with her eyes, like her mobile. Up until now, she has spent most of her time sleeping. We did have one bad experience. She ended up in the hospital after three weeks due to a high fever, but they never did find anything. It was probably something viral. Of course, the hospital had to perform a spinal tap, xrays, put an IV in her hand, etc., to rule out menengitis. One of the doctors told me that because Olivia was so young, she would not remember a thing an hour later. I on the other hand, would. That is why I was sent outside of the room when they performed the spinal tap. I cried for five straight days. Everything hormonal flooded my body during those days. It was dreadful. I blamed myself for not keeping her brother away from her. The head doctor told me that there is nothing I could have done. "This is very typical of winter babies", he said. Interesting philosophy.

It took another three weeks before I could touch her without her screaming at the top of her lungs, but she is a good baby. She has been gassy, with slight tummy aches every now and then, but there is no colic in this child, for which I am eternally grateful. I decided to stay away from everything dairy which helped alleviate the problems. She weighs about 10.5 pounds right now. I am still breastfeeding, thanks to my sister's and mother's relentless pushing. It was tough sticking to it. The nights are long, and you always feel like something is not right. I can understand why so many women give it up so early. I should also thank the hospital. I called them on numerous occasions, and they were always friendly and willing to spend time with me.

We are having alot of fun with Olivia, and are so happy that she is here. Now comes the tough part, where she has to sleep in her own room and cry a little to let go of mommy. The nights are still long, but I am hoping that she will soon sleep through the night. I will keep you posted.

If you click on the downward arrow, you will see that there is a page two to Olivia's pictures. These pictures are of her room. It is not finished yet, but I wanted to show off my parents work. My mom decorated and my father painted. He even painted this old military dresser that my husband wanted to throw out. I love the way everything looks. My mother sewed all the pillows on the daybed, and the pillow on the rocking chair. There is no crib in the room yet, because she was still sleeping in our room. The crib is not finished, and that will be my responsibility. As soon as I am done, I will post pictures. Thanks mom and dad.

Baby's Frilled Sundress

Baby's Frilled Sundress
Originally uploaded by janiceteeps.

A cute dress made by one of the girls on the Ottobre list. She has done a few cute projects that I may copy for Olivia. Her daughter has dark hair, and the colors were cute on her. Her fabrics are definitely of a nice quality, most likely from a childrens heirloom fabric store.

Creativity and my mom

I love it when life just throws you things, and suddenly everything just comes together - like a game of connecting the dots........

I recently discovered a line of fabrics through a group on Yahoo, which I would have never looked at if I was not having a little baby girl on Valentines Day. At the same time, yesterday I was introduced to a blog, again which I would have never looked at if I was not pregnant with a little girl. It turns out that this blog www.HELLOmynameisheather.com just happens to be written by the woman who designed the above mentioned beautiful line of quilting fabrics. I really enjoyed reading it. This woman is not only very creative and a talented writer, but has two children, loves to sew and is a stay-at-home-mom. She has also managed to have a career on top of everything else. How absolutely wonderful! I am so envious.

After reading everything I could about her and her beautiful life, another thought would not leave my mind, and it was something my sister said to me earlier on the phone. I was telling my sister about how Nicolas, my three year old son, was once again sick with the flu. This is the second time in less then two months. I thought he had a cold, however yesterday (day 6) he got a very bad fever. I knew then, that he had a bug again. I spent the entire month of December taking care of him and my husband, because they both had the stomach flu. I was 9 mos. pregnant at the time, and still feeling pretty good, however this is no longer the case. I have four weeks left, and I am not always my cheerful self. Finding time for myself is a bit harder, because I am always so tired. I have a tendency to blame life for alot of things, and I guess that was what I was doing again to my sister. She, however, very quickly turned everything around, and reminded me about how mom did such a wonderful job of taking care of us when we were sick. She put us in bed, with the tv on, serving us food all day, and entertaining us. She always made us feel so special.

My mom! Yes she did do a wonderful job of making us feel special. My mom is and was probably the most important friend and inspiration in my life. She had also managed to raise two girls, sew most of our clothing, and sew much of our interior decorations. She was and is the best interior designer I know. She is also the best cook, always coming up with new ideas. (Having a german background helps.) She has always dressed and looked beautiful, and has a heart of gold. I could go on and on, but I guess the point I am trying to make is that she was the best Stay-at-Home-Mom.

So, last night I fell asleep thinking about Heather, my mom and myself, while my son Nicolas laid next to me in my king size bed. I no longer felt sorry for myself, and the fact that this little girl's nursery was not going to be finished on time. Instead I felt like I was being a good Mom, and that my creative side would find time tomorrow or the next day to still accomplish something.

Potty Trained

Nicolas is finally potty trained. Yeah! One morning he just woke up and said "No" to diapers and insisted on wearing underwear. I was so happy that I bought all that underwear in Germany. It is so comfortable compared to anything I have found in the US. There were of course a few mistakes, however in less then three weeks we had all the problems resolved. He even sleeps in underwear, and so far there have been no accidents in the bed or elsewhere. The funny thing is that everything you read confirms that this is the easiest way to potty train your toddler. Just wait until he is ready.

We are very proud parents right now, and he is finally ready to go to preschool. Now we face just one other problem. We cannot get any pants to fit. I was so happy to finally see him grow into a 2T, but with no diapers around the waist, his pants were hanging around his knees. A belt would be the perfect solution, however he needs to be able to take off his pants on his own. There goes that idea, and suspenders, and the four pair of overalls I bought during my trip in Germany. Yippee Yeah. So I sit down and sew a pair of brown corduroys for Christmas - Size 92. He is 95cm tall, or 37.5 inches. The pants will fit him next year. Nice pattern though. I will post a picture. Next I sew a size 86. Nope, this one is way too big too. I finally sew a pair of vanilla denim jeans in a size 80 waist with a size 92 length, and they fit perfectly.

I cut out three more pair of pants, so he does not look like such a slob anymore. He just started Preschool, and I realized how little clothing I had for him. Once I get these pants done then he will have a nice supply again. I also noticed that most of his german pants have a cuff. I let out the cuff on some of his older smaller pants, and he can wear them again.

Christmas 2006 Pillow

I got very excited about celebrating Christmas with my 3 year old son this year. I introduced him to Santa Claus and Jingle Bells, and he was so excited about this holiday. The only thing I had not expected was that he wanted Christmas to start that day, but we still had more then six weeks left before Santa was going to arrive. I had a daily battle with him. So I made him this little gift and he loved it.

Sophia's Xmas Gift

This is the second outfit I made for my favorite niece. It came from my Ottobre magazine 5/2006 - #5 and #6. The fabric came from www.fabric.com and it was a steal as well as gorgeous quality. I really enjoyed working with the fabric and this pattern. It was so much easier then I thought. I just hope she likes it. My sister said she needed clothes for daycare, so I thought this was the perfect choice.

I could not help myself. I just had to make an outfit for Max's Birthday. First of all, because it gave me alot of satisfaction, and second of all, I was hoping to really impress my sister. I could not make any more outfits for Nicolas, because his closet is overflowing with clothes. To make matters worse, we never go anywhere. If he was in Daycare, I am sure that I would be making quite a few more outfits. As it stands right now, he walks around in this heat with only a t-shirt on, leaving his shorts somewhere in the house. If Nicolas could have his way, he would walk around naked all day long.So, I decided to part with one of my favorite materials. It was a blue and green striped denim that I had purchased from http://www.handmades.com/ and match it with a knit fabric I purchased from http://www.sewbaby.com/. I finished the t-shirt in almost no time at all. My only frustration was the fact that I had wanted to embroider his name on the sleeve, but could not because my machine was in the shop. The shorts were done rather quickly as well, until my machine began to act up. I usually end up setting up every machine to do a particuliar function. One sewing machine is set up with a twin needle. The other does the sewing, and my serger is set up to finish the seam (usually with a 3 or 4 thread overlock). This makes the entire process go rather quickly. I finished today, and will mail it tomorrow. I hope she likes it.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

© Free Blogger Templates Spain by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP