Saturday 28 December 2013

Baby Doll Pram Set

We, hubby and I, both come from largish families and at Christmas time, we have a family rule that we spend a set amount on each little branch to be spent however we deem.  It makes for interesting buying, sometimes with the parents missing out, or at best getting a token gift, whilst the majority of it goes on the children.  I like to try and make things; it makes the money go further and makes for more interesting and personal gifts, time allowing as ever.  Alas this year, time did not really allow for it and I only got around to making one.  My littlest niece (the disgusted recipient of a clothing present), Little Miss H, was given a wooden pram for Christmas last year.  It was pretty enough, being the typical pink of so many little girls' things, but just not comfy enough for a baby doll, no mattress and no covers.  I promised then to make her something but just never got round to it.  So I decided to make it for her Christmas present whilst hoping it would be better received!

I'd made a quilt a few years ago for my daughter.  I'd found this gorgeous piggie fairy fabric when she was tiny and held onto it with the intention of making a quilt for her.  In fact I had it so long, I couldn't even remember what it was called nor who made it!!!!  It (the quilt) was in gorgeously girlie pink and purples.........just right for a little pram set and so I raided my stash.  It took me just as long to decide which fabrics I was going to use as it did to stitch it.  I settled on a very basic square pattern, with stitch in the ditch quilting.  I cut up a duvet from when my wee lass was a baby and used that for the mattress, giving it a plain pink cover and made a pillow to match, with a stripe of fabric down one short side to match the binding on the quilt.




I am pleased to report that Little Miss H was far more impressed with this gift, exclaiming "Cushion!" when she saw the mattress and cuddling it tightly!  She then spent the evening tucking her baby snuggly into her pram.  Success this time!


Sunday 22 December 2013

The Skadi Dress

I tend to flick between knitting and sewing, although I do sew more than I knit.  I think I prefer the more immediacy of sewing.  I say immediacy with a reasonable amount of tongue in cheek!  I am a member of Ravelry and I have to say, I love that site.  I've always liked clothes that are not found on the high street, which is one of the reasons I started sewing and the same goes for knitting. Ravelry is fabulous as it is a huge resource of patterns, mostly from independent designers.  One of the patterns I found was the gorgeous Skadi dress by Erica Neitzke  It has a lovely vintage feel to it, so right for nowadays.  It is knitted in the round and knits up like a dream (and I am new to knitting in the round).  My daughter is too old for this (not to mention has developed a severe allergy to dresses) but luckily, we are girl heavy in our family, so my youngest niece was the recipient of this in time for her second birthday.  Alas she was distinctly unimpressed, being that her present was clothing, but her mummy loved it!  Hope you do too!