Last Min Small Makes for 2024

As school was wrapping up at the end of last year, it came to my attention that Rachel's teacher was pregnant. Sophie actually had this teacher two years ago, and I'd already sewn for her a little something for her first bub then. It was a (un-blogged) Rachel Bunny, which Sophie requested we sew. 

Since I've an affinity for sewing things for pregnant people, I thought I would get to it, though I figured I'd make something slightly more practical this time. So I dug through the stash, found just enough leftover monster material and these great humming birds from Steve's first shirt to make a couple of pairs of shorts. 

Another of Rachel's teachers (from two years ago) was also pregnant at the end of last year and Rachel still talked about her as the best teacher in the world, so I offered to make her something as well. Ironically, her name was/is Miss Bunney, so Rachel was hoping for another furry friend, but with the tight turn around in time (first week of Dec) with all the other things going on then, I just didn't have it in me. So I just made two more pairs of shorts, nearly using up all the fabric perfectly. We gave the teachers the shorts with some fabric markers so they can enjoy colouring in the monsters together.

While I was digging through the stash looking for shorts fabric, I had yet another baby in mind - one of our friends from church was expecting a little girl in early January. I happened across this scrap of fabric (I think from a donated box from Aunty Sue) that was exactly the right amount to make this little tie dress.  

Just like I made Sophie for her first Christmas. Back when she was small. The skirt felt a little long, so I added a pin tuck and it's rather sweet now. 

And then, while I was doing that, and also wrapping Christmas presents, I realised I wanted to add a little something special to my nephew Archie's present, so I used the very last of the humming birds with a couple of blue scraps down the sides for stripes to make the fabric actually fit the patter, I whipped out one last pair of Sycamore Shorts for the year. 

That takes my total of Sycamore Shorts for 2024 to 11. Not bad. 

Bunny Bags

 When I asked the girls what they would like to put the Easter eggs for their cousins in this year, I was expecting (or maybe hoping) they would say "We'll make origami boxes Mum!" I don't think it was too much of a stretch, given that they had recently learned how to make some pretty decent origami boxes, and this would be a chance to show off their skills. 

What they said instead was, "You can sew some bags Mum!" which had a vastly different outcome. 

But who am I to turn down the opportunity to sew something? So I went to my trusty box of scrap fabric and dug out enough calico to make several bags. I showed the girls a variety of bag types on Pinterest, hoping they would like a simple draw string bag. Again, my hopes were dashed, as they declared the bags with bunny ears to be the best bags of all. 

So again to my stash to find some fun fabric for the bunny ears and off to Sally the Sewing Machine I went. 

Two days later, and I've got five bunny bags ready to go. They are pretty cute, and well made, if I do say so myself. I French seamed them, for prettiness and strength. The girls made Easter cards and filled them with chocolate for their cousins and everyone had a great time.

Unprecedented Organisation

Believe it or not, I actually finished both of the girls Easter dresses for this year in January. Given that I started Sophie's last year, you could say it's actually the longest it's taken me to make them something, but I'm still celebrating this as a success. Yes, the Easter dresses are done.

Sophie's was in the cupboard from last year, you may remember I did post about it, but when we got it out and she wore it, I found it was a strange length. Almost too long to be a shirt, but not long enough to be a dress. Here she is pretending that her hand is being eaten by the bunny pocket:

The solution was to add a ruffle to the bottom edge to give it length. Luckily, I had the prefect white material to match in my stash, some lovely embroidered stuff. Who knows where it came from.

I'm a little concerned about it's longevity, give that it's white and the girls have no care for their clothes, but nothing else matched half so well, so we are going with it.

Spotlight had a pretty decent Boxing Day sale at the end of last year, and I picked up this grey bunny print fabric there that I thought Rachel would love. It's perfect for Easter - bonus. I was a bit worried about all the grey though, so I picked up a matching pink for $2 that I figured I could use as a ruffle somewhere. I told Rachel my plan and boy did she have input suggestions about that ruffle.

I was informed that her favorite dresses were ones with ruffles running down the sides of the bodice over the sleeves because the ruffles felt like wings. "I want to fly like a butterfly Mum!" Who can argue with such a sentiment from a little bug lover like Rachel?

I took the Izzy Top pattern out again and did some more hacking to add places for the ruffles. I just used two strips of the pink fabric, at least a metre long, ruffled up and put into place. After they were pinned in, I asked Rachel what she thought. My initial thoughts were that it was too big and needed tapering, but Rachel loved it. The rather enormous ruffles were exactly what she wanted and I was not allowed to change any of it.

Again, what can you do but just run with it?

Ruffles in, and bodice sewn, I finished the dress in a day. It's so much easier when you don't have to deal with zippers or buttons and you've made the pattern several times before. Easter dresses done. I nearly had to hide them until Easter, because both girls were so keen on wearing them, but after some careful explanations, and the promise that they could start wearing them just before Easter, they were satisfied. Whew.

Too bad we are now experiencing social isolation and the girls probably won't get to wear these dresses to any Easter celebrations anyway. Maybe I should have let them wear them back in January when I finished them after all. Luckily, even though COVID-19 is a reality in our lives right now, the girls don't particularly care too much about Easter events, and still just want to wear their dresses. Small wins.

Stay safe in these turbulent times people of the internet. And wash your hands.

Bunny for Rachel

I've noticed that there are lots of bunnies in our house. Bunnies in abundance. I think we have more bunnies than bears actually. They all have descriptive names like Big Bunny, Little Bunny, Average Size Bunny, and Fairy Bunny. Sophie has one that has her name embroidered on the front that we refer to as Sophie Bunny. Creative right?

Anyway, Rachel was lacking in a special bunny, so I made one for her. Now there are even more bunnies in the house! I had seen this tutorial on Sew Mama Sew, which was done by my favourite blogger, who's other stuffed animals I've also made (see a tiger here, and a ladybug here). 

I had thought about doing it a few months ago actually, but the thing that tipped me over the edge last week was a pillow case for a pillow for ants. We were never going to use it. It came with a cot sheet set. It was white and flannel-y, with little silver and yellow stars, so I cut it up and made a bunny. 

The bunny has pink felt ears and a white felt tail, but otherwise is made of pillow case. I stuffed him with rice and stuffing, so he can't get wet, and I hand sewed him over two nights watching movies. I wouldn't really recommend hand sewing soft toys, because kids can be pretty brutal on their toys and they could really use the strength of machine stitching, but I wanted the change of pace. 

And he was so fun to make, that I ended up making two. One for Rachel and the other for a friend who has a bub on the way. I'm kind of glad I had Rachel's to practice on, because one of her bunnies' ears is on backwards for some reason. She doesn't mind though.

Hugo gave the gift bunny a good looking over before I confiscated it and gave him Fairy Bunny instead. Then Sophie got Sophie Bunny out and the three of them had a picnic with their bunnies. Party on bunnies!

I keep asking Rachel what name she wants to give her bunny, and suggesting real names, like Bertha, but nothing's taking. Right now, we call her bunny; Rachel Bunny.