Face mask using the John Hopkins folded pattern

I really hope these stay unnecessary in New Zealand. I made four soon after we got back as something relatively easy to sew in lockdown.  Two for me and two for BM.  I used up an old tee as the lining.  Its four layers - two knit (the tee) and two woven (front and back).  

I added a cotton tape to the back to add a removal wire.  Its a pocket - one side open so I can change the wire. (which is a pipe cleaner actually)  The wire makes it much less likely that my glasses will fog up.  But my glasses keep slipping down my nose.

The ties are good as it means you can tie them at the back of your head rather than around your ears.  

I've made another one since then that looks better on and feels more comfortable!

pattern;  https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/coronavirus/_documents/INF2003076_VW_Hand-Sewn%20Mask%20instructions-1.pdf

fabric: from stash and lost to the mists of time

Holiday Night Pajamas

These are adorable and such a fun make to sew too.  These are the Holiday Night Pajamas from Sew a Little Seam.  I made a standard size 4 and they're a little too long for my little one - but the cuffs mean I can turn them up so there's room to grow.  

The pattern has very detailed photo instructions - I didn't bother to follow them too closely except for how the facing and the neckbinding fit together.

I have some iron in name tags (that I also sew in) that add a lovely personal touch!

All the fabric and notions (buttons and interfacing) were from stash.  I used two types of cotton flannel - the cats I purchased in Joanns in the US in 2018 and the foxes in Spotlight in 2017.  Its nice to be making a dent in the stash :)  I'd forgotten that I'd bought the cats when fabric shopping with my little person.  It feels so long ago and so strange now that I'd choose to bring the three of us around fabric shopping.  I hope that sense of ease returns soon.

Little person loves them (but won't stay still for photos these days!)

Rather pleased with my pattern placement here.

Pattern: Holiday Night Pajamas from sew a little seam

Size: 4

Changes: None!

Fabric: Spotlight (foxes) and cats (Joanns) both cotton flannel

Notions: labels from Ali Express, interfacing from Made Marion and buttons from stash

Notes: Though I *hate* taping together pdfs but the final product was worth it.  Just a pity that it isn't provided as a A0 file as well.  I'm a lot happier paying for printing if its less of the boring stuff.

recycling Tees

A quick post to show off the baby tee (12-18 months) of the SewNZ Raglan Sleeves Tee.  All from a conference tee that the new Dad attended.

Thank God for Crochet

We left Ireland in quite a rush mid Covid-19.  One of the many many decisions I had to make the week we packed up months early and made a mad dash back to New Zealand was to rationalise our luggage to meet the requirements of three different airlines as flights were cancelled and we had to repack and update when or if we would be leaving.  So so glad to be back home in our house.  Not sure when we'd be able to get back if we'd stayed and options for our sabbatical in Ireland were so limited - all the events we'd organised for work were cancelled and we were unable to visit/stay with friends.  Our house in Dublin was lovely *if you could leave it* and was very tight quarters with two adults trying to work from home and a toddler.  It didn't help that the head of our organisation's first response was to suggest redundancies.  In the mist of all this, I ended up deciding to leave the crochet project and my hooks as well as my nascent knitting project in Ireland with family.  The upshot was that we were in isolation in New Zealand for a few days and then entered lockdown with everyone else but I was without my hooks!  I really find crochet relaxing and definitely rely on it as a meditation.  Thankfully after pulling apart my sewing/guest room, I managed to find a few random sized hooks.  It was such a relief to have something relaxing to do with my hands.

I found some yarn (cotton) in stash and followed a pattern from one of the crochet books I love to own but rarely use!  I adapted the Faux overlapping circles pattern from the finer edge.  Wasn't very happy with the result so frogged the project and redid as a simple circle.

And another dishcloth done...

I raided my stash to see what yarn I actually had and was pleasantly surprized to find I had a lot left over after making some blankets for my niece and nephew when they were born.  I moved on to the next project fairly quickly so I don't think I realised quite how much I'd overbought.  

I don't think I've ever been as pleased by my hoarding tendencies - yarn and unexpected hooks!  The relief. The yarn is Debbie Bliss - Baby Cashmerino. I don't have the colours for all the balls.  

Started work on the growing ivy crochet blanket pattern by Yarninspirations using a 5mm hook.

I've had fun admiring my yarn stash in my project basket. 

Not quite sure the colour combo is one I would have put together ideally but is a beautiful yarn and the pattern is shaping up well. 

Jacks PJs

New PJs for my little one.  Really pleased with how these turned out.  

From design to execution!  I ended up using a different top pattern than I planned but I only had it up to size 2.  I ended up using the T-Shirt, Raglan Sleeves pattern by Sewnz (in size 4 - it goes from 1-10 years) and a free bottoms - Movie Night Pajamas from Sew a Little Seam (available from 1-12 years).  I had fun designing these and the colour combination works really well and takes away from the prison like colour scheme!

The fabric is a stretch cotton and the red has a really nice recovery.

I love using my bodkin for pulling the eleastic through the casing - makes that job so much easier (purchased at Made Marion in Wellington).

Someone now needs to admire my stripe matching!

They're a comfy hit with my little person.

Pattern: Sew a Little Seam Movie Night Pajamas Bottom size 3T

& SewNZ T-Shirt Raglan Sleeves size 4

Fabric: jacks were purchased in the states via mail order from I *think* Fabric Mail and I can't recall when I got the red (but its great)

Notes: annoyingly the SewNZ pattern doesn't include the expected length of the neckline and gets you to measure it for each size - it really should be in an associated table.  I used a 31.5cm strip here for size 4.  The seam a little seam pattern was free via their facebook group.  Its a great bottoms and I'll happily make them again.  The only downside was that the pattern is only available as a A4/letter print PDF and I really am beginning to hate taping patterns together.