The 'Raven Dress' from Sew Sweet Patterns

Possibly my favourite thing I have made for Alyssa so far - the Raven Dress from Sew Sweet Patterns is really simple to make if you are over your fear of buttonholes. I am, thankfully. I chose this pattern because of the back straps - they are seriously cute.

I was dying to make a little dress for Alyssa and to use the heart fabric again. I love this fabric! I used the cream version in a sunsuit here.

I included a couple of pics of the dress on the hanger. My little model has been sick for what seems like months and is in no mood for photos, also its a teeny bit big but will be perfect for her to wear in a couple of months.

Ikea AGEN Children's Armchair Cover

The AGEN children's armchair from IKEA looks great in the photos on their website so I made a special trip to IKEA to purchase it.

Because of the 'special trip' I bought it, otherwise I may have passed. It didn't look very comfortable and was in desperate need of a cushion or cover.

It took a couple of goes to get the pattern right. The first was hideous and I binned it straight away. This was the final result:

...and possibly after all my hard work its still not very comfortable because Alyssa spends no time sitting in it. It looks cute in her room however...

Summer Romper from Sew Sweet Patterns

I was looking for a quick and easy pattern for a summer romper for Alyssa. After seriously-unsuccessfully making one from a free tutorial that involved drafting my own pattern I decided that I am still very much reliant upon a professional pattern.

Sew Sweet Patterns specialise in childrens patterns for beginners and their summer romper is probably the easiest thing I have made. And guess what, if fits Alyssa perfectly! I was very happy.

Here is the link to purchase the pattern: http://sewsweetpatterns.com/item_77/Summer-Romper.htm - It's good value at $6 you get patterns sizes 6/12 months to 6 years. I bought two more patterns from Sew Sweet Patterns and can't wait to show you how they turn out.

Knit dress with bib front

I enjoyed sewing 'The Katy Dress' so much that I decided to make another dress. This one was inspired by the Oobi Kitty Dress (http://oobi.com.au) and that*darn*kat's Bib Front Tee Tutorial.

I didn't have a pattern and I decided what to do as I went. I had no expectations. I used some left over material and wasn't too concerned if it all went sour.

I reused my basic pattern pieces from 'The Katy Dress' which gave me a starting point. This is a super easy quick dress to sew. I didn't hem the bottom as the knit rolls up nicely and adds to the fun.

My only regret is not taking a photo of the dress before Alyssa wore it. Her Dad and Grandad minded her for a couple of hours today. The result: a grubby baby with a couple of holes/rips in the skirt.

The Katy Dress

'The Katy Dress' was sooo super easy to make. I wanted to find a free knit dress pattern or tutorial as my girl is so close to walking and I'm desperate to get her out of tights and tees (the only thing practical for a crawler). Jessica from craftinessisnotoptional.com has step by step photo instructions on how to create this dress. The ruched/gathered sleeves add a nice detail and check out her version for the tie around the waist.

I love free patterns especially as sewing is an expensive hobby. Check out my Pinterest board: Babies & Girls Patterns & Sewing Inspiration. Most of my pins are free patterns and tutorials.

Birdie Sailor Pants

I have gone crazy with Pinterest in the last month bookmarking all my favourite patterns and inspiration  for things to sew for my girl. I have also made a discovery - there are not many free babies and girls patterns on the internet but there are a tonne of free tutorials. With a quick trace of an existing tee or pair of pants you have a pattern!

Check out my Pinterest board here: Babies and Girls Sewing Patterns and Sewing Inspiration

I wanted to make a pair of pants that were more than a standard pattern with an elastic waist. They had to have an interesting feature. The Sailor Pants from The Girl Creative were perfect. I use some birdie corduroy and bright yellow buttons purchased from Spotlight.

Do you want to make these? Find the instructions for the free Sailor Pants Tutorial here.

...another Baby in the Hood Jacket

I couldn't resist making another Baby-in-the-Hood Jacket and had some left over fabric which was just perfect.

This time around I made it longer and used snaps to fasten it together so it could be reversible. There are fake buttons on each side.