Winter Staples: Sailboat and After School

We had a good old family walk out in the sunshine today and so I got Boo dressed in her new clothes that I finished earlier in the week. The light was perfect for some photos and the clothes were park worthy!

The patterns I used were the Oliver and S Sailboat Top and (also O+S) the awesome After School Pants. 

This is the second time I have made the pants out of denim. They make great jeans. My girl is not a fan of jeans but I managed to get these to meet her approval. The main issue is that the waist on jeans is too big for her while the legs are never long enough. I can't get shop bought ones to fit properly. (I have the same issue for myself but childrens homemade jeans are easier to contemplate making than womens ones. That thought terrifies me!)

On my first pair I included the front pocket ruffles. This denim wouldn't play ball on that score though. I tried to gather the ruffle panel but it wouldn't pull at all. So they were left off. A shame, but nothing I could do.

These pants are a great fit and Boo tested them thoroughly. They are pretty good for....

Running....

Jumping....

 

Practicing some killer ballet moves...

Not to mention chasing squirrels, climbing playframes and rolling on the grass. 

On to the Sailboat Top. 
I made this one out of interlock jersey. It is super soft and sewed up like a dream.

I love this top as a t-shirt or a sweater. It is the easiest pattern to follow and the facings are all secured inside it giving a clean finish. I forgot to take a photo but I put a contrast fabric on the bottom hem to add some interest.

We had a funny conversation about the buttons on the shoulders. I wanted to put these purple ones on and asked her opinion (I know, I know, duh!) She said "I think I would like turquoise ones mummy". What? Where did turquoise come from? For her benefit, I had a look for 4 matching buttons but could only find two. Sorry love but it is the purple ones after all. 

The buttons are sewn on to fix both the shoulder layers down. I did attempt buttonholes but my machine kept getting stuck and just ended up creating holes. I didn't want to ruin all my work so just attached the buttons and she can get it on and off just fine.

The bottom hem is a beautiful sweeping curve which makes it nicer to look at than just a plain straight hem. I made this top a bit longer than the pattern for two reasons. Firstly my daughter is just plain long in the body, and secondly I wanted a bit more length so she could wear it with leggings and have more coverage over her bottom. I added an extra 1.5" to the front and back panels.

The park is settling into a real autumn phase. From our walk we got a sense of the seasons changing. The leaves are turning golden, the trees are bearing apples and seed pods and the whole place just smelt leafy and mulchy. It won't be long until there is a whiff of bonfire smoke in the air and the nights start to get darker again.

I can't express to you how excited Boo was to find this shiny conker.

We finished everything off with a trip to the playground and then back home for hot tea, boiled eggs and buttered toast. A good afternoon, well spent!

 

This is the start of my winter sewing. I am really getting into the swing of it now and have three 2+2 skirts cut out ready for sewing. Two are for school but one is for fun. Can't wait to get started on those, it has been too long since I have pulled that pattern out.