I love Kwik Sew!

I've started sewing the kids summer wardrobe, and I've liked Kwik Sew patterns for a few years, but I gained a new appreciation for them over the past few days. This outfit for B took one afternoon to make, even with J waking up to eat, and a few other interruptions. It is KS 2596 and is sized from 1-4T. This probably wouldn't have been my first choice in prints, but it was on clearance, and it is still a nice print, and the lavender matches the flowers. It was my first time using twin needles, and I was surprised at how easy it was. I really like how professional it makes the hems look. I used to use a stretch stitch on knits, but I think I like the twin needle method better! And here is B modeling her new outfit (excuse the hair she just got up from her quiet time/nap!).

Here are J's ducky feet, just because!
With a gift card that we had from Christmas, I bought Kwik Sew's Sewing for Baby and Sewing for Toddlers. The pictures look pretty dates, but the styles are really classic and are so easy to update. Here are the short overalls in 3-6 on J. I'll be making the rest of his 6-9 for the summer! He's a super chunk, but we think he's cute!
And because he doesn't have any clothes to model yet but was so cute when painting this morning, here is A.

Sewing for Spring

I've started my spring sewing for the kids. This is a dress that I began last year (McCall 5416), but was put aside because I cut out the front upside down, so the hearts face the wrong way. I pulled it out again, and then I cut another front instead of a back, argh! But it will be fine for a play dress.
Here's another one that I like (Simplicity 5695). It was not quite as easy as the first one, but it went together quickly. The most difficult parts were the gathers. I like this style because B can dress herself since there are no zippers. I also think that most zippers are too stiff for kidswear.
Here is B modeling my favorite (Simplicity 5118). I used my serger to make a rolled hem, and then I used the scallop stitch feature on my sewing machine to make cute scallops on the edges. I like how it dresses up a fairly plain dress.
I have some patterns for the boys too, but I haven't cut them out yet. I hope to make most of the kids clothes for the spring/summer.

I've also been working on my swap mittens. I love coming up with new designs, but I can't share this one yet!

Munckin Pictures, Sewing, and Knitting

First, a new picture of the munchkins, taken a few days ago. A likes to hold his brother almost as much as B. You can tell it was still early by her crazy hair! Both of the older kids like to be next to J. A will climb up on the couch and pat his back. B did the same to A when he was this age too.
B loves to help with J, and here she is helping to snap up his clothes after a diaper change.
For the few weeks following the holidays I didn't want to knit anything too complicated, so I made this fluffy little bolero for B out of some Lion Brand Fun Fetti that I found in the sale bin at Joann's. She loves it, of course!
Two weeks ago, I washed, carded, spun, and dyed some Dorset/Romney fleece from a sheep named Maggie, who lives at Ewe and I Farm. It made a wonderfully bouncy and lofty yarn.
The yarn was knit up into soakers, which were auctioned off to help a friend whose family business was lost in a fire last month. The hat ans booties were made with Lion Suede. The hat features an owl cable, but the brown really didn't photograph well. I designed the booties on the fly. I knew that ribbing in this yarn wouldn't work well, so I added the button and strap instead. The diapers for this and the girly set were knit by my friend Rachel from the Darling Diaper newborn pattern. The brown wool for the i-cord and embroidered owl came from a sheep named Maxine at Serenity Farms. Her wool was a dream to spin! It was so soft and bouncy that I had a hard time putting it down, I wish I had more!

Here is J modeling the booties. They are nice because they don't kick off easily!

The girly set has the patterns, except the hat has a scalloped edge, and the booties are mary-jane style. I added croched flowers to the soaker ties.

A and J were needing new soakers to go over their diapers, and I haven't had the time to knit as many as they needed. So I've been shopping in Joann's remnant bin for fleece, and made them some embellished Sweet Baby Soakers. They fit like the knitted ones, but are so much faster to make! I had fun adding the goldfish, and A liked them too!
I have more knitting in the wings, and I hope to have pictures soon!