Birthday Gift - Lexi

Lexi is Alistair's best bud from Open Door Daycare.  I used to work with her mum at CTV. As we won't be here for her birthday party, we gave her the gift this past weekend when she came over for a play date that included the spray-park.

Imogen picked out the fabric (yes from my mums gifted stash) of a few fat quarters mixed with a small cut of fabric.   It's usually a good pick for a little girl if it's either pink and/or purple.  In this case Lexi loves both.

I used up some hem tape - it was purple - for the drawstring on the bag.  I'm trying to use up everything!  I refuse to 'save' aluminum foil but I do reuse ziplock bags.  So I'm trying to cleverly repurpose all sewing lefto overs.  Was really happy with this one - yummy.

 

Birthday Gift - Alec

These 'bed in a bag' birthday gifts for the boys in our lives, were super fun to make and give.  My kids selected the fabric from my stash. Alistair was particularly excited about it...but I warned him they weren't for him. Surprisingly he was okay with that. Guess he's growing up!

This gift was for Alec, Alistair's friend who is only a few weeks older.

Loved putting in the custom tags, including the smiley face on the top.

Using two patterns - one for bottoms (woven) and top (knit).

 

Grad Gift - Monique

Can't believe, but am so happy, Monique is graduation school and starting Uni next year. 

Fortunately her mum and her are the same size.  So I fitted the skirt to Sherrie and brought a few pieces of fabric over under the disguise that it was all for Sherrie.  Asked Monique which was her favorite...and so here it is.

I used S2254 but lengthened the tie and didn't stitch it onto the skirt.  Instead I added belt loops (so a different belt could be worn too) and made the belt separately.

Made a matching gift bag to her mum's.  It was a fat-quarter from the Prairie Chicks store in Hague, SK.

Birthdays Abroad - The Littles

So it's always fun trying to find Canadian items to send overseas to my girlfriend's family in Bath, England.  I met Michelle in London where we were flatmates - been friends since.

Throughout the year I see things and stash them till it's birthday time.  I did that with Michelle's gift, but the others were creations of love.  In this case I sent over three gifts.

First was for the birthday boy, Thomas, turning 4 - bedtime in a bag.  I thought this would be perfect for those damp cold evenings that do happen in the UK.  My kids selected the fabric from my stash.  Alistair was particularly excited about it...but I warned him they weren't for him.  Surprisingly he was okay with that.  Guess he's growing up! 

This included the great Pirate book that includes a CD with a song.  Alistair loves this book and we read it weekly.  It's a Barefoot Book I purchased from my friend Jennifer.  Highly recommend for the under 6 crowd.

I also sent Michelle her birthday gift.  This is a photo of the bag prior to me adding the label.  Used a really cool fat-quarter that had light swirls on it.  Sadly they didn't come out in the photo.  Inside is some jewelry from another friend who makes stunning pieces.  Sadly I mailed the package before I realized I didn't take a photo of the jewelry!

Of course, if I'm sending two gifts over, I couldn't neglect Charlie.  So I did up a 'storm' bag for him and included a book.  His birthday is near Christmas, so I think it must be fun to get something when you least expect it.  

Birthday Gift - Keenan

Our friend Keenan was turning 5 this month.  So I did my 'bedtime in a bag' gift.  Instead of making the bag match the jammies, I made the bag matching his bedroom.  His closet curtains are the stripped version of this fabric.  Thought it would be fun.

Of course, it's all personalized for him.  I gave a book about sharing -- as all three kids argue over Keenan's picturesque tree swing in his front yard.  They each want to go at the same time.  Ironically the book has a picture of the characters on a swing...so it was meant to be.  Guess the taking turns is more aimed at my kids, than Keenan, but oh well.

Even a small happy face shows the back on the jammie top.

Birthday Gift - Cousin Philippa

Getting a birthday gift that was small and light to post is always a challenge.  Figuring out what would be cool for cousin Philippa was also another challenge until my friend Jill shared with me how her kids were reading a series of books. One from a boy's view and one from a girl's about life in Canada throughout history. It's written like a diary. Perfect I thought.

What a perfect gift for an avid 13 year old reader! And as a bonus we can share some Canadian history with our English relatives. We selected the book about the prairies - A Prairie as Wide as the Sea.  The series is done by Scholastic Books and we found it at our local book shoppe.  The book even has an 'old' feeling too it with textured pages a smaller size, similar to a paperback, even though it's a hardcover (but not too heavy). 

I made a personalized gift bag using up a fat quarter my mum gave me.

San Francisco Traveling Bags

For my 40th birthday, I'm heading with some friends to San Francisco.  I made up some bags for the ladies travelling from SK.  Great for shoes, smalls, jewelry or just about anything!

The aqua with coral flowers is made from a fat quarter from Prairie Chicks in Hague, while the other two are left-overs (sew-cycling) from the napkins I made for Eve.  I thought is was a good chance Olivia would like as she helped me pick the fabric for the napkins while we were at Fabricland for her curtains...bonus!

Vintage Flowergirl Dress

This is the most special dress.  I made it for my flowergirl 13 years ago.  Monique was 4 (left) and Imogen is 5 (right).  Surprisingly they do look alike!

 

My friend Sherrie has kept the dress, in mint condition I may add, for all this time.  On Friday night, she presented to me.  Wow.  I was in awe. 

When I showed Imogen the dress, she loved it.  Then I got out the photo album to show her Monique wearing it 13 years ago and Mummy's (and Daddy's) wedding.  She thought that was great...so much so, she wore it that same day to Clark's birthday party.

She looks (Imogen) a bit disheveled as it was taken following the party of the class running around a gym!

 

Birthday Gift - Clark

So on the same birthday theme (a non-made-in-China plastic $20 toy), I did personalized shorts for Imogen's friend Clark.  The party was held in a school gym - fantastic idea!  And the entire Kindergarten class was there.  What fun.

Fabric is just perfect - robot eating sharks - dating back to my mum's stash for my brothers (now adults...or at least in age!).

The book is a Barefoot book purchased from my friend Jennifer.  I love that it come with a CD too - just making it that much more enjoyable!

And I really enjoyed making the 'stormy' gift bag using up fabric my mum gave me.  It just screamed - boy!

Pattern - KS3042, a well-loved pattern with my all time favorite pocket from an out-of print Simplicity pattern - where you stitch folds to give it depth like a real cargo pocket - and it's big enough to carry several Hot wheels cars (I have seen this personally).

 

Birthday Gift - Gabriella

Imogen was invited to another birthday party (hurrah) at a local gymnastics place.  I am always pushing against the norm of a $20 gift - aka plastic toy made in China.  So I've been on a kick for a bit...and yes there will be more...to make a gift bag and fill it with one hand-made item (personalized of course with custom labels) and a book. 

Most of my books come from a dear friend, Jennifer, who sells an amazing brand of books called Barefoot Books.  I like buying from here as (1) the books are amazing (2) I love to help a friend out and (3) the bonus - they are cheaper than a local shoppe.

So we combined leftover star fabric from one of Imogen's skirts...that was a leftover from a quilt I made her niece in England--with a piece of fabric given to me by my mum.  Together the stars shone!  For fun, I added pockets as the birthday girl is a fun, gregarious little girl who needs pockets.

 

The bag is a fat quarter courtesy of my mum's stash (thanks) and lined with a remnant of really nice muslin, almost like a polished cotton.

 

All combined = a happy Imogen and birthday girl. 

I call it sew-cycling (kind of like recycling mixed in with cycling).

Tie one on | Silhouette 300

Thanks (again) to my mum for cleaning out her sewing room...and fabric.  I really liked the tulips (I guess she did too) but was stumped as to what to make.  A dress would be too loud.  Mmm...what I wasn't sure but I knew I had to do something...something fun. 

So I was flipping through my pattern book (a binder with the pattern envelopes only in page protectors), when I spotted this top.  The pattern photo is a bit dated...but the design screamed yes.  Yes to tulips, yes to summer, yes to fun, yes to sassy and yes to a little tie.  Oh and I already had the yellow belt.  That's why it had to be sleeveless.  Fun.

I do like these patterns, being blessed with a full bust, it's much easier to make as they are sized for B, C and D cup sizes.  I cheat...as I don't make the alteration for my full bust (I don't really want to accentuate it) so I make the correct circumference, and do a bit of alteration. 

Fabric: A floaty rayon from 15 years ago (guessing as mum said she bought it at the last sewing show that rolled through Saskatoon) from Estees in Edmonton.

Pattern: Silhouette 300