Rollypop's Chef uniform

My sister started her baking passion-turn-business a few years ago. She had gone from home business to a bakery store based just recently.  Quite an achievement. Sharing below her very creative creation.

 The Despicable Me minions

 Banana split - it's a real cake. No real banana involved

 Princess

Upin & Ipin 

So every baker needs a chef uniform right? Hmm..here's me doing a muslin so that it would fit. The actual uniform will be black BUT to this date it has not fit in perfectly yet. I have sewn with the actual fabric but because also this is my first time sewing a plus size top, its a bit of a challenge. By the way, the plus size button top kurung I sewn for mom which I destroyed does not count. Ngeehh.. Everything on the body fits perfectly fine. I just have to amend the armhole now. The remnants is not big enough for me to cut a new arm so was disappointed when the fabric store had all the colors under the sun of this material except black. How can that be?  This means this project will have to be put aside until I have the arm sorted out.

Flowery yellow

I made the flowery yellow cotton blouse and skirt for Nia when she was about one. It was supposed to be an identical bubble blouse and skirt I made for my niece, Dina. But I made the skirt too small and of different design. I mean WAY too small. So I stopped half way on the blouse and left it there. Now that baby girl no 2 is on the way, I continued the project rather than leaving it shamelessly waiting silently in the gobok.

So from the to do sewing list its number 7 and 8. Done!

7) A yellow flowered cotton blouse for Nia 1/2 way done a year ago

I just had to finish off the arm and collar seam on this blouse. The whole construction was done a year ago. Phew! I used the hidden bias for the arms and white satin bias on the neck. I also sew the simple semi circle white cotton lace on the front. I omitted the stretchable band on the hem to make it a bubble because this blouse will probably fit Nia a few more months. Then it will have to be passed down to the little one. (Notice the ruffles are not evenly distributed and even enough to call it ruffles. This is because a year ago I was a very new beginner. Evenly ditributed and many ruffles were an alien to me :P Many things probably still is.)

Closer look on the front.

Back a bit....

OKlah.....

Next on the list is this....

8) The same material of 1/2 way done skirt which was supposed to be for the above but cut too small. So this is going to be for the little one.

All I had to do was sew the hook and eye. Taaarrraa! It's done.

This skirt is so small that it fits a doll. I have no idea if it fits a newborn. If it doesn't......

it's going to be a present for Dina's life size Barbie doll, a 3 year old birthday present from her Papa.

At least its good for something. :P

Cut away

Today I only have mood and time to cut. Since I have so many things I want to do and organize, I brought out all the material I want to use and start cutting. It's probably the nesting period where a preggy mummy starts organizing and cleaning stuff. I am happy with today's progress. This will keep me busy for some time since I am on leave for 3 days this week but one thing for sure I have to go and watch a movie. I've not done that in ages. I feel like watching Merong Mahawangsa.

The cut bit done.

An unprofessional sketch of Nia and little one's dress

The little pile of cut fabrics and tops are for dresses and refashions.

1) Refashion : Nia's dress using denim jeans and remnants (soft cotton corduroy and plain cotton) of previous project DONE!

2) The little one's dress using the same material: refashion denim and remnants

3) Dina's little flower cotton dress DONE!

4) Refashion: Nia's flare 3/4 pants (it was supposed to be a 3/4 tights) using my preloved stretchable cotton tract bottom

5) Refashion: Apron for my sister using the denim and cotton

6) Refashion: Nia's dress/top using my cotton T shirt material top

7) A yellow flowered cotton blouse for Nia 1/2 way done a year ago DONE!

8) The same material of 1/2 way done skirt which was supposed to be for the above but cut too small. So this is going to be for the little one. DONE!

9) Refashion : Pink spaghetti strap top for Nia

10) Refashion : White spaghetti strap dress for Nia Whoa! That's a lot to do. Can't wait.....

Spaghetthi strap : Refashion 1

Bought this spaghetti strap recently and got the idea from crafterhours.

My two 3 year old nephews had a joint birthday party last Sunday. I wanted us (me & Nia) to wear the matchy matchy new maternity blouse and Nia's skirt together. I didn't really have a suitable top for Nia to wear with the skirt. So purrr goes my sewing machine.

Cut to the desired size. You can see the chalk mark on the T shirt fabric. This top could be a reject coz the strap distance and the body looks a bit odd but good for me, it fits a 2 to 3 year old well. Sew and zigzag the sides. I zigzagged the hem and left it like that to give it a rugged look.

(R) The top done and (L) the cut lower body part, cut one side open and you will have a long material for the ruffles.


Cut a few 1" long strip. Fold, pin and sew on the top one first and then start with the second row. The third row I used a 1/2" strip and curvy just to add a bit of fun.

Finally after a sore finger and a few bent needles, the top is done.

I started from the back right up to the front, only on one side.

A happy princess.

Maternity blouse and a skirt

It's done and I am very happy with the result.

First, it was a neatly finished project.
Second, I am glad I arranged the foot/border patterns the way I did. It gives it a nice touch.

I used both the Anna Maria Horner's pattern as per mentioned in my previous post but with some improvisation. So does it make it my pattern? Hehe trying my luck...

Fresh from the oven, my new maternity blouse

Nia's cute and sassy skirt

I made the maternity blouse first. I was contemplating whether to add the lining or not because the cotton is probably called a medium weight and eventhough it is almost see through if you really focus on trying to see what bra colour I was wearing but it is of a dark colour material. So it's almost impossible *could almost hear the guys go aaaaaaaa...* :P

The fabrics has two border pattern like the picture on the left. Before cutting, I actually stood for sometime to figure out how I should fully utilise the design. Sayang kalau tak pakai.

Then comes the designing part. As I had to cater for my growing belly, it should be big enough to wear upto the end of the term. So instead of cutting front and back into four parts (the left & right), I made a one piece front and one piece back for the below breast section, just like a sample blouse I have in my closet, so that I can over size this part. The top part is still a four rectangle sewn together, if I made sense at all! And oh I know I said I wanted to be stingy with the fabric, I didn't have to. I was being very generous with the material on belly section and still had enough material to make Nia's skirt. Happy!

After the blouse was done, a trial fit showed me that I was actually looking like I was going to give birth yesterday!! I did the lining only on the bottom section. SO off with the lining and hem it just below the rubber. I didn't need it anyway. And from this I learnt that I can actually add the lining just on the part where I want to do the rubber inserts, like in the picture below on Nia's skirt. With this cut voile lining, I am planning to make Nia's blouse to match the skirt. That will be in another post.

This is Nia's skirt. I sew the lining just enough so that I can fit the rubber inserts.

The finished look after the rubber is inserted. I'd like to believe "What goes on inside, stays inside"....to shuuusshh if i'm doing this all wrong :P

And also on Nia's skirt, I actually cut and sew the border over the hem line so I could get the designed hemline.

Again, if I made any sense at all!! Have a good week ahead.

2010 Sewing project

I realized that I haven't updated some of the 2010 or earlier sewing projects I posted on my personal blog before deciding to birth the personalized sewing blog....OPSIEDAISYCANSEW.blogspot.com. I said I would, only did some and never got around to it. so what's new. Instead of reposting the whole post, I might as well just link them to the post. Why didn't I think of that earlier? ...... *duhhh mode*

1) Strawberry dress and Dina Dress

2) Simple A line dress

3) Purple dress & bag - blah project

4) Prairie blouse - My first ever project

5) Sewing book, Magazine, Pattern and stuff

6) Fabrics and stuff

7) Misc - when it all started

8) Adorable pleated skirt

9) Boys pyjama & Fabric

10) More boys pyjama & Book cover

11) Dress and more pyjama

12) Pirate themed dresses and jacket

I believe thats it......enjoy if you're reading those.

Most importantly, these are just for my reference and own enjoyment.

Sapa lagi la enjoy hasil tangan sendiri :P

My first project ever

This was my first ever project.

Since I have no knowledge or experience in sewing, I figured the best project to start with was to follow the step by step guide in Anna Maria Horner's Seams To Me book. It had the beginner, intermediate and difficult projects. Being ambitious me, I choose the Prairie Blause to start my first ever project. No, not the basic straight stitch projects (not challenging enough!) but the ones with bias, darts (until today I don't know whether there's actually darts in the pattern but I did some in places where I thought it should be), use of elastic bands and complicated steps for a zero or nothing sewing technique person.

I have to say the results are quite impressive and for that, I'm proud of myself. Doing this project makes me believe that I can actually sew and do simple projects. It's not that difficult but it's comes with its own unique challenges and takes a lot of patience to make things right. NOW, I can start with simple projects. We'll see.....

I went through Oh ooo, OMG, Huh? and How did that happen? moments ...but I managed to set things right

• I altered the pattern to suit Nia's size. A big job for a 1st timer. Oh ooo, the shoulders are 1 inch shorter than the body.....amend amend


• Stitch Stitch...OMG the left shoulder is attached to the right shoulder...rip rip...How did that happen? Stitch stitch..


• Huh? Front attached to the back..since when? pppfff.....Rip Rip Stitch stitch...


• And more blunders, which probably cost me 5 metres worth of thread wasted. No joke!


• Thank God for seam ripper

P/S : Sanitary sewer : a system of pipes used to transport human waste; Storm drain, a collection and transportation system for storm water;