Sewing for Elinor

~Sewn with Love~

For my first real foray into sewing from patterns, I chose to make a couple of items for Elinor out of Sewn with Love by Fiona Bell. Ask me why I thought starting with baby clothes (which are teeny, tiny, and tedious) was a good idea and I will tell you that Elinor has been a great inspiration to jump in with both feet in numerous arenas. The patterns come on a CD and need to be printed from a computer, taped together, and cut out before use. Although this process was time consuming, the resulting sturdy pattern (so unlike the flimsy tissue generally used) was wonderfully easy to use.

~Elinor's Spring Dress (size 3-6 months)~

Sewing notes

• The baby dress was fairly simple.
  
• I didn't care for the pockets and so I ended up leaving them off.
  
• After having trouble finding small enough buttons for the allotted spacing, I ended up using two larger ones than the recommended three.
  
• Overall the pattern was pretty straightforward and I appreciated the accompanying step by step instructions in the book.

~Elinor's Ruffled Onesie (size 6-9 months)~

Sewing Notes

• After successfully completing Elinor's spring dress, I felt ready to tackle the little ruffled onesie (called a baby bubble in the book).
  
• Although the pattern was somewhat more involved (with elasticized leg holes and neckline) it actually went much faster. I am definitely improving.
  
• One alteration I made was to use snaps rather than buttons for the panty closure.
  

Based on the two patterns I have currently tried, I would recommend the book. Some things I learned along the way include keeping the iron handy at all times (to press any seams or hems), and to zigzag, serge, or otherwise finish all raw edges that will not be hemmed before sewing the components together (which deviates from the written directions). There are quite a few cute patterns for boys as well and I am looking forward to trying some of the toddler and pieces for older children as Elinor grows. All in all the book is a good value and a nice addition to my crafting library.

~Happy Monday Everyone~