Friday, March 16, 2012

So...the sewing's so-so

Wow that month FLEW by!! I really can't believe I haven't been here for a whole month. I've been really busy sewing like frantic, in my few precious hours after Alex has gone to bed in the evenings. Sadly in order to get my sewing done, I have had to miss out on my favourite tv, but it's true- with time management you have to prioritise, prioritise, prioritise (wow thats really hard to type, and say, 3 times!). I've made a few pairs of pants for Alex and some of my friends in my Mother's Group really liked them, so I made up some for their bub's too. Then I thought, why not try to sell some over Facebook? I have considered markets, and we have some lovely local ones near us, but there's the stall fee ($35 for our local markets-) which means I'd need to sell quite a lot to make a profit. And of course it would mean missing out on precious family time with my boys. Alex would be happy hanging out at a market stall for, um, 10 minutes.


With Facebook there's a fairly wide audience already set up, and the good thing is if I sell clothes cheaply to my friends, they won't mind so much if the clothing isn't exactly Perfectly Made. The thing is, I don't have an overlocker yet, and even if I did have one I wouldn't have the foggiest how to thread it. While I do use the trusty old crimping scissors, the insides of the clothes do still tend to fray after a few washes. I've been trying to learn the French Seam technique but with tiny little baby's clothing it's a bit tricky sometimes. Any suggestions here?? I am looking at second hand overlockers on Gumtree and I will save up any money I earn from selling the clothes, to put towards a machine.

If you have a moment please pop over to my page on Facebook and have a look and if you like it, please don't forget to "like" it :-) Bluebell Baby Clothing






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Hope you all have a lovely weekend! And I hope we get some sunshine!!
Xxo
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17 comments:

  1. ~LaurieMarch 16, 2012 at 10:55 PM

    Oh Sarndra, those clothes are adorable! I wish we lived on the same continent so I could come and buy some from you for my granddaughter! I do sew, but have never attempted to try real clothing.
    Great work! Love his beads around his neck - do they signify anything or just an accessory?
    Have a great day
    ~Laurie

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    1. SarndraMarch 17, 2012 at 8:32 PM

      Hi Laurie! Thank you :) The necklace is an amber teething necklace that helps soothe babies. Sounds strange I know but many swear by them and Alex hasnt had a bad time teething, he has 6 teeth now. You can read about them here
      http://www.amber-teething-necklaces.com/amber_teething_necklace_for_baby_teething_remedy.html
      Hope you and your family are well!
      X

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  2. lusiMarch 17, 2012 at 7:44 AM

    Gosh Sarndra! All your sewing samples are STUNNING!!!! Way to go clever woman!!!! I don't have an over locker either but when I hem or something I just go over the edge with a zigzag stitch several times. I use that stitch on my MCN's and it is nice and strong. Not sure if you use that already or not but thought I'd mention it!
    Anyway just wanted to say how great your creations are and hope you are doing well my beautiful friend!
    All my love,
    Lus x

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    1. SarndraMarch 17, 2012 at 8:36 PM

      Aw thanks Lusi! Not reallt original though, many people do those baby clothes designs alot better than me. Hey great idea to use zig zag on the edges! No I hadnt thought of that Lol :-D Thnaks lovely!!
      Hope you and your beautiful fam are great
      Xoxx

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  3. BeckyMarch 17, 2012 at 8:17 AM

    Those outfits are absolutely darling! I'm participating in Friday Night Sew-In this week - still trying to decide what to work on after dinner. I'm glad you are putting your talent to good use - even if you have to wait until after bedtime.

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    1. SarndraMarch 17, 2012 at 8:37 PM

      Thanks Becky :) I'll check out the Friday Night sew in. Hope you have a lovely weekend! (What's left of it :))
      Xo

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  4. rhonda jeanMarch 17, 2012 at 10:17 AM

    Sarndra, I doubt anyone will mind the non-perfect sewing. I think your strength is in your designs. They're unusual, very cute and they look easy to get on and off. I have Bernadette's old overlocker and I'm more than happy to bring it down for you to use when we visit again. The instructions for threading are, like just about everything else, on the internet.

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    1. SarndraMarch 17, 2012 at 8:39 PM

      Thanks Rhonda it would be great to borrow your overlocker until I can afford my own. Haha no the designs arent exactly original, many other fantastic sewers do these designs too. Speak with you soon and hope you and Hanno are having a nice weekend
      Xxo

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  5. AnonymousMarch 19, 2012 at 12:36 PM

    Wayyyyy too cute :)I wish I still had a little bub because I would definately be liking it!
    Chrissy

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  6. xo.sorcha.oxMarch 20, 2012 at 2:07 PM

    Hmm...You lost me at "French seams". I'm so not a sewer!
    Alex looks adorable in his handmade finery, though! Well done you!
    ~S.

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  7. DhilmaMarch 21, 2012 at 3:58 PM

    They look lovely! Way to go! You will definitely get some good sales. Did you try signing up at Etsy?
    TC

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  8. SarndraMarch 22, 2012 at 9:12 AM

    Hi Dhilma, thank you! No I haven't signed up to Etsy, thanks for the tip. I 'll try to get quite a bit of stock and then look into it.
    Xo

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  9. KirstyMarch 23, 2012 at 12:18 PM

    Your clothes look so stylish and special. Great choices of colours!
    Definitely figure out the seam finishing before selling - my repeat customers at my kids clothes stall years ago were the best because they kept coming back because the clothes lasted well. Kids clothes need to be made to withstand the wear and tear. Zigzag any raw edges as a minimum but definitely give Bernadette's/ Rhonda's overlocker a try too - they aren't as scary as some people make them out to be. Drop me a line on email if you want to bounce ideas about this around. Doing this sort of work when my (now 19 year old) son was young kept me sane and my brain busy :-)

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    1. SarndraMarch 24, 2012 at 7:55 PM

      Hi there Kirsty,
      Thank you so much for the advice! Very good point, its so important to keep the customers coming back! The clothes will need to withstand wash after wash and then be able to be passed down to siblings. Thanks, I really appreciate your thoughts :) Thats so nice of you to offer help through email as well. It'd be great to get advice from someone who's been there done that :-)
      Xx Sarndra

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  10. AnonymousOctober 8, 2012 at 1:20 PM

    Sarndra,
    I always thought that you were supposed to use French Seams on all baby clothes so as not to irritate their delicate skin. I can remember passing half finished garments on when my kids had outgrown the baby stage and a comment from one expectant Mum about how nice my French Seams were. (otherwise I would have forgotten about them.)
    French Seams are easy to do - like anything, once you get the hang of them.
    When you use an overlocker only use good quality overlocker thread as the nylon fuzzy stuff can irritate the skin something shocking and not just the baby's skin.
    Little skirts [& big ones too] go together really fast with an overlocker, espicially if it is a 4 thread. (Sew & overlock in one)
    Its good that you have taken some photos of the outfits you have made, I just have the odd memory of a feature of some of the garments I made the kids when little. My daughter's first pair of long pants were made from a remnant of some floral fabric that I had made a shift from a few years previous. She would have been in the fashion if it was this year and not nearly 40 years ago. :-)

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