Thursday 6 July 2017

Merino for a Melbourne winter



Although R likes reading on her own, I still read to her most evenings, often from the books that I loved as a child. In this way we've read through several books that she would have found difficult on her own: Little Women, What Katy Did and the Anne of Green Gables series, among others. At the moment we're reading The Endless Steppe by Esther Hautzig, about a Polish Jewish family who are deported to Siberia in 1939 and spend the wartime years enduring hunger, isolation and extreme hardship. Of course there are plenty of descriptions of the harsh Siberian winter, which have left me feeling very, very lucky to have only our relatively mild Melbourne version to get through. But still, our winter is more than cold enough for us. A couple of weeks ago we happened to be near The Fabric Store and I dashed in and bought this beautiful olive green sweatshirt merino. It has a small amount of nylon in it which I imagine is what gives it a lovely soft fleecy underside - perfect for cosy winterwear. This fabric was a steal at $12 a (very wide) metre - I bought 1.4 metres and I think I have enough left for a long-sleeved top for R.

This is the fourth time I've made this pattern, from one of my all-time favourite Japanese pattern books Girly Style Wardrobe (other examples are here, here and here). It's meant to have a back placket and a strip of lace around the waist, but I left out both of these; the merino is so stretchy it doesn't need any kind of opening. I made a long tie in the same fabric, sewed a couple of thread chains at the sides and threaded it through. I think it saves the dress from being too drab, and although you might think a nine-year-old wouldn't care for such a plain garment in such an un-girly colour, I'm pleased to report that R loves it!

This deliciously soft merino was a joy to sew with, and while it probably wouldn't keep you warm for five seconds in Siberia it's cosy enough for Melbourne, where winter still sucks, only a whole lot less than being on the steppe!
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11 comments:

  1. Jenya @ While she was sleeping7 July 2017 at 11:18

    This colour looks amazing on R! Love her dress. I have this book and really want to make this dress for my big girlie. I was wondering if Merino might be a good option, now I know it will be just fine! I still have some green merino fleece I bought from the Fabric Store two years ago! It is super wide! I think there is enough for a dress for my R :)

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  2. marisa7 July 2017 at 19:00

    Merino is definitely fine; the one I used is quite a thick one but it still gathered up easily and drapes beautifully. R has now worn it two days in a row because it's her 'warmest dress', so I'm already thinking perhaps I should make something else in merino! Pity I live so far from the fabric store (especially as they're having a sale).

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  3. Inder-ific8 July 2017 at 03:14

    I love the Endless Steppe! That was one of my favorites as a kid, actually. I also love that you still read aloud! I read to my kids every night, and I have no plans of stopping! This dress is lovely, and the color reminds me of something Anne would wear in "Anne with an E," the new Netflix series. Have you watched it? I know a lot of people dislike it, but I am enjoying it so far! I like the grittiness! Maybe that's why she can appreciate the dress - she has good taste in books featuring girls who wear plain clothing! If you haven't read The Little Princess and the Secret Garden ... DO IT!!!

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    1. marisa8 July 2017 at 18:44

      I haven't watched Anne with an E yet - but thanks for reminding me! R watched one episode with a friend and enjoyed it. Thanks for the book recommendations; not familiar with the Little Princess but will look it up :)

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  4. rachel8 July 2017 at 09:37

    I love this dress! It's so perfect for girls who are a bit older! I want to make one just like it for my girls.

    We also do read alouds each night. We are currently reading The WInd in the Willows. It's such a sweet story so far. My kids loved Anne of Green Gables, too!

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    1. marisa8 July 2017 at 18:45

      Thank you Rachel! I think reading aloud is one of the loveliest parts of having young children - especially when you get to revisit all your old favourites :)

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    2. Lightning McStitch9 July 2017 at 01:10

      How are you going with Wind in the Willows Rachel? It's one of the only books I've given up on reading to the kids. The pace was just too slow for them and then that whole weird (to us atheists anyway) midsection with the baby otter's near death experience. It's one book where I think an abridged version would have been the wiser choice.

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    3. Lightning McStitch9 July 2017 at 01:12

      I LOVE this dress Marisa. I know exactly what that merino fleece feels like to wear and so I would wear this exact dress every. single. day.
      Doesn't hurt that I'm a big fan of the colour too.
      Ok, I'm hitting up the sale for some fleece and copying you outright (I'm sure I have that book).

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    4. rachel9 July 2017 at 13:05

      Hi Shelley! I was coming back to re-read Inder's comment about the books she recommends and saw your question. I honestly feel most of the classics we have read are a little weird and a little slow. haha This year we read Alice in Wonderland, which felt like Lewis Carroll/Charles Dodgson was on mushrooms the entire time he wrote that book. Then Peter Pan. I decided we needed to combine our slower books with more exciting books, reading a little of both each night. So we read Peter Pan + The Mysterious Benedict Society. Then Texas Tomboy (not a classic book, but slow with lots of long descriptions) + Henry and the Chalk Dragon. And now The WInd in the WIllow + The Penderwicks. We are only on page 105 so we aren't to the near death experience part yet.
      The beloved book that was too slow for my kids (and me) as a read aloud was Little Women. I know - that's basically heresy. We had the unabridged version and the descriptions were so long that I knew I could not do 700 pages of that. I would see both Tia and Jude's eyes glaze over in complete boredom. Indigo read it independently and felt it was too slow to read even silently to herself - although she did finish it. She said it had the longest descriptions of the most mundane things. She loved (and devoured) the entire Little House on the Prairie series and Anne of Green Gables. She enjoys old-timey literature in general. But she couldn't get into Little Women.
      I didn't grow up reading classic literature - it was not read or required at my schools nor in my home. My parents were never fiction readers. So I am reading nearly all of these books for the first time with my kids.

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  5. Masha11 July 2017 at 04:43

    Beautiful! I love the subtle details of the dress - the gathering at the wrist, the adorable tie. And that color is so great! I am really looking forward to reading Anne of Green Gables to my girls; I think we will start that soon! I had forgotten all about The Endless Steppe; I loved that book!

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    1. marisa14 July 2017 at 17:04

      Thank you Masha. I love the gathered wrists, too. Hope you enjoy reading Anne to your girls!

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