Warm and Wooly Scarves

Helter Skelter Hand-knitted Scarves

These little beauties are lovely, warm, chunky knitted scarves,  They are made by me,  in front of the telly, with an enormous pair of knitting needles.

They are designed specifically for little girls and boys, aged 3 and beyond.  They're not too big, so as not to overwhelm those of smaller stature, but I've worn one myself and quite liked the dainty, mini-scarf look.

You can check them out at one of our upcoming craft fairs, where you might well get all your Christmas shopping done at once.  Wouldn't that be nice?

I'll be back to blog again in a little while about our Christmas plans and where you can find our stall in the near future.

xx Jane

Sewing Machine Nostalgia

One half of us here at Helter Skelter Kids has been muddling through on some rather old equipment of late.  Me.  So this past Saturday, I finally found a chance to leave the family at home and give my full attention to the matter of sewing machine shopping.  My new machine was delivered today, but I've become a bit sentimental about the one I'm putting back on the shelf.

Elna Lotus ZZ

Many moons ago, when I complained to my mother how nice it would be to have a sewing machine at hand to take up hems and whip up cushion covers, she kindly bought me an Elna Lotus ZZ.  Its a funky little number with sides that fold down and a lovely tan hue.    Produced between 1968 and 1977, it is roughly the same vintage as me (along with some of our dress patterns).  It has a aluminium handle and when it is all folded up, it may well pass for a handbag.  You can't say that about many modern appliances, can you?

Style aside, it has been a real trouper of a sewing machine.  I've expected it to sew more volume than it was probably ever designed to and as long as I take it for a regular service and kept the lint out of its innards, it kept on going.  

Sadly for the Lotus ZZ (which stands for zig zag, one of "4 practical stitches" it can create) it isn't up to the task of producing large quantities of sewn goods and so an upgrade has been organised.  Don't feel sad for it though, because after another service it will stand ready and waiting to stitch as my reserve machine.  The Lotus is a long way from broken and still has a long life ahead of it.  It will be the perfect machine to start my children sewing, should either of them show an interest, as it is beautifully simple and all its functions are easy to understand.

Lets not forget that this is a sewing machine produced by the masters of machinery - the Swiss.  In recent years, Elna has been bought out by a Japanese competitor and although I have every respect for Japanese manufacturing (my new model is made there) I'm also nostalgic for a time when Europe manufactured excellent machinery.  Indeed, I puff up with pride and announce "It's Swiss made!" whenever anyone inquires about it.  Alas, manufacturing goods like these in Europe has become cost prohibitive.  My salesman on Saturday assured me that if my new machine has been manufactured in Switzerland, it would have cost six times the price.

Elna Lotus ZZ, I salute you!  You have served me well to this point.  Helter Skelter Kids has benefited from your diligent stitching and for that we are grateful.

xx
Jane

Something for the Boys!

All too often, a shopper passes by our market stall, admires the pretty things we make for little girls only to announce, "I have a son.  What do you make for boys?".  

Now, both Sliz and I are mothers to little boys and we know how frustrating it can be to see lots of lovely things for the girls and nothing great for our sons.  We quickly realised that we didn't want to be the kind of label that produces only girly things.  

So, I offer to you, kind blog reader, the first of our outfits designed with boys in mind.  We think our karate tops worked out beautifully and just as good if you were taking your boy to a wedding as they would to a more casual affair.  We looked long and hard to find the right kind of fabrics for boys, which proved to be a real challenge.  We finally found a few fantastic ethnic style prints, plus some great vintage style fabric featuring classic cars and planes.

To match, we have these fantastic trousers that roll up to become a pair of shorts.  They stand alone, really, (although not literally) because they could be worn over and over with any matching shirt or bodysuit.  They are absolutely perfect for crawling, as you can adjust the turn up so that your baby's knees are covered, or not, depending on your preference.  The fit is lovely and roomy, so there is plenty of room for a nappy - cloth or disposable.  Both of us have a Helter Skelter baby who tested this trouser design for us when they reached crawling age and we give them a gold star for performance.


As with our apron dresses, layer the top with a long sleeved t-shirt and your shirt is as good to wear in the winter as it is in the summer.  As for the shorts, just roll the legs down and you have a pair of full length trousers.

Now that I've convinced you of their masculine charms, take another look.  They'd look pretty sweet on a little lass too, don't you think?  If only more girls' outfits could make that claim.

Sizes start at 3 months and extend up to 24 months.  Get 'em now on Etsy!  Sold separately.