Sew&Craft-Raindrops & Bellyflops

The Owl and the Bunny

2012-02-12T09:46:00.000+10:00

We've recently introduced pocket money in our house. In an attempt to keep on top of the daily disaster site that is my home, the kids each have three jobs to do every afternoon. For their efforts, they earn a whopping $2 every Saturday morning. We've been doing it for a month now, I can happily report it is going extremely well.

Anyway, Meg decided last weekend that she wanted to spend her pocket money on a new cuddly bunny. Specifically, she wanted me to help her sew one. So off we went to Spotlight to pick out a few pretty coordinating fabrics.

We then searched google and found the cutest free bunny pattern - The Jack Rabbit Softie by The Mary Frances Project. This pattern is ridiculously cute with the oversized floppy ears.

We cut out all the pieces. Meg sat on my lap for most of the sewing. She guided the fabric while I controlled the foot. She also stuffed the bunny and sewed on the button eyes.

Here's her bunny. So cute. One thing I didn't do properly was to fold a little of the ears over at the seam where they attach to the head. This gives then a bit more lift. I noticed this when Meg had pretty much finished the stuffing. She was quite excited that we'd almost finished, so I chose to ignore it.

Using some of the leftover fabric, I sewed an owl doorstop for Meg's room after seeing the gorgeous ones on Katherine's blog a few weeks ago. The pattern was from Hammer and Thread. Meg has actually been in need of a doorstop for a long time but I never remember to pick up the bits when I'm at the hardware store. I'm glad I've been forgetting, because this is a much cuter alternative.

I filled most of the owl with standard polyfill. For the bottom third I used lentils wrapped in a plastic bag.

Well I think Meg has done quite well, don't you? She only forked out $5.40 and got an owl and a bunny and she still has leftover material. I don't think I've actually gained any time. The time I would have spent tidying toys, has been spent making toys. That said, it is a much more enjoyable way to spend my time, so I it's still a bit of a win-win.

Speaking of owls, we have a Papuan Frogmouth living in our laundry. So cool!

Lunching in my Lonsdale Dress

2012-02-08T20:09:00.000+10:00

- front -

Well, these photos aren't exactly of me lunching, but standing on the beach opposite where I had lunch. Today I spent a few glorious hours with some girlfriends lunching at Palm Cove (ahhhh the tropics!) The gathering was to celebrate a friend's birthday, and let's face it, there's nothing like a special date on the calendar to motivate me to get a garment finished.

Here is me in my Lonsdale dress by Sewaholic. It's made using a lovely French cotton/silk voile purchased on Emma One Sock during the Christmas break. The fabric is very light and very airy. Which is perfect as the weather is absolutely, unrelentingly stinkin' up here at the moment.

- back -

- front bodice -

- full length back -

Rather than just share descriptions and images of my finished product, I've decided to put a bit more effort into sharing my alterations. I always find it interesting reading about other's alterations so I thought it was high time I gave it a bit of a go. I've even included some photos...woohoo!

Making Toiles

I began by making up a toile using an old white doona cover picked up at an op-shop for $1. My sewing teacher encourages her students to begin by making up a toile of garment out of calico (I prefer something cheaper such as doona covers). The toile only includes the basic pieces. All additional bits such as ruffles, hems etc are omitted. I then make all alterations to the toile. All the alterations are recorded on one side only of the toile. The other half (unless of course the garment is not symmetrical) is later discarded. I often use these discards to cut out smaller pieces of future toiles.

Once fitting is complete, changes made and markings added, the toile is then deconstructed. This toile then becomes my pattern. From this point, I no longer use the pattern paper, unless of course I need to cross reference something. I store my toiles in ziplock bags with the original pattern. That way, if I reuse the pattern at a later date, I jump straight into cutting my fashion fabric, confident there will be no fitting issues.

So here's what I did with the Lonsdale:

Alterations - Bodice Front:

I shortened the bodice front at the side seams, tapering towards the centre.

There was a lot of gaping along the upper edge near my shoulder. I eliminated this gaping by removing a dart-shaped piece from this area.

Alterations - Bodice Back:

This photo shows the new bodice piece on top of the original pattern piece. As you can see, I removed fabric from the CB, tapering down to my waist. I also did a sway-back adjustment.

After making these alterations to my muslin, I iron them flat, effectively changing the shape of the pattern piece. I then cut my fashion fabric from this new piece.

Other changes:

As the fabric is sheer, I lined the skirt in white cotton voile purchased from Spotlight.

I also had to add approx. 7cm to the waistband. This wasn't actually an alteration, but more an error to the original pattern.

Overall, I'm happy with how this dress turned out. I was doubtful whether the style would suit my body shape (you know with my wide hips and all) but it has turned out OK. Not knock-em-dead fabulous, but good enough that I felt comfortable and a bit groovy wearing it. Oh, and I did receive quite a few nice compliments during school pick-up (yes it's not all glamourous) which is always nice.

Loooovely Lingerie

2012-01-22T07:30:00.000+10:00

I finally finished sewing my first set of lingerie last night and I must say I'm feeling all very pleased with myself. The set has turned out looking really quite lovely indeed.

The lingerie was made using a very sturdy lingerie lycra with a metallic sheen. I used a coordinating lace overlay on the upper section of the bra and centre of the knickers. The lace was originally a stretch lace but overtime had lost all of it's stretch. Given this, I thought using it as an overlay was safest. Also, I've never been fussed on the whole 'see-through lace effect' on the centre front of knickers. I think some things are best kept a mystery.

The bra was made using a sister-drafted pattern taken from an old-favourite Bendon bra of mine. The knickers were made using a self-drafted pattern created by chopping up my favourite style of knickers. My go-to knickers are a 4-pack boyleg purchased from Big W for $12. I thought $3 was quite a bargain for a TNT pattern. I hemmed the legs using a twin needle.

I purchased all the bits and pieces for the bra from a local lady who has a warehouse full of lingerie supplies. These supplies are all leftovers from her days of making custom lingerie for woman. Quite a good little find I must say!

I do need to perfect a few areas:

Firstly, I needed to get the elastic right on the knickers. I think I need to lengthen the elastic to make sure there is no 'buckling' along the top edge of the knickers. Obviously, this disappears the instant they're on but it would still be nice to get it right.

Secondly, even though this pattern was taken from a well-loved bra I still think it needs some modifications. I think the cup size and underwires are probably a size too small. It does take a wee bit of adjusting to get everything in. I'll definitely have to sort this out before attempting to make a bra in a woven fabric. Hmmmm, imagine all the wonderful creations I could make from all my silk scraps...looooooovely.

Back to school

2012-01-20T19:09:00.000+10:00

...because it's nice to start the year with a new pencil case (particularly as I was using a zip-lock bag for the last half of 2012).

- made with scraps and a zipper from my stash -

Flea Market Bag in Japanese Cotton

2012-01-17T10:05:00.000+10:00

This groovy little number was whipped up using the Flea Market Bag by Grand Revival pattern. While on holidays, I traced off a bunch of my younger sister's bag patterns. She has recently taken up sewing and started in the bag department. This is such a great place to start I think. Making a bag is such a fun and satisfying project. They're relatively simple, there's lots of straight sewing, you can practice perfecting neat topstitching but most importantly, there are no fitting issues (sigh). Let's face it, a simple bag matches all body shapes and sizes!

I actually made it for a friend and to be honest, found it very hard to give away once it was done. It was made using the leftovers from this dress. I absolutely adore this fabric - the colour, the texture and the feel.

Despite time constraints, I forced myself to add a few internal pockets and am glad I did. I added both a zippered pocket and a phone pocket. I lined the bag using leftover fabric from this dress. The pattern calls for a magnetic or buttoned clasp. I omitted this because I think a button closure would be annoying and I didn't have a magnetic clasp on hand. If I make another one for myself, I'd definitely add a magnetic clasp.

Making bags from purposely-purchased fabric can be soooooo expensive. Whenever I make one from leftovers though, I feel like it's a bit of a freebee. Which just adds to the satisfaction.

- internal pocket with zipper -

- phone pocket embellished with Liberty bias binding -

Vogue 8595 - Beach Tunic

2012-01-15T20:24:00.000+10:00

Vogue 8595

- the windswept, unironed version (actually this is the only version) -

This top was not part of my Christmas holiday sewing but I did wear it a lot on my holidays and finally got around to taking a photo of it. I actually made it especially for the September holidays when I visited Magnetic Island with my sister and her family.

It was sewn to be used as a beach top. I actually HATE wearing rashie tops (lycra swim shirts) so this is my way of getting sun protection at the beach while avoiding the icky feeling of lycra clinging to my body.

I made it exclusively from scraps of cotton voile and trims left over from other projects. Therefore it is light, airy and cool to wear. I know it's all a bit over-the-top in the colourful stakes, but you can get away with that at the beach right!

In this photo, I'm not so much wearing it for sun protection, but more as a defense against sandflies. We stopped at Sarina Beach for the night on our drive home and went for a glorious walk in the late afternoon leading into dusk. Come dusk, those little beast are always waiting, ready to attack.

For the record, I did flare out this top from the armholes to the hemline quite significantly. I can't remember how much. Maybe as much as my scraps of fabric would allow. I wanted it to be as flowy as possible given it was a beach top.

- shadows in the late afternoon -

Christmas Frocks - Vogue 8184 & 'Lonsdale' by Sewaholic

2012-01-13T18:37:00.001+10:00

- Me and Emily in our Christmas frocks -

I arrived home last night after a month long holiday on the Sunshine Coast. My family and I had a wonderful time house-sitting a home on a property in the Noosa Hinterland. Here is a photo of the view from the deck. Glorious!

Such a relaxing and inspiring place to sew don't you think? Well, I did take my sewing machine with me and got off to a flying start by sewing myself and my younger sister Emily, each a new Christmas frock. Unfortunately, things went seriously downhill come Christmas day. My younger brother had bought me a mandolin (slicer) for Christmas, at my request. While preparing an Asian slaw for Christmas lunch, things got a little out-of-control. Moments later, my husband was rushing me off to hospital with some pretty serious cuts on my hand. After spending 3 hours waiting in the emergency room, I lost patience and walked out. With the help of grafting tape, a tube of antisepetic and a couple of gin & tonics, my sisters managed to stick me back together. Unfortunately, that pretty much marked the end of my holiday sewing time, as I could no longer cut or hold a pair of scissors. Serious bummer!

So here is 80% of my holiday sewing:

1. Vogue 8184

This is the third time I've made this dress, so it came together easily and quickly. I used a silk/cotton fabric I purchased only a few days earlier at The Fabric Store in Brisbane. I wasn't actually planning on making a Christmas frock by just HAD to after finding this fabric. After all, everyone loves a Christmas tree inspired dress right! I also made the red flower using a cotton/silk remnant picked up on the same trip just to add some serious Christmas punch!

This fabric is really quite divine and so lovely to wear. It has a sateen-type shine to it. I lined the dress in a black cotton voile. This wasn't really necessary as the fabric is not sheer. For some reason, I just like my party dresses to be lined.

2. Lonsdale by Sewaholic

I sewed this dress for my sister Emily, using a cotton lawn purchased at Spotlight. This is a simple dress to sew and the instructions are straight-forward and easy to follow. I will shorten the bodice if I ever make it for her again as there is a little bit of pooling at the waistline.

- The lovely Emily -

And just for fun, a photo of me and my sisters Emily, Katherine and Sarah sitting with my mother - the lady that kick-started all this sewing shenanigans.

Lingerie Making Treasures

2011-11-25T18:35:00.001+10:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to explore a treasure trove of lingerie making supplies. Through my sewing teacher, I discovered a local lady that has a warehouse full of the stuff. She spent 15 years sewing custom-made lingerie for people through some kind of party plan (like Tupperware only sexier!). She stopped the lingerie making some years ago and now teaches lingerie making lessons occasionally through a local fabric shop.

There was not a whole lot of order to her storage however it was still fun to rifle through. Given the chance, I could probably spend hours there. Sadly, time was limited.

I must say, picking out all the bits to make a bra is really quite tricky. The problem with lace and other trims, is that it's hard to work out whether they're beautiful or just plain ugly when they're on their own. There's no instant 'love it! must have it'. It's more of a 'ummmmmmm, hmmmmmmmm' Anyway, I managed to pick out the bits to make three different sets. I got enough for both me and Katherine.

6 sets (bra and knickers) for $112. That makes each set $18. Not bad!

The colours here are not too far from real life.

2-way stretch both in matte and sheen.

This one is a closer to a rich gunmetal blue than purple. The rosettes are also gunmetal blue not lilac.

This is a one-way stretch satin lycra.

This one is actually a dark rich teal with a texture.

It's shiny. One-way stretch.

I choose black trims if they weren't available in the teal.

Well that's my sewing plan for the holidays. Only 2 weeks to go. Yippee!

In sewing news - I'm hoping to finish my beach tunic this weekend and then my pre-holiday sewing is complete.

Aprons - Sewing for Teachers

2011-11-22T19:44:00.000+10:00

Last summer, during my great southern adventure to the South-East corner (of Queensland) I ducked into Ikea for a moment or two. We were driving from the Sunshine Coast to Lismore and had scheduled a quick break to give the kids a chance to stretch their legs and me a chance to check out the fabric. I only ended up buying 4 pieces of home decor fabric. The pressure and intensity of three small children running laps around the displays and climbing on top of everything they could, was all a little unnerving. Luckily for me, this year they'll all be old enough to book into the Ikea creche should (or when) I return.

Anyway, I have somehow managed to sew three out of the four fabrics I bought. The first one was origami fisherman's pants for Paul. The next two were aprons for Meg's prep teacher and teacher's aide. (A fabulous idea inspired my Mary Nanna). Meg has had a lovely year with these two ladies so I thought I'd whip them up each a snazzy apron. The designs on both are quite whimsical and would look very much at home in a preppy classroom.

I cut the pattern from an apron I already owned. From memory, it came free with a bottle of wine. Bonus! I omitted pockets as I did not want to mess up the picture on the aprons. I added a strip of pink checked bias binding to the top edges. I have not made the neck straps adjustable at all. That would have required a trip to the fabric store and quite frankly, I needed to cross these babies off my 'to-do' list. As groovy as they look, they were a bargain to make. Each one cost me a little over $5. Yay for cheap but groovy gifts!

- Back view-

I still have enough fabric to whip up another two aprons. Maybe, just maybe, I'll make one for myself/teaching partner and our aide. After all, we wouldn't want the other prep class out-doing us in the 'snazzy apron department' now would we?

A message from Meg written on the inside bottom edge using fabric markers.

Insa Skirt and more

2011-11-17T13:39:00.001+10:00

Things are crazy busy at the moment. I'm in the thick of both birthdays and Christmas. I always like to sew the kids a few things for both celebrations. It's one of the few times a year I can muster up a bit of enthusiasm and creativity for my children, sewingwise. Mostly my efforts are dampened by their lack of enthusiasm in wearing my creations. It's not that they mind wearing the clothes I sew them, it's just that it's impossible for me to predict what it is they will wear.

I finished sewing for Meg this morning. I have cheated quite a bit by deciding to cut myself some slack by mixing home sewing with RTW pieces. I must say, that even though very little of this was sewn from scratch, it still gave me just as much pleasure. I have managed to use up a few scraps of fabric and a handful of buttons from my enormous jar of buttons bought at an op-shop.

Anyway, kicking off is the Insa skirt from Sewing Clothes Kids Love. This is a 2-layered skirt. I made both the layers from a range of cotton voiles as I wanted to keep it as cool and as light as possible. I would have preferred to use contrasting fabrics but there wasn't many on offer in the voile.

Pretty trims

Next up is an embellished white singlet to go with the Insa skirt. I purchased a plain white singlet from Target. I sewed some little sleeve-caps to each strap and hand sewed on a range of pink and red buttons.

Next up is another version of the embellished singlet. This time to go with RTW shorts in green.

Lastly, I have another RTW shirt from Target. This time a tee in watermelon pink. I sewed a heart from my Liberty scraps. This one goes with RTW shorts in blue.

That's it for Meg. One down...many to go!

40th Birthday Cakes

2011-11-14T16:22:00.000+10:00

Paul's 40th proved to be a super fun night. I didn't actually manage to get a photo of me all dressed up in my party dress (see previous post) but I did get a photo of the cakes (also see previous post).

Unfortunately, I don't actually have a photo of them with the birthday boy. Here they are, sitting on my kitchen bench, ready to be packed into plastic containers for transportation to the restaurant. I'm sure if you try hard enough, you could imagine them sitting on a large white plate, decorated with gold candles sitting in front of a very happy man, beaming from ear-to-ear after being shouted way too many birthday drinks!

Vogue 1190 - Tracey Reese Party Dress

2011-11-10T18:55:00.002+10:00

Styled with my glomesh clutch and just-out-of-the-swimming-pool hairdo. I'll actually brush my hair and add make-up for the real event. Promise! I will even iron the dress.

It's party time in our house this weekend. My wonderful husband Paul is turning 40 and preparations are in full swing. I've bought him a beautiful handmade silver ring off etsy. The artisan sought her inspiration from the trunk of an oak tree. I love the details and uniqueness of it's design. I only wish I'd ordered it sooner so it would be here on time...oh well.

Photo from polkadile on Etsy

I've also spent the morning cooking two decadent cakes to take to the restaurant. The first one is Christine Mansfield's Chocolate Jaffa Mousse Cake and the second Il Diplomatico from the 2011 Gourmet Traveller Annual Cookbook. Both are bar-shaped cakes filled with mousse. I'm yet to fully work out how I'm going to link them so they don't look silly sitting side by side on the plate. I was thinking I could dust them with cocoa and place a 4 on one and a 0 on the other, both made out of white chocolate. Maybe I could add a few blueberries dipped in white chocolate and the odd chocolate curl too. If you have any other suggestions now's the time to chip in.

Il Diplomatico from Gournet Traveller

Lastly and by far most importantly, I have finished my party dress. I made Vogue 1190 with some silk twill (by Milly) that I bought from The Fabric Store. I have thoroughly enjoyed sewing this dress. I do feel it's a tad low at the cleavage and a tad high in length but maybe I just need to loosen up! I chose to fully line the dress. I always feel a lined dress provides a little bit more support and smoothes out some of my bodily lumps and bumps. The bodice is lined in the fashion fabric, however the skirt is lined in a nude silk from EmmaOneSock.

In addition to lining the dress, I did make a few changes. Firstly, I had to make quite a few fitting changes to the toile of my bodice. I don't even know where to begin here, all I can say is that if you make this dress, I strongly recommend making a toile of the bodice first.

I also simplified the pleats by overlocking the edges before folding them under. The pattern suggests finishing each with a chiffon hem prior to folding. This seemed like an incredibly fiddly waste of time to me. You could actually get away with bagging them out, however I quite like the fact that they form an open fold.

I also altered the way I attached the contrasting waistband. On the pattern, this is actually an insert that is faced from the inside. Instead, I simply folded the strip and sandwiched it between the bodice and skirt seam. This seemed like an easier option and made more sense as I was lining it. The contrast is a silk satin purchased from Spotlight.

Lastly, I handstitched along the seam where the bodice overlaps on the inside of the garment. This was to stop any gaping at CF neckline.

Nude lining with added lace edging.

Lastly, I did not gather the shoulder straps on my bodice lining.

I'm really looking forward to the weekend. We're kicking off at a lovely outdoor bar overlooking the marina, followed by dinner with friends. Oh, a night out without the kids is soooooo much fun!

Underwear for me and ma' boys

2011-11-01T12:51:00.001+10:00

Although you can't tell from the photo, the fabric actually has a pretty paisley pattern in shades of light and dark black. It also has a ribbon at the CF. I guess this photo has obscured all the bits worth showing, but also hidden all the mistakes.

If you follow my sister's blog (Blooms Fabric Obsession), you would know that she popped up to Cairns for a visit a few weekend's ago. You would also know that we spent Saturday night having a bra sew-a-long. This is the first bra I have ever made, so Katherine sat next to me and walked me through step-by-step. She made hers using scraps of Liberty. So pretty.

Katherine created a pattern for my by cutting up an old Bendon bra that was close to a perfect fit. Apparently this has given me a very good head start. She said she has spent years trying to perfect the fit of her bra pattern and is still not quite there. She's read that cutting up a good-fitting bra is a good place to start. But if you've never owned a good fitting bra well then the road is much longer and windier. I'm pretty sure I hit the ground running with my pattern. Thanks Katherine.

I made my bra using a very slippery lingerie lycra. This was both hard to cut out and to sew. Perhaps it would be better for a beginner to start with a more friendly fabric. Despite this, I'm extremely pleased with how the bra turned out and can say with confidence that bra making is extremely easy if:
1. You have a great pattern.
2. You have Katherine sitting next to you.

I've decided to dedicate the 6 week summer break to lingerie making. I'll be holidaying on the Sunshine Coast with my family and my sewing machine for that period of time. If I stick to lingerie making than I don't have to worry about packing my overlocker, patterns, creating muslins etc. I can pack small, to create my smalls!

If you read this and live in the Cairns area, I have also learnt that there is a lady with a warehouse of lingerie making supplies in Smithfield. I'm yet to explore it, but intend to very soon. Let me know if you want me to pass on the details.

And lastly, I whipped up a few more pairs of boy trunks for my boys using Katherine's pattern. You can get a copy of it here.

The $485 dress - Vogue 1228

2011-10-28T17:52:00.000+10:00

My phone line was finally fixed this afternoon after being down for 10 days. I started this blog post 2 weeks ago and it's been lurking in cyber space patiently waiting to be finished. So here it is. Now I have some serious blog reading to catch up on. It's going to be a big weekend!

- Vena Cava for my (slimmer) friend Emily -

I am always being told by my non-sewing friends that I should start sewing garments...for other people...for money. Only other sewists, can truly appreciate how ridiculous this suggestion is. I can fully appreciate that there are professional seamstresses that can and do make money from sewing for others. For the amateur, untrained, hobby seamstress, like myself, sewing one-offs would seriously be an unprofitable exercise.

I have just finished sewing up Vena Cava's Vogue 1228 for a friend. (A slightly slimmer friend). I did not do it for money. I did it because she's a fabulous friend, who is terrible at spending money on herself, finds clothes shopping a nightmare and is wonderfully kind enough to look after my little boy for me each Friday, while I go out and actually make some money.

Just for my own amusement and her curiosity, I have 'costed' this dress. This exercise has reinforced three things for me:
1) One of the reasons I sew - So that I can wear clothes I like for a fraction of what they would cost to buy.
2) Why I will never sew for others. (Extremely close friends and family excepted)
3) How bloomin' expensive it must be for a non-sewing person to get something custom made.

So how much would it cost a person starting from scratch? I have randomly come up with a figure of $30/hour for sewing time. (Obviously, I'm a very slow sewer. A professional would be much quicker than me.) Still, my friends keep suggesting that I, a non-professional, should do it for money...he he he!

Dress Costing

Fabric: 3m of silk from Spotlight $30/m = $90 (I got it on sale for $54. I also only used 2.1m so have enough left over for an additional blouse. This means I only used $38 worth of the fabric)

Vogue Pattern = $30 (I borrowed this one from my sister who bought it on sale = $0)

Zipper: $3

Cotton: ($2.50) (I used stuff I already owned - extra big roll. Have allowed $1.50.)

Sewing machine needle: $1.50

Toile fabric: 2.5m calico = $12.50 (I used fabric off a 17m roll I bought at a Trash & Treasure stall for $2 = 30 cents)

Time: Cutting, sewing, fitting & deconstructing toile = 2 hours x $30 = $60

Pattern placement (this takes time!), cutting and machine sewing dress...+ unpicking! = 9 x $30 = $270

Hand sewing hems = 0.5 x $30 = $15

= $484.50

(My gosh! Profitable? No Sir-ee!)

How much did it cost me to make?

= $43

Pattern Review

I had read in other people's reviews that the neckline needed to be changed to ensure it covered even the most skimpiest of bras. To alleviate this problem, I added an additional 1cm to both the left and right side of the neckline. I also omitted the cuffs and finished off the sleeves with a rolled hem.

The Boys Are Back in Town - Burda 9793

2011-10-18T11:10:00.000+10:00

Burda 9793

We've been running a bit low on shorts around here for a few reasons. Firstly, I'm just not that good at keeping up with the laundry. Secondly, some shorts have reached the end of their days. Thirdly, my boys are refusing to wear any shorts in their drawers that have a zipper and button (understandable really). On Sunday I spent some time restocking. I turned to my trusty Burda 9793 and added patch pockets with asymmetrical flaps.

- close up of pockets -

- ripstop cotton from Spotlight -

- in blue camo -

- mandatory ninja pose -

Liberty & Country Road Refashion & Giveaway Winner

2011-10-15T14:06:00.000+10:00

One thing you may not know about me is that I'm a bit of an op-shopper. I quite like rifling through op-shops on one condition - that they're small. I like the ones where I can browse the entire women's clothing section in under 10 minutes. I used to head to my favourite one weekly. Nowadays though, it's only every few months, which suits me fine given my sewing output has increased. After all, there's a limit to how many clothes a girl needs.

Liberty Refashion

Anyway, a few weeks ago I was heading to the butcher while umming and arrring in my head whether or not to duck into Vinnies. I decided that I'd give it a miss. So self-disiplined! As I was walking past however, I glanced up at the window. There, in all it's watermelon-coloured glory was a blouse made from Liberty fabric. I recognised the print straightaway. I also remembered that Sportscraft has released tops in this print last summer. I went in to investigate. It was a size 18 blouse in Liberty by Sportscraft and all for the sweet price of $5. Score!

I brought it home and transformed it into this little number. I used my shell top toile to recut the shape. I removed the buttons, swapped the sides and sewed up the CF, adding a little fold to mirror the existing fold (You might need to enlarge the photo or squint to see it). I used bias binding for the armholes (using this method from my tutorial) and cut a neck facing out of some scraps of watermelon coloured voile. Ain't she lovely!

- Worn with Elk swallow brooch -

- Paired with silk satin skirt blogged about here -

- before shot -

Country Road Refashion

I picked up this Country Road blouse for $5 also. It's made from ramie and has interesting cotton lace type stuff on the front. I've had this one since last year and had never worn it. Every time I put it on, the sleeves just seemed too oversized for my taste. It made me feel all a bit dowdy/frumpy. I'm guessing the previous owner had the same experience because it was in new condition. Anyway, this top made it to my throw-out pile the other day. However, after a bit of thought, I decided to chop the sleeves off and give it a second chance. This top has a 10cm hem, which I must say is quite a nice feature.

- before shot -

Giveaway Winner

The winner of my antique fabric giveaway was:

Congratulations! Please email me with your details.

pbgubby at spin dot net dot au

Oh yeah...my children have a few more parties to attend this weekend so I've whipped up a few more pencil rolls. I have been busy, haven't I!

A Tutorial: Joining bias binding (Armhole)

2011-10-13T08:21:00.004+10:00

This photo shows the join where the armhole meets with the sideseam. Super neat huh!

Read on to learn this technique.

Regular readers of my blog would know that I started taking sewing lessons halfway through the year. This has proven to be an incredibly fabulous experience. Having been self-taught up to that stage, the only techniques I had in my tool box were the ones I'd picked up from sewing pattern sheets and the odd online tutorial. Since taking lessons however, I have learned so many sewing tricks and techniques that have considerably improved the finish and fit of my garments. Today I thought I'd share one of my favourites. This was developed by my fabulous teacher Robyn of Robyn's Learn to Sew Studio. Robyn's teaches sewing lessons in Cairns.

This tutorial will show you how to join bias binding in a continuous circle. My tutorial shows how this technique can be used on an armhole. The lengths I have written are approximations only.

Joining Bias Binding (Armhole)

1. Cut your length of bias binding approximately 14 cm longer than the circumference of the armhole.

2. Begin by sewing your bias binding to your garment 4 cm from your side-seam. Make sure you have left a generous tail of bias binding. Sew the binding around the armhole, finishing 4 cm from the other side of the side-seam. Once again you should have a generous tail to work with.

3. Take one tail of bias binding, align it with the sideseam. Mark or clip both sides of the folded tape. Repeat with other tail.

4. Open out your bias tape. (See diagram below)

5. Overlap both sides of the binding so you have the right-sides together.

6. The marks/clips should run down the centre of the tape both on the up-side and down-side. I have drawn faint lines to show where the marks are placed underneath.

7. Pin according to diagram. With your pin in place, open out the tape and check that your stitch line will create a continuous line of tape. If it doesn't, you have probably pinned in the wrong diagonal direction.

8. Stitch along pin line.

9. Trim your tails.

10. Press the seam open.

11. Pin down your bias strip. It should be a perfect fit and look divine! Check out the picture. What's missing? An ugly, obvious, folded join. Yippee!

I hope you all find this as useful as me.

A Giveaway - Antique Fabric

2011-10-06T14:21:00.001+10:00

I have just spent a good chunk of the morning cleaning out my ever-expanding wardrobe. I was trying my very best to be as ruthless as possible. It's a tough gig I tell you!

Anyway, I've decided to offer one of my discards in a giveaway. Put simply, it's a wrap skirt. I know however, that the sewers amongst you will see it not as a skirt, but as a length of material.

This skirt has survived all past wardrobe clean-outs during the past ten years. I wore it to my brother's wedding ten years ago and have barely worn it since. It's not really my style, yet it has been hard to throw out the fabric. Deep down, I'm not really a sentimental kinda' gal nor a collector, so have decided it is well and truly time to say goodbye.

Here is what I can tell you about it:

- My younger sister bought the fabric at an antique shop approx. 10 years ago.

- She was told it was an antique. I vaguely remember that she paid just over $100 for a piece twice this size.

- It may be silk. I just burnt the teeniest bit of thread from it and it did not behave like a synthetic. (I didn't want to cut a chuck out of it to do a thorough test).

- It has metallic thread embellishments.

- It is very drapey.

- It has a sheen that changes colour from different directions.

- It measures approx. 105cm x 150cm.

- It has a few holes in it. From cockroaches I suspect. These all appear roughly along the same line, give or take a few centimetres.

Anyway, I thought I'd take this chance to thank all the wonderful bloggers out there for sharing your projects, tips, ideas and being a wonderful source of inspiration.

If you think you'd like it, just leave a comment. I am happy to post worldwide!

Giveaway closes Monday, 17th October.

Vogue 8184 in Japanese Cotton

2011-10-02T19:23:00.004+10:00

Vogue 8184

I seem to have found my sewing mojo again after losing it for a few months. I've been on holidays for two weeks so have had plenty of time to daydream - silently laying on the daybed while matching fabrics in my stash, to patterns borrowed from my sister to up-and-coming events.

Here is the first one I've completed:
Pattern:Vogue 8184
Fabric: Japanese cotton from Tessuti, purchased on my Sydney trip
Event: Today - Friend's 40th birthday, drinks & lunch at a groovy bistro on the beach in Palm Cove.

I'm really happy with this dress. Apart from minor fitting adjustments to my toile, the only thing I changed was to make it a teeny bit more a-line. I usually like to add interesting and unique details to the garments I make, but I think the fabric was interesting enough.

I was lucky enough to already have a perfectly matching belt (and shoes). I sewed a few belt-loops to go around the actual belt, to keep it in place. Much less tacky then a rubberband! I think the dress kind of needs the belt to hide the seam. Not that there is anything actually wrong with it, but there is a slightly odd effect due to one layer of fabric (the skirt) meeting 5 layers of fabric (bodice, lining + SAs + SA of skirt).

Anyway, the beach is calling and the bubbly is flowing! Enjoy your sunny Sunday!

- Just because I'm smiling -

- side view -

- back view - (I really have mastered invisible zippers! Yay!)

The amazing fit was achieved with the help of Robyn, from Robyn's Learn to Sew Studio based in Cairns, Queensland. Robyn runs fabulous sewing lessons. If you live in Cairns, I highly recommend them.

Burda 8836 in Seersucker

2011-09-07T17:38:00.001+10:00

Burda 8836

This dress has been a long time coming. It's been sitting in the sewing room gathering dust for months and months because I never made the time to add the more tedious, yet necessary finishing touches. This dress has been waiting patiently for me to sew the tie and add the belt loops. Both of which are a little uninspiring. But I know you all understand. I'm trying however, to stay on top of my UFOs and get them finished before embarking on new stuff.

This is the second time I've made up Burda 8836. The first one is here. It was the first version that alerted me to the importance of making up toiles/muslins. The fit was a disaster. My sister and I did lots of dodgy things to try and make it work. But it was always dodgy and not very wearable. Thus, I've never looked back. Now I always make a toile first. With my body shape this is merely a fact of sewing life. If I want it to fit, I have to toile it up first. One of the fabulous things about having a teacher help with my toiles is that not only do I get a good fit, but I'm also starting to see a bit of a pattern with the adjustments which is really quite handy. Now I know what to look for when I'm flying solo.

I really like the flounce on the neckline of this dress. You may have noticed that I'm a bit of a fan of flounces. This version is made using a 100% cotton seersucker purchased from The Fabric Store in Melbourne. I've lined it in a red cotton voile from Spotlight.

- back view -

- side view -

IN SEWING NEWS

I am currently working on:

- A one-shoulder dress in a silk twill by Milly. This will be my 'festive' season party dress.
- A vogue beach tunic ready for my island holiday in 10 days time.
- A bunch of pencil rolls for kids birthday presents.

Origami Fisherman's Pants

2011-09-04T09:50:00.000+10:00

A gift for an awesome father

Don't you just love it when your least planned sewing projects turn out to be just spot on. It's Father's Day today and I was at a loss with what to buy/make Paul. He's a tricky guy to buy for. He has a couple of guitars, a ukuele, his ipod, his itunes account and a pile of books that could dwarf the Eiffel Tower - what more does he need? He's a content man.

The idea to make these came to me in a flash in the middle of the night on Thursday. Don't you just love it when that happens. I wasn't actually thinking about Father's Day but somehow it must have been mulling away in my subconscious. I jumped out of bed on Friday morning, quickly washed the fabric and secretly hung it on the line to dry before heading off to work.

On Friday night I pinched an old, stained pair of fisherman's pants out of his wardrobe then locked myself in my sewing room and set to work. One and a half hours later I was done. There's nothing like a quick Friday night project to satisfy the soul.

Let's face it, you couldn't actually sew fisherman's pants in a more appropriate fabric. Not only is the design asian-inspired, but the act of putting on the pants reflects the origami design on the fabric. It's all in the folds! The fabric was actually chosen by Paul too. It's from Ikea. I had no idea what I was going to do with it. It's home decor weight but there was no way I was ever going to use it for either a bag or home decor. The fabric would be covered in mould stains after a week in Cairns. This however, is perfect.

- Back view: with stag pocket (sounds manly, doesn't it) -

- Extreme close up -

- In action -

Paul passionately pumping out the new Red Hot Chilli Pepper's Song, 'Brendan's Death Song'

(Have you heard it yet? It's quite catchy!)

Wishing you all a very happy Father's Day!

A Tale of Two Tops

2011-08-30T11:45:00.000+10:00

Vogue 8669 in red

Kwik sew 3784 in pink

Size 14

Size M graded to L at hips

After playing around with knits for the past few weeks, I finally decided to cast my op-shop fabric aside and cut into the good stuff. Both these tops are made from Marc Jacobs knits that I picked up from The Fabric Store during my trip to Sydney. Unfortunately, I don't know a lot about knits so can't give you much information about the fabric. All I can tell you is that it's quite light, quite nice and cotton.

I'm extremely happy with how the the red one turned out. My seam and hems are very neat and I think the fit is good.

I'm a tad disappointed in the pink one. My pattern tester with the op-shop fabric was much better. Oh well. I think I need a bit more room between the waist and the hips. Also, I stuffed up the hem a bit by over-stretching it. For some reason I found the fabric in this one a bit more difficult to manage than the red version...which doesn't really make sense. Maybe I was just having an 'off' day. Still, it's wearable and probably only something I (and other sewers) will even notice.

I did take the best tips from both patterns and applied them to both. I sewed cotton tape into the shoulder seams. I finished the armholes using a self-made facing. The hems and armholes have all been sewn using a twin needle.

Here are a few shots of each top from different views. Click on them if you want a closer look:

- long view -

- back view -

- side view-

- long view -

- back view -

- side view -

Book Week Bandwagon

2011-08-24T17:49:00.001+10:00

Well it seems all those Aussie Mum's with primary-aged children and sewing blogs are posting their Book Week creations this week. I thought I may as well jump on the bandwagon. This is my first Book Week as a parent. I've had many as a teacher.

Meg was off school for two days last week with a cold so we decided we'd use the time to sort out her costume. After listing off about 30 characters and receiving 30 'nos' I was feeling a bit stuck. Finally Paul suggested, 'What about Meg from Meg & Mog'. Perfect! She couldn't get the smile off her face. After all, how many kids get to go dressed up as a character with the same name? She was feeling mighty special.

We went for a trip to Spotlight and she chose black veloury with a silver star print. She also chose silver ribbon for the neckline.

Meg then set about creating her first sewn garment. We used a pattern my sister had taken from a dress of her daughter's a few years ago. She pinned the pattern to the fabric and cut it out carefully. She then sat on my lap and removed the pins and fed the fabric into the machine while I controlled the foot. Great teamwork. She finished up by threading the bow into the neckline. Voila!

I decided I would go as Meg as well. I already owned a black dress and tights so this seemed like a bit of a no-brainer. We made ourselves a couple of hats and brooms and we were set.

I usually walk to work on Wednesdays while Meg scoots. But as we're both feeling a little under the weather and had props to carry, I asked Paul if he could give us a lift. He replied, 'Why don't you both just fly in?'....hmmm, hilarious!

Vogue 8669 & FREE Boys Trunks pattern!

2011-08-18T15:21:00.000+10:00

Last week I decided it was time to dive into sewing knits. I've been a little cautious heading in this direction because I've often noticed that homemade knit garments often look, well, homemade. While the home seamstress seems to be able to nail a completely professional look when sewing woven garments, it appears this is harder to achieve when it comes to knits. (Unless of course they have a cover machine, which I don't) I decided it was time to put my fears aside and at least give it a go. After all, if all else fails, then the most I have to lose is a couple of metres of fabric, right?

I decided to begin my journey in the safest place possible - Size 5 boys underwear. I mean, if ever there was a place where it didn't matter if I over-stretched my hems, then it was inside my four year old boy's shorts.

'Boys Trunks' by The Strawberry Milk Run

My sister Katherine, from Bloom's Fabric Obsession, launched her own pattern label last week called 'The Strawberry Milk Run'. To celebrate the launch, she has offered a free pattern on the website for 'Boys Trunks'. She has also included an easy-to-follow photo tutorial and instructions for changing the fit.

This being my first go at knits, I found the pattern and instructions extremely clear and easy. The jocks came together in no time and are a great fit! I sewed them out of SeaSpray cotton/spandex from Spotlight. What I did discover though, was I was yet to master hemming knits. I hemmed them with a standard zig-zag stitch. I did over-stretch the legs as I suspected I would. I think I'll try the serpentine(?) stitch I used on the waistband, on the hems next time...just to see if it's any better.

GET YOUR FREE PATTERN HERE

Vogue 8669

My second attempt at sewing knits was Vogue 8669. I made this up in a fire-engine red cotton knit I had picked up from the Salvos for 20c. I figured op-shop fabric was a good place to start - nothing to lose.

All the hems were sewn by reinforcing the hem with a thin strip of iron-on interfacing, turning them under once and sewing with a twin-needle. I've done quite a neat job of this. This was one of the techniques suggested by my sewing teacher. She said there was a ton of techniques so I've decided to spend the next few weeks experimenting with them all.

I'm really quite happy with how this top went. I did stretch the hem along parts of the armholes. This seemed to occur when I was sewing around the curve. I'll have to have another go at this.

I quite like this top but feel the neckline could be lower. Next week, my sewing teacher is going to show me how to alter the pattern to achieve this. So many things to learn!

- back view -

- full view -

Vogue 1247 in the Mangroves

2011-08-14T13:05:00.001+10:00

Vogue 1247

There's nothing like wearing a new silk top to add a touch of glamour to a walk through the mangroves. Much nicer than khakis don't you think? Here is the top half of the Rachal Comey skirt and top pattern. (I blogged about the skirt here.)

This was not a fun top to make and therefore has taken me months to complete. The pattern just seemed all a bit 'off'. The ease was inconsistent, the shape of the batwing a little odd and the placement of the bust points just plain off the mark. Fortunately, I made up a muslin first, only to discover the the bust points were somewhere below my ribs which is all fine if you don't wear a bra and gravity has won the battle against perky breasts.

- if you look click for a closer look, you'll see that the fabric is in 3 directions throught the front -

I think I also struggled to manage the silk fabric. It was extremely unstable and quite difficult to keep in place. I also felt that it kept becoming skewed. Added to this, was the complication that this top is cut in three different directions through the front and two different directions on the sleeves. This meant I had to resort to a lot of hand sewing.

I knew that if I didn't complete this top this weekend it would live out the rest of its days as a UFO. As I neared the end and had all but ran out if steam, I decided to overlock the hem (rolled hem) rather than battle with the fabric anymore. Thank goodness it is done. At this stage, I can't really say I'd make it up again. Maybe if I had more stable fabric, but then it needs fabric like this to work. Oh well.

- side view -

- back view -

Fabric from The Fabric Store, Nth Fitzroy.

Here is a photo of the same top from the catwalk. I'm thinking it's all looking a bit skewed on these girls as well. Something is just not quite right about them. I love the choice in fabric though!

Simplicity 2599 gone dotty!

2011-07-30T21:16:00.000+10:00

Simplicity 2599

I'm really happy with this top, however.......

of all the patterns I have bought and made up, Simplicity 2599 would go down as my all time LEAST favourite pattern. From the packet, the fit is so ridiculously terrible on me that my muslin bears very little resemblance to the actual pattern pieces. It just doesn't seem right that a pattern as simple as a shell top, can just be so wrong (for me).

I'll try and list the adjustments that were made, even though I don't actually know what they're called:

1. Bust dart lengthened substantially adjustment

2. Swayback adjustment

3. Wedges taken out of the back neckline adjustment

4. Huge vertical chunks taken out of the back pieces adjustment.

5. Shoulder seams didn't meet together so had to do some kind of neckline/armhole adjustment

7. Darts added to the back adjustment

8. Armhole deepened adjustment

Crazy! Crazy! Crazy!

(Luckily I had the help of my new sewing teacher with the 200 billion fitting problems. I'm not sure if I've mentioned it yet, but I've starting taking sewing lessons. Up to recently, I've been completely self-taught. It's been a fabulous experience and I'm learning heaps of very clever and handy techniques. I really must tell you about it sometime).

Anyway, now all the changes have been made and recorded accurately in calico for future reference, all will run smoothly...next time.

- Extreme close-up of flounce, edged with an overlocked rolled hem -

- I'm really glad I hemmed it in yellow as I rather like this touch -

Design Changes:

I changed the shape of the neckline from a round neck to a V so I could add the flounces. I also added a seam at the CF so the flounces could be sewn between the two seams.

I faced the armholes rather than binding them with bias binding.

Fabric : Japanese cotton sateen from Spotlight - This fabric is really rather nice and really quite cheap. It's really worth trawling your local Spotty to see if they have any in stock. It comes in quite a large range of colours.

- Side view -

- Back view, darts added -

HELP!

I noticed after taking this photo that the button opening gapes due to the lightness of the fabric. It looks like it's pulling across my back, but it isn't. Should I reinforce this area with interfacing?

Ottobre - Skirt with Flounces

2011-07-12T11:48:00.000+10:00

Ottobre - Skirt with Flounces

Spring 1/2007 # 15

Over the weekend I used up the leftover denim from my skirt to make a skirt for Meg. It was a real struggle to squeeze this skirt out of the scraps, but I think I pulled it off. Even though the pattern calls for two pockets, I only had enough fabric for one. Also, I could only fit two flounces in the denim (even though the pattern calls for three) and these both had to have a CB seam.

The contrasting floral print is a Japanese cotton lawn from Spotlight.

I used fuchsia topstitching cotton for the pocket and piped the pocket flap.

There's not much else to say about this skirt really. I think the photos speak for themselves.

- Side view -

- Back view of flounces -

(I've temporarily used white cotton tape where a matching ribbon should be until I can justify a trip to the fabric store.)

Dress - Simplicity 2927 in bloom

2011-07-09T13:24:00.002+10:00

Simplicity 2927

I'm really trying to make an effort these days to try and create a wardrobe and personal style suited to my climate and lifestyle. I live in a place where it is summer 365 days a year, making it difficult to create a varied, interesting and casual (yet not daggy) wardrobe. Layering is not an option for me. I can't take a basic dress and add a cardigan, scarf, tights and boots for a groovy, ready-to-hit-the-town look. Here it's just me and the dress...oh, and a nice pair of earrings.

I also live in a city that leans heavily towards the 'very casual' end of the spectrum which is quite typical for the tropics (we'd happily go naked if we thought we could get away with it!). Another challenge therefore, is to look 'nice' without looking overdressed. If you don't nail this, you spend the day awkwardly explaining to people that no, you don't have anything special planned for today and that you're actually just dropping the kids at school than going home to clean up the breakfast dishes.

So here it is! The next addition to my 'forever summer' wardrobe sewn up using Cream Hana Guriddo from Tessuti.

- Detailed shot of neckline -

Piping made using 100% quilting cotton in orange.

- Front -

Self-covered button

- Long view -

- Side view -

POCKET PROBLEMS

The next three photos are for the benefit of readers who are interested in making up this pattern. There is actually a flaw in the instructions. If you follow the instructions you end up snipping off the top of the pocket, leaving an exposed raw edge on your garment which does not connect to anything. Not a good look! The people who left reviews on PR were really quite angry about this.

To alleviate this problem, I left an extended piece of the piping on the top edge of my pocket, unpicked the princess seam, slipped it under and resewed it down. Much better. Just be sure you ignore the instruction that tells you to snip it off - nothing can be done after that except to cut out a whole new pocket.

Skirt - Vogue 1247 in denim

2011-07-06T15:15:00.001+10:00

Vogue 1247 (Skirt)

I was really very excited when I received this pattern in the post. It looked like such an easy, already put together ensemble. I have found however, that the patterns (top & skirt) are all a bit well, underwhelming.

After making up a calico muslin on the skirt, I discovered that what it was that I liked about the skirt, that is, the placement of the pockets, were an invisible feature. It looked like nothing more than a boring skirt with a wide yolk.

I then embarked on the challenge to make it more interesting. I added a feature using the selvedge and fuchsia topstitching along the line where the yoke meets the skirt at the pocket opening. I also added two back pockets. One, stylishly thread-sketched with a leafy design.

Other changes were to replace the waistband with a facing and add 5cm to the overall length (this skirt was designed for playing at Wimbledon!).

The fabric is a super light cotton denim by Donna Karen purchased at The Fabric Store in Sydney. It really is quite divine. It has a tiny bit of stretch in it (spandex from memory) so I added some stay tape to the waistline.

Overall, I'm very happy with this skirt...now! I wore it grocery shopping today and found it super comfortable and light to wear while feeling a bit casually stylish.

- Side view -

- Inner front -

Hong Kong binding on pockets seams

Hand stitched blind hem

Facing

- Feature : selvedge & fuchsia topstitching -

(Click to get a closer look)

- Back view -

Added pockets with leafy thread-sketching

Facing instead of wasitband

Invisible zipper

Messenger Bag & More

2011-07-05T15:04:00.002+10:00

I don't know about you, but I always feel like a need to do a bit of frivilous, easy sewing, void of instructions and tricky technique to get me through the more challenging sewing moments. Just little fillers, when I need a break. I've been doing quite a bit of sewing lately that requires concentration and patience. What I'm sharing today are a few of my recent quick-fix, therapeutic projects.

1. MESSENGER BAG

I was seriously in need of a new work bag. I've been using the same one for maybe 7 or 8 years now. It was a gift from my sister. I think it may have actually been one of her earliest works. It's now horribly stained with mildrew which I have been turing a blind eye to for some time.

I made my new bag using the left over fabric from an almost-complete dress. I used up all the leftover piping from the dress also. The strap was made using a remnant of rubber-backed upholstery fabric so is tough but quite soft and supportive.

- Thread sketched owl on green upholstery fabric -

- External pocket (leg side)-

- Internal pocket with zipper -

- Mobile phone pocket -

- Shoulder strap, piped on both sides -

- Long view -

2. JOGGING POUCH

(Sorry about the 'bum' shot)

I've been wanting a slim-line jogging pouch for some times now. I had a look around in the shops, but the only ones on offer were bulky bum-bag (fanny-pack) types. I wanted something that would sit against my body and be big enough (or small enough) to hold my car keys, mobile phone, tissue and asthma puffer - nothing more and nothing less!

I made this using some fabric I picked up from the op-shop. It matches my running pants perefctly!

3. PENCIL ROLLS

My kids have been invited to quite a few birthday parties during the holidays. Pencil rolls (with watercolour pencils and brush) are now my go-to gift for all children (This idea was stolen from my sister). They're great scraper-busters and such a fabulous plastic-free gift.

IN SEWING NEWS:

Vogue 1247 (Skirt) - I am so ridiculously close to finishing this skirt it's not funny. In fact, I could have finished it instead of writing this post!

Simplicity 2927 - I'm definitely on the home stretch with this one. Only an invisible zipper and hem to go. Woohoo!

Vogue 1247 (Top) - This pattern is a little 'off'' in my opinion. I'm currentlly working on a muslin which is proving challenging to say the least.

Ottobre Girl's Skirt with Flounces - All set to go. The measurements have been made, the pattern is traced and the fabric is pre-washed and ironed. Hand me a pair of scissors and the next episode of Mad Men and it will be ready to sew together.

Vogue 8552 in Yellow

2011-06-13T17:48:00.000+10:00

Vogue 8552

This is the second time I've made this dress/tunic. The first one is here, made in red linen. This is the first garment I have made from the fabric purchased during my recent trip to Sydney. It is a light-weight cotton with a floral pattern on a stripy texture. I bought quite a few pieces of gorgeous fabric and consequently spend most of my days mulling over designs in my head.

I wanted to make a tunic that could be worn as both a top and as a dress. The dress is perfect for the warmer months and when worn with jeans, is all I need for Winter.

As a dress.

I actually think the colour looks better over jeans. Yellow is not not the best colour for me, but I couldn't resist the fabric. I'll actually need to wear a slip under when I wear it out and about.

A few details:

Lacy sleeves - Guipure Lace trim

Pleated neckline

Back view

Close up of slouchy pockets

I placed the fabric so that the lines were horizontal on the hemband. I sewed guipure lace over the seam.

Verdict - I'm very happy with this tunic top/dress. I think the colour works better as a top for me though. The yellow doesn't quite work with so much of my skintone exposed.

Burdastyle - Louisa Vest

2011-06-05T18:41:00.001+10:00

Burdastyle - Louisa Vest

We're only a few days into winter and I've already begun plans to pack away my Winter Coat. Seems a bit odd huh! It got plenty of wear last weekend while visiting Sydney. However, I've now returned home and things are not so chilly. With minimum temperatures of 14 degrees and maximums of 28, the coat is definitely overkill.

And so, to keep the spirit of my Winter Coat alive here in the tropics, I've made a mini version - the Louisa vest by Burdastyle. The actual pattern for this is quite cropped. I added 8-10 cm to the length. I also added the pockets. More on those later.

I used the rest of my wool/mohair fabric for the shell, teal cotton voile for the lining and the japanese cotton lawn that I lined my coat with, to line the pockets. Now I can wear my vest, while pondering the happy memories of spending that one sensational weekend with/in my coat.

A few details:

Cute metal shank buttons with cute flower detail

Jet pockets with flaps

I followed Sherry's fabulous instructions from her RTW sew-a-long

Side view

Back view

Styled with shiny metal bow-tie necklace. I love this necklace, but do you think it looks a little silly when paired with the vest?

Overall, I'm happy with my vest. It's quite a nice 'warm' addition to my wardrobe.

Sewing for school

2011-06-05T08:07:00.002+10:00

Vest - Kwik Sew 2536

Riviera Leggings - Sewing Clothes Kids Love

Nothing very interesting to see here folks - just a little sewing for school.

Winter is a bit of a tricky season when you live in the tropics. The early mornings are cool. However, by 10am though, things have seriously warmed up. Outside is sunny and hot, but usually things remain cooler indoors. What to wear, what to wear?

Rather than send Meg off in a tracksuit to school, knowing full well she'll be breaking out in a sweat by morning tea, I decided to sew her some fleecy vests and leggings. Let's face it, all girls love leggings. They provide that extra layer and are light enough to wear all day. Sleeveless vests are perfect for up here. They provide enough warmth without overheating. It's a win-win really.

The vests were an absolute bargain. I picked up the green fleece (mandatory school colour - ick!), green-spotted lining and pattern all at the op-shop. This little haul came in at a total of 70c. I pretty much got two vests for not much more the cost of two zippers. Nice.

To top it all off, Meg is more than happy to wear this little ensemble with her uniform. She wore them everyday last week. Yay! It's always nice when your children actually wear the clothes you make them!

My Winter Coat - Finished!

2011-05-22T15:20:00.000+10:00

Simplicity 2508

I've finally finished my winter coat. Yay! I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

This coat is, without a doubt, my magnum opus. Consequently, I've spent much of the week stroking it lovingly and tenderly. This is the first sewing project I have embarked on that has required so much detail, precision and time. It has been an incredible journey. The destination is awesome! Sydney here I come! (4 more sleeps!)

Those of you who read my last post would know that I sought professional help with fitting my muslin across my shoulders. My square, broad shoulders just were not coming to the party. Lucky for me, the sewing angels sent me Robyn and all was well in sewing land once again.

And now if you'll humour me, I'll show off a few of the details.

The front:

The side:

The back:

Sleeves with tabs and patch pockets:

Bound buttonholes:

Lining pocket:

During the week, the fabric has dropped a little (the weave is quite loose) so I will have to fix the hemline...not to worry.

Fabric:
- Italian Wool/Mohair from Emmaonesock
- Japanese cotton lawn from Spotlight

IN SEWING NEWS

I am currently halfway through making a vest with the leftover fabric from the coat. Let's face it, despite it's beauty, I won't actually be spending much time with my coat. It would take another ice-age for someone in Cairns to wear a coat like this. A vest however, will get a lot more loving.

:: pins & needles - A bit of this and a bit of that

2011-05-05T17:30:00.001+10:00

In between steps along my great, but very, very slow, coat journey, I've been doing some mindless 'therapeutic' sewing. Ya' know, just a bit of this and a bit of that. Stuff that's easy and doesn't require thought or precision - 'whip it up' stuff.

Like:

A cute little Penelope dolly for my friend's daughter who's turing 1 this week. I used this pattern and upcycled it from a skirt that Meg has outgrown. So cute!

(Just in case you were wondering...I don't actually store my lego on palm trees)

A new lego storage bag/playmat made for our exciting new collection of Fabuland by Lego. These were my husband's when he was a wee lad. Much to his delight and the delight of my three children, his parents posted them to him a few weeks ago. They (all 4) haven't stopped playing with them since. I love these bags. It's the second one I've made. Really, I could do with another 6. This bag was a bargain because I picked up the blue fabric for 50c at an op-shop.

Fabuland, fabulous!

And lastly, a new library bag for Monty made from the leftovers of the Fabuland bag.

IN COAT NEWS

My coat is finally happening. After all attempts to fit myself failed, I sort some professional help and found a wonderful lady in my local area who helped me fit my muslin. Last night, I cut out and sewed my lining. Yay! Things are really happening folks!

More crafty stuff here.

:: My Winter Coat #1

2011-04-04T20:06:00.000+10:00

To kick off my new project, I thought I'd share a fabulous song by the wonderfully talented Paul Kelly. Beautiful stuff!

A scheduled trip to Sydney in the last weekend in May has inspired me to make my first winter coat. I've never sewn a coat before or anything 'wintery' for that matter. This trip to Sydney has given me the perfect excuse. Up until now, I've always borrowed warm clothes when needed. Living in Cairns, I've always struggled to justify the cost of a coat that I may or may not wear for a few days a year (IF I head south in Winter). This time, I decided to jump in and do it. It's a staple afterall. Also, I'm up for a sewing challenge.

I decided to go with Project Runway - Simplicity 2508.

I've seen quite a few bloggers sew this pattern up with good experiences and great results. Let's hope my trip will be as satisfying.

I've already sewed up a muslin which I will share tomorrow. It's too late to take photos. I welcome as much feedback as possible as I'm treading into new and uncharted territory.

My biggest hurdle at the moment is sourcing the right fabric at the right price. I'd like to produce a quality piece but am not willing to spend a fortune. This is something I'm still working on. Fingers crossed.

::show & tell - A Mixed Bag

2011-03-26T17:30:00.000+10:00

1930s Flapper-style Dress Costume

The dress I'm posting about today is really more for my own records than your viewing pleasure. It's all a bit on the ugly side. It's actually a costume for a high school musical. The musical is set in the 1930s and the dress forms the base for a number of costume changes throughout the night. It's supposed to be a 1930s flapper-style dress made to a set pattern with set fabric. Really, really horrible fabric in fact. It's the sort of fabric that frays terribly and can't be pressed. Obviously the advantage of it's inability to be pressed means it won't crush, it also means however, that everything had to be topstitched.

- Picture it worn with long pearls, heels and a fancy ornate headband. -

Just because this post is all a bit blah and boring, I thought I'd share some of my op-shop (thrift shop) finds from this morning:

- Glomesh, in all it's perfect glory. Isn't she beautiful. The perfect bag for an elegant evening out ($5) -

(Actually, I lied. This one's from last year. Thought I'd share it anyway seeing as though I bought another one today.)

- More Glomesh. This time much larger. This one is actually very stiff. I'll hide the chain and use this as an enlarged clutch ($10) -

- Both Glomesh bags came in their original boxes. Very nice. -

- Leather belt. ($6) I love scoring leather belts on my op-shop outings. They're so expensive new.-

- Leather jacket for Paul. Made in Canada. ($20) Perfect for our up and coming Winter Sydney trip.-

I mustn't forget to mention the 7 metres of untouched school uniform fabric for $1. Perfect for muslins. I think I'll cut into that tomorrow as I embark on my trench coat project...well I need a coat for Sydney too.

::pins & needles - Vogue 1101

2011-03-23T18:01:00.000+10:00

Vogue 1101

- Close up of chenille effect around neckline -

- Long view -

- Pocket detail - I love these!

- Detail on hemline -

- Back view -

- Side view -

This is my first proper winter dress for 2011. I actually had imagined wearing this with black tights and shoes and perhaps a little orange cardigan. I have all of these things however cannot bring myself to put them on for the photo. Too hot! Too humid! (Some people just will not suffer for fashion.) Instead, I'm putting them with my gladiator sandals and red necklace for a summer look.

The main reasons I was attracted to this pattern were the pockets and to experiment with the chenille effect. I do love the pockets. I think the burnt orange topstitching and zipper looks fabulous against the khaki.

I quite liked experimenting with the chenille. I did not add as much as the pattern stipulated on the front and I did not add the effect to the back. I thought that would be overkill. Instead, I added a band and some chenille to the hemline. I think I might like to experiment with this a little more on the boys' clothes. It could look a bit groovy on cargo shorts and long pants for boys.

Pattern stuff:
- The sizing on this pattern was very different to other Vogue patterns I've used. I ended up cutting a size A around the neckline and armhole and then graduated down to a C around the hips.
- This pattern is supposed to be cut on the bias. I chose to cut it along the grain instead. I couldn't really see the advantage to cutting it on the bias. Consequently, I cut the armhole facings on the bias rather than along the grain as suggested.
- I omitted the optional zipper as I could get the dress over my head and shoulders easily.
- I omitted the chenille effect from the back.
- I added a band with chenille to the hemline.
- I had to sew a small wedge to the CF at the neckline as it ended up a little floppy. This may have been a result of me stretchy the fabric as I sewed it. Not sure.
- I extended the back darts to make them sit right. Prior to that I was getting a pleat effect.

Overall, I'm happy with the outcome. I got lots of nice comments at work today which is always nice...and a little reassuring. I was quite surprised how little it wrinkled today at work given that it is 100% linen. The 'garden shots' were before work and the 'brickwall shots' after work. Not too different given that I spent the day with 25 eight year olds.

:: pins & needles - Man verses Beast

2011-03-13T15:36:00.000+10:00

Burda 9793

Additions: Giraffe in pocket on left, cargo pocket on right

Long view

Back view: A double butt pocket, mismatched buttons

Once again I have made Burda 9793. This has definitely become by go-to pattern for the boys. Such a winner!

These pants were sewn out of necessity. Why? Well, it will not stop raining here - all day, every day. Just to put it in perspective for you, we had 1080.2mm of rain in the month of February and it's still falling. The result of this (apart from mould growing on every surface) is that the mosquitos have reached plague proportions. We have to dodge the ambush every time we leave the house. It's man verses beast!

Which brings me back to the pants. The kids need some serious coverage. Pants like these not only stop the bites, but also mean I have to use less of the nasty spray on them. More coverage = less chemicals. The pants have to be lightweight too, as it is still hot.

I actually made these from an old pair of linen pants I used to have. The fabric was fine, but the leg bottoms were all ripped (because I'd been to lazy to hem them) and they were a bit stained. I kept the side pockets and added the front cargo pockets. I sewed on a giraffe and rectangular patch over the unsightly stains. I didn't bother removing the back pockets as I was worried they'd be a bit perforated which explains the odd double-butt pocket. One button was missing which I simply replaced with an orange one (I only had one) to match the giraffe.

We had to take these photos in about 10 seconds. The mozzies detected all that bare skin and the sweet smell of young blood within no time. Nasty blood-sucking beasts!

:: pins & needles - Vogue 8184

2011-03-11T13:36:00.001+10:00

Vogue 8184

- An Unfinished Object -

My 2011 sewing resolution was to focus on dresses (and to attempt knits - attempt only, not necessarily succeed - I'm saving that for 2012). This is where I kicked off - Vogue 8184. My main reason for wanting to sew dresses is that I can't actually buy dresses that fit. Proportionally, I'm all over the shop.

This is my first attempt at a fitted dress and also my first attempt at what I consider grown-up sewing. I actually got all mature and responsible and made a muslin of the bodice, twice. This, as it turns out, was worth it. I had to make so many adjustments to the bodice to get it to fit properly. I'm crazy happy with the fit. (It is a bit snug but the jogging regime I'm on should fix that soon enough). The only thing that threw a spanner into the works was that I made my muslin out of cotton poplin and then chose to make the dress out of a cotton that contained elastane...bit silly really, a bit naive. I needed to take it in quite a bit to compensate for the stretch. Fortunately, this only affected the sideseams.

I'm yet to finish this dress. I still need to hand sew the bodice lining in place. I'm waiting for my overlocker to get fixed so I can tidy up the edges before doing this. I don't have quite enough length on the bodice lining to turn it under in some parts. I also need to add a hook & eye above the zipper.

- Long view, front -

I cut out the straight skirt than added 2.5cm to each side, front and back, to create a slightly a-lined skirt. This I hope, is more suited to my wide hips.

- Long view, back -

(still needs a hook & eye)

My first attempt at an invisible zipper - far from perfect.

- Long view, side -

I know this this may sound strange, but I'll have to save this dress for late Autumn and Winter. The fabric in the dress is quite thick and the small amount of elastane makes it far too hot for tropical summers. Even if I start the day with a cardy, it will be off by 10am.

:: pins & needles - Dancing Pants!

2011-03-08T19:09:00.002+10:00

Dortje Pants

from Sewing Clothes Kids Love

Check out my moves!

Groover extraordinaire!

Work it! Work it!

A little something for you Elvis fans!

Yesterday I sewed Meg a pair of Dortje Pants from the book 'Sewing Clothes Kids Love'. I am completely thrilled with them. Meg loves them too. Double thumbs up!

My sister bought this book last year and showed it to me over the Christmas holidays. It is all about colour, groovy details and fun design. All stuff that kids love. In true sister fashion, I pinched this book from her bookshelf (did she think I wouldn't?) while she was off negotiating the ski slopes in Japan. (Check out the ones she made for Lucy.)

Insanely, I didn't actually trace off the right size. It wasn't sizing I was familiar with (and I didn't read the sizing page..duh), so I guessed. I guessed wrongly! I think I actually traced off a pattern for a child who is most likely 2...perhaps 3. Meg is 5. Which brings me to a few mistakes:

1. The length of the pattern was way too short, which I identified and rectified before cutting out the fabric.

2. The back rise is too short resulting in unsightly butt-crack when sitting. Oh well. She doesn't know about this and I'm not about to tell her. Shhh!

3. The pants were too narrow which meant I had to add a side strip down both side seams. Luckily I can get away with this one - more is more in this case!

- Front detail -

- Back detail -

Obviously I can't seriously review this pattern because of my sizing error, but my instincts tell me it is a winner. I also can't comment on the instructions because I didn't use them, opting to use 'the force' instead.

You have to admit though, they are uber groovy and a fabulous scrap buster to boot! I used up a heap of my own scraps and some I won through a giveaway last year (Thanks! Sophie from Her heart, My hands). I really did have a fun time sewing up these dancing pants. How did they get their name? Well, Justine Clarke's song Dancing Pants was playing on ABC2 when she was trying them on for the first time. Fun!

For more cool stuff head over to Kootooyoo.

From Couch-wear to Street-wear

2011-03-08T06:06:00.000+10:00

From couch-wear to street-wear:

- red, stripy, ruffly, swirly design -

- close up -

- long view, styled with jeans and dark glasses to hide 'cold' symptoms -

- before: plain white long-sleeved tee -

- grey & black burnout ruffles -

- long view -

- close up, side view -

- before: plain grey long-sleeved tee, with button opening -

My main motivation from changing these tops from couch-wear to street-wear is a trip to Sydney planned for the end of May. I don't really own much in the way of warm clothes. When you live in a climate that doesn't have a winter, it's very hard to justify building a winter wardrobe on the off-chance that 1) you may head south once a year and 2) that that trip will coincide with cool weather.

I actually bought these shirts last winter to wear after a family funeral summoned me to Victoria in winter. They were basically to wear with trackie daks (sweats) around my parents property. Not really for public outings. I think I've managed to transform them into street wear. I'm not going to look like a hip-groovy-about-town-Sydneysider but at least I won't stand out as a complete dag!

::pins & needles - Boardies for the Boys

2011-03-06T14:24:00.001+10:00

Burda 9793

- I'm not 100% sure why Toby has chosen to pose like a chicken -

- back view -

It's a miracle really that the boys are even wearing these shorts. I bought this boardie material back in 2009 with the plan to make them each a pair of shorts for the Christmas holidays. Christmas 2009 went by and no shorts. Next, I decided to make them up in time for our holiday to the Sunshine Coast, December 2010. I even cut them out and started to sew them up. However, the holiday came, the holiday went and no shorts.

This weekend, however, I made a little promise to myself to finish off my UFOs and mending before embarking on the new sewing plans swirling around in my head. Also, I would have felt too guilty if they'd grown out of them before I ever finished sewing them.

Ta da! All ready for the Easter holidays with weeks and weeks to spare! So clever and on top of things!

I must add that I love this pattern. I've made it up a few times now and am really quite smitten with it. Although you can't see in the photo, it has a false fly (that may not be the technical term) which makes them appear a bit dressy while keeping them super comfy and easy to go to the loo in - no buttons, clips or zippers!

:: pins & needles - The Nick Softie

2011-02-24T08:45:00.000+10:00

Last year a friend of mine gave birth to her third child - little Harvey Otis. Unfortunately, the following day her husband had to fly to Brisbane for a week for work. To make up for his absence, I sewed Harvey a Nick Softie, named after his father of course.

Although hard to see from my dodgy mobile phone photos, it was created using fabric textas and applique. The hair is felt, the pants are denim and the skin and skirt are made from cotton.

My husband, Paul actually drew the figure for me. I think the likeness is pretty spot on - complete with black nail polish and tatts (which have been added to considerably since).

The ribbons were added for holding, chewing, rubbing, anything really.

I originally got the idea to make a softie like this from Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky!

Check out more creativity at Kootooyoo.

:: pins & needles - Yellow

2011-02-13T19:16:00.000+10:00

New Look 6700

Styled with:
Necklace by elk
Turquoise cuff bangle
White linen pants

I've always struggled with the colour yellow. It's bright, sunny and happy - can't argue with that! I fear however, when against my skin tone it has the opposite effect - I become dull and drawn. I think too, I've never found a way to really make it work in my wardrobe. I owned a pair of yellow sandals once, but that barely counts.

Anyway, I came across this cotton voile in Spotlight a few weeks ago and instantly liked it. I think it's the 'right' shade of yellow (not necessarily against my skin, just in general) and a perfect weight for the tropics. Although hard to see in the photos, the pattern is very similar to that often found on origami paper which I do like..a lot.

- Check out the french braiding and flower - very groovy. I'm seriously thinking about cutting all my hair off soon and thought I'd make the most of it until then -

I have made this pattern twice before and find it irresistibly comfortable. This is really my first out-in-public version. The others I kept most for around the home. It's so stinkin' hot and humid up here, it's what I want to wear all the time (minus the pants, of course). When I'm wearing other stuff, I often wish I was wearing something as cool as this. Those islanders know what they're on about!

- Back view -

The only bummer with this top is bra-issues. There's a reason why you never hear 'shoe-string halter top' and 'comfortable bra' used in the same sentence. I've opted for a boob-tube type thing under this top which I find much more comfy than my strapless bra. I think it gives me a funny, unflattering shape but you know what - I can live with that. Sometimes you just have to choose comfy over a well-shaped, well-supported, stand-to-attention bust!

:: eats & treats - Planet Saturn Cake

2011-01-27T12:44:00.000+10:00

My little Australia Day boy turned 4 today. His request for this year's cake was a Saturn cake. It was, he informed us, his favourite planet after all. Hmmmmmm, I've always loved a culinary challenge. Luckily my husband and I had a 20 hour drive back from the Sunshine Coast to work out how exactly, we were going to pull this one off.

We ended up carving two hemispheres out of cake and covered them with ready-roll fondant. We coloured the fondant and rolled in some shiny sprinkles before covering the cake.

Next we made a large disc of toffee and sprinkled in smashed up boiled lollies before the toffee set. This was to represent the crushed rock and ice that makes up the ring (a fact provided by our 4 year old).

We then place the disc between the hemispheres and voila! A Saturn cake.

Doesn't the smile just make all the effort worth it.

For more cool creativity head over to Kootooyou.

Liberty in Bloom

2011-01-24T14:29:00.002+10:00

I have finally returned from a loooong holiday. We hit the road minutes after my husband chased the kids out of the classroom on the last day of school for 2010 and only arrived home last week ready for the student-free days before school resumed today. The Queensland floods meant that the highway home was blocked at both Gympie and Rockhampton which meant I had no choice but to sit it out and eat an abundance of cake cooked by both my sister and sister-in-law.

Anyway, now that I've escaped the rain and floods of the SE and arrived home safely to my usual dose of tropical rain and localised flooding, I can start thinking about my sewing plans for 2011. Dresses! Dresses! Dresses! That's my plan!

Simplicity 2599

This is my third version of Simplicity 2599. I actually sewed this top last year but ran out of time to blog about before I left for holidays. It was sewed using a Liberty Print with a peacock feather design.

The changes:
1. I used bias binding on the armholes rather than making a facing.
2. I used french seams on the sideseams due to the lightness of the fabric.

The problems:
1. I need to cut the armholes in at the back. They're too wide and therefore make my already wide shoulders look even wider. This makes for a very unflattering backview, me thinks.
2. I'm still getting a lot of slack pooling around the CB at the neckline. This seems to be a problem that occurs with every top/dress I make. I must find out how to alleviate this problem. Suggestions welcome.

The flower was made using a mixture of green silk chiffon, silk dupion and poplin.

Ok, must dash. My oldest child started prep today so I must be on time to pick her up. I can't believe she is already in school.

For more cool creativity head over to Kootooyou.

::pins & needles - Artsy Stuff

2010-12-06T15:33:00.000+10:00

I am well and truly in the thick of holiday preparations here. Thick, hot, busy, crazy and slightly stressful holiday preparations. The humidity is starting to do my head in, but with 4 days to departure, I'm on the home stretch.

Much to my relief, I finished sewing all my handmade Christmas gifts over the weekend. I crossed the finishing line with an artsy folder and artsy pencil roll for two special 5 year old girls.

- art folder : outside -

- art folder : inside -

- pencil roll : outside -

- pencil roll : inside -

I also made 5 artsy clutches, Amy Carol style (see below). All were made with scraps and buttons from my op-shop button jar. Why 5? Well every time we go away I'm driven slightly mad by bags and boxes full of mixed-up stuff. This is my attempt to maintain order in my luggage and the back of my car. Here's my plan:

- crotchet clutch: for newly purchased crotchet bits -

I'm teaching myself to crotchet these holidays.

- jewelery clutch -

- make-up clutch -

- personals clutch -

- electric cords, chargers, cameras, batteries clutch -

Fours days to go, 2 pairs of boardshorts and the sleeve of a blouse and I'm done. The countdown is on.

***

The cover of Amy Carol's book featuring the Artsy Clutch. I don't actually own a copy but have based my clutches on this design.

::pins & needles - Denim bag in bloom

2010-12-02T07:15:00.000+10:00

Slouchy Hobo Bag

As you can see, I’m still making flowers and still loving it. This time I’ve moved from headbands to handbag.

This is my new holiday handbag. I made it using a free pattern – Hot Patterns Slouchy Hobo. It’s made using a very stiff denim (leftover from my (lego bags) and a piece of blue/turquoise florally fabric picked up at an op shop for about 50c. I love it when I make something from scraps or cheap finds. I get a strangely smug feeling that I’ve scored something for free.

- detail of flowers -

- external pocket -

The pattern specifically states that you don’t use a stiff pattern but because I was using leftovers I decided to just make-do. I guess it’s not as slouchy as it would otherwise be. Pocket-wise I did my own thing. I changed their position and added a handy external pocket. I’m going to sew on a keyring holder today as well.

- the inside -

This is a very roomy bag destined for a holiday overflowing with hats, suncream, drink bottles, snacks, nappies and a trillion other things.

Check out more cool stuff at My Creative Space at Kootooyou.

:: pins & needles - Headbands in bloom

2010-11-28T19:49:00.001+10:00

Flowery Headbands

I had a go at making some fabric flowers over the weekend using the tutorial by Suzannah from Adventures in Dressmaking. It is a simple tutorial that is easy to follow and reasonably quick to make. I also think the results are pretty good too.

I turned both flowers into headbands to give to a friend for her birthday.

What I learned from this experience is that:
1. You need a stiff fabric such as silk dupion to get the desired body.
2. Alternating layers of fabrics of different textures, finishes and weights creates a more interesting and beautiful flower.
3. Voile is probably too light on it's own, but would work as if layered between heavier fabrics.

I think the black one is good, but the ivory one looks quite stunning in real life.

- Ivory flower -
- alternating layers of silk dupion, silk satin, shiny side up, silk satin shiny side down -
- pearl bead -

- Black flower -
- layers of silk/cotton voile -
- pearl bead -

I think whipping these little beauties up could become quite addictive. They've such a satisfying way to use up even the scrappiest scraps.

This afternoon I bought some brooch clips from Spotlight. I'm headed in that direction next.

:: pins & needles - Ruffles, Bows & Flowers

2010-11-26T08:09:00.001+10:00

Simplicity 2599

A few days ago I sewed another version (version 1 here) of Simplicity 5706 (with dart variations). This time I made the version with the ruffle and bow along the neckline. I think this is quite a cute top. Even though I'd intended to use it for casual wear, I think in black it can definitely upgraded to evening wear if needed.

The fabric is a cotton/silk voile from Tessuti fabrics. I didn't actually realise how sheer it was until I was sewing it. This really came to my attention after looking back at the photos. Although it was not part of the original plan, I have to wear a camisole underneath. Due to it's sheerness, I used french seams along the side seams, bias binding around the armholes, a rolled hem along the hemline and reduced the width of the neck facing to ensure it was hidden by the ruffles.

- ruffle and bow detail -

- I have not sewn down the ribbon. I plan to attach it to a brooch pin so it can be removed for washing. I think having it permanently attached would be an ironing nightmare -

This was my first real attempt at using my overlocker for rolled hems. I used it to finish the edges of the ruffles. They look beautiful if I do say so myself. So easy.

- flower headband -

The flower headband was made using scraps. It is actually a practise-run for a flower pin I have planned for another top. I made it using this tutorial from Made by Lex. I think the flower may be a little too flat for what I had in mind. I thought I'd have another go using this tutorial by Suzannah from Adventures in Dressmaking to see which one works best.

:: pins & needles - Trinket Keepers

2010-11-24T19:52:00.000+10:00

Trinket Keepers

Last week I did a bundle of Christmas sewing. For some strange and totally insane reason I decided to sew a bunch of trinket keepers for the nieces/nephews/sons/daughter in my life. This I'm sure, would have been a fabulous idea if I was an only child and I married an only child. But no, my husband and I are both 1 of 6 children which means a bucket load of offspring. 21 in fact! (4 of them haven't even started having children yet!)

Anyway, I like to give every child a Christmas present, seeing as though I'm too disorganised to do birthday presents. The thought of walking into Toys R Us however and filling a trolley holds no appeal whatsoever. I spotted this idea last year at 'Amazing Mae' and bookmarked it for Christmas 2010. I had originally planned to used an awesome book of iron-on transfers that I bought, but these did not work at all. I'm not sure if the humidity had affected them or they were just a (expensive!) dud. Anyway, I ended up screenprinting the designs.

I've popped things like matchbox cars, teck decks, bouncy balls, craft stuff and stationary into them.

- hook onto your pants -

- take in the car -

- hook onto your school bag -

- Disclaimer: The underage 'school child' model was treated both with respect and dignity -

I think these would be fabulous for school to carry show-n-tell in or other little treasures. Kids love to bring in little treasures from home but are always losing them (or more commonly claiming someone stole them from their bag which is nonsense because they're always hiding under the portracks).

Funnily enough, after looking at the top photo I realised I've missed four kids. Bummer. Back to the sewing machine.

For more creative goodness check out Kootooyoo.

:: pins & needles -Skirt with Slouchy Pockets

2010-11-22T17:45:00.001+10:00

Burda 8281 (skirt)

Vogue 8552 (pockets)

- cotton drill in groovy red/orange pattern -

Last night I sewed myself a new skirt using Burda 8281. I feel like I haven't sewed much for myself lately and after weeks of renovations, birthday preparations & celebrations, Christmas sewing and school report cards it was time for a bit of ME sewing.

I'm not sure what happened during the cutting stage, but I ended up with a super tight fit once I sewed up the side seams. In the past I must have added width. This important piece of info had clearly not stuck in my memory. To add to the drama, I had overlocked the side seams so didn't have any room to move whatsoever. The only option was to add a strip to each side. I figured it would get hidden in the pattern and behind the pockets which it has. Phew.

I added the slouchy pockets from Vogue 8552 which I recently sewed on this dress. I LOVE these pockets. They're roomy, groovy and fabulous for hiding hands in when I don't feel like holding hands with 7 year olds on playground duty at work (some days I just don't want to, you know).

- close up of front -

- close up of back -

- I omitted the waistband and opted for self-made bias binding instead, ending in a tie at the CB -

Overall, I'm super happy with this skirt and think it looks great. At first I thought the pockets may have created this look:

but after wearing it around today I've got over that.

:: pins & needles - Meg's Christmas skirt & top

2010-11-16T19:02:00.001+10:00

Burda 9826 - Skirt

Simplicity 5706 - Top

Hmmm, do you think Santa will think she's naughty or nice?

Last weekend I made Meg her Christmas outfit. I've given up on trying to get her to wear pretty dresses for special occasions. The last two I sewed for her are hanging in her wardrobe both having only ever been worn once. The injustice! So unappreciated. I also struggle to get her to wear skirts, unless they're made of denim. Even they only get limited wear as they're often thick and hot. To ensure a win, I went with a dark chambray.

Still unsure about naughty or nice? It's all in the eyes.

- model's own accessories, self-styled-

The top is a lightweight cotton voile. I had to extend the length by about 10cm which seems a bit odd. It's a lovely colour too - watermelon pinky/red.

- dirty & crushed after a day at kindy -

The skirt is a lightweight denim chambray. This pattern is made of four pieces sewn on the bias. I added a ribbon to the hem using Oliver + S's method from their Lazy Days Skirt Pattern. I added a pocket of my own design.

- side view -

- back view -

I reckon I've had a win with this one. Finally! She insisted on wearing it to a party on Saturday even before I had sewn the pocket one. She also rummaged through the wash today and found it to wear to kindy. Let's hope it's still looking good by Christmas.

For more creativity head to Kootooyoo.

:: eats & treats - Peacock Cake

2010-11-16T08:34:00.001+10:00

Today I thought I'd share with you the peacock cake we made for my daughter's 5th birthday last week. Birthday cakes are big business around here. The kids spend literally hours discussing the design of their up and coming birthday cake. Meg requested a peacock cake.

Once again, my master cake sculptor, Paul, took charge of the body. Fabulous! I stuck to decorating the body and the cupcakes. I must say, it is a very handsome looking peacock.

Tasted good too!

(I have no idea why the photos are all askew. Blame blogger!)

:: show & tell - Meg's New Bedroom

2010-11-12T19:32:00.001+10:00

This week we celebrated Meg's 5th birthday. So much fun! For her birthday this year we decided to give her her very own bedroom. The days of having to share with stinky and annoying brothers were over. Not only is this room new to her, it is also a newly lined room - new walls, new ceilings, a new wardrobe and new fittings. The festy old masonite from the 1960s was gone. Good riddance, I say.

Over the past few weeks we've been slowly preparing the room as secretly as possible. On the evening before her birthday, we covered the doorway with wrapping paper. That way, the following morning, she got to smash through it, footballer style.

Here's what she saw:

This gorgeous bed was made by my wonderfully talented husband. Before studying teaching, he completed a graduate degree in Industrial Design. He jumped at the opportunity when I asked him if he would build Meg a bed. The bedheads were cut from 32mm of MDF. Boy, this baby is HEAVY!

The artworks on the wall are reproductions painted by me of the fabulous work of Meredith Gaston. (The great masters all learned to paint by copying the work of their talented predecessors. I figured I would jump on board!)

I bought this bedside table from Vinnies for $10. A slick of turquoise paint and it looks brand spankin' new. The pony was a present from her Grandmother when she was born. The letter M was a present from her Auntie at the same time.

Paul also designed and made this desk. The desk was created using the leftover wood from the bed. We also gave this old chair a new slick of paint. It's Paul's old desk chair from his school and uni days. I sewed the cushion to give Meg a bit of bum-padding.

The penholders are a collection of stoneware vessels I've collected on my op-shopping adventures. The middle penholder is old teapot. The ribbon dispenser is a recent purchase retrieved from the bargain bin at Spotlight.

Appliqued owl cushion by me.

The chest of drawers is full of all Meg's art and craft stuff.

New pillowcase by me using the sweetest dancer print, pink spots and blue ricrac.

The dolly is my first attempt at a softie using the Kinder Girls pattern from RicRac. Apart from the shape of the head, that bears strong resemblance to ET (my fault), it was mostly smooth sailing.

The dollhouse was another secondhand find. Bought and painted for her 2nd birthday.

Despite having sewed plenty of bunting, this string was actually purchased in Myer (marked down of course!)

I made the chicken and egg mobile when Meg was first born. It was based on a Flensted Mobile design.

Meg was delighted!

:: Christmas Advent Calendar (from the archives)

2010-11-11T16:47:00.001+10:00

Can you believe it's only five weeks to Christmas? Golly gosh! Which means, of course, that it's only 19 days before the Advent Calendar comes out. There's no way we're going to forget in this house. Meg is there to constantly remind us.

Anyway, today I thought I might share the Advent Calendar I made last year. It is about to celebrate its 1st birthday afterall. Also, if any of you think it's as lovely as I do and want one, you've still got 19 days to make it. So get cracking!

- advent calendar, embellished with applique, embroidery, buttons and ribbon -

- the silver bell marks the date -

- a pouch for calendar tickets -

- special tickets, laminated for repeated use -

I predominantly used 'activity-themed' tickets as fillers - rides on the Esplanade, Christmas cooking, Christmas craft etc. You can check out my list of Advent Calendar filling ideas from last year here.

For more creative ideas visit: Kootooyoo.

:: pins & needles - Christmas Cargos

2010-11-07T11:29:00.000+10:00

Burda 9793

- how come other people's children cooperate for photos and mine don't? -

One of my favourite things about Christmas as a child was getting a new outfit or at least some new piece of clothing. From memory, Mum always sewed us something new as one of our Christmas presents. I remember always hoping that we would get to open our presents before going to mass so that I could show off my new outfit straight away. I remember feeling very disappointed when we didn’t.

I don’t know about you, but for my favourite part of mass as a child was communion. I loved watching everyone file up the aisles so I could get a good look at all the outfits. Rather than praying for eternal happiness, I would be on my knees deciding who was the best dressed. (On the odd occasion that I still go to mass…Christmas and Easter…this is still my favourite part!)

Anyway, to keep up with tradition, I'm trying to sew my three children a new piece of clothing/outfit for Christmas. This morning I finished up these shorts for my boys.

I sewed them using Burda 9793. I reckon they look fabulous. I really am super chuffed! I omitted the 2 sets of pockets on the original pattern (side and back) in favour of these cargo style pockets. I actually copied the pockets from a pair of hand-me-downs from of nephew - thanks Katherine.

- cotton drill from Spotlight, size 4 -

- size 2 -

:: pins & needles - Lego Bag (My Creative Space)

2010-11-03T16:12:00.001+10:00

The Lego Bag

I was recently visiting a friend when her husband announced that in his opinion there was nothing worse than stepping on lego (nothing!). He then went on to recount numerous lego-stepping experiences that seemed to have scarred him for life. After listening to his woeful tales I decided to sew him (and his children) a lego bag. We had a lego bag very similar to this in our household when we were growing up. I had planned to make one for my children this Christmas - I figured I could kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

These bags are really quite fabulous because they triple up as a storage bag, carry bag and play mat. I used a heavy denim for the outside and starry cotton for the inside. I sewed loops of ribbons around the edges and had my 4 year old daughter thread through the cord. Voila!

- a storage bag -

- a carry bag -

- play mat -

- close up of ribbon detail -

Check out more creative work here at Kootoyoo.

:: pins & needles - Floral Tunic Top

2010-10-21T21:56:00.000+10:00

Vogue 8595

For me this one gets the big thumbs down. Have you ever had that horrible feeling halfway through sewing a garment when you realise you will never actually wear it? I got it with this one. Lucky for me however, that this was a practice run. I was trialling the pattern on cheap fabric (cotton voile from Spotlight) before cutting into my good stuff.

- i added the button hole & loop and ties -

- i shortened the sleeves -

There's nothing actually wrong with the pattern exactly. It's just that when I wear it, psychologically and emotionally I feel like a cross between

this:

and this:

...not good at all!

It just feels wrong. I think the neckline is all wrong for me. Perhaps too high. Perhaps too boring. Perhaps too much coverage.

So what is to become of it? I think I'll stuff it into a postpak and send it to my younger sister. Her and her family are into boating and she's always looking for cool, flowy, sun-safe shirts. Perfecto!

:: pins & needles - PJs for Me

2010-10-20T11:35:00.081+10:00

Burda 2711

This morning I finished sewing my third and final version of Burda 2711 for 2010. I'm really enjoying making and wearing all my new sleepwear. As a mother of three little ones, living in a city with no other relatives, I don't get to go out much in the evenings. The chance to pop on a party dress and a little lippy doesn't come along too often. Wearing nice sleepwear gets me out of the day clothes smeared with vegemite, dried milk and crusty cereal and into something nicer. It's a great transition from 'mother' back to 'me'. Who needs movies, dinner dates and gallery visits when you can sit on the couch in a cute pair of PJs or a silk slip! I guess this is my way of looking nice in the evenings too!

OK, back to the sewing bit. This time, was my first attempt at making the 'top (a shortened nightie) and pants' version of Burda 2711. I've been looking at ways to broaden my sewing skills lately so I added pintucks to the neckline and a row of lace. I also made my own bias binding again. This time with more success. I read in a Stitches magazine that you should cut a wider bias strip than suggested before you run it through your bias binding tool as they often get stretched and become more narrow than required. This proved to be a very helpful tip.

- a detail shot of the pintucks and lace trim -

- cotton voile from Spotlight -

I also used Burda 2711 for the pants. I did however, need to remove 8 cm from the top. Were they supposed to be worn under your armpits???!! I actually stuck the front and back pieces together before cutting them out to eliminate side seams. The less seams the better when it comes to sleepwear I reckon. Just because I could, I added elastcised lace to the waistband and a cute little gathered lacy detail to the sides. I'm not 100% sure what this fabric is. I found 5m of it at an op-shop for $3. My husband and I did the burn/sniff test on it and it came up inconclusive. Maybe a cotton/poly/rayon blend?

- pants -

- a detail shot of gathered, lacy leg embellishments -

:: pins & needles - PJs for Meg

2010-10-17T19:12:00.001+10:00

Simplicity 5706

This weekend I sewed up some pyjamas for Meg. They're made out of a cotton voile from Spotlight picked out by her. I made the top and capri pants (shortened) from Simplicity 5706. After I cut them out I noticed it said 'not suitable for sleepwear' on the back of the envelope. That made me a little nervous - were they were going to be too slim fitting? As it turned out, all was fine. The top is a tad short, so I must remember to lengthen it next time.

In preparation for the PJs I'm sewing for myself, I added an elasticised detail to the outer leg. I'm not sure on the right way to create this extra feature, so I guessed. I sewed a strip of bias binding on the inside and threaded elastic through it until it looked about right. I sewed through the binding across the elastic and then chopped the excess off. This seems to have achieved the effect I was after. Lastly, I added a few pink ribbons (again, picked out by Meg) for a touch of girliness.

:: pins & needles - A Crooked Folder (My Creative Space)

2010-10-14T07:28:00.001+10:00

My Creative Space for this week is:

Last weekend I sewed up a little art folder for my daughter. The folder is actually 'side-cycled' from a Sz2 girl's dress. I don't think I can actually use the term 'upcycled' as I've always associated that with improving the original item. Most often, daggy, out-of-date clothing into groovy clothing and accessories for the new millennium! True be told, there was absolutely nothing wrong, daggy or otherwise, with the dress. It's only misfortune was that it was simply too small for my daughter and so it faced the scissors.

The reason it ended up so crooked was that 1) the dress was small 2) I wanted to create a medium-sized folder and 3) I wanted to retain all the pretty features of the dress. This just couldn't be achieved with perfect rectangles. Let's face it, perfect rectangles are for squares anyway!

Despite the lack of perfectly parallel edges, the folder is a hit. Meg thinks it is just lovely. So do I.

There was a crooked man, and he walked a crooked mile.

He found a crooked sixpence against a crooked stile.

He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse,

And they all lived together in a little crooked house.

To check out what others have been doing creatively go here.

:: pins & needles - Waiting for Mr Sandman

2010-10-12T15:40:00.001+10:00

Burda 2711 (again)

This morning I made up another version of Burda 2711. This time I made it up in cotton voile which is much more manageable than silk satin. I added a strip of watermelon pink cotton (looks red in the photos) along the baseline to match the flowers.

After my silk bias binding fiasco from the last nightie, my sister recommended an alternative technique to attach the bias binding. She suggested I fold the whole strip in half, press, pin to wrong side of fabric, sew all three raw edges together, turn to right side and stitch. This worked an absolute treat. I'm yet to try it on silk satin, but it was fabulous on cotton.

I'm on a bit of a sleepwear roll at the moment. I've got a pair of PJs cut out and plans to make some nighties and PJs for Meg, so stay tuned.

I apologise for my boring 'nightie on the hanger' shots. Boring, yet safe. There seem to be a lot of sewing bloggers modeling their garments by rolling around in the grass at the moment. They do look very arty and magazine-y. I still find it horribly uncomfortable to pose for a photo standing in front of a brick wall. I guess I'm just not ready to take that step yet...maybe in 150,000 years!!

:: pins & needles - It's not all fun & games

2010-10-03T09:51:00.001+10:00

Burda 2711

My husband's not talking to me at the moment. Don't get me wrong, he's not giving me the silent treatment. Instead, he's desperately trying to read his way through 700+ pages of 'A Fraction of the Whole' before his next book club meeting. Knowing he was planning to spend the night cuddling his book on the couch, I decided to have a hot date with my sewing machine. There wasn't a lot of love in the room.

I decided to make a nightie using Burda 2711. I've done it before easily and assumed it could be done again easily. I was wrong. The first time I made it in cotton voile. This time I used slippery silk. Damn you slippery silk! I love this fabric. I just don't always like to sew it. If you look closely you can see that it's covered with lots of lovely whimsical touches - flowers, dragonflies, grass seed heads, butterflies and vines. Very cute! (The fabric was harvested from a very ugly 100% silk op-shop dress).

Sewing the bias binding was a flippin' nightmare to say the least. Not fun at all! Despite trying really hard to do beautiful work, it's a real bodge job. Luckily this one's for bed and not for a night out at the Oscars.

I began by following the instructions on how to attach the bias strip - Result: Bodgy

I than ran the strip through my bias binding maker/iron - Result: Better but still bodgy

Any tips on sewing homemade silky bias binding would be much appreciated.

I did have my first go at sewing French seams and these turned out lovely, which was nice given my horror evening battling the bias.

***

Yesterday I ducked into Vinnies and scored 15 copies of Australian Stitches at 30c a pop. They're all from 1999 - 2001 so the fashion is outdated but the sewing tips are still good. The first article I came to was 'Sewing with Silk'. (3 hours too late!) It had lots of really useful information I could have used. I was slightly amused by the last line on 'Hems and Finishes' - or, for a more challenging finish, finish the edge with a very narrow bias binding.' Challenging, you bet!

:: pins & needles - Mastering Casual (My Creative Space)

2010-09-30T11:23:00.000+10:00

My Creative Space - Here's what I've been working on:

Vogue 8552

- styled with elk necklace -

- a tad crushed after a morning in the park -

- strangely, the blemishes on my knees are a perfect match (I didn't know I even had blemishes on my knees) -

Last weekend I was visiting my sister who lives 4.5 hours away. Rather than waving us goodbye, she had to make an early departure to catch a flight to her high school reunion. I remember her departing words clearly, "Do you need anything?". Well, that's just an open invitation now isn't it. Hmmm, what do I 'need'? I decided I needed the dress she was wearing. But rather than steal the dress right off her back, so to speak, I stealthily pinched the pattern from which the dress was made. I figured I could take it home, trace it, photograph the instructions and have it in the post and back to her before she recovered from her post-reunion hangover.

So that night, after the long drive home I did just that and more. I had most of the dress sewn while she was still dirty dancing with her ex-boyfriends to hits of the 80s.

I love this dress. I especially love the oversized, slouchy pockets. Also, I'm a sucker for all things red. The dress was sewn using a 'red' cotton/linen blend. It actually appears pink because the fabric contains interwoven red and white threads.

My sister and I once had a conversation about 'mastering casual'. When you live in the tropics and are (mostly) a SAHM you gotta 'master casual' and I think this dress nails it!

Check out more creativity at My Creative Space at Kootoyoo.

::pins & needles - Skirt with tie

2010-09-28T14:01:00.002+10:00

Burda 7651

- styled with unironed pink Country Road camisole, charcoal Piper vest and fabulous arty pendant -

This is the third version I've sewn of Burda 7651. Check out Version 1 in red denim and Version 2 in ivory silk satin. I really like this pattern and can see myself making it over and over again. Version 3 is made using a cotton/ramie blend (I think - it could be cotton/linen). This is actually the 'black' version of the fabric but appears grey as the weave is a combination of black and white thread.

I only deviated from the pattern on the waistband. I made it much wider than the original version, widened the belt tabs and added the tie. I like wearing ties or belts with my bottoms. I know many people don't, but I find they seem to help garments stay in the right place rather than slide below unsightly bulges. Strangely, pants, skirts and shorts tend to gravitate downwards on me.

I really like the back of the skirt. I featured the selvage along the top of both back pockets.

:: pins & needles - In bloom

2010-09-26T07:14:00.000+10:00

Simplicity 2599

- if you squint, you may just be able to make out the enlarged bow on my left (your right) shoulder -

- styled with jeans and my new wedges & nancybird belt -

- styled with my new watermelon pink shrug from Vinnies ($5 new with tags, woohoo!) -

Last week I made up my first version of Simplicity 2599. It's a basic shell top (so my sister tells me) which provides a good base for fun embellishments - flounces, ruffles, bows etc.

While in Melbourne recently, I bought my first piece of Liberty. I wanted to make up a fairly basic & versatile pattern with it and thought Simplicity 2599 was a good place to start. The top above, is actually my 'test version'. I thought it better to try out a new pattern on a cheap piece of cotton from Spotlight than to dive blindly with Liberty in hand. This turned out to be a good move. The bodice was quite a poor fit. Fortunately, I've just spent a week with my sister (a much better sewer than me) and she pinned and tucked me to perfection. She helped me make the alterations on the paper pattern so I should be good to go. She changed the style of front dart (I have no idea what it is called) and added a back dart. We also changed the width of the bodice throughout giving a bit more room at the hips.

::here & there - Magnetic Island

2010-09-25T16:48:00.003+10:00

I returned home today after spending 5 glorious days on Magnetic Island with my sister and her family. The weather was perfect, the boulder-ious bays were stunning, the water was clear & wavy and the bushwalks were fabulous (even when carrying 15kg of pure child on my back).

My husband and I are both teachers so we get lots and lots of holidays together (I won't rub it in!). This holiday however, would have to go down as my best one in 5 years. Maybe it was the stunning island, maybe it's because my 3 children are just that little bit older. Either way, I'm actually feeling like I've had a holiday and that's a great feeling!

:: eats & treats - Herbie the Love Bug

2010-09-19T10:06:00.000+10:00

There's nothin' like a kids birthday party to unleash the sculpting beast. There's something amazingly therapeutic about sculpture and for some, the medium is of little importance. It could be wood, wire, plaster, concrete, clay... even cake!

As usual, I made a start on this cake, but quickly stepped aside after my husband starting circling me like a school of ravenous sharks. Before too long, I was sitting on the floor cutting out a new top while watching him carve up a storm. He did an awesome job. I rejoined him when he got to the icing bit. Afterall, I wasn't going to leave all that icing-licking to him!

Toby was delighted!

:: pins & needles - Hello Sailor!

2010-09-12T08:04:00.000+10:00

What did you get if you cross a boring blue bikini with a groovy red & white spotted tankini made for a 4 year old? Hello Sailor!

It is, or should I say 'was' an ultra boring bikini. But it was the right price (drastically reduced!) and even more importantly, quite a good fit. Finding a 2-piece that fits me is super difficult. The bottoms are almost always too skimpy and too narrow (resulting in an unsightly muffin top). The tops are almost always too large in the cup. This bikini scrapped in a pass for both top and bottom which was good enough given my past record of nightmare bikini shopping.

I lied about the tankini bit. I actually used the top half of a Sz4 (kids) one piece bathing suit. It was a hand-me-down for my daughter from her niece. My younger sister is going to be less than impressed if she ever reads this post and discovers I've chopped up another hand-me-down. She doesn't take too kindly to my refashioning of her designer labels. In my defense, however, the swimsuit was too short. It barely covered Meg's 4 years old nipples! What would the neighbours say?

Anyhow, Meg has ended up with a gorgeous bikini bottom to be worn with her ever-sensible and extremely unrevealing rashie tops. I, on the other hand, have ended up with groovier, cuter swimmers! It's a win-win. (And perhaps 1 loss for the now butchered designer swimwear!)

Before: boring swimwear photographed in very poor light

:: scribbles & dribbles - Father's Day Shirt

2010-09-06T15:30:00.000+10:00

Here is the shirt Meg and Monty painted for Paul for Father's Day. Pretty groovy I reckon! I prepared the design by ironing on a grid of freezer paper strips. I then handed it over to them to paint inside all the squares with fabric paint.

painting in the grid

he almost looks as groovy as that guy on his left

I got the idea from here at The Artful Parent.

::show & tell - My Melbourne Spoils

2010-09-02T15:09:00.000+10:00

I have just returned from a mini-stint (without kids, yay!) in Victoria. While there, I was lucky enough to squeeze in a bit of shopping time in Melbourne. I thought, just for fun, I'd share some of my exciting purchases.

gorgeous turkish potholders purchased in the dandenongs

new shoes from brunswick street

fun colourful silk with matching silk chiffon from 'the fabric store' on brunswick street

watermelon seersucker and a printed silk/cotton from 'the fabric store' on brunswick street (I had such little time that I grabbed anything only to discover later they are a perfect colour match)

liberty with matching silk chiffon from tessutis (plus perfectly matching watermelon seersucker)

pink spotty silk from tessutis plus black cotton/silk blend

To stash or to sew? That is the question!

:: scribbles & dribbles - Foamy Printing

2010-08-24T12:52:00.004+10:00

Sometime over the weekend, Meg and I experimented with foamy printing. (This is my made-up name. It may very well have a proper term). I think the prints turned out fabulously and were worthy of sharing.

We decided to go with three colours that would blend well together – yellow, green and blue.

We made up the following mixture in three different cups:

- 2 squirts of detergent

- 1 squirt of white glue

- 3 squirts of water

- 1 squirt of acrylic paint

- a few drops of food colouring

Meg stirred the mixture up until it was all bubbly and foamy. Using a teaspoon (and later her hands) she created patterns on the bench using a combination of the three foamy mixtures. She then made a print of her design A4 paper.

Meg made so many prints that she’s now got a good little supply of very groovy looking paper for all sorts of things – weaving, collage, drawing, the list is endless!

:: pins & needles - Baby bunting

2010-08-22T20:17:00.001+10:00

Last Thursday I scored myself a new niece (from my husband's side) and a new nephew (from my side). So very, very exciting (and a tad crazy in that 'wholly schnitzel! I now have 17 nieces and nephews I have to buy Christmas presents for' kind of way).

Anyhow, to celebrate their 'birth day' I decided to make the lovely Juliette and sweet little Sidney each a string of bunting - just to help them celebrate every birthday from here on in. Afterall, a string of bunting can turn even a simple plate of cupcakes and a jug of cordial into a roaring party!

:: in reds, blues & white

:: in pinks & greens

::here & there - Ellis Beach

2010-08-22T19:54:00.003+10:00

winter through my eyes

::dribbles & scribbles - Katherine, For You

2010-08-18T08:03:00.003+10:00

I painted this watercolour for my sister last night. It's a repro of a painting she ripped out of a magazine some time ago. I didn't quite achieve the droplet effect on her dress that was on the original painting but I didn't have the right brushes on me at the time (excuses, excuses).

Hope you like it Katherine.

Breaking the drought!

2010-08-11T13:48:00.002+10:00

It's been a while since I've blogged. Energy levels have been running a bit low and therefore I've lost a bit of my blogging/creating mojo. Don't get me wrong, I haven't been sitting around doing nothing. I just haven't really finished anything....maybe tomorrow, or the next day, or maybe the day after that...we'll see.

Anyway, I have been tagged by Sophie of her heart my hands for a little meme. I never done one of these before so we'll see how things go. Seems like a good way to break my blogging drought nonetheless.

10 things that make me happy in no particular order:

1. Spending Tuesday nights with the Sardine Limousine Art Group - a little art club I formed earlier this year. Three hours of painting, drawing, listening to cool music and chatting with creative people. Very cool!

2. Spotting any one of my three kids doing something funny (intentional or otherwise).

3. The warm, fuzzy feeling (and energy) I get when I am making & creating.

4. Swimming - at the beach, in waterfalls & rockpools, in the backyard pool (especially at night time when the kids are in bed).

5. Sharing bubbly, mojitos and a bucketload of laughs with my girly friends.

6. Chatting to my sisters on the phone.

7. Op - shopping. Looking for treasures, finding treasures. Awesome accessories and fabulous tops are my most favourite finds. (Do you see my new Spanish leather wedges up there - $5 of pure awesomeness! How about that colour!!!)

8. The excitement and anticipation leading up to big celebrations - birthdays, Christmas, Easter. Thinking up gifts, creating decorations and planning food.

9. Bushwalking - following a winding, narrow path through a forest always gives me a wonderful feeling that cannot be described.

10. Weekend outings with my family - visiting the fresh food markets, scooting along the Esplanade, drinking nice coffee.

11. I've had to sneak in one more - teaching kids something. That moment when a child learns something that they'll keep forever is priceless. (It's even better when you see them discover something for themselves!)

Sew&Craft-Raindrops & Bellyflops

The Owl and the Bunny

Lunching in my Lonsdale Dress

Loooovely Lingerie

Back to school

Flea Market Bag in Japanese Cotton

Vogue 8595 - Beach Tunic

Christmas Frocks - Vogue 8184 & 'Lonsdale' by Sewaholic

Lingerie Making Treasures

Aprons - Sewing for Teachers

Insa Skirt and more

40th Birthday Cakes

Vogue 1190 - Tracey Reese Party Dress

Underwear for me and ma' boys

The $485 dress - Vogue 1228

The Boys Are Back in Town - Burda 9793

Liberty & Country Road Refashion & Giveaway Winner

A Tutorial: Joining bias binding (Armhole)

A Giveaway - Antique Fabric

Vogue 8184 in Japanese Cotton

Burda 8836 in Seersucker

Origami Fisherman's Pants

A Tale of Two Tops

Book Week Bandwagon

Vogue 8669 & *FREE* Boys Trunks pattern!

Vogue 1247 in the Mangroves

Simplicity 2599 gone dotty!

Ottobre - Skirt with Flounces

Dress - Simplicity 2927 in bloom

Skirt - Vogue 1247 in denim

Messenger Bag & More

Vogue 8552 in Yellow

Burdastyle - Louisa Vest

Sewing for school

My Winter Coat - Finished!

:: pins & needles - A bit of this and a bit of that

:: My Winter Coat #1

::show & tell - A Mixed Bag

::pins & needles - Vogue 1101

:: pins & needles - Man verses Beast

:: pins & needles - Vogue 8184

:: pins & needles - Dancing Pants!

From Couch-wear to Street-wear

::pins & needles - Boardies for the Boys

:: pins & needles - The Nick Softie

:: pins & needles - Yellow

:: eats & treats - Planet Saturn Cake

Liberty in Bloom

::pins & needles - Artsy Stuff

::pins & needles - Denim bag in bloom

:: pins & needles - Headbands in bloom

:: pins & needles - Ruffles, Bows & Flowers

:: pins & needles - Trinket Keepers

:: pins & needles -Skirt with Slouchy Pockets

:: pins & needles - Meg's Christmas skirt & top

:: eats & treats - Peacock Cake

:: show & tell - Meg's New Bedroom

:: Christmas Advent Calendar (from the archives)

:: pins & needles - Christmas Cargos

:: pins & needles - Lego Bag (My Creative Space)

:: pins & needles - Floral Tunic Top

:: pins & needles - PJs for Me

:: pins & needles - PJs for Meg

:: pins & needles - A Crooked Folder (My Creative Space)

:: pins & needles - Waiting for Mr Sandman

:: pins & needles - It's not all fun & games

:: pins & needles - Mastering Casual (My Creative Space)

::pins & needles - Skirt with tie

:: pins & needles - In bloom

::here & there - Magnetic Island

:: eats & treats - Herbie the Love Bug

:: pins & needles - Hello Sailor!

:: scribbles & dribbles - Father's Day Shirt

::show & tell - My Melbourne Spoils

:: scribbles & dribbles - Foamy Printing

:: pins & needles - Baby bunting

::here & there - Ellis Beach

::dribbles & scribbles - Katherine, For You

Breaking the drought!

Vogue 8669 & FREE Boys Trunks pattern!