Every Spare Minute

Easy Knits

2010-11-13T15:14:00.001+13:00

Milly needed a pair of leggings so I whipped her up a pair. They were so quick to make that I made her another pair, and then another, and then another! The pattern is from Ottobre 6/2008 and each leg is cut as one piece, so no fiddly matching up of stripes. The patten only goes up to size 92 so I graded them to a 98 for width and 104 for length.

After I'd finished the leggings I was on a bit of a roll. There was another pattern I had been wanting to make for awhile but it also only went up to a 92 so I graded it up to 104. It is from Ottobre 1/2010 and was super easy to make.

Milly was put in charge of choosing the buttons and, of course, chose the sparkly pink flowers.

For cooler days this can also be worn with another top underneath but today the sun is shining and it's feeling like summer.

Ballerina Cushions

2010-11-11T16:07:00.011+13:00

As soon as I saw this fabric go up on the Stitchbird website I absolutely had to have it. It is simply gorgeous and was a dream to sew with.

It has so much detail that it really doesn't need any more embellishment so I simply added a ruffled edging in Michael Millers Ta Dot fabric. I made a buttoned back for it but must have been a bit off with my measurements because it's a bit of a tight squeeze!

I also sewed up the house cushion kit I won from Wink Designs many moons ago. I loved not having to cut fabrics for this - it made it a very quick cushion to whip up.

Scarves and Skirts

2010-11-11T13:51:00.008+13:00

Spring to me means layering and scarves. Crisp mornings and clear, sunny afternoons. Spring and autumn are my favourite seasons because the temperature is not too hot, not too cold, it's just right.

The idea for the patchwork scarf came from Onegirls blog and I thought it would be a fantastic way to use some of my scraps that I have been hoarding. Despite the expression on Milly's face she was really pleased with this. I let her pick some of the fabrics and she does love to have some control over which fabrics I use in her clothes.

The skirt is to replace a favourite of Milly's that is getting far too short but is just to precious to her to part with. (See version 1 here). The pattern is the Misty skirt from Ottobre 1/2008 and I am also sewing up a more summery version which I should be blogging about in the next few days. It has everything a little girl requires in a skirt - pretty colours and twirlyness. The original pattern calls for a zippered waist but I have replaced it with elastic so that it can grow with her. It is made from corduroy so it is softening up and getting better with age.

Stitchbird Fabrics Giveaway

2010-11-03T19:47:00.007+13:00

I probably shouldn't be tell you this..............

In fact I definitely shouldn't be telling you this....................

because Lyndy at Stitchbird is having a super-duper giveaway to celebrate 1 year of finding happy homes for fabric..........................

and I want to win it! So please DON'T pop on over to her blog and enter. There's nothing over there that you'd be interested in anyway.

Watercolours

2010-10-30T13:19:00.010+13:00

If you have a look at my sidebar you'll see that I've joined Hazelnuts Clothes for Mum Challenge. I've not done any sewing for myself for quite a long time now and I've got so many ideas kicking round that it's been great to have an incentive to get cracking with it.

I brought this gorgeous fabric from Spotlight. It is a stretch cotton sateen which made my eyes a bit crazy trying to focus when I had it on the roll but is a bit more subtle made into a garment. It was lovely to sew with.

I got all trendy and added an exposed zipper. I googled to find out how to insert it and found some great instructions here. The zipper definitely raised an eyebrow from the Hubby when I showed him. I think it's one of those trends that you either love or hate. I'm loving it!

The pattern is from Burda 9/2007 - 116 and is a nice easy pattern (2 dots). I think I'll probably have another go at doing the hem though. It was my first attempt at a blind hem but it's highly visible - does anybody have any tips for a tidy blind hem?

Check out everybody elses creations at the CFMC flickr and join in the fun.

This Week...

2010-10-13T20:29:00.000+13:00

........I'm being kept busy learning to sketch;

stitching;

baby sewing;

and last but by no means least, being kept extremely busy by our new puppy. Isn't he lovely!

Hope you are all being kept busy with things you enjoy!

Quilt Blocks for Kids

2010-10-07T16:50:00.009+13:00

I have a huge scrap pile - HUGE! I simply love going to the quilting shop and choosing a handful of pretty scraps to take home. I generally never have a use for them but I absolutely NEED to have them and take great pleasure in sorting them into color co-ordinated piles for the day that I will use them. I was, therefore, pleased to see that two kind-hearted souls in blogland were doing a shout-out for quilt blocks to make up quilts for family's who have lost their homes in the earthquake. Finally, a use for my scraps - now I am totally justified in replenishing the pile!

Firstly Cat over at Catalina's Cottage is wanting blocks of any design and any size to make up quilts for the kids that have been affected by the earthquake. These blocks were really fun to make up - no maths involved , just cutting and sewing and as a first time quilt block maker, it was fun to be able to 'freestyle' the blocks.

Anyone else feel like this when they exercise?

Secondly, Deb from Works in Progress is wanting 12.5inch quilt blocks in blues or reds of any design for a couple of family's whose homes have been wrecked. This was a bit more difficult for me, being mathematically challenged. I'm not sure if it was the seam allowances or what but firstly it was too small, and then I added the borders and it was too big. After a bit of trimming it was good to go and will hopefully be giving a bit of comfort to these families.

Thanks ladies for organising this and if anybody wants to donate blocks, click on the links for more information.

Earthquake - My Thoughts on 'Getting Through'

2010-09-10T11:19:00.007+12:00

* My apologies if this has appeared on your blogreaders a million times - I'm having a nightmare with the formatting *

This will be the last post on the earthquake, I know everyone is getting a bit tired of it now but these are some observations I have made that I would like to pass on for those of you that are making sure your emergency kit is up-to-date (that should be everybody!).

We all know about having tinned food, a can opener and bottled water but these are some of the things we are not told about:

Cash - My hubby and I very rarely carry cash and pay for everything by cashflow card. Fortunately hubby had some birthday money still sitting in a drawer so we were ok but with the power out nothing can be paid for with a card = unable to purchase anything.

Plug-in Phone - We only have a cordless phone and you need power to operate a cordless phone. Mobiles were for emergency calls only so we were effectively cut off from our loved-ones until power was back on. Plug in phones are as cheap as chips and good to have in 'the kit'.

Chimneys - A lot of houses have had chimneys come down and even fall through their roof. I'm sure the majority of these weren't even in use any more so if you have a chimney that isn't being used, pull it down now. Even those that didn't come down in the quake have since come down with the aftershocks and I personally wouldn't want to be on a roof when an aftershock hits.

The Plan - the last point I want to make is how good it was to have a plan. When watching the news during the last big earthquake the world saw (Haiti maybe?) we were chatting about what we would do if there was an earthquake in the middle of the night, never dreaming that it would actually happen to us. It was a very simple plan - I would go and grab Milly out of bed and my husband would grab Noah and we would meet at the bedroom doorways, which are right next to each other, and shield the kids while hanging on. We had thought about where the safest place in the house was in terms of how quickly we could get there and it being away from windows and glass. As soon as I woke up and realised it was an earthquake I knew exactly what I had to do. We were lucky that the house wasn't falling down around us but many people's houses were - in those cases seconds count.

Things feel like they are getting back to normal around here now. We can now drink the tap water and a couple of nights sleep have made a big difference to the nerves. We are all still pretty jumpy - when a truck rumbles past on the road we all have a moment of panic but I feel so much less stressed than a few days ago. Now we're looking forward to the school's being open again so that we can get a bit of routine happening. Thanks so much to everyone for their kind thoughts and comments.

2010-09-07T10:48:00.005+12:00

After another sleepless night full of aftershocks, 2 which were so severe that we had to pull our sleeping babes from their warm beds to the safety of the doorframe, it was really nice to switch on the computer this morning and see that I had won a giveaway over at Hazelnuts.

Aren't they super cool! Thanks so much Jacqui, I know that Milly is going to love them.

Christchurch Earthquake

2010-09-05T15:28:00.009+12:00

As many of you already know, at 4.35am yesterday Christchurch was rocked by a 7.1 earthquake. I was awoken by the loud roar and everything clattering around me. My immediate thought was to get under a doorframe so I went and grabbed Milly from her bed while my husband grabbed Noah, just before the power went out and we were plunged into darkness. We stood in the doorframe and the rocking was so intense that I was bracing myself for the windows to blow out or the roof to start falling but miraculously we escaped with no damage at all. The only breakage was a lightbulb that rolled off a shelf. After the initial quake was over there were alarms going off all over the place and the kids were pretty shaken. Milly (3) was quiet and confused by it all while Noah (5) was trembling and absolutely terrified. We stayed under the doorway wrapped in blankets for the next 20 minutes while the aftershocks were still quite strong. We are so much more fortunate than some others. Our whole street looks to be pretty much unaffected but a drive around our neighbourhood shows the damage that has been done.

Silt that has spewed up through cracks in the ground is everywhere and quite a few houses appear to have sunk in parts, making them uninhabitable.

It is the most terrifying experience I have ever been through and I am so thankful that, amazingly, there were no fatalities.

Why I shouldn't be lazy

2010-08-06T10:59:00.010+12:00

Milly always seems to come home from preschool covered in paint and although it's water based paint I can never get it out of her clothes. I should probably send her in the same paint spattered clothes and have that as her preschool outfit but I just can't bring myself to do it. Instead I decided to whip her up a few basic tops to wear.

The first is from Ottobre 1/09 #12.

And here's why I shouldn't be lazy:

As I was setting up my machine it did cross my mind that I should use a ball-point needle but I was so keen to get sewing that I waved that thought away with a "Meh, it'll be ok". Well, it wasn't ok and every seam is like this. It's not noticeable unless you pull the fabric but I'm not expecting this one to last past the first couple of washes. Oh well, lesson learnt (until the next time).

The second top I made is from a recycled woollen jersey. Milly hates wearing a sweatshirt or jersey over her tops so I thought I would outsmart her and make a woollen top so that she is toasty and warm without the need for an extra layer. The pattern is from Ottobre 4/09 #21 and you can't see all of it in this photo but it's tunic length.

What do you think of your new top Miss Milkychops?

And last but not least I have made a skater top for the lad. Here he is helping Dad with our redecorating and munching on an iceblock - it's thirsty work:

The basic t-shirt pattern is from Ottobre 1/08 #27 and the applique was taken from #32.

Little Miss Fancy Pants

2010-08-03T20:42:00.000+12:00

Are these the most girly looking pants you've ever seen? I was a bit reluctant to make them when Milly selected them from the Ottobre magazine but I really want her to be wearing clothes that she loves and to feel good in what she's wearing so I decided to go whole hog and make them in pink needlecord.

After all - you can only wear pants like this when your a little girl. Well, I guess that you could wear them when you're older but people would totally be laughing behind your back if you rocked in wearing a pair of these in you 20's or beyond.

Thinking the 'friends' inside the pocket flap would be Milly's favourite bit of these pants I felt quite smug when I showed her. Her reply was "I hate those friends - I don't want friends in my pockets - hmmpf" (arms folded, lips pursed).

Always expect the unexpected with that kid ;)

Origami Top - Finally!

2010-06-25T09:44:00.006+12:00

Well, it's taken a while but I've finally completed it. I really don't know why it took so long because it wasn't particularly difficult or even time-consuming. I just don't enjoy sewing for myself as much as I enjoy sewing for my kids I guess. Anyway, I'm really pleased with it and have worn it a lot already. I do seem to be 50/50 with successes and failures for sewing my own clothes but I think this worked because it's not fitted so there were no 'issues' with it.

The origami detail at the front is actually very simple - it's 8 rectangles of fabric which are sewn on with a triangle and then pressed inwards (see pic).

The original had ties on it but I really didn't want to hide the beautiful origami feature so have left mine off.

In the end this was worth the frustration of having to print and sticky-tape all those pages together (see review here) and I'm already planning on making the 'Take Manhattan Tunic' (on the left in the pic above).

Happy Monday!

2010-06-21T10:19:00.000+12:00

Bonjour Madamoiselle!

2010-06-20T19:24:00.006+12:00

With the frosty weather we've been having in Christchurch I seem to be dressing Milly in trackies and cords on a daily basis. While there isn't anything wrong with this and it's very practical (and warm) I do feel like dressing her slightly more girly every now and then. I was flicking through my Ottobre magazines looking for a quick and easy skirt when I came across a very simple inverted pleat skirt which I have made before and was super easy. I've used a dark denim and although it's probably a bit hard to see from the photo's I have top-stitched the hem and around the top of the pleats in red thread.

The cardigan and beret were knitted by Milly's Nanna and I think the outfit makes her look like a (very stereotypical) French girl.

The pattern is from #14 from Ottobre Autumn 2007.

I heart My Quilt

2010-06-18T09:54:00.011+12:00

Well, my first quilt is completed and I'm thrilled with it. It's taken a while because I didn't have a walking foot for my Bernina sewing machine and at $280 for a new one I had accepted that I probably wouldn't ever own one! After a bit of investigation though I did manage to buy a generic foot on TradeMe which is made for Bernina machines and was only half the price. It was still painful paying that much for a sewing machine foot but necessary if I ever wanted to quilt.

I used a cotton/bamboo wadding which has the nice heavy feel to it that I love and quilted it on either side of the 'ditch'. The backing is an old cotton sheet which has been washed so many times that it's lovely and soft.

After reading several books and tutorials I chose to machine stitch one side of the binding and hand stitch the other side. Quite therapeutic actually.

The mitered corners aren't perfect but I'm still happy with them. I used this tutorial for the binding which was really helpful with lots of pictures.

Under this quilt with a cup of coffee and a good book is my new happy place :)

Scrap Packs

2010-06-05T20:45:00.004+12:00

I've got another lot of scrap packs for sale on trade me. If you want to buy some please click here, but hurry - they sell out fast!

This Week.....

2010-06-04T11:31:00.001+12:00

This week I've been making baby shoes, production-line style:

and a couple of bibs:

reading lots of books from the library on my new favourite subject:

and putting the finishing touches on my first ever quilt - stay tuned for the big reveal next week.

Have a great crafty weekend everyone :)

Drumroll Please!

2010-05-21T19:09:00.002+12:00

Wow - what a fantastic response to my giveaway! There are a LOT of fabric lovers out there. Thank you all for your lovely comments. I have discovered some wonderful new blogs and have found lots of crafty inspiration.

To pick a winner my beautiful assistant randomly picked a name out of the big yellow bowl:

and the winner is:

Congratulations Lin3arossa - please email me with your address details.

For those of you who are disappointed to have missed out on the giveaway I do have lots of gorgeous fabric for sale on Trade Me (New Zealand only). The link is at the top right of this page :)

I will leave you with a pic of my new wall stickers which were free in this months Your Home & Garden magazine - so pretty!

Speaking of Giveaways....................

2010-05-15T15:49:00.006+12:00

I have been jammy enough to win not 1, but 2 giveaways lately!

The first was from the very lovely Marina at Wink Designs. A totally gorgeous kit to make my very own house cushion. I absolutely loathe cutting fabric and can procrastinate for weeks before finally getting my act together and cutting out a pattern. The fantastic thing about this kit is that it is all cut and the only thing left to do is the fun part - sewing it all together. Marina also has an etsy shop with some really cute stuff in it, including these Mother and Baby Owl Kits for all you owl lovers out there.

The second thing I won was this really awesome menu panel and cute fabrics from Michelle at Leni and Rose. I have several ideas for what to turn it into but I think it will probably become part of an apron. Michelle's apron has totally inspired me.

Thanks so much Marina and Michelle - I'm a lucky gal!

PS: If you haven't entered my giveaway yet there is still time.

It's Giveaway Time!

2010-05-05T20:46:00.002+12:00

The prize - 4 fat quarters of beautiful fabric and 1 meter of cute Farbenmix owl trim:

The rules are simple:

* Leave a comment for an entry

* Blog about this giveaway for an extra entry

* If you are already a follower, or become a follower of my blog, you get an extra entry

So that is potentially 3 entries!

I will draw a name in a couple of weeks so if you're a lurker please come out of the shadows and leave a comment. I will post anywhere in the world :)

Good luck!

Edited 22/05/10 - A winner has now been drawn - thanks everybody for you entries.

Wordless Weekend

2010-05-01T18:11:00.003+12:00

Ballet Fever

2010-05-01T17:20:00.008+12:00

We have a major case of ballet fever at our house. Milly has just started a pre-primary ballet class and she absolutely loves it. Being able to dress entirely in pink and dance around - what's not to love?

I had every intention of making her leotard myself but with only a couple of days until the start of ballet and supplies not yet purchased I decided it would be a lot less stressful to just go and buy one. I did, however, want to make her ballet bag with the cute ballet fabric I had bought from Stitchbird Fabrics and when I saw a tutorial for the reversible bag on verypurpleperson.com I had my pattern.

I shortened the straps slightly and took a bit off the length of the bag so that it would fit a short person. I also brought the bag charm from the dancing supplies shop - isn't it gorgeous?

We now have one very happy ballerina.

In other news, I have entirely missed by blogiversary so stay tuned for a giveaway in the near future.

Twinkle Sews by Wenlan Chia

2010-04-26T21:20:00.002+12:00

Firstly, let me just say that I love this book, however it definitely is not a sewing book for beginners. Although the author does take you through a few sewing techniques at the beginning of the book I would say that you would need a bit of sewing experience under your belt before attempting these patterns. However if you know what you're doing with a sewing machine this is a fantastic book. The patterns are soooooooo gorgeous with lots of details that scream 'designer' rather than 'home-sewn'. There are lots of origami type details and the patterns suit a broad range of age-groups. I will let the pictures speak for themselves:

Sorry about the crud photos - I do try my best!

All the garments are styled and modelled, which I love! How awesome are these clothes?

Now for the downside.

The patterns are all on a disk which you have to print out. If you have ever purchased a pattern from Burdastyle it is the same kind of deal. The only pattern I have printed is the origami blouse (above, right) and it took a LOT of paper and having to stick it all together was tedious to say the least. Hopefully if there is a follow-up book (and I hope that there will be) paper patterns will be included.

The verdict - BUY THIS BOOK you won't regret it! But buy a couple of reams of paper and an ink cartridge at the same time :)

To see some examples of other bloggers creations from this book click here, here, here and here.

Stitchbird Fabrics Giveaway!!

2010-03-28T13:32:00.003+13:00

Yay - the online shop that I brought the fabrics from in my previous post is having a giveaway. If you want to enter it click here.

Catching Up

2010-03-25T11:18:00.000+13:00

Phew - it's been a while since my last post. Here's a quick catch-up of what I've been up to.

Making baby shoes for the school fair using the same pattern as these:

These are fairly time-consuming to make at around an hour per pair but so cute and so much fun to make. I just wish I'd sewn some when my babies were still babies. Sigh. I had quite the production line going - it was like a proper sweatshop in my sewing room.

I also made dresses for the school fair. The pattern is from Ottobre Spring 2008.

I finally finished a shirt I had cut out for Noah a year or more ago only to find that it was slightly too short. I made him wear it a couple of times anyway! The pattern is from Burda WOF. The pants he is wearing in the last pic are from the same Burda magazine.

He's working that camera and looking FIERCE!

There was a hugs t-shirt for Milly, also a bit on the small side. My kids are growing like weeds! The pattern is from Ottobre Spring 2008.

I've also been making some zippered pouches/makeup bags using various tutorial's however my favourite was this tutorial. It's nice and tidy with the fabric covering the end of the zipper.

And lastly, buying some beautiful new fabrics.

Coming up next post will be my review of Twinkle Sews - it's a goodie.

Sewing HQ

2010-02-01T19:20:00.000+13:00

I really love seeing other people's sewing machines and sewing rooms. Maybe it's just because I'm nosy but I do like to see how other people set up their sewing spaces. With the lack of sewing happening at the moment my sewing room is reasonably neat and tidy so I thought it's a good time for a tour of my little piece of the home.

I'm lucky enough to be married to a lovely man who is also a lovely builder, so he has built me a dedicated sewing room just off the main house that is all mine, mine, mine. (No kids allowed!).

The window looks out onto the back yard so I can sew and keep an eye on the kids at the same time. Mum gave me the sewing desk which is fantastic. I have a Mum and 2 Mum-in-laws who all sew so I've been given a LOT of sewing stuff over the years (yay! for being given sewing stuff!)

Here is the stash (but there's always room for more, lol)

and a bit more here as well:

A bookcase groans under the weight of all my craft books, Burda magazines and patterns, threads and other bits and bobs:

And, most importantly, the machines - both oldies but goodies and both gifted to me by lovely people :)

So that's it - my slice of paradise. I do have another craft book to add to the bookshelf which I will review in my next post 'Twinkle Sews'.

Back to Basics

2010-01-26T17:28:00.007+13:00

With all the kid-wrangling going on here over the school holidays there has been practically no sewing time left. Sewing in the evening doesn't really work for me because all concentration is gone by that stage of the day and I usually end up unpicking what little sewing I manage to achieve.

So what's a girl to do? My solution was to do some small projects so that I could get my sewing fix where I could. Enter the 'lavender scented wardrobe hanger'. Because a girl can never have too many lavender scented things. Take one vintage baby's pillowcase (really, did babies have pillows?!) and voila, more lavender filled wardrobe hangers than you can shake a stick at.

Yes Milly, the birdie hanger is yours!

I've also been trying out my (very average) patchwork skills, a la Pink Penguin, but I think I'll be needing a LOT more practice to get to her level of patchwork expertise. (Her blog is definitely worth a look).

Haitian Earthquake

2010-01-18T14:10:00.002+13:00

As you will already know, Haiti has been struck by a huge earthquake and it is estimated that as many as 200,000 lives will be lost.

They desperately need money so if you would like to donate, click here to be linked through to the New Zealand Red Cross Appeal. To have a $20 donation added to your phone bill, call 0900 73326.

New Year, New Header

2010-01-16T20:22:00.010+13:00

To welcome 2010 I thought a blog update was in order so a new header it is. These are wardrobe hangers I made as Christmas pressies and they are filled with lavender and smell absolutely gorgeous. I have a big bag of dried lavender in the sewing room now and every time I walk in the smell is lovely.

Also for Christmas I made aprons for the kids, the pattern was from Kath Kidston's 'Sew'.

A dress for Milly to wear on Christmas day (oh shirring, how I love thee!).

and lastly some felt donuts to go with Milly's new teaset.

Notice the scratched up nose? My poor baby did a nose-dive onto the concrete a couple of days before Christmas. She's lucky she didn't break it and there were lots of tears. Poor wee angel.

Another Buttercup Bag

2010-01-15T20:18:00.004+13:00

This one was for my MIL for Christmas. I really love this pattern - pleats and piping, how could you go wrong with that!

The fabric is Saffron Craig's Dandelion Circles (this fabric is very eco friendly and chlorine free) and the lining was one of the treasures I picked up at Stash Rehash. I made the piping and the covered buttons to match from some fabric I had in the stash. Because this was just a medium weight cotton it was all interfaced to give it a bit of oomph.

I would like to have added some o-rings on the straps but I have no idea where to buy them from in New Zealand (if anybody knows please drop me a line) and I didn't have time to order them from Aussie.

I do have some other handmade Christmas pressies still to show so I will load the photo's of these in the next couple of days. In the frenzied rush of getting everything done in time the blog has been a bit neglected but things are starting to get back to normal around here now so more time to blog now that preschool has started again.

I'm a Winner!

2009-12-21T11:53:00.003+13:00

I have been lucky enough to win a giveaway over at All Things Mum. Go and check out her beautiful blog and her gorgeous newborn baby.

Milly has claimed them as her own already so I'm going to make her a skirt from the bird fabric and a top from the purple/white fabric (which is even more beautiful in person).

Thanks so much Kim - I love them!

Christmas Craziness

2009-12-21T11:00:00.000+13:00

It has been crazily busy around here the last couple of weeks which accounts for the blog absence. There have been Christmas concerts, Christmas parties, lots of shopping, and lots of gift making. Now that the school holidays have started we can start to relax a bit - the Christmas shopping is now complete (yippee!) so I don't have to spend any time at the crowded malls and can now relax with the kids. Unfortunately they are both sick with colds so we're just staying home, but it's actually quite nice to just be mooching around the house with nowhere to be. We've been making some delicious allergy-free Christmas cupcakes:

and the kids have been having a messy old time making their own special Christmas gift wrap:

Noah's school teacher for his first term at school has been really lovely and unfortunately he won't be having her again next year so we wanted to give her a special gift. I thought a Buttercup Bag would be ideal, because I've never met a woman without a fondness for bags:

I have lined it with a really beautiful Japanese cotton:

We also included a notebook for all those teacher-related lists she must have to make:

For now I'm frantically trying to get aprons completed for the kids and if there's time I'd love to make something new for me to wear on Christmas day. With only 4 days to go I'm probably dreaming though!

Wordless Weekend

2009-12-06T08:00:00.000+13:00

The Mad Hatter

2009-12-05T12:54:00.010+13:00

It seems that summer has finally arrived here in good ol' NZ and of course with the arrival of summer comes the slip slop slap of sunscreen, topped off with a hat to cover tender young faces (the kids of course - mine is already like an old leather boot after 34 years of sun exposure).

I have trawled the net for a free online pattern but they all seem to be a bit sparse or not the shape that I want. Next stop - Burda books. Although I no longer get Burda magazines I have quite a sizeable stash of them waiting to be used and whaddaya know - baby hat AND toddler hats. (7/2008 for sizes 38, 42, 48cm circumference and 4/2009 for 48, 50 ,52cm circ).

I had imagined that hats would be (a) difficult to sew and (b) require special materials that I would have to go and buy but I'm pleased to report that it was easy peasy and only required fabric and regular interfacing.

Here is the result:

The fabric I used was a Japanese quilting cotton I picked up from Spotlight awhile ago. I wish I had got more - I love it.

After Milly's haircutting incident recently, the more hats she owns the better so I intend on churning a few more of these out. Her hairstyle is now looking remarkably similar to this dude...

Wordless Weekend

2009-11-28T08:41:00.000+13:00

Babushka Love

2009-11-27T11:47:00.006+13:00

Finally, finally, FINALLY, somebody in NZ is importing and selling the beautiful babushka fabric that I love so much yet have never been able to get before. The online seller, Stitchbird Fabrics, also has some other gorgeous Japanese fabrics as well as Saffron Craig, Heather Ross and lots of spots (which I looooove).

I couldn't wait to make up a dress for Milly and I've even made up a few to sell online. Here she is in the Babushka/green spot combo:

Trying to get her to stand still is a trick I'm still to master and getting clear pics of a moving target is totaly outside my realm of expertise when it comes to the camera. Here it is on the hanger:

I've been pretty busy of late - now that Noah is at school Milly need's a lot more attention and my evenings are spent making Christmas pressies. Here's the list;

For Milly

Apron

Softie - Done

Felt Food

For Noah

Apron

Softie

Time is a-tickin now that there is less than a month until Christmas - eeeeek!

Baby Shoes

2009-11-23T11:46:00.005+13:00

One of the best patterns in the sewing calendar I bought is the Stardust Shoes pattern. A friend has just had a baby boy so I was able to whip these shoes up in less than an hour.

They are made using a scrap of really cute Japanese linen that I got for $1 in the scraps bin at my local fabric shop and are lined with spotty cotton. I used 2 layers of polar fleece for the sole which is so lovely and soft for little baby feet.

If you would like to make these and don't have the sewing calendar, fear not, the free pattern is also available here.

Sew! by Cath Kidston

2009-11-23T11:28:00.007+13:00

When I heard that Cath Kidston had another book out I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. After feeling a bit lukewarm about her previous offering Make!, this book didn't disappoint. There are 40 gorgeous projects in here and the best bit is that you also get all the supplies (precut fabric, buttons and a woven Cath Kidston sew-in logo) for making the bag on the cover. All the patterns are full sized which is such a bonus because if you're like me, grading up a pattern just isn't going to happen. This is such a pretty book with typical Cath Kidston lovliness - I could look at it for hours.

Here are a few of my favourite projects:

The Verdict - rush out and get this book, especially if you are intending to sew a few Christmas pressies.

Wordless Weekend

2009-11-23T11:25:00.001+13:00

Wordless Weekend

2009-11-14T10:18:00.001+13:00

Another Ottobre Dress for Milly

2009-11-11T15:06:00.000+13:00

This is from Winter 6/2008 and is the Cilla Dress. I have made it up in a cotton dobby and it is exeptionally soft - perfect for hot summer days. The only pattern alteration I have made is to lengthen it.

The buttons are, once again, from Nanna's wonderful stash of vintage buttons.

It has already been worn for a visit to the cafe and gets the thumbs up from Milly.

Milly's Dress

2009-11-10T12:20:00.000+13:00

I love this dress! The style is so versatile and so sweet.

You can even use it for an impromptu game of peek-a-boo!

The Haul

2009-11-09T16:20:00.007+13:00

Yesterday I went along to Christchurch's first market for fabric lovers, Stash Rehash. There was everything there a craft lover could desire - fabric - old and new, buckles, buttons, trims, needles, yarn - you name it, it was there. Luckily my Mother-in-law and I got there just before it started and the queue of people waiting to get in was already down the street. It didn't disappoint - here's what I came home with:

Fabrics

How cute are those fishes!

New fabrics from Fabrication

Trims:

After all that jostling at the market (and there seemed to be plenty of that going on!) we went to the mall for a coffee, and there was a calendar stand there with the sewing calendar I have seen plenty of my favourite blogs contribute to.

It's great - 100 projects to sew, and plenty of those that I actually WILL sew.

All in all a great day - here's hoping to plenty more craft and fabric markets in Christchurch.

Wordless Weekend

2009-11-09T16:18:00.002+13:00

Meet the Newest Member of our Family

2009-11-04T16:48:00.000+13:00

Isn't she beautiful?

Noah has named her Cha-Cha, which I think is a superb name. She is so soft and cuddly and the kids have been wonderful with her. She's only 8 weeks, so still just a little bubba. Hubby has made her the most fabulous hutch but she's sleeping inside the house for now.

Anyway, I'm off for more cuddles. See-ya.

The Quilt Top

2009-11-03T15:40:00.001+13:00

It's complete and awaiting the scary part - quilting it! Luckily though, I have so many things I want to make between now and Christmas that I have a legitimate reason to put it into my 'can wait till after Christmas' box. Phew!

Ssssh - the Baby's Sleeping

2009-11-02T15:25:00.007+13:00

She's all wrapped up in her own special quilt, awaiting an excited 2 year old's squeal on Christmas day.

Her name is Maisie and she is from the wonderful book 'More Softies'. She is designed by the talented Kate from Two Little Banshees.

Not long to wait now Maisie and you will be smothered with kisses and squeezed with cuddles.

Wordless Weekend

2009-11-01T20:06:00.001+13:00

Wordless Weekend

2009-10-18T10:58:00.002+13:00

Ottobre Tweet Tweet Top

2009-10-15T12:00:00.007+13:00

Well actually it's called the Puffy top but I renamed it because my name is much better (^.^)

This is the second version I have made of this top (version 1 here) and this one came together a bit better because the fabric was of better quality and had a bit more stretch. I added the birds so that it's wasn't too plain-Jane. The beaks and eyes are embroidered by hand and the legs were done on the sewing machine.

I've managed to clean out my sewing room over the last week or two. I had so much fabric it was threatening to engulf the whole sewing room and I now have 3 big rubbish bags full that will be donated to a local charity. Phew! It's really nice not to open my fabric cupboard without a pile falling on my head. I've even made a new ironing-board cover so the room has had a bit of a mini-makeover. I'm now feeling inspired to sew again after a few weeks of having no sewing mojo.

Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Juice

2009-10-14T11:21:00.008+13:00

We celebrated Noah's 5th Birthday over the weekend with a pirate themed mini-golf party. The pirate costume he had was looking a bit raggedy (even for a pirate!) so I trawled through my Ottobre magazines looking for a suitable pattern. I settled on the plain raglan sleeved knit top from 1/2008 and the basic pants pattern (my old faithful!) from 1/2009.

To make it slightly more piratey I added a buttonless placket to the front of the shirt and did a freezer-paper stencil for the back. The stencil was found here.

The pants were super quick to make up. I used black rugby-knit fabric, added a thick elastic band around the top and cut the hems all raggedy. We brought a belt, hat, eyepatch and hook and this pirate was all ready to search for treasure.

Kreative Blogger Award

2009-10-11T21:37:00.007+13:00

I am lucky enough to have been selected for a 'Kreative Blogger Award' by Sandra at The Surly Seamstress. Thanks Sandra!

The rules of the award are that I have to tell you 7 things about myself that you don't already know and then nominate 7 of my favourite blogs.

Here goes:

I like eating raw potato - bizarre, I know, but the texture is crunchy and starchy and there is nothing else quite like it.

With both of my pregnancies I craved ...... the smell of petrol. Going to the gas station to fill up the car was a real treat and the smell of a running lawnmower had me sniffing away like a dog out the car window. This mad craving ended both times with the birth of the baby.

I loathe doing housework but love hanging the washing on the line.

The sewing bug only bit me 5 years ago after I had my son. Before that I hated it and got an E on my report card for sewing in high school.

I am married to my childhood sweetheart. We were together for 3 years as teenagers, broke up for 5 years and then met up again when we were both living in London and have been together ever since. He truly is my soulmate.

I have never broken a bone and the only surgery I have ever had was my cesaerian.

I can't watch the news since having kids - it makes me too sad.

And now for the blogs. I do follow quite a few blogs and they always seem to be changing as my sewing preferences change. These are the ones that I'm loving right now:

Little Munchkins

Bluebird Makes Her Nest

Go check them out!

Wordless Weekend

2009-10-10T16:03:00.001+13:00

The Makeup Artist

2009-10-07T13:08:00.005+13:00

Busted! I was in the middle of doing something or other when my 'It's too quiet' alarm went off. I could hear some heavy breathing going on behind the bathroom door and there she was, very studiously applying my eyeshadow to her lips , just like she has seen Mummy do (but not with eyeshadow, I can assure you).

Doesn't she look beautiful!

And speaking of looking beautiful, I did manage to coax her into the Babushka pinafore without any tears as all. Here's the proof:

A Giveaway

2009-09-28T14:30:00.004+13:00

If you love to win stuff (and lets face it, who doesn't) then pop on over to the fantastic Little Munchkins blog. She is having a very generous giveaway where you can win either this gorgeous pattern:

or these beautiful ribbons:

Very generous indeed!

A Cushion for My Milly

2009-09-28T10:16:00.001+13:00

Mum and Dad very kindly bought me a beginners quilting kit as an early birthday present. (Actually I don't think it was meant to be an early present but at my (very strong) suggestion that they give it to me now so that I could start making use of it Mum agreed. Thanks M & D!).

As soon as I got it home my fingers were itching to start slicing up some fabric. After surfing the net I decided that a log cabin cushion would be a good starting point and then the fun began. Slicing fabric with a rotary cutter is lots of fun, so much more fun than boring old scissors.

It was also nice to make use of the fabric scraps in my stash.

There is something very therapeutic about sewing straight lines.

As soon as Milly saw it she did a running dive onto it and ran off with it to her bedroom. That night at bedtime she insisted that her 'cusson' stayed on the bed with her. It feels so good to make her something that she loves.

Wordless Weekend

2009-09-26T11:12:00.000+12:00

Ottobre Babushka Dress

2009-09-25T10:53:00.002+12:00

It's finished, but my very reluctant model wasn't having a bar of wearing it. In fact she hates it - I'm going to have to use some very cunning reverse pchychology and trickery to get her to wear this one.

I love the buttons, they go with the baboushka theme so well.

The dress is made of blue courderoy, so I made a t-shirt and some leggings to be worn underneath to make it more suitable for our spring weather. The mornings are pretty chilly and the afternoons warm and sunny so with a cardy on in the mornings this is ideal.

The original pattern, from the 1/2009 issue, has frills on the straps but they looked a bit too babyish so I left them off.

The leggings are from Ottobre issue 6/2008 and are perfect for stripes because each leg is only one piece, no fiddling around with matching stripes on the outside leg.

Feeding My Fabric Addiction

2009-09-23T09:34:00.001+12:00

This was actually curtain fabric but it was way too gorgeous to leave in the shop.

Look at those eyes, she was pleading with me to take her home to my sewing room - who could say no?

A cushion, a bag - who knows what this will end up being. All I knew was that life would not be complete if I didn't own this piece of fabric. I think that classifies as an addiction, don't you?

I'm a big fan of black and white, as you would soon notice if you looked through my wardrobe. I sometimes make an effort to wear a bit more colour but I think black and white always looks stylish. So when I saw this for $6 a meter I grabbed it quick smart with a smug 'Aha, look what I got' look on my face and practically ran to the checkout.

This will probably end up as a dress, after I have admired it for a couple of months.

And lastly, here is a sneak peek of the Ottobre Babushka dress, which is now completed and awaiting my model for the photoshoot.

Wordless Weekend

2009-09-20T15:01:00.010+12:00

My Baby's not a Baby Anymore (sniff)

2009-09-14T13:17:00.002+12:00

Well, it had to happen sooner or later - my little baby's suddenly grown up and is starting school! It's taking a long time for me to get used to the idea that he's going to be a big schoolboy. Even typing this my eyes are welling up. It's pure selfishness on my part - he's the sort of kid that will absolutely thrive at school. He's intelligent, makes friends really easily and is fun, kind and entertaining - the life of the party you might say (in a good way), he just wants everybody to have a good time. He has always loved going to preschool but lately on his preschool mornings he no longer wants to go. He's pretty much the oldest there now and is definitely ready for the next stage - an eager beaver ready to learn.

Milly and I are going to miss him terribly. How can the last five years have gone so fast?

My New Obsession

2009-09-14T09:17:00.007+12:00

Yep, I've made another one of these. This basket is to go in Miss Moochers bedroom to try and contain all of her dolls house furniture which seems to be scattered across her bedroom floor at any given time, despite the fact that I round it up and put it back in the house more than once a day.

I tried to get clever and made each square 3 inches, rather than the original 2 inches. This worked out well until it came to the lining and with my questionable mathmatical ability I seemed to have miscalculated and it was too small. I only had one fat quarter of the gorgeous doll fabric so I had to use plain white for the lining. Oh well, I guess that means I'll have to make another one to fit the doll lining, won't I!

It also fits perfectly into her cube bookcase.

Wordless Weekend

2009-09-13T14:14:00.001+12:00

I'll take one in every colour please!

2009-09-09T14:10:00.000+12:00

I'm on a bit of a roll with sewing adults clothes at the moment - the change of season always makes me crave new clothes and since I can't afford to buy any, sewing them is my only option. I've been getting Burda World of Fashion magazines for awhile now - at $15 they are really good value and even though alot of the patterns in them are too formal for a stay at home Mum, there are quite a few casual clothes that I've been meaning to make.

This pattern is from the February 2008 issue (my all-time favourite) and is made up in satin-backed crepe in the magazine. I absolutely love pleats so this caught my eye right away. I've made it up in a grey knit fabric (only $6 a meter - yay!). It was really simple to make and I haven't even bothered to hem it. It has rolled up nicely so that the raw edge isn't even visible. I omitted the zip because the fabric had enough stretch that it wasn't necessary.

Please excuse the wrinkles - I've already worn this a couple of times!

Ottobre 1/2009 'Hertta' Skirt'

2009-09-09T13:55:00.006+12:00

I have seen so many gorgeous versions of this skirt but unfortunately this is not one of them. I've had it cut out since mid-winter but lost interest half way through and have just finished it now. The weather is absolutely gorgeous here - far too late in the year to be sewing a corderoy skirt. I was so disheartened with it that I didn't even bother putting the heart pockets on it - cord was definitely the wrong fabric choice for this.

Still, Miss Moocher seemed pretty pleased with it and wanted to wear it straight away so at least it wasn't at total waste - and she is my harshest critic after all!

I won't let this put me off this pattern - I will absolutely be trying this again in a nice drapey cotton. I also have the 'Babushka' pinafore dress (Ottobre 1/2009) all cut out and ready to be sewn so hopefully I'll have more joy with that.

Wordless Weekend

2009-09-05T12:26:00.002+12:00

Another Birthday Pressie (that I wanted to keep for myself!)

2009-09-02T05:09:00.001+12:00

Another Birthday - this time my Sister. For her I made Burda 2-2009-129 in a satin fabric. The pattern has a bow on the band at the front but Sis isn't a bows and ribbons type of girl so I left it off. I think with the fabric I've used it might have been a bit busy anyway if I had added it.

I had seen a couple of reviews for this pattern here and here and they had both used elastic in a casing for the neckline and sleeves instead of shirring, as the original pattern called for. It also instructed for the sleeve and neck edges to be finished with a narrow zigzag but the satin was fraying pretty badly so I knew it wouldn't last past the first whirl in the washing machine if I did that. Casings seemed like the best option.

I really love this blouse and I'm intending on making one for myself in a more casual fabric. The only change I would make is to add an inch to the length - after two pregnancies flashing my stomach when I lift my arms up is something I would like to spare everyone from seeing!

For the Birthday Girl

2009-08-31T13:28:00.011+12:00

Late August/early September is a very busy time in our family for birthdays. Mum's, my Sisters, Dad's and Fathers Day are all within 4 days of each other. Phew!

For Mum I made her pattern no 131 from Burda World of Fashion 1/2009. This is a nice basic pattern but, as always seems to be the case with Burda patterns, it was obscenely low cut and I had to take it up by 6cm(!) in the front.

The front has an gathered inset which makes it a bit more interesting.

This was the first adults garment I've made in over a year and I had forgotten how much more time-consuming they are than kid's clothes.

I love the fabric - turquoise and brown is one of my favourite colour combo's.

Wordless Weekend

2009-08-29T13:25:00.000+12:00

Some Fabric Love

2009-08-27T12:47:00.005+12:00

We have, yet again, had a bug that all the family has caught - thankfully not all at the same time. Mr Mischief started vomiting Monday, Miss Moocher puked Thursday, and Hubby and I were spewing by Saturday. Not nice. As such, it has been pretty quiet on the crafting side of things. I do have a couple of secret squirrel projects I am working on but can't reveal any more until next week.

Since I haven't been able to do that much in the sewing department, I've had to make do by purchasing more fabric. Since making the fabric basket, I've decided that Little Miss really needs one to keep her dolls house furniture in. Here are the selected fabrics:

and while I was at the fabric shop I had a rifle through their scraps and came home with this lot:

I've also decided that the kids will both be needing a quilt each for their beds. Miss Moocher's is still in the planning stages but the quilting shop had 20% off so I couldn't leave without purchasing some of this beautiful quilt fabric:

It is Darla by Tanya Whelan and is exactly the look I'm after. The colours are so fresh and will look beautiful in her bedroom.

Pressies for the Baby

2009-08-18T21:32:00.004+12:00

No, not my baby - I'm all done in that department! It was my cousins baby-shower over the weekend so I've been busy sewing some gifts. The sex is unknown so I've tried to keep them as unisex as possible but some pink did manage to sneak in!

A ribbon haired softie:

Bibs (of course - its not a baby shower without getting a million bibs!):

and a fabric basket to carry them in:

This was my first foray into quilting and I loved it!

The tutorial for this gorgeous fabric basket was found here.

Superhero Capes

2009-08-17T00:28:00.003+12:00

I made these a while back but they have had so much use the last few weeks that I had to share them. They are so quick and easy to make - just the sort of sewing I love.

The tutorial for them was found here.

Clothes underneath are optional but my kids definitely prefer to wear them au natural!

Yet More Ottobre Trousers

2009-08-14T11:22:00.014+12:00

Yep, my little guy is pretty rough on his pants and has managed to rip the knees of his 7 pocket trousers, so I've whipped him up another pair of snuggly warm cords.

It's the same basic pattern as before but with different front pockets, knee pads and a few embellishments added. I love piping, it makes everything look better :)

Hopefully the knee pads will extend the life of these pants - but probably not!

I'm still no further ahead with the nearly complete jersey for the kiddo. I love knitting but loathe it when it comes time to do the bands and sewing up. I have two cardigans that are up to that stage (one is probably too small for her now!) so I'd better get a wriggle on if she's to wear them this season.

I have made Miss Moocher a new skirt with some cute pockets added and a casual top. The top is from Ottobre 6/2008, the Powder Puff blouse and should have been really simple but the fabric stretched from here to eternity and the binding I had wasn't much better. I had to bind the neckline 4 times before I got it right and even then it ended up pretty huge. By that stage I was so over it that it was good enough.

It has some shirring in the middle of the front but it's pretty hard to see with the busy fabric.

At the moment I'm busy sewing for a baby shower I have this Sunday - so exciting sewing for a baby!

Ottobre Dolly Dress

2009-08-06T13:59:00.000+12:00

From the moment I saw this gorgeous fabric at Spotlight I knew I wanted to make the Dolly Dress with it. This dress has a really old-fashioned charm about it. It reminds me of the dresses I wore from photos Mum has of me when I was an ankle-biter and I just love the girlyness of it. The fabric is a finewale courderoy and is super soft. The pattern was really straight-forward and simple. It does have an invisible zip in the back of it but the instructions for putting this in were really good. Only 2 attempts this time - I'm getting better! Miss Moocher, with her aversion to anything resembling trousers, was more than happy to wear it which was a bit of a relief considering her diva-like behaviour when getting dressed nowdays.

Close-up of the neckline:

The pattern was from Ottobre 6/2008.

I'm Back

2009-08-03T10:32:00.000+12:00

Well, it's been a rough few weeks in our house. We have all (apart from healthy husband) had a good dose of the horrible flu that has been doing the rounds. Life in general for us had come to a screeching holt and today is the first day that the kids are back at pre-school (yippee!!). They have been fighting like cat and dog so it's a bit of a relief to get them out of the house for a couple of hours. Its a beautiful sunny day and great to feel well again.

Before succumbing to the misery of the flu, I did manage to fix up the really stupid mistake I had made on the owl top. Somehow or other I managed to hem the sleeve caps and put the sleeves in upside down! It looked fine on the hanger but when I put it on my little monkey they were too tight and stuck straight up. It actually took me a while to figure out what I'd done wrong but after looking at the picture of what it should look like the penny dropped. I was obviously away with the fairies when I was putting those sleeves in!!

The pattern is from my Japanese sewing book 'Sassy Girls Clothes' and the cute fabric was a find at a quilting shop. I just had enough and had to use a contasting fabric for the facings and underneath layer of the sleeve.

I also managed to finish off the cardigan I had been working on. The vintage button is from my Nanna's collection that was lucky enough to have given to me when she passed away. The pattern is from 'The Third Little Sublime Handknit Book' .

I've also got another cardy in the works for my wee angel and I'm almost at the sewing up stage - hopefully next week it will be completed. You might be wondering why my daughter gets all the woolley jerseys while my son is left out in the cold (so to speak). The reason is that he absolutely hates anything woolley. I would love to be able to knit him something gorgeous but in the past when I've managed to coax him into something woolley there have been immediate cries of "Aaghh, it's biting me!" or "Get it off, it's too spicy!" (I had to laugh at that one). I've had to settle for plain old merino singlets instead. :(

My daughter has obviously decided that it's far too warm for trousers now (if only!) and is refusing to wear them. I've made a soft denim skirt with a second layer of cotton underneath for extra warmth. She's two and has developed a major case of ATTITUDE and won't wear anything she doesn't want to, no matter how much I beg, plead and bribe.

The pattern is the basic skirt pattern from Ottobre 4/2007 and the applique is from Ottobre 1/2008.

I have also made some more pants for Mr Mischief and a dress for Miss Attitude but I still have to photograph them. Some idiot accidentally threw away the rechargable batteries for the camera (guilty sideways look) so I will upload some pics when I can.

What's wrong with this picture?

2009-07-15T15:41:00.000+12:00

I am in the process of fixing a really silly mistake that I made with this top - can you guess what it is?

Some Woolley Goodness

2009-07-14T15:52:00.000+12:00

We've spent the last week on holiday in the beautiful town of Tekapo. I was on a mission to get a jersey knitted for my 2 year old who feels like the cold just like her Mummy and believe me, it was cold there. Unfortunately I didn't get it done in time but Mum came to the rescue by putting in a marathon effort to knit up this little beauty. Thanks Mum!

The pattern is out of 'The Third Little Sublime Handknit Book' and is the 'Little Mabel' pattern (love the name of it!). It is made of 100% Merino brought on sale from Spotlight for the bargain price of $3.50 per ball.

I have almost finished the cardigan I was making but I wasn't 100% happy with the yoke so I've had to unpick it and have another go at it. The merino wool seems to go a long way so there's been enough left over to knit up the 'Cheeky Beret' pattern from the same book and of course I had to crochet a flower to go on it.

Queen Anne Lace Scarf

2009-07-14T15:42:00.001+12:00

Yep, I've knocked out another one of these. This is really enjoyable and fairly quick to make and great for a beginner like myself. Unfortunately my peacock blue version is about double the length after being used as horse-reins when the kids were playing horsies (grrrr) so it's nice to have one that is thick enough to keep my neck warm without having to wrap it round a million times. This was made in Patons Smoothie and used a whole 100gm ball.

Ottobre Magazine

2009-07-02T15:23:00.000+12:00

The preview of the next Ottobre is now up on their website. There is some really nice stuff and here are a few of my favourites:

There is also a boy's trench coat which I thought was pretty funny. I don't know any boys that would dress in a trench coat (the thought of my kid in one has me laughing out loud) and the way they have styled it with a newspaper under the boys arm is hilarious!

Despite this, all of the other designs are totally gorgeous - I can't wait to get my hands on this!

A Girly Twirly Whirly Skirt

2009-06-25T14:28:00.000+12:00

So, after making so much boys stuff I thought it was time to get back to the more enjoyable task of making girls clothes. Cos lets face it, they're just cuter.

I chose the 'Misty' skirt Ottobre 1/2008 because it looked relatively straight-forward, or so I thought. Unfortunately it turned out to be one of those pain in the butt sewing experiences where everything seemed to go wrong. Firstly, I had issues with the elastic I had not being stretchy enough so I had to wait until the kids were at preschool to get to the sewing shop (anyone with preschoolers will know why that is!), and then the meter of ric-rac I had brought from a shop over the other side of town wasn't quite enough for the hem. By this stage I was really keen to get this skirt over and done with so I loaded my daughter in the car and drove over to get it. As I was getting kiddo out of the car (who is toilet training, incidentally) I noticed she had wet her pants and the light purple skirt she was wearing didn't hide it very well. Being a spur of the moment decision to go to shop in the first place I was totally unprepared and had no change of clothes. However, having gone all they way over to the other side of town just to get this ric-rac, there was no way I was going home empty-handed so we all bowled into the shop, soggy skirt included. The ric-rac was purchased in a flash and we were back in the car before you can say "what's that smell?"

Anyway, after all that drama, Miss Moocher loves the skirt and wants to wear it all the time. Yay, success!

This skirt also passed the crucial 'Billows around my waist when I jump' Test. Quite a few of those tests actually!

I'm looking forward to making a lighter one of these when the weather warms up. Lets hope the next one is a bit more straight-forward!

Matrysohka Print Giveaway

2009-06-18T14:44:00.001+12:00

To be in with a chance to win one of these gorgeous prints, head over to here for a giveaway from Twinkle Star Art.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

2009-06-18T12:41:00.001+12:00

I have been doing a bit of recycling of old clothes here lately. I found a stretchy, faux-denim skirt that had been gathering dust in the back of my wardrobe since I had my son nearly 5 years ago. Since it's not really my style any more (meaning it's still 2 sizes too small and I've given up hope of losing my 'baby weight') I decided it would be better as a pair of tights for my 2 year old. She's toilet training at the moment so we're going through the pants faster than I can wash them. The pattern was from my beautiful Japanese craft book 'Sassy Girls Clothes' brought from here.

The top was an old merino turtle neck of Mum's that she no longer wanted. It's really soft and a beautiful shade of red so I made it up into this pattern using the original hems for the bottom and sleeves. Instead of shirring the front I ran a gathering stitch through it and then covered it with the red ribbon.

I have also finally finished the lizard pants that I have had in my sewing room for what feels like forever. When I was part of the way through I realised that they were going to be massive on my 4 year old so didn't get around to completing them till now. They're still not hemmed but because they're not going to fit him until next winter I'll leave it till then. I'm crossing my fingers that he won't have outgrown having a lizard on his pants at the ripe old age of 5.

I really wanted rivets for the pockets but they were so hard to find! I'm glad I persevered because I love the look of them. The pattern is Ottobre 4/2007 29 and the applique is from Ottobre 1/2008 11. (The applique is at the bottom of the leg)

Coming up next will be something nice and girly. I'm totally over sewing boys pants - practical but boring and too many fiddly little details.

This is what happens when a 2 year old comes across a 5kg bag of flour....

2009-06-10T13:07:00.000+12:00

Whilst bringing in the washing I was alerted by excited whoops and squeals of delight. I knew there was a reason for putting a lock on the pantry door - now I just have to remember to use it!

Another Pair of Pants

2009-06-08T16:18:00.000+12:00

I have made another pair of pants from Ottobre 1/2009, where they have an easy basic pants design with 3 variations of the one pattern. I have already made the 7 pocket pants and was so happy with the fit that I've made the second version, and plan to do the third version also. Mr Mischief was happy with them too - when he tried them on he said in complete surprise "They fit!" which translates as "I like them".

These have a really interesting and simple to sew wrap-around pocket detail. The front and back pockets are actually the same long pocket which is attached and then sewn down the outside leg seam to turn it into two pockets (see pic).

Front:

Back:

I tried topstitching thread but my machine was having none of it, the seams looked like a bowl of spaghetti - a mass of tangled threads that took forever to unpick so normal thread had to do.

And of course I had to include a tag made of robot ribbon in the back pocket seam.

My Free Robot Sweatshirt

2009-06-08T11:29:00.000+12:00

My 4 year old son is obsessed with wearing hoodies - he refuses to ever wear a hat, no matter how cold it is and how much I nag, so having a hood is a good compromise. I had some really thick brushed sweatshirting in my stash and decided to embellish it with a bit of freezer paper stencilling. If you haven't tried this before there is a really good tutorial here.

I used Ottobre 1/2008, pattern 28 'Pocket' hooded sweatshirt. The pattern was great but if I make it again I will make the neckline slightly wider because my kid has trouble getting it off his head and starts screaming and panicking (quite funny to watch actually).

The sweatshirt is actually fire engine red, like the first photo not hot-pink as it appears in the others. If I had been buying the fabric I wouldn't have done the cuffs and hem black, but because I was using what I had at home, thats the way it is. Hubby was very impressed that I had whipped this up without spending a cent!

The stencil was found here, amongst many other cool stencils (including a transformer!) which the kiddo would love.

Some Basics

2009-05-18T14:55:00.000+12:00

My little Moocher has just started preschool two mornings a week and is really enjoying it. As much as I'm missing her and her brother, with both of the kids at preschool on Monday and Wednesday mornings, its great to have some time to sew. Now that she's a big preschool girl I thought I'd better make her some clothes to wear that can get ruined by paint without it being too much of a drama.

First up is a couple of pairs of leggings. These are the 'Lelle' leggings from Ottobre Winter 6/2008. They are really simple - only one pattern piece with an elasticated waist and hemmed with a twin needle. It's really nice not to have to faff around matching stripes down the outside leg of these. These are both a size 92, however I didn't pre-shrink my fabric and the stripey one's have shrunk in the wash - they still fit though (phew!).

Next up is the 'Elly' raglan sleeve top, also from Ottobre Winter 6/2008. This was my first time shirring and after a couple of failed attempts because of not stretching the elastic enough when winding the bobbin, it all seemed to come together really well. It is so much fun - expect to see many more shirred tops in the future.

This white one was my 'practice' version but turned out to be my favourite. Despite it being THE most impractical colour, I absolutely love white on kids - it makes them look so angelic and babyish (big sigh).

For version number two I didn't have any matching ribbing and when it was complete the neckhole was too small for a head to fit through so I had to cut down the back and add a placket with a button and elastic loop.

The next top is the 'Puffy' top from Ottobre Spring 1/2008. This top turned out ok but I was a bit disappointed with the neckline. If I make this again I will definitely use ribbing because it turned out all stretched and wavy without it. It doesn't look as bad on as it does on the hanger, but it could definitely be better. I love the navy and white stripes with the aqua blue though.

With all this sewing time I'm also giong to finish up some of the projects that got started but not finished for one reason or another. Here's a sneaky peek at the first of my unfinished projects.

Make It Perfect Giveaway

2009-05-12T15:08:00.001+12:00

To win a pattern for this gorgeous jacket go here now. This is so girly and sweet!

Learning to Crochet

2009-05-11T13:15:00.000+12:00

Crochet is something I've been wanting to try for quite a while. All those lovely crochet flowers embellishing a plain woollen hat are just beautiful. My first attempt was a rather sad looking flower which took a lot longer than it should have and didn't look much like it should have.

After seeing this and this, I knew I had to break out the crochet hook once more and master this art. I hurt my leg and had to rest it for a couple of days last week so it gave me something to do, other than think about what I should be doing but couldn't (cooking, cleaning, washing, yada yada).

So, without further ado, I present to you the Queen Anne Lace Scarf.

This is made with one ball of Patons Smoothie, which is an acrylic but perfect for this project because anything too 'woolly' and the pattern would be lost. It's lovely and soft on my neck as well, not scratchy as wool has a tendency to be.

The free pattern was found on Ravelry which, if you haven't already, you absolutely have to join.

This was a really good beginner project and after I had finished I decided to make one as a Mothers Day gift.

I still think I might have one more in me. These things are addictive!

I've Created a Monster!

2009-05-11T12:56:00.000+12:00

Or, more correctly, Mr Mischief has. Remember this? Well we decided to crank it up one cold, rainy afternoon and this is the result of my 4 year old sons sewing session. (With a bit of help from Mum). Isn't he clever?

I did the cutting out and helped him manouvre the fabric in the sewing machine but he was capable of a lot more than I thought he would be, namely the focus and concentration to actually complete it. I feel so proud of him and he loves his monster teddy.

The free pattern for this and many other cool soft toys can be found here.

As Warm as Toasty

2009-05-01T12:54:00.000+12:00

I really feel the cold. A lot. I'm the one with 3 blankets on the bed while hubby has kicked all his off and is complaining about the heat. With the temperature dropping into the negatives here this week I was very pleased to have on my toasty wristwarmers.

These things are so simple - basically just a tube knitted on 4 needles but they are really snuggly and warm. These are knitted with an unknown wool found in my stash but it is really soft and slightly fluffy. The free pattern was found here and check out the blog for more excellent patterns.

Now that the weather is a lot cooler my knitting needles have been calling to me so there hasn't been much sewing happening lately. I did manage to finish the top I had been making for myself but its too big for me :( so I've given it away. I did take some photo's though.

This was made with a "Get Creative" pattern from Spotlight. It was basically a good pattern but does run quite big. I didn't even look at the measurements and just did my normal size, so I'll call that a lesson learnt. I had never done a placket front before and now I have so it wasn't a total waste of time.

Hello, My Name is Melinda and I am a Trimaholic

2009-04-21T17:01:00.000+12:00

It would be fair to say that I am a little bit obsessed with trims and embellishments. There is nothing quite like crochet lace trim to get the heart racing. Imagine how my heart rate shot up then when I discovered these beauties being sold by this seller on TradeMe.

And for the boys;

There is so much detail - the cross-eyed geisha girl is so cute!

I love being able to make a standard garment something really special and girly simply by adding a bit of trim around the hem. Call me lazy but the more straight-forward it is to sew, the happier I am!

Boys Ottobre Trousers

2009-04-21T15:29:00.001+12:00

Well, I have finished the pants for Mr Mischevious and I couldn't be more pleased. The pattern was such a simple one - no fly front, just elastic. The feature of these pants is the pockets which are everywhere on them - 5 on the front, 2 on the back. (Please excuse the smeary fingerprint on the photo's).

These are from the Spring 09 Ottobre Design and there are 3 versions of the same basic pants pattern. I already have another one cut out and ready to sew!

I added a monster trim to the side of them which was from Farbenmix Germany. I purchased this one, and several others on TradeMe (New Zealands version of Ebay) and I must confess that I went a little bit overboard. There were so many gorgeous ribbons that I couldn't decide so got heaps of them. I will post a photo shortly because they really are divine.

Fabric Eye Candy!!!

2009-04-20T14:25:00.000+12:00

Yes, I have been indulging in my favourite past-time and have brought some cute new fabrics for winter clothes for the kiddliwinks. It is freezing here today and the clothes they are currently wearing aren't cutting the mustard warmth-wise.

These cord fabrics are destined to become (in order) a dress, tunic and pants. I'm not 100% sure which patterns I'm using yet, but you can be sure they will be from Ottobre Magazine.

These fabrics are a really nice dark, stretch denim and some gorgeous, thick knit fabric with matching binding. Here's a close-up of the knit fabric - I love it.

Stay tuned to see the results of this big sewing-fest. I've also made a top for myself which I will take a photo of and post on here soon.

Sweet Sublime Cardigan for a Sweet Girl

2009-04-08T20:02:00.001+12:00

This cardy has been a long time coming, despite that fact that it's a really quick and easy pattern. It was originally intended to be for summer, however with a long-sleeved top underneath it's fine for our NZ Autumn. I had originally intended to have quite a plain button, like the picture on the pattern, however when it was lost in the depths of my sewing room I improvised with a covered button and I'm really pleased with the result. This is knitted in a cotton/acrylic mix that I had in my stash and the pattern is from this gorgeous book here.

With the weather getting cooler by the day here I've realised that we are a bit short on warm clothes so at the moment I'm working on some cord pants for the kids using patterns from my Ottobre Design books. I've nearly finished some for Mr Mischief so I'll put a photo up when I'm done.

Beautiful Bows from Ella and Kate

2009-04-08T19:36:00.000+12:00

Wow! Look at what a lucky girl I am. I was jammy enough to win a blog giveaway held by the lovely Tamara from Bluebird Makes Her Nest and looky looky what I got.

A beautifully presented parcel

With these gorgeous, gorgeous bows and pretty buttons

Surprisingly my little moocher kept these in for over an hour which is a hairclip record! Normally they get pulled out within 30 seconds, if I'm able to attach them at all. She loves them.

Also in the parcel were these cute retro trims and fabric.

Thank you so much Tamara. You've made my day!

What a Bargain!

2009-04-08T15:25:00.000+12:00

The other day I was just having a browse through all the treasures at my local op-shop when I stumbled upon this little gem.

A children's sewing machine complete with instructions and a hard cover!

And the best bit?

Oh, how I love a bargain.

Every Spare Minute

Easy Knits

Ballerina Cushions

Scarves and Skirts

Stitchbird Fabrics Giveaway

Watercolours

This Week...

Quilt Blocks for Kids

Earthquake - My Thoughts on 'Getting Through'

Christchurch Earthquake

Why I shouldn't be lazy

Little Miss Fancy Pants

Origami Top - Finally!

Happy Monday!

Bonjour Madamoiselle!

I *heart* My Quilt

Scrap Packs

This Week.....

Drumroll Please!

Speaking of Giveaways....................

It's Giveaway Time!

Wordless Weekend

Ballet Fever

Twinkle Sews by Wenlan Chia

Stitchbird Fabrics Giveaway!!

Catching Up

Sewing HQ

Back to Basics

Haitian Earthquake

New Year, New Header

Another Buttercup Bag

I'm a Winner!

Christmas Craziness

Wordless Weekend

The Mad Hatter

Wordless Weekend

Babushka Love

Baby Shoes

Sew! by Cath Kidston

Wordless Weekend

Wordless Weekend

Another Ottobre Dress for Milly

Milly's Dress

The Haul

Wordless Weekend

Meet the Newest Member of our Family

The Quilt Top

Ssssh - the Baby's Sleeping

Wordless Weekend

Wordless Weekend

Ottobre Tweet Tweet Top

Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Juice

Kreative Blogger Award

Wordless Weekend

The Makeup Artist

A Giveaway

A Cushion for My Milly

Wordless Weekend

Ottobre Babushka Dress

Feeding My Fabric Addiction

Wordless Weekend

My Baby's not a Baby Anymore (sniff)

My New Obsession

Wordless Weekend

I'll take one in every colour please!

Ottobre 1/2009 'Hertta' Skirt'

Wordless Weekend

Another Birthday Pressie (that I wanted to keep for myself!)

For the Birthday Girl

Wordless Weekend

Some Fabric Love

Pressies for the Baby

Superhero Capes

Yet More Ottobre Trousers

Ottobre Dolly Dress

I'm Back

What's wrong with this picture?

Some Woolley Goodness

Queen Anne Lace Scarf

Ottobre Magazine

I heart My Quilt