Autumn Liberty Blouse

I'm thinking that Grumbles is looking so snazzy in her new Liberty blouse that maybe, just maybe, I should make one for myself!





Project Details
Pattern: Blouse #15 from Ottobre Magazine 1/2005
Fabric: 80cm of Liberty Tana Lawn in Wiltshire Red from Tessuti Fabrics
Notions: 42cm of elastic for neckline

This is the same pattern as the other blouse I made up for Grumbles. On this one, however, I didn't elasticise the sleeves, nor put any ribbon detail on the yoke gathering. Such a simple, sweet blouse that really shows off the fabric, and man does it look good with a pair of black cords and boots.

Yep, gotta make one for me, and soon!

Read more...

Liberty Ladybug Shirt

Nine years after I bought it, I FINALLY found a use for that darn ladybug button!

Project Details
Pattern: Blouse #15 from Ottobre Magazine 1/2005
Fabric: 80cm of Liberty Cotton in "Kayoko Navy" from Tessuti Fabrics
Notions: Scrap of red grosgrain and one ladybug button that had long been relegated to the button stash jar.

Read more...

Pink and red sorta stripes

Back in the day, when I was studying fashion design, one of our teachers told us that if we ever made a mistake in a garment we should never declare it to be an actual error. Instead, she breezily informed us, we should tell people it was a design feature.

So that big pink section you can see that has no red stripes? Well, don't you go thinking that it's because I ran out of red wool. No darlings, it's a design feature!



Oh my gosh, who am I kidding? This is what happens when you go rummaging around in your stash, and come up with one smallish ball of red, and one and a halfish balls of pink. I thought I could beat the odds by doing four rows of pink to two rows of red, but the gamble obviously didn't pay off. Still, Grumbles is super happy with it, and I got to do some stashbusting. Year of Frugality AND austerity crafting still going strong round these parts, you see.

Project Details
Pattern: No pattern per se, just four rows of colour A then two rows of colour B in stocking stitch
Yarn: Cleckheaton Country Silk in Ruby and Pink (just tried the Cleckheaton website, and this yarn has now been discontinued)
Needles: 4.5mm

Read more...

And then there were four

Two things:
(1) All the above four dolls, and 19 out of the 23 dresses sold at the school fete. Hoorah! Yay for me!

(2) I really, really, REALLY need to take my Christmas cards down. It's nearly April, right?!?!

Read more...

Doing my bit...and then some.

In case you are wondering where I have been for the last couple of weeks, the answer is this: I've been chained to the sewing machine, making 23 dresses for the school fete. Every spare minute has been spent cutting, overlocking, stitching, rolling hems and finally threading sweet grosgrain ribbon until they were all done. My back may be sore from hunching over to sew, but I can honestly say that as a member of our school community I have well and truly done my bit.

But then, oddly? Crazily? Stupidly? I decided that I also needed to whip up a few dolls. Why, I hear you all asking? To be honest, I'm not truly sure. I think I have some bizarre school fete-over-committment issue.



But seriously, who could resist making a few of these? The pattern is from the wonderful, talented and generally all around awesome Nic of 60piggies, who kindly said "Sure kid, go for your life!" when I emailed to ask if she would mind me making some to raise money for Grumble's school. And let us not forget, this is the Best.Softie.Pattern.Ever. And it's free for your use too on her website. I love Nic. She's AWESOME!

So the fete tally for yours truly is 23 dresses and 4 dolls. And besides, just between you and me, I suck at making jam. So that ruled that one out. But sewing? Yeah... I can sew.

Read more...

Baby face, you've got the cutest little baby face...

Do you remember when I was chubby? And blonde? With curls in my hair?

Nah, me neither. Thank goodness for photographic evidence, then. And look - I'm wearing a hand made dress! Some things never change.


Anybody else care to share their baby photos?

Read more...

Leave footprints, take photos

Totally, totally, totally needed that mini-break to Venus Bay. I only wish that we could have stayed longer.

Read more...