growing.

My “want to make” list, that is! The delightful Miss Bee offered me up a couple of patterns that she didn’t need anymore, that I was glad to take off her hands – the two very cute Make It Perfect patterns shown above. First on my list is the Uptown Girl jacket, and I managed some window shopping yesterday over at Bloom for the perfect cord for the outer, and found a cute flannel for the lining, thinking it would make it nice and snuggly for cold winter days. Until Bee suggested I *cough* read the description *cough* and it’s actually reversible. So I’m still pondering options on that one, and thinking about maybe adding a layer of flannel sandwiched inbetween? The winds here can be absolutely bitter, especially when it snows nearby, so I want something pretty insulated. Any thoughts?

The bag pattern is TOTALLY Carmel’s fault. As I’ve mentioned before, I have designed a bag for the bag challenge (and may or may not have gotten any further than that), but then Carmel is posting about Duckcloth having a closing down sale and linking the Melly and Me Sleepover bag, and really, at $10, how could I resist? It’ll be perfect for a hospital bag. And AJ was going to get one too, so we could keep each other on track. Until she blogged HER pattern purchase, and realised she’d bought the Amy Butler Weekender. Us and our grand ideas!! I haven’t started selecting fabric for this one yet, I’ll have to have a bit of a surf around, I’m thinking maybe a funky twill or cord? Not sure.

Now, all I need to do is find the mojo to tidy my studio so I can get to my sewing machine, and then I can get busy!

not your nana’s doilies

So a while back, I posted about my adventures in doily making. Despite my husband think I was ready for the nursing home, I had a grand plan in mind. You see, Butterfly has two big brothers. All three children have their birthdays within 3 weeks of each other. So I have this massive stash of boys clothes in the right size, but wrong gender. A few bits and pieces are neutral enough though, like jeans. But after two active little boys learning to crawl in them, the knees were pretty dodgy. Cue the inspiration wave – darning with doilies. Mended pants, and girling them up at the same time? Perfect!

 

(I do have another mini doily to add to the other side, just haven’t gotten that far yet!) I also thought the back could do with some tizziness, so I added some little pocket embroidery.

 

I was quite pleased with the end result!

 

Monday has rolled around, and with the second weekend away in a row under my belt, today is all about catching up. Butterfly is snoozing in a loungeroom cubby house, so I’m going to race around and hopefully even squeeze in a spot of sewing!

Party time!

 

After two boys, the whole “pink” thing has gone from “odd” to “overwhelming”. There is pink everywhere. I can do a whole load of washing, just of pink things. So, being the sewing type, how could I resist the chance to finally sew something pink and ruffly? A hot pink party dress, the polar opposite of wide-legged denim shorts. Fun fun fun!

 

Next up…matching bloomers. And after that, hopefully, I should have a lovely box of fabric to make a start on a couple of quilt+doona sets. I also need to finish some scrapping that is clogging my desk. And tidy the darn office. Maybe. Happy Monday everyone!

tall and skinny…

One of the best parts of being able to make the boys’ clothes myself is being able to make them fit just right. Master 4 is the “tall and skinny” of the post title. During a lvoely weekend of relaxing, spending time wit my famiyl and sewing, I’d managed to finish a second pair of little denim shorts for him, and decided to take some time to make up some new play shorts. This little pair comes from KwikSew 2918 – may fav pattern for play clothes. And thanks to making them myself, I could easily make them with the size four length he needed… and size TWO waist to hold them up! Goodness only know where he puts those 4 weetbix he has every morning! (As an added bonus, the fabric I used for these, I found on clearance a while back – $4 for the metre. Half of which made the original size two shorts, and two years later, they are still in great condition for Master 2. So for $2 and half an hour of my time, I’m thinking that’s a pretty good bargain!)

Today, we’re bundled up inside thanks to runny noses, icky coughs, and foul weather that seems to have forgotten it’s supposed to be spring time. Some baking to start stocking the freezer with snack for post-baby. A pile of clothes I have been studiously ignoring since the weekend that desperately need folding. Which sounds like a good excuse for a chick-flick. And a coffee. Hoepfully some scrapbooking to come this afternoon. A pile of photos to sift through and print and reminisce. Number crunching. And lots of cuddles with grumpy miserable boys. The weekend is so close, I can almost smell it. Happy Thursday everyone!

the saga of the shorts continues

And they are almost done! Full photoshoot and blogpost to come…

Mummy’s turn…

After two pairs of dress shorts and one pair of play shorts for Master4, I decided it was time to be a wee bit selfish and sew something for myself. With a design in mind, I collected some newspaper, a black texta and a ruler, and got sketching. And slowly, the prototype took shape.

(after another solid nap-time of sewing, the top just needs hemming, and then I’ll be bck to show off the results!)

he wears short shorts…

I have long had a goal to make some shorts for my little boy. From scratch. Including the pattern. With each passing season, my disillusionment with mass-produced children’s clothes has been growing. Buttons that fall off after two wears. Zips not zipping easily. General don’t-really-care-ness. And we’re not talking cheap stuff from kmart either.

Coming home from Europe, I felt like a fire had been re-ignited. I pulled a Sydney Morning Herald from the pile of recycling. Measuring tape in one hand, black texta in another, the pattern slowly emerged. I started sewing. A small change here, an adjustment there, and before long, a pair of shorts magically appeared. Looking almost as I’d planned.

There are mistakes, of course, but I’m pretty chuffed with the results of my first foray into pattern drafting of the more complex variety. I know what I need to change, and how to improve, so shorts mark 2 will be coming soon!

With 6 weeks, give or take, until baby Sprout joins us, I’ve begun a whirlwind of crafty nesting. Sewing of clothes for the boys. Designing tops for me. Sceapbooking. Photos. And of course toddler crafting is making an appearance regularly, especially with the rain. Playdough. Paint. I’ve got a plan to try some paper-making and some papier-mâché if I can get a clear day to get messy outside. There’s a groove with my name on it, and I’m just about in it. Real life, I’m back and ready for action. Let’s do this!