Matchy Matchy Penguins… or the cute and the ridiculous.

Posted on 12/08/2013 by Sandra

A few weeks ago I picked up this cute penguin fabric from the Salvation Army store. It is a polyester with a soft/light texture on the printed side.

I bought it to make one of one boys a hoodie… but it is very cute and I do like riduculous clothing, so I thought I could sneak it as a top for myself. So I asked facebook if it was for Lewis or for me… and they replied… FOR LEWIS! So I felt guilty and found my kids sweatshirt pattern – a kwik sew one from the op shop. In laying out the fabric I knew I would have to use a stash black knit for the bands and other parts as I only had just over a metre.

I managed to fit the front of my top and the front/back/hood of the hoodie for Lewis. The rest I got out of black stash knit and repurposing an old tee for the armbands asnd waistband of the hoodie.

Lewis pile on the left, mine on the right.

I finished the hoodie on Wednesday night but the boy was fast asleep so I tried it on ted and left it there for the morning.

I was happy with the result, I think I need to re-do the waistband as it is a little tight, and the hood is a little small as I traced it off an existing top, which if I recall now, is also a little small.

I made another Blank Canvas tee for myself which took no time on Saturday morning to whip up. I love the shape of this top. The side seam does not go down the middle of the side, it goes more towards the back.

So here we are… matchy matchy… him being cute and me being ridiculous.

And just one more cause he is so cute.

An Episode of Enid Blyton

Posted on 11/08/2013 by Sandra

When I was little I loved fairy stories – particularly ones about little elves and gnomes that lived in the bottom of the garden or the woods at the end of the lane. Living just out of sight of humans until they needed to contact that one special child. I realised I haven’t grown up too much from this when I spotted this gnome and woodland creature printed cotton, I even circled the store 3 times but I kept coming back to it. I bought it intending to make a quirky summer skirt, but my sewing plans always change.

I first saw the Woodland Stroll Cape at the start of the year with Wendy’s version at a sewing meet up. I was very impressed and could see myself rocking a little cape like this. I found the outer fabric a few weeks later at Unearthed (a retro store on Upper Cuba St) which was about 1.5m x 1.5m and only $12. It is a brushed tartan with some wool content (I assume) and best of all it is green.

When I was on a roll cutting projects out a few months ago this tartan and cape pattern had floated to the top so I just needed a lining… and the gnomes was the best option in my stash (and probably a better use than another cotton skirt). I cut everything out and then cut out a few more projects and this one drifted down in the new stash of projects cut but not begun. I hadn’t forgotten about it, I just had others that kept rising to the top above it. Then a new challenge arose – The Monthly Stitch – with its Cape Challenge. How could I not do it? Especially with a cape already cut out and ready to go.

So when frustrated with other projects I got this one out of the bag and got stuck in. It is a simple cape to make – the shoulders seams of the shell and the lining are sewn, then you find a large flat space and pin all the edges together. This long seam is sewn and then with some clever gathers in the round corners to pull them nicely in it is all turned through the hole in the lining shoulder. After a gentle iron to coax these corners and the edges to sit nicely all that is needed is buttons/buttonholes to finish it off. I got most of mine done on a Saturday afternoon!

So with my cheeky gnomes, foxes and mushrooms and the pattern is the Woodland Stroll Cape I decided this was my Enid Blyton Cape and now I am off to read my copy of the wishing chair!

FlossieFT’s Essential Floof

Posted on 06/08/2013 by Sandra

The other day Johanna stated that she needed a petticoat for essential floof, we all agreed and then we all agreed that WE needed floof too!

I have been thinking about making a tiered petticoat for a while but was not sure on what material to use. There are a bunch of tutorials out there but I couldn’t feel the fabric. So after much Facebook discussion, some googling and seeing Joy’s actual petticoat I was determined to make one. I took the last of the tricot off the role at Arthur Toyes and got sewing.

I made this in one night when the boys were all away, so I had no distractions and was feeling motivated. I mostly followed Maryannes tutorial I done some basic maths with googles assistance and done a rough calculation based on the 5m of fabric I had bought. I wanted a 3/4 circle for the yoke…bit sure why now but it seemed like the right idea at the time. I cut out the yoke and then cut two strips 30cm x 5m approx ( the length of my fabric. And one strip 40cm x 3m approx. These are approximates as I just cut big strips and they got slightly adjusted when I sewed it up.

Mel suggested using a gathering foot in our discussions and I had one from my box of feet purchase earlier in the year. I had no idea how it worked so youtube showed me how. I did a test run and was happy with how it work and I was off!

I decided to make a multi layered petticoat. So my yoke is one layer with the 40cm width gathered in the middle and attached to the yoke on the gather line. The bottom layers are the 30cm strips gathered in the middle and attached to the middle layers on the gather line. This pic may explain it a little.

I laid it out on the floor to make sure the layers were roughly close in length and got the ok from my facebook supporters that I was on the right track.

I added the lace before I built the layers together. It was off a big roll of lace I got from fabric-a-brac for $2. For the waistband I used a piece of wide elastic from my stash that a zig zagged onto the yoke.

Overall it was LOTS of straight lines and swearing at it taking forever… and I put the lace on upside down… and there are loose threads all over it… and don’t look too closely at one of the seams…. but I am happy with it.

More importantly… here it is in action…

Top right has no petticoat and bottom left does.

I also wore it with my pavlova.

And I even wore it to work the other day… but I forgot to take a photo. I did feel extremely elegant all day though.

And thanks to the great suggestions for naming my lady in red dress form.

The winner by random is:

Wendy – so my dress forms name is now Tallulah. Thanks Wendy i will kepp my word and find a fabric in my stash for you and maybe some chocolate.

17/52 Another Brown Burda… this time with a slight mullet

Posted on 05/08/2013 by Sandra

I have had this Burda pattern on my to-sew list for many years. I finally got round to making it a few weeks ago using some brown knit fabric from my starfish sale stash.

I made no adjustments out of the packet and sewed it up at a Fabric Hoarders sewing day. As it is a knit I did not finish my seams, except to topstitch down the neck band. I used a pant zipper as an external zipper on the back, it is short as I only need it to close the neck due to the stretch in the knit. The skirt has a slightly high-low hem hence it has a slight mullet, but it is not too extreme.

Unfortunately I do not like the armholes but I did not have enough fabric for sleeves. The armholes are too big and floppy, so I might either put a little capped sleeve on or turn the hem under another time to make them sit narrower from the end of my shoulders.

I decided to ask my work colleague to help with my photos today and use the wall on my floor with amazing textured wallpaper that matches my hair!