Cali Faye Collection Racer Back Flare dress

Hi all! I hope you had a good Easter/holiday.

Looking around the blogs lately I've realised I'm not alone in being on a Cali Faye Collection fad :-) So far I have 3 of their patterns and am trying to hold myself back from buying the Voila blouse and Cadette Coat. One thing I like about them is that they work for both my 6 year old and 9 year old - they're simple and stylish without being fussy, and the size goes up to age 10 (though my girls are on the smaller side so I think I'll get even longer out of them).



I fell in love with this little dress pattern, the Racer Back Flare, late last year and thought it would be perfect for my little girl's 6th birthday.

I made it up from a piece of a doona (duvet) cover that I found in my favourite charity shop. I really like reusing old sheets, covers, pillowcases etc, often the fabric is still in great condition and offers something a bit different. It's also often made of 100% cotton or linen and is comfortable to wear.




There's so much to love about this dress. Chiefly it's just a really great shape, with a perfect amount of flare and really well shaped neckline and armholes. The bodice is lined and the opening closes with a button, so no tricky zips or fastenings.



It's the perfect dress for twirling...



And even though she wasn't feeling well on the day of these pics she loves her dress and has worn it many times since her birthday last December. As the weather's cooler now she's can layer it with tshirts and leggings so it's really quite versatile. I also made her sister one in a totally different fabric. Now if I could just get around to photographing it!

I'd thoroughly recommend this pattern to anyone looking for a cute girls dress which is quick to sew and fun to wear.

Cali Faye Collection Perri Pullover

This post comes to you tonight courtesy of my procrastination on the task I'd mentally assigned myself earlier in the day: making cushions (or 'pillows')...

You see we have friends coming for lunch over Easter and I really wanted to get my act together and fix the woeful cushion issue in our living room. I know that my friend probably won't even notice them, but I will feel better if there's something new and fresh, know what I mean? And it will get them off the blasted 'to do' list!!

But I've procrastinated to the point where I now know what I haven't admitted to myself before... I loathe making cushions. I suspect this is down to the boring nature of the project. Plus I resent the fact that I could be working on my Asymmetric jacket or fulfilling one of the many sewing requests from the kids ;-)

Oh dear, I think I'll have to bribe myself tomorrow night with a big block of chocolate or something!But for now I'll continue to procrastinate and show you the Cali Faye Perri Pullover I made for my big girl's recent 9th birthday...



I wanted a casual top for her that wasn't too young, something stretchy and comfy, and I think this pattern fits the bill.



It came together well, using a medium weight interlock I found at Spotlight. I was going to make her some leggings to go with it but couldn't find any 2 way stretch fabric I liked, so picked up these RTW tights for her, they have a cute metallic thread running through them, but they're a bit tight and I also think either the pullover needs to be a little longer on her or worn with leggings of jeans/trousers.



I enjoyed adding the little touches of the pocket lining and matching tag at the neck (idea pinched from Kelly, thanks Kelly!).



(Apologies for the wrinkly shot above) I really like this top and am now struggling not to go and buy the grown-up version for me ;-)

So how about you - do you have anything you really don't like sewing?