Friday photos

Some favourites from the week gone by via Instagram (bubala_jo). Have a lovely weekend!

 

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Screen printed coffee beans

In my creative space this week I've been screen printing using my coffee design.




It's the first time I've printed a large piece of fabric and I found it fun to wander my way around the fabric first placing the group head in circular patterns and then randomly adding the coffee beans over the top. Every time I do some printing I remember how much I love it and how therapeutic it is. It's a shame there's not more time for it.

This is an old cotton linen table cloth that wasn't getting much use, so I thought I'd print it and make it into a couple of new covers for our kitchen bench seating (hopefully show you when they're done).

I'm joining in with the 'my creative space' fun again this week. Pop over here to check out some fantastic crafty goodness.

 

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Pattern love: Deer & Doe's Robe Belladone

I have a new pattern that I'm totally smitten with, the Belladone dress from French indie design company Deer and Doe.



I'd been looking for a nice dress pattern for an event we have on in November but hadn't found anything just right... I thought about the Sewaholic Cambie and also the Colette Peony, but they were just not quite right. But when I came across a pic of the Belladone on Pinterest I was sold - lovely simple design but with the special touch of that gorgeous back detail. I went on a quest to find the pattern and when I found it was French I wasn't deterred, even though I don't speak French... I figured it would be ok, and if not I could ask my lovely French friend Fanette to help me ;-). Incidentally, the patterns are due to be released in English in future, but I couldn't wait of course!

So I sent off for the pattern and was thrilled with both the speed of Eleonore's response to my email and then the post speed from France - 5 days! Amazing!

Deer and Doe's pattern line seems to have been launched only recently (by a 25 year old, no less. Wow, I think I was still trying to just put one foot in front of another at 25!). There's the Deer & Doe blog, and also a great blog called Deer & Doe addicts here where examples of the patterns can be found, and I have been stalking, of course ;-). But my favourite favourite example, and the one that made me go and buy the pattern, is this one. Just gorgeous. (Please go have a look if you're interested, I'd love to post pics but don't feel it's right to do it without permission).

I've now gone through the instructions with the help of Google Translate, traced the pattern, bought a zipper foot for my machine (can't believe I struggled on this long without one!) and am about to make a muslin. Then it will be a cafefully chosen fabric probably from The Fabric Store. So I'm hoping this dress has the makings of a favourite. Hopefully!

Do you have a favourite pattern waiting in the wings to be made? Do you fall in love with patterns like I do? Buy them in foreign languages from countries on the other side of the world? Sounds crazy putting it like that. Oh well!

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Fete crafting

Just a quick post today to show you some group crafting that's been going on around here for our upcoming school fete - lots of softie babushka dolls. It was great fun getting together with other mums and chatting while we worked ;-). Next up we're going to do monsters. And then I hope to make some pencil cases too with all those Ikea fabric scraps I have squirrelled away. We'll see.

Playing along with my creative space and hoping you've had a crafty week too!

 

 

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KCWC wrap up: more shorts

On the last 2 days of KCWC I finished off these shorts, another piece to add to my big girl's spring wardrobe. I also started a couple of new bags for my girls but they'll have to be finished later... ah, so many things to sew, so little time!



The pattern is from the Japanese Happy Homemade vol 2 - kids book, "L - Knee length shorts". Though they're not knee length, as I ran short of fabric, and also my girl likes them short.


I used a plain medium weight denim so that hopefully they will go with lots of tops.

I only just squeezed the pattern out of the small piece of fabric from my stash (used also in my Minoru jacket and my boy's pants). As I didn't have enough for the pockets I used a blue linen from the stash, then thought I'd trim them with some ric rac, sandwiched in between layers, to add a bit of interest.

And instead of the square pockets on the pattern I used the curved design from pattern "M - shorts with a back pocket" to give a slightly feminine feel.

This was the first time I'd used this book and I enjoyed it - the pattern instructions take a little to work out, as they're incredibly concise, so I'm not sure they'd be great for a beginner, but for anyone with a little experience I think it would be fine.


I had to include this twirling pic, even though you can't see the shorts under the cute flowy top (not mama-made)...

and this one too - never one to be left out, her sister got in on the twirling action too :-)

Even though I didn't finish my wishlist for KCWC I'm pleased with the pieces I've finished, I learnt some new tricks, and best of all (as it always is with KCWC), I've been inspired and delighted by all the amazing things people have made. I have quite a few new things on my 'to do' list now! If you haven't already checked it out, have a look at the amazing stuff in the Flickr group. And thanks has to go to Meg for hosting it once again!

KCWC progress: halter top

For those of you in the northern hemisphere these pics of my big girl might make you shiver, but here in Aus we are heading for a hot summer, so I'm getting us prepared (well, that's my excuse!).

My big girl loves halter neck tops and dresses, so when I was coming up with ideas for KCWC making one was on the list.

I based the shape on Oliver & S' free ruffle halter pattern. Do you know it? I made one of these lovely tops for each of my girls early on in my blogging days (here) and they still love them. It's a really great pattern.

This was a test run before I use a more substantial fabric. And I'm glad I did the test run as there are a few things I'll change for the dress version. I tried out a circular pocket on this one to add some interest, something I'd been wanting to try for a while.

Well, I've got some shorts on the go for KCWC and something little in mind. Hopefully I'll get them done and not run out of steam before hand!

I'm playing along with my creative space again this week (belatedly!). Head on over here for more creative goodness.

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KCWC kick-off: shorts

After a not-so-great start to KCWC where I felt uninspired and couldn't get one of my original ideas to work, today I decided on the spur of the moment to make something not on my wish list but practical. So the other project was temporarily shelved and I cut out and sewed these shorts for my girls while the littlies played in the back yard with worms from the garden (as they do!) and their water play toys.

This afternoon the girls' gymnastics classes resumed for the term and they desperately needed some new shorts. So I got out the pattern I'd used for leggings from Meg McElwee's lovely book Growing up sew liberated and altered it to give the legs a bit more room.

I used stash fabric for the big girl shorts, a cute orange and grey fine striped knitted fabric, adding a yoga-style thick band and a ribbon for decoration. For my little girl I repurposed a thrifted t-shirt (she squeeled when she saw the rainbows :-) with a longer leg length (re-using the original hem of the t-shirt), a folded and elasticised waistband and decorative ribbon.


Though I like sewing with stretch fabrics I never feel super confident that the garments will last the distance. My old machine is great in every other way, but as it doesn't have a stretch or zig zag option the stitch doesn't always work out well, and I was a bit nervous that a seam would split during their class! But these pics were taken after the class, and they held together thank goodness, but I did find some broken stitches :-( I'll have to go and do a bit of finishing on them so they don't fall apart soon!

OK, now hopefully those other projects in my head will turn out over the next few days, hmmm... How are you going? Sewing like a demon or feeling out of inspiration?

PS. Those tummies so need a raspberry ;-)