Vintage Caped Blouse

I finished this a couple of weeks ago but have been feeling a bit unsure about it. So much so that I hadnt even tried it on once it was finished. Mum dropped by yesterday and said that it looked lovely- so I with that bit of praise I decided to try it on and photograph.

If I try and look at myself as you might I think the blouse looks nice on me and doesnt look too out there or anything. The fit isnt the best (size 14 pattern and I am a 10/12) and I dont like that the cape doesnt quite meet in the centre back. The pattern called for a lace trim, which I left off but forgot to add an extra inch to the cape instead. These things aside, its nice enough to be worn as a smart casual blouse, BUT just knowing me and the places I go I just cant see myself wearing it.

Retro Dungaree's Take II

I love the first pair so much that I had to make some for my little man. I love them in Denim- I added 'jeans' pockets to the back and did the bib facing in a cute cotton print. George got so many comments on his outfit when we went out with him wearing him (plus 2 orders from friends) . Now to me the dungaree's look home made, craefully done but homemade none-the-less. So I was very chuffed when one lady asked me what label they were!

Would you like milk with your handbag?

Now isnt this just the dinkiest little handbag you have ever seen? I bought a very similar bag for $10, which I discovered at the bottom of a bargain bin in a christmas shop(!), with the idea of deconstructing the bag and then using it to draft off a pattern and recreating it in better (non-christmas) fabrics. The project sat idle for a couple of years and then last night I was looking at some denim fabric I had just bought to make George some jeans and got thinking. A few hours and a mild amount of cursing later she was done! And you know what? I absolutely love it! Its just the right size for me as a nappy bag and it just looks so groovy. I also think the little round holes will be perfect for looping over the handles of my 'shopping stroller'. Practical AND stylish- couldnt ask for more than that could you??

Inside I used some pink lining and added some obligatory extra pockets for mobile phone, keys etc. I also incorporated some hidden snaps. I made the binding around the edge- first time I had ever made my own biding. The inner was supposed to be the same toile fabric but there was a little late night accident (which was how the cursing came about) and the pink was substituted in. The first photo in this entry is of the bag with the following things inside: Nappy, wipes, romper, jar baby food, teaspoon, 2 x lip balm, pen, purse, Sunglasses, phone, keys and a little snaplock bag filled with 'womens stuff' and baindaids etc.

Retro Dungaree's

I found this cute little 70's dungaree's pattern and happened to have some stretch velour cord that was just perfect for the job. My sisters little boy Henry turns 2 in March and she always dresses her 3 boys in gorgeous classic colours like chocolate/red/blue etc (for eg see the knitted pants she requested http://thetinwhistle.blogspot.com/2007/07/henrys-pants.html) . So little Henry seemed like the the perfect victim for my Retro Dungaree's.

This is George modelling them- he is 9 months younger that Henry so they are a tad large on George. They are nice and roomy- possibly a bit more 'oversized' than what is currently in fashion but I think they are so childlike, which is an element that is missing from a lot of commercially bought clothes lately. I especially love the curved neck at the back (makes him look a little bit like a circus 'Strongman') and the button side tabs.

Flashback! Swallows and Amazons shorts.

Lately I have been trying to remember when I first started to sew. I have never really been taught per se, Mum was always sewing (and knitting etc) and I just started to as well. I guess I was just able to follow basic patterns, and asked her for help along the way, or made it up if she wasnt around. I have always been good at reading and following detailed instructions (in my 'other life' I am a PhD trained medical scientist) so I suppose that helped alot.

Anyway- it got me thinking if I had any examples of my 'early work' and I remmebered that in my Baby keepsake box (from when I was a baby not my childrens baby boxes) I had put a pair of shorts that I made for myself when I was going through my Swallows and Amazons phase. Swallows and Amazons is a great adventure series by author Arthur Ransome, and it was introduced to me by my teacher when I was 11 years old. My friend and I fell in love with the books and were completely obsessed for about the next 5 years. We used to 'play' Swallows and Amazons, and in fact we both changed out names- I was Roger and she was Peggy. I didnt lose my Roger nickname until 18, when my first boyfriend decided it was far to unladylike! Dad still calls me Roj though! As part of our gae my friend and I decided we had to look the part so we each made a pair khaki drill shorts. So anyway now you can see why these shorts are pretty sentimental to me and why they got tucked away in my baby box.






I think I must have been about 12 when I made them, but the finish on them is actually pretty darn good, if I do say so myself, and the pattern is also reasonably complicated (set in pockets etc etc) so I must have already known how to sew confidently.

I actually really like the way I did the waistband... 3 small elastic casings with 5mm elastic thread in each. Looks nice from the outside, but you dont get that folded over elastic thing that happens when you use wide elastic. I wonder if it was in the pattern or I made it up at the time.

Little explorer shorts

These are for my nephew who is 3 next month. I just love the way they have turned out. The basic shorts pattern is based on something I saw in the book "Get creative- sewing boys clothes" (ISBN 1-920954-05-8)- I picked it up out of a Spotlight bargain bin for $1! Little explorers need somewhere to put their interesting discoveries so I added a little detachable "Treasure" pocket. It snaps on and off, but the snap sockets on the shorts are unobtrusive, so if the pocket ever gets lost then the shorts will still be perfectly usable. Little Miss Matilda is modelling the shorts for me. They fit her comfortably and she is about to turn 5, although I think they are designed to be a baggy short- so shold be perfect for a 3 to 4 yr old boy.

Transport for your Transport?

I am finally happy with my design for a pram liner/seat protector. This matched set of liner and 'hangbag' is for a family with two mountain buggy prams, one in sky blue and the other in a moss green. The transport fabric will look lovely in either pram (actually I rather like the look of it in my orange mountain buggy!) although I ended up making two, one for each pram. The hang bag has a slim profile, hangs unbotrusively from the handles of the pram and yet is large enough to hold Mums essentials (wallet, phone, kets, sunnies) and a few bits for baby like a drink and a hat. I also included extra long attachment straps, so that if you decide to remove the bag from the pram you can carry it like a handbag. The liner fits perfectly on the MBU, and has straps that you can wrap around the frame of the pram to stop it sliding down. Both the liner and the bag are reversible, the one above has black fabric as the reversed option.

Pyramid Doorstopppers

I have a french door that keeps banging shut in the breeze,
scaring the bejeesus out of me, not to mention waking the baby! So I whipped up these really cute door stoppers from a pattern I think my sister once saw in a magazine (thanks Catherine for showing it to me!). You cut some fabric into an equalateral triangle- the ones above were 40cm per side. Then with right sides inwards you bring the points of the triangle together (placing a loop of ribbon or a tassel at the point) and stitch the 3 side seams. Leave a little opening in one of the sides so that you can turn the pyramid right side out. Stuff with rice and hand stitch the opening shut. These pyramids stand about 15cm tall. I cut the above from 1 fat quarter of fabric which was nice and handy. You could up/down size the pyramid just adjusting the size of the triangle of fabric. They are sooooooo quick to do and look great! I knocked these out in about 10 minutes.

Projects on the go

This is some fabric I have bought for a "Fat Quarter Challenge" running in the craft section of Essential Baby http://members.essentialbaby.com.au/index.php?s=bfb180bb2a4ab885996d2ecf6ab7e1cf&showtopic=486209.
The idea is I have to create something using up as much of the fat quarter as I can. There is no limit to how many items you make out of the FQ, or what other fabrics/notions you use in the project. Who ever has the smallest "scrap" pile at the end wins. I am not sure what I am making yet- but saw the pirate FQ and thought it was rather cute. I grabbed the stripes as well in case I wanted something to co-ordinate with the pirate fabric.


I bought this vingate McCalls pattern from Ebay a while back and recently picked this fabric to sew it up in. I am doing view B.

Girly Fatigue Wear

These are some pants I made up last weekend but have only just got around to photographing. They are from Simplicity pattern 4237, which I have made previously and blogged here http://thetinwhistle.blogspot.com/2007/12/busy-sewing-weekend.html. This time I made them up as long pants and also added an extra inch to the waistline, just because I like my pants to sit right on my belly button. I have always steered clear of any sort of cammo fabric (especially for kids!) but this was kind of cute with the daisy's added into it. Cammo is everywhere now so its hard to avoid.

Lasagne from scratch

And I mean really from scratch- we made our own pasta sheets! Here we are rolling out the pasta...
The pasta has been cooked and is ready to be assembled into the lasagna...
The bolagnaise sauce and bechemal sauce, both made in my Thermomix...
And it was delicious!! the girls at 3 pieces each and George eagerly devoured his.

Strawberry kisses- twirl skirt and top

This little outfit is for a friends little girl, who is turning 4 in a couple of weeks. The little singlet top is adapted from Newlook 6337 and the shirt is modelled on the Fabenmix Redondo idea, but I have modified it by making it longer.

Purple People Eater

Ok so its really a flamenco skirt made from purple fabric. LOL. Matilda picked out the fabric and asked for a dancing skirt. Lord knows why, she is only ever seen in shorts, preferably ones that are the same khaki colour that "Bindi the jungle girl" wears. As you can see from the pics the skirt itself is not tooooo over the top girly but it sure does have some super-duper twirliness to it. Its a pattern I drafted myself, from a flamenco costume supplied by my older daughters flamenco teacher.

Pram fun

I have had fun the last 24 hours mucking about with designs for a pram liner for my Mountain Buggy Urban pram. It is a bright ORANGE colour, so its hard to find commercially made ones that match. My design is reversible and I detest liners that slide down the pram (looks scruffy) so I am trying to work out a way to make the liner stay in position without (1) stopping the recline mechanism working correctly and (2) without having to add buttons/velcro/snaps to the actual pram frabric or frame. The first two pics are the liner I made for my mountain buggy, which is obviously used to transport my little man, George, And the second two lics are for a liner designed for a girlie passenger.

Surfin' shirt.

My husband saw this fabric on my fabric pile (earmarked to make shorts for George) as requested a collared shirt. I had never done collars before so thought I'd give it a go. It was fun and I am pleased with the result. My husband obviously likes it too as he as acked for another in a different colour.

Matroushka dolls girls top.

Elizabeth spied a gorgeous top made from matroushka doll fabric in a craft market and asked me to buy it for her. I said no, but only because I knew where to buy the fabric (Ebay) and I could whip one up for her that would be even better that the craft market one! She has been waiting patiently for about 4 weeks (stoopid hexagonal scrappy quilt!) and last night I finally got to it. The top has a bodice with princess line (matroushka doll fabric) and then a loosely gathered skirt attached and ruffle sleeves. I let her rummage amongst the fabric scraps and pick out matching fabric for the sleeves and skirt part. I think she did well- and doesnt she look like a Doll herself?! The pattern is Butterick B5022, I chose size 8, which was WAY too large for my average sized (almost) 8 year old daughter. I downsized it by adding some elastic to the back panel.

Matilda and George decided that Elizabeth was hogging the camera time, and instested on a picture too.