Tin whistle August 2008

This is going to be a very picture heavy post. I have a folder on my computer called "Pics to blog" and I dump pics in there until I can get around to blogging them. Its almost spring and I am spring cleaning the house at the moment so its only fair that I spring clean my "to blog" folder as well. So here is a massive post with all the pics in at once.

Below are pics of a custom order I completed a week or so ago. The brief was for a pinny with a contrasting underskirt and teamed up with an optional white long sleeved Tee. I decided to use my square neck pinny design and make the underskirt seperate from the dress. That way I could also applique a design onto the front of the tee-shirt and it could be worn alone with the skirt as a seperate outfit. Because I didnt have to attach the underskirt to the dress this then free'd me up to making the pinny reversible. The fabric was chosen by the customer and I think the orange and turqoiuse is stunning together. I really love the turquoise fabric. The shirt was made using the Ottobre workshop 301 pattern, everything else is my own design.






Size 1 denim dungarees with red damask fabric

Pram liner with matching hangbag

Reverse of above

Not sure if I have blogged these before? Handknitted in 8ply 100% wool these overalls are size 00 and are tan with red/white stripes a contrasting navy edging. They have buttons at the shoulder and poppers through the crotch.

Pram liner

Reverse of above

Custom order size 1 dungarees in pintripe corduroy/doggy fabric, with a doggy escaping from the back pocket.
Explorer pants

Size 5 Corduroy shorts with contrast pocket insert and sun applique.

Size 5 classic pants
Explorer pants made up as 'jeans' (ie contrast orange topstitch with mock fly and free-hand topstitching detail on bum pockets)

Pair of size 0-3 months pants recycled from the sleeves of a handknit jumper. I cut out the pants using the pattern from my kimono outfits and then sewed up as though it were stretch fabric using my overlocker. The yarn used (originally in the jumper) was a 4 ply self-striping sock yarn.

Another newborn cocoon. I make these while supervising the kids in the bath during bathtime. Cant take my compuer or sewing machine in there so this is a good way to use the time while still being able to chat to the kids (of course I COULD be folding the washing)
Square neck pinny, I think this was a size 3-4
These appliqued tee's didnt even get a single look in at my Steiner stall. I priced them cheaply... only $12 each (the bonds shirts are $8 on their own). So either the public are over them, or I just didnt hit the mark with my fabric choices. Truth be told I only did them so I had some cheaper things on the stall, otherwise most things are in the $28 to $45 bracket. Oh well I can either make some matching pants and cloth shoes to make them into a more substancial outfit or tuck them away as pressies or freebies.
Skirt and appliqued Store-bought Tee in size 3

Cherry pram hang bag. I am trialling a zipper in my design. Unfortunately I think this will entail losing the reversible feature of the bags as I am yet to source a reversible zipper that comes in the length I need. This bags sports a normal zipper, and whiles its possible to do the zipper up when the bag is reversed to show the contrast fabric, its quilte hard to get it open again.

Hangbag in 'handbag' mode.
Reversed colour way

Bugaboo cameleon hood in Valori Wells Sole fabric, with a contrast solid red inner.

What a wonderful day

I had a wonderful day yesterday at the Waldorf Steiner school open day. It was glorious weather (after a wet and gloomy week) and the atmosphere was just so happy and joyous. Here is a pic of my little stall just on opening time. I did well and sold about 3/4 of my stock, so by the end of the day it looked much emptier. My Step-sister (who has children at the Waldorf school) shared the stall with me and was selling beaut little wooden balance bikes, which you can see hanging to the left of the picture. She had her little boy, Ronan (4), and nephew, Oscar (almost 3), riding around on their balance bikes to create attention and it sure worked as I think I will get George one for his birthday!

Below is a picture of my gorgeous girls at the fair. Elizabeth spent the whole day there with me, mostly hanging about with her cousin, Pepita, who is a student at the school. Matilda came for a visit with her Nanna, leaving after about an hour or so. That was still long enough to make a floral garland and convince me to buy her a wooden sword and shield and have a lucky dip at the stall selling all manner of crystals. George and Daddy decided to have a blokes bonding session at home, which is a shame, as I dressed him in his tin whistle dungarees (George that is) and wanted him to strut around modelling them for me!

Sneak peek of market stock

Here is a little selection of things I have made for my stall at the Waldorf Steiner School Open Day tomorrow. The pics will also explain why I havent been blogging much the last month or so... I have been too busy sewing!

If you are in Perth and have time, pop down to the Fair and say 'hi'. A purchase from my stall would be nice too! I have a holiday in Broome to save up for ;) Dont forget the word 'Lava'; if you mention it to me you get 10% off your purchase. Why Lava? Well it was the #1 name for tin whistle. I know I know.... it just seems so wrong now. Lucky for me it had already been registered as a business name and I had to go with #2 selection... tin whistle.

Waldorf Steiner School Open day
Sat 3oth August (thats tomorrow), 10am-3pm
14 Gwilliam Dve, Bibra Lake



Lugger bags

Milk jug hand bags
Retro pinny and retro dungaree's (the pinny is a dress version of the dungaree's, I am also working on a shortall version)
"little ray of sunshine" skirts
Some more Dungaree's

Explorer Shorts with treasure pouch (inc. a little treasure)

'Upcycled' t-shirts. I picked up 4 BNWT mens t-shirts and reworked them into 5 childrens t-shirts (Matilda snaffled one, so there are only 4 for sale). I really enjoyed doing these and only realised after they were completed that supporters of a certain Fremantle based football club might be a bit partial to them.

Reversible A-line dress- one of my favourite tin whistle items.

Classic square neck pinny using GORGEOUS recycled fabric featuring whimsical girls (I dont think I want anyone to buy these)

I have a couple of garments featuring my sun applique design. One is this store bought long sleeved-tee and the other is a pair of boys shorts! Elizabeths 'little whistle' twirl skirts.

tin whistle goes to market

Saturday 30th Aug Cloudy, mainly fine. Min 5 Max 17

That is the latest weating forcast for this Saturday from the Bureau of Meteorology. Which means tin whistle will be peddling wares at the Waldorf Steiner School Open day and Fair. I will have a collection of boys and girls clothes, including Retro dungaree's and A-line dresses. I will also have a small range of tin whistle bags available and tin whistle pram liners on display (not for sale but I will take a limited number of orders).

For all my blog followers and internet crafting buddies I have a special code word that will give you 10% off any purchases/orders made at the Steiner fair. The code word is LAVA.

Details of the Open Day:
Saturday 30th August 10am to 3pm
at
Waldorf Steiner School
Gwilliam Drive
Bibra Lake

Hope to see you there!

Little shorts

These shorts took me 60 minutes from picking out the pattern to the final iron of the finished product. Not bad considering they have inset side pockets, bum pocket and a seperate waistband. They are a birthday present for a little boy turning 1 next week, and will be teamed up with this store bought t-shirt.


Here is the pattern I used. I know its looks like a shocker but it was the only elastic waisted pattern I had that went down to size one. In fact I have almost thrown the pattern out afew times because it just looks so daggy! The only reason it has survived past pattern culls is because its a Kwiksew and we all know that Kwiksew patterns arent much to look at from the diagram! And it lived up to its reputation as they shorts were super quick and sweet nifty little boys shorts. If I make them again in a printed cotton I think I would do the leg length a bit longer, at this length they look a bit too much like pyjama pants, but longer they would look more like boys boardies. In fact I might just make a pair for George to test this out.

Spring smock

I had a selfish moment today and decided to spend some of my precious sewing day making something for me. I used a yard each of co-ordinating Heather Bailey fabric (I think its called the Garden range) and a vintage pattern I picked up a few weeks ago on Ebay. I just LOVE the end result... infact the first person I saw after I put it on was Elizabeths teacher who commented on it straight away (positively too!).
Below is a pic pattern. I ended up redesigning it along the way. I was really pleased that the modifications worked out, as to me this is a sign that I am becoming a better seamstress! The changes I made were to not make the front and back skirt so gathered or long (this was out of need as the Heather Bailey fabric was only 112cm wide not the 150cm as required in the pattern). Then when I tried it on for the first time I thought it looked a bit sackish so I added some darts at the small of my back and 2 smaller ones just under my bust. This cinched it in perfectly. It still has that smocky retro look, but is a bit shaped as well.

At the moment I am also helping out on a worthy cause to sew premmie clothes for a NICU in a Darwin hospital. I am aiming to make one premmie smock for every other sewing project I complete, using up the scraps from the just completed project. Here is the Heather Bailey premmie smock. I have another half a dozen already finished. I will post them off to the co-ordinator when I have enough to fill a Australia Post Pre-paid satchel. In the photo below I deliberately left my hand in so you can see how titchy the smocks are.
If anyone is interested in joining in the cause you can read all about here on the Essential Baby website. Details about the pattern we are using can be found in the link.