The neater version

It passed muster because not only did she try it on, but she kept it on for the rest of the day.

I finally feel like I have nailed stretch sewing. Using an overlocker for the seams was a big help but using twin needle for any hemming or to apply the neckbinding is the clicher to turning out a nicely finished garment. The twin needle means you see two rows of straight stitch on the outside of the garment (which looks nice) but underneath the bobbin thread zig-zags between the two rows of stiching. This provides enough "give" in the top stitching so that the threads dont snap when the fabric is stretched.

Ottobre

Yesterday I received an ottobre magazine
subscription for christmas. Thanks Dad! I dont start receiving the magazines until the new year but I got a free back issue to unwrap yesterday. It is the 2/2005 edition, which features heaps of great little boys patterns. But of course it was the girls that scored the first item.




This is pattern number 31 from ottobre edition 2/2005. It started out for Elizabeth, but when it was finished she didnt feel like trying it on, so Matilda obliged. Its a bit scrappier than I would like, not that you can really tell in the photo, but the top stitching with the twin needle is a bit rough (owing to not using an iron to press the seams or turn up the hem first... my sewing room is partially packed up due to a house guest occupying the room so my iron wasnt out and ready to use). Now that its made up I can see that I would prefer it a bit longer for Elizabeth. Still I guess you should always consider the first time you make something the trial run. Elizabeth has decided that that Matilda can have the one I made today and she will wait for the neater/better one. Noice! Considering Matilda is only 115cm tall and this top is the 128cm size I think it fits ok. Its supposed to be snug but it doesnt look ridiculous loose either. Matilda is growing up so fast and I've noticed over the last few months that she has lost her little girl look. She is 6 next march.

Stay tuned for Elizabeths neater version. Its already cut out and partially sewed.

Back tracking a bit...

MASSIVE POST ALERT!

First up I am backtracking 48 hours to christmas eve so I can wish you all a very merry christmas! It go so busy here the last few days before christmas that I just plain ran out of time to do the nice christmas message I had all planned out. I was even going to give you all a sneak peek at the only crafty thing I had done all week. ie....
Setting the table for christmas lunch.

Much to my shame, but mainly owing to my MIL sleeping in the sewing room, I wasnt even able to hem the table cloth (which is 3m of poplin bought from spotlight for $3/m) and instead had to take to the edges with pinking shears. ooops! The table runner sitting on top of the green poplin is 12 paper doily's sewn together in a row... an idea I saw in the latest Instyle magazine and just had to enact.

I could share more photo's from christmas (in fact, I probably will, but in a seperate entry) but I really need to back track further to the 7th December and share some pictures of all the things I created and sold at the East Fremantle Festival. It was a HUGE day. Thousands and thousands of people visited the festival. In addition to the artisans stalls, there was live music, fashion parades, free kids activities and plenty to eat and drink. I had many people wander into my stall and received many compliments and even a few (well more than a few) bought items! It was great for my ego thats for sure! LOL. A few weeks before the festival, I contacted my online buddy Sara over at Willow and Moo and asked her if she would help stock my stall with some of her gorgeous hand dyed and hand made childrens clothes. She kindly obliged and Fremantle just loved her stuff (I will admit to allowing a pair of her rainbow Paula pants to sneak into Matilda's cupbard).

But back to me and my clothes! Here is a rather big series of pictires of the clothes I made for the market. Most got sold, and what didnt is now up at Babygoose in Inglewood (contact details to the right).

The day before I set up my stall in the driveway to make sure it all worked ok. Here is a photo I took.


Then here are a bunch of very amateur pictures in a completely random and scrappy order...










































Phew!

Tin whistle on Holidays

Thank you so much for all your wonderful support and custom over the last year. I have had such a fun year, but also busy and sometimes even overwhelming. I am taking a break from tin whistle for 4-6 weeks to co-incide with the school holidays. Ok... I will be really honest with you ... The reason I am taking holidays is becase I want to enjoy my new pool with the kids and try and get stuck into my new garden and revamp it a bit.

Over the holdidays I will keep sewing and blogging, but it will be little fun projects that have been buzzing around in my head for the last few months. First up is a quilt that Elizabeth wants to make for her new bedroom. She is currently "into" mermaids and when I saw the mint green paint on the walls of her new room I immediately recalled the Heather Ross "mendocino" range of fabric. I pulled it up on the internet and Elizabeth immediately decided that it was perfect- its girls, but not little girly, and also compliments mint green walls! We have a simple raggy quilt planned using 10" squares.