Month: April 2007

softies

Flat teddies

In my unfinished projects box was this teddy, all cut out with face appliqued but requiring sewing and stuffing:

I’ve made quite a few of these as gifts over the years.  They’re a quick and easy project and great for new babies, as the facial features are appliqued on and they’re quite small and flat.  The pattern is from an old Australian Handmade magazine, circa 1992.

Miss Clare has one in blue gingham:

The new teddy will be for baby bump – and no, the fact that it is pink floral has no relationship to what gender it might be (since we don’t know either).

by thornberry
bags, children's clothing, kids clothing, musings, patterns, sewing

Butterfly jacket

Well, I did try to add links to the previous post, but WordPress is obviously having some “issues” and won’t let me edit it at all!  My apologies – when the bug is fixed, I’ll have another try.

I finished the jacket to go with Miss Clare’s skirt. 

The pink button that Jodie sent me was the perfect closure!  Thanks again!

This is the whole outfit:

and when I get a photo of Miss Clare wearing it, I’ll update this post.  It was quick to sew, but certainly isn’t quite perfect – don’t look too closely!  I’m still getting the hang of using the overlocker, and I don’t really like the slipperiness (is that a word?) of lining fabrics, but with corduroy, the jacket needed to be lined.  The pattern didn’t include a lining, so I had to come up with that part myself. 

On another topic, I’ve had a good read through the bag patterns that I recently received.  I have decided that there are a few things that I wish all pattern makers would do that would simplify my life a little and save me some time:

* include all pattern pieces with the pattern and not only provide measurements for square or rectangular pieces – then I don’t have to trace them or measure them out, it will save me time and tracing materials, and I can get into the fun part (cutting out) much sooner

* include diagrams along the way, not just written instructions – I like to visualise what I am doing when I sew

* include some photos if diagrams are difficult to do (I don’t know if they are, I’m a sewer and not a designer or pattern-maker)

I am really looking forward to making a start on the patterns I’ve bought and at this stage I’m quite pleased with them, but it’s going to take me longer to get started than I thought by the time I measure out and trace pattern pieces and re-read the instructions.  And baby bump is due in three and a half weeks time!

So kudos goes to Nicole Mallalieu Design  – yes, she is a friend, but her bag patterns include all the above features, along with lots of options for variation.  Thanks Nikki!

by thornberry
bags, craft, fabric stash, miscellaneous, sewing, softies

Fabric & patterns

I’ve been away for a few days visiting my parents, and have come home to a veritable smorgasbord of patterns (yay for online shopping).  Here they are:

The chocolate cake will be wonderful – it’s an entire kit, and goes nicely with my chenille cupcakes!  It’s from Polka Dot Chenille (see her blog at Ric-Rac) and Jodie the lovely proprieter also sent me these fantastic vintage buttons:

Thanks so much Jodie!

Speaking of buttons, while I was away I managed to complete a couple of projects – I finally sewed a button on this bag:

and finally completed embroidering faces and adding pom-pom tails to these Wee Bunnies (pattern from the Wee Wonderfuls website).

I also added to the fabric stash:

These will become bags from the above patterns, or else yet more clothes for Miss Clare (which she doesn’t need, so maybe bags would be better) . . .

Mum had these corduroy squares in her stash (now they’re in mine!) which are all from off-cuts left from clothes she made for my brother and I when we were little (which makes them pretty old now).

My aunt found these pieces in her stash – I suspect that they’re possibly over 20 years old as well!  Word is getting around the relatives and friends that I am very happy to take old fabrics, buttons and trims off their hands.

Now to do some sewing!  But what to do first – so many options!  I must add some links to this post – but must dash off to collect Miss Clare from kinder first. 

by thornberry
children's clothing, kids clothing, sewing

Butterfly skirt

I’ve almost completed this very full, fine-wale corduroy skirt for Miss Clare.  It just needs the waist elastic adjusted properly.  She does love her skirts!

I have enough fabric left to make a matching jacket (I hope).  It’s going to be a pretty loud combination!  But it does contain most of Clare’s favourite things – it’s a skirt, it’s twirly, it has an elastic waist (easy for her to wear on her hips – she’s only four but pulls all her skirts and pants down to below her tummy), is covered in butterflies, and is made up of all her favourite colours!  What more could a little girl want!  I’ll post a photo of her in the entire ensemble once it is complete.

by thornberry
bags, sewing

Pale pink and lime green

I’ve always liked pale pink and lime green – and was pleasantly surprised to find that I had enough left-overs from other sewing projects to make this bag.

I used a better quality, soft woven fusible interfacing this time, and the results are vastly improved.  Lesson learned.  As usual, I’ve done a magnetic snap closure (although a button and loop looks fantastic, I find it annoying to use in practice).  There are also internal pockets, made of the lime floral fabric.

I ran out of the lime green fabric, so pieced in the pink.  The fabrics work together beautifully!  Then to find the matching ribbon and ric-rac in the stash – well, it was a sign!  Then I thought “hmmmmm, maybe a little applique . . . ” so although this one took longer to make, it was quite satisfying.

The base has a piece of fast-to-fuse inserted, so it is nice and sturdy while still being washable.  I’ve got another sewing project cut out ready to go, so who knows, if I’m really lucky I’ll have finished it as well by the end of the day!

by thornberry
bags, sewing

Surprise! Another bag!

Okay, I expect that it is not a surprise at all.  The biggest surprise is that I’ve sewn something mid-week!

I’m still really experimenting with shapes, fabrics, and interfacings.  I’m fairly happy with the shape of this one – it’s from tiny happy‘s  tutorial – but I need to work on my choice of interfacing.  I think that I need to spend more on better quality woven or knit fusible interfacing, rather than using the cheaper stuff.  I interfaced both the outer fabric and the lining, which has helped with the structure of the bag, but the fabric seems to bubble a bit.

Here’s the inside – with magnetic snap, and internal pockets both sides.

And another view.

I made the bag a little deeper than the original pattern.   It was very quick and simple to make, which is a bonus.

The other sewing question on my mind has been which comes first, the choice of pattern/design, or the choice of fabric?  I don’t want to waste good fabric on designs that I’m not finally happy with, but also when you put so much time into sewing something, it’s important to also like the fabric!  At least the stash is shrinking . . .

by thornberry
adult's clothing, aprons, sewing

Tie one on

Now I really feel as though I have properly joined the “blogosphere” – I have completed an apron for the March/April Tie One On  gallery!  The theme is “ric-rac”, and I was lucky enough to find some fabric with ric-rac printed on it that goes beautifully with this 50’s style kitchen print.  Both fabrics are by Michael Miller.

Yes, it barely stretches over the 8 months pregnant tummy – and look, I am also barefoot.  But I’m not standing in the kitchen!  Here’s another shot which may show more detail:

The edges are bound in bias binding – the practice I got when making Clare’s apron came in handy.  This one was much faster and simpler!

Now Jodie , the challenge is out – your blog is called ric-rac, I want to see your apron!

by thornberry
bags, sewing

And another one!

Yes, I finished off another bag today – although I’m still not quite certain how I squeezed in the time.  It’s almost finished – I just need a button, but don’t have the right one in my stash.  Here is the front:

And here is the back:

Same same but different!

Yes, the fabric is from the Ikea stash, and I used the same Vogue pattern as the previous bag and the one I made for Mum.  It’s been a good pattern, nice shapes, fairly good instructions, and I’ll definitely make some more in these shapes.  I used a fairly heavy-weight interfacing throughout, did internal pockets (one on each side) and eventually it will close with a button for that loop!

Will I get any sewing done tomorrow I wonder . . .

by thornberry
bags, fabric stash, sewing

A project completed!

Yes, I’ve finally completed something (well, almost)!  I’ve been sewing in my mind over the past couple of weeks.  Now that I’ve finally got to the machine again, here is the result – another bag!

If you’ve looked closely at the photos, you’ll realise that the handles are still pinned into place – I plan on hand-sewing them into position tomorrow.  The pattern is Vogue 7812, fabric is from Ikea, I used fusible fleece throughout, it has a magnetic catch and inside pockets.  It is a very large placement print, so I did each side differently.

I’m not sure if this photo is helpful or not, but it shows the catch, pockets, and lining.  There is too much thickness to get a machine foot between the handle and the magnetic catch, so hand-sewn it will be!

I’ve got another bag cut out ready to sew up, so keep an eye out for another post soon!

By the way, I’ve abandoned the dodgy grey bag for the moment – it only needs the lining sewn and inserted, but I decided I’d rather do something more satisfying!  I think that this bag might be for me – I’m trying out different shapes and techniques with making bags, then I’ll eventually get on to making more as gifts.

Although I’ve also been dreaming about sewing myself clothes when I am no longer pregnant – when I look at fashion magazines, rather than planning what I might buy, I am planning what I might make!

by thornberry
miscellaneous

Grumpy end to gorgeous holiday

We had a beautiful Easter break – relaxing at my aunt and uncle’s farm, watching the sheep and cattle, the tiny wrens bathing in the bird bath, chatting to relatives.  It was a beautiful four days (with no crafting done whatsoever).  Clare collected eggs, fed the chickens, “helped” with feeding out, and thoroughly enjoyed herself.  But it is very, very dry in southern NSW.

We got home to discover that our house had been broken into.  Very grumpy!  It’s the first time it’s ever happened to me, and we were actually very lucky – nothing was taken – it seems that the burglar was looking for jewellery, and I’d taken all my good stuff with me (a discerning burglar – all the cheap costume stuff was left behind).  Now we’re off to improve our home security – time for an alarm etc. 

by thornberry
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