thornberry

Happy 40th Birthday Rachael (even though it was about two weeks ago).  Your apron is finally finished.  Because I altered the pattern to make it reversible, there are two fronts.  Here’s one:

and the other:

The purple fabric was bought last year some time from GJs Discount Fabrics in Brunswick, and the green from Spotlight a couple of years ago.  Once again, thank goodness for the stash!  The pattern is McCalls 2811, view A.

It’s an interesting design - there are no ties to fasten it; it simply wraps around and the weight of the fabric combined with the three armholes (one arm goes through two armholes) seems to keep it in place.  Here’s a view of the back.

Rachael put it on when she received it; because she is tall the design works really nicely on her!  Yay, success!

Three of my close friends have just had their birthday.  All of them are still waiting on their gifts.  At least I have thought about what I’ll make, even if I haven’t started yet!  For Belinda:

A bag in Amy Butler “Nigella” fabric, using Jodie at Ric-Rac’s excellent one hour bag tutorial (although I do suspect that it is going to take me a little longer than one hour to make).  For Rachael:

A reversible apron (I’m doing view A).  I asked Rachael what she’d like me to make her, and she really, really wanted an apron!  It’s so sweet to see someone so excited about an apron.  And for Di:

Um, a bag.  No pattern or fabric to show you yet.  I’m about to test sew a pattern of Nikki’s,  but haven’t chosen the fabric.  It shouldn’t be too hard with my stash!  And finally:

A messenger bag, for, um, me.  Once I finish sewing all the gifts.  The fabrics (other than the denim) are vintage. 

I won another bag pattern!  This one is from the lovely Tania at Jet Designs.  She also runs Jet Music & Books, which is where I’ve bought my Melly & Me patterns.

Thanks so much Tania!  She is running another bag pattern giveaway on her blog at the moment, so head over and leave a comment to be in the running.

These patterns arrived last week from Montessori by hand.

I have read through the bag instructions, and they appear to be comprehensive and easy to follow, with plenty of photo to help.  It includes full sized pattern pieces (I prefer this when I buy a pattern) and seems to have been well tested - the bag materials list includes good interfacings and structure.  I’m really looking forward to making both patterns.  Have you gathered that I have a bit of a pattern obsession/collection?  And at the moment many of them are bag patterns!

I did make this doorstop the other day, using the tutorial from Oh, Fransson!

This is the quick and easy version - no nine-patch, no quilting - mainly because I really needed a doorstop!  I love these ones filled with beans/rice/wheat, because they don’t hurt if you stub your toe on them and because Stella can’t hurt herself playing with them.  And they look good!  The feature fabric is a bit of Amy Butler Nigella fabric.

The latest apron theme from Tie one on is “Polka Dotted Lovelies”.  This is my submission:

It’s a cobbler’s apron, made from a 1984 pattern (thanks to Mum’s pattern stash - you didn’t even realise I had this pattern, did you Mum!)

Rather than binding the edges with bias, I made it reversible.  This is the other side.

The fabric is from Spotlight, ages ago (it was lurking in my fabric stash).  The Tie One On gallery featuring lots of lovely dotted aprons will probably go up at the start of February.

More Christmas presents completed.  Yay!  A bevy of bibs!  Warning: there are lots of photos in this blog post!  From the front:

And the back:

These are all from a fantastic free pattern and tutorial from Nicole Mallalieu Design - the Fabulous Fifties bib.  I used fabric from my stash, backed with either flannelette or towelling (both also from my stash from when I made fitted nappies for Clare).  They’re all bound in bias binding, some bought and some I made myself.  (Don’t look too closely though - I ran out of bias for one of the bibs so it isn’t quite finished yet - on my to-do list for tomorrow).  The pattern also has the option for a front pocket.  I like this style because of the coverage it provides - and because it’s cute!

And for some close-ups of the front and back:

Four are for gifts; the others will be for Miss Stella.  We asked her to choose which she’d like.

Wow, look at all these bibs!  Which would I like?  Hmmmm

I think that this one looks good!

Yes, I’ll have this one please!

While waiting for Miss Stella to arrive, I completed a couple of seamstress aprons.  They are from a terrific pattern bought from Craftapple.  I sewed one for Mum (modelled here by hubby):

and one for me:

Both are in Ikea fabric from the stash.  They should come in handy for those little projects that don’t need to keep me at the sewing machine, but where I need to keep my tools nearby.

Here’s my submission for the May/June Tie One On theme - The Pocket.  Since baby bump is due in two days time, I knew that it needed to be completed sooner rather than later - this submission wasn’t going to be able to wait until the end of June!  Front view here:

Back view:

Close-up of the pockets (yes, the chickens are actually pockets, not just appliques):

And a close-up of the covered buttons that match the chicken pockets:

I’ve had the pattern in the stash for some time - it’s Simplicity 5691, which I suspect is now out of print.  Hopefully this will work nicely on a boy or a girl!  There was plenty of fabric, so I thought that a pair of matching pants would be a good idea.  The size should be appropriate for a six month old, so theoretically it will be great for summer.  Ran out of bias binding half-way through though - poor planning.  So don’t look too closely at where I’ve joined it (I ran out at centre front of course - why do these things never run out in obscure places where they are unlikely to ever be noticed?).  Here’s the whole outfit:

I’m still not certain whether this type of pinafore style top qualifies as an apron, especially since it now has matching pants!  Maybe I’ll have to make another apron with a feature pocket after all . . .

It must be a weekend - I have managed to do a little bit of sewing!

I’ve turned an unused flannelette pillowcase into a simple nightie for Clare, following the same tutorial as last time.  She tends to get quite hot at night, so although it is flannelette and we are moving into winter, she likes that it is sleeveless.  So here it is - before:

And after!

I managed to fit in a little op-shopping today - I was very pleased with my finds!

I intend to use the embroidered linens in clothing for Clare and the cross-stiched panel in a bag.

I also found this gorgeous apron:

The swans are all cross-stitched in the gingham squares, and it is ric-rac edged.  All up, around $10.  So it was pretty successful op-shopping - and in the same mall are another two op-shops which were closed today, but now I know when they’re open!  I don’t know what it is about aprons, but I really like them (I know I’m not alone in that though).

I am very excited - I have finally joined the blogosphere proper, as the Tie One On Rick-Rack photo pool is now up on Flickr and my apron is there!

The Tie One On May/June theme is “The Pocket” - I’ll have to start thinking. 

I have a few sewing works-in-progress happening at the moment - cut out, ready to sew, but not actually sewn up.  And a few mental projects as well.  Now to find the energy to carry them out!

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!