thornberry

Oh I do like being a pattern tester for Nicole Mallalieu Design!  The pattern for the Puff purse arrived in the mail on Wednesday - by Thursday night it was finished - I just couldn’t help myself.

The outer fabrics are from the ones that Ravenhill sent me.  I’m really enjoying using them; thanks again!  Other supplies, including the frame, interfacing and wadding, came from Nicole Mallalieu Design - oh, except the seed beads.  They were in the stash but I think they were originally from Spotlight.  The lining fabric was from my stash.

And guess what - there is a larger, hand-bag sized version of this pattern coming up soon as well - I managed a sneak peek today when I dropped in to Nikki’s studio to pick up some more frames and other supplies.  Fingers crossed that I get to test that pattern too!

I can see many more of these little purses in my future.  They fit into the palm of your hand, and are a terrific way to feature small pieces of fabric.  It took me about two and a half hours to make from start to finish, albeit in half-hour bursts fitted in around the kid’s activities.  I think that this pattern is about ready to roll off the presses, so keep an eye on Nikki’s blog or website if you would like one.

It has taken me a couple of months but I finally finished sewing up Simplicity 3786, in View D.

The fabric is a light cotton from Spotlight.  I like the style and the details such as the tucks on the front and the gathered sleeves.  I made my usual alterations to make the proportions better for my short figure, by folding out an inch or so through the body and from the sleeve length.  For once I included the gentle elasticated gathering at the back that gives the top a little more shape - I usually leave back ties and shaping out, since I don’t have much of a waist and don’t like my clothes to be tight around it.

I’ll make this pattern again, but probably in a less busy fabric - take another look at that first photo and the shocking job that I did of misaligning the design placement on the front.  I really should have cut each front piece individually.  I think that I’ll consider this top to be a wearable muslin (since I am actually wearing it today).  There are lots of nice design options in this pattern, and it is comfortable.  The finished top looks pretty much like the design photo on the front of the pattern envelope, which is always a good sign!

A little while ago I was lucky enough to be a test sewer for Craft Apple’s latest pattern - the Car Organiser.  Here is my effort, in the front passenger seat:

although it usually lives between the booster and infant seats in the back.

It has a flap pocket on one of the short ends which holds pens/pencils and a mobile phone, and a large pocket on one of the long sides.  On the other two sides I put a flap that closes around the seat belt, so the organiser won’t fly off the seat when you brake suddenly (great idea hubby).

The fabric is from the Nigella range by Amy Butler - sadly, I have now used it all up.  It’s a great pattern, especially in its final completed and tweaked form.  Linda has done a terrific job designing it!

The Timtex took a bit of wrestling, and I did manage to break one jeans needle, but overall it wasn’t really difficult to construct.  Thanks again Linda for letting me be part of the creative process!

This satchel was finished late Sunday night, barely in time for Stella’s first day at her new childcare centre on Monday.

I used a highly modified verson of Nicole Mallalieu’s Large Tote and Satchel pattern.  Many thanks to Nikki for letting me pick her brain about how to alter and construct the bag with an interior divider!

The main fabric is dark blue cotton twill from Spotlight, left over from making Clare’s school pants. The front flap fabric is from Amitie’s Blog VIP mailout, and the fabric for the back pocket (below) is from Retro Mummy.

The interior lining fabric is a mixture of the Amitie and Retro Mummy fabrics, with some Heather Bailey for Free Spirit fabric thrown in for good measure!

The flap is covered with clear PVC, and bound in bias binding.  It closes with a magnetic snap, covering the zippered pocket that I inserted into the front of the bag.  The inside divider has fast-to-fuse in the centre to keep it stiff.  Interfacing probably would have been adequate though.

There are two drink bottle pockets on one side of the interior, and a simple patch pocket on the other.  There is a key leash, as per usual, and I didn’t forget to include a thornberry label!

I used the same technique to make the hard covered base as in the Beach Bag pattern.  It’s so straightforward and gives such a great result!  The bag feet and all other hardware, including the strap rings and slide adjuster, come from Nicole Mallalieu Design, as did all the interfacing and fusible wadding.  Almost all the fabric in this bag has been interfaced, and the outer fabric also has a layer of fusible wadding.  The single strap is adjustable in length and is fully topstitched.

I was very chuffed to be able to work out so many modifications and changes myself (with some suggestions from Nikki) and to construct the bag just as I wanted it.  Stella seems to like it!

I have a relatively free weekend ahead, so am hoping to start (and finish) some sewing.  Maybe if I put my plans in writing I might feel compelled to follow through!  These fabrics arrived this week from the Amitie blog VIP club.  How incredibly cute!

I plan on using the fabric with the numbers to make a childcare bag for Stella.  There is a lot of stuff that a one year old needs to take with her to childcare!  I’ll combine it with a similar print that I bought from Retro Mummy, and I’m still deciding what plain fabric to mix them with.  I’m planning on using the Large Tote & Satchel pattern from Nicole Mallalieu, with loads of extra internal pockets, and I may incorporate some clear PVC over the exterior of the bag to protect it.  The delicious little red riding hood print will possibly become the bodice of a summer dress for Stella (which won’t be made this weekend - it’s way too chilly here in Melbourne to be thinking about summer clothes now).

This top is still cut out, waiting to be sewn.  Maybe I’ll get to it this weekend.  Clare also needs a pair of school pants - once again, fabric and pattern are all ready to go, and I can whip them up fairly quickly with the overlocker.  I’ll be embarassed if I don’t get at least that project done!

Speaking of school clothes and chilly Melbourne winter, I finished Clare’s school scarf and beanie.

The scarf was done without a pattern - it is just US double crochet (Australian treble) using two balls of Patons Superwash 8 ply.  The beanie is a modification of a pattern I found somewhere on the internet, worked entirely in double crochet like the scarf.  Easy peasy.  Elsewhere on the crochet front I have almost completed the Mossy Cowl, and hope to start on a scarf using the Pear Tree yarn.  There is also the matter of two June CAL blocks to complete (but I’ve got the rest of the month to finish them off, surely).

My fat quarters are all ready to send for the Vintage Sheet Patchwork Swap.  I’m looking forward to seeing what patterns I receive in return - and thinking of what I will do with them all.  Elizabeth has promised to have some great suggestions on her blog next month.

And to finish off - another op shop dress pattern.  This one is from 1977.

Wow ladies, bad hair.  And I’m still cacking myself at this post by Jodie of Ric-Rac.  So beautifully put (or should that be sung)?

By now some of you will realise that a couple of days ago I had a piece about Patterns … Demystified! published on the Sew, Mama, Sew! blog.  I was extremely flattered to be asked to contribute to Women’s Clothing Month, and really enjoyed the opportunity to be part of such an exciting sewing website.  So if you haven’t come across it yet, I’m going to blow my own trumpet, and suggest that you pop over and have a read  (I’m feeling rather proud of myself).  Thanks so much to the Sew, Mama, Sew! team for inviting me to take part, and to everyone who left such lovely comments on my article.  I’m glad to have been of help!

I’ve had very little sewing time lately, so because I don’t like to post without a photo, here is my sewing library (the books only - there are loads of magazines shelved elsewhere in my cupboards).

Most of these are recently published.  Now that I sit back and look at them, I realise that over the years most of my sewing knowledge came from my mother, from library books, and from trial and error, and is mostly to be found in my head rather than in my personal sewing library.  My memory can’t be quite as much of a sieve as I thought it had become after all!

There are so many things that I want to sew at the moment, and I have no time in which to sew them!  I returned to part-time work two weeks ago, and inbetween that and the rest of life, I can barely keep up with household organisation, let alone get anything made.  I have this all ready to start:

I’m going to do the same version as the one in the pattern cover photo.  I really need lots of new winter clothes - the weather has very quickly become very wintery, and much of what I wore last winter needs to be thrown out.  But when, when, when will I find the time to sew!

I’m also about to frog my second attempt at crocheting the sleeves for Clare’s cardigan.  At least there is only one sleeve to pull out this time.  I’ve finally worked out what I need to do to make it fit the armhole properly and still be the right length.  So fingers crossed that the third go will be a success.

So I’d better get off the computer and on to my “to-do” list, which is never-ending.

It’s great when Nicole Mallalieu is designing new bag patterns - because generally I get to test them out!  Here is one that will be available in a week or so - the Beach bag.

The fabric is all from my stash.  No idea what it is made of or where I got it from.  The blue is fairly heavyweight; I used a light/medium weight interfacing on the body of the bag, but a light fusible wadding in the straps.  This is a fantastic, highly versatile pattern - there are photos of a few of the variations on the website.  I made this one with overlaid handles, but an alternative is a shoulder strap.

I chose to close this bag with a zippered gusset, but there are also instructions for magnetic catches, and the examples on the pattern cover have some other closure suggestions.

This pattern has loads of pocket options.  In the spirit of testing out the pattern instructions thoroughly, I used the three different options that were included.  Inside the bag I’ve used a patch pocket on one side and a zippered pocket on the other.  On the outside I’ve used compartment pockets, which became instantly divided when the overlaid handles were sewn on.

And I love the hard base!  It contains interfacing (two different weights) and template plastic, and has purse feet.  It wasn’t hard to do, and I think that I am addicted.  I’ll be using this type of base on most boxed corner bags that I make from now on.

I am giving this one to my friend Di for her birthday (and yes, it was a couple of weeks ago - you all know that I never actually get gifts finished on time).  But I’m looking forward to making another, with different design features.  Thanks again to Nikki for the way that her patterns encourage the user to be the designer.  Now I’m sounding like an advertisement … but I promise, I’m just the pattern tester!

It’s been a week of illness for everyone in our household except Clare.  Stella and I were finally well enough yesterday to pop out to one of the local op-shops for a quick visit.  Success - lots of old patterns!  There were many from the 80s (which don’t count as vintage to me, since I was sewing dresses for myself during the 80s and still have the patterns to prove it) but also quite a few from the late 60s and early 70s.  They worked out to cost 25c each.  Bargain.

I have seen the Simplicity one on another sewing blog recently (maybe Summerset’s) - it must have been a popular pattern! I think that it will be a really flattering shape for me. 

Many of the patterns have really interesting design lines.  Some are completely in tune with current fashion.  And the illustrations are always good value!

The girls skirt pattern was a sentimental purchase.  View 3 was the skirt that I made in Year 7 Fabrics (first year of high school).  We had to choose a skirt pattern that had a waistband, a zip, and gathers or darts.  While many of the other girls chose pencil skirts from the “Misses” section, at age 11 my figure was definitely still that of a “Girl”.  I remember wishing that I too could make something a little more sophisticated.  I am struggling to remember what the fabric was like, but I think it was a soft purple, with a print.  Mum, can you remember?  Anyway, the finished skirt was rather nice.  And entirely age-appropriate.

It was such a lovely surprise to receive another package in the mail from generous Floss of Another Day in Paradise.  This one contained this gorgeous vintage fabric, lace collar and buttons.  These colours will really suit Stella’s colouring.

And these stunning vintage patterns for Miss Stella as well!

Oh, look at that lovely Paragon pattern - I think it is the oldest pattern I have!  So sweet!  And the illustrations on the Butterick one are gorgeous.  But that’s not all!

All just perfect for little girls!  The Simplicity 8430 pattern was included for Miss Clare so she wouldn’t feel left out.  Floss, you think of everything!  Thank you so, so much.  I can’t wait to make a start on these patterns.