thornberry

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)?

Somewhere over the past few weeks I slipped in a little bit of stitching time.  My Brown Owls tote bag embroidery is now complete!

It was lots of fun, and quite relaxing.  Embroidery takes a really long time though to cover a small area, doesn’t it!  I don’t think that I will become addicted - I’ll just do a little every now and then, when deemed necessary.  The tote bag will eventually get some fabric trim to match the rest of my “uniform” (an apron - still existing only in my head).

Nicole Mallalieu finally has a blog!  Yay Nikki!  Go over and have a look - it’s a great way to see what she is up to and she’d also love feedback.  I have SO MANY of her bags all planned in my head waiting patiently to come to fruition.

We were away in the country visiting my parents for the long weekend, and you know what that means - car crochet!  I’ve finished a few more 9 inch blocks, and a school beanie for Clare.  I’ll hopefully photograph them and blog them over the next couple of days.  Thanks also for the lovely comments about the cardigan - Clare wore it all weekend.

When there isn’t enough time to craft, there still seems to be enough time to grow the stash.  Maybe it is my way of crafting by default - making plans, getting the supplies, and maybe then I’ll fool myself into actually getting things done.  In the past week these fabrics arrived:

The two on the bottom right are japanese prints from the lovely Retro Mummy; most of the rest are from the Flutterby line by Tula Pink for Moda.  Other than the three prints on the right hand side, I plan on using these in a quilt.  I have half a yard of each, but haven’t decided yet what pattern to use.

And what would stash building be without yarn?  At least I have definite plans for these.  This kid mohair will become a “mossy cowl”, from one of my Interweave Crochet mags (I think the pattern is available free online as well though).

This divine 12-ply 100% merino yarn comes from Pear Tree Yarns.  They had beautiful lacy shell-stitch scarves crocheted out of these yarns in a variety of highly covetable colours.  I can’t wait to crochet this one into a scarf for myself!  I’m going to try to do it without a pattern; I took a good look at the ones on display and I reckon that I can figure it out for myself.

The yarn came from the Victorian Handknitters Guild wool expo which was on yesterday.  There were loads of beautiful (and expensive) yarns to ogle.  I really, really like the Pear Tree Farm ones though - solids in beautiful colours, and incredibly soft. 

Hello there all who have popped over from Sew Mama Sew!  Welcome!  I checked my stats quickly this morning and almost fell off my chair.  If you are looking for what I’ve been up to regarding sewing women’s clothing, have a look over there at the “Categories” list on the right hand side of my blog and find the “adult’s clothing”, and/or “sewing” category.  Hopefully I’ll get a little more sewing done for myself this month too and get it all blogged - I have loads of fabric and loads of patterns all waiting eagerly to be combined.

So welcome to everyone visiting for the fist time, and a special hello to those who visit regularly!

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 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.

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 really, really love Amy Butler’s Nigella range of fabrics.  So when I was lucky enough to become a test sewer for one of Craft Apple’s new patterns, I knew exactly what fabrics I wanted to use!  The parcel arrived today.

Now I need to decide which of these will be best.  I need to choose two - it’s a difficult decision!

The pattern I’m test sewing is a car organiser.  The remaining fabrics will be used to make gifts for some of the myriad 40th birthday celebrations that are happening for our family & friends this year. 

The tops in Simplicity 4020 are vastly different to one another - they barely share pattern pieces!  This time I made view D, in a fabric from my stash.  The fabric actually came from June’s stash (my friend’s mother who moved into a retirement unit) and is by John Kaldor, circa 1980s.

Once again I adjusted the pattern with a FBA, and made size 12.  This one was super fast to sew up using a combination of sewing machine and overlocker.  The finished result:

The bodice fits fine and the loose sleeves were super comfortable to wear.

But I spent the whole day tugging at the top and sucking in my gut (which I am also doing in these photographs) - a good reminder why I don’t generally wear clothes with a fitted midriff.  I’m sure that this top would be much more flattering on someone with a defined waist (mine is two dress sizes larger than my bust and hips). If I made this again I’d cut the midriff panel larger and longer - but I won’t make this view again. 

Instead, I’ve got this one cut out ready to go, in the v-neck long sleeved version.

I haven’t sewn mesh stretch fabric before - so wish me luck!

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.