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)?

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.

Crafty bloggers consistently amaze me with their kindness and generosity in the ways that they share their information and inspiration with others, hold giveaways, contribute to their communities and generally support one another.

I received a parcel in the mail today from Floss from Another Day In Paradise.

Beautifully wrapped in cute fabric and tied with a ribbon, with a lovely card attached.  Inside were these:

Vintage girls clothes patterns, all in sizes 5 and 6.  She’d seen them in an op-shop in NZ, thought of me and Miss Clare, bought them all and posted them to me here in Australia.  What generosity!  When I explained to Clare that a lady who we hadn’t actually ever met had bought these for her, she replied “wow, that’s REALLY nice”!  They’re gorgeous - and there’s one for every couple of years from 1964 to 1980.  Many have hand-written notes about who they were for, in which style, which fabric, etc.  Thank you so so much Floss!  We love them!

On the crochet front, I have been swatching to make the Empress Baby-doll top from Interweave Crochet for myself, but can’t seem to get anywhere near gauge in the cotton I’m trying to use.  I’ve asked the gurus on Ravelry for help.  I’ll possibly end up using the larger hook, but make the top in a size smaller than I’d originally anticipated.  Hopefully then it will fit me!

In the meantime I may need to find something to do with some of that Jet yarn that will be quick, satisfying and not need to be terribly accurate with size.  I think it’s going to be the “cold shoulders” capelet from Stitch ‘N Bitch: The Happy Hooker (thanks for the inspiration Michelle)!

I want to sew dresses, and I want to sew them for me - and in addition to the myriad of dress patterns in my pattern stash, I have some great vintage patterns as inspiration (the girl’s one is for Clare, not me!)

However, I seemed to have forgotten something while I was planning all these dresses - I am breastfeeding, and dresses really aren’t an option!

Dammit!

So it seems that if I do want to sew dresses, they will need to be for Stella or Clare.  Not surprisingly, I do have a few patterns in mind for Stella already:

Since Stella was born in June and Clare in January, although we have a beautiful wardrobe of Clare’s baby clothes they are all the wrong season for Stella (for the first year at least) so I can make some lovely summer things for her in a six-month size.

But instead I think that I might sew myself some tops that will still be appropriate for breastfeeding.  And maybe make some matching skirts and pants, now that my tummy seems to be back to it’s normal pot belly instead of it’s pregnancy pot belly.

Better add these to the ever-expanding “to-do” list . . .