Cirque du bebe

Vibing Mexico in my Tiny Pocket Tank

2012-02-29T21:13:00.000+10:00

Hola Chicas. Believe it or not the background you see here is the behind of a cafe in urban Australia, not Guadalajara. Shame! As usually happens around this time of year, I start to pine for exotic places just out of reach. This summer's fantasy destination: Mexico. I don't think we'll be popping off there next week, so for now I will be content living out my wanderlust through sewing. Don't be alarmed if you start seeing posts like 'turn this fantasy destination into an outfit'.

This little number is the Tiny Pocket Tank pattern by Grainline Studio and its my new go-to summer top. I was pining for tropical fiestas anyway when I grabbed this fabric remnant in a country town thrift store. It's not something I would normally go for but it spoke to me. In Spanish. And said, 'Hola Chica', turn me into a tiny pocket tank'. I couldn't resist the print that's a bit floral, a bit geometric with a dash of aztec. The palette is interesting too; inky purple, bright red and pink.

For a simple floaty summer top, it certainly checks all the criteria in my book: feminine, easy wearing and sturdy enough for kid wrangling. A definite make-again. Right after I go and make some B-grade tacos.

Get inspired, Mad Men style.

2012-02-27T10:31:00.002+10:00

Wow Wow WOW... I am in a bit of a flap because Julia bobbin is hosting a Mad Men dress challenge and I guess, maybe, I might...be there with BELLS on! I hope you will join in too. All you need to do to take part is be inspired by Mad Men fashion. We've got until the end of March to make a dress! You might already have a favourite dress from the series? But if you can't choose just one, or like me you're generally just inspired by the wiggle silouette, you can make a dress that captures the essence of Mad Men too. It's that flexible!

I thought I'd try the Etsy supplies section for some Mad Men sewing patterns inspiration. This is a good place to look for a replica pattern for a dress from the series, if you've got one in mind. The search returned approx 31 pages of authentic Mad Men potential. It was very hard to be restrained here (my paypal spending is being closely monitored these days) and this is why....

Vintage Simplicity 3184

Vintage McCalls 4884

Vintage McCalls 5692

1950's Vintage McCalls

Vintage McCalls 3990

Vintage McCalls 5357

Vintage Simplicity 3722

Vintage Simplicity 1155

Vintage Simplicity 3422

Vintage McCalls 4084

How does one choose just one dress? It was like leaving puppies at the pound. The thinking woman's solution is to buy yourself some more procrastination time and get a few. I show great restraint here and got my mits on the first three. As far as narrowing down further and choosing fabric, I don't quite know where to start...

Inspired yet? Are you in? I hope so!

Show-stopper blazer

2012-02-19T19:04:00.001+10:00

Hey there! My biggest boy just turned four, which seems to me like a good age for a boy to start sporting a cool blazer. Or at least own one. I've been swooning over cute little boys blazers popping up on Pinterest and looking around for a pattern to match. When I'm looking for new boy sewing inspiration I like to hunt around Etsy. I've haven't been disappointed yet and it's turned up some real goodies, like the Manligans, monkey pants, urban hoodie, kimino hoodie, newsboy cap, pea coat, hooded coat...come to think of it, about the only boys patterns that haven't come from etsy are the Oliver and S patterns. On one such search I came across this Toddler blazer by Melly Sews, and it's cute as punch...

Okay, can you just give me a moment to bask in the glory of my very first, never to be repeated, SINGLE WELT POCKETS!! In case you're skimming over this and missed it...I am a little proud of my SINGLE WELT POCKETS! The pattern doesn't include pockets, and it's certainly not lacking without them, but I really wanted to add something special to the front, since I'd gone to the effort of making piping from the lining fabric. I used this single welt pocket tutorial ( which is great), labored over the instructions and plunged in with no practice run. It was late. I was tired. And the reckless sewer came out. Right now, I'm still not sure what to feel more thrilled about...deciphering the tutorial or the fact that it worked spectacularly! It's definitely given me confidence to try some more 'technical' sewing in the future. Just for fun, of course.

Violet's market debut

2012-02-17T21:16:00.001+10:00

Since this post was very nearly titled 'Violet's Violent End', I thought I'd take her to the market for some sunshine and dumplings to celebrate our sewing triumph. We had a lovely time, V and I, while my bro crept behind the stalls, stalker-style and totally papped us...

... fondling vegetables....

...playing dress-ups...

...and demolishing dumplings (there's a do-not-disturb face if ever I saw one)

I almost gave up on Colette pattern Violet. Let me see... this was meant to be a muslin for something a bit more exciting, but I hoped it might be a wearable one. I found this great 90's dress at the thrift store with something like New Woman on the tag, and paired it with chambray for a contrasting collar. It all came together beautifully, as you can expect of a Colette pattern. I even combatted the high-ish neckline by taking it in at the waist and sides so it's a slim fit instead of a relaxed (boxy) style. Everything was looking pretty peachy from the front. But when I turned to the side...

...there were giant ripples pooling at the lower back. There's no doubt I have a sway back but so far I've never come face to face with it sewing. Of course I did what any rookie sewer would do and tried to gather the problem area in with elastic. Not only did it do nothing for said ripples, it created more of them, now at the sides. Gah! I turned to my trusty Colette Sewing Handbook for guidance and committed the unmentionable post-finished-garment-sway-back-adjustment! Basically, I pinched two inches of fabric out, sewed a curved line across and by some miracle my crime against sewing is camouflaged by the pink stripe in the center back. YES!! Another lucky sewing break.

The pattern is now fitted with a proper sway back adjustment ready for V no.2. It was just so fun and cutesy to wear that I think I wouldn't mind a few of these gals in my hand-made wardrobe.

Tigerlily Maxi

2012-02-10T19:39:00.008+10:00

Australian fashion label Tigerlily are pretty much as 'Aussie' as backyard bbq's. They make beautiful, slightly exy swim-wear and clothing that I used to pine for seasonally, in my pre-diy era. I am blown away that a new fabric store in town (The Fabric Store) are stocking the exact Tigerlily fabrics from their collections...by the yard! This seems kind of unusual, but complain I did not. Grab the bolt, race to the counter, shoulder checking along the way, I did. I recognized this geometric polyester knit from a dress in their collection a few summers ago. A dress that I wanted bad enough to cut and paste it into a word document...these were the days before Pinterest.

I knew I was onto a good thing with the Mission Maxi Dress pattern after I wore the 'test run' for three days straight. A bit feral now I think about it. But it's just a great pattern, especially for lazy girls at heart! For minimal time and effort you get a super flattering, easy wearing summer maxi dress. This version using view C with godet, really grabbed my attention and I assumed my geometric print would make a spectacular godet version. However, in my case, the print had so much happening already that the godet doesn't really stand out. It's seems more visually effective to use a plain fabric, like stripes, and get creative with changing the direction of the fabric.

So I may have mentioned in a recent Kniterviews, something to the tune of 'I don't change much at all when sewing with knits laa laa di da'. Which is all well and dandy until I tried to sew this really stretchy fabric with a regular straight stitch. No surprises, it puckered like a you know what! Usually I avoid my machine's stretch stitch function ( uneven stitches?) but in this case it was ten times better than straight stitch. I tried so hard to line up the print but it was ta-ricky. I'm declaring polyester knit as the eel of stretch fabrics, and after much wrestling I still couldn't get it to match at the center back and side seams. Lucky its a busy print and hides it well. So don't look too close you lot!

Now I have my own, friendlier on the budget, Tigerlily dress!

It's Hootylicious

2012-02-07T18:17:00.005+10:00

Pattern: ever-faithful 90 minute shirt tutorial from here

Fabric: women's tee + ribbing

Short and sweet post today. I made this for Archie's little mate, who just turned 4. He's into owls and I happened to have this thrifted tee in the cut-up clothes pile. I only had small window of sewing time and needed a quickie ( get your mind out of the gutter) so I turned to the ever-faithful 90 minute shirt, also seen here and here and maybe here. It's a nice confidence builder too when your sewjo needs a boost. But now its finished I really want to keep it. Is that possibly the lowest form of indian giving, the one in which you don't even give the present? So I posted it right here where I won't get away with my crime, since there's a good chance our little friend's mummy is reading this...

Stuff n' Stay to keep the Villains at bay

2012-02-05T11:50:00.004+10:00

Pattern: Oliver and S sailboat top. Last time I made a 3 and the arms were a bit short, so now he's a size 4 I made a 5 and we're good. I don't think its the pattern sizing, we're probably a long armed species.

Fabric: Stripey Jersey pinched from a loved-no-longer dress that wasn't really my style. I didn't take before photos so you'll have to take my word for it, but I squeezed out every piece of this pattern bar the hem facing.

Mods: Chunky black cuffs, I like how they look on the cardigans. Instead of two buttons on each shoulder, I used one big button, mostly out of necessity!

Botchy bits: Something is up with my button hole foot. It's catching the fabric half way through each hole so then I have to tug at it which makes for a really average button hole. I wish I could say its just happening with knits, but wovens too. It's making me a little nervous, seeing as the next few projects I 'd like to sew for me have so many buttons in really obvious places. Somehow I don't think I'll be attaching giant buttons to hide the mess beneath, though I quite like it here!

Make again: This is one of my favourite boy patterns. I like the details like top stitching and facings, which make for a neat finish and look more complicated than they are. Now that I know it works in a knit...

Make your own Stuff n' Stay with this tutorial. To make the Villain version, we can bypass a few steps. Since we are using felt we can sew our two layers of felt wrong to wrong side, just make sure the velcro side is facing out. Sew around the edges with an 1/8" seam (include eye holes), still leaving a little gap to stuff. Once you've stuffed it to your liking, stitch the gap closed with your machine still on the right side with 1/8" seam.

Completely forgot the back molar berry check.

Land down-under dress

2012-01-23T08:37:00.002+10:00

So there we were, heading into the outback for a New Years Eve wedding, sans kids. And here I was, in the passenger seat franticly hand stitching the lining and bodice of a dress I started the week before. As is the way, I had a good few months to prepare aaaaand got distracted.

After all that, I'm not head over heals for this dress. I did a bit of a naughty in buying Vogue 1102, knowing it compromised the number one rule for my shape: high neckline. I've been dabbling in some 'research' to figure out the what styles suit and what patterns I should go for. By research I mean, watching Trinny and Susannah's 'What Not to Wear' and trying on clothes that aren't necessarily 'me', just for thrills! Apparently, I'm an upside-down triangle. Broad shoulders and chest and narrow hips, means pencil skirts yes, high necklines no. Turtlenecks: BIG NO! Anything with an expanses of fabric across the chest make me look and feel boxy.

Rules Schmules she said! I had a vision of this dress in aqua linen-blend and I thought maybe, just this once I could overlook the neckline. There was even enough of this thrifted fabric, 4 yards! The stars were aligned, it was meant to be. And I love this style, really I do, but sadly not on me. I changed out of it and into a backup dress between wedding and reception. I just felt uncomfortable. Perhaps Vogue 1102 is better suited to girls who are petite up top. If you are full busted or broad shouldered or both, save yourself the heartache and go for a Vogue 8280 type neckline. Or just make it up anyway to reconfirm what you knew you already knew!

Excuse my underwear but this was too good not to share. Have I been living in a bubble? Did you know there is such thing as a 'low back bra extender'? I was just about to buy some alarming stick-on cups when I saw... a piece of elastic with bra clips/ hooks on each which attaches to one side your bra, wraps around your tummy and hooks onto the other side, dragging it down below the line of your dress. The best part is it attaches to your own bra (and it was a third of the price). You can't beat the security a proper bra in the event of shimmying/ leakage. As it turns out, 15 hours without breastfeeding led to some seriously engorged boobies. Mr Cirque Du Bebe thought it was Christmas. I just wanted to get home!

This lesson was a goodie: When the directions on the back of the fabric marker packet say 'remove pen marks before ironing', they're not kidding!

Part bird, part boy

2012-01-20T08:08:00.007+10:00

Nothing to see here folks! Just another men's tee turned manligan. But you know what they say...a manligan a day keeps the doctor away. Or should it be Mandigan? So confused. Diagnosis: Manligan Fever. The only known cure: make more manligans.

I wish you could add things to your cv like, 'Applicant can completely shred, devour and re-use an entire men's t-shirt in minutes' and people would bow, not laugh! Admittedly, I felt a little guilty cutting this one up. There may have been a conversation with Mr Cirque Du Bebe and a vague hint dropped, like 'wow that's a reeeeeallllly cool shirt, I would wear that one'. Sorry baby it wasn't me. It was the FEVER!

Love Me a Wiggle Dress

2012-01-09T22:02:00.000+10:00

What do you get when you mix this pattern with this piping and this dress inspiration?

...You get this one...

...a vintage-inspired

...nautical

...Rockabilly

...Pin-up

(insert other)

...WIGGLE DRESS

Hands down, this is the best outcome of last year's new-clothes-free year. Usually I would be devising a scheme to get my mits on that gorgeous Etsy dress. And it was only because buying wasn't an option, that I even considered sewing. Now it seems crazy to have ever considered buying!

Which came first, the pattern or the piping? I bought this pattern, found the piping and fell in love with that 'nautical wiggle dress' in three unrelated incidences. True. I snapped up Vogue 8280 after first seeing it here and there it sat in the stash waiting for the right fabric... and for me to grow some balls. I jumped on a review site and found lots of lovely but very sensible versions for the office. I was still hanging out for a cheeky wiggle dress and when I saw this cute fabric with little jolly-rogers and anchors...Vogue 8280 was free from her shackles!

I had a good feeling about this one. A pattern combining a fitted bodice, sweetheart neckline and pencil skirt is a guaranteed never-fail for broad shouldered, narrow hipped, up-side down triangle shaped girls. Choosing the right size was kind of important since I am yet to figure out the making of a muslin and some of the reviews recommended you size down. According to the pattern I was between a 12 and 14. I cut the 14 to be safe but when I held up the pieces it just seemed too big, so went back and cut the 12. So far I seem to be getting away with shrinking seam allowances down if I've cut too smaller size rather than entirely re-fitting a bigger size. For now.

The bodice fit perfectly and with pinning help from an obliging girl at the fabric shop, I took in the sides of the skirt and changed the shape. Not leaving without my wiggle!

And yes they are fake...eyelashes. I was SO excited about how to style this dress to capture its retro rockabilly spirit. Yet to get in touch with my inner 'girly-girl', I had to search Pinterest for 'pin-up' style make-up and buy some basics. According to this tutorial you must have pin-up eyebrows so off they went for a wax. The beautician was not familiar with these so called pin-up eyebrows but somehow we nutted out that they had to be long and thin, with a high arch, please. As you can probably tell, I had fun hamming it up for the camera in a deserted (at least I think it was) carpark. Not hard to do when your eyelashes are an inch long.

One of the reviewers said she highlighted all the instructions for the particular view you want to sew because they jump about. Which it does. Invaluable. My personal tip is: write yourself encouraging messages along the way, which is especially good for sewers previously brought to tears by a vogue pattern.

The Manligan (manly cardigan)

2012-01-06T05:58:00.000+10:00

There's no denying...2012 has arrived. And so has the KNIT-erviews! Made by Rae is hosting a blog-world-first with a whole week devoted entirely to sewing with knit fabric. It begins TODAY and I'm super excited to be taking a little part, sharing tips on making knits work for you (not the other way around) and my not-so-secret sources for superior knit fabrics. Don't spend another moment fearing things that stretch...it's a must-click-now!

To welcome a brand new year of sewing and maybe also because Archie has two shirts on rotation, I just had to sew something new. Last year I was wooed by the old-school, grandpa charm of this pattern and it has been sitting in my stash, taunting me with its 'intermediate /advanced' classification on the front, ever since. When I finally stopped being dramatic and just sewed the damn thing up, it came together quickly and similarly to a 90 minute shirt. What had at first seemed like lengthy instructions, just turned out to be thorough. I hereby pledge to be a less dramatic sewer in 2012!

Aaah, there's nothing quite like the thrill of hunting down interesting knit fabrics. If I hadn't I tried out this tutorial and experienced my first ever knit project success, I would never have started looking for cool men's t-shirt to cut up. I'd probably still be ferreting through the generic selection at a local fabric department store, missing out on magical finds like THIS! Who would throw this out? And don't they know how on-trend triangles are?

Some things you may find useful: it calls for clear elastic to stabilise the shoulders but I had none so used cotton stay tape to the same effect. Also, to give the front button placket some body, you are meant to interface it with iron-on interfacing, the knit kind. I had none of that either so I checked the non-stretchy iron-on interfacing to see if maybe there was a bias to it and found it stretched perfectly along the grain in one direction. Yay for improvs that work!

It was a very good year

2011-12-21T22:32:00.000+10:00

Does anyone else like to indulge in ridiculous head games? Lately, I've been looking back through 2011 with my should'a, would'a, could'a goggles on. So, as a little feel-good exercise, I decided to make a collage using 'collage' (funnily enough) on Picnik. And seeing it all like this...turns out I haven't been sitting on my butt all year. Step away from the whip.

This was a great way to finish the year on a good note, kind of like hanging kindy art on the wall again. I can't recommend this enough, if you've been doing some sewing / crafting this year and could do with a little self-nurturing!

As for you, Mr. to do list ...

Re-vamp an old chair CHECK
Make / thrift clothes CHECK. Lots of thrifting. Making clothes takes forever.
Hand-make and buy handmade gifts No
Become unimaginably FAB at sewing Progress
Buy my fruit / veg at the markets CHECK
Turn an old suit-case into a retro picnic set Nice in theory
Get a fringe CHECK
Start a 'dress-up' box CHECK
Make our rented town-house a home sewing nook taking shape, priorities people...
Make brownies and rice-paper rolls mmm CHECK and CHECK

How about you...did 2011 meet expectations?

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas. An exciting 2012 awaits...

Step Right Up

2011-12-15T17:06:00.000+10:00

Crazy Christmas mode has hit and we haven't even got the tree up! There is a whole bunch of sewing going on behind the scenes but everything is a WIP right now. So...I thought I'd share with you some baby boots from last year. The story is, around the same time, I came across the Japanese cotton/ linen blend fabrics on Etsy and this pattern. I think my Etsy 'favourites' crept up to eleven pages of fabric. I was planning to make the boots to sell on Etsy and modify the pattern to make them easier to get on. But I ran into some ethical issues, namely: using someone else's pattern eeek! It's a steep learning curve this sewing / blogging business but I know for sure that I definitely want to go about it with integrity and create Good Craft Karma (which I'm sure is responsible for telephone dress success). I realised how much thought and time must go into pattern making, and I certainly don't want to rip off a fellow crafter's hard work. A pattern making course might be called for in 2012...

Up Up and Away

2011-12-01T07:51:00.000+10:00

I can't believe it's been this long. Turns out a three month stint in a country town, three job changes and a broken camera has left YOU all post-less! Anyway, I'm back with my regular, semi-regular up-dates...and today I have a gentlemanly Pea Coat for you. (Or 'Pee' coat if your little someone is being a little turd during the night)

Pattern: Unisex Pea Coat by Dear My Kids (etsy)

Outer: Japanese Cotton / Linen blend (etsy)

Lining: Austen Powers baby-poo velour.

The velour was the one piece out of a great lot of thrifted fabrics that I brought home and thought, 'it's hideous...what was I thinking?!' And then I remembered this beautiful version of the Pea Coat. I used some dark denim from the same thrifty pillage for a contrast under the collar, sleeve tabs and the self cover buttons. I was planning to take some width out of the coat so it's a tad more up and down for a boy and forgot...does it look like a dress?

Anyway, I'm quite taken, as many of us are, with the idea of vintage, yesteryear, old-world, tailored little kiddie clothes. I especially liked the idea of a gentlemanly pea coat despite it being totally impractical in our sub-tropical climate. Oh well, I'm pretty sure practicality went out the window when it seemed like a dandy idea to make clothes for a whole year. Along the way I'm discovering that sewing is definitely not quicker and, once you develop a taste for designer fabrics, not cheaper. Who's complaining?

Make a 'STUFF 'n' STAY' for creative play

2011-11-29T10:35:00.000+10:00

How would you like to take an ordinary kiddo shirt and transform it into 'lift-the-flap' clothing? Lets face it, those books are still fun! You will learn how to make a simple 'stuffie' (completely removable for washing) and watch your kids turn it into an interactive prop for creative play. You could even make a few and rotate them.

1. Get inspired. What do you think would make a fun prop? A moustache? An ice-cream? An envelope with a felt letter? Your fabric stash can be a good place to draw inspiration...do you have some stripes that scream villain or conveniently, a fabric with a ready made prop lurking in the print (see telephone). You could put something noisy inside; crinkly plastic, a bell. The cord can become part of the game too! You guys are the creatives. Go wild.

2. Gather materials, including some stuffing to fill the shape with.

3. Cut the cord and attach velcro. The cord should be long enough to reach where the prop will be used (but not long enough to go around a neck) plus an extra inch that will be fixed inside the stu ffie. Cut a narrow strip of velcro (about an inch) and secure it to one end of the cord with a zig-zag stitch, going up and back several times.

4. Draw the sewing line. This will be the perimeter of your stuffie when it is poofed up. This line should be just out from the edge of the image so you don't lose any of it when you sew.

5. Cut the shape just outside the sewing line this time. This will become the seam allowance.

6. Flip over and re-draw your sewing line on the wrong side.

7. Cut the felt backing. Pin the fabric to your felt and cut around the shape.

8. Attach velcro to felt backing and to shirt. Sew a couple of strips of velcro to the back of the felt backing. Cover a generous area...the stuffie needs to be easy to slap on in a hurry (when you have to hang that telephone up fast). Now for the shirt. When considering where to place the complimentary velcro strips see if there is somewhere in the fabric design to disguise black or white velcro, like in stripes as above. This just makes for a slightly neater look but its not a biggie if its not possible. Pin and sew the velcro on, making sure the stuffie has plenty of area to stick to.

9. Attach cord and sew stuffie. With your fabric right side to right side (velcro facing outside), sandwich the cord between the two layers and pin in place, leaving an inch hanging outside and the rest on the inside. Shut the lid and pin around the remainder of the shape. Sew your Stuffie following the line you drew earlier, making sure the cord is still tucked inside. Leave a gap in the stitching large enough to turn stuffie back the right way.

10. Now stuff it. Stuff it real good.

11. Close the opening with small neat hand-stitching, using co-ordinating thread.

12. To add a little extra tactile goodness and give the stuffie a quilted effect, pick a couple of lines to emphasize and sew along them.

Congratulations...if you made it this far you didn't stuff up. Sorry. Now stick it on and enjoy the entertainment.

Be Friendly to the Carnival Folk Coat

2011-10-13T17:45:00.000+10:00

Be Friendly to the Carnival Folk was inspired by dreamy carousels, cotton candy and rickety rides. The fabric is by Kokka and is actually called 'Carnival', you might recognize it from my birthday bulk buy. The red corduroy and the buttons were a lucky thrifty find. The pattern is by Dear My Kids and this is the 'unisex warm hoodie' in a size 5. Big enough for when its actually winter here.

I first saw the jacket made up here and jumped at the chance to try a new boy's pattern, particularly one involving piping. Turns out the pattern doesn't say anything about piping but its a nice detail on an otherwise plain jacket. And since too much is never enough, I piped the sleeves, the rim of the hood and along the hood before, thankfully, it ran out. Its a simple pattern to work with, though I missed the handy notches of an Oliver and S.

By the way, did anyone notice I was fashionably late to this week's Kids Clothing Week Challenge? HAH, I wish. This is the sum total of my efforts for days 1 & 2 & 3 & 4. Dang that real life stuff that gets in the way of sewing and blogging! This is turning into a one item KCWC for me. It was more fun to edit photos than sew the coat this week, so I think I'll take that as a sign to re-group and rest. I'll have to be okay (cries hysterically) with that this time round but I'll still be checking out everyone else's awesome sewing in the flickr pool and 'pinning' you all like mad!

Guest Post and a DIY for you

2011-10-08T07:31:00.000+10:00

Good morning! Like what you see? Today I am over at Elsie Marley with a neat DIY for you in anticipation of Kids Clothing Week Challenge, fall edition. Which is next week. Still time to get your inspiration on and if you need any, here's some for boys and some for girls. To say I'm a leeetle bit excited about being a guest on Elsie Marley is an understatement. I'm just not quite sure how to express it yet. Considering I thought I was doing it next week, I might start with a caffeinated beverage to go with my new bags. The ones under my eyes. And then maybe a fist pump. Yes I'll start with that.

Welcome friends of Elsie Marley!

It's my party and I'll buy if I want to

2011-09-21T07:42:00.000+10:00

Greetings from Fabric Heaven.

It's not an online fabric store, though catchy name.

It's the view from the top of my sewing table since my birthday stash arrived! Now to the untrained eye this may look excessive. And, if this was anything but an annual occurrence only (okay maybe bi-annual if I'm good for santa) then yes, you'd be forgiven for thinking someone has a teensy weensy problem. But when it comes to frittering away birthday moolah these days, I'm a simple gal: No handbags here. No shoes. No i-pads. No chocolate. No perfume. Just fabric. Sweeeeeet fabric from across the globe. If you'd like to know what any of these are, ask away, they're all etsy purchases!

This post should probably have been titled: You know you've got it bad when..

'Call me' party frock

2011-08-24T15:48:00.000+10:00

This might be my proudest sewing moment to date! It's the Macaron Dress by Colette patterns and it's intermeeeeeeediate, which loosely translates to ( maddening )pockets, pleats and an invisible zip. I went in blind. I had to un-pick and re-adjust and un-pick and re-adjust. I didn't merge the bust, waist and hip measurements. I spent $26 on an invisible zipper foot that I had no idea how to use. I wanted capped puffed sleeves and no contrasting waistband. And for the last two weeks from measuring to sewing the final hem I was prepared for 'sack dress with dodgy zip job'.

I'd seen from other versions of the Macaron that it could look a little boxy so took measurements with no room to spare. But when I came to fit the dress, the ends of the waist wouldn't meet! Luckily the pattern's generous 5/8" seams allowed a little room for those of us who forget to merge waist and bust measurements. Re-stitching a 3/8 " seam saved the day and gave the small waist I was after. Phew!

Now, if I was really clever I would have thought to create some sort of 'lift the flap' option for breastfeeding. There's no physical way to wrestle a boob out any opening without freaking out the other guests so its a short stint only frock. There was a lot riding on this dress. If it didn't work out I would have happily resigned myself to a future of kiddie clothes sewing...

... but the love I have for this dress, with its minty, retro telephones, silky cream fabric, little puffed sleeves, small waist and pockets, runs deep. So deep that I'd pay good money for it in a shop. Plus it goes with my new fringe. So, with anticipation and a little more confidence I'm venturing forth into the world of adult patterns.

Could you do with some sewing 'pin-spiration'?

Super BIG thanks to my brother Ed for his awesome photography skills and patience while we tried out every conceivable backdrop.

Pea Pod Baby Carrier

2011-08-22T21:39:00.000+10:00

To be honest I'm a bit of a mad Ergo baby carrier devotee. I've recommended it to so many unwitting mothers that any day now Ergo will call and announce that, as their unofficial sales rep, 5c from every carrier will be donated to me. So before this becomes an Ergo rant, I must press that no baby carrier (and we've tested a few) has compared to its comfort and convenience, especially for a mum who goes handbag / pram-free when she can get away with it.

Thus, it was for cosmetic reasons alone that I fell in love with the Pea Pod carrier designed by Sascha of Piccoli Piselli (a must-see blog for boy sewing inspiration) and went out and bought the same Heather Ross fabric and contrast. I'm highly imaginative, you know. There were no pre-expectations for the Pea-pod to compare to beloved ergo and no hard feelings if it just turned into pure hip-candy.

and the verdict...

We love our Pea Pod! I followed Sascha's recommendation of making the shoulder strap wider over the shoulder area, than the original measurement for added comfort. So even with the weight distributed off-centre it supports this 10kg bruiser with surprising comfort. A great pattern with easy construction. Not to mention it's mighty purty too!

Cloudy with a chance of...

2011-06-24T13:35:00.000+10:00

Here's a hoodie from a while ago that was forgotten amidst all the excitement of celebrating the summer boy. Its a knit version of Heidi and Finn's comfy yoga top, also seen here and here (truly a loved pattern). Definitely an appropriate print for a boy who has his head in the clouds. The cloud print is from a pre-loved ladies shirt we're now down to one front panel (sob, we had some good times together).

Pirate Revival

2011-06-18T17:28:00.000+10:00

Aaaarrrr ye know what they say, betterrrrr late than neverrrr aye! This was the 3rd and final installment for Celebrate the Summer Boy. Another re-fashion and another pilfer from daddy's ever-shrinking wardrobe.

Did you see Dana's rad board short tutorial? I will agree that unless you make boardies in regular cotton, like these beauties from Made by Rae, cool swimear fabric is few and far between. So can you imagine my excitement when these actual men's boardies retired last summer?! As for their construction; it was a first attempt at a pants re-fashion and it did come together in the end but the insides are butchered!

I've been eyeing off this men's surfie tee and awaiting its hand-me-down, knowing it would make the perfect little boy's summer singlet. I've never made a singlet before and it was much the same as constructing a shirt pattern from an already existing one. The contrasting ribbing is a stripey knit fabric and I think I will coin this creation a nautical ensemble with a hint of pirate.

AAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Aqua, white and all things nice

2011-06-11T20:59:00.000+10:00

And now may I present to you, unapologetically, another pair of Oliver and S sailboat pants. Maybe its time for a new gig...anyone tried the sketchbook pants? I wanted to make this version in dreamy aqua and white for the last few days of Celebrate the Summer Boy, and then its back to reality...winter.

I did forewarn that there would likely be a mass 'pipification' of everything following this project.

So when my local ran out of the real thing there was no choice but to DIY. I'd never have thought it was as simple as slotting some cord inside bias tape; so obvious now.

The best part: my gentle pestering finally paid off and this vintage photo tee was generously donated to our cause; that is to be hacked up and re-fashioned from daddy to Archie size. No part of the beast was wasted and even the 'v' neck made it across.

Hot Chips and Seagulls

2011-06-07T21:48:00.000+10:00

I'm so excited that Dana and Rae have announced a summer edition of Celebrate The Boy. I'd been mourning the loss of Celebrate the Boy month since it finished up, and pining for the next one. I'd be quite happy if we celebrated monthly, quarterly, bi-annually, whenever. So even though we are approaching winter I couldn't resist jumping on board and pretending its already summer... maybe the clothes will fit come the real thing.

A thrifted men's mustard shirt re-fashioned to Oliver and S Sailboat pants, also seen here.

This top was experimental sewing in action! I was dreaming of something slouchy with a hint of nautical. I traced one of Archie's shirts to get the basic pattern, and kept the original front piece of this women's size 14 shirt. Its super stretchy so I thought to try cotton stay tape on the bottom seam and also the shoulders so it didn't pucker. It worked like a dream! I wanted to add a little detail on the sleeves and added a tab / flap (plucked from a dress, complete with button holes) and some thrifted buttons.

The window of opportunity for capturing this human pinball is ever shrinking. When our backdrop becomes a cocoon and I can see myself turning all 'stage mom', we call it a day.

Vroom Vroom

2011-05-27T14:17:00.000+10:00

I am a wee bit excited about Archie's new kindy bag! This is Made By Rae's toddler backpack pattern and to be honest I'm shocked it turned out this superb. And yes I will say so myself because I am still genuinely surprised at being able to follow a pattern to its finish, let alone produce a backpack with a zip and piping. Leaps and bounds, my friends, leaps and bounds.

Since part of this year's scheme is to become ' unimaginably fab at sewing', I've been attempting to up the anti with new challenges. Today kids, we learned that piping is not terrifying. Its actually easy and so deeply satisfying that now I want to 'pipify' everything. Apparently though, there is a back and a front to strap adjusters (bah?) and when you sew them back to front, its not so neat.

The fabric is Echino cars and I hunted down and snagged what I suspect were the last few fat quarters in all the land...unless one of you are hoarding a secret supply?

Kids Clothing Week Challenge: Day Two

2011-05-17T20:14:00.000+10:00

And now for something completely different! No, not really. This is exactly the same Heidi and Finn 'comfy yoga hoodie' pattern as seen on day one of the Elsie Marley KCWC. If you want proof of how quick and managable this really is; it was whipped up during nap time...yay!

1T is the smallest size in this pattern and kind of works for a 7 month old (albeit a large one) with the sleeves rolled up. The only thing I couldn't figure out was why this pattern has a one-size-fits-all hood? It echos in there. Still, I love this kokka postie goats fabric and am quite chuffed with how it turned out.

Hellooooo...is anybody in there?

Kids Clothing Week Challenge: Final moments.

2011-05-17T13:35:00.000+10:00

Don't ask what happened to days 3, 4, 5 and 6 of Elsie Marley KCWC! Obviously I went out too hard and got burn out by day 3. On day 7, I realised there was still time so I went at it like none other than a crazy sewing lady and even sustained a spectacular sewing injury in my haste! And because time was running out I grabbed what was at hand and I tell you, paper hand towels and sticky tape work a treat on a punctured finger. Sweating and bleeding, I just snuck these babies (pictured) into the flickr pool in the nick of time! I am so in awe of those of you that went about the Kids Clothing Week Challenge systematically and produced one item each day! I will be adopting a new game plan next time...

Day One: Kids Week Clothing Challenge

2011-05-11T07:50:00.000+10:00

It seem miracles do happen! And on Monday morning they came in the form of superhero mum (mine) dropping in especially to grant me two uninterrupted hours of sewing bliss. Thanks mummy, you saved the day! Otherwise, I'm not sure sure I would have made it past the pile of kid debris in the lounge room to even get to my sewing machine. Let alone, get to try out this 'Comfy Yoga Hoodie Pattern' by Heidi and Finn. Which, by the way, is just as awesome (and easier) as her Urban Hoodie pattern, for those of you familiar with that lil' beauty.

When I was in preparation mode on Sunday night I wasn't so sure about this colour combo. I am not usually drawn to orange, and definately not green and orange. But I didn't have anything else! So, a bit squeamishly, I stepped out of my colour comfort zone. And I am totally refreshed! Good-bye Blue.

Allright Day Two...its just youuuuuu and me.

KCWC...a sneaky peak

2011-05-07T19:47:00.000+10:00

Wow ~ This is my first Kids Clothing Week Challenge and I'm so excited! Ideas are running through my head. Questions too. How much can I get done? What do the kids need? Will I sew through the night? Do I have to do housework this week? So, I have a bit of a loose list and I'm setting my own challenge...ONE item per day and ONE post per day. I figure, its my first, so lets go hard or go home. If at the end of the week I'm rocking back and forth in a corner clutching my sewing machine, thats a sacrifice I'm willing to make...

So here's a little tid-bit, some fabrics I've been dying to use and now the perfect occasion. We are approaching winter here down-under and though its pretty mild, Archie needs pyjamas and pants. Hudson needs pants and tops. Archie definately needs a bowtie. And mummy needs uninterrupted sewing time. When not sewing, I will be glued to the KCWC elsie marley FLICKR group.

See you on the other side

Feeling a little Retro coming on

2011-05-02T21:06:00.000+10:00

A word of advice....if you have a little boy to sew for and haven't already got your hands on the Oliver and S 'Sailboat top and pants' pattern...do so now! It's quaint, charming and can be as old-world or as modern as you like depending on the fabrics. This time I decided to take a new approach to Archie's wardrobe and channel his inner 'indie' kid (its got to be in there somewhere). Leaving behind the fleuro brights and lurid knits (soooo last week) I took a risk and paired burnt orange corduroy with a mint green, suitably retro, telephone print. I think it paid off...maybe it hurts your eyes?

Hunting around op-shops for men's 'cords' to cut up seems to be my day job at the moment and these trousers I am proud to say, are entirely re-fashioned, buttons and all, from an XL men's shirt. What a beauty!

Have you ever come across some fabric that you love so much you buy it in bulk so it 'never' runs out? This telephone print by Luli Sanchez for Timeless Treasures was my 6-yard-bulk-buy, and I'm pleased to say there are close to 5 left in the stash so that sad sad day is a long way off! These neat square buttons seemed just right for the job and were promptly yanked off another thrifted shirt to be given new life.

MORE BOYS PATTERNS PLEASE OLIVER AND S!!

And the WINNER IS...

2011-04-29T09:12:00.000+10:00

Thank you all so much for entering my little giveaway, and a big shoutout to Crystal of Crafty Ave for nudging it along ;)

Congrats to Kate

Your beautiful hairpins are on their way!

A GIVEAWAY!

2011-04-25T12:10:00.000+10:00

For a while there it was show time at Cirque Du Bebe and it wasn't pretty. A circus of babies is a pretty accurate translation. Now, just because mine came with a built in pm alarm clock, is no reason for you to suffer. So today we are going to celebrate you lovely mummies (plus the sleep that I SHOULD be getting!) with a vintage hairpin giveaway. Don't worry, I'm wearing my best pyjamas for the occasion.

How it works: Leave a comment, stating the hairpin set that you just love the mostest and Friday morning the winner will be drawn at random.

GOOD LUCK

A Babble of Bibs

2011-04-08T11:18:00.000+10:00

On a recent hunt for inspiration around blog land, I happened upon a particularly neat bib tutorial by Sew She Sews which I must share. 'Bibs SCHMIBS!' you say? Well, its true: a bib is a bib and it probably won't blow your socks off, but I love its mod shape and the mock patchwork allows for some seriously playful fabric combos. Clear and easy to navigate for those who still consider themselves in the 'mostly-beginner-with-moments-of-brilliance' category!

Newsboy Hats

2011-03-28T09:37:00.000+10:00

This newsboy hat pattern by Leila and Ben has been skulking around in my stash for too long. Since my over-locker (serger) just stopped working and everthing but completely lined clothes is out of the question, it was the perfect project. Small and managable for this zombie mum.

The pattern comes in size 6-12 months and 2t-5t. However, Archie's three year old head is big and this is fine in the circumference but a bit shallow. I am wondering whether if I add a centimetre to the bottom of the pattern if this will solve the problem of monsieur big-brain?

It took about 5 minutes to cut the fabric inc. lining and about 20 minutes to sew. The kawaii hedehog fabric is a cotton / linen blend, the denim is an old pair of dad's jeans and both are lined with a plaid shirt.

Me and My Monkey (pants)

2011-03-24T20:19:00.000+10:00

I love love LOVE this monkey spat pattern! They are a breeze to sew and use a small amount of fabric, so you can re-fashion anything as small as a onesie for the bum patch. From what I've gathered, I'm not the only one having trouble finding interesting knit prints, but when you only need a bit as here, it opens up a world of options. This gem of a pattern is by Danslalune on etsy and I've noticed a skinny leg version is now available if you and your lil man swing that way.

One particularly thrifty sort of day I went hunting specifically for interesting knit prints and came back with the Cloud. The Lion is one of Archie's old onesies. The Pandas are from Hudson's shorts. The legs from left to right are made from a t-shirt, my sweaty old track pants and my brother's non-sweaty sweater...feeling pretty virtuous!

Can a bum get any cuter?

No, thats right, it cannot (Correct Answer)

Crazy Eyez 90 minute shirt

2011-03-19T21:45:00.000+10:00

You might have started to notice a little Complusive Crafting Disorder going on here... surely I'm not alone in getting hooked on a project (hoodies, 90 min shirts) then doing it to death!? Lets call it being 'thorough', after all, Archie's winter wardrobe is now fully stocked in the top department (although more 90 min shirts are never out of the question). Pants should probably be next; and then we can stop cropping all the pics above the waist.

Archie felt his 'hot-cross bun' prop added something special to the scene. Who was I to argue?

The front and back is re-purposed from a brand new men's shirt ( I know I know, but it IS from etsy, so is still technically supporting the hand-made!). The sleeves are from a really cosy, well-loved ladies sweater, thrifted.

This year's hand-made / thrifted clothes regime was only ever intended as a bit of fun and a damn good excuse to go op-shopping. But I'm now I'm totally hooked and entertaining thoughts of making an entire years worth of clothes for the boys just for kicks. Over ambitious?

In a Flash Hoodie

2011-03-18T15:19:00.000+10:00

The 'flash' fabric is an up-cycled XL men's surfie T-Shirt from an Op-shop in Byron Bay. It was just screaming out...pick me...pick me!

But didn't see this coming...

Don't look too closely at the button holes, one is an imposter. Can you guess? I could have thrown my machine last night.

In My Neighbour-Hoodie

2011-03-15T14:26:00.000+10:00

Welcome to da 'hood'

Apparently we live in the one second from the right with the tall bay windows.

As you can see its still too warm to actually wear a hoodie in sunny Queensland...so for now we'll have to pretend its winter

or that...

Archie's Neighbourhood Tours are: 'pants optional'.

Urban Hoodie

2011-03-11T14:10:00.000+10:00

After a recent sewing disaster involving a red dress and tears at sewing lessons (emBARRASSING!), this rookie sewer was in dire need of a confidence boost. It came in the form of this super fun project! Urban Hoodie pattern by Heidi and Finn.

I'm sure we'll all agree that the fabric hunt is half the fun? Since being overcome with 'navy-nautical-sailor-stripey-frenchie' fever of late, I was lucky and surprised to pounce on this interlock knit at Spotlight...my least favourite destination for fabric...blah! Lined with scraps from four different men's tees; if we were to dissect this beautiful specimen we would find an 'unco' aray of beige, red, cream and brown inside. So nice to include some up-cycling!

The only adjustments made were with the sizing; I originally cut a size 3 for Archie and it sucktioned onto him like a squid underneath the arms (apparently others have had similar issues). I was using a thicker fleecy knit (marle?), and the pattern calls for 'lightweight knit'. Still, after jumping up to a size 5 and using a lightweight knit, plus reducing seams to 3/8 instead of 5/8 under arms, the fit is more 'glove' and less 'straight-jacket'!

A CRAFTASTIC 2011!

2011-03-07T20:02:00.000+10:00

Usually my new years resolutions have involved the following: get fit, eat healthy and become a surfie chick. This year things took an unexpected turn...

Re-vamp an old chair
Make / op-shop any clothes I might want
Hand-make and buy handmade gifts
Become unimaginably FAB at sewing
Buy my fruit / veg at the markets
Turn an old suit-case into a retro picnic set
Get a fringe
Start a 'dress-up' box for Archie
Make our rented town-house a home
Make brownies and rice-paper rolls

I don't think we'll analyse it too deeply...especially since I tried to pass off a fleeting craving as a new years resolution at the time.

However,
even more tantaslising than that list is this one...

SEWING PROJECTS 2011...

Urban Hoodie pattern by Heidi and Finn.

Oliver and S Sailboat pants and top

Toddler backpack from Made-By-Rae...can't wait!

90 minute shirts by Dana from Made tutorial

Monkey Spats by Danslalune

Sausage Roller Dog by Craft Schmaft

Re-fashion Archie's jeans to skinny leg jeans re-fashion tutorial by Freshly Picked

Cute cushions for the couch using tutorial by Freshly Picked

BOWTIES!! either using this tutorial by Lemon Squeezy Home or this one by Delia Creates

I love the idea of a personal Scavenger Bag for Archie for all his manly treasures. perhaps this tutorial by Sew Grown

And...

A cool up-cycled old-man vest for Archie tutorial at http://www.dana-made-it.com/
Freezer Paper Stencilling tutorial at http://www.dana-made-it.com/
An upcycled Cloche hat for Me and newsboy hats for Hudson and Archie
Kimino Pyjamas and pants for the boys
A doona cover for Archie's Bed

A SELF IMPOSED PATTERN BUYING BAN IS NOW IN PLACE until further notice

RECIPE FOR $25 CHAIR REVAMP

2011-02-27T20:22:00.000+10:00

STEP 1: HUNT DOWN ONE TIRED OLD CHAIR WITH HIDEOUS FLORAL COVER (remove and discard with disdainful expression)

STEP 2: MAKE SURE TO BARGAIN CHAIR DOWN FROM $5 TO $4.50 (kidding)

STEP 3: REPLACE FOAM WITH HELP OF NICE MAN FROM CLARK RUBBER

STEP 5: LET THE HUNT FOR HOME DECOR FABRIC BEGIN!

I chose Kristen Doran hand-screenprinted cotton / linen from Habitat Textiles ($19 ish) www.etsy.com/shop/HabitatTextiles

TAA DAAAAA!!

IMPORTANT: MAKE SURE TO TEST COMFORT FACTOR USING YOUR TODDLER'S BARE BOTTOM

Phew, it passes!

Flying Solo Sock Owl

2011-02-25T14:52:00.000+10:00

Archie's mate Hoot, flies over his bed. This little guy is about the size of a grapefruit and personally I like the idea of a mobile featuring one big bad-ass owl. Pattern is by Claire from Craft Schmaft and her ingenious sock animals will literally knock your socks off if this sort of thing excites you. Her sock owls are easy and fun since you get to hunt for cool socks and co-ordinating fabrics for his / her wings. I've used some navy hippo fabric from my japanese stash. Next project from Craft Schmaft: absurdly- cool -pull -along -sock -weiner dog!

Le Petit Touriste

2011-02-25T09:51:00.000+10:00

Usually quite happy to dance around like a wally in front of the camera, this petit touriste was obviously experiencing severe jetlag. Still, a little encouragement and the 'token' silly face made an appearance. For this one I used the 90 minute shirt tutorial once again (expect inundation of these babies ) and the original shirt is from The Bold Banana, my destination for new vintage style men's shirts...to hack up of course!

Wild THANG!

2011-02-25T09:31:00.000+10:00

I totally appreciate the sentiment behind 'upcycling' men's shirts but buying a few glorious new ones is way too fun! This T-shirt started life in the men's section of K-mart, a mere $5, was refashioned into a sleep suit for Hudson before it was hacked up all over again for the big dude. Still going strong though...

Monsieur Moustache

2011-02-24T20:46:00.000+10:00

I am totally utterly addicted to the 90 minute shirt tutorial from http://www.dana-made-it.com/ . Dana, you're my hero! The best part about this tutorial is it teaches you how to make your own pattern from a onesie. I had put this project in the 'maybe one day I'll be ready' pile and look how awesome it is!! Made from some destash jersey and felt scraps.