The shirt

Well the shirt is finished, when I found the fabric at The Fabric Store  all I thought of wow this will be nice and warm for William.  Its a lovely ivory velveteen for want of a better word by Ralph Lauren - cost all up $24 - bargain at half the price.    But it's a wee bit thick for a man's/boy's shirt, so the sewing in parts isn't perfect, mostly where you have a few parts joining at once, collar and cuffs, but it's snuggly warm and I think it looks fabulous!!  

I used Kwik Sew 2974 - in size 8 - no alterations, unless you count the small stuff up with the plackets on the sleeve, which aren't quite where they should be, but hey, I don't make shirts for a living and it's been at least 15 years since I made any at all.

So that's one more item down.  Today we also visited Topiaries to tie down final details, menu and such and work on a timetable for when things will occur.

And William is still refusing to smile for photos, I hope that changes before the day.


I still have to do 


Make a veil
Make a small mans shirt - (its cut)
Make a smocked flower girl dress - (its cut)
Make a bridal purse
Make a ring pillow
Take up a bridesmaid dress x 2
Alter the grooms suit
but add on ties for the groom, best man, DOTB and small man.  And possibly vests .......

Bridesmaid Bags

Well today we - as in Mum and I made Bridesmaid Bags.

Using the Michelle Pattern (previously Keyka Lou) Pleated Wristlet in the smallest size, I set to work.

We used a georgette overlay  the same colour as the bridesmaids and an underlay of plain cotton as well georgette is pretty temperamental at times, but we wanted the ruched effect on the front.  The inner I used a cotton print that was a bit of fun.  Can I just say I love my cans of 505 basting spray, that allowed me to treat all the layers as one and not go mental with moving georgette in the process.

The pleated wristlet obviously has a pleated front feature panel, but I instead ruched a piece of georgette and gathered it to fit the lining piece and ditched the pleated pattern piece all together.  The wristlet piece is also slightly different as I didn't have small enough d-rings.

Possibly due to user error - aka because I changed the front, I couldn't get the step to work with the pleat in the front bottom hemline, so I just boxed the corners as per the inner, and instead of folding it up, I chopped it off to remove the bulk.

I think they look pretty darn good and they are all made.

Oh and we are going to add a charm in the bridesmaids initial so that everyone knows which belongs to whom.

Still need to

Make a veil
Make a small mans shirt - (its cut)
Make a smocked flower girl dress - (its cut)
Make a bridal purse
Make a ring pillow
Take up a bridesmaid dress x 2
Alter the grooms suit

And I'm sure there is more, but that will do to start.

Oops

Oops, well blogger and I aren't seeing eye to eye and it posted before i was ready.  So I'm trying again.

First up - a little peek of what's headed over to the WAHM market - stocking at 8pm on the 31st May.

Now onto the giveaway.  

Wow so many wonderful ideas and so hard to choose, it's taken us all day back and forth to decide, but there can be only one winner.

  And the winning entry is from Emily and 'Iris' Emily please contact via email by Saturday at 9pm to claim your slot.

Thank you everyone for entering, the fore runners were Hollie, Leanne, Kate and Meggles.

I would love to make any or all of those that commented, so if you would like your idea to come to life, please do not hesitate to contact us at anytime and we'll make your dream come true.

Wedding sewing .....

And this is just the start eek!  5 weeks and counting sigh!

So far I've

Altered one bridesmaid dress and half way through another, but today was a big day - we had to take up the hem of the all important wedding dress.  Amy is mighty petite and whilst the dress elsewhere is pretty much a perfect fit, the hem was WAYYYYYY too long.  So with the help of my friend Margo, lots of guts, some pins, a blue washout marker and my trusty scissors we set to work.

Now whilst I can't show you the dress ...... you just have to wait and see.

The chopping resulted in  metres and metres of tulle, satin, more tulle and and underskirt, laying all over.  All up we chopped off 7 layers.

And we also started on William's outfit.  The pants to start with - wool blend in black from The Fabric Store

Kwik Sew 3399 Boys pants and vest, though we aren't sure whether the vest is a goer yet or not, yes I know 5 weeks!!!!  But the pants are done, when the photos were taken we just needed to do the hem and the belt loops, but I've done the belt loops and grandma is here to do the hem.

The pattern was pretty good.  Margo made them up to the zip and then handed them over, we ditched the back welt pocket, but otherwise followed the pattern.  I think they look pretty darn good, they need a good steam iron and the little closure at the front, but they fit him pretty perfectly - we made the 8 with length added to the bottom hem , to take it a 10 length, but I ended up chopping off an inch and the hem is an inch and a half.  They feel lovely and just like a man's pair with the shaped centre back.

I did also make a Style Arc Kate this morning, but it needs a bit more work done on it, and something a bit draper than stella, but it only needs minor tweaking, not sure if that's the wedding outfit for me or not yet ......  yes I'm currently still going neeked.  I have jewellery though lol!!

Next on the list - William's shirt.

Some days

It's super hard being a wahm.  Some days its hard just being a mum. This week was hard, I have an awful lot on my already full plate, so I took a day off, hoping that will help, rather than falling in a heap for a week.

So for the first time in a very long time, I did not much, I traced some patterns, I read a book (new Sookie), watched a movie (Sherlock Holmes 2) and did a wee bit of sewing for Katherine.  It's been forever since I made her anything, and her winter wardrobe is non-existent.  Now whilst her last years wardrobe fits her around ( she's still trying to put that weight back on), it's too short, she's grown taller, in fact she is much taller than any of my other children were at her age.

She was playing games as usual when it comes to photos and the frowny one was directed at William.  Who for once wanted to have his photo taken with his sister or at all, but little miss 'I am the star' wouldn't play. So I had to shoo William off to take photos of the little miss.

Outfit is Ottobre Peacock from Issue 1/2011 and Licorice Leggings from issue 4/2009, though in the pattern they were cropped, I added in 5 cm, and made them long.

Patterns for once from Ottobre, worked, with no tweaking at all - I made the size 116 for both, and they are a little baggy, but she wasn't home for me to measure.  Fabrics are all from Crafty Mamas.  Plains are both Stella.   Not blood red, but the other one for the pants.

And then following food gawker as I do - I made Hot Buttered Pretzels.  They could be fluffier, but still tasted very good, I drenched them in butter and sprinkled cinnamon and sugar.  William inhaled his.  K wanted to eat more, but as she was on her way to a party I stalled her.

And speaking of party, the outfit above is being worn at said party.  And this is the birthday gift.  Gemma Clutch from ithinksew.  A sweet and easy wee little girls bag, i had run out of magnetic snaps, so I used aplix.  The little ballerina is also a brooch, so can be removed and the gorgeous hair bow are from Trinity's Treasures

This mama and something special ......

This mama loves colour and I love making goodies for her little cherub, and this is some of her gorgeous creations I've made recently.

Love and Peace with hand dyed detailing and hand embroidery on the love!

 

Hand dyed in Orange, Yellow and Pink Fitted
sherpa inner and some matching wipes

Hand dyed Rainbow Knit dress and AI2 hand dyed nappy

And now what you've been waiting for .......

A giveaway.

This is a thank you to all my wonderful customers, those that have supported me since I started way back when before Katherine and when William was a wee tacker and those wonderful new likers, who have zoomed me past the 1000 and hopefully on to a few thousand more.  To those that always have lovely comments.  To those that always support me and hold me up and see me through the happy and rough times.   Its because of you that I do what I do - create gorgeous, individual, wonderful creations for YOUR wonderful creations, small and not so small.

This giveaway consists on ONE custom item, so nappy, outfit, bag whatever I create, to the value of up to $80.  You will need to pay postage for this item and I'm happy to send Worldwide (except Canada and USA, sorry my insurance won't' allow me too :( )  Postage in Australia is $7.50, and AP cost to other places.  Please allow 4 weeks for delivery to make magic!

So you can order something for you, your bubba, your best mate, whomever you like.   Now how can you win - this is not a game of chance, but a game of skill.  Wow me with your creation, tell me what you love and what you'd love and I will have my gorgeous family pick the one that wow's them the most.  If there are more than one I absolutely have to make, I'll draw a name in a hat, and the other entries will have the opportunity to have their items made as well.  I love to share the love.  

Please comment below you will need to log in to comment and comments are moderated, so sometimes take a wee while to appear.  

Winning entry will be drawn at 9am Wednesday the 23rd May, and announced on the blog - it is YOUR responsibility to check to see if you have won and contact me , if I don't have contact made within 3 days, I will redraw.

May Gossamer Dreams

Wow the month is just flying by I guess because we had the surprise Mother's Day Stocking, I sorta forgot we have a regular stocking on the 15th.

This month stocking is

Unity

My take on unity is all about collaboration and fun, so I've collaborated with

Alison From ARF Craft

Tracy from Fairy Fabrics

Margo from The Climbing Tree

Sara from Willow and Moo

All the outfits/nappies are truly amazing and here are some little peeks just for you!

With Margo from The Climbing Tree

With Sara from Willow and Moo

With Alison from ARF Craft

With Tracy from Fairy Fabrics

And can you see the something new added to the Rainbow Dream Nappy?? 

That's right some gorgeous tie dyed snaps, brand new and awesome.

Thanks to the wonderful Julie for dyeing them, and wait till you see what else she's up to.

And don't forget to stop by the blog tomorrow, I'm having a giveaway for reaching 1000 likers, thank you to my new English likers!!

And it will be a FABULOUS giveaway.

Cute as a button!

Well the birthday parties have started and I said at the start of the year that I would try very hard to make the presents for any parties that we went to.

So here is the first one for the year, a little friend of K's 5th birthday - well I think it's 5th, the cut off for ages does in my head now, everyone used to turn 5 in the same year, but not now, and I am easily confused.

Apparently it's a makeover party!!

Anyways I've been waiting impatiently patiently for these patterns to arrive, after stalking their release at Straight Stitch Society - I got several but you'll have to wait and see which others I got lol!

Feed the Animal Coin purses are just perfect for a wee gift, I think from start to finish it took about an hour, I just used stash - and I really should have put the brown eye on the yellow and the yellow on the white. But it went together well, the instructions are clear. I traced my pattern pieces onto template plastic and traced around them, it worked really well. I have pellon here - non-fusible but I got out my trusty can of 505 and make it sticky on one side. I cheated in that the appliqués are done by machine, but I figure much sturdier for a wee child. The purse is fully lined, with a couple of inches of hand sewing, other than that, it's quick and easy (bar the turning the dogs ears the right way round, there was a wee bit of frustration, I have large hands)

When I make it again I'm going to add a wrist strap, so wee little girls can take them shopping. I can see a whole slew of these being made ready for parties and gifts. There is a monkey and a cat as well, and in different colours, you could keep little girls in purses like forever .....