Party Dresses

Just excuse the scruffy hair and daggy tracksuits. We were not long home from a busy morning at playgroup

Last year the girls really wanted me to make them a party dress to wear for their birthday. Master A was only a month old so the sewing machine was on an extended holiday. This year when they asked again I was determined to make them something special. We seem to start a 4 month roll of birthday parties and special occasions, including Great Nanna Shirley's 80th next month. So the girls picked their fabric and when I got my first Ottobre Magazine I immediately found their party dress - the Jigsaw Pinnafore. They were incredibly easy to sew together, only a couple of hours and that was for 2 dresses. The cutting out took a little longer but only because I had to really think about what colours were going where!!! but I am delighted with them. They look so cute. I did have to take them in 3.5cm on either side. They were really wide. So I am not sure if this is standard with all Ottobre patterns or just this one?? I just need to find a white or cream long sleeved top to go under them as its still a bit chilly down here. This may prove challenging given that all the shops now have their summer stock out.

We Have Been Spoilt....

I won a giveaway last week on Leanne's blog Homemade Rainbows. The package arrived today and the girls and I couldn't wait to open it. It was full of goodies....

Beautiful vintage linens and buttons and some of her fabulous Yo-Yos

Handmade soap (which smells gorgeous) & paper, some seeds for my garden, two cloth birds (which the girls quickly claimed for themselves), a fabric garland and a booked called Rainbow Food which is all about eating by colour.

Leanne, thank you for your wonderful generosity. If you haven't discovered Leanne's blog then pop over and have a look. She has a garden I can only dream about and chooks!!

Take 2 on the Overalls

Well I re-visited the overall pattern and with a few modifications...came out with this! They look super cute on the little man. The only thing I didn't do was make them long enough. So with the cuff rolled up they are a wee bit short. Next time I will get it right. Archie has a little friend that is turning one this week so I think I will have at a go at a pair for him... The material on the cuff, lining and pockets is an off cut from Granner's stash. She sent it down with the view to me using it for the girls but it was a lovely wool and it was screaming out to be used for Archie. I was going to save it and use it next winter for a cute pair of pants but when I opened it up I found that it had moth holes. Thankfully there is enough left for another pair of overalls.

Some Christmas Shopping...

We are just getting over Master A's birthday and I am already thinking about Christmas (how sad!). I have just sent off an email to order the Animal Skittle Game from Poppet in the Post. How cute are they?? I can just picture him bowling the ball down the hallway and I know it will make for a noisy game on the wooden floorboards.

Dino Aqua Shorts

I have just finished my first Ottobre pattern and I have the say that....I am really happy with them. Its the Aqua shorts from Summer 3/2008. They look super cute on the little man. I just hope that it warms up and he gets to wear them before he grows out of them as I forgot to add a seam allowance to the elastic casing. Oops! And I appliqued a stretchy bonds t-shirts with an extra dino...(excuse the crappy photos. I think I need to play with the settings on the camera as its taking grainy photos)

I get It!

I finally succumbed and ordered two Ottobre Magazines and they arrived in the post on Monday. Now I get what all the fuss is about. The designs are fantastic and the detail is amazing...where to start. Well I have nearly finished a pair of shorts for Master A - the Aqua shorts and I have a list a mile long to start on for the girls, including:

• Jigsaw Puzzle Pinafore
• Desert Pants
• Polka dot blouse

And the list goes on...Now I just need to get some kid free time. I am also hoping that Ottobre will help me overcome my fear of sewing knits. Surely it can't be that hard. Right??

A Sewing Fraud???

Some days I feel like a crafting fraud...nothing gets done around the house but the basics ie washing and entertaining the kids. But I have been sewing and I am really happy with the outcome. I drew up a pattern off a pair of overalls that Master A had grown out of but extended the legs and also the body. I will make a few changes next time - square off the front bib, make the straps a little wider and perhaps make them square. The other thing I worked out that you shouldn't do is sew when you are sleep deprived. I stuffed up the cuff and I didn't have the energy to fix it. So I added a little tab detail and it looks sweet. The material is a fine cord that I picked up at the op shop. I love cord on little kids. It washes well and looks fantastic