AN APRON IN AN HOUR!

Last year, Jona gave a tutorial on her blog for "An Apron In An Hour". Here's one I made for a friend of mine who is having a birthday on Saturday. This is such an easy apron to whip up...It doesn't take much fabric at all and I used up some of my scraps. Go check out Jona's Blog - it's full of wonderful stuff!

And of course, when preparing dinner in her new apron, she must have a drop of her favourite wine!


I also made a matching bag for a nice bottle of wine. This was another easy project.

I cut a rectangle about 38cm (top/bottom) by about 46cm. Made an 8cm hem on one of the shorter sides (for top of bag). Fold in half lengthways. For the ties, (use 1 length of ribbon about 65cm or make matching ties like I did) fold the ribbon in half and place folded edge of ribbon into the bag's seam allowance at the side, about 8cm from finished top of bag. Sew down side and bottom to form the bag. Square off the bottom of the bag. How easy!

MUST SEW #4

I have been AWOL again the last few days. We decided to take another trip down to Busselton for the second time these school holidays! Lots of Sea, Sun, Sand, Surf and Swimming! I am now catching up on a few things that I needed to post that I didn't get a chance to do before I went.

My Must Sew #4 was to make something for my gorgeous Thomas. I must have been a bit slow on completing this for him...He said to me last week "Mummy, why don't you sew for me?" Which was like a dagger through my heart! I hope I have redeemed myself. His face lit up when he saw the finished product. He loves sharks (or any animal that kills for that matter!) and I saw this cotton fabric at Spotlight a while ago and had to buy it on the spot! I used Simplicity 4381 View A with which I used a navy piping. A really easy pattern - but I have to admit, the piping must add on about an hour extra to make. I will definitely make this again in a fleece for winter (WITHOUT PIPING OK TOM?)

Here's a close-up of the fabric pattern and piping.

Also, I was a very lucky girl indeed the other day when my friend Linda surprised me with this lovely pencil tidy that she made. It's in the shape of a handbag...(she knows how much I love handbags!) How cute! You will find more about how she did this on her Blog. Thank You Linda.

I Love, Love, Love it!

VINTAGE DRESS

I went to pop this on the other day when I realised I hadn't posted about this dress. It's Simplicity 3446, a 1950's pattern I made last year from some lovely cotton fabric I bought from Spotlight. I had the pattern (I can't remember which site I bought it from...I think ebay), and as soon as I saw this fabric - it screamed 1950's to me, I knew it was the one. I didn't have to make any fitting adjustments at all on the pattern, which is always a bonus! All I changed was I inserted an invisible zipper instead of a lapped one.

I really love the neckline (tie). I will make this dress up again, in the slenderette version though, but it will have to wait for now....I have so many other patterns to sew!

A BIT OF KOOKINESS

I thought I'd take a quick photo of Bec practicing her piano last night (I don't take enough of those types of photos), and had to giggle, did you spot anything weird in her Great Barrier Reef diarama? (on top of piano)

OK, so here's a close-up of the behind enemy lines scene!



I just LOVE my children's sense of humour...

Bec and I managed to squeeze in a bit of crafting before Easter. Nothing too earth shattering - it's all been done about a gazillion times before, but I had some nice fabric I wanted to use.




I used the flower fabric for my coasters because it really matches my favourite cup so well. The golf ball coaster is for my die-hard-golfer-mad Dad, and the tape measure one is for my Mum's sewing room.

Bec has just discovered how easy it is to make pony tail holders! She made 9 pairs today - lucky for me I ran out of self covering buttons! The metal ones are better to use than the plastic ones because the 'shank' is a lot bigger and you can fit the snagless elastic through it easily (so you don't have to stitch or glue it on)
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We would just like to wish you all a very happy Easter.

MY AUTUMN DRESS IS FINALLY FINISHED!

Well, I'm really happy with this dress......it took way too long to finish, "life" just got in the way of my sewing this past week, but I'm ready to start another project!

I must admit that while tackling the bodice, I remembered why I don't like making shawl collars...it was like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, you know that corner section where the top part of the shoulder seam is a right angle, and the actual collar is rounded - I tweeked, said a few "foofy" words, threw it on the floor for a day (or two), tweeked some more and finally "nailed it"! I made some 'self covered' buttons (which are sooo easy to make, and look really great!)

I love the sleeves, though I think they are a bit too 'full' for popping under a 3/4 sleeve cardigan. The picture on the pattern cover makes it look like the sleeves are slim fitting. I suppose that is the problem with sketches of designs, it is the artist's impression of how they think the garment should look, not how it actually is. The short sleeve version would be best suited I think for under a cardi.

Anyhoo, I will go through my latest vintage purchases tonight and decide what is next.

MY AUTUMN DRESS PATTERN

Well my pattern arrived this week from The Hemline and I was soooo excited! I rushed out to purchase this fun polka-dot print from Spotlight and am ready to go! I will be doing View 1 with the longer sleeves. Wouldn't this look great with a red 3/4 sleeve cardi and matching shoes?

I have been doing a little (ie: a lot) of vintage shopping this week, so I will reveal in another post. Bec has been fabric and pattern shopping as well, so I guess we'll be fighting for sewing space!

ZIPPITY DOO-DAH

Bec made these...

Into this...

I don't know if this craze is at just my kid's school, or everywhere at the moment. Lots of children began school this year with these type of pencil cases from either "Smash" or "Smiggles". Bec of course wanted to make her own custom made one!

We bought some 35cm zips in pastel colours from Textile Traders this week (they had a 20-50% off sale). It took 12 zips altogether (2 zips of each colour), but you could make it as long or wide, or as many colours as you wish. Sewed them all together to make 2 sides (6 on each). With the right sides together, she sewed all around the edges to seal it all up. The sides were the trickiest part because of the zipper ends being a bit bulky. She sewed some bias-binding down the side seams where the ends of the zippers were for strength. Turned it out, and there you have a Zippity Pencil Case! It can be opened from any of the zips.

Well done, Bec!