My creative space

I've just snuck in to participate in Kootoyoo's creative space this week. I haven't been very productive of late but with birthdays coming thick and fast in the next few weeks, I've decided to make a start. Mind you, I have a backlog of gifts to finish!

First cab of the ranks are some comfy (but stylish) pants with matching fedora style hat for a young man who is being christened on Sunday. I am astonished to have a gift finished way before the usual 'night before'. Im so pleased with myself that every time I look at them I do a little happy dance in my head. Being organised, relaxed and happy with the results are all new to me when it comes to handmade gifts. I intend an additional gift with these offerings.

Cord pants for a little man soon to be on the move.

I've topstitched the hat in green. It was risky as my machine can be a real {bleep}. Luckily mum was round today with her over-locker and she fixed (or improved) my machine's temperamental behaviour as well as over-locking and doing some of the sewing (love you mum!). Stitching looks so much better.

I've been so organised that Ive even made a start on another gift for my little mate in Darwin who's birthday it is on Tuesday. Pics to come after they've been received (and completed ofcourse) as his mum reads the blog.

To leave you today, I have the obligatory photo of bunny eats behind a head (or in this case, head gear) thanks to my hubby. :) Thanks for all your encouraging words baby!

Hope to have more frequent updates as the sewing machine and I will be very busy for some time!

Christmas is less than 6 months away...

Does anyone else feel like the older you get, the faster the year goes? I remember waiting an eternity for Christmas when I was a kid but it seems these days, I've just packed away the christmas paper when I have to pull it all out again.
Planning for Christmas has again started at our house. Writing a list, checking it twice (well I am the Santa of this house). Along with Christmas fast approaching, August and September are full of birthdays. Both my girls were born in September (great planning hey!) as well as my sister, my husband in August (you know what I mean hun!)and many of Miss G's little friends. The parties have started and the sewing is coming along slowly (ok there has been very little sewing but I am thinking about what im going to make really really hard).
Pics to come soon!
Hope all is well in your part of the world.

You win some, you loose some

So yesterday was my loose. Today is my win.

I managed to finish of a fedora style hat, intended for either of the girls but it fits baby A better than Miss G. It is my first hat so there are bits of it that could be better... seams that arent quite straight etc but all in all, for my first hat (and a mega complicated looking pattern sheet) I think I did pretty well. There was a fair bit of unpicking to do as I'd constructed the brim incorrectly on the first go (Im blaming it on the instructions). The hat was from this magazine, a copy I bought from the Stitches and Craft show some months back. This is my first pattern from that mag also.

OK, it is alittle unfair that I took this picture so close to Miss G's face with flash on. Poor kids pupils have dilated!

So willing is Miss G to have her picture taken with the hat, she's even saying 'cheese!'

Miss G is loving the hat but baby A is taking some convincing. This is how she chooses to wear the hat (and if I try to change it, it comes straight off).

I think I'll be making a few more of these little beauties for birthdays and, if you take a liking to it, would be happy to make one for you too!

A cross between a friar tuck cloak and something from starwars

Be it the cream cord or the oversized arm holes, my latest attempt at a dress for my girls (well Miss G) is a failure. Here is the evidence:

As you can see the arm holes are way too big.

The back piece was so big I put a pleat in the back. However, a pleat along with a tie dont really sit right.

The hole the tie passes through is too high so the layer underneath is all puckered.

Im not too sure if I should try to save it or just put it in the pile for scraps. Maybe it will fit better when Miss G is alittle older but she dislikes it so much that I had to bribe her with a chocolate freddo to take these pics :/

I guess I did get a positive out of this... never try to make my own pattern from slightly vague instructions on the internet !

Back to normal transmission soon

It could be this silly headcold or the lack of sleep but things have been on a 'go slow' this week. Ive really not done much. I even missed the little quilt swap, having to leave the finishing touches to the 11th hour and then not being able to finish the binding on time. I was very cross with myself but then figured I had to give myself a break as I havent been well.
So today I decided that I needed to do something with my time while the girls slept. So I went on an internet hunt and came across this wrap dress.
Ive cut my fabric and sewn the first seems but my lack of pattern making skills (the pattern on the website is very basic and requires alittle guesswork) is less than perfect. The dress, in its infancy, is alittle messy and doesnt fit that great. I'm hoping it will be passable to eventually see the light of day. Work continues tomorrow.