Another Simplicity 4206

After adding a 3" contrast band to the first top and still thinking it needed to be a bit longer, I made this top adding an extra 1.5" to the main body and a 3.5" band at the bottom.  I went with the band again because I love using contrasting fabrics and decided to contrast the sleeves this time as well.  So if you ever use this pattern, as a guide it's probably best to allow an extra 5" or so for length (or maybe actually measure before you start!).

Another fabric from Spotlight (a while ago now) but I really love it, it was quite soft.  Am loving the birds and really ended up loving the earthy coloured tones. After all, I'm such a sucker for pink.

M's friend kindly modeled for me this time.  Without tears, no bribery required and she kept telling me how much she loved the top.  Why doesn't my daughter do that?? 

The back

 

Simplicity 4206

If anything, kids birthday parties are a great reason to sew.

One of M's friends loves butterflies so when the party invite arrived I thought I would make her something featuring butterflies.   

With rarely any time to sew these days, I'm all about the quick and easy projects.  I've never seen M's friend in a skirt or dress so decided to make her a top.  I remembered I had this Simplicity pattern from the Sewing for Dummies range which I bought when I first started sewing.

The top is basically just a peasant style top which I've made before (as a dress) using the Leila and Ben Sweet Little Dress pattern.  I don't have the bigger size pattern (besides my printer has run out of ink so I couldn't print off a PDF pattern anyway) and still can't believe that I am sewing size 7 and 8 for M now!

I loved making this top.  It was quick and easy and turned out pretty cute.  It was waaaaaay too short though which has me wondering if that is how most Simplicity patterns are?  I made a top for myself using Simplicity 4589 and that also ended up being way too short. 

Anyway, I was debating whether or not to add a contrast band to this top for some extra length and in the end I decided to which meant another trip back to Spotlight where I found the contrasting stripey fabric.  Unfortunately I don't particularly love this butterfly print but I didn't have much choice, no time to order gorgeous butterfly fabric from the states :(
 
I could probably have made the band an extra inch longer, it still seems short.  Even so, it's now a much better length than it was and looks fine on M. 

My photos are terrible - sorry about that, no time for nice pics I'm afraid.  These days it's an iPhone photo or nothing!  Believe it or not, this was the best photo I could get of M modelling the top for me.  She was cranky and most unhappy that I pulled her away from playing with her Zhu Zhu pets. 

Since finishing this top I've made it again and will blog the next version in the next couple of days. 

Quilted Zipper Box Pouch

A couple of weeks ago I took mum along to a Moonlight Market. There was quite a big crowd there and a really good variety of stalls.

Mum was admiring some earrings by Belissima Glass but was unable to decide which colour pair she liked best so didn't buy anything. Now that I think about it, their prices are so affordable I'm not sure why she didn't just buy both pairs.  Since it was mum's birthday the next day (and I still hadn't got her anything - whoops) I sneaked (snuck?) back to the stall and bought the red pair that she first picked up and said she loved.

Perhaps it was all the creativity in the room, whatever the reason I decided to come home and make a little pouch to put the earrings in. I found this great tutorial for a zippered quilted box pouch. I've had a quick look at the rest of the blog and really enjoyed looking at all of Lolo's creations. How cute are her pleated pouches, the linen is beautiful. I love the overlocked edges on her checkbook covers too. Cute! Back to the pouch....

It was a really simple sew with a cute result. I'd probably use some interfacing next time, it's just not quite stiff enough but it's ok. I'd also sew a little loopy bit into one of the ends to pull on when you unzip it. Oh and it's unlined too which I figured mum wouldn't mind but a lined version would be good to do.

I'm not sure why my stitching looks orange?? It's red, like the print on the fabric. With a gift voucher from one of mum's favourite shops her present was ready. Happy birthday mum!

Twirly Girl

I've been wanting to make the Pink Fig Girly Skirt pattern forever and a day and was able to squeeze in some sewing time this week (yay)!

I was worried the fabric combination was going to be too busy but I am so in love with this skirt! 

M is a very girly girl and loves pink which left me wondering if she would even like this navy and light blue fabric combination.  Turns out she loves it just as much, if not more, than I do. 

I finished it on Friday night and she has worn it for the whole weekend. 

First she tried it on.....

and then she twirled.....

and danced.......

and twirled some more!

Don't you love the wall of fabric behind her :)

With at least 2 birthday parties coming up, I plan to make a couple more of these skirts for presents.

A Prize Winning Dress

Rewind to sometime around October last year.  We were right in the middle of all the weddings, packing up the house and coping with enjoying our new baby.  One night I plonked myself onto the lounge in front of the TV to feed baby F and by pure chance I stumbled across a sewing show.

Sew What A Feeling was a series aired on Channel 31, a community television station broadcasting to Melbourne and Geelong.  The low budget production was aimed at beginner sewers and was a good way to spend half an hour breastfeeding.  I enjoyed the discussion on fabric selection, sewing advice and tips they gave on using an overlocker.  

The ladies hosting the show run sewing classes in Melbourne and are unlikely to be moving to a prime time slot on mainstream television anytime soon, however they were likeable and have obviously been sewing forever and a day. 

A sewing competition was advertised at the end of each show.  Entrants were asked to make something from one of these patterns.

McCalls M5094

Vogue V8363

Butterick B5355

McCalls M5572  

There was no way I could enter, my plate was full enough.....until I decided that I really wanted to give it a try and would just have to try and plug away it at whenever I could find the time.

So, I decided to make a new dress for M and chose the McCalls M5572 pattern and here it is.  

Although a little big for her at the moment, M loves it.  One of M's friends tried it on and it was a perfect fit on her.  She loved it so much she has requested something for herself in the same fabric.  (Lucky her birthday is coming up.)

On the last episode of Sew What A Feeling, I was super excited to see my name pop up on the screen as the winner of the open section.

One must wonder exactly how many entries were submitted for the competition haha!!

Fast forward to today....my prize was delivered!  Thank you Sew What A Feeling :)