Took a break from sewing

I have not been sewing as much as I would like to. My dear Husband has had a couple of injuries and has been at home for the last couple of months. I am really hoping these things don't come in 3s, because that would mean one more injury for him ☹️ (hopefully it's not the horrible sore that won't heal on the side of his neck).

I have made a rag blanket from 3 jelly rolls and flannellette. I really love the way it turned out. I wanted to attempt a landscape rag quilt, so this is my jelly roll rag quilt sunset over water with land in foreground lol. I'm really happy with it 😆

I went down to the local Salvos and found some fabric already cut out and ready to sew into a quilt! It was only $2 so I couldn't say no. I laid it out and I think it is going to look really pretty. Just have to start it.

Well, I have sold another Rapunzel dress on Etsy and got 5 stars! Apparently the little girl loves it and won't take it off - which is just great. I think I am more excited that something I made will be worn at Disney Land though! My Etsy shop is here btw 😉

I have made Miss 5 another Rapunzel dress and an Elsa inspired dress. Too bad it's winter and she can't get to wear them atm. She loves me making little dresses for her - which I am so thankful for.

She is such a little poser!

I wanted to make Miss 5 a reversible dress. I have some absolutely beautiful corduroy and some bright pink Hello Kitty drill that I wanted to use. Instead of buying a pattern, I got a freebie from Crafty (which you can find here). I didn't like how it turned out and want to make adjustments, but Miss 5 says she loves it as it is. I think it looks a bit like a sack. This is my first go at buttons and I cut the hole too big and it kept coming undone, so I had to zig zag it up a bit.

I am also itching to make a Snow White dress. We watched the movie, so I have a design plan, but Miss 5 says she dosent want it and to make it for Miss 2. 

The girls have also been into Mia and Me (all about elves and unicorns). It's actually not that bad. The girls LOVE it! I want to make them a Mia dress and get the book so Miss 5 can wear it to book week. Do you think I can find an English Mia and Me book? Not at all. I have even contacted the publisher, but they won't reply. Maybe I will just fix up the Astrid outfit and she can wear that again.

I was thinking of making yo yos for the charms on the Mia dress. OMG I am a yo yo convert! They are so pretty and easy to make! I have already turned some into hair clips. I might try and sell them on Etsy. If you haven't had a go at them, then you should definitely try!

Here is a quick tutorial:

You will need:

• Fabric (I just used scraps)
• Something round - twice the size you want the yo yo (I used an old Tupperware container)
• Pen.
• Scissors.
• Needle and thread.

Get your scrap and trace around your round object, then cut it out.

With your circle of fabric, fold over a small hem (about 5mm / 1/4").

Tack right around the circle. Space your stitches.

Once right around, pull the thread to bring to edges together. Tie off.

Flatten into yo yo shape and ta da! You have a yo yo!

I like to put a button in the middle of mine. If you want to add a button, don't tie off and instead sew on the button to finish. Then go onto Pinterest and search yo yo crafts lol

Have fun sewing and try making yo yos!

Jayne xx

Long Time No Post

It has been so long since I last posted. I decided to take on Sunday School at my local Church and it has been dominating a lot of my time. Here is a link if you are interested.

I decided to put my Repunzel dress on Etsy and I sold one! I was so apprehensive and excited all in one. Unfortunately, I underpriced the postage and it ended up eating into my profits. I worked for $5 an hour for 3 hours lol. Anyway, it's a learning curve and the thought of a little girl in the US wearing a dress I made, makes it worth it. Fingers crossed she gives me a high rating.

My first Etsy sale! Repunzel Play Dress.

I went into Spotlight with Miss 2 and she found dinosaur fabric in the clearance rack (she absolutely loves dinosaurs and dragons). She pulled it out and said it was hers, so I bought it and made her a little dress. I used the Simplicity 2377 pattern, but I omitted the tie. The kids just play with the tie and it annoys me. Because I made Miss 2 a dress, of course I made Miss 4 a dress too. I got her fabric from my stash. The white with pink poker dots was fabric that my Mother made into a dress for me when I was little. She found it and gave it to me. The dress is cute, but I think it's a bit dotty. I top stitched around the waist on both dresses by attaching some trim. I am definitely a fan of top stitching now (especially after I had to restitch a couple of Miss 4's dresses).

Dinosaur and Spots Dresses

Dinosaur Dress

I added extra trim around the bottom of the dinosaur dress because I wanted to make it girly because the fabric was so boyish. 

You can see in this photo that the girls have had a hair cut. Miss 4 decided to play hairdresser. Miss 2 had just been accepted by a modelling agency and had a photo shoot booked in. I don't think it was jelously because we never told Miss 4. I never wanted to put Miss 4 in because she is just another cute kid and I didn't want her missing out on School. I put the little one forward because of the curly hair (and that EVERY TIME I go out - no matter where - people stop me to comment on her hair, and no, it doesn't annoy me). A few people suggested I get her into modelling, but what made me do it was when I met a woman who did model's hair for photo shoots and she said my little girl could be the face of a brand. I try not to expect too much because that is how you get let down, but I have noticed a lot of curly haired kids on tv commercials and in brochures lately. Anyway, enough of that lol.

I am getting so good at the Simplicity 2377 pattern, that I whipped one up for Miss 4 in an hour so she could wear it to a birthday party that day.  I love Hello Kitty.  I should have put the bow in the middle instead of the side though. 

Ready for a birthday party!

I also experimented with making dresses out of tank tops. I read in a blog how to do it and tried it for myself. One woman recommended cutting away the bottom hem of the tank. I did this and I would not recommend it. It made the fabric stretch more and the thread break after 5 minutes of the girls wearing them. I bought a couple of really cute tanks from Target and raided my stash for the skirt. I had the perfect fabric to match. They looked really good.

They love their dresses

Ahh the hair...

Detail on back

Strike a Pose

I also went to Kmart and bought some tanks too. I made the size 2 first. I don't know what happened, but it fits Miss 4 who is a size 4. At least now it will go through 2 kids.

I also found a vintage pattern at St Vinnies which I picked up for 20c. It is Butterick 6184. I made the size 2 first and put it on Miss 2, but it was HUGE. Miss 4 now wears it. Lucky I didn't make the size 4 first.

I got a lot of great feedback about the dinosaur dress, so decided to make another boyish dress and see if I could sell it on Etsy. It is based on this pattern Burda Kids 9494, but I changed to top half so it didn't need a zipper. Miss 4 loves it. I should make her one too...

I have this really beautiful fabric in my stash. It is Cloud 9 Moody Blues Sashiko Birds and Cloud 9 Moody Blues Floral. I thought I would use the birds as the main fabric and the floral as trim. The problem was that I couldn't find the perfect pattern for it. I really like the peasant dress design and wanted to make one for myself. They are so expensive on Etsy. I googled them and came across Sis Boom Meghan Peasant Dress. I really like the look of it and thought it would be perfect for my Cloud 9 fabric. I was a bit apprehensive about using a downloaded pattern, but printing out and gluing the pattern pieces together really wasn't that hard. 

I made the dress and added the trim. It looked great. I tried it on and I could hardly get it over my bust, it was so tight. I couldn't work out what I had done wrong. All the measurements were in inches, which I don't understand, so I just went on the fact that I am a size 8-10. After I tried it on, I went back to check the sizes again and came across the seam allowance. I did a 1.5cm seam when I should have done a 0.5cm seam. I always check the seam allowance before I start and I just started this time without checking. I am so dirty at myself. There are not enough birds to make another dress and I really like it. I'm going to have to unpick the WHOLE thing and start again ;(

My too Small Cloud 9 Moody Blues, Sis Boom Meghan Peasant Dress

This brings us up to date with my sewing now. I have some more dinosaur fabric and will put more on Etsy. My shop is here.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.

Jayne

Dresses, dresses and skirts

I have been a busy sewing Jayney. I have made 4 Christmas dresses for the girls. Four Rapunzel dresses for my girls and their 2 friends and 2 skirts (for myself and my sister).

I had a lot of Christmas fabric and a head full of ideas that I would make a Christmas dress for just about everyday. Then I started to think that that would be too many dresses to make when the girls can only wear them for a limited time. So I made them both 2 Christmas dresses. Miss 4 and I looked at all different patterns and picked one for me to make her to wear on Christmas Day. Then we went to Spotlight and she picked the fabric she wanted. The pattern we picked was Simplicity 2469 and the fabric was pink with scribble Christmas trees. She is such a pink girl and the colour really suits her.

This isn't even all of it. I have more that is hidden away.

The dress was a bit of a challenge for me because it involved using elastic at the back to tighten the dress around the chest. I admit I was a bit scared to try it, but it ended up being really easy and turned out well.

I chose to make Miss 2's dress out of red Santa fabric. Red really makes her sparkle. It is definitely her colour. I again used the Simplicity 2377 pattern. Unfortunately I didn't have red thread, so used black instead. Was a little embarrassed about that. Still, the dress was very cute.

We had our family Christmas lunch early on my Dad's birthday a week into December, because we can never all make it on Christmas Day. So I made special Christmas dresses for that too. I made them out of Simplicity 2377 again, but this time I did the 2 tier one. They are so cute! I much prefer the 2 tier.

It was past bedtime and Miss 2 was already asleep, so the crocodile stepped in. 

Grandad opening his birthday present. 

I searched Simplicity 2377 to see what other people had made. I came across a lady who made this pattern into princess dresses. You can find the link here. I thought they looked fantastic. What a very clever lady and it gave me so many ideas! Miss 2 has loved Rapunzel since forever and Miss 4 is also a fan. Miss 4's other 2 friends are also into Rapunzel at the moment (same 2 little girls I made the dresses for). So I decided to make 4 Rapunzel dresses and give them to the friends for Christmas. Well let me tell you, sewing ribbon onto the fabric to make the sleeves and front yoke took FOREVER! It took me a few hours most nights for 2 weeks before they were finally finished (probably took longer because I was binge watching Vampire Diaries on Netflix at the same time).

I just used Top Poplin to make them because it was the cheapest fabric available that I could buy in bulk. I bought 4 metres each of dark and light purple fabric (only cost me $30 and I have heaps left over). Everyone who sees them thinks I should sell them. I have to admit that they do look fantastic and I just know that the other girls will love them too.

The skirt I made was Kwik Sew 3851. I have had this pattern and fabric for such a long time and I finally looked at it and decided that it wouldn't be that hard. I was right, it really wasn't hard. I am really happy with it.  When I was looking at the discounted fabrics at Spotlight, I came across sausage dog fabric. My sister has a sausage dog, so I bought it and made her the skirt. She absolutely loved it and put it on straight away. Looked fantastic. Only thing is I made it with an elastic waist instead of a draw string, but I prefer elastic to drawstring. That and I still have not worked out how to use all the functions on my sewing machine yet and can't access the button hole function...

I am really loving sewing at the moment. I would love to be able to make money from it, but at the moment I am still too slow to make my time worth it.

Well, I have more things to make and can't wait to get to it! Thanks for reading,

Jayne xx