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

Frozen Fever Anna Dress

My eldest has now turned 5! Can't believe how fast it has gone. I was looking at dresses online thinking about what I could make next. Miss 5 came over and pointed out an Anna dress and asked that I make it for her. Of course I said I would. I was just so happy that she had requested something. I would have made her anything lol

Her birthday was coming up and we had bought her a bike. She knew this and had even picked it out. We were going on holidays down the coast, so she was going to get her bike early, which meant that she would have nothing to open on her birthday. So I decided to make her the dress for her birthday. She did originally pick out the Frozen Anna dress, but I bought the fabric for both Frozen and Frozen Fever. I did intend to make both dresses for her. I ran out of time of course, so only made her the Frozen Fever one. It took a lot of thought and design and constantly looking at pictures of movie stills. This is what I came up with. I am very proud of how it turned out.

I used broadcloth for the dress, mainly because it was on sale at Spotlight. Not sure if I would use it for a dress again. It crinkles easily and is not forgiving if you make a mistake, but the range of colours and price is fantastic. For the dress itself, I used Simplicity 2377 in size 5. I was walking past a sewing/craft shop and found craft ribbon for $0.50 each! What a bargain. Of course I bought some.

I should have taken photos of my progress, but of course I didn't think of that.

I did the detail for the bodice first. I folded over red ribbon to look like butterfly wings and sewed the stem over it to keep it in place. I thought the red was a little too red, so I used a light thread to sew the wings half way so they could kinda flutter and diffuse the red. I used a lighter to melt the ends of the ribbon before I sewed them so they would not fray.

I folded the dress in half and then in half again and marked the creases. I used these crease marks to place the stems for the sunflowers. This gave me 3 evenly spaced sunflowers on the front and back of the dress. I also marked the middle at the top of the dress for when I sewed it to the bodice.

The sunflowers on the dress took a lot of thought. I couldn't find actual sunflowers to appliqué on, so I thought I would baste down the middle of yellow ribbon and then scrunch it up, then I pinned it to the dress in a spiral with red thread.

I folded green ribbon into a V for the leaves and half sewed them onto the stems. I also folded yellow ribbon into a V and half sewed them inbetween the flowers. Because they are only half sewed on, the flutter when the dress is being worn. Looks cute, but I would probably completely sew the leaves next time (saying that, half sewing them does allow for inconsistencies).

I then attached the dress to the bodice and top stitched the gold ribbon.

I was quite proud of my effort, but I figured Miss 5 would probably not want to wear it, so I whipped up another little Simplicity 2377 dress using peacock fabric and peach broadcloth. It too me less than an hour to complete.

On the morning of her birthday, I gave her the 2 dresses wrapped up. She opened them and said she "hates Anna" and that she loves the peacock dress. Of course she hates the dress that took me hours to design and make and that I am so proud of. Of course she loves the quickie afterthought dress.

Thank you for reading.

Jayne