New-born outfit from Ottobre 6/2008

Now I have to apologise for the pictures, I took them after 10pm so they are not great. My photography needs help...especially late at night!! These pictures don't do the fabric any justice, it's so pretty in real life.

So anyway I wanted to make an outfit for a new little baby girl and was looking through all my back issues of Otto. I already had the fabric picked out, just needed something soft and easy to put on and off to make with it.

I decided to make no 2 - "Lelle" leggings and no 3 - "Elly" raglan-sleeve blouse. I had never made a top with neck-binding or with shirring. The shirring ended up being super super easy and I'm kicking myself that I haven't tried it before. I really love how it turned out. The neck-binding was OK too...still need to perfect it a little more but I was reasonably happy for a first try. On the little leggings I decided to add a frill....I wish I'd gathered a little more than I did and next time I will.

What I'm really happy with is the top stitching, I really love this and I love how it worked on the hems of the top. This this stitch is going to become a bit of a fave.

Anyway the outfit was received very well and everyone at the party couldn't believe I'd made it...people who don't sew think that sewers are amazingly clever....if only they knew!! And it still wasn't perfect. I need to make another outfit for another new born baby girl, so I think I'll duplicate and hopefully it works out even better.

Barcelona skirt and matching bag.

Well after a week of celebrating Harrison's 16th birthday I finally had time to finish off a couple of projects that have been hanging around for a while. An A-line skirt from The Amy Butler Barcelona skirt pattern and a matching hand-bag that my friend Levineke helped me make. I've never made a bag before and I loved doing it, thanks so much Levin for the help....I'd still be trying to work out how to sew the lining to the outside if you hadn't of helped!!!

The fabric is quilting fabric from Spotlight, I really like the quality, nice and thick and irons well.

I think next time I'll try and do a zip compartment in my bag too, I'm happy that I have a custom size mobile phone pocket though :)

Now I have the apron over-lay cut out to match and hopefully will get that done in the next few days. Also I have some fabric to make an Ottobre women's top to match...just have to find the time!

Of course after I got all dressed up in my new outfit...where did I go??? Spotlight of course, where else ;)

The picture quality isn't fabo, I really need to learn to take pictures!

My Princess in her new Jule top.

I have to admit I wasn't 100% sure about the fabrics after I had made the Jule but once I put it on Gracie this morning, I am LOVING it! It really needs to be worn with jeans, anything else would be too busy I think. Anyway here's my doll-baby this morning in her new top, she loves it, especially the pocket! And don't you just love her "model" faces - no idea where she got those expressions from!

My Jule is finally finished!!

After a full-on weekend with lots of parties, visitors etc etc I didn't get much chance to finish it off. So this morning I had a bit of spare time before work and finally finished it.

I used some Spotlight fabric from my stash because I wasn't sure how hard/easy it would be and I didn't want to waste my "good" fabrics. I have to say that the hood and the pocket, the two parts I was worried about were actually really easy and I enjoyed sewing them. The hood is lined because I'm sick of seeing stitching lines in my children's hood, so I lined it in the opposite fabric...looks much better that way I think. I love love love the pocket and went to town with top-stitching around it...love top-stitching, my fave part of sewing.

The frills are what annoyed me the most. I decided against the lettuce edge and went with a folded edge where the material is doubled over...no need for a hem that way. I do like the results but geez I hate doing frills...yucko. The double stitch, all the thread that needs to be pulled at the end...does my head in ;)

I have no idea why this pic is sideways as it isn't on my camera or computer...you'll just have to turn your screens to see my awesome top-stitching - hahah

Will get a picture with the model at a later time as she's not here at the moment, off enjoying a day with her Grandy and Grandpa.

Start of the Jule

Lettuce edges.

Outing in some of the new creations.

Just wanted to add a couple of pics of my babies in some of the new clothes that I made this week.

My little hoodie addict!

It's very hard to say no to these big brown eyes!!!

Little Miss Licorice Legs...she loves these and they really look so cute on, I'm definitely going to be making these in some more colours!

The "pot-plants" where things hide!

Another hoodie, an Ottobre from 4/2009.

I think I'm over making hoodies but I wanted to make one more for Edward that was really warm as it's been freezing here in Adelaide. The polar fleece was lurking in my pile just waiting for a cute hoodie pattern to arrive and arrive it did in the for of the latest Ottobre.

As I have been disappointed in the hoods of some of my hoodies where the seam can be seen, I decided to line the hood to alleviate this issue. I'm really happy with the result. I used #14 - Pistachio Chocolate reversible raglan-sleeve top, although I decided not to make it reversible as I thought it would be too bulky but it did help me to get the hood right.

Will get some photos with my "model" later but here's the finished result. Hopefully will be the last hoodie for a while, I'm moving on from hoodie-land ;)

I attached the pocket with my machine blanket stitch which I really liked, just next time I might make the stitch length a little longer. Sorry about the side-ways pic, I have absolutely no clue why blogger is posting it like that!! I'll look into later!

Edward's "new" jeans by Sew Hip!

My Edward has grown up but definitely not out, he's a little stick man. Clearly takes after his Daddy there, definitely not his Mummy ;)

Anyway he needs new jeans desperately. I went shopping on Monday to try and find some but the size 4s are just massive and even when they are pulled in really tight they are still too big, the size 3s that we have here are all ankle freezers....not a good look in the middle of a cold winter.

So on Monday my Sew Hip! magazine arrived as if on purpose...inside was an idea to get more wear out of jeans for children by adding some fabric. I decided to take his daggiest pair of jeans for a trial just in case it was a disaster (after some of my sewing efforts this week was a good chance!....oh by the way my skirt zip looks awesome now, will post pics later).

I'm pretty happy with the results, cost me absolutely nothing as we already had the jeans and the fabric I insertered was left over from the "Olivia" I made him a couple of weeks ago. By chance he was wearing his top today so when I finished the jeans he looked all co-ordinated (total fluke!)

Sorry about the photos but my camera battery died and these were the only 3 I had taken.

Anyway he is happy...so according to the formula

Happy E = Happy Mummy

He wanted me to take a pic of the back....looks like he's got a little tail - haha...it the hoodie of his "Olivia". You can see from this pic that the size 3 is plenty wide enough for him too!

Ottobre 4/2009 - Licorice cropped leggings

Well my Ottobre FINALLY arrived today, I swear the rest of the world must have had theirs before I did this time....I was starting to get worried.

Anyway wanted to get something started and finished today so decided on an easy project...well what I thought was easy....the Licorice cropped leggings. Easy to trace and cut off, no dramas...until I realised there were 22...yep...22 pin-tucks!! I've never sewn a pin-tuck in my life, was a baptism of fire!!

So anyway here they are, I'm happy with them and they look really comfy. I trace off a 110, I think next time I'll do a 116 as they seem a little small, which will be fine for now but not for spring. The fabric is actually a lot darker than my pic shows but I'm a lame photographer, what can I say!

Far out brussell sprout!!

I had to keep it polite but aaaaaaagggggghhhhh.




Finally decided to attempt the invisible zip in my Amy Butler Barcelona skirt. I have had this fabric cut out for ages and I've finished the matching bag but wanted to have it all finished before I blogged about it.



Anyway I've never put in an invisible zip, it was going really well, my new fabo zipper foot was working a treat. Pity I can't work out the right side v wrong side of zip. Here's my effort...guess I'll be doing a bit of unpicking tonight while watching Masterchef.