just a week late...

Remember the red scrappy panel I made? I did make it into a dress for Missy Big last week, but was quite unimpressed with it. I thought it looked a bit long and it made me think of a night dress.

I wasn't quite sure how to fix it, I didn't want any fussy embroidery / trims on it, I didn't think any red any where else would balance out very well, what to do???

Eventually, with another try on and a bit of tweaking I added a channel to the inside, just below the waist, then threaded some elastic through.

Voila. It works. The pink fabric is lovely and drapey, I have no idea where it came from but it makes a great play dress. 

While you're here... do you fancy winning these lovely Laura Gunn fat quaters? Glenroy Designs are generously giving some away on the LMQG blog, and shipping internationally! You've got until Tuesday - quick!

screen printing, with Lucie Summers

You may already know that in January this year the London Modern Quilt Guild was founded by Annie. As a complete novice to quilting (and only having received my quilting 'essentials' for Christmas I signed up to join, all eager to learn...

Little did I know just what interesting things I would learn and what fabulous people I would meet along the way. The group itself is full of talented quilters, we meet once a month at Tricolette, a wonderful yarn and quilting shop. We have had a surprise guest - Moda designer Aneela Hoey, who also had a great time and it is so much fun to be around like minded people.

The latest adventure was on Sunday: a screen printing workshop with Lucie Summers. I have wanted to learn how to screen print for years and this was the most amazing opportunity.

Seven of us went to join Lucie at her workshop in Suffolk and she patiently explained how the screens are made, showed us how to screen print and then let us loose. 

We had all designed a Quilt Label and our very own screens were ready and waiting for us. Being super keen we all dived in and Lucie shared tips, gave advice and infused us with her passion for printing. 

As the day went on, Lucie then let us use some of her larger screens for some double printing. We got to use one of her designs and once it had dried, then printed our own design over the top. The combinations are endless and the effects on different fabrics with the juicy colours are fascinating. By the end of the session we had all got to grips with the techniques and were producing some impressive fabrics. 

I have a new obsession....

We also got to see 'that' quilt - it's stunning, and much bigger than I imagined it would be. Lucie's first collection with Moda is hitting the shops right now, get some while you can.

I will be back with some KCWC updates soon - I got sidetracked.

kcwc - day 5

I started the day with no clue as to what I was going to make today. Missy Big loved yesterday's top and declared she needed one. I'm thinking she needs a dress. As it was the scrappy panel that she loves best I thought I'd start there and make a panel. 

So that's how I spent my hour today, piecing randon bits from the scrap jar. 

This evening I have a plan, so tomorrow I'll hopefully get it made. But it's the weekend. So no promises.

If you're joining in - how are you getting on? 

KCWC day 4

This little reversible apron / pinafore top thing (does this style actually have a name?) came together super speedy and in less than an hour it was stitched up this morning. I have to say I love the gray side with the panel - sooooo pleased with how it looks.

When Little Missy was back from nursery she happily posed and jumped and twirled for the photos, and I started nit-picking over the low neckline and how it shifts so much when she moves and all the bits I'll change if I make another.

But we like it.

The fabrics in the panel are all scraps from previous makes, Little Missy enjoyed picking out which print matched whose clothes.

Tomorrow is another day, I have a pile of fabric they chose and no idea what I'm going to make. 


Lots more creative spaces over here.

kcwc - day 3

It's day 3, I cut the fabric for Little Missy's apron style top and was going to stitch a doily on the plain gray fabric, I couldn't find a white one, and wasn't exactly sure she'd like it.

We're not a very frilly, flouncy, girly sort of family, last year I made Big a dress with lace trim on the sleeves. She wouldn't wear it, it was a fabric she chose and I was a bit surprised. After a few tears she admitted she didn't like the lace. Out came the unpicker. Then she happily wore it.

So, rather than hunt down a doily I was already unsure of, I took inspiration from this dress and made a panel for the front using *finally* the scrap jars. I didn't plan, or spend ages arranging, I just pulled out suitable colours and sewed. 

It was surprisingly good fun, though the jar is still bulging.

All ready to finish off tomorrow... 

KCWC day 2

First dress is finished and I'm very pleased with it overall, I think there may be a few versions of this over the summer. (I don't think the fabric looks too bad either, now that it's made up!)

But most importantly Missy Big likes it - and it goes very well with her favourite leggings - yay!

With that finished this morning, I then set about doing a pattern for a cross over back apron style top for the little one. I'm ready to go in the morning!

Lots of fantastic makes in the Elsie Marley flickr pool already - you'll be inspired!

KCWC day 1

It's day one of the Kids Clothes Week Challenge, the aim is to sew / do the patterns / cut the fabric for clothes for your children for one hour, each day, for seven days. 

Last night I made a decision on the first item I'm making, for Missy Big, in a fabric she chose from the suitcase, that I'm glad is finally getting used - it was one of those that I liked in the shop, but wondered what had possessed me once I got it home. 

Missy Big wanted a tunic to wear over leggings, so I traced off the pattern for the Dress with Lace Doily (page 60) from the Carefree Clothes for Girls book, it seemed pretty enormous so I took it in, slimmed down the A-line and made it much shorter.  It's coming together very easily and should be finished tomorrow.

So far so good, now what to make for the little one?...

catching up

It's fair to say I'm behind on just about everything these days, and when that happens, the best thing to do is ignore all the boring stuff and head to the sewing machine.

Before I could get to the machine I had to shove too much out of the way, including my scrap jars, full of foolishly small scraps of fabric that I couldn't just chuck, and I promised myself when the jars were full I would do some quick, scrappy, unplanned sewing to use them up. Hmmmm. Soon...

These log cabins are heading to Judith, who is being inundated by blocks for Project 1 as part of the Siblings Together charity project. 
Lots of good folk are making and donating quilts for siblings who are separated by the care system, but get to spend precious time together at the summer camp. Each child will get to take a quilt home with them with a personal message written on by their sibling, imagine the comfort and memories this will bring them when they leave camp.

Another little parcel landed on my doorstep too, from the gorgeous new shop The Village Haberdashery that is packed full of wonderful fabric and all the accompanying bits and bobs you need. 

Next week it's the Kids Clothes Week Challenge, I'm sure last time I thought I'd plan it, and get patterns / fabrics ready in advance. It didn't happen. I let the girls pick out some fabrics from the suitcase today. Are you joining in? Are you more organised? 

Wish me luck.

Linking up with our creative spaces and wondering how people manage to get so much done?
 

little hands making

The holidays are over and I'm trying to find my way back into the routine, smiling as I look around and find some of the things we made over the last couple of weeks.

I think these were my favourites - making notebooks for friends by drawing around hands and cookie cutters. 

We had a great couple of weeks, restful, creative, happy.

Now I'm looking at the chaos that has been left behind and wondering which bit to tackle first? How can we have made so much mess in just two weeks?    


Hope your holidays were good too. x

s l o w

This week has been at a very  s l o w  pace, school holidays = sick child = lots of time at home, crafting, baking, just being, it has been great (now we're past the worst of the sickness). 

Which has given me a little time to crochet, the bullseye is coming on, slowly. I'm really enjoying doing this, it not complicated, easy to do 'on the go' and I can see the progress I'm making, which makes me happy.

Linking in with our creative spaces.

I was a featured 'best of the web' blog over at Craft Corners this week, thank you CC, I'm blushing slightly - go and take a look, there are oodles of crafty ideas over there, you know you need more to add to your 'must try that' list.

Happy Holidays, enjoy some  s l o w  time. x