and all they are talking about is what she was wearing...

Well the night after the Royal Wedding, the biggest party of my daughters childhood happened.  And to me what she wore was of almost as much importance as what the Royal bride wore.

Pitty I didnt get it finished on time properly... guess I am not fit to be a Royal designer! Yes the buttons are falling off!

anyway.  Ottobre 1/2008 vest,  Juju embroidery on the back in sparkly fabruc

Rara skirt by Young Image Spring/ Summer. I actually changed the pattern quite a lot to make it easier (or more logical anyway). Made the waistband and bodice of skirt (whats it called?) out of knit instead of woven. It worked out better imo.  Basically its just the top of the skirt, with a waist band.  Then the body is a-line, and you do 3 ruffles and attach it to the a-line skirt evenly.

I would have liked to make a tee to match but ran out of time. 

Ottobre Sudoku skirt X2!

These were meant to be finished prior to Christmas, but playing a little of fabric chicken (as apposed to yarn yardage chicken which is when you are not totally sure if you have enough yarn for a project) anyway, I ran out of fabric for the ruffle on the bigger skirt.  So the project got out on the back burner untill I figured out what to do.

Not a good thing to do!  When I did finally get the fabric, I got all excited and started sewing it all together.  Put them on the girls, presented it to all my Crafty Mamas, and realised that each piece is meant to be a different height!  EEEKKKKK! 

Not sure if you can see it here or not, but this is the other one I made a couple of years ago.

thats ok though, its still a gorgeous skirt! Plenty of twirly action.

perfect to play Barbies in.

or just to carry your baby around in your Ergo. 

And coz I love it so much- a collage.

Ottobre 1/2009 Sudoku skirt.

Has it really been that long?

Has it really been that long since I blogged?

I hope everyone had a fab Christmas.  My niece and nephew got spoilt with a little of my sewing.

Ottobre 3/2009

fabric: denim from SL

Farbenmix Hilde with an added hood

farbric stella from CM

And a 4yo boy who would not co-operate!

patchwork skirt for my niece, designed by me

Fabric: various places.

Finished Blogtober GIVEAWAY: Ottobre 301

Well I successfully blogged nearly every day of October.

So to celebrate I want to giveaway something that I have.

I have 2 of the Ottobre 301 patterns- so who would like one for free?

Please leave a comment, and make sure that you have a way for me to contact you.

Also this pattern is only sizes 92-170, its not an adult pattern.  So you have to have kids that you sew for to make use of this pattern.  You will also have to be interested in sewing with knit.

So enjoy ;)

Sign up closes Saturday 13th November.

31st of Blogtoberfest: a new way to use Ottobre 301

I really like the  drop waist ModKid pattern, so inspired but didn't want to purchase the pattern myself, and felt that I could alter an existing pattern:

So out popped the Ottobre 301, shortened it, made a waistband, then added a rectangle for a skirt.

Very happy with the results.

Next time I will make the sleeves a little more baggy, might even make them puffed sleaves, but apart from that, im very happy with the results.

27th of Blogtoberfest: my October 12 in 12 recreation!

Pattern: Ottobre 301 with added length

Fabric and old adults top from an Op shop

binding, and old adults spaghetti strap top from Op shop

Unwilling model, my 4yo daughter, who would not co-operate! 

This recreate thing is actually really handy!  The whole top cost me 50c I think.  I have been rummaging through op-shops looking for any top with 2 way stretch, making sure it was big enough to make another top out of. and then chopping.  It helps that it had stripes as I used that as the grain line.

The pattern took me about 30min to sew up!  

Another bonus is that the sleeves didn't need hemming.  I just used the existing sleeves, and used their hem as my hem ;)

I have also made knickers out of op-shop clothing.  

So thats my October challenge completed YAY for me! (and nope photos wont behave!)

Happy Birthday Mitchell

My big boy is now 7.  That's 7 years from when he was a baby, and 3 years from being double figures!  He is growing up so fast.

We wrapped his presents the night before, and put them on his bedroom floor, so no photos of him opening them, but he did come running in proclaiming his approval of his shorts that I had made.

Happy Birthday Mitchell

Shorts Pattern Ottobre 3/2009

Ottobre 301.

Crafty Mamas forum has the occasional sew-a-long, where a few people commit to making a particular pattern.  This time it was the Ottobre 301.  Although I should be doing my embroidery challenge (I did attempt it for the record- but more on that later) I decided to try the 301.

It took about 15min to trace the pattern, and had I not messed up the neck it would have taken about 45min in total to sew together!

The result- very effective and happy. Size 98 for my 2.5yo.  I cant wait to get my 303 (the adult version) so that I can make myself one!

here are the brag pics (in the PJs).

ta daa

ta daa again

and for some reason blogger wants this sideways.

What I have learnt:

• 
  
  not to take a seam allowance on the neck or the binding.  Otherwise it wont fit over your toddlers head and you have to cut it off.
• 
  
  Binding is heaps easier to attach in the flat.
• 
  
  That after you cut off the neck binding, you have to attach the new binding in the round, and that is a pain!
• 
  
  that the top still looks good even if you cut it on the wrong grain. 
• 
  
  That this hilco fabric doesn't have alot of stretch on the wrong grain.
• 
  
  That I love Stella and hilco!

Maybe next time I should not cut it out in front of the warm open fire with my gorgeous kids running about...

Ottobre 4/2008 Raglan hooded top

Well this top was a long time coming.  I cut it out to complete at the CM retreat back a month ago.  And I realised while I was there that I hadn't cut the neck binding out.  Now that I have finished the project I know why!

Does anyone have any good tips on how to sew together a layer of top, 2 layers of binding and a lined hood?
Next time I think I will be just adding the hood or the binding, not both.

But apart from that the results are excellent. 

My twin stretch needle and I are yet to become good friends, but we are working on it.  I cant seem to get the tension right!

boys will be boys :)

Ottobre 1/2009 no 19

In Mezzaine. Love the colours, and so does the little princess (the only colour she knows I think is pink)

We had a struggle to get her to stand still, thus why no great action shots. Will get a real camera soon!

And it will get ironed.

Will defiantly be making more of these skirts. Just gotta refine how I do the pockets as attaching the ric rac was a little pita! And the pockets are crooked as well. I'm not changing it though as you cant tell when its being worn.

I also omitted the lace- although I bought 3 diff types of lace to see which one suited. I jut felt that it looked best without it.

BOOK WEEK animal safari

My first book week as a school mum- note to self for next year... start prior to the day before!

Pretty proud of what I achieved! Even as it was the night before!

Even with a tail!

More importantly he LOVED it!!

Any comments on if I will learn from my disorganisation and start prior to the day before next year?

For those who wanna know-

I made normal tracksuit pants- only 2 pieces and hemmed and joined the faux fur prior to joining the centre seam.

The hoodie jumper is an Ottobre 1/2008 with 4 different colours of looped ribbons layered back on the hood. Did this at 2am this morning! (The fleece is brown not purple.)

Ears are felt sewn on. Pockets are made of the faux fur.

Boys Blue fire jeans

My boys have a pair of shorts that they wont take off, its about 15C here during the day (reached 20 today *woot*) and so true to daddy's genetic code, they don't feel the cold! But I cant let them run around in shorts in winter, so I made them some pants. Please excuse the pics, we still don't have a new camera so these were taken with my phone.


I used top stitching thread to top stitch the pockets and also the knee.

Back pockets were quilters cotton. Its blue and black.

These are both the pairs of pants together. I am quite happy with how they turned out. Although next time I will think twice about the top stitching thread as my machine doesn't really like it so it becomes messy really easily.

They are from Ottobre 1/2009

Ellise turns 3, and her new skirt

This is the skirt and top that I have been working on for a little while. The fabric is Sandi Henderson- Farmers market from Kelaniand the pattern is from Ottobre 1/2009 "Sudoku" ruffle skirt.
The top has just a few yoys in the same fabric with green ric rac hand stitched on.
The big white fluff is my dog- Kosmo- he is a big Samoyed!
Happy 3rd Birthday to my beautiful daughter!