Newborn gift

My friend has just had a little girl so I have just finished packing up a play mat for her. I haven't done much with solids and I can definitely see the appeal of the clean lines ( although I am such a sucker for a good print...)

Tunic top

My sister brought me back a couple of sewing books from france and with B's obsession with yellow I had to use this fabric! The square neckline stumped me for ages( I was never good at origami) but I am pleased with the result! Thankfully the lady agrees and is giving it a test run today. I had to take in the neckline at the front and back by making little pleats- I think I could nearly have worn the first attempt so amazingly found a button that went perfectly to go on top! Smiles all round...

iPad and catch up

Christmas has come early- quite literally as I was 'allowed' to buy my Christmas present in the summer holidays!! I have wanted an iPad for ages and after both my parents getting one before me I thought something needed to be done! The only way I could justify it was to have it as an early Christmas present and at this rate the novelty will not have worn off before then...
I have also been working on a few things so photos to bring things up to date- two baby quilts and a cat bag. The bag is my second attempt. After not really measuring the first one it turned out rather bigger than expected so it was back to the drawing board for a more normal size. The conversation with my husband went something like this:
Me: do you like the bag I made for nina?
Him: is it to put her in?
Baring in mind Nina is just one and would have fitted in the bag I thought he might have a point.... However I am pleased with how this one has turned out so all good in the end!

Looks a bit wierd..

But I think it will be ok on! Just finished a little dress- made out of odd airtex blouse material I found at the market. It has a bit of stretch (hopefully enough to go over Bs noggin) but I think she will like the twirly bottom.

Only a couple months late (and still not finished!)

So B's birthday was in March, and I had the great idea to do her a new quilt for her bed- my first attempt was cot bed sized so doesn't really fit anymore. So here we are in may with a finally quilted quilt. I tried circular quilting which turned out quite nicely ( although was a pain to do). Now all I have to do is bind it- the end is in sight!! Next time I think I would try a more adventurous design but for now, I'm sorta happy :)
P.s the best photo I could get included a slightly chickenpoxy girl!

New best friend

Look what my dad saw in oxfam window yesterday! (And what I persuaded him to go down first thing this morning to buy!!)- my very own body. The shop assistant was a little confused when he went in and said he liked the body in the window and could he have a better look- not knowing there was another shop assistant fixing the window display....

Lovely fabric

I have succumbed to 20% off fabric from clothkits- how could I resist?! 2m of lovely linemen/cotton Japanese fabric- I'm thinking skirt for starters and see what i think of after that. Is it wrong to even consider matching clothes for B and I....... Yes I think so, but so tempting!

Photo from clothkits.co.uk

Ist birthday gift

I bought some iron on transfers at the weekend so dying to try them I decided to make an apron tunic for a friend's little girl. An hour later...... Ta da! ( possibly a little over excited for a transfer but humour me!!)

Happy birthday to me...

Today was my birthday- lots of fun with family. Who couldn't smile with company like this??
(Yes, you are right- she did climb into a guitar bag.)

Apron style top

I made a couple of these last year but they are perfect for nursery so I made another one! Bit longer so I have fooled B into thinking it is a dress- t shirts just don't make her wardrobe cut!

Tailor dummy experiment

So I have this idea that I really need a tailor's dummy to make little b's clothes- well until I actually google it and find out they are stupidly expensive. So out comes the masking tape and hilarity as I tape up over an old dress and stuff it. Job done in ten minutes! B thinks it is her robot and keeps making funny robot noises- too funny! Not as swish as a proper one but a whole load cheaper and exactly the right size... Now all I need to do is find a broom handle and base...

New shoes

B's new shoes arrived today- so cute. The front is like a pear which she is very impressed with! From a make called livie and Luca. So many lovely ones for summer- think I have found a new guilty pleasure!!

Cake!

It's b's birthday tomorrow! Big bad 3 years old. After saying she wanted a cake with eyes?! I managed to persuade her that a fairy castle would be better. Now starting late and taking forever to bake we now have a cake for her party on Saturday. Now all I have to do is wait for it to cool:(

Ballet bag

So little b has started ballet classes- she has to wear a cute uniform so I thought it was a good excuse to sew up a ballet bag to hold her stuff ( although currently a toy mobile phone has also worked its way in there... I suppose even ballet dancers need to stay in touch) It was one of those quick makes as it was done during the day while I was also trying to keep her out of mischief- so not perfect by any means but will do the job!

Oh and a quick photo of her wearing the skirt in the last post!

Fear of the buttonhole foot...

Finally I have brought myself to try the scariest thing on my sewing machine!
Not a super duper result but pleased none the less. Only took me two years to strike up the courage ...

More jumper pics !

Properly finished!

Well- to hide the rough finish of yesterday I had the great idea of sewing some trim round the bottom of the jumper...and it worked! A much better finish. B didn't want to wear it today ( typical after a night of sewing) but when she did finally agree to try it,it fitted perfectly! Hurray for French patterns!

Feb sewing!

Been a little quiet on sewing front lately. Tonight I settled down to attempt a knit jumper- not perfect as usual I rushed the end as I wanted to get it finished, but other than that I'm pretty happy with it...would it be wrong to wake up little b just to try it on???

iPhone!

For a while now I have been thinking about an iPhone- not something I need but something I would love. So today I succumbed and have been playing ever since (although I have had to put it down when my daughter asked whether she could sit on the naughty step- any attention is good attention...)

Resolved to Sew....

I couldn't resist posting after reading Ali's post on her blog http://veryberryhandmade.co.uk/2012/01/16/giveaway-resolved-to-sew-2012/#comments. And to be honest it has done me good to be tempted back into my little blog that has been more than a little neglected....
This year I think it should probably be resolved to blog rather than sew- last year was fairly productive and even ended in Christmas presents that were just about good enough to give without adding an apology note!

But thinking about the sewing, my main challenge is to finish my first big quilt for my bed- so far just a basic patchwork and all squares cut, and some even sewn, but it seems a long, long way off completion. I am daunted by the size, but love the fabric and so this will be my most satisfying accomplishment sewing-wise (if it ever does get finished).

My other sewing resolutions will be to cut into some of my precious fabric that I just can't find a good enough use for- rather than just pulling them out of the drawer, looking and sighing and putting them back.
And finally my last resolution is to have a go at paper piecing - just love this image from pinterest (and to curb my pinterest addiction....but that may take longer)
Let see what 2012 brings!
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