Double Trouble

Here are the completed outfits. They are birthday presents for twins. The girls are a size 110 which is too small for Moo and too big for Will, but I asked them to model because it's nice to see the outfits together.

Tops- pattern: Ottobre Design 4/2006, #25; fabric - cotton/spandex knit; embroidery/applique - floTTifruTTi by Luzia Pimpinella.

Skirts - pattern: Studio Tantrum Redondo skirt; fabric - apple floral print from Spotlight with self-made bias from polka dot poplin.

For others

Just thought I'd show off a couple of things I've made for other people. I didn't get a chance for Moo to model the top before the customer picked it up. I basically finished the top, and the customer picked it up the next day.

The specifications of the top were a hood like his sister's dress (a Farbenmix Olivia) and a rainbow across the front. The boy's favourite colour is green. I'd originally suggested an Imke to the mother, but her son was quite fixed on the Olivia hood, so I ended up merging the two.



The main part of the shirt was dyed with green and turquoise. I really like the combination, and I think you will be seeing more of it. In the past I've had the yellow halo out from the green which is annoying. This is because green is not a pure dye colour, but has to be made from a mix of yellow and blue.

I also made this shirt. I didn't take a photo of it before sending it to its happy home. Thanks Sarah!

I'm sick and other bits

Moo was really sick a couple of weeks ago. I am convinced that she shared with me although Col says that I've probably picked up a different bug because I don't have a rash like Moo did. Yesterday I spent all day in bed with a 39C fever. This afternoon I saw the doctor who has confirmed that I have a horrid throat infection, enlarged glands and inflamed ears. It's antibiotics for me. At least I will be feeling better in a few days.

In the lead up to my illness, I sewed some flannelette pillowslips for Mollie's class. Another mum was going to share the sewing, but her son has been sick, so I just did all of them. No photos of those. It's not that exciting seeing 35 white flannel pillowslips, but it will be exciting once the children paint them. They will paint them with dyes and each child will have a special cuddly item to take with them to Winter Festival. This is the first year the children go to Winter Festival. Children from big Kindy (Moo's class) through year 12 all go away one night. Each child makes a lantern for the lantern walk that they will have in the evening. It will be the first night that Moo has been away from both me and Colin in her whole life. I hope it will be super special for her.

My dyeing has been halted by this rainy weather. I finally brought the bits inside, so they will dry out, and I can dye them. If you have a rainbow redondo skirt coming your way, this is the hold up! (and me being sick)

A post with no pictures is not very exciting, so I will share some WIP's. On Sunday I got out the embroidery module and went to town. Initially I had planned to do the two apple appliques, but then kept going.





Then I decided to make some buttons to cover some holes in my jeans.


But that wasn't enough. I decided to rip open the legs of these jeans and add some embroidery



More to come with the jeans.

All of the embroidery designs are by the very talented Nic, of Luzia Pimpinella, and can be purchased at Huups.

My dryer vomited

I took this photo this evening when I went around the house to share with my Crafty Mama friends why I don't need more fabric. Tas has said I should wash my mouth out with soap for saying such a blasphemous thing.

My fabric is stashed all over my house. My tiny, tiny house. We are working on rectifying the situation, but it is going to require my attention. Our development application has been approved for 3 weeks, and we need to pick a builder. I need to give this project my undivided attention, so I won't be taking any more custom orders for a while. Don't worry, if I'm promised you something, it's in progress.

My Cheeky Devil

I always thought my first embroidery project would be for Mollie. And I will admit that earlier in the day before I made this shirt, I did a test stitch out of Mollie's choice which was one of Nic's (aka Luzia Pimpinella) deer. It was an experiment to test out embroidering on knits.

So after the deer, I was feeling like I wanted to do something else. And somehow the inspiration hit to make something for Will. Will picked the embroidery. "Pirate one!!!" And I did the rest.

My cheeky devil in his little devil shirt...




Pattern: Ottobre Design, 01/08, #27, "chimpanzee" shirt
Fabric: Azure stella knit and Hilco campan knit
Embroidery: Little Devil by Jolijou

If anyone has some good tips for embroidering cotton/spandex knits, please let me know since that is what I use most often for t-shirts.

Yummy Brunch!

Let's check the lemon tree...


Pick some lemons...


Make some batter...


Slice juicy lemons...


Sprinkle with sugar, squeeze lemon, and roll...


AND eat!!!

Cozy Flannel PJ time

Winter is here, and flannel pajamas are required.

I used Ottobre 04/03, #13 Flannel Pajamas. I've made this pattern twice before, so knew it went together well. Moo picked the buttons for hers; hence, the giant hearts!

I'm not an addict...

A fabric addict???

I went to Spotlight to buy a Gutermann Sulky Stabiliser pack and bobbin fill. I bought them and...


Spotlight is having a clearance sale. All the fabrics were half off the orange sale sticker. The most expensive fabric in the pile was $3/m. I am really partial to the green apple/pink floral poplin. I am thinking about going back for more.

Brownie time!

Ever since Sarah baked these brownies, they have been on my mind. Today I finally made time to bake!

The batter tasted delicious which is always a good sign!

(if you happen to notice my name is engraved on the bowl, well, that is my mom for you.)

All done!

(small hole in the middle was so I could test if they were done. Yes, really!!!)

And for amusement, this is how we buy our chocolate. I always feel like I am carrying a bag of dog food to the car.

For reference this chocolate also makes awesome hot chocolate! Callebaut is very good quality couverture chocolate. If you are in Sydney and want some chocolate, I recommend going to Chefs Warehouse in Surry Hills. It's close to E&M Greenfield, so you can do some gourmet food shopping and grab some serious sewing supplies. That's what I call a win/win!!!

All the pretty colours

Call me insane. I dragged both of my children to E & M Greenfield. Greenfields is an old school trade sort of place. It's not like Spotlight. They were surprisingly tolerant of the children. No one scowled at them, and a lovely lady offered them biscuits. I was let loose at drawers of Isacord.

As a testament to my superior parenting skills, I bribed my children to behave with hot chips for lunch. It was mostly successful. Any time Will started to get unruly, I said, "you want chippies for lunch?". He calmed down and got back to his task which was holding the box full of threads.