Just for fun

Can you guess what it is yet?!
Obviously a house/tunnel for a lizard to run through!
What fun requests people want :-)

Unicorn away!

As you probably already know I read Sew magazine (follow this link). My Mum got me a year's subscription for my 30th birthday...does that me old?! Well, issue 46 is my favourite issue yet - it has so many patterns and ideas that interest me.

I decided to give the little horse pattern a go. I have completed the horse, and added a little horn to make it a unicorn.

 I love her...both my girls now want one!

 

I added felt for the eyes - rather than buttons.

 

 I velcro'd the saddle on (the magazine suggested a snap tab...but I didn't have one in stock). The velcro will probably make it easier for little hands to take the saddle on and off...I hope! I also used fleece rather than yarn for the mane and tail (I didn't have any wool. But, whenever I have thought about sewing a horse in the past I have always imagined it with a fleece mane and tail!)

 

 

The horn is a tiny bit off centre (annoying), but I feel this adds to the charm! I sewed a triangle, stuffed it and then slip stitched into onto the head after I had made the horse.

 

 This only happened on one hoof...but I shall take more care to match up all the hooves next time. I couldn't decide whether the red or the green hooves looked best - so I went for both.

 

 

 Woody is just to illustrate the size of the unicorn...and not because I got a bit carried away playing!

 

The instructions for this sewing project are really clear. I would not describe it as a beginner's project - there are some tricky bits (especially the nose area...actually sewing the whole gusset on was a bit fiddly!). I am super happy with how it turned out...I will definitely be using the pattern again :)

 

Buy issue 46 of the Sew magazine and try it for yourself :)

 

 

 



Cashing in on all the horse drama!

Cut out a horse from my issue of Sew (number 46). Am looking forward to putting it together :-)

Rapunzel away!

I have finished the Rapunzel dress (for my daughter's birthday on the 31st). I used sewlikemymom.com's fabulous tutorial. But I joined my bodice to my skirt instead of having a separate skirt. This does mean that the point at the front (as all princess dresses need!) is a bit bulky and squiffy - but I think that it will be fine once on.

 

 

 The skirt looks blue in this picture...but it is deep purple in reality.

 

I enjoyed this project. It gave me a chance to overcome my fear of sewing with slippery fabrics (I went totally over the top with pins and it seems to have worked - I hardly use pins normally!). I also sewed sleeves for the first time. I wish I had a serger, the inside dress is already fraying (I did use zigzag stitch...but it is so fray-ey). I had an idea that I would bias bind all the seams...but I quickly went off this idea! I hope my girl won't mind...we shall see!



 

If you enjoy colouring in...

Managed to squeeze in a bit of sewing today. I picked some great material up from my IKEA trip yesterday and decided to make a pencil case

 

 

 So, what makes it so special?? Nothing...it is just a nice lined, zippered pencil case... except you can colour it in!

 Great fun :) And the ideas are endless - tote bags, book bags, crayon rolls, book covers - anything that you (or your little ones) want to doodle on :) Enjoy!

Rapunzel update

After much procrastination I finally sewed a bit of the Rapunzel dress. It is not quite finished...there is still ribbon to add to the front and the back needs finishing and Velcro needs to be added (and the skirt!)

I am happy with it so far, I used loads of pins...I NEVER pin! And that has stopped me having to swear because the material is slipping!

The tutorial I am following uses a serger (which I don't own) and my inside seams are pretty messy. I think, once I have made it all, I will use bias binding and bind all the seams. This will look neater and should stop my big Little girl from getting irritated.

I am working this weekend, but I may get some sewing done this evening. I wanna get this finished!

Brrr - tis a bit chilly

After a lovely mild Saturday (we went to Lyme Regis and discussed camping there at the end of the month), it started to snow on Mother's Day. Today we are suffering from the "beast from the East" - a VERY cold, bitter wind.

I promised myself some wrist warmers for a while (I did make some as presents for Christmas...and I did end up with a bodged pair) I used this tutorial.

The only thing I would recommend is to make the pattern a bit wider than the pattern piece. I have small hands and they are too tight even for me. As you can see, I rectified this by adding an extra piece of fleece!

They are lined with fleece and have a cotton topping - I love having a bit of extra pattern and colour in my life :)

One day I may learn to take wonderful pictures in natural light with plain backgrounds (anyone want to give me photography lessons?), but, until then, you will have to put up with the rubbish shots!
 

You Peasant

I got some lovely fabric delivered and it inspired me to make the girls clothing. I have steered away from clothing recently as no matter how well i measure the clothes always seem to end up too small. This is fine if I have sewn it for the eldest as the youngest gets a new dress...but it is very annoying if I have sewn it for the youngest - the dolls in the house do NOT need to be that well dressed!

I saw someone's child wearing a peasant dress and knew that there we plenty of tutorials about for it so I decided I would give it a go. I used this tutorial which is super easy to follow.

This pattern is so easy to make that I made 2 dresses in a morning! (This is how I spent my Mothering Sunday morning!!).

Perfect modelling!

I only had 50cm of material...i cut out the front piece before realising I wouldn't have enough material for the back. I am glad I had some white cotton in my stash. At first I was disappointed and nearly ordered more fabric...but I actually like the effect of a different colour back.

I did think that the backs needed a bit of colour so did some applique. Wobbly stitching, but not too noticeable...!

Bit of table dancing!

The eldest daughter requested pockets...They are a bit wonky...and that IS noticeable!

The tutorial suggests a few sleeve variations - eldest daughter requested a plain hemmed sleeve. I decided to sew it with a double seam (same as the top of the pockets and the hem), just to make it look a bit trendy (and to show off the fact that I found the perfect colour thread to match the material!)

For youngest daughter I decided to shirr the sleeve. Her sleeves were tiny - it would probably have been more effective on the bigger sized top! But I like, and prefer, this effect. And it is so easy to do.

I had the chance to add sleeves for the first time making these tops. They are not as scary as I thought. Overall a super morning's sewing - and no swearing or anything - it must have been an easy pattern!