Simplicity 8101

I couldn't resist Simplicity 8101 when I saw it. I knew that Olive needed a couple and when I asked my niece, who was visiting, if she wanted one she she said "Yes please! In pink!".

I used quilting cotton for all of it, including the bias binding. 

I had a quick look at the instructions and then kind of followed them and kind of did things my own way. I cut a size 3 which fit both girls (they are 3 1/2) but I probably should have cut a size 4 so it fits for longer. The arms seemed a little tight so I made them a bit bigger (all I had to do was sew the side seam a bit shorter).

This has gone home with my happy niece and Olive is just choosing some fabric for hers. 

           

                    

Jalie 2679

My girls are outdoor jacket and jeans girls during winter, but finding jackets they like is becoming harder (and more expensive).  I knew they would love Jalie 2679, but finding the right fabric was going to be tricky. A lot of the jackets in Mountain Designs and Kathmandu are made from soft shell fabric which I could not find anywhere in Australia (please let me know if there is anywhere I can get it!).

Thanks to Google I discovered a place to buy yardage of all sorts of polartec fabric. Rocky Woods also seems to have some interesting fabric. The only problem with these two places is the cost of postage from the US. Then I found soft shell fabrics at UK Fabrics Online. I think I ordered 4m of soft shell fabric and some mesh for the pocket lining and the postage was only 7 1/2 pounds. 

I chose fabric that was blue on one side and black on the other so I chose some black and some blue to be on the outside. I managed to cut all the pieces from 1m of fabric. It was't hard to sew, but you can't press it and it doesn't stay flat so all the seams need to be topstitched. I traced a size O to fit an 11 yr old. There is plenty of room to wear it over a fleecy jumper. I think the arms are too big, but Milly likes them like this.

The only really tricky part of the pattern were the pocket zips, but Jalie patterns have great illustrations and after putting in two I think I've got the hang of it. 

I used mesh I bought from the same place for the pocket lining.

I am really impressed with this pattern, it was really nice to sew and I am so happy to have made a water and wind repellant jacket for a fraction of what it would cost to buy one. 

The other three all want one so I'll definitely be making more and I might have to make one for myself. 

Bootstrap Fashion Shirt Dress

I can't seem to say no to a shirt dress pattern and when I saw this one on Bootstrap Fashion I ordered it, printed it and found some fabric immediately. I made a quick muslin and I couldn't believe how well it fit. I think the only alteration was to shorten the sleeves a little and take a tiny bit off the waist. I don't really like pockets with flaps so I used the pockets from the Grainline Archer shirt. There were no markings to show where to place the pockets so I had a guess and I think they are ok. 

I only did a muslin of the top of the sleeve, which was a bit of a mistake as the bottom of it and the cuff are quick large. If they are annoying when I wear it I will just roll them up (I added the tabs and buttons to roll them up).

If you are a beginner sewer or have never made a shirt then this pattern is not for you. I glanced through the brief instructions and then did everything my own way.
It has you cut one yoke, but every shirt I made has had two so I cut an extra and attached them with the 'burrito' method. I could not make out the placket instructions or how the pieces work at all so I used the placket from the Negroni shirt I just made Chris. I used the collar tutorial from Four Square Walls.
It looked ok in the mirror, but I can see a few sleeve issues here, but if I made it again I might need to have a look at how the sleeves fit.

I used a cotton chambray from Textile Traders which was a dream to sew. I really like this dress and this pattern. I think it will get a lot of wear in winter. And now I've had success with one pattern from Bootstrap patterns I'll definitely be trying more. I am very tempted to have a go at one of the jeans patterns.

             

Liberty Negroni Shirt

I bought this Liberty lawn on a whim from Shaukat a few years ago hoping that Chris might wear it. He wasn't convinced when I showed him, so it sat in the stash for a while. After the success of the Storm Trooper Negroni I thought I would make another Negroni with the Liberty. I didn't even bother trying to pattern match, I only had 2m and it was going to be impossible so I just laid out the pieces and cut. 

He has tried it on and it's in the cupboard with his other good shirts so I think that's a win. 

    

Soaring Eagles in Quilters Companion

Look what is in the newest Quilters Companion - my Soaring Eagles quilt!

                  

And if you get yourself a copy you can find out how to win a copy of Striking Strip Quilts.

  

                                

Kwik Sew 3527

The onesies I made last year are finally too small and Olive requested a new one in pink Hello Kitty fabric. I can't say I like sewing with this fleecy fabric, but all the girls love it and now the weather is cooling down they will wear onesies  every night. 

I used Kwik Sew 3527 again. Both the Kwik Sew onesie patterns I've made are great, excellent instructions and quite quick and easy to make. 

Vogue 1528

My needle case is about 15 years old and is showing its age so I thought I'd make a new one today. I bought Vogue 1528 off eBay a while ago. I bought it for the jewellery roll and cosmetic bags, the little sewing case was a bonus. I used scraps of Alison Glass Handcrafted fabric that was left over from making the Planets quilt in Striking Strip Quilts.
It wasn't hard to make and didn't take too long, but I did have to read the instructions to work out what pieces to cut as it wasn't marked on the pattern pieces. I think the elastic for the pocket pieces was a little short so it's pulling the whole case inwards and it won't lay shut. If I make another one I would change that, but other than that it went together perfectly.

Jelly Roll Pouches

A great way to use jelly roll scraps and batting scraps is to make little Quilt-As-You-Go pouches. They are such a quick little project, perfect when you have an hour or so free.

Indygo Junction Apron

The only problem with sewing so much is constantly being covered in threads and fluff. A sewing apron seemed like a great idea, I don't know why it's taken me so long to make one.

I made my sisters' aprons for Christmas, but the largest size on that pattern was way too small for me and I knew it would take time to alter it so I was excited when Indigo Junction sent me their Crossback Reversible Apron pattern.

I used a Kaufman linen blend for the outside and a quilting cotton from Windham Fabrics for the lining (a great Textile Traders find). I cut a L/XL and the only change I made was to add side seams. The pattern is cut in one big piece on the fold, but as I was using directional fabric for the lining I wanted the pattern going down the apron. This was easy to do and after the pieces were joined I just continued with the instructions as written.

This was a very quick to sew and I am really happy with it. It's easy to take on and off, the pockets are a great size and I love this grey linen. The other great thing about this pattern is the sizing, the largest size can fit up to a 54" bust and there are three children's sizes which I'm sure I'll be trying out soon.

Full Disclosure: I received a copy of the pattern from Indygo Junction free of charge. All opinions are my own.

Sewing for Milly and Olive

There has been a lot of quilt sewing lately, but I have managed a few a couple of the girls over the last few weeks.
First up was a jumpsuit for Milly.
This is the Satya Romper, it's a great pattern for older girls, it has no frills and she likes the pockets on the front. I didn't get a picture of the back, but it is a little loose so I'd make the elastic a little tighter and the straps a little shorter next time. I uses some plaid seersucker from spotlight which I did not even attempt to match, but I don't think anyone other than a sewer would notice.

Second was some new shorts from Olive.
These are the Fawn Shorts by Violette Field Threads. These are very cute and not hard to make. Great for summer and also for winter with tights underneath.

Third was a blouse for Olive.
This is Burda 9491 in some Cloud 9 voile from Spotlight. i love this pattern and how you make the pin tuck section first and then cut out the pattern pieces from it. I did have some problem fitting the front pieces together, but it was probably me and my at times lazy approach to seam width.

Making Striking Strip Quilts

I was sorting out photos on my phone today and came across a stack I took while I was sewing the quilts for Striking Strip Quilts and I thought I would share them with you.

Folk Art Flowers

When I was making Folk Art Flowers for Striking Strip Quilts I had a hard time deciding on a colour scheme. I went with the beautiful red and green, but one of the options was aqua and grey and I knew I wanted to make a wall quilt version of the quilt in this colour scheme.
This is such a fun project to use all your tiny scraps in your favourite colours.
We're having a break from our normal crazy hot January weather this week. It's usually too hot to spend too long in my sewing room at this time of the year so I am going to make the most of the cool weather and spend the day sewing.

Striking Strip Quilts - It's Here!!

My books are here! Its available now from Martingale and should be on its way to quilt shops now!

Storm Trooper Negroni

As soon as I saw Maria's excellent Storm Trooper shirt I planned a trip to Spotlight and picked  up a few metres of the fabric. I went with the Colette Negroni pattern. It is a little more casual and I didn't have to think about pattern matching the button band.
I wasn't too sure I would like a shirt without the collar stand on Chris, but I love how it is a little more casual and it is so easy to sew! The only alteration (besides blending between sizes) was to remove about 3/4" from the sleeve length before I cut it out and the only extra thing I need to do next time is to increase the cuff width as the cuffs are a little tight.
As you can see he is pretty happy with it, I think it's going to get a lot of wear.

Wiksten Tank

As usual I am always late to the party - this time it is the Wiksten Tank party.
I looked at the weather forecast at the start of this week and decided I needed some loose fitting cool tops for the hot weather.  I wasn't sure weather to go with the Tiny Pocket Tank or the Wiksten so I asked Instagram and the winner for my figure was the Wiksten.

I knew I would need to do an fba and after fitting the pattern to me I thought I would need a little more coverage at the armhole so I did an fba like this from Fit for Real People.
I used some rayon from Spotlight that was on special last week. Unlike some of the rayon I have bought there this was lovely to sew, not shifty at all.
It is currently 37 and this top is perfect.  I still want to try the Kate top and Datura, but I'm sure I'll be making more of these.

Butterick 5211

After checking my wardrobe and deciding I needed something new for a Christmas party last night I searched through my patterns and found Butterick 5211. A fast and easy 1 hour pattern sounded perfect. And it would have been if I hadn't decided to use this shift as shit rayon with the pattern printed so far off grain its ridiculous. It took me way over an hour just to cut it out. I nearly gave up at this stage as the pieces are all cutaway off grain so the pattern is straight. 

I am glad I persevered, it does fall a little bit funny but it is hard to tell when you put the belt on. There is a lot of ease in this pattern. I didn't bother with an fba and cut my normal size, but took it in to a size smaller after the first fitting. 

Tessuti has a great tutorial to make the thread button loop, it was a lot quicker and easier than I thought it would be.

I'll definitely be making a few more of these this summer, maybe a plain black next time so I can get it make in an hour.

The Big Book of Scrappy Quilts

If you have a big stash of scraps then The Big Book of Scrappy Quilts is the perfect book for you!

I'm very excited to have three patterns in it and with 77 patterns you are bound to find more than a few you will need to make!

New Look 6301 for Summer

Yes another knit dress, but they are just so incredibly comfortable and quick to sew.

This is New Look 6301 which I have made a couple of times before. I used a black jersey which I think came from Spotlight. This is the first time I have made the sleeveless version and I really like the narrow binding around the arms instead of hemming.

I've definitely got my money's worth out of this pattern and I am sure I will make more.