Baby Boy's Romper

Is it cheating that I'm sharing all these projects with you now, even though I completed them a LOOOONG time ago (all pre-Bo)?  

I'm hoping that I'll manage to find a little bit of time set aside for crafting soon.....  before I run out of 'old' projects to post show-and-tells about!  Any tips for adding more hours to the day???

Anyway, I wanted to show you this little romper suit that I made for Bo.....

I found the pattern here, on the 'Melly Sews' website.  If you've into sewing, you should definitely take a look - there are LOADS of free patterns and tutorials!

It was a quicker (and easier) make than I'd imagined it would be.  So I'm planning to make a few more of them, in different fabrics.....

Carly

x 

Bags of Bags

So, tomorrow's Christmas Fair day at school.  I think I'm all set to go.  Everything's packed up by the front door, and I'll be setting up my stall during lunch break.  Does anyone else feel stupidly nervous before craft fairs???

Here's another quick show-and-tell of what I've been making, in preparation for the fair.  Today's 'topic' is bags.....

A grey, yellow and white stripy one:
      

A white, red, turquoise and grey spotty one:

A green, yellow, brown and white spotty one:

A turquoise, blue, lime and brown stripy one:

And an orangey-red, lime and yellow one: 

My favourite's the turquoise, blue, lime and brown stripy one.  I want to keep it.  Is that bad?  I may have to sneak it off my stall and keep it for myself.  We'll see how the willpower goes tomorrow.....

These bags were all made from the 'Buttercup Bag' pattern, from Made by Rae.  You can download the (brilliant) pattern for free here, and you can buy a license to sell them if you wish to do so.  

I'll let you know how the fair goes..... 

Bye for now!

Carly

x

'Little Geranium' Dress

I've been showing you LOTS of baby-makes lately.  And here's another.....  

When I found out that our friends' baby was a girl,I got it into my head that I HAD to make her a teeny-tiny newborn frock.  So, I spent that weekend making her a 'Little Geranium' dress.  The pattern is a free (and brilliant) one from Made by Rae.  You can find it here. 

And here's the dress:

It was a fun make and, as it was so tiny, didn't take too long.  I loved how it turned out.  And, thank goodness, it was a good fit too (we did a Skype session, so I could see it 'on').  

If only there was a 'Big Geranium' pattern - for girls MY age!!!

Carly

x

Stylish Dress Book Pattern E

So, I think my new favourite crafting pursuit is making clothes for myself.  Or, to be more specific, making DRESSES for myself.

And, my new favourite book is ‘The Stylish Dress Book’ by Yoshiko Tsukiori.  I LOVE it!!!  Maybe I should do a proper review of it at some point, so I won’t rave on about it too much here – if I can help it. 

It was really challenging to pick a place to start when I got the book, as I pretty-much wanted to make EVERYTHING in it, STRAIGHT AWAY.  In the end, though, I decided to start with ‘Pattern E’ (which I think is my very favourite). 

Apart from positioning the bust darts (which I really don’t get, by the way, and any tips on this would be gratefully received), I LOVED the entire process of making the dress.  And luckily, as it took me some time to complete, I LOVED the finished dress!!!  I think you can see how much I love it, through the uncharacteristic amount of posing I’m doing in these photos (which I’m now a tad embarrassed about, I have to say).....

The style of this dress makes it so versatile!  I wear mine at night – for going out for dinner, or drinkies.  The fabric has a bit of a shine to it, so it might look a bit too ‘dressy’ for daytimes.  But, with different fabrics, it would look great as a cute sundress, or as a heavier winter dress (over a roll-neck and some thick tights).  SO many possibilities – and I’m sure I’ll be exploring them all!  I’ll DEFINITELY be using this pattern again!!!

If you’ve made anything from this book (or any of the others in the series), I’d love to have a look.....  

Carly

x  

Vintage Couture Exhibition

I just HAD to share a few more holiday snaps from Norfolk with you.....

While we were there, we visited Holkham Hall (well worth a visit if you’re in the area, as is Holkham beach, and Holkham village shops).  We were lucky enough to catch their ‘Glamour and Gowns’ exhibition – a collection of vintage ballgowns and sewing patterns created by the society dressmaker Belinda Bellville.

The gowns on display were from the 60s, 70s and 80s – and were all AMAZING!!!  I spent so long gawping at them that the curator-lady started giving me strange looks.  Maybe she was reading my mind as I considered how I might possibly sneak behind the barriers and have a quick try-on!?!

Here are some of the frocks.....

Aren’t they stunning???  Which one's your favourite?  I think mine’s the one with the red sticky-out skirt and pink bodice (in the top photo). 

If you're as in love with these dresses as I am, you can find out more about Belinda Bellville and the Holkham exhibition here.  You can even watch a video clip – and see more of the frocks!!!

I wonder if any of her patterns are still available anywhere on the internet.....  Off to have a look.....

Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY if you haven't already.  You can find all the details here.  I'll be randomly picking a winner on Tuesday.

Carly

x