**CLOSED** Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day 2011

****WINNER is MICHELLE from Daydream Believers****

I really enjoy the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day, even if I forgot to offer up a giveaway of my own last year (might have had something to do with having a four week old baby at the time?). It’s a chance to discover new blogs & enter giveaways for things you might actually like from people that are offering prizes just for the fun of it, not because they’re being paid to or because they are hoping for something in return.

I am offering two vintage Enid Gilchrist books, Play Clothes & Toddler Clothes. These are very popular amongst certain people in the sewing set, some may even say collector’s items, so count yourselves lucky I’m too lazy to draft my own patterns….!

With these trusty Enid’s you could make a range of retro classics for your baby or child; think simple shifts, funky coats or even swimwear! If, like me, you don’t think you’ll be getting out the drafting paper any time soon, these books are a brilliant piece of Australian sewing & home economics history & a wonderful addition to any crafty bookshelf.

Below is a certain little Punk (*sobs*) in a dress from Play Clothes, made by Tracy way back in April 2009.

HOW TO ENTER:

All you have to do to enter is let me know what was the most memorable piece of clothing your parents dressed you in as a child? Good or bad, enquiring minds want to know. Cast your mind back to your baby photos for recollections of hand knitted jumpers or a little later when perhaps you wish your Mother had warned you against that ra-ra skirt & matching top with mesh sleeves ensemble… I’ll choose the winner at random & I’m happy to post internationally. Entries close December 16th.

Big thanks to Deb for reminding me about giveaway day today or I’d have missed out again!

The Princess & The Pea.

Here she is!

Success!

Ignore the colour (& the tuckshop arms) that make this look like a canteen apron. This was a test run out of opped fabric… I think it may be more at home dressing a window than me.

Ignore the slightly wonky pockets.

Admire the as-perfect-as-I-am-ever-going-to-get bias binding.

Admire the bright fabric lining the wonky pockets, & …admire the first dress I have EVER made for myself.

Pattern; (I almost don’t want to tell you, to see if the lady herself pops by to say “Hey! That’s mine!”, but I’d probably forget to come back & update it) The Piece Of Cake Frock by Jody Pearl. Never has a pattern name been so correct. I know those big companies call half of their patterns “Sew Easy” or whatever, but look at this dress. Look at the things I normally make. Compare. I saw the tunic version made up on facebook using the bodice piece back-to-front so I did that. I also shortened the frock to my desired length.

Piece. Of. Cake (Forget about my first attempt at the tunic length that had the usual abhorrent bias binding & wound up entirely too short for my gargantuan self.)

I felt it needed pockets which is why it has them, & they don’t look quite right. I just drew them up randomly & had immense trouble getting them even on the skirt.

All in all though I declare this project a success & will, if I can ever wrangle enough time again, be making more.

More creative spaces here.

I can only hope…

…that my swapee likes ironic cushion covers.

Sew; Cushion Tutes Roundup #2

I have been veeeeeeeeery slack in posting the rest of the tute round ups – apologies! If you are still thinking about what to do for the swap, here are some more ideas:

The trusty shirt back cushion – hardly needs a tute, but here is one anywho.

Try a swish zippered version with this great tute,

..or transform a humble tea towel into a lovely piece of home decor here…

Create a beautiful bloom to top your cushion cover with this cute tute -

…or use up your fabric scraps with something like this:

February was ‘Pillow Month’ over at Sew, Mama, Sew! So there is a bunch of cushiony inspiration over there too!

Pimp’n aint easy….

…but it’s always fun.

The other day, I asked this chicky, jokingly, to get the universe to send me a jogger pram (not for jogging sillies! How daft! Just for dawdling, wandering & moseying…) & then on Friday I found this one for $30. It was in really good condition apart from a bit of sun fade, so from Friday evening until last night, I gussied her up a bit.

Now she’s the Echino Pushchair. The Pimped Pram. The Crafty Chariot…. you get the idea…

The sun is a-shining today so we’re going to take her for a spin!

In the zone.

Can you guess what I’m doing?

Just stopping in quickly… I’m totally in the zone but I’ve a LOT more to do. Why do I only have one pair of hands? Why do these children need things like attention… and food??

Pants party.

I finished a whole two pairs of jumper-pants yesterday (or dacks, Bec?). I probably could have managed a couple more, but I got distracted.

Here is my lovely model, in Dr Evil mode (Can’t you see he is saying “Excellent!”?)…

…and cheeky monkey mode….

For peeps wondering how I made these, it was very simple – using the green woollies as a template, with one leg inside the other, I cut one leg from each sleeve, put one inside the other, right sides together & sewed the crotch seam. Then I just made a casing at the top for a drawstring – easy peasy!

All The Answers.

The Boy has a running joke whenever I watch Spicks & Specks that the answer to every second question is “David Bowie”.

I found a white Bowie tee for $4; it would have been a bargain if I could wear it, but it was… white, & with my jolly tummy, I don’t “do” white.

$4 for something you won’t use, even though it is only $4, is not a bargain.

$4 for the feature panel of a one-of-a-kind cushion cover however IS a bargain.

Made from 2 old shirts & a bit of corduroy. The shirt back/cushion back cover is from Sew La Tea Do.

終了

(Ooohparenly, that’s “finished” in Japanese; Japanese in honour of this divine Echino fabric…

Well, this bag felt like an ORDEAL! I had to wait for my fabric to arrive (not that it was slow mind you, Kelani are all woohoo & yeahaw when it comes to fast, free shipping, I’m just impatient…), then the time I had “booked” with The Boy for him to watch Spence while I made a start on it was nixed, then it was all a-wonk, then my sewing machine broke… I could, & normally would, go on, but I’m trying to make this quick!

So MY Emma Day Bag is 終了 AND I have a new girl here to show you tomorrow; tomorrow because I presented my lovely bag to The Boy for his admiration & “Aren’t you a clever cookie?!” type comments, only to be told: “That’s good, now clean up the lounge room?”…

My Creative Space…

…is not working at all.

My bag is all wonky & my sewing machine…

…is broken!

*sniffle*

More, here.

Girlvana.

When a friend shared a picture on facebook of the Nirvana shirt she got for her little nephew I knew I NEEDED one for Le Punk. She kindly picked us up one & posted it down, it arrived yesterday & I pinked it up a bit for The Punk as they were only available as boy’s shirts (what’s with THAT?).

I’m sure Kurt wouldn’t have minded – he was quite the fan of the DIY shirt.