T-Shirt Applique

Hey, Hey :-)

Every year I like to make my boys a pair of PJs to open on Christmas Eve. This year things came down to the wire a bit - we left for a month long road trip the minute school finished and I've been working so in the end rather than making the PJ bottoms I bought a pair of boxer shorts for them each.

Although, Flip doesn't actually do a lot of PJ wearing during the year I still wanted them to have something to unwrap but I said they could wear them for t-shirts if they wanted to - they both do.

A wolf for Flip, who has a massive thing for wolves

and

a pair of hummingbirds for Bounce who likes many animals but certainly hummingbirds rate high on the list.

I used clip art to help with my silhouettes then bonding fabric with machine free stitching to make sure they didn't come away. Super happy with the result.

Catching up on some little left overs from 2016. What are you bringing into the new year with you?

love you more than a pair of hummingbirds xxxx

Augusta Hoodie by Named Patterns v2

Hey gorgeous people,

So remember last year I made the Augusta hoodie by Named patterns (and I whinged about the lack of seam allowances...) and I said I would make another one? Here I am wearing it in 'real life'!

Well I totally did and then I didn't blog it... you know Christmas, holidays, life!

This one is made with a fabric I loved and eyed up one day in spotlight (the love hate relationship continues on) and then one day it was 40% off - so I bought it.

I lined the hood in light turquoise gingham that I had in the stash.

I love the faces and with the buttons I placed them so they look like hair clips on the faces. The buttons are vintage pearly ones that were in my stash. I didn't make any other changes.

I have some super cute fabric in my stash waiting a life as some kind of hoodie/sweatshirt but I'm going to use another pattern I think.

So what's been sewed but not shared in your life lovely? ... or are you awaiting a good dose of crafty inspiration?

love you more than a green pearly hair clip button xxxx

Reading - The Last Debutante

Kia ora friends,

I'm on a bit of technology sabbatical at the moment and I have a glorious stack of books that I'm working through instead of watching TV or scrolling endlessly through fb and pinterest. Top of the pile was this novel recently released by Hachette NZ.

I really enjoy the opportunity to select books for reviewing as it extends my reading and introduces me to new authors.

The Last Debutante by Lesley Lokko is one such book.

It covers a time period from 1936-1963 bookended in 2014. Unlike my mother, who loves anything to do with WW2 history, I tend to avoid books about war (the trauma of the reality tends to undo me). I'm glad I departed from that rule for this book.

The book covers the coming of age of Kit and the extraordinary circumstances that make her the daughter, woman, wife, mother and grandmother she will become. While other characters enter the story the spotlight belongs solely to Kit - a woman of remarkable character, talent and tenacity.

There are some difficult parts in the story but they are not gratuitously drawn out. Ultimately the story is about families - the ways they influence the people we become, the secrets they keep and the secrets they keep from each other.

Initially I found this book difficult to get into, it felt a little laboured, but I am glad I persevered. I really enjoyed it in the end. It's nice to explore the whole trajectory of a character's life and how they both stay true to the path and wander far from it to new, unexpected places.

Details: Hachette NZ, January 2017, RRP$34.99 EBK $19.99

love you more than a massive stack of 'to read' books xxxx

McCalls 7120 tweaking still required

Heya - so pleased you're here.

I do hope you read tweaking not twerking in that title.... if not this post isn't what you were hoping for!

This is the second instalment on the t-shirt dress making front. This time I'm working with a woven (not stretchy) fabric. 

The pattern is a McCall’s pattern 7120 and I’m pretty happy with it. The dress pulls on and has pockets - although one does sit a little wonky.

I love the main fabric which I picked up at a junk shop. It’s a $5 fill a bag type of shop for members and they always have lots of little fabric scraps but one day when I went in someone had obviously dropped off someone’s entire fabric stash – SUCH a good day. I got 2 massive bags of fabric which I generously shared with my sister (I know right, she is lucky to have me!?!).

I’m happy with this pattern and will make more but I’m going to increase the armhole size. I hate tight fitting sleeves and I have ‘generous’ arms and shoulders so it’s a problem I face from time to time. Also the super synthetic fabric of the sleeves is not good for sweaty feeling factor, and I’m one of those people who feel permanently hot.

I may still remove the sleeves and re-cut the armhole because if that is right this dress will get lots of wear. I love the colours on me and the shape is SO easy to wear. 

Also please note our recently painted bright green front door. We're painting the house next...

What's on your current wish to have list?

love you more than a loose armhole xxx