Confession time...!

I sew and craft a lot, but one thing I've never done, is make either of my children any clothes!  I've made umpteen costumes for plays and parties, but no clothes.  Anyway, the other evening, for some unknown reason, I just had to make Lucy a dress.  The latest issue of Sew Hip magazine was sat on my desk, and in it, there is an 'oliver + s' popover sundress pattern.  I found some pink patterned fabric, (it's actually a bed sheet which came from a charity shop), and cut out the dress shape.  But when it came to the yoke, I spotted, out of the corner of my eye, a childs size top, which has been amongst my fabric stash for a while.  I bought it, again from a charity shop one day when I was caught short and needed some white broderie anglaise.  There was a square missing from the back, but the top part was still intact.

So, making life easy for myself, I simply stitched the dress straight to the top!  Easy peasy!, after adding two patch pockets in a different fabric, we have one pretty little dress, for a pretty little 7 year old.

Problem is now, I've caught the bug.  Adding a skirt to an existing top just makes this dressmaking lark so easy.  Rummaging through Lucy's cupboards, we then moved on to a red vest top.  Now, Lucy normally steers away from red, her school uniform is red so it's a colour she has to wear a lot, but, matched with this turquoise based print, it was a go-er!

Lucy cut out a little fabric heart which we attached with 'heatnbond', then added a blanket stitch edge and a button.

As the dress shape (I used the largest pattern size, which is for an 8 year old) was a little wider than the top, I've added two darts, and then shortened the length to compromise for the added top part.

Wonder which one she'll wear tomorrow!

Softie designing dilemmas,

It has occurred to me over the last week, while working on a variety of different animal softie patterns, the issue of colour, and how much the colour and fabric choice has to do with what, as the designer, you are aiming to convey.  I've found myself automatically reaching for fabrics featuring browns and oranges to use for a fox, greys and blacks for the badger and so on.  Would the badger pattern work as well made in reds and blues?, I'm not sure, but no doubt, now the pattern is cracked, I will be giving it a try eventually.

BADGER (close up)

I've also found myself attempting to work at odds with my own natural style.  When I design and make a softie, whatever creature it is, the finished product is more often than not, slightly cartoon like.  This isn't deliberate, it just seems to happen.  No matter how much I try to stay realistic, cute and stylised keeps creeping in.  I think it is a by-product from having worked in the craft kit industry.  When I'm designing, as I mostly design projects for magazine editorials, I'm constantly aware of the fact that I know what I can do sewing wise,  but a pattern design needs to be executed in a way that would appeal and feel manageable to a less experienced sewer.

BADGER

(the fox has gone back to the drawing board by the way, it came out a little too cartoon like, even for me!)

I'm happiest working on patterns.  It doesn't concern me to, for instance, have my cat pattern featured in a magazine or book for anyone to make.  Doing so, is healthy for the creative process, the cat pattern is just one pattern.  Once it's been published, it spurs me on to develop a new cat pattern, one that has evolved from it's predecessor, and beyond.  And if I continue doing that, maybe one day, the more realistic style I crave will begin to materialise.  It's the journey and the bits in between which are the fun part anyway.

While we're on the subject of patterns, the Spring issue of the online "UK Handmade" magazine is out today.  There's a chicken softie pattern from me in there amongst other lovely projects and articles.

ps.  I've finally had a more detailed response from Flickr as to why they deleted my account.  It was linking to this blog underneath my images.  They have admitted that the deletion may have been a little hasty, and made my new account 'pro' for free.  I guess that is the closest to an apology I'm going to get!

Kids play!

After a healthy start to my Etsy shop (a big thank you to those who have been brave and taken the plunge with me, I'm all sold out of owls and dogs for now, but there are some little hedgehogs available), I had to hot foot it out shopping this morning for packaging, and again this afternoon, with a rather large bag of parcels to post.  This also means a chance to go round the local charity shops.  One shop, in particular is excellent, and today was no exception.  A woolly jumper, which I've already felted in the machine, and a couple of pillow cases, which colour wise, go really well together.  I'm thinking... another felted bag and lining?!

I also bought a book on toymaking.  This is from 1979, and I was expecting it to be full of soft toy patterns, but on closer inspection, it has loads of ideas for things to do with cardboard.  With our two week holiday from school looming (I would say easter holidays, but given we've already had easter, I'm not sure what to call it!), I thought I'd share some of the ideas...

village playmat,

houses,

a skyscraper, Luke would have fun knocking that down!,

and a dolls house.

Looking through the book reminded me of two blog posts I lurked on earlier this week.  This one from Udder on making little houses, and this from Tiny Happy, with a fab idea for drawing a whole town, for a train track.

Before I finish and on the subject of kids, I must tell you about Lucy's patching.  She was seen at the hospital last week, her weak eye has improved and is working almost as well as the other, so no more patching (for now, anyway), she has been discharged and can now go to a normal optician.  Thank you to all the people who have contacted me about the eye patch tutorial.  I'm so glad to hear that it has been helpful, and can assure you, that patching does indeed work magic!

To celebrate, she asked that I post a picture of the tie dyed cushion she made at Saturday Art Club, it's even got little beads she's made sewn on.  Given this blog actually does have her name on it, she thinks of it as hers now!

It seemed like a good idea at the time...,

Our local art materials shop has sadly closed down.  On their last day, I spotted a bag of little wooden cotton reels for a third of the original price.  So, I bought them.

There are 3 different sizes and shapes in the bag,

and lots, and lots, and lots, and lots!

What on earth am I going to do with them all?  Answers on a postcard please!

Digging deep,

I've been asked by C&T Publishing to make 4 models from the book for the London Book Fair which is coming up very soon.  So, armed with my book (because I'd forgotten how to make them!), I made a start on a batch of Toadstools.  All the original models made for the patterns in the book use realistic colours, ie, the Toadstool is red, so I decided this time It would be interesting to have a good old root around in the bottom of my fabric box and make use of some of the ones I have, but don't often use.

I really like how this one turned out.

I also need some help.  I have an idea for some new designs and am on the hunt for some specific fabric.  What I'm after is, I suppose what you would describe as retro looking.  1950's/1960's ish, Lucienne Day in style, but I need patterns on a small scale.  I work small, so large scale prints don't work as well as small scale ones.  I've been scouring Etsy, Ebay, even Spoonflower, but have so far not found anything quite right.  Reprodepot used to have the kind of thing I'm after but their site is closed at the moment.  These days, I use so many recycled fabrics from clothing, I'm a bit out of the loop when it comes to internet fabric shopping!  If anything comes to mind, leave a link in a comment and I'll check it out.  Thanks.