Gifted Distractions: Quilting with Elephants

Phew!

After the conclusion of the Me Made May Madness I feel as though I have a pile of projects I just want to dive into but I have once again been distracted! 

 

This time it's by a quilting project - not for me but as a little gift for a lovely collegue about to go on maternity leave. I should also mention I decided to make this quilt only 2 weeks before I wanted to give it... Hmmm time for speedy sewing, so I picked a design that doesn't have to be perfect (at least compared to normal extra-precise quilting designs) I've always wanted to try my hand at rag quilts in flannel fabric ever since I saw one at a craft fair years ago. The flannel is so cuddley soft and the fluffy quilt edges give this type of quilt a more casual, almost shabby-chic appeal.

How cute is this fabric??!! Bright Coloured Elephants!

I used this tutorial and bought my fabric at Tricia's Discount Fabric here in Adelaide. Tricia has a wonderful selection of quilters flannel and I was instantly drawn to these cute elephants! I picked out 2 supporting prints and bought some wool/poly batting as I like how puffy it looks when quilted plus I know it's warm having used it in our bed quilt a few years ago. The staff at Tricia's are fantastic and really know their stuff, if you're in Adelaide it is a great place to shop.

After cutting the seams, before the final wash and dry

I actually was a good girl and pre-washed these fabrics on a cold machine wash so the finished quilt will be machine washable for all those baby messes! The final thing to do after trimming the seams is wash and dry the quilt in a dryer so the seams fluff-up into the rag finish.

The finished quilt after washing and drying

The actual construction went pretty quick - thanks mainly to Mum's invaluable help folding and cutting the squares at the start. I finally learned to chain piece which helped speed things up. In the end this baby was done in about 10 hours! While the finish is not perfect - proper quilters would weep most likely - I really enjoyed this technique and would definitely consider making more of these quilts in the future.

It's quite big for a cot quilt, particularly compared to the normal cot panel size so it will be nice as a top layer in really cold weather or even as a play rug on the floor.

You may also have noticed I have revamped the blog look a little - I'm still playing around with how I want it to look/feel so any feedback on what you like or don't like will be welcomed!

I really wanted to post this last weekend but I didn't want to blow the surprise of this gift so I held off until now. I will be internet free for the next 2 weeks so sadly there will be no blog action until July now.

See you next month!

OXOX

Stacey

Me Made May '14 - Day 24 to 30

Final week of Me Made May!! This month has shown me a lot and I'm amazed to say I made it through 30 days with only 4 items of Me-Made clothing re-worn.

Sunday, Day 24

Top: Tokito, thrifted from Balmain Markets

Leggins: Cotton On

Socks: Bonds

I did actually wear boots this day since it was our sewing day and yes that is the Fabric Folding Assistants foot photo bombing on the left!

Monday, Day 25

Shirt: Jackie E

Cardigan: Target

Skirt: Made by Me - Kwik Sew 3337

Belt: Target

Tuesday, Day 26

Knit: Target

Vest: Made by Me - Simplicity 2150

Skirt: Jay Jays

Necklace: Ummmm no idea, maybe the central markets somewhere?

This vest was one of those makes where the fit and quality was great but I had no idea how to style or wear it, until I really had to think of garments to wear this month. And I actually love this look and will definitely wear it again - WINNING!

Wednesday, Day 27

Knit: Target

Cardigan: Big W

Pants: Made by Me - Sewaholic Thurlows (blogged here)

Shoes: Target

Thursday, Day 28

Cardigan: Jackie E

Dress: Made by Me - Vogue 8615

Belt: Target

Shoes: Target

Friday, Day 29

Shirt: Made by Me - McCalls 5471 (out of print now - no online resources available)

Jeans: Forever New

Ugh Boots: Kmart

Saturday, Day 30

Top: Made by Me - Lekala Free Pattern 8004

Cardigan: Target

Pants: Made by Me - Sewaholic Thurlows (blogged here)

Boots: Williams

One of the fun parts of taking pictures every day was when FFA (photo bombing here too like a creeper) decided to make a game out of screwing up the pics. Taking photos every day is a pain but is also a great learning curve. I have discovered I have only 2 poses in which I can take a decent looking selfie which means 'proper' blog photos are definitely going to fall under someone else's jurisdiction. However I also discovered I don't look as terrible in photos as I usually think so overall daily photos were a positive experience (thank god they are over now though!)

Me Made May was all about having fun and trying out blogging about sewing to see if this was something I wanted to do. Aside from the annoyance of having to take daily photographs for Me Made May I really do like recording my sewing adventures and sharing them. On a more serious note this whole process has started getting me thinking about what I want to do with my time the most. Sewing and creating really does seem to bring me the most joy at the moment so I'm thinking of ways I can bring more of this into my life now. So Me Made May really was worth the challenge. 

Will keep updates coming if my new plans come to pass!

Thanks Me Made May for the challenge :-D

I'll be back with some more new makes in the coming weeks,

Seeya then!!

Stacey

Sunshine! Lollipops! And Rainbows! Pot-of-gold Thurlows

This is one of those completely irrational projects. There were easier pant patterns available after all. And more sensible coloured fabric. But for some irrational reason I had to have golden yellow wool trousers. With welt pockets. And a fly front. It was time for my first Thurlows!

The role of fabric in Sydney that started it all!

I found this beautiful wool fabric in The Fabric Store in Sydney. It only came in this colour which I wouldn't normally wear (mustard yellow is sooooo NOT my colour, put it near my face and I look like I have jaundice). The longer I looked at it though the more I liked it! Plus this fabric feels amazing. I figured since it's not up against my face it's ok to wear and it does match back with a lot of my tops since I wear so much purple, blue and green.

This is seriously the best welt pocket I have ever constructed! 

I haven't sewed up the Thurlow pattern from Sewaholic before so a muslin was in order. I tried a size 2 but found it was a little tight across my hips so I made a size 4 up in my good fabric instead. Good thing too, since I ended up needing to open up the centre back seam by about 1cm to 1.5cm to get a good fit in the final pair. Fortunately the pattern is designed for this, and is shaped to fit in at the waist so you don't end up with pants that fit in the hip but fall down at the waist. I suspect every pair of these I make will need to be basted and fitted at the back seam each time to check the fit before the final sew. It is a small price to pay though, as these are seriously some of the nicest pants I have ever owned, let along made!

My first fly front finish - aaaww yeeeaaahh!

I used the tutorial for the Thurlow trousers from Lladybird to help me follow the pattern instructions and the extra pictures and notes definitely helped me get such a high quality finish. I think these might be the nicest finished and most complicated pants I've ever finished. And I looooove them!

Sunshiney pants for rainy days? Yes Please!

I originally meant to line them in this gorgeous printed lawn fabric which also had a yellow background but after sewing one pocket perfectly I discovered the wool was more sheer than I had thought and you could see the print completely through the fabric. So I'm saving the crazy lining for when I have a darker fabric to make these up in and I used some basic white poplin from my stash instead. 

It was great to make a pattern with so many little details that make them look "not-home-made". These are the sort of pants that people are surprised when you say "I made them" and I love that about this pattern.

Why helloooo perfectly constructed pockets :-)

I skipped adding belt loops -  I made them and they were pretty but as soon as I sewed them on they looked tacky and very home-made in the worst way. So I unpicked them and will consider adding them sewn into the waistband seam next time. This whole belt loops thing set me back about a week on hemming these babies but they are finally finished.

Excuse the VPL - I was standing in the rain for these pics so speed was of the essence! No time to adjust!!

I probably could have made a size 6 given I added another seam allowance to the back seam but I was worried they would be too baggy around the upper thigh and that would ruin the nice tailored look of this pattern. Given the design is made to be altered I'm happy with this fit and will probably use the same size again for future pairs. Oh yes there will be more Thurlow's in my life - I'm already planning a charcoal suiting pair, a grey herringbone wool pair and some cute green shorts come next Summer. Plus there is the possibility of changing the leg style to skinny and making these up in denim *gasp* could it be TIME FOR ME-MADE JEANS??.... Duh duh daaaaaa! I always swore I would never make jeans since you can buy them so cheap but having lost a little weight now none of my jeans fit and I soooo like the look and feel of these trousers. Hmmm thoughts for the future.

Finally, thanks to Dad for taking these great pics for me despite the rainy weather - I am really glad to have help with photos for this blog - photographer I am not :-D

It has been cold, wet and rainy all week here but every time I wear these pants I smile because they are so cheery and bright - Do you have any clothing reserved for rainy days just because it makes you so happy?

Stay Cheery and Warm!

Stace

OXOX

Me Made May '14 - Day 17 to 23

Aaand week 3 is here, only 1 more week to go!

Saturday, Day 17

Dress: Made by Me - pattern mash up of McCalls 6754 (bodice) and Vogue 8615 (skirt)

Yes - I literally didn't wear shoes most of the day :) This is my attempt at a skater dress - I preferred the vogue skirt length so I grafted it onto the McCalls top. Unfortunately the top is at least a size too big but this is a really comfy, well-finished make so it still gets wear on the weekends.

Sunday, Day 18

Top: Made by Me - Bluegingerdoll Mae blouse

Jeans: Forever New

Boots: Kmart

I love this blouse and need more!!

Monday, Day 19

Cape: Made by Me - McCalls 6446 blogged here

Leggings: Cotton On

Boots: Kmart

Home sick again today, went out for supplies so cuddly cape was the way to go!

Tuesday, Day 20

Top: Made by Me - New Look 6838

Cardigan: Big W

Pants: Made by Me - Sewaholic Thurlows (to be blogged soon)

Boots: Betts and Betts

Thanks Hannah for snapping this picture right before pole class!

Wednesday, Day 21

Dress: Made by Me - New Look 6429 (out of print - no online resources available)

Shoes: Wittner

Thursday, Day 22

Top: Thrifted for $1!

Cardigan: Jackie E

Pants: Made by Me - Sewaholic Thurlows again!

I wore this with the same boots as Tuesday.

Friday, Day 23

Top: Valleygirl

Jacket: Made by Me - New Look 6947 (listed as out-of-print online but probably still available in some stores)

Jeans: Forever New

Boots: Kmart

Wow, this week crept up on me but finally rounded up all the outfits. Looking forward to our sewing day Pendrell sewalong on Sunday so hopefully I will have a new top to add to the rotation soon!!

Entering the last complete week of MMM now, think I will kind of miss this challenge when it's over...

OXOX
Stace

Me Made May '14 - Day 10 to 16

Week 2 is here!

Saturday, Day 10

Details
Dress: Just Jeans - thrifted from a clothes swap

Boots: Betts and Betts. And yes they are thigh high so that is allll boots in this pic ;-)

This was the first day of thrifted clothes only, with no made by me items. It turns out this challenge is hard purely because it has been so cold here lately that I can't wear a lot of my pretty summer dresses. Since I make a lot of pretty summer dresses this weather is really impacting my Me Made May abilities. Good thing I still have plenty of shoes to wear hehehe.

Sunday, Day 11

Details
Top: Made by Me - Kwik Sew 3790

Pants: Kmart

 Ugh Boots: Kmart

Ugh, was still sick here and looking like death warmed up again, sorry!

Monday, Day 12

  

Excuse the weird pose - it shows the gathering detail in the dress a bit!



Details
Dress: Made by Me - New Look 6429 (out of print - no online resources available)

Shoes:  Target

Tuesday, Day 13

 

Details
Top: Made by Me - Refashioned from thrifted Target dress

Cardigan: Big W

 Belt: Market Stall

Jeans: Forever New

Shoes: Wittner

Wednesday, Day 14

 

Details
Dress: Made by Me - McCalls Pattern? (Sorry this one is out of print and not in my stash any more)

Cardigan: Big W

Shoes: Wittner

Thursday, Day 15

Love and Seamed Stockings...It's all you need! OXOX

Details
Dress: Made by Me - Butterick 5880 (original vintage design from early 50's)

Belt: Made by Me - self drafter using vintage buckle from Grandma's stash

Stockings: Rebel Circus online

Shoes: Target (this dress really needs nude pumps a la Kate Middleton...hmmm shopping time?)

I feel the need to point out this dress looks even better when ironed but I only had the chance to take this picture after wearing it most of the day. Oh well...

Friday, Day 16

Details
Dress: Made by Me - Another Vogue 8615

Cardigan: Temt

 Belt: Forever New

Necklace: Colette

Shoes: Wittner

It has finally warmed up here enough to wear some nice lighter dresses! I was planning on wearing my tea-cup Cambie dress today but I broke the zip :-( so need to unpick it all and put in a new one! Double sad face :-( :-( That said, this is still one of my fave dresses.

This week I have discover several things - I buy A LOT of the clothes I don't make (and shoes) from Target and Forever New, I wear A LOT of belts and cardigans and I own way more clothes than I thought. Also, leaving home in the dark and getting home in the dark plus my can't-be-bothered attitude to make up 60% of the time = bad photo opportunities! This challenge is really making me think about what I have in my wardrobe, how I wear it and what new combinations I can come up with. Fun times in general though being sick has put a damper on things. But I will hopefully finish a project this weekend so I will have something new to wear next week! I hope these posts aren't coming off narcissistic, that is never my intent!

See you in week 3!

OXOX

Stace

What the Pfaff!

Ooooh guess what's new around here!!

I'm the proud new owner of a Pfaff Hobbylock 788! Can't wait to try it out, this is one smooth machine.

And all for $50 courtesy of newspaper shopper adds. 

Seriously, this is my face right now :-D 

Yaaaaay for overlockers!!

OXOX

Stace

Me Made May '14 - Day 3 to 9

Here's the roundup for the last Me Made May week. I think I'll stick with this format for the rest of the month since it is a bit easier than doing daily updates.

So without further ado...

Saturday, Day 3

Sorry for the dodgy photo - this was taken about 1AM!

Details
Jeans: Just jeans

Top: Made by Me - New Look 6838

Scarf: So old I can't remember where it's from!

Jacket: Target

Necklace: Colette

Shoes: Betts and Betts

Sunday, Day 4

 

Details
Pants: Kmart

Jumper: Made by Me - knitted from free pattern in Better Homes and Gardens

Ugg Boots: Kmart

I've always thought this jumper was too daggy to wear out but it is warm and cuddly so perfect for days inside.

Monday, Day 5

 

Details
Top:  Valley Girl

Skirt: Made by Me - Simplicity 2648. This was originally meant to be my going-away dress at our wedding but the bodice just never looked right so with Mum's help we turned it into a pencil skirt.

Shoes: Wittner

Tuesday, Day 6

Details
Knit: Zara

Skirt: Made by Me - Kwik Sew 3337

Jacket: Made by Me - Simplicity 2446

Boots: Colorado 

Wednesday, Day 7

Details
Jeans: Forever New

Shirt: Made by Me - McCalls 5471 (out of print now - no online resources available)

Cardigan: Jackie E

Boots: Williams?? Maybe?? These are like 10 years old or more...

Thursday, Day 8

Details
Knit: Target

Skirt: Made by Me - Kwik Sew 3337

Belt: Forever New

Boots: Betts and Betts

I was actually home sick on Thursday so I spent most of the day in my PJ's but I had to go out at one point so I half recycled this outfit.

Friday, Day 9

Details
Dress: Made by Me - Vogue 8615

Belt: Target

Cardigan: Temt

Shoes: Target

This one is a tried and true pattern. I LOVE this dress!

Phew! I didn't realise how long this would go for but that's my first week long round up for Me Made May. I'm really enjoying planning my outfits to include Me Made items. Can't wait to do the next week :-D

Also, sorry for my 'death-warmed-up' face in some of these pics, I really need to start wearing make up more often!

OXOX

Stacey