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Sassy, isn’t she?

Dress 1 from Every day (ISBN 4579110439), pockets altered. Fabric, vintage seersucker.

Think we’ll go to the beach after school. Sandwiches for tea.

xx

I’m sure I’m not the first to observe that most of those lovely Japanese pattern books we love so much are like giant jigsaw pieces. So long as you work to the same size, most of the pieces are interchangeable. Fancy a v-neck on that? Like to add a sleeve?

Or a ruffle? Or perhaps a sweet little collar.

Needless to say this approach to sewing your own clothes serves mainly to highlight the importance of design. But not being someone who likes to always stick to the rules (using restraint devices in moving vehicles is an exception), I have had much joy and also much sorrow using this apporach.

(Pics from the latest addition to my collection Happy Homemade Vol. 1, which lives up to the ‘happy’ and the ‘homemade’ in its title and, I’m hoping, also Vol. 2.)

If I’d thought even a little bit about ’styling’ this photoshoot I would have 1. tidied the lounge room 2. polished the mirror and 3. stopped the baby from plunging her hand down my front. The mirror is one of my favourite possessions, salvaged for me by my dad when I still lived at home. It deserves a polish every now and again. My dress is made from a tablecloth and pattern from this Japanese book (ISBN 4579110439). That one on the cover. It’s a cinch to make.

This is my Christmas dress, made from fabric in this haul. Worn to lunch here today for our 13th anniversary. Not a wedding anniversary, a ‘meeting’ anniversary. Because we’ve been together ever since.

I’ve still got some sewing to finish - some matching nighties for three sets of sisters and hopefully a Christmas dress for Asha as well. We’re having turkey this year, so I felt some dresses were called for in the poor old turkey’s honour.

Happy Christmas everyone! Specially those of us who are lucky enough to be in New York!

Turns out I’m not quite over my nautical theme. I found this birds/waves fabric at the op shop yesterday  and now it is ruffled culottes from this pattern book.

And a cute casquette for a small friend having a birthday. Modelled by Miss Asha. I see now that I should have switched those panels at the back to make the flower line up. That’s what you get for working at break-neck sleep-time speed. The fabric is upcycled tablecloth, a la the same op haul yesterday.

This is my second attempt at making this top. The first time the fabric I chose was too light. This time the vintage sheet I cut up is probably too heavy, but it worked okay. The pattern is from this lovely Japanese place. Their patterns are quirky and very cute. I’ve never ordered their linen, though I’d love to.

A couple of hats for small friends. I love making hats. They are quick, practical and satisfying. Ticks in all my boxes.

Elephants from good-ness. Happy Birthday, Leslie!

And our broad bean crop in the background. Must be spring!

Oh, and PS, I found my diary - filed in a toy box, of course. Ballet tights still missing. Stripy cardy turned up at childcare. Lost fairy still working on the pants pattern.

It’s not news to anyone that this winter has been cold and sick. One illness after another, merging until there isn’t a gap in between and you can’t remember what it’s like to feel really well, the last time you slept two hours in a row, or imagine how the baby might sleep if she didn’t have a runny nose/ear infection/wheezy cough. And lately my sewing mojo has been absent as well. Everything is a five-minute project. And those are the ones that have a high failure rate. So this little casquette took minutes to make, fits, and looks cute. Phew. Thank goodness for something.

Soon there won’t be anything left to dry the dishes with. No, not really. I think I’m finished now. It’s just when they are 50 cents at the op shop, boast they are made from ‘Irish linen’ and have a yellow and orange print like this that I think they are too good for just absorbing moisture and wiping spills. This bag is from a pattern in this Japanese book. I got mine from good-ness. Okay, that’s all with the tea towels now.

How to stop and chat with every single nanna in the supermarket:

1. have yourself a newborn baby
2. make a sling from the brilliant Japanese pattern book Happy! hughug (I think that’s the title) ISBN 9784277431002 (I got mine from good-ness).

Milla likes to dangle her legs over the side and suck her fist which increases the cuteness factor by a bazillion or so. My sling is a bit altered - I made one for my friend first and it didn’t work very well. So this one is less deep (narrower width pleats), and I’ve left room at the joining seam so hopefully I can let it out as she grows. The fabric, of course, is Amy Butler, and this is the perfect weight, kind of thick, but not too thick, and not stretchy.