goodgracie.com

Three things (thanks Hop Skip Jump for the idea) from the last few (bitterly cold) Adelaide weeks.

1. There is a little bit more warmth in the sun today, but I finished my new coat a few weeks ago. From this pattern, fabric from here, inspired by this polka-dot coat pic on this post by all buttoned up.

2. A winter radish.

3. This cool softie fabric from new-to-me Australian designer Saffron Craig. Very cute. But this will challenge my softie making skills to their limit. Just not good at softie making.

More overalls for Miss Milla. (Fabric again from Miss Matatabi.) The pattern I use is vintage. Belonged to my Mum. I’ve made it a lot of times, a lot. Both the overalls and the skirt-overalls. It works beautifully and fits from about six months to a one year old. I’ve cut the pattern down for younger babies too. And overalls are perfect for older babies - a bit of extra warmth around the middle, easy to move around in, and not too troublesome for nappy changing. Milla might need a denim pair as well …

I made these overalls for Miss Milla yesterday, from new brown corduroy and using a vintage pattern. Ben described them as Over-The-Top. And yep, I could see that as soon as he said it. I got the lovely textured and aged-looking Bambi fabric from Frances, here. I think these overalls represent where I could potentially go terribly wrong with my sewing for the girls. This is the kind of thing I’ll be punished for dressing them in when they are teenagers. Got to pull myself back from the edge of too cute to be cool …

And browsing Burda this morning, I want to make this dress, it looks like my kind of five-minute project.

And thanks for your supportive comments on my Radio National confession. Did everyone hear Life Matters last week on how you think your kids make you happy but they really don’t at all? So funny. I don’t think I really wanted this suspicion confirmed. 

Scraping the bottom of the stash here. This is a little quilted vest made for a very special small friend. What else is a souvenir train tea towel good for? A short excursion to a nearby pine forest, some cupcakes and sunshine completed the birthday celebration.

This is one of mum’s patterns. I think she made me the round-collared blouse once. Cute. I made Gracie version 2 with denim on sale at Spotlight (or ‘Spotlike’ as some of us call it). I like the lack of top-stitching. I usually go all out on the top-stitch but this has a 70s look I like. The straps are supposed to cross over at the back but the pattern is size 5 and too big, so they kind of fold over.

Anyway, as usual my model was real reluctant and very soon was going, going …

gone. Back to watch Peppa Pig.

My stitchy skills are a little under-developed so thanks so much Mikes for having stitchy guest Floresita the other week, whose blog has a lifetime worth of vintage embroidery patterns and inspiration to practise, practise. I have been so impatient to get two girls to bed this week so I can sit and stitch. Unfortunately, the sitting down often comes with feelings of extreme tiredness and an inability to lift my arms. This will be a birthday gift for someone special.

Some new twirly skirts, super sweet boys’ overalls and pinafores up in my shop. The twirly skirts were made from a mix pack of vintage fabric from hyena in petticoats that arrived last week.


But this one was too cute and the big girl happily snapped it up.