Sewing sewing sewing...

Well I'm having all sorts of trouble with these photos... I can't seem to move them to where I want them, so sorry for the jumbled order...

Firstly here are my 3rd pair of Puppet Show shorts from O+S, I love these!!!  I have made a little chambray pair which are gorgeous, and another denim pair with Liberty trim... my girls look very cute in them!  They come together so quickly and easily and they're so cute!!

Here is a little Liberty top, the Ice cream social one, my first one, well I had to make two, but I've been slow to jump on this bandwagon... another great pattern from O+S...

  

Here are some bad shots of dresses I've made/making for myself... The first one is Vogue 1236 unfinished... I saw a photo of Princess Mary in a dress made from this fabric on the Tessuti website and I've tried to do something similar... the fabric is very light though and I'm not enjoying sewing with it.  I've lined it and with a belt I think it will be good.  The 2nd one is a copy of another dress I saw on Tessuti blog McCalls 6027 - my photo is terrible, I'm sorry.  It looks great on and I might even make another one I think... it was an easy pattern to make and it fits me like a glove! :)

Here are a couple of dresses for my daughters.  Again, I'm sorry for the bad shots. 

A couple of blouses for Ruby & Stella... both O+S... The first one needs the buttons and button holes done, I keep putting them off.  Perhaps I should go and do it now!  

Some more shorts from O+S for a friend's daughter...

The denim ones with Liberty trim for my girls...

Another dress for my girls... not great photos, but they are very cute on them... They're not very good models! :)

So there you go... my sewing efforts over the past little while...    I've also been busy buying patterns, something I do way too much of!!  I've bought quite a little collection of Citronille patterns, as well as some vintage dress ones for myself.  I also have a pattern from Christy that I need to make up.  I've got quite a few dresses for myself that need to be made.  I just need more time!  

I'm such a slack blogger.. I should have known I'd never have time to post... but I do enjoy sharing my sewing efforts with other sewers (and of course seeing what you're all up to!).  Thank you for reading.

Sam

Sewing for kids...

Well I've been sewing like a mad woman... it started with a little dress for a friend's daughters 5th b'day party... I was really happy with the result:

Then I started making shorts... and it seems I can't stop!  :) 

These are for a friend's son who is a good friend of my son...

These are for my Johnny:

So what do you think?

And there's more to come!!  I'm like a woman possessed... I need to stop!   I think I'm on the last pair...

Next is dresses and tops for my little girls and then I can make dresses for myself without feeling guilty!! :)   I'm really looking forward to that... we've been having lovely weather in Sydney... makes me want to sew Summer dresses. 

Quilts and cushions

I must start with a big thank you to Susan, little betty and Andi - thank you so much for your feedback.  I really appreciate it.  I've only ever hand quilted all my quilts before - I have made a few for babies of friends.  I have a new love for machine quilting!!  I love how the cotton shrinks and they go all crinkly.  I'm not sure though that you wouldn't have any tips for me Andi??  You do such amazing work!!  I love your quilts.   

On a roll with the machine quilting....  A UFO in the cupboard that I had started hand quilting but decided I didn't really like it all the much so hadn't got far with it... got it out and within days it was quilted and bound!  Finished quilt!  Now what to do with it...   ???   I tried the other way I'd read about of starting and stopping - 1/4 inch of sewing with very small stitches.  I didn't like it - I prefer the other way of burying your threads.  It's much neater.  How do you do it??

This is Stella's quilt - exactly like Ruby's but with pale pink binding.  I love all the Liberty fabrics with the Japanese and a bit of Heather Ross... my faves...

And, because I've had some of these panels for years... I finally made some cushions!!!  The top one I just bought the other week, but the others I've really had for years... I have way too many projects in the cupboard undone!!!

Finally here are my beautiful girls... going in for a kiss and a cuddle - they are so cute!!!  I am so lucky. x



My first attempt at machine quilting!!!

Well this is my first attempt at machine quilting... I think I did ok??  I'm not sure about my tension and my starting and stopping technique but I'm pretty happy with it.  I love the verigated thread, it's cool!  I have 2 to do, for my girls, and I started these quilts back when I was pregnant.  The girls are now 15 months old... so I finally bit the bullet and realised they were never going to get hand quilted, so I had to do it by machine.

I feel sad that I've given away so many quilts to friends who had babies that were hand quilted and my own babies have machine quilted quilts... but I just don't have the time or the energy with 3 kids now... I'm tired!

I'm having a particularly bad time of it with the kids at the moment so it felt great to get this done so quickly - now I just have to hand sew the binding down, which will be very relaxing actually, I'm looking forward to it.  And to machine quilting the next quilt too!  It's so quick I can see why people choose it over hand quilting. 

If anyone has any tips on machine quilting I'd love to hear... I really winged it! 

Thanks!



Sewing clothes...

I've been busy with the Tova pattern and I love it!  I've seen it made up by others and had to have some of my own.  It is such a lovely pattern to make... it's so easy and comes together so well.  I have already made two and I'm half way through my third, with fabric ready to make a fourth.  I will have to leave it there, otherwise I might be known as the Tova lady...

 I've also been busy with dress for friends' daughters birthdays.  This is another pattern that I love!!  I can't wait to make it for my girls - I just need them to start walking!  :)   It's from a Ottobre magazine and it's called the Babushka Doll dress.  I think I'll be making quite a few of these!

My little girls turned one recently - 4 May 2011.  We had a little party to celebrate.  I can't believe I've had twin daughters for a year... it has gone so quickly.  I still remember the day they told me I was having identical twins.. wow.  I said "Oh my God" for about a week!!   It was such a shock, but having always wanted 3 children I felt very happy.  We are so lucky!!!!  They are just wonderful and as exhausted as I am, I am also very happy.  

Ruby on the left and Stella on the right.

I have another milestone approaching too... my 40th!  Shhhh!  :)

Sam x