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

Dresses, dresses and more dresses!

Sorry for the photo overload... I've been too busy to put these up... 

Some dresses I made for Summer:

 

A dress I made for a friend's daughter's 4th birthday.

Carly asked me to put up some photos of my daughters christening day.  Unfortunately I don't have any good shots of the girls wearing their gowns and bonnets but these are the best I could find. I hope they help you.  I found the pattern to be very easy and I loved the end result!

My gorgeous babies sleeping.  Ahh peace!  :)

How lucky am I?!

I've also been busy making bags but they're selling before I can take photos!  I will take some photos and post them soon.

Sam x