Tag Archives: sewing
Sofilantjes Down Under Blog Tour
Recently I was invited to be part of the ‘Sofilantjes Down Under Blog Tour’, involving some of us sewing bloggers from New Zealand and Australia. I’d seen Sofilantjes patterns (a Dutch company) before and thought that they looked nice, but this was my first time making one. When I clicked over to the Sofilantjes website I was immediately taken by the Solis dress (and tunic) and knew that was what I wanted to sew for the blog tour. (I mean how cool is the back on it?)
I sewed little Miss Isy a size 5 (based on her measurements) and it fits her absolutely perfectly! There is a pleated skirt option (with either tunic length or dress) and also a circle skirt option. I chose the circle skirt, because my little ballerina loves to twirl!
The sew was so quick and easy! I sewed it up one afternoon (I actually think the cutting out possibly took longer than the actual sew!) I opted to leave the dress unhemmed which made it even faster. The pattern instructions very easy to follow, and I definitely will be making more. In fact, little Miss 3 has requested one exactly the same in her size, thank you very much!
For fabric I used black stroke Elvelyckan Design fabric for the bodice outer, the back strap is a mustard and triangle design from there too, the floral neck strap is a Birch Organic knit (if my memory serves me correctly) and the skirt and bodice lining are a candyfloss pink from NZ made Levana Textiles. (All of these fabrics are knit). A lot of pattern mixing, but I’m really happy with how it turned out!
Thanks so much for having me as part of the ‘Sofilantjes Down Under Blog Tour’
Today is the last day of the blog tour, but make sure (if you haven’t already), to go back and check out the other posts by my amazing fellow ‘down under’ sewers! The schedule was as follows:
Monday Idle sunshine
Tuesday Horris And Deedle
Wednesday Little Cumquat, Bartacks and Singletrack
Thursday Tea, Dust and Stitches, Brave Fabrics
Friday While She was Sleeping, Mend and Make New
Tuesday Horris And Deedle
Wednesday Little Cumquat, Bartacks and Singletrack
Thursday Tea, Dust and Stitches, Brave Fabrics
Friday While She was Sleeping, Mend and Make New
There is also a GIVEAWAY! You could win a copy of the Nivalis Tunic and Dress Pattern.
The code to use is DOWNUNDER. This discount expires on October 16th and, is valid on Summer patterns only.
Happy sewing!
Jenny x
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Twig + Tale – A blog tour
Now you might not of heard of Twig + Tale but if you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time you will know of “Big Little”. Big Little has gone through a little transformation and is relaunching as Twig + Tale, same great patterns just a new name and a new place to get inspiration!
I love these patterns so much, in fact I could bore you with how much I love their patterns, but I think Twig + Tale sum it up perfectly.
“Twig +Tale is a place where imagination runs wild and is for everyone who shares a love of creativity and an adventurous spirit—beginner sewers especially! It’s a celebration of the innocence of childhood and the wonder of nature. It’s about comfy clothes and warm things like hugs and capes and coats. It’s about handmade, love, and imaginary play—featuring classic, simple patterns that inspire us all to tell a story”.
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I’ve long admired the Wild things coat, but the climate here means the number of days a full Winter coat are needed are few and far between. So combining the Wild Things features with the Pathfinder vest is the perfect combo, I’m not alone in thinking it is a great combo, you can actually buy that pattern combo !
My daughter decided that a fox was the “wild thing” she wanted for a vest. The very next day I spied a large woollen lightweight wool shirt at my local thrift store. It seemed perfect, I just hoped that it was going to yield enough fabric!
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| Spot the tail! |
Fortunately there was just enough. I carefully cut around the pockets and reattached them in a new position. The only compromise was a join in the front of the band of the hood.
Twig + Tale have also released a free Dragon add on for the Wild Things patterns, cool wings, tail and horns. Click here to download Free Wild Things Dragon add-on . It’s super cute and might just be the next version I try perfect for a Pete’s Dragon fan!
You might have noticed the beautiful lining fabric, Art Gallery Fabrics has generously sponsored the Twig + Tale blog tour. I had such a hard time choosing something from the Art Gallery Fabrics collection, so many beautiful fabrics! In the end I went with this beautiful print from the Forest Floor collection, Nature Study Ridge. I don’t often work with new fabrics so it was a real treat, thank you Art Gallery Fabrics!
What would a Blog Tour be without a giveaway!
Art Gallery Fabrics is kindly sponsoring 2 yards of Art Gallery fabric of your choice. To make the prize extra sweet, we are also adding a collection of 5 Twig + Tale patterns of your choice.
International entries are very welcome. Our bloggers come from every corner of the world to celebrate the global nature of Twig +Tale too.
Enter using the rafflecopter below.
(The winning entry will be checked to ensure all criteria are met).
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Do check out the other Bloggers taking part in the tour, I’ve seen their finished projects. So many stunning versions of Twig + Tale patterns and it really shows that the patterns are just the beginning – let your imagination run wild!
Blog tour overview page
Monday: Falafel and the Bee – Handmade Boy – Sew A Little Seam – Sew Shelly Sew
Monday: Falafel and the Bee – Handmade Boy – Sew A Little Seam – Sew Shelly Sew
Tuesday: Näh-connection – Khadetjes – Paisley Roots – Vera Luna – Inspinration
Wednesday: Skirt Fixation – Mend and Make New – Idle Sunshine – NZ Green buttons – Candice Ayala
Thursday: Vaahtokarkkimonsteri – Lulu & Celeste – Sprouting Jube Jube
Friday: Pattern Revolution – Milk Monster Momma – Small Steps Big Noises – Fliegfederfrei
Saturday: – Made by Sara – So Popo Sew – Big Little Tales – Needle and Ted
Sorting Sh*t Out – Day 47
He probably doesn’t want me to tell you this, but today the husband turned 31. Because I am a wonderful wife, I got up this morning and cooked him breakfast: Bacon, eggs, hash browns, mushrooms, tomato, and spaghetti (we were out of baked beans). Because we have kool kids, they got up this morning and Continue reading
Twig + Tale Blog Tour (Featuring Art Gallery Fabrics)
I’m so pleased to be part of the Twig + Tale (formally ‘Big Little) welcome blog tour. For this week long blog tour, myself and a bunch of other amazing sewing bloggers have been busy sewing a few of Twig + Tale patterns to celebrate the launch of their brand new name. (More about the tour schedule, and a giveaway at the end of the post!)
We were very lucky to have the blog tour sponsored by the amazing Art Gallery Fabrics, which meant I was able to pick out some beautiful fabric to sew with!
I made Isabelle the Twig + Tale ‘Pixie Shorts’ in size 5. The Art Gallery Fabric I selected for this project was ‘Dabbling Swan’ in Plum from the ‘Hello, Ollie’ Collection, by Bonnie Christine. (I requested 1 yard and still have quite a lot left over which I’m looking forward to using for other projects.)
This fabric is just stunning. It is 100% premium organic cotton and has the most soft and luxurious feel. I wanted to showcase the gorgeous swan print on the front, with a swan facing in on each leg, so I decided to fussy cut it to achieve this (and managed to do so, while still economically cutting my precious fabric! Phew!)
I’ve made the Pixie Shorts a number of times before and they came together quickly. I omitted the pockets this time, so as to have optimal amounts of swan on display. The fabric was a dream to sew with and I’m really happy with the result. (As is my little girl!)
Twig + Tale is a celebration of the innocence of childhood and the wonder of nature, and I think that this collaboration between them and Art Gallery Fabrics (with all their whimsical and often nature inspired designs), is a match made in heaven. I also think that my wee girl, Isabelle epitomizes this too – it was hard to get a still photo of her, all she wanted to do was climb trees, feed the ducks and blow dandelions!
As well as these swan pixie shorts, I also made Twig + Tale’s super cute Wild Things Baby Shoes. It was my first time making these, and it was a lot of fun.
We have a couple of babies on the way in our family, so I can see myself making a few of these as gifts! I choose to make a bunny pair in the smallest size (0-3 months). The pattern also contains templates to make other animals, such as pandas, foxes, cats, bears, mice and raccoons, and goes right up to size 12-18 months+.
While on the topic of Twig + Tale’s Wild Things patterns, it’s worth mentioning that there is currently a 20% off sale on some of the Wild Things range, including these baby shoes (and just in time for Halloween sewing if you’re into that sort of thing!) (Sale ends midnight Friday, no code required.)
These little shoes are such a great scrap busting pattern, and I just used various vintage bits ‘n bobs that I found in my stash, including grey wool for the outer fabric and mustard corduroy for the soles.
The only modification that I made was adding the little ‘cotton-tails’ on the back – inspiration struck when I opened my sewing draw and spotted some pom pom trim!
![DSC_0024[6]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RXebqZ19OPM/V_ny3fntMDI/AAAAAAAAbKw/HPOwa05kGu4/s1600-h/DSC_002464.jpg "DSC_0024[6]")
Thanks again to Twig + Tale for including me in this amazing blog tour (see schedule below), and of course Art Gallery Fabrics for providing me with the amazing swan fabric to sew with!
Finally, what would a Blog Tour be without a giveaway?!
Art Gallery Fabrics is kindly sponsoring 2 yards of Art Gallery fabric of your choice. To make the prize extra sweet, we are also adding a collection of 5 Twig + Tale patterns of your choice.
International entries are very welcome. Our bloggers come from every corner of the world to celebrate the global nature of Twig +Tale too. Enter using the rafflecopter below. (The winning entry will be checked to ensure all criteria are met).
Thursday: Vaahtokarkkimonsteri – Lulu & Celeste – Sprouting Jube Jube
Good luck and happy sewing!
Jen x
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Jungle Dress
Warm spring weather is almost here!Now I have a fun jungle dress to wear when the sun shines, yipee!This is a Tilly and The Buttons pattern, from her book Love at First Stitch which I rented from the library. It looks much sweeter on her little pe… Continue reading
Wayfarer Shoes by Twig & Tale
Quite some time ago, (which my computer photo filing system informs me was back in April) I tested a the Wayfarer Shoes pattern for the designer formally known as ‘Big Little’ (I’ve always wanted to say something like that!) For those of you that hasn’t already heard, Big Little has now re-branded under the amazing and very fitting name of Twig & Tale.
Twig & Tale patterns are distinct from others out there in the PDF pattern market, in that they are whimsical, inspired by nature and play and they emphasise the use of recycled materials and beautiful embroidery!
Anyway, back to these cute little shoes! Wayfarer Shoes are fully reversible, use minimal fabric and are super quick and easy to make! The pattern features are as follows:
- Extensive size range 0-3 months – approximately 9 years
- Choose size bundle using dropdown menu when ordering
- Fully lined, no exposed seams
- Skill level: Beginner – adventurous beginner
You can also use recycled fabrics as I have done here (a recycled op-shopped/ thrifted dog blanket for the main, a vintage pillowcase for the inner and an old pair of jeans for the sole.)
I also decided to embroider them using this jasmine design, which is one of a few embroidery options that are contained within the tutorial. I really love the way the embroidery looks!
My little one informs me that they are nice and cosy and comfy too!
Go and grab yourself a copy of the pattern and create your own pair of gorgeous little shoes!
Jen x
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Scrappy Quilt Complete
2 years in the making this quilt is done!Phew!This has been my longest project, and definitely the largest in volume! Although I started out with much gusto, spurred on by the quick sewing of Deb and Clare who seem to whip quilts up over night, it… Continue reading
{Sewn} Isabelle’s Ballet Cross-Over Top (and ballet bag)
Isabelle recently started ballet lessons, something I, myself enjoyed as a child from ages 4-13. Naturally, this is something that I’m pretty excited about – my little girl is a ballerina!
Also, I was rather excited as to the prospect of more sewing. After all, we can’t have my little ballerina getting cold after her lesson can we? Armed with gorgeous blush pink merino that I already had in my stash (a generous gift from my husband last year from The Fabric Store, that I already used to make these toasty PJs), I was amped and ready to make a ballet cross-over top … apart from the fact that I didn’t have a pattern.
I searched online and found 2 PDF patterns, one had a hood (not what I was after) and the other was a faux cross-over that your had to pull over your head. What is the point of a faux cross-over??? The whole point of a cross-over is so the precious ballerina does not have to mess up her immaculate ballet bun, getting on or off her top over her head, thus the cross-over! So of course that would not do! So back to the drawing board – literally! Instead of buying a new pattern I decided to use my favourite tee pattern – 4 seasons tank & tee as a base and modify it to have the cross over front, different binding and ties. I made a size 6 for my little 5 year old, hoping to make it last for next year too, but I shortened it a bit in keeping with the look I wanted.
It was a bit of gamble (especially using that lovely merino, and no muslin), but I’m so glad it paid off!
![DSC_0095[6]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wxtOqCAb61M/V7LVzobdnqI/AAAAAAAAa_s/nMI4ZhQqRQk/s1600-h/DSC_0095%25255B6%25255D%25255B4%25255D.jpg "DSC_0095[6]")
I also made Isabelle a simple draw-string ballet bag, just like my Mama made for me when I was a little girl. All up, both the bag and the top took about 2 hours sewing time, plus about another 30 mins of me faffing about modifying the pattern.
With all this thinking about ballet, I decided to dig up some of my old ballet photos – see below. Usually when I look Isy I see her Father, but when I look these photos me, and then her … I see a little similarity, don’t you think?
Have you got any sewing projects on the go at the moment?
I’m still chipping away at this in the background, but am also hoping to get a start on some Summer sewing, and a few baby gifts.
Happy Sewing!
Jen x
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Crossroads
So yesterday I shared the Pathfinder vest I made for my son, today I’m sharing the one I made for my daughter. I find my children don’t like to be too hot and the climate here means that big bulky jackets have very limited wear (if at all!). These vest… Continue reading
Pathfinder Vest – Pattern release
I love sewing for children, not just my own, but making small clothes is so satisfying don’t you think? They take very little fabric, often fast to sew and they seem to fit so much better than trying to sew for an adult body!I recently was a pattern te… Continue reading
A merino poncho in just 30 minutes
I was in Fabric Vision the other day purchasing interfacing and the assistant behind the counter had the most gorgeous merino poncho on. When commenting she advised the pattern was free if you purchased some merino.Talk about a simple pattern. Just put… Continue reading
A New Project: Noah’s Lightning Bolt Quilt
I have a new project on the go, and I have to say – I’m rather excited about it! It’s nice, first of all to be sewing something for my boy! It really does feel like it’s been a while! It’s also nice to be quilting again. I haven’t done that in a while. Lastly it’s nice to be trying new techniques and learning new skills – the new skill here being ‘foundation paper piecing.’
I have used ‘English paper piecing’ before when I made Pipi’s hexi quilt; but that involved a whole lot of hand stitching, and I’ve now discovered that foundation paper piecing is quite a different kettle of fish (but equally as fun!)
The pattern I’m using is this one by SLOstudio that I bought off Etsy. I was initially planning on using a free pattern, but because I was new to this skill and wanted a bit of a better tutorial, plus I really wanted a square block, I decided to pay the couple of dollars for the pattern. And I’m so glad that I did.
For fabric, I was intending on buying a new cool fabrics I’d seen online, but one day, all of a sudden a bit of inspiration hit and I just wanted to get started so I grabbed a few fat quarters from Spotlight. Luckily for me they were half price that day to so it worked out well!
Noah is very excited and also eager for it to be finished already. When I first started and had completed a few blocks he woke up and saw it and informed me that he liked it but thought it was a little small! Haha! There’s still a bit to go son, still a bit to go!
Although it is a bit of a slow burn project, I’m enjoying it so expect it to grow quickly – it already has grown a bit since I took these photos. I plan to post photo updates here from time to time. I’m aiming for just slightly bigger than a standard single size, maybe king single. (Borders will be added at the end.)
Also, I normally quilt in rows and am not sure how I came about doing columns, but never mind it wont make any difference to the end result.
What is your current WIP (work in progress)?
Jen x
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Pipi’s Liberty Vest
A quick glance at my blog would lead most to believe that I only sew for Pipi, or perhaps, even that I only have one child! And yes, while most of my recent makes have been for this little button, first let me justify that fact by stating that a) the other 2 have less need given that they wear school uniform a lot of the time, and b) Pipi has had a growth spurt and is still in desperate need of a few more warm Winter layers (despite receiving Isabelle’s lightly worn hand-me-downs!) I guess this happens when your children are born in different seasons!
Of course, this little vest is one of a number of handmade birthday presents that I’m still milking for blog posts! ;) (See more about Pipi’s birthday here and about her bunny hat here.)
The pattern for this little vest is The free woollen vest pattern by Little Kiwis Closet. I’ve previously sewn it before here, it’s such a quick and easy sew and I already have an old woollen blanket cut out ready to make Pipi another one. That one will be her rough kindy one, however I’m a bit more protective of this one with it’s gorgeous Liberty of London fabric!
The lining is a vintage wool (most likely poly) blend with a kind of waffle texture to it. I scored it free along with a bunch of other vintage fabrics from a friend’s grandma a few years back. (Thanks Kirsten’s grandma!) I used kam snaps in place of buttons, which make it reversible too, although I’m reluctant to hide that Liberty fabric, if yannowhatimean?!
It’s such a beautiful vest for my beautiful girl!
Until next time (aka the next addition to Pipi’s Winter wardrobe!) Seeya later and happy sewing!
Jen x
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Sewing With My Sister
There is something special about sewing in good company. Every Monday, I do just that. In the last 6 months I have had the privilege of also sewing with my sister.Finding herself between graduation and leaving for the overseas, my sis… Continue reading
Dusting off the cobwebs + a Pattern Release!!
Hello! It’s been a while hasn’t it. I am still around on various social media, still sewing and crocheting just not as much as I used to – don’t you hate it how life always seems to get in the way?!Something that I’ve been working on for a little while… Continue reading
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