tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83507182088149775252024-02-19T19:26:01.990+11:00Fred and CissyJackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.comBlogger169125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-18455615504277568412014-02-26T13:13:00.000+11:002014-02-26T13:13:27.155+11:00A little bit of Yardage<br />
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A week or so back Nic from <a href="http://www.yardagedesign.com.au/">Yardage Design</a> had a samples and seconds sale. I filled up my cart, and emptied it again. Surely I don't need any more fabric, and things are tight on the money front. <br />
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In the end I <strike>justified</strike> settled for a tea towel and a fat quarter. The fat quarter's Verano Leaves in crimson. I love both this design and her Verano petals (I still haven't found anywhere to use <a href="http://fred-and-cissy.blogspot.com.au/2011/10/turning-bookcases-upside-down.html">these cupboards</a> in the new house though, so they're languishing in the garage). I thought the fabric'd make a great 'handbag' for the young one. She's very girly, and a bag of some sort is well overdue.<br />
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Well, the fabric arrived a few days ago, and I decided that I needed the Verano Leaves for myself. Operating on the theory that its linen and therefore should be suited to the task, I've made it into a second tea towel (I'm fantasising about the new kitchen it'd look great in). <br />
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Fortuitously, Nic sent the fabric through in a calico bag which, with the young one's approval, became a handbag this morning. I added some extra calico, and some firm iron-on interfacing so that its reasonably stiff, as well as fully lined. A zipper, webbing, and the obligatory red cotton fabric, from the stash make it complete. I'm really pleased with the outcome, and glad to say that she's also very happy with it. <br />
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PS. I am assuming that the print on the bag wasn't heat set, but didn't think to iron it before I washed it, so it has faded a little in patches. This isn't reflective of Nic's fabric or other items, which I've never had that issue with.</div>
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PPS. This post is in no way sponsored, although you'd be forgiven for thinking so! <br />
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<br />Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-78168310787033556262014-02-16T16:15:00.001+11:002014-02-16T22:57:25.476+11:00Ten thingsI had some rare quiet time over breakfast this morning and took the opportunity to take myself on a crafty blog tour. I'm sure I've visited <a href="http://foxslane.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/10-random-things.html">Foxs Lane</a> before, but its been a long time. Kate is sharing '10 random things', and she and her commenters got me thinking. So here's my 10 things:<br />
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<b>1. Four months ago we undertook our own 'tree change'. </b> Literally, we moved house and swapped a large Manna Gum for a large Box Elder. We laugh about that fact, but in truth we've moved to an older house in a neighbouring suburb, swapping swanky neighbours (Ed. swanky housing, the neighbours were and are lovely!) for proximity to parkland and schools, and ditching the mortgage in the meantime. The result is the sort of downshift that you usually associate with a tree-/sea-change (including drop in work hours - the Cyclist's at home with the kids whilst I work two part time jobs), except that we're still cycling distance to the city, walking distance to the Yarra Trail, and in the same circle of friends and businesses. No downside from our point of view.<br />
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<b>2. We felt more at home in one week at our 'new' 1950s house than in one year at our 'old' (and at the time brand new built-for-us) noughties house.</b> It was lovely, and the setting was fantastic, but somehow the 'fit' wasn't quite right.<br />
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<b>3. There's nothing better than a bit of demolition. </b> We're not exactly serial renovators, but we've done our share, and there's nothing like knocking out a bathroom/kitchen/etc. to make you feel like you're making progress. This afternoon it was the eldest's built in bed, which had been in place since 1974 and contained the dust, lint, and lost paraphernalia to prove it. As you can see, the anticipation of demolition's nearly as much fun as the actually carrying it out.<br />
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<b>4. When I think of my maternal Grandma I always picture her wearing a particular teal dress and jacket suit with 3/4 sleeves. </b>I think it must be the outfit she wore to my mum and dad's wedding, as I can't find a picture of her the particular dress and jacket combo I can so clearly picture, and it was definitely a special occasion outfit. Grandma Ede was the one who first taught me to sew, and the source of my <a href="http://fred-and-cissy.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/stalled.html">ancient Singer</a>. <br />
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Anyway, I was at Lincraft yesterday looking for some stretch fabric for some pants to go with <a href="http://fred-and-cissy.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/library-love.html">this top</a> when I came across this fabric which just fits the bill. There is just enough for the pants I'm planning. I love it, and as an added bonus I know I'm going to think of her every time I wear them. Just better do a good job on the making and fitting front!<br />
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<b>5. The Cyclist and I call hot air balloons holograms.</b> We had tickets once. We booked a total of fifteen times in 18 months, and fifteen times the weather was too 'iffy' and all balloon flights were grounded. That's fifteen times of having the parents/in-laws stay the night so that they'd be around for the kids on the morning of the anticipated flight. In the end we decided that we simply weren't meant to go, and gave the tickets away. One morning during the week I saw eight holograms over our house when I got up to walk the dog. I still like looking at them, but the longing I had to go for a flight has passed, for the time being at least.<br />
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<b>6. I'm hanging out to do some gardening. </b> Its been so hot this summer, and I haven't gotten to planning what I want to do in the garden yet, so I haven't made the effort to turn even one sod of soil. It's nearly driving me batty though, and this morning's rain has me thinking that maybe the ground will soften up a little soon...<br />
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<b>7. I can't keep my eyes of hard rubbish piles. </b> The Cyclist says that pilfering off the piles is against the law. My law-abiding self isn't as strong as my thrifting-self though (blame it on Grandma Ede's Scottish influence), and I'm always on the look out for the perfect thing on the side of the road for my next project.<br />
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<b>8. I'll try my hand at anything.</b> Over summer the eldest and I made a cargo net to hang in the tree instead of hammering into it to make a cubby house. <br />
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<b>9. A big part of why I blog is just to be part of a crafting community. </b>I loved My Creative Space, over at <a href="http://www.kootoyoo.com/">kootoyoo</a> and the friendly, supportive nature of the people who contributed. I've run out of steam a bit in the last 12 months. Packing and selling and moving and working full time plus and still parenting and partnering will do that to you I guess. I'm not sure that there's anyone out there reading, but if I can contribute to the community that I've found so supportive, and if in doing so I happen to notice that I <u>do</u> manage to fit some creativity in amongst all that, then I guess blogging is worth it.<br />
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<b>10. I take all my photos on my phone. </b> I know that I'd get better shots if I got out the camera and charged it, and that I'd get even better ones if I bought a new camera and took some time to set things up right. It also means that there's not likely to be any photos of me on the blog for some time to come, so you'll never get to see if anything I've made actually does look any good on. Sorry about that.<br />
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So that's me. How about you?Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-18511420540154311042014-02-14T11:55:00.001+11:002014-02-16T18:21:04.998+11:00Library loveI love browsing the magazines at my local library. I have to confess that I rarely make it to the 'real' shelves - I get quick snatches of time whilst supervising kids or on my way out to lunch (I'm lucky enough to work next door to my local library), so the magazine section it is.<br />
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The Burda magazine pigeon hole is one of my first points of call. So often I borrow them with good intention of tracing off patterns I like, but usually they get renewed the maximum of three times before being sent back unused. I'm proud to say that that's not the case for the 6/2013 edition. Granted, I've already renewed it once, but no only have I traced off the patterns for Views 137 and 138, but I've actually finished a top based on them. What's even more impressive is that I love it! So often I take copious amounts of time to finish clothes for myself, only to find that they're not quite right - the fit's not great, or my fabric choice is wrong, or the cut isn't really my style. This time though, the dark navy crepe from my stash is not only right down my alley, but it has just the right weight and drape for the pattern. <br />
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I've used the length from View 137, but the neckline of View 138. Its a size 46, which I find horrific, but the fit is beautiful. There are darts in the front and back of the upper section, but just the back of the lower section, and a side zipper that extends to the integrated sleeves. Beautifully comfortable, but fitted at the same time.<br />
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Up next I'm planning a shorter length <a href="http://www.nicolemdesign.com.au/shop/garment-patterns/2483-a-line-skirt.html">A-line skirt</a> in the rest of the same fabric, plus the dress length (with a slightly narrower neckline) in a some more fabric from the stash. I'd love a pair of narrow-leg trousers to go with the top. Trying not to get too far ahead of myself though!<br />
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Its a curriculum day today, so amongst adjudicating between the kids and doing stuff with them, I'm going to loiter <a href="http://www.kootoyoo.com/2014/02/and-so-it-flows.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Kootoyoo+%28kootoyoo%29">over here</a> and check out what the crew have been up to.<br />
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<br />Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-47947439284309304352014-02-05T14:11:00.001+11:002014-02-16T18:21:18.266+11:00My [new] creative space<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi, remember me? I thought that it was probably about time that I re-surfaced and shared some of what I've been up to. Like so many others, I've been finding that life's a bit too full to blog lately. Suffice to say there's been big changes (new house, full time job, etc.) since the last post. I have managed to squeeze in some crafting though, and am really happy that in the last month or so that's included some time in the shed. <br />
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This week I've finished (well, manufactured, undercoated and installed) some narrow shelves on the side of the small one's wardrobe. The wardrobe itself is built in, but only made of chipboard, meaning that the Cyclist and I installed the shelves by drilling and screwing straight through the end wall of the wardrobe and into the timber. They'll get their final coats of paint when we paint the room sometime later this year. In the meantime, they're housing some of our favourite reads (except when Abbie's emptied the bottom two shelves so she can sit on the floor and 'read' aloud to herself instead of sleeping).<br />
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Abbie loves them, and so do I - its an idea I've been wanting to use for a long time, and this's the perfect spot for it. She's two, so I figure we have a while before picture books are packed away. After that I can see them used to show off favourite pictures and photos.<br />
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<br />Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-53735521936168861652013-05-02T10:10:00.000+10:002013-05-02T12:06:20.303+10:00Upsized Clara<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Have you seen the <a href="http://knitisager.com/shop/page/53?sessid=d0qSYHvyC7EPCwLVJld0UHGBVVSV395ipWb778Dh0NNvC38eZBmVbWQIfRm75P1E&shop_param=">Clara dress pattern</a>? I fell in love with it before my daughter was born and tried to buy it. My bank's security system wouldn't let the transaction through - when I contacted Isager because my order didn't seem to be being processed, they advised that this isn't uncommon for Australian customers. Apparently the 'falcon' thinks that you're trying to shop in person in the US when it knows you were only down the street using your card 20 minutes ago, and it rejects the transaction. Over a year went by, and I tried again (this time with a card from a smaller bank), and was successful. The problem is, that the pattern is sized for a chest circumference of up to 20", and that's my daugher's current measurement. I didn't want to go to the effort of making the dress only to have her grow out of it before winter is over.<br />
<br />
Well, after many calculations and much trial and error, I've finally finished my 18-24 month size of the pattern. I managed to make it out of the two skeins (500m) of wool in the kit, with just 2m to spare (most of the calculations were me working out how many stitches I could expect to knit out of each gram of yarn, and therefore how long I could afford to make the skirt!).<br />
<br />
In summary I:<br />
<ul>
<li>Cast on 260 sts (after I had nearly finished I read other posts on Ravelry, and yes it would have been easier to use 261stitches, and decrease one stitch in the first round of the pattern)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Then followed the pattern, knitting to a length of 29 cm / 11.5 inches</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Split into rows at the start of the moss band beneath the bodice, 'splicing' it to create a lapped opening. </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27Y6QZiClq1z_KJiKTu6W1aLqw70TIDbNLyV88lcfy82oeNJLm6Um8AI8n2hXawlrCmdPZ2hyAyZkbFp8r0YRdgqqSCEHrBq2X1Z-nBbEcF2BrUv1leP5vtVyBBv0c2dXplZvhN4aPLXt/s1600/IMG_2285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27Y6QZiClq1z_KJiKTu6W1aLqw70TIDbNLyV88lcfy82oeNJLm6Um8AI8n2hXawlrCmdPZ2hyAyZkbFp8r0YRdgqqSCEHrBq2X1Z-nBbEcF2BrUv1leP5vtVyBBv0c2dXplZvhN4aPLXt/s400/IMG_2285.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>Included a moss stitch button band on both ends of the row as I was knitting from this point forward, adjusting the pattern accordingly, and evenly spacing three buttonholes. In hindsight I would have put the bottom buttonhole in the horizontal moss band - it pulls a little.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Knitted the 'set sleeve' row as follows: Moss 5, k26 sts, place next 10 sts on holder, CO 65 sts, k54 sts, place next 10 sts on holder, CO 65 sts, k25 sts, moss 5 (245 sts on needle). </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Inserted one additional WS row after Rnd 1, three additional rows (with only one k2tog tbl in each repeat for right-side rows - ie. no decreasing over the length of the row) after 'Rnd 14', and two each after Row 1, Row 3 and Row 5.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Omitted Row 9 and Row 10 (giving a total of 32 rows from the top of the moss band to the bottom of the neckband).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Knitted up 77 stitches for each sleeve band. Due to my yarn restrictions I knitted eight rows on each.</li>
</ul>
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No, she doesn't usually get to play with sticks!</div>
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I'm joining up over <a href="http://blogs.kidspot.com.au/villagevoices/category/my-creative-space/">here</a>, and will be <strike>checking out what other people are up to</strike> working shortly.</div>
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Joined up <a href="http://www.jaqsstudio.com/2013/04/made-by-me-78-linky-party-and-features.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:">here</a> too.</div>
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Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-33101537487169295462013-03-28T11:26:00.002+11:002013-03-28T11:26:53.272+11:00Introducing Beth Bunny<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There have been lots of 'starts' in our household in the last few months, but precious few 'finishes', so I'm proud to have a 'nearly there' to show off today! I've admired Alicia Paulson's <a href="http://posie-rosy-little-things.myshopify.com/collections/softie-patterns/products/miss-maggie-rabbit-softie-sewing-pattern">Miss Maggie Rabbit</a> pattern for a while now, and this week I not only managed to buy it, but make a version of it. If you follow the link to the pattern you'll probably wonder whether in fact I followed it, so here's the rundown on why Beth is Beth and not Maggie:<div>
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<b>The fabric: </b>The pattern calls for felt. I didn't have any, and am determined to use up my stash. What I did find was a small leftover piece of woven faux fur fabric. Not only was it just enough to make Beth, but it is actually a scrap from when my Grandma made me 'Big Bun' when I was two (I'll take a photo when the young one wakes up, but safe to say I've always been very <strike>un</strike>imaginative in naming things!). </div>
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<b>The construction: </b>Felt doesn't fray, but my fabric will, so instead of exposed hand-stitching, I used a moderately wide zig-zag and a short stitch length on the machine to construct most of Beth. To facilitate this I cut the ears about 4mm larger all round than the pattern shows, to allow for turning (I also ended up with nearly 1cm of seam allowance at the base of the ears this way). I stitched along the edge of the fabric, so for the other pieces I figured that my seam allowance was about the same as Alicia used.</div>
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I decided that I wanted Beth's ears to stand up, so before I stuffed her head I pinned the seam allowance at the bottom of the ears to the side of her head from the outside. I removed the pins after her head was firmly stuffed, and her ears definitely stand up! Pinning the seam allowances to the top of her head would have given her floppy ears instead.</div>
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One drawback of my fabric choice was that I had difficulty seeing what I was sewing when it came to hand-sewing on Beth's arms and legs. I went round each a couple of times just in case - I don't want to be fixing severed limbs later!</div>
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<b>The colours: </b>I used a paler nose and whiskers for Beth, given her white fur, but I wish now that I'd made the whiskers the same colour as her nose.</div>
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<b>The dress: </b>The dress is a cut-down of a peasant top that the young one wore when she was 3 months old. It already had the smocking on the front, elastic on the sleeves, the ruffle on the bottom and a button tab down the back. I used Alicia's pattern as a guide for the sizing of the pieces (although my sleeves are shorter and the dress is longer by the depth of the ruffle). </div>
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<b>The finishing touches: </b>I do have some red felt in the stash, and have cut out some little boots to finish her off. All being well this'll happen before Sunday, so that Beth can be carefully placed for the young one to find on Sunday when her brothers are hunting Easter eggs.</div>
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Happy Easter!</div>
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Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-13242281169927858152012-12-13T14:20:00.004+11:002014-02-16T23:02:43.487+11:00MayhemToday's the start of 2 1/2 weeks of craziness in our household - three birthdays and Christmas in the space of 19 days. Here's a quick rundown of what I've been up to in the lead-up to birthday season...<br />
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I made two lengths of this felt bunting (no-fray => less stitching required) to decorate the church hall for the kids' party. I printed the letters onto paper, then cut the paper and felt together and stitched them on with a straight stitch. Reasonably quick, and we'll use it for years to come.<br />
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Made to measure felt crown (double layer of felt for more body), with lace and ric-rac that used to belong to my Grandma. <br />
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The Kinderboy and I picked just under 11kg of [tiny but sweet] apricots from our tree, then enlisted the Ipswich nieces to help us sort and cut them. We gave away some, ate some, and swapped some for lemons with the lady across the road, and now I have 15 jars of apricot jam cooling downstairs (not the best job on a 35 degree day, but the apricots don't give you a choice!)<br />
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Last of all, I had a morning off and finally finished some stretch linen pants for myself from the Spring/Summer 2012 Ottobre Woman magazine. Strangely, I had to shorten them by 20cm to get to the length shown in the magazine. I'm short, but not that short, so I'm not sure what the story is - its the first time I've used any of their women's patterns, so I guess I'll keep an eye out on sizing in the future as well. Sorry about the lack of modeled shots - I'm lousy at taking them myself, and too self-conscious to ask the family to do it!</div>
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Next on the agenda are some class Christmas cards (as shown <a href="http://alittleredribbon.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/easy-handmade-christmas-cards-for-kids.html">here</a>), and finishing off some Christmas presents. I have a hankering for new clothes for myself though, and Darn Cheap Fabrics has a sale on, so a diversion may be on the cards. In the meantime, I'm going to settle for heading over to <a href="http://blogs.kidspot.com.au/villagevoices/my-creative-space-the-tree-of-wishes/">Village Voices</a> for more crafty ideas (it's where I first saw the cards too).<br />
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Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-50031391822636588432012-11-30T14:48:00.000+11:002012-11-30T14:48:47.563+11:00Short ordersIn celebration of National Recycling Week (or because my 'revamp/repair' box was overflowing), last week I whipped up a couple of T-shirts for the boys from three that the Cyclist had discarded plus a bit of my ever-present red cotton. I say 'whipped up' as if it were no trouble at all, but truth be known that this time last year I wouldn't have even attempted it. Its amazing what 12 months, a twin needle and an overlocker will do for you!<br />
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I used the Headphones/Globe Kids pattern from Ottobre 3/2012, but rounded the neck. Based on my experience with <a href="http://www.fred-and-cissy.com/2012/10/shirt-for-schoolboy.html">this shirt</a>, I checked the pattern pieces against some of our existing T-shirts, and ended up sewing a size 134 for both boys, even though they measure a size or two smaller.<br />
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The only complaint? The Cyclist wished that I'd slimmed the shirts down for him instead.<br />
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To round it out I made this little '<a href="http://leilaandben.com/sweetdress.htm">Sweet Dress</a>' for the youngest. Using broderie anglaise made it even quicker to sew, and I'm proud that I managed to go from the fabric store to finished product in less than two days. Considering that most of my stash takes a decade or so to see the light of day that has to be some sort of record!<br />
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Instead of wholly encasing the neck elastic I put two buttonholes through the dress front before sewing the casing, and threaded through elastic with some ribbon on each end. Hopefully that way it'll grow from a dress this summer to a top next year. I also left off the armhole elastic.<br />
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I've been blessed with an unexpected free hour or so, so I'm going to amble over <a href="http://blogs.kidspot.com.au/villagevoices/my-creative-space-ho-ho-ho/">here</a> and <a href="http://www.jaqsstudio.com/2012/11/made-by-me-58-linky-party-and-features.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+JAQSStudio+%28JAQS+Studio%29">here</a> and link up and check out what others have been up to. Thanks for stopping by!Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-24160004493968255932012-11-14T16:40:00.003+11:002012-11-14T16:40:48.102+11:00In miniatureI'm still going on my 'clothing baby' projects (I have some more clothes nearly ready to show you), and I haven't forgotten my promise to make the Kinderboy a shirt, but in a side project I've made baby a little bear of her own. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkZP0LnjzQlhOHVcTzWeJ7asd5l_gv3ccQWd93KAY4DP3XgwbAq5w9uSXsithzjwDPMlKr_u3RS5fQpTLNQ-3Eewy-o-nWCWXRplwTAV0fc9FANcftCp1v2pGs14Xu6IdfxPcYJs9tYct/s1600/IMG_1259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkZP0LnjzQlhOHVcTzWeJ7asd5l_gv3ccQWd93KAY4DP3XgwbAq5w9uSXsithzjwDPMlKr_u3RS5fQpTLNQ-3Eewy-o-nWCWXRplwTAV0fc9FANcftCp1v2pGs14Xu6IdfxPcYJs9tYct/s400/IMG_1259.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This little bear measures just under 12cm in height, and I have to admit that I came across it accident. Some time ago I knitted all the parts to it, but stopped at that. It has been buried in my scrap wool pile ever since. I'm not sure who the original recipient was intended to be (although I suspect that it was the Schoolboy), but as every baby needs a teddy I've finished him and handed him over to Cate for safe-keeping. Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-90935823025214804282012-11-08T11:04:00.001+11:002012-11-08T11:04:26.665+11:00Clothing babyMy little one is into dolls. She's not even one yet, but fell in love with this little Berenguer baby at the op shop a month or so ago. I bought her with the intention of washing her up, dressing her, and then presenting her as a first birthday gift in December. The only problem is, that she's been floating in and out of boxes and bags as I try and work on clothing, and each time the Newbie smothers her in kisses and I feel mean packing her away again. Its very cute, but I'm determined to stick to my guns and clothe little 'Cate' before handing her over.<br />
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I'm working on some knitting as well as sewing projects, but this is the first one that I've finished:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0RD3KaUYbA9_hLIFwsLM4hz5z2_eo_aHRT0gLpiBNmZVIfk-y385DorB43l7se1fCxA43JN8_d57dhIHKURiMbQN72QVhdrNLzWhqNNxRFU6W1YBRW54PMbCFC3o9C8kL6jdCiFJz_0N/s1600/IMG_1219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0RD3KaUYbA9_hLIFwsLM4hz5z2_eo_aHRT0gLpiBNmZVIfk-y385DorB43l7se1fCxA43JN8_d57dhIHKURiMbQN72QVhdrNLzWhqNNxRFU6W1YBRW54PMbCFC3o9C8kL6jdCiFJz_0N/s400/IMG_1219.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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It's from the 'Nakey Baby' project over at <a href="http://www.theblueberrymoon.com/">The Blueberry Moon</a>.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Modifications: </b></span><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
I used a woven fabric, and found that I needed some added width to make it go over my baby's arms. I increased the width of the sleeves by 5.5cm, and if/when I do it again I'll also widen the body sections a little for ease of dressing.</div>
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I increased the length of the pattern slightly, to match the scrap that I was using. It turned out to be equivalent to the depth of the top and bottom hems.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Lessons/Comments: </b></span><br />The bodice sections would make the good basis for a 'pillowcase' type dress.<br />
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For reference, my baby is around 13" long.<br />
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I'm linking up over <a href="http://blogs.kidspot.com.au/villagevoices/things-ive-learnt-from-you/">here</a>, so I'll see you there once I've actually done some paid work for the morning!Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-12024715990029396652012-10-29T13:49:00.002+11:002012-10-29T13:59:35.811+11:00Shirt for the SchoolboyI've finally finished the shirt that I was going to make for the Schoolboy during Kids Clothing Week. I've been plugging away at it bit by bit, and am really happy with the result:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS63l_zR0T4jeKuzp_eaB9IHZH-qINukLu8h52dqs11Kg_6OOfFDMzi4vRKamDTXeBhGJ3U4G07rOlSWLAlTLvqnyYt1OadHUt6S5Va7uZ0jWsu13wX2IAlTHFtM2phDVCEH8jtWjxNQ8L/s1600/IMG_1206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS63l_zR0T4jeKuzp_eaB9IHZH-qINukLu8h52dqs11Kg_6OOfFDMzi4vRKamDTXeBhGJ3U4G07rOlSWLAlTLvqnyYt1OadHUt6S5Va7uZ0jWsu13wX2IAlTHFtM2phDVCEH8jtWjxNQ8L/s400/IMG_1206.jpg" width="301" /></a></div>
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I took a long time lining the pattern pieces up on the fabric for this shirt, and I love the 'invisible' pocket (and his amazement when he found it),<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizfqqsCA2FFDef8oHu6xEhtdn5TVQjqkynglCmiZCEPWiASoCRmRHYLgw92zGpukq0fZzHArYk_9OZbBy9e0yWfYJ1tZVEf0ngCB_8EmN6oV_lI3DQxi0PHxWjfRI9kM8JFlDe1KLo56Ng/s1600/IMG_1203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizfqqsCA2FFDef8oHu6xEhtdn5TVQjqkynglCmiZCEPWiASoCRmRHYLgw92zGpukq0fZzHArYk_9OZbBy9e0yWfYJ1tZVEf0ngCB_8EmN6oV_lI3DQxi0PHxWjfRI9kM8JFlDe1KLo56Ng/s400/IMG_1203.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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am really proud of the way the back and the yoke line up,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFiQNlGSf3rM49BGc2urY7y15NXH5aR9HhnynHA3IZi5lXSczQXGrO1uOX_r8Wy8UtcGojUetjIVCyKEbaXbzMamCyDf2gGCDA5MhmntrbgKFr5vyNc2w0h9FaaXvWqQdsy1XyvZLZh6T/s1600/IMG_1205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFiQNlGSf3rM49BGc2urY7y15NXH5aR9HhnynHA3IZi5lXSczQXGrO1uOX_r8Wy8UtcGojUetjIVCyKEbaXbzMamCyDf2gGCDA5MhmntrbgKFr5vyNc2w0h9FaaXvWqQdsy1XyvZLZh6T/s400/IMG_1205.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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but not sure why it is that I cut the right sleeve out upside down (or why I didn't realise exactly what was wrong with it until the shirt was finished)!<br />
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All fabric and button choices were the Schoolboy's.<br />
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The pattern is 'Apple' from the Summer 2010 Ottobre magazine, altered to include some snippets of red gingham. This's the first of the kids patterns I've sewed from the magazines, and I have to say it seems quite slim fitting. My boys are very different builds (same chest and waist measurements, but 10-12 cm difference in height), and the Schoolboy is both slender and likes his shirts slim-fitting. I used a size 128 to match his height even though his chest was smaller than the size chart, and am glad I did - a narrower fitting may not have been big enough. As it is he's slightly miffed that I'm going to make his brother's shirt the same size!Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-62078311639673968172012-10-18T20:30:00.001+11:002012-10-18T20:30:40.938+11:00Miniature<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGlpt4Qs0ipKLzQwBtFUTfkCVBVe1DptmlypB7MqzCizVdfo-dG1jQndY49k5V7gA4TDcmvj2le4Haezehy6MI4gVVnhEvoTh-4uecloqhSAlKJTXYpGy-Uvl4BA7aCXpu4h57q9Eibzs8/s1600/IMG_1196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGlpt4Qs0ipKLzQwBtFUTfkCVBVe1DptmlypB7MqzCizVdfo-dG1jQndY49k5V7gA4TDcmvj2le4Haezehy6MI4gVVnhEvoTh-4uecloqhSAlKJTXYpGy-Uvl4BA7aCXpu4h57q9Eibzs8/s320/IMG_1196.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
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Have you been watching <a href="http://www.kootoyoo.com/2012/10/my-creative-space-still-more-of-the-flaming-neon.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Kootoyoo+%28kootoyoo%29">Kirsty's</a> neon creations unfold? I've been trying my hand at some crochet, and whilst its not quite neon, this pink is definitely on the bright side of my comfort zone. In contrast to <a href="http://www.kootoyoo.com/2012/10/my-creative-space-granny-square-wall-art.html">this square</a> though, I've been using a single thread of sewing cotton and a 1.5mm hook, giving this little number a finished width of just over 3.5cm. I think the hook is a bit big for the thread though, and am part-way through one with an even smaller hook.<br />
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Oh, and I haven't forgotten the promise in my last post - the crochet is strictly an 'in transit' project, and I have shirts in the pipeline...<br />
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<br />Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-67512509572832177092012-10-15T10:26:00.001+11:002012-10-29T13:59:59.546+11:00KCWC: Leila & Ben's Sweet Dress #2Hmmm. Kids clothing week was supposed to be about the boys. Can't really see either of them wearing this little dress:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFDn1iDUAaJuIkhWlgXORyhWVxGEQWTOlJoZSrMMk3CNxMLJ8oSh_vvyWb-VqILSH8REIM61IHu3nhiDQWM3O-Og6XKF1sdmW5bcm51PN-HIPIts09MiAyadB4kqIXGj1kPMZF5m3ajKw/s1600/IMG_1096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFDn1iDUAaJuIkhWlgXORyhWVxGEQWTOlJoZSrMMk3CNxMLJ8oSh_vvyWb-VqILSH8REIM61IHu3nhiDQWM3O-Og6XKF1sdmW5bcm51PN-HIPIts09MiAyadB4kqIXGj1kPMZF5m3ajKw/s400/IMG_1096.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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The youngest, however, is rather taken with it, and Melbourne may even warm up enough for me to put her into short sleeves sometime in the next day or so. KCWC is officially over, but I'm going to keep going at it (half-paced as I am, my counter is currently up to 3:41:07.9), and boys shirts are next on my list. I promise boys. <br />
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Here's the details for the spotty dress:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Pattern:</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> <a href="http://leilaandben.com/sweetdress.htm">Leila & Ben's Sweet Little Dress</a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Size:</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> 12 months</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Modifications: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">As with the <a href="http://www.fred-and-cissy.com/2012/10/kcwc-leila-bens-sweet-dress.html">previous version</a>, I used my overlocker for all of the seams. I also straightened the hem, because a curved bottom just looked strange with all those dots.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">I'm thinking of adding a little embellishment on one of the dots, but more of that later (I still need to be convinced that she won't eat what I have in mind!)</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Materials: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Poly-cotton from my stash, left over from <a href="http://www.fred-and-cissy.com/2010/12/duo-of-dotty-dresses.html">these dresses</a>.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Lessons/Comments: </b></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">I learnt from my mistake last time round, and tried it on her before cutting and stitching the elastic.</span>Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-20510619610778196672012-10-10T12:20:00.000+11:002012-10-10T12:20:34.548+11:00KCWC: Leila & Ben's Sweet DressAfternoon! My KCWC counter is up to 1:55:37.0, which means that I 'steal' more sewing time during the day than I had realised. Perhaps I should keep the timer up, to make sure my "I'll just be 5 minutes boys" sewing sessions don't routinely turn out to be 25 minutes like this morning's one. Anyway, enough of the guilt trip, here's what I have to show:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpM9Tk1-Tc35b7vuRN_cdykzDzqCT3oLDEw6jySwji6xan_cWNma8hY6TlaED4VVpZpVuz2TesMsoK4sZtouPaHF6i841F7UtOON7sdRuZwg38b9hwVzC8UiKGuN27bd6ctP4y_EThALVf/s1600/IMG_1050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpM9Tk1-Tc35b7vuRN_cdykzDzqCT3oLDEw6jySwji6xan_cWNma8hY6TlaED4VVpZpVuz2TesMsoK4sZtouPaHF6i841F7UtOON7sdRuZwg38b9hwVzC8UiKGuN27bd6ctP4y_EThALVf/s400/IMG_1050.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Here's the details:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Pattern:</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> Leila & Ben's Sweet Little Dress </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Size:</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> 12 months</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Modifications: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">I was inspired by <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/34973334577340753/">this dress</a>, and gathered the neckline and sleeves onto a knit band rather than using elastic in a casing. I cut the bands the same length as the elastic specified in the pattern, and made them 4cm wide. The top is also shorter than the pattern (more tunic rather than dress length), based on the length of the brown top I started with.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapWnxiRb5B8uaa4AYz6-xbXohHxXv95IKVEuB8N07c8dIXhJvq-jIXwKFty-XNJg7lrT44SoovNhbDH1OMhm_uh8qXUYfr1w1hR0hm1gB6dViw-9DcYY3irl0qhl1E7Mn4PTnslqglNUF/s1600/IMG_1051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapWnxiRb5B8uaa4AYz6-xbXohHxXv95IKVEuB8N07c8dIXhJvq-jIXwKFty-XNJg7lrT44SoovNhbDH1OMhm_uh8qXUYfr1w1hR0hm1gB6dViw-9DcYY3irl0qhl1E7Mn4PTnslqglNUF/s400/IMG_1051.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Materials: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">All from the 'For repair or remodelling' box in my cupboard! The front and back are from an old top of mine, but as the sleeves on it were too narrow I used fabric from another top for the sleeves, and part of a third for the band (my original top also had blue sleeves and a white band around the neckline).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Lessons/Comments: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Peasant dresses/tops are super quick and easy (I nearly doubled the time involved by using the neck and sleeve bands), and I'll definitely be making more. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">I finished this dress before trying it on the young one, and found that the neckline was way too big for her. So my dilemma now is - do I pull the neckband off and make it smaller, or wait until next year for her to wear it (this neck and armholes are similar to some size 2 tops I have). I love it as it is, so I think I'll put it away for now, but the lesson is definitely to try things as you go if you're going to modify patterns (and also be suspicious and check if a pattern tells you to cut the same length of elastic for a 1 year old's dress as a 5 year old's!).</span>Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-82947782618820729692012-10-09T11:36:00.003+11:002012-10-09T11:36:40.832+11:00Kids in the KitchenI love making kid-size apron and chef's hat combo's. I've done a few as presents since first making a set for my Schoolboy about 5 years ago. The Kinderboy went to a friend's birthday at <a href="http://www.kids-inthekitchen.com/">Kids in the Kitchen</a> on Saturday. They had heaps of fun, and I thought that a hat and apron would be appropriate. I finished it after the party though, so they've made their way to their new owner this morning. <br />
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His mother would describe her son as a 'wee little one' (she's a Kiwi and 'wee' is a description I love to hear her use, but somehow it doesn't sound right in an Aussie accent), so the hat's adjustable in case he still wants to wear it when he's bigger. Six buttons and four buttonholes 'cos my velcro is way to stiff and scratchy.<br />
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Don't you love the fabric! Just the right level of cuteness for a 4 year old I think.<br />
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You might have noticed that I've added the Kids Clothing Week logo to my side bar. I've signed up, and am determined not to cheat and count Saturday's sewing towards the week. However, life being what it is I can't see any sewing time on the horizon, and I've decided to use my phone's stop watch to tally up the week's sewing to see if I've met the overall challenge or not. How about you, have you signed up? What are your plans for the week?<br />
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<br />Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-35230449809563161892012-09-25T15:08:00.000+10:002012-09-25T15:08:17.359+10:00Clean out timeDid you know that this week is the inaugural National Op Shop Week here in Australia? <br />
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What's it all about? Well, apparently whilst we're shopping at op shops more we're not remembering to re-stock them with our own unwanted clothes. Being school holidays, I thought it was about time that I added to the boxes I started filling with stuff a couple of weeks ago. The dilemma now though is should I purge straight away and get them out of the house, or should I wait and donate them to the school fete?<br />
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For more details you can check out <a href="http://peppermintmag.com/national-op-shop-week/">Peppermint Magazine</a> (where I first heard of the Week), and the <a href="http://www.dosomethingnearyou.com.au/campaigns/op-shop-week">Do Something Near You website</a>.Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-46611023268306655822012-09-19T15:05:00.000+10:002012-09-22T10:38:42.276+10:00Butterfly specimen artI have a piece of artwork underway for the girl's room. It's way too complicated, and as a consequence is going no where fast. I feel sad for her that the only things hanging on her wall are a group of five blank canvases (for the aforementioned artwork) and a clock. So, rather than actually make progress on the first project, I've completed a quick fix in the last couple of days:<br />
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I'm the first to acknowledge that this is certainly not an original idea. In fact, it wasn't an original idea when I made something similar for my niece about 5 years ago. But I love it just the same. It is also simple, and I thought I'd share my process with you, just in case you're inspired to do something similar.<br />
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<b>Materials:</b><br />
Butterfly print fabric<br />
Iron on interfacing<br />
Thick card for the background<br />
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<b>Process:</b><br />
I started out with some offcuts of the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">'Illuminating Spring' (by Stephanie Marrot for Wilmington Prints) </span> butterfly fabric I used in <a href="http://www.fred-and-cissy.com/2012/08/love-a-line.html">this skirt</a> (I have more left over, so they'll make another appearance at some point). I then ironed some non-woven iron-on interfacing on the back. I'd suggest using the stiffest that you have. As my fabric was an odd size, I used a sheet of baking paper over it to stop the excess interfacing sticking to the iron or the ironing board.<br />
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I then cut out full butterflies (there were some on the fabric with their wings folded, and I didn't use these), and by sheer luck my offcuts yielded 37 butterflies. I needed 36 for my project. I used nail scissors for the cutting, as they allowed the precision I needed. I wasn't too fussed if there was a small amount of background fabric left around each, and I also elected to cut off the antennae.<br />
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I then placed the butterflies in an arrangement that I was happy with, with the aim being to distribute the coloured ones throughout the frames. The hard bit then was to work out what the spacing should be and how to line them up on the background. <br />
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Somewhere around about here I cut my thick card into squares the right size to fit inside my frames. You need something with enough strength to take the weight of your butterflies without sagging over time.<br />
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I decided that I wanted to top of the wings to line up, rather than the bodies, and found that my quilting ruler was the best help for this. Just be careful to learn from my mistake, and account for the width of any matt when placing the butterflies - I had to remove these three and start again, as I was too close to the top of my backing board! Also, I found it easier to work upside down and to start with the bottom row, that way my ruler wasn't sitting on butterflies I'd already glued in place.<br />
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Now, fold your first butterfly in half, right sides together, so that your fold is along the body. Then apply hot glue to the wrong side of the body (ie. the outside of the fold). Press on to your background cardboard in the desired location, trying to keep the butterfly as folded as possible, but also making sure that the glue isn't attaching the two wings to each other. You'll need to work pretty fast, as the glue cools and sets quite quickly.<br />
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Repeat for the rest of your butterflies.<br />
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When the glue has cooled and set you can squeeze the wings together a bit more if you like. You can also pull off any glue threads that may be floating around.<br />
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Now you can frame them. I used frames with double mounts, and the butterflies sat up from the backing cardboard enough to make a shadow, but the glass did flatten them more than I expected. You could use a box frame if you wanted a more pronounced fold in the butterflies.<br />
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PS. See that red butterfly in the middle? It was really annoying me, as I attached it too low and the one below it too high. I used a scalpel and carefully cut them off the background, then re-glued them in place. Whilst you need to work quickly with the glue, mistakes can be rectified!<br />
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PPS. My butterfly fabric has a cream background, but the fabric that I used for my niece had a black background, and the butterflies looked quite different from the fabric itself once they were cut out and mounted on off-white card. Look at the colour of the butterflies, rather than the colour of the fabric when you're choosing a fabric for this project.<br />
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PPS. There are more butterfly art & craft ideas in my <a href="http://pinterest.com/FredandCissy/artwork-i-could-try-myself/">'artwork I could try myself' Pinterest board</a>...<br />
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Oh, and the Girl is more than happy to have something to look at on her walls at last:<br />
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Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-42899836701840216372012-09-12T13:17:00.000+10:002012-09-12T13:17:23.102+10:00A-line #2 (Playing Fabric Chicken)I'm not sure if its evident in what I make or not, but I usually wear solid colours. I'm not really into patterns or text on clothing. Not sure why. It surprised me then, that last year I was attracted enough to some large floral fabric to order it from the States with no particular end-product in mind. I wear a lot of red and black, and also white, and with the days getting warmer over the last few weeks, I decided to break out and turn it into another A-line skirt. There was only a yard (90cm) of the fabric, and the pattern calls for 2m, so figuring out how to cut it out and the length of the finished product took at least as long as the actual construction process. Here's my finished product:<br />
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The pockets are both for practicality, and also allowed me to overlap the pieces more on the fabric, meaning that I could keep this length without adding a contrast bottom at the hem. They're from the Aztec skirt in the Autumn/Winter 2012 Ottobre Design magazine.<br />
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To save fabric I also needed to ignore the direction of the print! The back it cut upside down, and as you can see I haven't made any attempt to match the pattern. I also cut separate 5.5cm wide hem facings for the bottom (cut at 90 degrees to the rest of the skirt) to maximise the length of the finished product.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPDGIWuWBUVisJYLP8-MT3JRJgy-k9aBzZ8Ni1XPWlyO2tfTZim5Sv2f1JY4Ca3Q2KsfB-IYTf9ihwlEeXE8uuQ7FzOTjMyPUBdfP94Ml4Qbm4rkCLzflU70zHJ48a-tZ2wWXr0akTYOQ/s1600/IMG_0941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPDGIWuWBUVisJYLP8-MT3JRJgy-k9aBzZ8Ni1XPWlyO2tfTZim5Sv2f1JY4Ca3Q2KsfB-IYTf9ihwlEeXE8uuQ7FzOTjMyPUBdfP94Ml4Qbm4rkCLzflU70zHJ48a-tZ2wWXr0akTYOQ/s400/IMG_0941.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Here's the complete details:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Pattern:</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> Nicole Mallalieu's A-line skirt</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Size:</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> 12 </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Modifications: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li>I shortened the pattern by 23cm, and cut separate hem facings. This allowed me to make a skirt that is around 20cm shorter than the pattern from my miniscule amount of fabric. </li>
<li>As with the <a href="http://www.fred-and-cissy.com/2012/08/love-a-line.html">Butterfly Skirt</a>, I trimmed the yoke by 1" at the waist.</li>
<li>I cut the waistband from a contrast fabric (again, saving my floral fabric). I'm not sure if I like the look of it or not, but the reality is that most of the time my top will hide it, as you can see in this dodgy self-taken shot.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1jd5HepdfYfnYRDVwDveNWatl8slmWOotIlfuh-aaQ_d4FHV4a2EDtuPndbu6T8Bvd79YZGKMtms4EQwg1yFHZfAX4KUetZJZLUrOldn2UoqQS87Ml0JoJZqTWiYpMRTSayQe3AYatKk/s1600/IMG_0929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1jd5HepdfYfnYRDVwDveNWatl8slmWOotIlfuh-aaQ_d4FHV4a2EDtuPndbu6T8Bvd79YZGKMtms4EQwg1yFHZfAX4KUetZJZLUrOldn2UoqQS87Ml0JoJZqTWiYpMRTSayQe3AYatKk/s400/IMG_0929.jpg" width="398" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>I added pockets, using white for the underpocket piece, so that the red wouldn't show through the floral fabric:</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GC_rtyhFHNQQdiDZ0oQJrm6FsmThX88FCF4vHPKK4hcGpQyhyhbVqPgX3tI_8g8R2sjU4cwwGfsGwBlcn8RImMeYKRZ3VW_HI3t2YQudgQZw40VtmuRJ5_9ilzKA4bVBiqm2uApEDsYP/s1600/IMG_0919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GC_rtyhFHNQQdiDZ0oQJrm6FsmThX88FCF4vHPKK4hcGpQyhyhbVqPgX3tI_8g8R2sjU4cwwGfsGwBlcn8RImMeYKRZ3VW_HI3t2YQudgQZw40VtmuRJ5_9ilzKA4bVBiqm2uApEDsYP/s400/IMG_0919.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used a 5mm seam, and then under-sewed the allowance to the white fabric.</td></tr>
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I then attached the red pocket piece to this (pinning across the top and the pocket opening and then sewing all round the outside of the pocket):</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbm7jabyF4SNwIVKq5CZFvHWFACTcN5VthHQKr_4i-plLrkKRnHwbYtDR-XqXImc9uX9QxD9aPqlrk2RnOqo-Ua333DE-EHGNkRzOFJKFHeqDBD0FirmvCoCSJMn5MRbvYcgU7kQotz_Sy/s1600/IMG_0924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbm7jabyF4SNwIVKq5CZFvHWFACTcN5VthHQKr_4i-plLrkKRnHwbYtDR-XqXImc9uX9QxD9aPqlrk2RnOqo-Ua333DE-EHGNkRzOFJKFHeqDBD0FirmvCoCSJMn5MRbvYcgU7kQotz_Sy/s400/IMG_0924.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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From there I treated the whole as if it were a single bit of material, and made up the skirt as usual.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Materials: </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">90cm of 'Artful Home' quilting cotton by Heather Mulder Peterson; and</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">'Jester' red cotton from the stash, but originally from Spotlight (I think I should have bought a bolt of this, I love the colour so much)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Lessons/Comments: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li>I didn't use the blind hemming foot to stitch in the ditch this time, and wished that I had. I also hand-hemmed it, and found that I would have been just as happy with the finished product if I had machine hemmed it like last time.</li>
<li>Making this skirt reminded me of <a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/2012/06/how-much-fabric-should-you-buy/" target="_blank">this post</a> over at Made by Rae. She lists the length of material she buys if she doesn't have a project in mind. Also, LiEr gives a good rule of thumb <a href="http://www.ikatbag.com/2010/06/how-i-estimate-yardage.html" target="_blank">over here</a>.</li>
</ul>
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Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-10674415062608773762012-08-27T15:38:00.001+10:002012-08-27T15:38:22.508+10:00Love the A-lineHave you checked out Nicole Mallalieu's <a href="http://www.nicolemdesign.com.au/shop/garment-patterns/2483-a-line-skirt.html" target="_blank">A-line skirt pattern</a> yet? I've had a hankering for a new skirt, 'just' the fabric in my stash, and amazingly no A-line skirt pattern in my collection. I bought Nicole's pattern, and am so glad I did. I made this skirt yesterday while the Cyclist and the boys were in Bendigo for the day, and was waxing lyrical about it by the time they got home.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlaBygO1HFIfcADl8A4r5Gqi1mTD3osdihl94AqsMMb680vqB9iMMvZUQSrKJMbccfvn4r59ZHLqVtHXx5fJctHZqil4pV_pQaZLpHxWZpI1-e6AdxbTxsYliv_fVRiiCfU2xcvj3N7zAY/s1600/IMG_0903.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlaBygO1HFIfcADl8A4r5Gqi1mTD3osdihl94AqsMMb680vqB9iMMvZUQSrKJMbccfvn4r59ZHLqVtHXx5fJctHZqil4pV_pQaZLpHxWZpI1-e6AdxbTxsYliv_fVRiiCfU2xcvj3N7zAY/s400/IMG_0903.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The pattern comes together really well, fits fantastically (she includes an instruction of how to modify the pattern if your waist is a size larger than your hips), and definitely doesn't look home made. Its also very adaptable. I've cut out a second version which I'll show off as soon as I've got it finished to show you what I mean.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Here's the details of my 'butterfly skirt':</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Pattern:</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> Nicole Mallalieu's A-line skirt</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Size:</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> 12 </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Modifications: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><br />
<ul>
<li>Trimmed the yoke by 1" at the waist to make this measurement equivalent to a size 16. </li>
<li>Added a panel of butterfly print fabric (underlined with a white poly-cotton) to the right side of the front. Nicole suggests that for denim you can applique the panel over the top of the base fabric. I found that the combined weight of the print and the poly-cotton was similar to the denim, so I pieced the front instead.</li>
<li>Added a side pocket on the right side.</li>
</ul>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGS0f7Xtf9TC-d9O5YI1ivRIJ4gzNiqCBZzL9H1Fq9U7t564fjscTyAJ5EYNqEoUCw36AwnkHjNTjoz5k6SDmq2nud39FX6r3bSI1LvMoI7rL1fSwsAz0ZyM6zWhUkP-2mSihF1Zf8oW1/s1600/IMG_0907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGS0f7Xtf9TC-d9O5YI1ivRIJ4gzNiqCBZzL9H1Fq9U7t564fjscTyAJ5EYNqEoUCw36AwnkHjNTjoz5k6SDmq2nud39FX6r3bSI1LvMoI7rL1fSwsAz0ZyM6zWhUkP-2mSihF1Zf8oW1/s400/IMG_0907.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butterflies in my pocket!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Materials: </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Black stretch denim and a remnant of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">'Illuminating Spring' (by Stephanie Marrot for Wilmington Prints) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">from the stash</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Lessons/Comments: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><br />
<ul>
<li>Nicole's directions really are fantastic. They gave me the nudge I need to try blind hemming for the first time. I also used the same foot to help me edge stitch and stitch in the ditch more accurately.</li>
<li>My feature panel's 1/4 of the width of the front piece, which's probably a little on the small side. </li>
<li>This was my second attempt at putting in an invisible zipper, and the first time with my new invisible zip foot. Her instructions are really good, and I was thrilled with the results yesterday. Looking at the photos, my job's not perfect, but I suspect that no one else will notice.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKrvkIk16Ch4dcCP6WNTXw9NUHWf802WddDcFwj_l-CftMcWnWnr89UwQ9aVsEsvvckUCIJ3RpiJbGObLzb0AfDK5oqfaA_lZ-4HdN9KvJRf4d4zYA_d9-4KGBvYn11s5i9nYszki0xWyZ/s1600/IMG_0905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKrvkIk16Ch4dcCP6WNTXw9NUHWf802WddDcFwj_l-CftMcWnWnr89UwQ9aVsEsvvckUCIJ3RpiJbGObLzb0AfDK5oqfaA_lZ-4HdN9KvJRf4d4zYA_d9-4KGBvYn11s5i9nYszki0xWyZ/s400/IMG_0905.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>I love this skirt so much that today I was tempted to tuck my top in to show it off, something that hasn't happened for a long time (probably since the waist grew to be two sizes larger than the hips!)</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbl0joAZoaU3XFT5XpMR9aoCgj0X-QGeQjYbbPK8qNNJvvWolQ0pfzkfMmrc6jUdHzudY7boID2LIx9umbwI1C78BSYU0JzWCOHmaiNbP6h3OmLfABSahq6jR9WOPHGz2B9P15KykepQs/s1600/IMG_0906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbl0joAZoaU3XFT5XpMR9aoCgj0X-QGeQjYbbPK8qNNJvvWolQ0pfzkfMmrc6jUdHzudY7boID2LIx9umbwI1C78BSYU0JzWCOHmaiNbP6h3OmLfABSahq6jR9WOPHGz2B9P15KykepQs/s400/IMG_0906.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More butterflies on the inside</td></tr>
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<br />Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-5938780359942970182012-08-09T08:51:00.001+10:002012-08-09T08:51:44.436+10:00Necessity is the mother of invention<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzkvqGoAJmy4Uchfphn4S79IWQxPPe2rOc1bWYFDn7gD882AstOsFxkoW_g-2SeQqJqYYs1V-b4wVO9xeXCan9Ep_4C_j0Oytif9P0wr7yjMinPYauzdjkYlrpWPlopeIpn-rzcxSLuN8/s1600/IMG_0858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzkvqGoAJmy4Uchfphn4S79IWQxPPe2rOc1bWYFDn7gD882AstOsFxkoW_g-2SeQqJqYYs1V-b4wVO9xeXCan9Ep_4C_j0Oytif9P0wr7yjMinPYauzdjkYlrpWPlopeIpn-rzcxSLuN8/s320/IMG_0858.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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That's it. That's my secret to staying creative. This picture symbolises this truth for me, because you're actually looking at my peg bag. When I moved into my first house 16 years ago I had no spare cash at all. I bought pegs, but didn't have a peg bag. I did have this old doctor's style handbag that I wasn't using. It turned out to be an excellent peg bag - I hang it across my body, with the bag at the front, and it sits open with the pegs within perfect reach. My mother in law felt sorry for me once, and bought me a new peg bag. It was very attractive, but made its way to the op shop without so much as being used (sorry A!), as I'm totally sold on what I already have.<br />
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For me, sometimes necessity is a financial imperative like this. Other times its not wanting to see something go to waste (such as the bookcases I inverted <a href="http://www.fred-and-cissy.com/2011/10/turning-bookcases-upside-down.html" target="_blank">here</a>, or any of my fantastic finds), the endless optimism of my children ("of COURSE you can make a Flash / dragon / Trash Gordon costume mum"), or a self-imposed challenge (eg. Pillowcases 6 ways).<br />
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If necessity fosters my creativity, for me its hampered by disorganisation. I'm all for taking time to ponder things, but taking time out of the creative process to search for things is just frustrating. I'm getting better at this, and my craft cupboard is now neatly boxed and labelled (the boxes and labels are 75% actual and 25% aspirational at this point in time). That didn't stop me from spending over an hour last Friday morning looking for the curtain wire I needed to attach the fabric to the desk screen I was finally finishing 8+ months on from moving office, but it has helped. If nothing else it has introduced a new necessity - the need to use up my stash and stop buying fabric, so that everything will actually fit in the boxes!<br />
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I have a love-hate relationship with Pinterest too - great for organising ideas, and stopping myself from endlessly trying to find 'that' picture I saw on 'that' blog 'somewhere', but also a time waster in itself.<br />
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I'm off to do 1/2 hour of actual crafting (the Cyclist is on the school run as its a blue moon), but later I'll be back to see what everyone else places as their top tips. See you soon!Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-14234835591185519712012-08-08T11:39:00.000+10:002012-08-08T11:39:04.108+10:00In praise of peach boxes<br />
Last week Kirsty put out the call to people on the <a href="http://dev.blogs.kidspot.com.au/villagevoices/my-creative-space-2-aug/" target="_blank">My Creative Space</a> page to blog about their top tip for staying creative. I've been thinking about it, and I think that I've come up with my answer (more of that tomorrow), but in doing so I was reminded about the importance of time management in the whole creative endeavour. I've spent way too much time over the years looking for things that I know that I have, and earlier on this year I adapted a storage idea I've been using for the kids toys for years: peach box drawers.<br />
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I love peach boxes. I wait for peach season because of the boxes more than the fruit. I've been meaning to dedicate a post to them for some time: <br />
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They're strong. <br />
They're a uniform size. <br />
They're stackable. <br />
They have holes you can use as finger pulls. <br />
(If you paint them) they look great. <br />
Things look instantly neater when they're put in them.<br />
They last better than plastic. <br />
When you're done with them you can recycle them. <br />
They're free. <br />
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Brilliant!<br />
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Here's how I use most of our collection at the moment:<br />
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(The one draw-back that I found was that I can't quite get two across into my craft cupboard, hence the mess to the right, but more of that tomorrow too.)<br />
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I first brought peach boxes home from the supermarket about 5 years ago, and am pleased to report that they're still going strong despite continuous use. I have (and still do) use them for the kids toys. Originally I took photos of the toys which they were supposed to contain, covered them with contact, and tied them on between the holes in the boxes. In theory that meant that the kids could put their toys away properly. In practice it made it easier for me at least! I'm a bit gentler on my boxes, and for my labels I folded plastic A5 sheet protectors and attached them to the boxes with double-sided tape. I made sure the slot in the top was accessible, that way I can change the labels when I like.<br />
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What's your top creative tip? I'm planning to join up tomorrow and have my say. I'll be looking forward to seeing what others come up with too.Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-73247004121058924362012-07-31T11:14:00.001+10:002012-07-31T11:14:43.397+10:00A hybrid topAs I mentioned in my last post, I loved the way the Topkids 63/3 top came together, but felt that sleeves were in order. <br />
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I'd love to learn to draft patterns, but the idea of drafting a sleeve pattern is just way too daunting (or perhaps, just a little time consuming) for me at this point in time. I pulled out the trusty <a href="http://www.fred-and-cissy.com/2012/02/pillowcase-dress-2-simplicity-4243-yet.html" target="_blank">Simplicity 4243</a>, and found to my surprise that in fact the two tops have a very similar cut. I overlaid the two pattern pieces to redraft the sleeve shape of my Topkids pattern, and was then able to use the Simplicity View E sleeve. I also shortened the pattern by 14cm whilst I was at it. All in all it was a pretty simple process once I remembered that the Simplicity pattern uses a mixture of seam allowances. Not at all like my previous experience of trying to merge two patterns together for myself!<br />
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I'm really happy with the result, and am already planning another from my stash. I think I'll round the back neckline this time too (I might just use the back pattern piece from the Simplicity pattern).<br />
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<br />Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-17580719685493277032012-07-28T11:20:00.000+10:002012-07-28T11:20:36.089+10:00Pillowcase Dress #3: Topkids 63, Design 3Here's the first of my 'Pillowcases 6 Ways' dresses for the upcoming spring and summer:<br />
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I finished it today, on what has to be one of Melbourne's most wintery days in what feels like the coldest and wettest winter for a long time, so there won't be any modelled shots for some time!<br />
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The pattern is from a Topkids magazine. I discovered these magazines at my local library a few years ago, and subsequently bought some used ones on e-bay. They've been out of print for some time (from what I can ascertain most of mine date from the late 1990s), and whilst some of the designs are a bit dated, plenty of them have appeal.<br />
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I found in using the <a href="http://www.fred-and-cissy.com/2012/01/pillowcase-dress-1-simplicity-4243.html" target="_blank">first dress</a> that the blue pattern on the pillowcases fades as it is washed (great if you've embroidered over it, but not so good if you're relying on it for decoration), so this time I used part of the patterned section of the pillowcase and selectively embroidered it using a simple backstitch. I'm banking on the blue you can see fading within 2-3 washes.<br />
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The ric-rac is unforgivingly narrow, and comes from the stash I inherited from my Grandmother. There's loads more of it, so hopefully I'll become more skilled in sewing it on accurately with practice. The buttons were from the op shop, giving the dress a total purchase price of 30 cents!<br />
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The pattern came together quite well, however I have noticed that I already have several sleeveless tops/dresses for A for this spring/summer, so I'm thinking of making another version with sleeves. I think I'll also make it tunic length, to make it easier for her to crawl in when the time comes.<br />
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The background and my 'rules' for the Pillowcases 6 Ways challenge can be found <a href="http://www.fred-and-cissy.com/2012/01/pillowcases-6-ways.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and my previous creations are <a href="http://www.fred-and-cissy.com/2012/01/pillowcase-dress-1-simplicity-4243.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.fred-and-cissy.com/2012/02/pillowcase-dress-2-simplicity-4243-yet.html" target="_blank">here</a>.Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-27841337068612031692012-07-27T17:33:00.001+10:002012-07-27T17:33:48.347+10:00Gran's Creative SpaceThis week's Creative Space is brought to you by my mum. I promise I have been creating myself though, and will return next time around with some of my own work.<br />
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We had a special 'dedication' service for A at church last Sunday. Its a bit like a christening, but without the water - the Cyclist, the boys and I got up the front and publicly thanked God for our Newbie, and promised to raise her as best we can with the help of the assembled family and friends. In celebration Mum gave her a blanket to represent the love of her extended family. Mum would probably say she's not into patchwork, but she has an embroidery machine and can crochet (check out the combined work in both!), and the result certainly looks like a twist on patchwork to me.<br />
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Each square is of polar fleece, with a backing of flannel for added warmth and to hide the back of the embroidery. They're overlocked around the edges, then joined together with several rows of crocheted cotton. There are nine different bears, plus one square with A's name and birth date.<br />
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The blanket's spent the week in the car and the pram, getting maximum exposure on the school run and generally being loved (snuggled into, played peek-a-boo with and drooled on) by its young owner.<br />
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Thanks Mum!Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8350718208814977525.post-58685223128489754252012-07-05T14:16:00.000+10:002012-07-05T14:16:43.055+10:00The "Big Boy's" Creative SpaceMy eldest has declared he wants to be known as the 'Big Boy', even though he knows that within a couple of years his younger brother (by three years) will be taller than him. Being school holidays, today's Creative Space is all about the Big Boy. Here's what he came up with yesterday:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pikachu from Lego</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">3D hand picture inspired by <a href="https://pinterest.com/pin/96053404523201048/" target="_blank">this Pin</a>.</span></td></tr>
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He's thrilled with both, and now wants to do more drawings of his hand and of other shapes (a hot air balloon is next I understand). <br />
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There's also been a whole lot of CS Lewis (he's made a Lego Dawn Treader and associated paraphernalia), interspersed with Nintendo, going on here. How are your holidays panning out? Does a break from school mean more or less creative time for you?Jackie @ Fred-and-Cissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15178035491468043170noreply@blogger.com1