.Little Monkey Basic Tee.

Thanks ladies for the lovely comments and feedback about my new pattern, The Honey Blouse.  The pattern has started hitting shops so you should be able to find one online or near you now.  If you'd like to see another version made up, check out Karen's gorgeous red spotty blouse!

I told you I had a few more Basic Tees to share...here is Tommy is all of his cuteness, wearing his little monkey long-sleeved version.

Lisa at Crafty Mamas threw in this monkey print free with my last order (she looks after me like that!)...I'm still getting used to novelty print knit fabrics - for some reason I can't see past PJs, but I've changed my mind after sewing with a few of them now and think they are great for every day kids clothing too.

Last time he wore the tee, someone asked me if it was Sooki Baby (love that brand!) but I was happy to proudly tell them no, I made it myself :)

The tee is cute, but even cuter is watching Tommy make monkey actions and sounds every time he looks at his top!  Love it!

SUPPLIES:
Make It Perfect, Basic Tees pattern
Vicente knit, Cheeky Monkeys in Turquoise
Stella knit in Chocolate 

.The Honey Blouse - just for YOU!.

I hope you girls are all ready for some selfish sewing because I've got a new pattern to share with you today...something special you can sew just for yourself!

THE HONEY BLOUSE

 The Honey Blouse is a versatile top boasting pure and simple elegance.  With subtle gathers to give a feminine feel and a slimming waistband, The Honey Blouse is flattering for all body shapes and sizes.   

 The puff-shaped three-quarter length sleeves and scoop neckline feature a fancy twisted trim to add personality and detail.  

 

  With options to wear side ties long or short, The Honey Blouse can easily be worn as a casual top or quickly glammed up for a night out with some pretty jewellery and heels!

I really enjoyed designing this top.  It was a slow and steady process and spread out over a much longer space of time than I usually take to design my patterns, but you've really got to be particular with women's patterns, they can be tricky to get "just right" and I'm thrilled with the flattering fit and sophisticated feel that has been achieved with The Honey Blouse.

I've made a couple of these blouses now (will share soon!) and have played around with using double gauze and cotton voile fabrics and recommend using a fabric with a soft drape (such as these two) to give The Honey Blouse a lovely fit and comfortable feel. 

Once again, thanks a million to Chelsea Parsons photography for these lovely images.  And the lovely Chelsea herself for modelling The Honey Blouse - isn't she gorgeous?!

You'll find more information about The Honey Blouse on the Make It Perfect website.  If you are looking for a place to purchase a copy of the pattern for yourself, take a look at our stockists or ask your favourite store to order one in for you.  


I'll be giving away a copy of The Honey Blouse to one lucky winner - simply leave a comment on this blog post to enter!!
(Please make sure you leave an email address with your comment.  Giveaway will close Monday 3rd October and winner will be drawn at random).

.Floating Fairies Basic Tee.

These Basic Tees are becoming a little addictive!!  I made a new collection of them for the kids over the weekend...I just love how I can decide exactly what colours and prints I'm mixing and matching rather than being stuck with what is in the shops...plus, my knit fabric stash is steadily growing and I really need to start using more of it up!!

Here's the first one - another long-sleeved version for Lil.  I left out the gathers in the sleeves for this one because I thought it was busy enough without them.  Light-weight long-sleeved tees are just right for the weather we are having lately, sunny days with a cool breeze...

I wasn't 100% sure about the Floating Fairies fabric...whether it was a bit to crazy or not, but love it now that it has been made up.

I'm still really enjoying this pattern - I managed to cut and sew 6 new tees for the kids in 1 day!  Beats dragging everyone to the shops and coming home with way more than I intended to...would rather spend that money on more fabric!!


SUPPLIES:
Make It Perfect, Basic Tees pattern
Sydilla interlock, Floating Fairies in Lime
Stella knit in Pastel Pink

.Cushions replaced!.

A change is as good as a holiday, right?  I finished new cushion covers to live in the loungeroom last night and couldn't be happier with them today.  You might remember my old cushions...I made them at the end of last year and they just haven't worked for me or our home.  Wrong colours, wrong designs.

This time around I took my time selecting the fabrics.  I didn't want anything matchy-matchy so grabbed a few of my favourite fabrics from my stash and played around until I came up with a collection I was happy with. 

There is definitley nothing matchy-matchy about these fabrics!  Although the more I look at them, I can see why they work well together - there are a few from the same ranges, the scale of most of the prints are small or have a small detail about them and there is a focus on grey, lilac, aqua and green...

Cushions really are a quick and easy way to spruce up a room and freshen things up a bit - could I claim this as my spring cleaning for the year?!

My favourite method for making cushion covers is hiding the zipper under a folded flap of fabric.  It gives a really neat and professional finish.  I don't like envelope closures as they always tend to stretch open and look sloppy over time.  If you are interested, here is a handy tutorial to hide the zippers in your cushion covers.

I was a little worried about using regular quilting weight cotton to make the cushions.  In past experience they have become saggy and stretched and haven't been able to withstand the beatings that our cushions get (see below) so this time I fully lined each cushion using a piece of (dodgy) scrap fabric I had lying around.  Nothing fancy with the lining, just cut a piece the same as the exterior and overlocked them together around the edge and then worked with the joined pieces as one.  It has made a huge difference in the stability of the cushions and I'm confident they will be long-lasting.

Now, as much as I love my cushions to decorate our home and inject a pop of colour, the kids love them more to throw around and play with!  Some days it drives me C.R.A.Z.Y!  I am constantly picking cushions up off the floor, but the small-fries love it!!

Hmm, looks like fun...I might have to join them in their antics next time! 

SUPPLIES:

Umbrella Prints, Floating Flowers

Umbrella Prints, Elephants

Umbrella Prints, Raindrops

Erin McMorris, Summersault, Pixiestick Posies in Turquoise

Erin McMorris, Summersault, Raindrops in Celery

Erin McMorris, Wildwood, Checked Floral in Green

Saffron Craig, Magical Lands, Magic Spots

Lizzy House, 1001 Peeps, Pearl Bracelet in Purple

Jennifer Moore, Monaluna, Hip to Be Square in Steel 

.A whole lota zippers.

Awhile ago my sister gave me a massive zip-lock bag full of zippers.  She had been to a deceased estate sale and the lady of the house must have been into thrifty sewing because she had a whole hoard of zippers stashed in one of her draws - most of them had been unpicked from old items of clothing.

I'm just about to start making some new cushion covers for our couch cushions but have been pushing the project back as it means making a trip to the shops to pick up some zippers - then I remembered the big bag of old lady zippers in the cupboard and problem solved!!

I didn't think I would ever use them, still overcoming my issues with second-hand stuff, but if it means saving me a trip to the shops and a bit of money I think I'm going to face my issues and get on with it!

There are actually some really cool zippers in the stash...lots of retro looking ones and funky shaped pulls.  Even some brand new ones still in their vintage packaging.  

 

I'll definitley be remembering to dive into my zipper collection next time I need to sew something with zippers, who knows what treasures I will find?!  Perhaps I'll make one of these funky no-fabric zippered pouches just to use some of them up!

.Things I'm Crushing...OUR WORLD.

I remember as a child that we always had a world globe sitting on top of our TV.  It wasn't just a decoration...the globe was pretty battered and worn.  We would play games with it all the time - spin it as fast as we could and stop our fingers on a country.  The last I remember, it was very faded, the paper was lifting and edges were torn.  I'm thinking it was tossed away, but I wish we still had it.  I've been thinking about that globe lately and how I want a globe in our home - one that can be played with so that the children have an opportunity to explore the world and see how countries and oceans make it up.  Then I started spotting globes, maps and some great creations on Pinterest and I'm loving them - wouldn't the world map make a great theme for decorating a boy's bedroom?

 

 

 

 

 

 

What an amazing world we have!

(All image sources - and more world map images - can be found on my Globe Pinterest Board.)

.Hello comfy undies...goodbye to wedgies.

I have just sent off my next pattern to testers and photographers to do their stuff and am treating myself with a little bit of "just for fun" sewing.  

For a long, long time I have owned the Children's Undies pattern by That Darn Kat with intentions to have a go at sewing some for the kids but the project just kept being pushed further and further back.  Lil has just outgrown her last purchased undies and I am sick of complaints of wedgies and seeing more than I need to under her skirt when her legs are spread!  (The people that design kids undies should really keep in mind that little girls flash all the time and actually require a bit more coverage than adults do!)

These undies are sensational.  I made six for her and one for her cousin and they are quite a quick sew once you get the hang of it.  As I was sewing them I did wonder if I was totally wasting my time - not sure if they would compare with Disney Princesses and My Little Pony, but I need not worried.  She was over the moon and looooves them.  She has been wearing them for about a week now and doesn't give a second glance to the store-bought undies in her cupboard.  

As you can probably tell, I didn't put a lot of thought into the fabric combinations...I set myself a rule to only use fabric scraps and just mixed and matched without worrying about the finished look.  Some of the fabric is scraps from other projects and others are saved bottom halves of t-shirts I have cut up to make Cupcake Dresses from my book.  I like 'em though, a little crazy - just like the wearer!

I can tell they are totally comfortable.  And the fact that they actually cover her bottom with no gaping holes is great.  I was starting to wonder what we would do about the flashing under her school uniform next year, but now I think I'll whip up a batch of navy blue undies and my problems will be solved! 

I personally love it when she gallops around the house in undies and singlet now - cutest little bottom ever...

The pair that didn't make it to the photo shoot...I like this look better than seeing the top of her bottom when she bends over!

.Thermomix Cooking - Oat & Apricot Slice.

I'm on a bit of a health kick at the moment - trying to curb a few bad snacking habits and get myself ready for Summer!  I still love baking though and have been making a few things for Jaron and the kids to eat but recently came across this healthy recipe for Oat & Apricot slice that I can enjoy too!  It is really filling, full of lots of good for you ingredients and great for breakfast or lunch on the run with a piece of fruit or tub of yoghurt.  Of course, making them is a breeze in the Thermo - if you don't have a Thermo, just combine everything in a bowl with a wooden spoon!

(P.S. If you have any favourite healthy baking or snacking recipes or ideas - send them my way!)

Oat & Apricot Slice

170g wholemeal plain flour
1tsp baking powder
120g brown sugar
50g quick oats
15 chopped apricots
20g sunflower seeds
20g butter
2 small eggs, beaten

Combine butter and eggs in TMX, speed 8 for 4 seconds.
Add remaining ingrediends.  Knead on interval speed for 30 seconds to combine.
Press into a greased 20cm square tin and smooth top with back of spoon.
Bake in 170 degree oven for 25 minutes.
When completely cool, cut into 8 slices.

.Bargain fabric...I couldn't resist!.

I'm the first to admit that I'm a fabric snob...I'm all about good quality and style.  I haven't bought fabric from Spotlight in a long time.  In fact, I only try and visit the shop a couple of times a year and stock up on thread, zippers, buttons and other bits and pieces that I need.  This time I needed bits and pieces but also wanted to check out the Denyse Schmidt fabric exclusive to Spotty.

We are still on school holidays here, so we packed up a picnic, piled into the car and drove off to Spotlight with the promise that after we had finished we would find a nice grassy park to have a play and some lunch.

So I got all of my needed bits and pieces but when we got to the cutting table I discovered a huge $2m clearance table and I just couldn't resist!  I made myself look for the best quality and only made purchases with projects IN MIND...and i'm going to actually use it!  The kids were INSANE.  Spotlight for them = running races and hiding spots and crazy antics.  The man who was serving me at the desk asked them about 50 times to stop climbing on the shelf, don't stand on the fabric, get out of that hole...all the while I smiled sweetly at him and them.  Isn't it nice when someone else does your parenting for you!  Seriously man, if you are going to have a massive $2m table piled high with fabric then get cutting and ignore the naughty children!

So, back to the purchases...these pinwhale cords are going to be some lovely summer skirts and shorts for the kids - I like the fact that these are going to be super cheap to make so won't matter if they get them stained in the first wear!  I bought HEAPS of navy blue - it's the kids school pants colour so I figure I can get good use out of it over the next few years!

 Couldn't resist some checks and ginghams...

I found a big roll of hounstooth!  LOVE it and can't wait to make myself a pencil skirt out of it!  Also a jungle print jersey knit (not the best quality but good for a simple baby wrap) and some dress up fabric for Lil - ballerina and mermaid here we come!

And lastly, the measly amount of Denyse Schmidt that I went for!  I spent more on these three pieces than everything else above combined!!!  It is a lovely collection, but I couldn't see myself doing much with the country-style prints.  The spots are great though and the check is going to be really cool for shorts for the boys!  

Looks like I've got some sewing to do!