Pineapple, yummy yummy.

I have attempted recently to make a fruity summery dress for this festive season.
I tried the infamous Butterick  4790 walkaway dress, but the waist was way too long and all that bias binding is Way to time consuming to remove.  I looked alot like a picnic blanket, eek. It's been filed in the LATER basket.
I also attempted a 90's version of the vogue 6478, in a very fruity lime print, except with a very full skirt.  The style 4337 pattern, made me look like Christmas ham, flavoured with limes.  I may be able to salvage a skirt from it, but for now it's been put in my LATER basket.

After searching Ebay and paying only $5, I found Vogue 6478, the envelope is tatty, but the pattern was unused in factory folds.  I am in love with this pattern.  It was pretty easy to make, once I ignored the unclear instructions.  I even fully lined it.  I spent some time hand stitching openings, the zip and the hem.  I am as pleased as a pineapple punch.  No alteration needed.  I really ought to stop buying prints though, it was tricky to line the pineapple up so my but wasn't ginormous!  Oh and I had to buy a new bra and wear in in a crazy way.  If I hadn't had 3 babies and breastfed them for a total of 4 years combined, I may have got a way with no bra. 
Anyhoo here are a couple of picks of my Fruity festive frock!

And here are my options for my next project.  Hmm, a skirt or a dress.....

Crying Boy

What a find. A few months ago, I found this print, unframed at a garage sale for $8.  Recently I sold some handmade treassure at a market and decide to frame my little darling.  While at the frame shop I walked into an op shop and found a girl version, for $12.  I couldn't leave her there, she needed a home, so I now ave 2 crying children. 

Why do they cry?  I don't know, but they are so lovely.  My kids are fascinated by them, as I am, but I can't keep collecting them can I?  That's a bit morbid, a house filled with crying children.
The girl print has some water damage at the bottom.  I am reluctant to change the dimensions of the print, but am unsure if I can remove the water marks, Tut!
They are both by an Artist called G or J Bragolin.  He has done numerous crying children.  But my little boy is by far the most beautiful. 
The crying boy looks a lot like Alby, except with brown eyes. 

Stella the Artist

What do you buy people who have everything?  You get your almost 7 year old to paint portraits of them.  Stella lives with a pencil in her hand and is always leaving paper everywhere, so she rose to the challenge of painting portraits.  I can't show them all, for fear of certain people seeing them, but here is a sneak peak.

Hard at work

Ginger having a go

One of the finished portraits

Christmas Cheer

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here.  It's hot and stormy this year in Brisbane, which beats hot and dry.  The kids are all home from school and learning to play in the dynamic of 3 again.  The tree is up and some presents are made and wrapped.
It has been a while between blogs, as I have been a very busy mummy.  As well as sewing up some Chrissie pressies for teachers and family and friends, all of which I have not documented, (due to last minute sewing and giving and posting);  there has been school break up parties and Stella's 7th birthday party.

My fave retro style decoration on the tree.

Gi Gi with my real vintage angel, it plays music and turns.

 

 

 

 

Kindy break up party food, so yummy.

Stella's Pool Party

It was a pretty wet day, but that didn't stop the girl's swimming.
Rather than a goody bag packed with lollies and cheap toys, I opted to make a few Betty Boop beach bags.  For a fun activity and a goody to pop in the bag, I bought the girls some thongs and they decorated them by knotting on strips of different coloured fabric, (great way to use some remnants).  Unfortunately I wasn't very good at getting photos of the ambient surroundings, blow up palm trees, tropical punch in goblets with straws and parasols and the pool looked fab with stacks of colourful floaties, but it was a smashing success.

The cake looks fabulous, but tasted like pure sugar.

Costumes Galore

I am Frazzled at the moment, parties, plays, market stalls, I have been sewing like crazy, all while getting the kiddies off to their usual things.  I may have just accepted a pineapple challenge too, ( make a hat that looks like a pineapple).  All this, and all I want to do is sort out my workspace, organize my patterns and make myself and maybe Stella, some summer frocks.  Ho hum!
The Christmas tree goes up tomorrow and this will just be a constant reminder to start Christmas shopping.  Stella is having a pool party for her birthday this year on the 12th.  We are having Christmas eve and morning at our house, running around Christmas Day and Boxing Day, then off to Coffs for a Holiday on the 27th, which is Stella's actual birthday.  Ho hum!
Evil clown, though way to cute to be evil!
Anyhow, this is my chance to show some things I've been making..... 

Medusa, bit top heavy.

Lizard girl

Spooky kids?

Skull boy

Skull boy in full costume

Evil clown, but way too cute to be evil.

 

 

 

Cow for the Kindy play

Sheep for the kindy play.

Pool Party and Portraits

I am such a busy mummy lately, I have documented all this fabulous stuff and have had no time to blog it.  I'll start with a splash of pretty pink.
Stella had some swimming lessons through school and had to wear a swimming cap to stop the spread of lice eggs.  Those latex caps are horrible to wear at the best of times, but impossible for a six year old to put on herself.  Mummy pulled out a cap pattern, omitted the brim, added some ruffles and a button and wa la,Stella was the spunkiest gal in the pool, oh la 50's style and didn't shy away from the attention either.

This term's student free day, I decided to paint with the kiddies and Stella has blown me away with how good a little artist she is becoming.  The kids, 96 year old Nanny Great is visiting us in Australia, from England and this is who Stella decided to paint, and this is the end result, photographed with the subject.  Way too cute.  Nan is leaving tomorrow and we will miss her alot, but what a great photo to put on the wall.

Recovering a Dress Form

I have wanted to try using a dress form for a while, but couldn't justify spending a stack of money on something I may barely use. I kept a look out on Ebay, but the prices quickly got out of my price range. Flicking through the paper one day I found one listed for sale minus stand, for $50. I drove through the rain, with a sleeping baby for half an hour to find that it was an Autoset, Diana, in terrible condition, rusty, cracked plastic in places and the fabric cover turned to red sand with a touch. I drove away, got 10 minutes a away, turned around and over the professional junk dealer $20. We settled on $35 and I took it home, quite excited.

 After carefully removing screws that held the fabric in place, I raced the shapes plus 1cm all around onto new fabric that I chose.  I wasn't sure what I was meant to recover the dress form in, but I chose a sparkly stretch Jersey. 

While cleaning the dress form, it's top came away from it's bottom, which was just as well, because covering it was to be easier this way.  I sprayed the rusty bits with a matte black, rust kill type spray paint and was then ready to recover.
Armed with glue, bull clips and pegs I commenced the long process of gluing.  I glued the fronts on first, waited for the glue to set a bit, snipped the curves, trimmed the hems where needed and held the hems in place with bull clips and pegs, just long enough for the glue to set.  At the bust, I actually had to cut a dart, much the same as I would sew one,  as the fabric was bulky. 

cut dart

It was long tedious process, and I am thrilled with the end result.  There is a couple of things that need to be fixed, like a permanent stand, and repairing some broken plastic, which will make her more stable, but for now, she is ready to play.  Now my pretties, what shall be the first thing I will make?

Sweetness and Love.

 This beautiful dress is being given away.  I want to be that girl wearing this dress in the sun in the park having a picnic with my set hair.  If I don't win this little beauty than it will surely be inspiration to make myself something as feminine and floral.  Good luck my pretties.  Follow the link below.

Fabulous Fluer Dress giveaway.

A very busy Mummy.

  

Lately, it has been sew sew sew.  Nothing especially fabulous, nothing for myself.  But I must say some fabulous results.  
Curtains for the newly renovated dining and work space.

Ghetto Hat for sale at some handmade markets and for sale on etsy.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/StitchItUpStella

NEW ACQUISITiONS

I've recently come across some beauties from op shops and church sales, for a steal.  

between 10c and $1, lots more not pictured.

present from aunty Pat and uncle Pete, they bought them in 1974.  Wallpaper from germany, being hung tonight.  EEK.

a present from Meegs, purchased for a steal from an antique shop. LOVE.

Carpet Art and crochet owl, I love, mostly everyone else hates.  No taste, some people.

Glass ball.  I LOVE glass.

 

 

 

 

 

 A BABY

 Baby OCKI.  I had the joy, and the stress of watching my nephew be born, all naturally.  Beautifully big  4kg  boy.  Totally in love with him. 

This is the reason I haven't had my camera, but I don't mind at all.

50's Pink Lady

Hello pretties.  O wow, I'm a finalist in a sewing competition.  Please vote my dress as the best.  This mumma needs a new dress!

http://vintagepatterns.wikia.com/wiki/Vintage_Sewing_Giveaway

Kimono Dreaming......

mummy and her pin up babes.

I had this fabulous Kimono, op shopped for maybe $4 years ago, and finally transformed it into something I can wear and show off.  Basically the sleeves of the kimono I used as the halter part of the dress and the robe part is the body.  The straightness of the dress doesn't allow my big rushing mummy strides, more like iddy bitty Keisha strides, but that's kinda nice and in keeping with the original use of the dress.  I need to fix the bodice so it does not gape, until then I will wear a bikini top under to keep the girls in their rightful place.  Any tips on how to fix the top would be appreciated.

All the Wild Horses

I found this super cute printed cotton jersey at the local fabric shop for only $4 a meter and couldn't leave without buying some, even though I didn't know what I was going to make.  I'm not overly confident sewing with stretch fabrics and got a few tips from the lovely ladies at my local shop.

When I got home, I went through my hundred of patterns looking for a dress to make.  I found Simplicity 8264 a 1978 Jiffy pattern, and it was.  Thanks to the previous owner, Jeanette, the pattern even came with an extra short sleeve piece already made.  I love my new dress it is easy to wash and wear, no ironing needed, excellent for a busy mummy.