Mistress of the fly

Ha! Fly fronted trouser, I scoff at you!

I have just completed my first fly fronted flare (try saying that after a couple of glasses of Rioja) and am feeling really quite clever!

I used a 70s McCalls pattern which came from a car boot fair without instructions. Out came my trusty friend the Readers Digest Complete Guide to Sewing, and together, we worked out how to add "some" inches to the waist (Eek, did a size 12 really have a 25" waist in the 70s? Who was eating all those Vienetta's?) and how to fashion a pretty decent fly.

Whoop whoop, I'm so pleased I did a little victory dance in the garden...

...(oh alright then, I'll be honest, this wasn't really a dance, just me getting a bit confused with my camera's self-timer). Still, nice trousers, if I do say so myself.

Dressing for summer

The spell of warm weather we've had lately took us by surprise a bit and I realised Freya's wardrobe was made up mostly of long sleeved tops and cardigans. She was starting to look a bit red in the face, so time to whip out the sewing machine for a quick summer wardrobe.

I found some amazing lobster fabric (in Darn it and Stitch) but thought a whole crustacean be-decked outfit might look a bit like theme dressing. Instead we went for a top in light brown and white stripes with lobster accents. The pattern we chose (Mccalls M4756) has a slightly more severe shape than I'd anticipated - next time I'll adjust the neckline to make it more scooped. So, I think the result is ummm, interesting, but hopefully in a good way - you're definitely not going to find this baby on the high street.  An added bonus is hearing Freya referring to her LOB-ster top  - with fruity Rowan Atkinson style pronounciation!

top and leggings: made by mummy, banana: model's own

the perfect outfit for a quick getaway

One of the quickest and easiest things in the "oh help we've run out of clothes" section of my head, is the elasticated waist skirt. I've been thinking about writing a tutorial - it's pretty self explanatory but in an emergency it's always good to have the "working it out for yourself" bit taken out of the equation! I'll let you know when I finally get round to it! There are a few different variations, but this time, I went for two vintage fabrics and ricrac combo. The bottom section fabric was a bit stiffer than the top section which means it doesn't gather up quite as much and creates this kind of sticky-out/bell shape. Totally unintentional, but I like it!

 

Another go-to toddler style is the classic elasticated sleeve and neckline peasant dress.  Over the last couple of weeks I've whipped up 2 dresses and 2 tops.  My model is starting to get a bit tetchy about having her photo taken, so I have only managed to get a shot of one version. For this one I used the same fabric for body and sleeves but added a bow - for the other top and the dresses I've been using contrasting fabric for the sleeves.

 

Freya perfects the "London look"

Finally, the black and white leggings, and rose leggings in the top pictures are another McCalls pattern (M6388). Amazingly quick and easy - I'd definitely recommend making your own leggings if you, like me, get annoyed that they always come in packs of two where one is funky and the other one is pink. By my calculations I will be able to fill an entire chest of drawers with pink leggings by the time Freya is 5.

Wowsers, check out these trousers!

Trousers - a word that has never been the same for me since it became a 3 minute mantra during a tipsy conversation with an Australian in Chile.  Anyway....

After making way too many baby trousers in my pre-Esther nesting frenzy, the lovely Emily from Oxford's Shop at the Old Fire Station commissioned a small range. The reversible trousers in my original post were based on a fab pattern from Made by Rae.  Using someone elses pattern for commercial purposes is of course a big no-no, so I drafted my own trouser pattern (higher back, deeper crotch, longer leg with more shaping etc) and added details such as leg pockets and cute bum appliques. I used 4 different fabric combos - 2 girly and 2 unisex in sizes 0-3 months and 3-6 months.

I really enjoyed drafting my own pattern - of course, it's something I do with bags all the time, but drafting clothes patterns from scratch has been something I've done much more of since having the girls - maybe it's because baby clothes use up so much less fabric that the risk of disaster feels less significant!

So, if you're in Oxford and passing the Old Fire Station take a peak at my baby pants! Oh, and if you're ever at a loss for something to do, try saying "trousers" repeatedly for 3 minutes.

Yoga bags

On a post-baby quest to relocate a pelvic floor, I recently rediscovered my love of yoga. Dusting off the yoga mat I decided a new mat bag would definitely help get me more bendy (procrastinating, moi?). 

I've now added a range of vintage fabric yoga mat bags to my shop - they might not make you bendy but they will make your mat look pretty!

This week I will mostly be stroking the latest additions to my vintage fabric stash...