Crafty goodness - I have been sewing!

Hellooooo! Some crafty goodness today - I have been sewing!

This dress was simple, just a few rectangles sewn together, strapless, and then some casing for the elastic in the back, whip a belt around the middle, voila! Popped this together a few weeks ago for a surpringly hot day, but haven't had the opportunity to photograph it. I wish I had a better photo of this dress (a full length one may have been helpful, right?), but I don't. So instead, I'll ask you to imagine the dress that then just falls to just below my knees and has the same trim on the bottom as it has on the top.

Oh, I did take another photo with my tripod one day at the park, but as I am behind my two boys, it just looks as though I am completely naked. Bother.

On other news I am attempting to make a wee cot quilt for Little Pickle. I have no idea how it's done, having only made one for the Gherkin, some years ago, but am giving it a bash anyway. Given that the boys have only just started going to sleep on their own (perhaps a very happy and unanticipated consequence of sharing a bedroom?) we have decided to delay Little Pickle's shift from a cot to a big boy bed for as long as we can. My little man is definitely not going to outgrow the cot anytime soon! So, it's time I made him some special bedding for his cot, at least. I am determined to use fabric from my stash only, but we'll see how that turns out. Photos of the work in progress next time.
Life in the country seems to suit us so far - we are catching (and returning safely) tadpoles, picking flowers, finding bugs, splashing in puddles, admiring the local birdlife, getting up close and personal with moss and mushrooms, watching storms (yes, we have had a bit of rain) and we are slowly starting to recognise some local faces.
I hope you are well and happy? Until next time, have fun xx

ps. for mr pickles

Dear Mr Pickles,

Happy Valentines Day, my Very Favourite Man. (I know we don't usually celebrate this, but, there you have it).

What a road we have travelled together! (I would travel it with you all over again).

I hear there is even more of the good stuff - loving, cuteness, cuddles and kisses still to come.

I love you (and not just because you are an amazing daddy).

Wifey Pickles xoxo

(raindrops on roses... and from our very own garden)  

Happy valentines day to you!

I thought I would celebrate all things hearty today by sharing some of my pinterest favourites of the moment. Enjoy xx

1. Hearts 2. Red Heart Pillow 3. Love Canvas 4. French Hearts

Oh! and a little tribute to some of my other little favourites, too, on a day all about love love love...

(the gherkin, printing with banksia pods from the garden)

(little pickle, inspecting a lily)

(the boys, belting out so long, farewell from sound of music)

Chat soon xx

thrifting thursday returns!

It seems I have moved to a land of plentiful opshops and garage sales, filled to the brim with gorgeous vintage fabrics, doileys and, yes, japanese ceramics. I love my new little donkey, who only cost me 50 cents. Hooray!

Chat soon xx

A Big Move.

Hello hello!

So, I have Big News. We Have Moved! To The Country! And loving it.

We have space to breathe, the boys can run amok, the pug has been running (I know, hard to believe), and it is green green green from every window. It is cold in the middle of summer (yes, the boys are wearing at least two shirts each in this photo!), but lovely. Just lovely.

And there is room for my dear friend (yet to be named - any suggestions?), excitingly, inside the house (unlike at our last place where all things crafty were banished to the shed, just because of lack of space).

I have been busy on the crafty front too, with some pieces I can't reveal as yet (becase they are horribly overdue gifts), but will reveal soon. Oh! And am thinking of doing some markets shortly, so I will have to share all my crafted goodies for sale. Perhaps I might also pop some in the etsy shop again...?

Or perhaps I could stop my random chatter and instead share some photos of our new home.

Chat soon, and have fun xx

Not fallen off the face of the earth, just taking a break.

Hi there! If you are still stopping by, good on you, and thanks. Happy New Year!

Life has been... mad. As it is for everyone, nothing out of the ordinary. I was feeling a bit sad at the end of 2011, and so, well, didn't have much to say. And then I was almost too embarrassed to come back in here after such an embarrassingly long break... and couldn't work out what a suitably interesting return post might be! I thought perhaps one way to get back into it might be to give you a wee glimpse of what I have been doing since last we spoke (sorry, no crafty adventures here - next time).

I hope you all had lovely Christmases (if this is something you celebrate) and a Happy New Year so far.

I solemnly promise to return very soon!
xx

successful refashion! man's shirt to a woman's top

Well hello there! Sorry about only revealing the lower bit of my face - have had a shocking haircut, and am hardly ready to face the supermarket, let alone the world wide web ;)

There's been some sewing going on here, brought on by our recent hot weather.  In a moment of desparation I found myself an old shirt of Mr Pickles' (in the charity bag). Grabbed an old favourite dress and two and a half hours later, voila! A new top.
Firstly credit where credit is due. I spotted these images on pinterest and have been thinking about making something similar ever since....

So here is my first bash a sewing tut! I think now I could knock one of these tops together in very little time, given that most of my two and a half hours was spent scrunching up my face, tilting my head, wondering if this was actually going to work out...

But before we begin, some warnings...

1. I am a super-beginner sewer
2. I have no sense of what may be considered "right" or "wrong" in terms of terminology, techniques, etc
3. I failed Textiles and Design at school, two years in a row. My teacher, Mrs Button (her real name), was very concerned that I was not going to find myself a good husband.

So, here we go ;)

Step 1.
Find yourself a men's business shirt that is too big. Lay it flat on the floor, facing up.



Step 2.
Get a favourite, non-stretch dress, with a shape you like. Lay this on top of the shirt and use as a pattern template - don't forget your seam allowances! Cut the sleeves to the length you would like.

Step 3.
Create the neckline of your top. I look terrible in collars, so removed the collar altogether and cut the front and back pieces to the neckline shape I wanted.



Step 4.
I did a tiny rolled hem/seam (sorry! don't know the right terms) on the neckline, and sewed up the front  centre join up to the second button - I still needed to unbutton the top button to slip the top over my head.








Step 5.
Try on for size. Stitch up the side seams, making any adjustments before you go to the next step. I did the same rolled seam/hem thingy on the short capped sleeves. I found this a bit fiddly and tricky - there is probably a much better way to do this.

Step 6.
Now you can have a look at the shirt length. Mine was too long for a top and too short for a dress. So I chopped it. But I still wanted the rounded bottom, like you get in mens shirts. So I used the shirt's original bottom to take the curve and then transferred this curved line higher up the shirt. And then I trimmed the excess and created another rolled hem along the bottom.






Step 7.
Next stop, show and tell to someone who'll listen, followed by a walk out and about to show off your talents! Oh, and of course, a celebratory Tim Tam.
Will try to get hubby to take a glam shot of me later in the week, wearing the shirt in question. Perhaps pre-drool/snot, play, rolling in the grass etc, unlike in the first shot in this post!

Chat soon lovelies
xo