Completion

I've been jumping between projects in the sewing room over the past few weeks. It's been increasingly difficult to stick with any one project through to completion. This weekend I was determined to remedy that!

Earlier this Summer I bought a very cute Oliver + S pattern called Sketchbook shirt and shorts from The Village Haberdashery with the intention of making a little of outfit for my nephew, Mackinlay. I had the perfect fabric in mind for the shirt - the adverts print from Rocket Age by October Afternoon for Riley Blake. I've been putting it off because, frankly, I wasn't sure my dressmaking skills were up to the challenge. My fears were unfounded! It is a fantastic pattern, really clear and non-scary and the end result is a very professional looking shirt :)

I went for the short-sleeved, rounded collar version and didn't bother with a pocket for the minimum of stress.

My pattern matching is non-existent but I figured it's such a busy print I can get away with it. There's a fancy box-pleat at the back of the shirt which makes it feel very fancy :)

As a finishing touch, I added in some cute train buttons as Mackinlay is rather fond of "choo-choos".

 I handed the shirt over to the little-man himself this afternoon and he responded in just the right way with a big toothy grin and abandonment of his toy so that he could carry his new shirt home himself. All that effort was definitely worthwhile :) Catch you soon x

Little Red

I've been hacking away at my sewing to do list this week. I fancied a change from quilts so yesterday I started and finished a snazzy Little Red Riding Hood cape! Get me ;) It's a pattern from an Oliver and S book. This is the most complex clothing pattern that I have tried to date. I was slightly disturbed as it was marked as one of the easiest patterns in the book, that just shows what a rookie I am when it comes to clothes. Anyway, I pulled up the big girl panties and got on with it. I traced the pattern pieces onto Freezer paper so I could dispense with some of the pins. I hate pinning patterns to fabric, I always manage to shift the layers, luckily the freezer paper stuck well enough that I could rotary cut around most of them without pins :)  

 I used a lovely red, stiff linen/cotton blend fabric from Ikea for the outer cape...

  and a red cross-hatch print from Summersville for the lining. I'm mightily pleased with the end result.

 The detailing in this pattern is gorgeous. Look at these cute little arm holes.

I didn't really know how to take photos of it to show you how cute it is in use. This is for my 3 year old cousin and we won't be seeing her to get photos so Jess very kindly offered to model it for me :) So funny!! I'm sure you'll love her work!

 See how well it works with the leather jacket and the red skinny jeans ;)

 Jess looks like she's stood in the naughty corner here :)

 Finally, my all time favourite picture of the cape, I have actual tears from this one :) Thanks to Jess for allowing me to post these very silly photos of her for our amusement xx

Normal service shall be resumed soon. Hope you all have a good (bank holiday) weekend. Catch you soon xx