Ottobre design sewing patterns

Although I can draw patterns for most things and understand the theory behind it; I tend to use patterns. There are so many out there that you can always find what you want; or something very similar that requires a little tweak.

I recently bought an Ottobre design pattern book for children's fashion. I bought a reduced 2009 book as I had never used them before. I have looked through at the designs and love them. 

They bring out four children's magazines a year and with in each there are ranges for babies, toddlers, children and young teans. They use a mixture of jersey and woven fabrics; and everything looks fresh and vibrant. 

Ottobre also do women's patterns, have a blog and a fabric shop. They are well worth checking out if you are interested in sewing.

Here are some of the design from the 2009 catalogue; I am thinking of making the Winter coat for Gladys this year... I'll let you know how it goes.

Our daily constitutional

Everyday, since my maternity leave started, Gladys and I try to go for a walk. We promenade round the village in her vintage Silver Cross pram which I am still using as I love it so much. Gladys loves sitting up high and seeing everything, and is always asking to go out for a walk.

Now Gladys is walking I want to encourage her to jump in and out of the pram, and use her own two feet as much as possible. This is easy to do if we walk through the park as she can stroll in her random way quite safely - on the pavement I really have to have my wits about me.

Gladys is a good girl who wants to walk next to me and hold my hand the majority of the time - but she has Matthew's fiercely independent streak which I can see defining her character as the days tick by. After much thought, and reading of articles and listening to opinions, I have decided to use baby reins (such a horrid name, I prefer the American term 'walking harness' as it doesn't sound like she has a bit through her teeth), and get her used to them sooner rather than later.

I looked on the internet at the ones available and there were really cute little rucksacks with a strap but they would be uncomfortable for sitting back in the pram, and the old fashioned ones that look like dog leads. I did like the vest style ones but they looked so practical - and I hate things that look practical. So I have made my own.

It is a simple bodice, the outer is heavy duty cotton fabric and the inner lightweight cotton print - meaning it is breathable. There is a grosgrain ribbon double stitched to the front and the bodice buttons down the back. The strap is secured in the middle of the back with a vintage buckle I had in my stash box. So she won't trip when we don't need the strap I can wrap it round her waist and hold in place with the buckle.

We tried it out this afternoon and Gladys was happy, so I was happy. Just gives a little bit of piece of mind for me.

Holiday... and a great shop in Bath

Matt, Gladys and I have just returned from a holiday at Longleat in our caravan. We went with Matthew's parents who also have a caravan and it was a lovely family holiday. We luckily found two pitches next to each other so we could pop in and see each other instantly.

Caravanning is a lovely way to go on holiday with family, you can be near each other but as you have your own 'home' you have that all important space at the beginning and end of the day.

Our little caravan is called Wendy and she is an Eriba Pan Familia. She has a little pop up roof and is lovely and light to tow. Here we are on holiday:

One day we went to Bath and I found this great shop called The Makery. It was a little treasure trove of japanese fabrics and beautiful ribbons and unusual findings. They had a great selection of books too. If I am ever in Bath again it is the first shop I will visit. After enquiring I discovered that they are in the process of setting up an online shop, and also run classes. I will be keeping a close eye on this shop!

Taggy blanket

My friends Lesley and Darrell had their baby on Sunday morning. He weighed 11lb 12 ½ oz and his name is Arthur John. Thank you God for a safe delivery and a healthy mum and baby. His big brother James must be very excited.

As a welcome to the new arrival I wanted to give them something; we are on a tight budget and I wanted it to be something personal and special... Something I noticed when Gladys was small was how much she played with the labels on her soft toys so when I saw a baby with her taggy blanket I thought it would be a perfect gift for Arthur.

They are very simple to make. I raided my ribbon jar for a selection of different textures and sizes, and to continue the textures used soft blue fleece for one side, and rough cream linen for the other. As a finishing touch I embroidered bright red stitching, deliberately naive, around the edge and his initial in the middle. I hope he likes it!

Trefoil craft day

Hello everyone. Been a bit manic recently - my business is taking off now, my daughter caught chicken pox, and it has been her first birthday - so sorry for the humungous gap - I will try to do better.

Last time I posted I was about to attend a craft day with the Trefoil guild. The Trefoil guild are responsible for organising the monthly craft night I attend and once a year they arrange a craft day. You can find our more about the Trefoil guild here.

Beforehand the ladies send out forms asking you to pick your top six 'makes', and then let you know in advance which three you are doing. It is very organised, just what you would expect from guiders.

The three crafts I did were beaded Japanese braiding, daffodil bag and thimble pod.

Japanese braiding I have done before; but the inclusion of beads was something new. Japanese braiding was originally used in Samari armour and made from silk threads - now it is used for many things including belts and necklaces. The class was for an eight strand beaded braid - and I was so proud of mine I have made it into a bracelet.

The second class was a daffodil bag, this is also Japanese in origin, and reminds me of origami. The bag is created from two triangles of fabric sew together. Gladys really likes this bag, and I think it would make a great Easter present with some chocolate eggs inside.

The final class of the day was the thimble pod - this was also the trickiest. This is completely hand sewn and each side has two pieces of fabric (red and green), two pieces of plastic milk bottle, and two pieces of wadding. The end result is very clever as it creates a little pod that opens and closes by squeezing it. You were meant to attach the pod to your scissors and use it to keep you thimble in but it would drive me crazy having something hanging off my scissors. As soon as I had finished I could see a frog staring back at me. I added the eyes and nose at home and there he was. I just wish the ribbon was in the middle of the pod so it looked like his tongue.

Which one is your favourite?

Messy church Lent illustrations

Just finished working on some illustrations for our Messy Church service on Saturday. Messy Church is a service our church does on a Saturday aimed at families, it started with games, then crafts and activities linked to a theme (Lent, Easter, Christmas etc) followed by a short, children-friendly service. We then all have tea together with lots of cake!

I have been asked to help out this month. These drawings are going to be coloured in and then each person will take 40 stickers and their coloured-in landscapes home with them. Each day you are to pop a sticker on the landscape that best represents your day.

We chose to represent two 'good' days and two 'bad' days... the beach is a happy, fun-filled, family day; the meadow a calm, tranquil day; the winding road a tiring, long day; and the mountain a tough, hard day... I can see mine having a lot of stickers in the road landscape!

Who's for pizza?

My brother, Joe, loves his Volkswagen campervan and winter has been spent respraying Rhubarb. The first time I was going to be able to give him his birthday present was at DubFreeze where Rhubarb was on show!

Anyone who's even been to a Volkswagen show knows that they aren't like other car shows. I own a Morris 1000 (called Blue) and the Morris scene is no where near as cool as Volkswagens. At a Morris show I feel I fit in; when I go to a Volkswagen show I feel desperately uncool. One thing they really go into at the Volkswagen show is accessorising their vehicles - and this isn't the odd period atlas and old radio on the back seat - each van is done out like a complete room! The tables are laid for lunch with Volkswagen-themed melamine, vintage fabric bunting hangs down, 1950s cool boxes and wicker baskets are on the roof rack, you get the picture.

I had the idea to make some felt food for the table, initially thinking of cupcakes... but Joe's favourite food is pizza. Having a browse on the internet I found Buggabugs have a pizza pattern. I like Buggabugs patterns, they are straight forward and easy to follow, but really imaginative. I used her Pizza pattern; my pizza came out a little 'well done' so next time I would buy lighter felt for the base and the cheese (the perils of buying felt on eBay).

Thursday evening craft

As promised here is what we made at craft night last Thursday; iris folding.

(I couldn't show you earlier as it was a Valentine's card and I wanted to keep it a surprise for Matthew)

Iris folding is very simple. It involved arranging folded strips of paper or ribbon along a pattern to create an effect which looks like the iris of your eye. You can do lots of different shapes - this one is a heart - have a look on etsy or google images. Although you are meant to by special paper for iris folding I think it would be a great way to use of those little bits of fabric, ribbon and paper and you could really get creative.

Gladys also made a Valentine's card which she gave to her Daddy. I love crafting with Gladys, she gets so exciting stamping her hand in the paint pad and then on the paper. I hope she has a passion for homemade things too.

I didn't manage to get any pictures of my jumpsuit at the weekend. It was raining and the light went before I finished (the camera is rubbish in the gloom)... I will post when I can get some decent pictures.

My wardrobe for the spring/summer

Up until I became pregnant with Gladys I loved to look at the catwalk, find out what the key trends were for the coming season, and then translate my favourites into my wardrobe (long before Gok). When I was pregnant I stopped buying Vogue as it got me down that I couldn't fit into the latest fashions, and made up my own maternity wardrobe. The last two seasons I have been in a fashion wilderness; struggling to love my new body shape, and fit into clothes that make me feel good. Thankfully some of my body confidence is coming back, I am learning what styles suit me now, and are appropriate for my new lifestyle. 

One of the downsides of being at home is you can get very lazy about how you look and what you wear. We have a 'sloppy Joe day' when we clean the house which I would have never of dreamed of doing pre-Glads! 

When I go to mother-and-toddler groups everyone is wearing jeans and a top because we can just throw them on and not think about it... but I love clothes.

I feel like I have been away from fashion for a long time, so have been working to get back in touch with the latest trends, laugh at the funny things on the catwalk, and look at what key pieces I want to make for myself. I have a small list of things I would like:

Jumpsuit (more below)

Denim pinafore 

Long maxi dress in white

Fun summer dress in fuchsia or cobalt blue

Bright boyfriend style cashmere cardigan

I had a jumpsuit in the 90s when I was about 13. It was a cast off from my mum's 80s wardrobe and I used to wear it in the garden. I loved how comfortable it was and I used to feel very feminine (though I wouldn't ever be seen out in it then). My parent's garden backs onto a meadow and I used to climb over the fence with a book, and lie in the grass totally immersed in the story, wearing my flowery jumpsuit...

Two years ago I saw this pattern on an American site and bought it for $15, I was almost certain that it would suit me and it bought back memories of lazy summer days. My wardrobe has always been a little bit eccentric and I do get away with more mad clothes than most so I thought I would be able to carry it off. I never got around to making it and then fell pregnant the following summer. I have some lovely fabric I bought in Paris a couple of years ago. I did buy it with the intention of making some loose, wide fitting trousers - but the next day in Paris I found the trousers I wanted so never got round to making anything with it. I think it will be great for the jumpsuit as the fun of the garment will be balanced with the serious grown-up birdseye fabric. 

I have made a toile and was surprised at how nice it looked. With this style of bodice is needs to fit perfect and the fitting is in the cut, rather than darts, so I have made a few adjustments (with the aid of Matt and my pincushion). It is now all cut it out and overlocked! I am hoping to finish over the weekend so hopefully I will be able to post some pictures on Monday.

What are your plans for your spring/summer wardrobe this year?

Flower embroidery

One of the things I love to collect are vintage embroidered tablecloths. Often, when I am in charity shops, I see them for sale.

I imagine someone spending hours, bent double, working on the flowers, then only using it for Sunday teas as it would have taken so much work to complete they wouldn't want it getting ruined. It makes me sad to then think that it has just been discarded by relatives and dumped in the charity shop, where they sell for £1.50. I have an airing cupboard full of hand worked linen now, so much that my husband has banned me from buying them!

I find embroidery relaxing: watching the thread, hearing it pull through the weave of the taut fabric, and seeing the image gradually develop before your eyes...

But the old style of embroidery isn't for everyone so I have tried to do a modern take on flowers. I drew the flower illustrations in Adobe Illustrator, and printed them onto the cotton before hand embroidering. There is only a little stitching as I really wanted to catch the detail and bring some texture and avoid it looking over fussy.

Which one is your favourite?

Vintage sewing guides: Simplicity's guide to fashion fabrics

I am a self-taught dressmaker. I am never one to brag, but I feel I was born to sew - it just makes sense!

I like to get together with people who share my passion and although you hear in the media all about 'young' people taking up knitting and sewing, we are few and far between. I do get together with like-minded crafters for a craft night once a month with the Trefoil guild in Staplehurst. I look forward to this evening so much.

Each time we learn a new craft skill (beeding, card making, sewing, etc). The ladies that I meet are full of experience and most of them have been crafting for years and are now Grandmas (which means they can talk about their grandchildren and I can go on about Gladys without boring each other).

In my church there is a lady called Gill, she used to be a home economics teacher and is currently moving from the family home to one for her retirement. Going through the loft she came across a box full of educational materials from the 1960s, thankfully, before they went in recycling she thought of me! It is so important that these skills and materials are handed down to the next generation; one of the reasons I am learning to knit is so I can teach Gladys.

Over the next few weeks I am going to rummage through the box and share the interesting ones with you, I thought I would start with Simplicity's guide to fashion fabrics.

This handout cost two shillings and is dated 1965. It is a 12 page black printed booklet, with a photograph of the fabric types on the front, and illustrations of women wearing the different fabrics inside.

It starts of with 'Ten Important Guides' on how to treat all fabrics; there is nothing new here for me but it is always good to remind yourself. The guide presumes you know all the basics and is aimed at advanced sewers wanting to experiment with new fabric types

Over the remaining pages it goes over the following fabric types; stretch; laminated and bonded fabrics; plaids and stripes; knits; mohair and diagonal fabrics; nap and pile fabrics; deep pile or fur-like fabrics; sheers; lace; and leather and suede. For each fabric type it covers purchasing, patterns, preparations, cutting and marking, sewing machine settings, pressing and sewing tips.

I can see this guide becoming well used. I find it difficult to find new sewing references that go into this much detail; I can't wait to see what else is in the box!

This Thursday is my evening craft night - we are doing something Valentines related - and I will let you know more when I do.

Bird mobile

This time last year I was heavily pregnant and nagging my husband to get everything reading for Gladys' imminent arrival (poor Matt). 

I really enjoyed decorating her room for her and one thing I made was her bird mobile. It hangs above her cot and she still loves to watch the bird move and all the different patterns and textures in the fabrics.

One word of warning though: shortly after hanging the mobile my cat decided to launch himself at it and broke one of the branches!

You can find out how to make it on the spool blog.  

Conservatory furniture

I have recently recovered a set of conservatory furniture for a lady who lives in the village.

The furniture is 10 years old and the light had really begun to destroy the original fabric. After collecting lots of samples in the colour scheme desired, a fabric was chosen and I set to work. The job took about six weeks. I managed to reuse the zips from the previous covers and the fabric was purchased from Bell House Fabrics.

If you would like something recovering please get in touch for a quote.

Wendy's wedding

This week has been spent baking bread, cakes and cleaning our home - the house is lovely and tidy.

Work time has been spent doing alterations for my customers. I have altered a DJ and trousers, a pair of wool trousers and taking up a pair of linen trousers. My 'bread and butter' work. However, these times are a great opportunity to show you past work.

Wendy is lovely and she makes the best cakes (check out her photo album on facebook). I designed and made her bridesmaid's dresses for her wedding. She had her two daughters and her husband's daughter as bridesmaids, and her nephew as an usher.

Wendy wanted all the dresses to work well together as a group, but also to flatter all the different shapes and sizes. We decided on a long halter neck dress with crossover bodice in brown satin for the eldest. For her daughters the dresses needed to have elements of the adult dress, but to be age appropriate. We decided on crossover bodice, with A-line skirts which came down to the ankles. The youngest was dressed in white (flower girl); the middle bridesmaid worn brown to provide the link between the two dresses. The brown dresses had white waist ties, and the white dress had a brown one. The usher had a simple waistcoat with the brown satin front and a bright orange back to tie in with the flowers.

Creating individual outfits that fit and flatter, while at the same time working well as a group is an exciting challenge, and you can't help but get caught up in the excitement working with the bride towards her wedding day!

If you would like me to work with you on your wedding please get in touch for a chat.