Ruffles ahoy!

This year, I've been sewing a bit more again. 
It started with a colleague lending me this book:

I chose a few patterns, bought fabric, then took a while to get around to making something, but I did in the end! More on that in another post....

Then I found this book - the equivalent pattern book for girls:

It has stuff that is appropriate for toddlers, little girls and 10-year-olds, so I thought it might be good value. First pattern to try: this A-line pinafore.

 
 
 
It's a size 6 so should fit her a while. I used leftover fabric from a wraparound skirt I made a few years back. The hardest bit was the contrast panel at the bottom. I didn't have quite enough fabric to make the full length, so I thought I'd cut out a few inches of the swirly fabric to see on the bottom. That turned out to be more complicated than I had thought it would be (as it's an A-line dress, not a tube), but I made it work somehow! Other than that, the hardest bit of this pattern was sewing in the shoulder straps while the whole, double sided bodice was inside out.

Next, the reason this blog post is called "Ruffles Ahoy", I made a blouse for my niece. I asked her what her favourite colour is, and she said pink and orange! Ok then!

All was going well, then I stuffed up and forgot to add a seam allowance to the bottom of the blouse, so it would have been nearly 4 cm too short. I didn't have enough fabric to cut it out again. Then I thought I could add another ruffle at the bottom. After much basting and trying to get the ruffles even on what seemed like Kms of the bottom panel, it's done, and ready for her birthday, which isn't until after Xmas! I'm proud of my effort - I even sewed a button loop at the back and the bodice is lined

I tried it on my daughter and it's a little big - more like a dress. Maybe my niece can wear it first as a tunic with a skivvy this winter, and it might fit her better in subsequent NH summers...?
I'm going to make another for my daughter in the same size, in different fabric, sans the bottom frill.

Malibu Drop Peals...

A lovely jewelry making sesh on the weekend with some funky ladies. Miss D was hitting the poolside colours of aqua, pearl and chic silver with chrystal. Miss A went tribal making a key ring with chunky beads that wont be lost in a hurry. Miss B got all Christmas spirited and made some gifts for newly acquired in-law type relatives: a necklace in oceanic deep green handmade glass beads, and a drop stone and mother of pearl earring. Miss J bucked the trend and made Christmas pom poms in wildly mismatched colours of Grandma-inherited yarn, Miss H made a delightfully pared back wire, coral and dirty lime necklace for a girlfriend, Miss A experimented with circuit boards and fake flowers to create a high tech bloom broach, and yours truly made a garish aqua, coral and dirty lime necklace for a pow of 80's colour for the office. There was also much creative reuse of limp or lame accessories and some quick and easy repair work. Viva la creative Sunday afternoon.