Townmouse

Too good

I think this fabric range was designed just for me.  Yesterday I dropped in to Amitie and found myself face to face with a very pretty range of fabrics in a perfect French red and naturals.

Adelaide, I think you're going to need a red coat next winter.  The top fabric I think I will make into something smocked with red thread.  The others, well I'm not sure yet.

I spent at least 30 minutes looking over the fabrics.  It was too hard to decide which ones I liked best - they were all so lovely.  The only thing to do in such a situation is buy a fat quarter of all the other favourites - which I did.

I wasn't planning on it, but it seems now I'm making another quilt.  So tonight when the house is quiet I think I'll pull out all my quilting books and look for a pattern.

But for now, I'd better get back to work to pay for my fabric purchases.

Winging it

When I bought my new domestic sewing machine 9 years ago, I remember finding the instruction booklet quite a revelation.  Prior to that, I had sewn on my mother's machine from the 1970s.  After reading the instruction booklet, I was amazed at how much my new machine could do.

My machine is nothing super special.  It has a few decorative stitches, one of which I use every day for Townmouse appliques.  But with a few different needles or feet, it can do so much.  This detail uses a wing needle.

Just the thing to add a bit of interest to a plain white shirt.

 

 So if you've never paid much attention to your instruction booklet, you may be pleasantly surprised like I was.  

What clever tricks have you been able to do with your sewing machine?

Two sites I have to share

A lovely blog reader in Spain sends me emails from time to time with links to children's wear brands she thinks I might like.  Recently I received an email from Spain with a link to this blog.  Thanks Rocio.

Some kind person has seen the need to post free cross stitch alphabets and motifs from very old pattern books.  You've got to love that!

Along similar themes, another site that has recently captured my interest is Chez Sucre Chez.

There is a lot of lovely embroidery here.  It's mainly initials, and some other cute stuff as well. (I'm sorry, I can't recall where I read about this blog.)

 

Teeth?

My guess is teeth are working their way through Adelaide's little gums, as we're needing a bib more often.

This latest is trimmed in the last scant scraps from this little top.

Liberty top

A mere 30 cms of Liberty fabric was all that was required for this little top.  (I actually layed Adelaide on the cutting bench in the fabric store alongside the ruler to see how much I would need.)

Adelaide has a growing number of these tops to wear now.  This one has more rows of smocking than the previous pink version and I like the way it sits across her shoulders.

 

I have put a new category on my blog, "Adelaide's wardrobe" as there will no doubt be many more posts about her clothes, as I continue sewing for her.

These tops are perfect to make as the smocking gives me a couple of hours of hand sewing that I can do when relaxing in the evenings.

Summer sewing

I have been bunkered down in the studio for the last few days, getting on top of work.  While waiting for Adelaide to wake from a particularly long sleep I whipped up this pair of linen pants this morning.

  

The great thing about sewing for such a little model is that no fabric at all is required.  These were made from a few scraps of linen and one metre of linen tape.  I like a pair of neutral pants that will go with anything in her wardbrobe.  And natural linen is the perfect fabric for summer.

 

To stop ribbons from fraying, simply apply a little clear nail varnish to the ends.  It holds all the fibres in place.

Hello funny face

Here is the pink version of the little smocked top.

This has a smaller neck circumference than the blue one, so looks a little neater on.

Adelaide is at the age where she makes lots of little, sweet bird noises.  Here she is mid chirrup.

The sleeve detail is quick and easy.  I love a rolled hem too.

A hit among misses

This smocking business is proving trickier than I thought.  Like any new endeavour, its taking me a while to get the hang of it, and to create pieces I actually like.  The green version from a few posts ago was made into a shirt that ended up in the bin.

Part of the process, referred to as blocking, is where you predetermine the degree of gathering.  This is a step that I didn't really worry about initially.  Now I realise it makes all the difference.

I feel like I'm getting the hang of it now.  I've drafted a sweet pattern for this little bishop's neck top in a 3 to 6 month size.

A later pink version I like even more.  Adelaide will wear that tomorrow.

Sunday smocking

A shirt for Adelaide in the making.

I picked up this very fine check at Amitie.  It's a lovely Japanese fabric.

More cross stitch

Here's a kitchen towel that is definitely impractical.

 

The grey embroidery looks pretty against the stainless steel benches and appliances in our kitchen.  This one is just for show.

The cross stitch design is from this book.