Simple a-line dress with contrasting fabric

I don't know about anyone else but I find that dress become too small long before squiggle has grown out anything thing else of that size. Which of course I have never managed to notice before we travel to see grandparents and that cute dress that I wanted her to wear is to small!!!

Now I will give you squiggle is tall (91st percentile) but she's only average weight. Anyway so I have been making her dresses. And here is a lovely simple one.  

 

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Heres the up-cycling bit making it nice and cheap. I am using a pair of mens suit trousers which I have washed and tumble dried so there is no shrinkage later.

You will need...

You fabric or trousers 

Fabric for contrast 

Buttons 

Thin elastic or ribbon  

Sewing equipment 

One 

I created an a-line dress pattern using one of squiggles t-shirts or use a bought pattern. 

This is how I draft mine. 

You need...

A t-shirt that fits her well

Some drafting paper (I use supermarket own grease proof paper, it's see through and can be ironed) 

Pins 

Ruler

Cutting mat 

Fold a t-shirt in half and place on the grease proof paper on top of your cutting mat. Then stick pin into all the key points around your t-shirt. Make sure you put a few pins along the curves so they are easy to follow. Then take your t-shirt off and draw in your pattern following the in holes. Finally extend the bottom of the t-shirt to dress length, or use an existing dresses length.

Two

Place your dress on the fold of your fabric and cut it out. DON'T FORGET  THE SEAM ALLOWANCE. One for the front and one for the back, you will know the difference because the front is lower.

Three 

Then using arm holes to sketch out a sleeve pattern and measure the length of your t-shirt to get the length of sleeve pattern.
Cut the 2 arms on the fold.

Four

now you should have a front and back and 2 sleeves (you will need to cut out pockets later so don't throw away your extra fabric). I zigzagged around all my pieces, except the back, as they are all ready fraying.

Five
Split down the seam on the back piece about 3 and 1/2 inches. Make sure you stitch over the bottom as it doesn't carry on splinting. you will need 2 inches of thin elastic or ribbon (use more for a larger button). Stitch it into the split about 1 inch from the top and top stitch down both sides.

Six
Pin the shoulders of the front and back together right sides together. Then stitch them together and zigzag back over the edging.

I have no idea why this pictures all fuzzy I am sorry.

Seven

Make your binding tape. I use 1 and 1/2 inches wide strips. 

And attach is to your neck line and both sleeves, You will need some binding for the pockets later.
The easiest why to bind is to open the binding and stitch along the fold at the edge of the fabric, fold over and catch the underside with a stitch.

Eight

Make yourself a template for the pockets and cut out, remembering your seam allowance, and edge them. Add binding to the top of each pocket.

 Finally sew a gathering stitch around the sides and bottom. Pull gently and gather so that the raw edges pull under. Press with an iron.

Nine
Pin your pockets to your dress and sew on. I used a contrasting colour.

Ten
Attaching the sleeves, I find the middle of the sleeve and match it with the seam on the shoulder. Then pin out each side from the centre. Stitch the sleeves in then zigzag the seam.

So you should look something like this.

Eleven 

Again I don't know what my camera was doing. Anyway pin up your seams starting from the armpit (so you can line up the arm seams). Sew closed I start at the bottom and stop with the needle in the fabric at the arm pit, change direction and see along the arm.

Finally tidy up and you may have guessed it zigzag.

Twelve

Attach your button of choice on the back. 

Thirteen 
Hem the bottom of your dress. I had to pin my hem and then sew it because the fabric didn't crease.

And finally you have FINISHED how exciting....

When small woke up she did a good job of modelling the dress, except she dribbled all over it, teething is so much fun.

Little girls head band with Suffolk puffs

I wanted an easy little gift for little girls and decided on pretty headbands using Suffolk puffs (also called yo-yo's) and a few bits of embellishments.

This is soooo easy I made and wrote this tutorial while watching TV and having a weekend mooch. Also they are lovely and cheap, the headbands are a pack of 3 from Primark for £2.50, a little fabric and a few embellishments from the stash. 

I first heard of Suffolk puffs at a craft fair in Norfolk and a lovely old lady came in and described how to make them perfectly. Since then I have made hundreds as they are nice and easy to make while sitting in front of the TV and are another great way to use up scraps.

What you will need...

• Fabric 
• Circular templates (bowls, mugs) sizes of your choice
• Thread 
• Beads and buttons 
• Felt for backing
• Vanishing pen 
• Scissors 
• Hot glue gun 

Have you spotted my little helper!! 

One 

Start by making your puffs. Cut out 4 circle of fabric and stitch around the outside as shown. Then pull both ends tight and tie them off. How easy was that!!

 
Two 

Sew your puffs together. If you stitch through the top layer make sure the stitch back through is really close so the stitch will be almost invisible. 

Three 

Now the fun bit choose your embellishments and buttons. La la la this could take a while. Attach your chosen fancys. 

Four 

Draw around your puffs onto the felt and cut it out slightly smaller than the puffs.

Five 

Sew the puffs to your head band and hot glue the backing to cover the messiness.

And you have a pretty and unique headband. Amazingly small managed to stay stillish and look slightly cute. 

Hope everyone has had a restful weekend. xx

Babies stacking cubes

I really wanted some cubes that could be stacked up for squiggle bum to knock down. I sent the husband on a shopping trip (so I could do some housework without distraction) and in typical man style, they came back with loads of toys but no stacking anything grrr. It is very cute he likes to think squiggle is really advanced so get toys that she doesn't understand yet so she can 'grow into them' but sometimes I just want simple toys.
So it is time raid the scraps box and make my own.

You will need...

• Felt, fabric and textured materials
• Stuffing, toy stuffing or wadding (I used wadding as I always have scraps around)
• Sewing supplies
• Ruler
• Scissors or cutter 

The scrap box is looking very full at the moment. The pink is general scraps, the black are 3 and 2 inch strips for quilt edging and all the tiny bits perfect for appliqué. 

One
I made a 6 inch, 2 x 5 inchs, 2 x 4 inches, one 2 1/2 inches and one 5 inch one in felt of something a little different. 

I started by cutting 6 squares for each size, leaving 1/4 inch seam allowance. 

For example; for the 5 inch cube each square is 5 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches, for the 4 inch cube each square is 4 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches.

Cut out numbers, letters and embellishments for each side. I started to run out of ideas for shapes so they started to get a little random lol. Sew all the shapes on.

Two

Layout your 6 squares like the cube net. Sew the touching edges together but leave a 1/4 inch gap at either end.

Three
I find it easiest to sew the flaps right the way around. Sewing together A-F and G left open.

On the larger cubes I closed the gap up a bit.

Four
Turn the square the correct way around and stuff the cube. I stuffed mine with squares of wading scraps left over from quilts.

Finally sew close the gap either by hand or machine. And its PLAY time!!

Just as I closed the last one squiggle bum awoke from her nap and we spent the next half an hour playing. Squiggle started to get a evil look when it came to knocking them down, but shes so cute. 

I have been doing a bit of quilting this week. This one with lovely one direction fabric on the back is a half sized quilt (half the size of a single duvet). And a second baby boy quilt that is currently awaiting the name of a new arrival, how exciting.

I would also like to know why my lovely shelves which were covered in jars of buttons now looks like this!!!! How rude. 

Have a wonderful week with your squiggles! But make sure you enjoy a cup of tea every so often.