MADE OF CLOTH

A week in the sewing room...

2011-11-22T22:27:00.002+11:00

Hello strangers! Have you missed me. Yes, I've been super busy devoting all my love to the My Poppet blog and of course Miss Emma, which isn't to say I haven't been sewing.
I've actually spent so much time in there I've hardly prioritized blogging at all. If you have been following me on Instagram (@mypoppetshop) I've actually been documenting a lot of my projects via my iPhone.
You can read all about #sewalong here.

So this week in the sewing room I've been:
-Filling orders for vintage bunting
-Making some cute dolls quilts from fabric scraps I can't bare to discard
-Letting Emma have a play on the machine (I've removed the needle for safety of course!), she loves imitating everything I do.
-Creating a new viking softie design for a new stockist.

Have you spent any time in your sewing space this week?

Stripes Ahoy!

2011-08-25T19:59:00.002+10:00

I was gifted a big box of fabric off-cuts by a friend of my mother-in-law a couple of weeks ago. It contained a random selection of upholstery fabric, curtain sheers, pieces of jersey knits and some other bits and pieces. The stuff I was never going to use was donated for craft activites at Emma's creche because I really need to get realistic about my fabric stash.
What I did keep were the cotton jersey knits and ribbing because I really need to start making more clothes for Emma. She is growing like a weed!I thought I'd give this vintage T-shirt pattern a try. I bought it for 50c months/years ago, and thought the fact that it contained both child and adult patterns would be handy.
It has a stretch guide in it to give you an idea of which size to choose according to the fabric stretch. Low stretch go one size up, high stretch you can get away with a slimmer fit.
It was a breeze to sew up with my over locker (serger) whilst Emma was having a nap. The only part I had to re-do was the neckline. The head hole was a tiny bit too small to get Emma's head through comfortably and I'd cut the neck ribbing a bit too wide. It had a mock turtle neck effect which I didn't like at all.
Solution: I just re-overlocked around the existing seam which cut off the old one, making the head hole larger and the ribbing band thinner all at the same time. Yay!

I'll post pictures of Emma wearing her top on the My Poppet blog next week.

Catchup...

2011-08-01T20:53:00.002+10:00

Well how are you all? I've missed you.
I've hardly had any time to sew, hence the lack of posts.
If you've been reading the My Poppet blog you already know that I've been away to Japan, and before that, the time I've spent in the sewing room was all about making hot water bottle covers for the shop. My machine and I have had enough of hot water bottle covers...

I have been doing a little bit of hand sewing for Emma's new Blythe doll, Perty. I'm finding hand stitching quite therapeutic, and because of the scale of the garments, probably a bit easier than using a machine.
So until the sun comes out and my sewing room warms up a little, I'll be sitting on the couch making Perty her new wardrobe.

Tidy Sewing Room...Finally!

2011-05-15T05:11:00.000+10:00

Due to the little blogger glitch the other day, this post was a little late in publishing. Some of you may have seen it already on the My Poppet blog, for those who haven't, here is my tidy sewing room in all its glory...enjoy!

Wow, I'm so excited to share my super tidy sewing room with you. There are no 'before' pictures because they were almost too shameful to post. Picture piles and piles of stuff like in that 'hoarders' TV show...but worse. You couldn't even see the floor!
We moved in two years ago and I've never really have the time to focus on it, but thankfully the photo shoot was the motivation I needed to really get things done.
It took me the best part of 3 days to get it looking this good.

I'm really proud of myself and just love spending time in there now. Everything is organised and easy to find, so I can spend more time creating and less time searching for things.
I took a few photos after the photographer left, just to capture it at it's tidiest...
Here are some of my favourite shots-
I love my collection of woven vinyl vintage hangers.
I have never have my cutting table totally clear of clutter, yay!
All my vintage patterns are in one place, I may even make something for myself soon.
Thanks to Pilgrim for helping me fold and colour coordinate my fabric pieces. I think she had a little too much fun!
Gorgeous apple pincushion by Morgan Wills and my growing collection of Japanese craft books.
All my tools in one easy to find place away from little fingers!
Mum makes my bias binding for me, I don't have the patience.
A rainbow of buttons and threads.

I hope you enjoyed my sewing room tour, I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.
Thanks for stopping by.

x Cinti

How to make a Toddler Sleep Sac without a pattern

2011-05-05T22:11:00.009+10:00

Emma has been growing like a weed, her old sleeping bag is too short for her and a little fitted around the armholes. I had a few hours to spare today and thought it was time to make a nice warm one for this winter.

I will share the steps I used to make her new sleeping sac/bag without using a pattern...
I recommend this as a project for intermediate sewers and assumes some experience with inserting zips and attaching bias binding.

1. I choose to use a thrifted vintage woollen blanket which was going cheap due to several holes, some vintage cotton flannel (pre-washed) and the longest zip I could find in my sewing room. You will also need some bias binding for the neck and arm holes.
2. You will need to use the old sleeping bag as the pattern template.
3. With a washable marker roughly sketch the new sleeping bag shape using the old bag as a guide. I added about a 2 finger width on the body, made the armholes a bit deeper and longer and made the total length about 20cm longer. You can tweak the shape a little as you go.
4. Cutting the back: To get a symmetrical body fold the blanket in half and cut on your markings.
5. You can see how much larger the new back panel is compared to the old sleeping bag.
6. Cutting the front: On a fold place the folded back panel to use as your pattern but place it 1cm in, this will be your seam allowance to insert zip.
7. Cut front and then cut along centre fold to make the 2 halves of the front. Cut a V panel out of the front using the original bag as a guide.
8. Use your back and front blanket panels to cut the same pieces in the lining fabric. (It's a good idea to have the lining a little bit smaller than the outside but I'll tell you how to adjust this at the sewing stage)
9. Insert the zip using this technique but skip the top stitching stage for now.
10. Because the zip doesn't go all the way down, you will need to continue the seam down on the zipper line. Fold your lining onto itself (right sides together and seam, do the same for blanket front panel pieces)

11. Your seam should look like this
12. Now its time to sew the backs to the fronts. Blanket outer, right sides together, 1cm seam allowance, sew around from under arm to under arm, and then the top of the shoulders. Do the same with the lining but use a 1.5-2cm seam allowance. (this will make the lining sit in more comfortably)
12a. Make sure you leave the arm openings open!
13. Turn it all the right way, lining in and outer out.
14. So the zip doesn't get caught in the lining, top stitch around the zip.

15. Pin and trim any protruding lining.
16. Attach the bias binding around the neck and arm holes. I haven't found an adequate tutorial to explain this. Yell out if you want me to post one here.
So what do you think. I have saved myself around $80, the cost of a new sleeping bag, just by making my own with material from my stash. I think this one would be warmer and much nicer than any bought ones.
I am quite pleased with how it turned out, I have a fear of projects with zips so I pleasantly surprised myself.

I would love your feedback if you give this a try.

Hints for using iron-on transfer paper

2011-03-20T19:42:00.005+11:00

This weekend I made this mini quilt (read some more here). I had another go at using iron on transfer paper after I'd almost sworn off it after this alphabet debacle.
This time the results were much better. This is what I did differently:
1. Cut very closely around the image with scissors and a blade for the fiddly bits.
2. Ditched the ironing board and used a wool blanket on a hard surface to iron on.
3. Didn't move the iron over the surface, just pressed it down for about 30-50sec.
4. Waited till the paper was almost cold before carefully peeling, not cold, almost cold.
5. Let the transfer cool down totally before handling it. (It sticks to itself if it's still warm)

So I hope that some of these tips help you in your next project. Now that I have more confidence with this product you my see it pop up in some other projects.

Sew Happy...

2011-03-06T12:58:00.002+11:00

Oh my, where did February get to? I've missed you little blog, but sadly I've had nothing noteworthy to report until now.
All sewing related activity of late has been shop related, and I've been spending every spare minute and all my energies on making My Poppet as awesome as it can be. Don't hate me.
So here is my small offering to placate you...the most amazing sewing machine cover ever, found at a thrift/charity store for only $2. The colours are invigorating and it's in mint condition, I am a happy girl.

You are my Sunshine...

2011-01-20T22:33:00.002+11:00

My sister is due to have a baby girl in the next few weeks so I will officially be an aunt. Yay!
She is pretty crafty too, and has made some of her cot sheets, baby wraps and liner for the Moses basket whilst in nesting mode. Last week she stopped by to keep me company and we decided to make a play mat for the baby.
Here is the result, the design was pretty ad hoc, just sort of cutting and pasting (with a sewing machine).I quite like the clouds, they are extra fluffy as I cut a little slit in the back of fabric (quilt top), filled it with stuffing and hand sewed it up, before quilting the whole lot as normal.
The apple is made of felt with a satin leaf for extra textures, and the tree trunk is corduroy.

Not totally perfect as the composition could use some tweaking and my sewing machine was playing up (and is off to be serviced), but I don't think the baby will care.
Best of all, my sister unleashed her nesting hormones on my sewing room and folded up all of my fabric covered floor mess. Win-Win!

New Skirt - Big Deal!?

2010-12-19T12:19:00.003+11:00

Big Deal you ask? Yes, quite the big deal for me. You see I never get to make anything for myself. Never. In fact this is the first skirt, for me, I've ever made.
Normally I'm put off by the whole zip, interfaced waistband, buttonhole, yada yada, but this little pattern was super easy.

It's a wrap around A-line style which is flattering for broad hips and can expand at the drop of a hat after a big Christmas lunch or indulgent weekend. I think I'll make a couple more for summer (that will eventually arrive one day) in some really fun vintage retro fabrics.
The next one will have bias binding around the hem so you can see the curves on the front panels.

I was so lucky that this pattern was in my exact measurements, but the beauty of this style is that it's got a little give in it either way. bring on the Christmas pudding I say!

How to: Tapestry Pillow with Zip

2010-11-29T19:52:00.004+11:00

I picked up this little piece of Florentine stitched canvas (also called Bargello stitch) from the Camberwell market month and months ago, with the intention of making it into a cushion.
Finally found a few minutes today to sew it together and have even photographed a little tutorial...I hope it's easy to follow

Materials:
Tapestry/embroidered canvas
Zip (slightly longer than width of pillow, I've used and invisible one because that's what I had on hand)
Heavy weight fabric (corduroy or velvet is ideal)
Thread, sewing machine, scissors
1. Cut your backing fabric an extra 2" larger than your tapestry in height and 3" in width to allow for insertion of zip and covering flap
2. Cut your backing fabric down the middle, this is where the zip will go.
3 & 4. Using a zipper foot, sew the zip onto each half of the fabric.
5. The zip should be longer than the fabric (I'm no zip expert so have just managed to do a passable job)
6. Create a little flap to cover the zipper, press in place and top stitch along the dotted line shown. (be careful not to sew over the zip like i did, doh!)
7. Open your zip about halfway, double stitch over both the ends.
8. Trim the canvas on your tapestry to about 1" around. Lay the right sides of the back and front together and sew around the the edge of the tapestry. Try to sew just inside the edge of the stitched work so you don't see the bare canvas when you turn inside out.
I've over-locked (serged) the edge as well for neatness and extra strength
9. Slide your zip down fully and turn. Insert cushion insert, zip up and you're done!
Please leave a comment if you have any questions

How to: Fringe Cushion Cover

2010-11-07T19:41:00.005+11:00

Easy to make fringed floor cushions
A step-by-step tutorial (with some easy short-cuts)

Emma (and I) needed something to sit on when reading her books...on a quick trip to Ikea I picked up some super squishy euro sized pillows that made the perfect inserts. I had the fabric (also Ikea) and the fringe was an Op-shop find.

You will need:
Materials
A cushion insert or pillow
2 squares of fabric cut to the size of the pillow plus 1cm seam allowance
fringe

1. Pin the fringe on the right side of the fabric, fringe facing in. Take extra care around corners to keep fringes neat so they don't get stitched into seam.

2. Lay second piece of fabric on top of the fringe, right side in, like a sandwich. Pin to place.

3. Sew around edge with a 1cm seam allowance, leave about a 30cm opening on one side for turning and stuffing.

2a. (short cut) I was a bit lazy with the second cushion and didn't do the pinning, I just sandwiched the two pieces and fringe as I went along...I'd only recommend this technique for more confident sewers.

4. Turn inside out and insert cushion

5. Pin opening closed, taking special care to keep the edges straight and fringe neat

6a & 6b. Either machine stitch or hand stitch opening closed.

You're done!

Scraps...

2010-10-17T19:47:00.003+11:00

I'm seriously being inundated by stuff. This morning i decided to clear out at least one tub of fabric scraps, because it seem that the mess surrounding me is making my brain all foggy.
I'm sort of feeling anxious that things are getting a little bit out of control, and as I keep moving more stuff into the house, the feeling is getting a little bit worse.
Nothing as serious as panic attacks or anything, but just sort of muddled where i cant concentrate or feel creative. I get lots of ideas, but as soon as i step into my sewing room and see the piles of stuff, pooff! Mojo gone...
My friend Estelle would probably say it's because I don't eat enough, maybe that too...

So anyway, here is my feeble attempt to clear some space, 7 bags of vintage fabric scraps. I won't be making another quilt in a hurry, but maybe you can make one.You can get them on my Made of Cloth shop or from my Etsy shop

Washing day...

2010-10-09T13:36:00.002+11:00

Ever wondered what 104 meters of vintage fabric looks like? Well here's your answer. Rusty pins removed, de- dead bugged and sorted into different coloured loads. The yellow lot was in the machine already...

Eye Candy @ l'uccello

2010-10-01T18:22:00.002+10:00

Discovered by accident today on my adventures in town, l'uccello is a little piece of heaven on earth for vintage habby and fabric hoarders like me. A once studio, and now, retail space for all sorts of vintage habby goodness, it is a must visit if you're in Melbourne.
I picked up some vintage buttons and lovely fabric remnants (I need more fabric like a hole in the head, but couldn't resist) which I was going to photograph but my camera battery died.
These lovely images are from the l'uccello blog. I'm in love with the navy and red vintage trims...

So go and visit Kim in the Nicholas Building, it's a real adventure back in time:

The Nicholas Building
205/37 Swanston Street
Melbourne 3000

l'uccello is in room 5 on
the second floor, enter via
Cathedral Arcade
ph: 9639 0088
info@luccello.com.au

Wednesday- Friday 10 - 6
Saturday 10 - 4

Sew Vintage...

2010-09-29T19:27:00.002+10:00

Did some sewing today for the shop and some upcoming markets, pants made from vintage fabric samples. Elastic was a local flea market pick-up from a lady whose mother in law used to sew, and thread from a big bag full of spools found at the Op-shop. Bag included this petite 'Super SHEEN' spool pictured above which is too pretty to use.

Quilt revealed...

2010-09-20T12:40:00.003+10:00

Here are some pictures of my finished quilt...one last big push yesterday whilst Emma was at mum's did the trick...Some more details below

Project based on a Quilt from Japanese Craft Book - Patchwork Style ISBN 978-1-59030-649-9
Started December 2009- Finished September 2010
Essentially 30 squares of batting quilted individual in a log cabin style then joined together. The back is then attached to the front by stitch in the ditch on the seams that join the large squares.

Materials : Bamboo batting, vintage fabric scraps and remnants including cottons and some linen

'Quilt as you go' was appealing to me because I could work on the quilt in stolen moments whilst Emma slept. The only thing that I found difficult was when the pieces were joined the batting in the seams was bulky (even after pressing) this made the finished quilt look a bit lumpy. I basted the backing fabric on rather than pinning because the pins wouldn't sit flat on some of the joined sections.

I haven't made a quilt of this size before and I probably won't for a long time, I was really over it by the end. I was originally going to bind with red fabric but then couldn't face cutting all that binding, so just used the striped binding I had lying around from bib making.
Size wise it sits nicely on the top of my King size bed but would tuck in nicely on a single.

Feel free to ask me any questions you may have...

Quilting made easier...

2010-09-19T20:54:00.003+10:00

Just thought I'd share a little hint that I found made working with my quilt a little easier today...ironing board at table height perpendicular to my work table. Helped hold the weight and bulk of the quilt so it stopped pulling itself off the table, freed up my hands a lot too.

Yes, I've finished it. Will take some shots tomorrow, am so excited to share it with you, I'm quite pleased at how it turned out.

Cozy...

2010-09-16T12:40:00.003+10:00

1. Cosy, 2. Picnic Blanket, 3. Handwoven Felted Wool Blanket Rug, 4. Blanket cushion, 5. handmade wool cushion set 1, 6. Pendleton Mills vintage HBC-style wool blanket

I've always been a little bit partial to old woolen blankets, I have a big cupboard full of them. I don't always cut them up for projects. Today I'm snuggling under a bright yellow one...

Super Powers...

2010-08-26T16:21:00.005+10:00

I realised today that I may have a special ability, a superpower of sorts. Nothing as exciting as leaping over tall buildings or even washing the dishes in a flash, this one involves Op-Shops.It's a kind of psychic ESP thing that urges me to go to a specific Op-Shop, totally out of my way, because I get a feeling that something really good is waiting for me there. I only officially recognised I had this talent today, when for no particular reason I had to visit the Salvos in Balaclava. I'd only been there once in the past with little success, but today I just had a feeling... And lo and behold I found the most beautiful and amazing woollen coat for Emma that will fit her perfectly next winter.I call it the Sound of Music coat, because I imagine its what one of the children wore as the were hiking over the Alps to escape from the Nazis... Simple styling with a detachable hood, forest green wool felt, made in Austria. It's the details that have won my heart though. The label, the leather hook loop on the collar, the little metal coin buttons that hold the buttons. It even has little vents under the arms so you don't over heat. Its in perfect condition and cost me all of $8.99, see what I mean about super powers?

Too Cool...

2010-08-25T19:14:00.002+10:00

I rarely get a decent photo of Emma these days, she is constantly in the move. Out of the 100 or so I took of her today, this was the only one that was not blurred and in focus. We were playing dress-ups with these sunglasses. Very Audrey Hepburn-esque don't you think?

Pattern tracing made easy...

2010-08-16T12:13:00.002+10:00

Just thought I'd quickly share a little trick that I sometimes use to trace patterns, it may come in handy.
Most of my sewing projects at the moment tend to come from either Japanese craft books or Burda Magazines that use these large printed pattern sheets with multiple patterns. You need to trace the pattern you want to use onto another piece of paper.
I find using see through tracing-paper difficult to work with because it's quite flimsy, so mostly I use cheap stiff interfacing.
Yesterday I only had a few small pattern pieces to trace and no interfacing left. I improvised by sticking the master pattern to a window with blue-tac, the light shining through helps you see the lines through regular photocopy paper.
I had some A3 printer paper lying around. Just hold it up to the window and mark your lines.

Nuno...

2010-08-14T12:53:00.004+10:00

I received a lovely surprise in my in-box this morning from Elizabeth Abernathy who has recently completed her very first issue of Nuno Magazine. It's 150 ad-free pages of craft, sewing and knitting ideas utilizing recycled and salvaged materials, and each project is complete with patterns and instructions. Elizabeth was kind enough to send me a copy for review. You all know how I love a bit of re-purposing and refashioning, and Nuno was full of great ideas I haven't even considered. The theme for this edition was FOREST with all the projects and ideas inspired by the woodland. Here are pictures of a couple of my favourite projects.
::Salvaged Leather Mushrooms::

::Felt & Pebble Jewellery::
This project is included in the free 20 page preview, along with good instructions on how to felt cast-off sweaters...another of my favourite textiles to work with.
I may try this concept in really bright colours...

You can download a preview copy of Nuno here

A full version is only US$5, buy it on the Nuno Magazine blog

2010-08-13T11:27:00.000+10:00

I'm sure you're sick of seeing unfinished pieces of this quilt, I know I am. The good news is all 30 squares are now pieced and quilted, so all that's left to do is sew them together, back and bind. Hopefully the next picture I post will be a completed quilt, Yay! I really want it to be finished so I can move onto other projects, I'm unmotivated to start anything else till it's out of the way.
I'll have to get past my 'sewers block' this weekend though, because I'm hoping to make some new bits and pieces for my stall at Mathilda's Market next weekend. I always set myself unrealistic targets, but as Mr Man always says "Pressure makes Diamonds..."

Cuter than lice...

2010-07-29T21:06:00.003+10:00

It's been a while since I've had the chance to really even step into my sewing room...Emma has kept me super busy of late and I'm really pooped by the end of the day. Our latest drama was head lice, yuk! Anyway you don't want to hear about that, so I thought you might like to see one of my recent acquisitions from my trip to Hong Kong. So much cool Japanese stuff available over there, especially books and magazines, Mr Man only allowed me a few.
I liked the idea behind this book called 'Petite Remake Clothes for Girls' (ISBN 978-4-7661-2113-1), lots of simple ways to turn plain garments in to something a little bit special.

One day when I'm over the lice debacle I may give some of these cute outfits a go...

The Shop...

2010-07-25T21:37:00.002+10:00

I've been promising to sell off some of my fabrics for a very long time...we're getting one step closer. I'm excited, it means I may be able to see the floor in my sewing room again...one day!

For pins and needles...

2010-07-24T14:30:00.003+10:00

I'm a firm believer that you can never have too many pincushions. I've made these little pin cushion sculptures using a felting technique called needle felting. I'm tempted to open a little Made of Cloth online shop so I can put them up for sale, and maybe sell some vintage fabric packs too. what do you think?

WIP...

2010-06-21T11:24:00.004+10:00

Things progress quite slowly in my sewing space, remember this 'holiday project' from December? Well it's nearly July now and I'm less than half done. I've probably quilted just over half of the squares...finding a spare few minutes with a very active toddler has become tricky and my sewing room is so cold now! I think this winter's new quilt may become next winter's new quilt!
I'm not going to start any more big projects till this one is finished, or it will forever be a Work In Progress...

Blackwork...

2010-06-18T10:59:00.003+10:00

1. Blackwork Fill-in 2, 2. Blackwork Fill-in 1

Some interesting Blackwork samplers from flickr...

Found...

2010-06-14T17:15:00.003+10:00

I op-shop a lot. It's one of my favourite things to do...I was lucky enough to have a child free weekday this week, probably the first time since before Emma was born. Guess what I did?
I used this fantastic guide on I Op Therefore I Am to plot out a route of my nearest oppies, visited about eight and did quite well.
Found lots of random bits and pieces including an etch-a-sketch (the subject of a few tweets of late) and a rocking horse for Emma, but my favourite find of the day really found me!
I think this skirt and I were meant to be together. It's just perfect! Beautiful soft velvet, my colours, my aesthetic...and it fits me perfectly (with a little room to grow!).
I would have probably paid a lot of money for it in a boutique, but lucky me, it was marked at $15. They were having a 1/2 price special that day, so only $7.50

Meant to be I tell you...

More great flea market finds over at Her Library Adventures

Sketch for me...

2010-06-09T17:36:00.000+10:00

I have started a new blog to document my contribution to the Sketchbook Project 2011. You can follow it if you like...Even better, why don't you take part too?

Easy Hottie Cover - A Tutorial

2010-06-07T22:11:00.006+10:00

Emma slept a record 2 hr nap today, so whilst I was burning her lunch (the house stinks), I thought I'd whip up a hot water bottle cover. My old one was about 15 yrs old, and a tad manky! This one took me literally 20min (+ photo time), so no excuse to make one this weekend.

You will need-
Your hot water bottle
An old felted jumper, blanket or wool felt
A large piece of paper
Pen
Scissors
Sewing machine and thread

Step 1
Make a template by tracing around your hot water bottle with a 1cm allowance (approx) this allows for filling roomStep 2
Cut out your template and lay onto felt - I've used a sleeve of a jumperStep 3
Cut around your template with an extra 1cm all the way around for your seam allowance. This will be your front Step 4
To make the back. You will need an opening in the back to insert your hot water bottle. To do this overlap 2 pieces of felt (with straight edges) by about 2 inches. Pin. Lay your template on top and cut around with 1cm seam allowance

Step 5
Here you can see the front and back. I've sewn some spots onto the front to add some interest. You can embellish any way you like, but make sure you do it at this stage. Now to sew the 2 sides together you need to match up the pieces 'right' sides (outsides)facing in. Sew with a straight stitch all the way around (1cm seam allowance) paying particular care where the back flap overlaps. You may want to sew over this part twice as it will get a little stress. Step 6
Trim away any seam bulk and clip inside curves to make turning easier. Turn inside out...and you're done!

Vintage labels...

2010-05-24T13:04:00.006+10:00

Last Sunday the sun was shining, Emma slept in till 10 and i got to go to a local flea market. Nice! The day got even better when i found these tucked away in a manky box under a heap of junk (I love to rummage!), 100's of woven vintage size labels.The best thing about them is that the numbers are so random. Size 6 & 1/4 anyone?So some I may be using for my children's clothing. I'd love to use the 3 1/2 label when Emma is 3 1/2. Maybe I'll sew the 36 into my clothes on my birthday this year, who knows?Others i may use as trims, we'll see... Any ideas?Here is a list of what's here...3 1/2,5 3/4,6 1/4,7 1/4,E 5, E 6,E 11,10,11,12,16,18,19,24,26,27,29,32,34,36,38,44,46,SM or WS upside down,M or W upside down,L,XL.See what other people have found on Sophie's flea market finds...and you may have noticed I've added a little follower gadget on my sidebar to make it easier to follow along, so why don't you?

5 Fave Fabrics...

2010-05-19T12:22:00.004+10:00

Thought I'd participate in Pip's 5 fave's today whilst Emma was napping (sweet silence, ahh...).

I'd like to share my 5 favourite vintage fabrics with you. It was so hard to choose but i think these came out winners...

1. Navy polished cotton with coral, pink and orange flowers

I can't even describe how beautiful this fabric is in real life. The sheen on the cotton is lovely and smooth. The coral colour is intense and soft at the same time. The scale of the print is just right. It includes my fave colour - Orange.

I don't thing I'll ever be able to cut into this fabric, no project will be worthy enough...

2. Large scale purple and blue retro flowers

This is an upholstery fabric sample with a really large scale print, the purple flowers are about 30cm wide. It's printed on a textured fabric, some kind of cotton blend. I just love how vibrant the colours are on this print, so rich like they have used pure pigment. The textured fabric adds an interesting dimension and softens the boldness of the print. Pure retro yumminess.

3. Printed linen, black and yellow

I love how this fabric drapes, it's really soft, probably because it's been used and washed several times. Not in mint condition but i don't really care. I probably wouldn't like it if it was all starchy and stiff. Even though it's quite old, the yellow on black has quite a modern feel.

4. Little Girls

This is currently my fave novelty print in my current collection. Red and white is such a classic combo, I could see this featured in a Japanese sewing book.

5. Spotty seersucker

So crisp and summery, you can almost smell the sea air and feel the sunshine on your face. Seersucker is such a happy fabric, and the bright green looks so tasty you want to bite into it like a crunchy granny smith. I can see a sundress out of this one day, although I'll have to be clever as its not a length of fabric but a half finished Aline Maxi skirt...

Which is your favourite?

Jumper Refashion - A half-arsed tutorial

2010-05-17T17:20:00.004+10:00

Yesterday I made a dress and some pants for Emma from a thrifted woolen jumper. It took me less time to make than it's taken me to put together this blog post. I never intended to write a tutorial (hence no before or during photos), but the re-fashion was relatively simple so I thought some of you may like to try it.

The instructions are a little bit half-arsed. Please forgive...

Emma is a size 1-2

I used a lambswool jumper that had been machine washed in tepid water. It was mildly felted, enough to stop it unravelling when cut but not enough for it to lose its stretch.

Use a long but narrow zig zag stitch, this will give some stretch. no need to overlock as the felted wool wont fray.

All seams are sewn with right sides facing each other.

The black lines are the original jumper the orange lines are where you need to cut.

To make the pants.

Cut off the arms of the jumper, these will become the legs and the wrist cuffs will be the ankle cuffs. You will also have to cut a scoopy bit out for backside room. Cut an appropriately sized semicircle shape from the side of the jumper to fill in the bottom hole.

Sew the front of the crotch first from front waistband to groin. Then insert the bottom panel.

Fold over a waistband and sew to make a casing. Insert elastic and you're done.

To make the Dress.

I decided to keep the roll neck. Ideally you'd use the existing neck finish to simplify the process.

I layed a top that fit Emma over the jumper as a guide to cut out the body. Cut shorter for a top, longer for a dress. The sleeves are made from the bottom band of the jumper. Because i made a longer dress I couldn't make long sleeves, but if you decide to make a top the bottom band will be wide enough for longer sleeves.

Open the body out, it should look like a big cross shape. Cut the pieces of arm bands to the length you will need. Sew these on with the garment open.

Then you can sew the side seams (attach front to back).

Finally hem the bottom and you're done.

I hope that is clear enough as there is no exact pattern, it all depends on the size of the jumper you're using and the size of the child. I sort of made it up as i went along.

Please feel free to leave a comment if you need clarification. I'll answer you with another comment so others can see it too...Have fun!

M.I.A

2010-05-16T16:05:00.000+10:00

Haven't had the time or inclination to sew/post of late. It's not you, it's me...so thought these vintage style pictures of my vintage fabrics may inspire...

After dark...?

2010-04-30T18:45:00.003+10:00

Do you ever wonder what your habby gets up to whilst you sleep? I get the feeling that these little pin cushions would come to life, Toy Story style. What personality would scissors have? A little snippy perhaps? Would French curves speak french? Would fat quarters have body image issues?...

Image credit Kup Kup Land

2 in 1...

2010-04-24T14:46:00.005+10:00

After much faffing about with my camera to fix a downloading problem here are the pictures of the vest I made for Emma yesterday, as promised.
It's reversible, two totally different looks in one garment. I used some of my 'saving it for a special project' fabric, the stuff that I can't bear to let go to strangers. I can't decide which side I like the best. Which do you like?
I've slightly modified the pattern so it can be reversible and also quilted it a bit swirly instead of straight lines. It was a good little project to practice using my free form quilting foot on, don't think i could do a whole quilt yet though!

Birthday dress...

2010-04-23T20:09:00.002+10:00

Sometimes Emma amazes me. Sometimes I even amaze myself. Today both happened.
1. Emma had a 2 hr nap. Two whole hours people! I couldn't believe my luck. Lately her 'nap time' doesn't extend past 40 min, on a good day.
2. I started and finished her birthday dress whilst she was napping, it even turned out quite similar to what I'd imagined. All made from scrappy bits of fabric from the sewing room floor and a piece of denim I found in an Op Shop 5 yrs ago for a couple of dollars.
Not bad for a couple of hours!

I even had enough time to start on a quilted vest I've been wanting to make her for ages. I had my groove on today, so thought it shouldn't lay around unfinished for too long. Hooray for Play School and we're done...pictures tomorrow.

How to make a rainbow headband...

2010-04-19T12:52:00.005+10:00

It's going to be a rainbow themed week over at our place, because I'm preparing for Emma's 1st birthday party! OMG, One already!

RAINBOW is the theme, lots of lovely bright colours to brighten the day, just like Emma has brightened our lives...

I'm hoping to use things I've got around the house or in the shop to decorate, and will be making Emma's outfit and party favours from my stash. I quite liked the idea of a birthday crown, but as I started gathering supplies the project became a headband...

Sorry didn't have time to photograph a tutorial but here are some brief instructions.

Supplies:

wool felt scraps in colours of your choice

headband

scissors

hot glue gun

embroidery thread and needle

How to:

I will assume your headband is already covered (otherwise you'll have to have a go at doing that yourself)

From the coloured felt cut out circle shapes about 4-5cm diam. you can do this freehand they don't need to be perfect. How many you cut will dictate the size of your ruffle.

As a guide Ive used 6 colours and cut from 6-10 circles of each colour (less circles of thicker felt, more of the thinner felt).

Thread a needle with embroidery thread, and tie a knot on the end.

One at a time fold each circle in half to form a semicircle, string it onto your thread like you were making a necklace. Do this with all of the circles, now you should have what looks like a ruffly snake. Make sure you secure the end.

Warm up your glue gun while you decide where to position the ruffle on the headband.

Lay a bead of glue down on the top of the headband and stick on your ruffle. Remember - with hot glue, LESS is MORE

Now you're done. Wear your new headband with pride, I'd love to see pictures of yours...

I'm modeling it here because Emma won't let me put it on her, hopefully next week I get at least one photo of it on her.

Next on the list, off to make a rainbow dress...

About a year...at my house

2010-04-12T22:02:00.003+10:00

Sometimes projects take a little while to reach fruition around here. I started making these little birds for 'the baby's room' about 2 weeks before I was due...they sat around in my sewing room for 3 months till I found this perfect little branch when out strolling with Emma. When she was about six months, I found some time to glue them to the branch. A couple of months ago Ben got tired of my nagging and finally installed a hook above her cot. Yesterday, 2 weeks before her 1st birthday, they are finally in place. So almost exactly 1 year...time flies...very quickly...So that's what happened @ my house this week, thanks Lou Lou for hosting...
Patterns for these birds from here...

Bunny time...

2010-03-31T16:20:00.003+11:00

Seems like everyone is in love with bunnies at the moment, I wonder why?

1. Easter Bunny Cozy, 2. Red Riding Hood bunny, 3. the bunnies, 4. Sleepy bunny

Markets, Garage Sales and other ♥able things...

2010-03-29T12:18:00.005+11:00

Sorry guys, a decent post to MADE OF CLOTH is long overdue, so here is a nice long one full of fabric loveliness...

I was lucky enough to catch up with the lovely Morgan Wills at the Maribrynong Makers Market 2 weekends ago in Seddon. Such a talented lady, I couldn't resist this apple pin cushion, so delicious I just want to take a bite...mmm...

Now I'll definitely have to tidy the sewing room so my sweet little apple can take pride of place.

Then the next morning headed to the Camberwell Market with Estelle and scored this awesome vintage fabric from the button lady (some of you know who i mean). Swiss vintage cotton with little sausage dogs. Had to buy the whole bolt, couldn't resist...

Bought a lot of other great stuff too, but it's not cloth related so I'll have to blog about it elsewhere.

Then, yesterday whilst walking around the park I stumbled onto a Garage sale, lots of not fantastic junk except for this...

...in a dusty and damp cardboard box lay a massive pile of vintage linen tea towels, doilies and aprons in mint condition. I've photographed my favorites here, in the wash now...

So I hope that has satisfied your MADE OF CLOTH fix for a little while, gotta go, Emma is trashing the joint...

Outing...

2010-03-24T15:48:00.001+11:00

Went into town with mum and Emma this afternoon. Dropped into visit the girls at Tessuti in Flinders lane. They have some awsome Japanese pattern books in at the moment. Fell in love with this one...can't wait to get stuck in and make some new clothes for Emma.
Lots of firsts for Emma today. 1st tram ride & babychino, enjoying the tram ride home now...

- Posted using BlogPress whilst out & about...

Do you pre-wash you fabric?

2010-03-22T14:49:00.002+11:00

Jodie from the Haby Godess has written a great post on her facebook page about Pre-washing fabric...some of my thoughts in there too.

Read the article here...

Would love to hear your thoughts and ideas on the topic.

Material girl...

2010-03-17T15:04:00.001+11:00

Madonna...
Love her or hate her, no one can deny that she has made a huge impact on fashion and popular culture.
Some of her famous costumes are on show at Chadstone shopping centre till the 4th of April.
The actual dress she wore in the material girl video. Was a huge fan then...

...not so much by the time she was wearing this...

Posted using BlogPress whilst out & about...

A lovely surprise...

2010-03-15T19:22:00.000+11:00

To the lovely mystery lady that dropped these vintage sewing patterns off at the shop, Thank you...who ever you are?
A lot of great classic styles here, maybe i'll be brave enough to sew something for myself one day.

- Posted using BlogPress whilst out & about...

Op-Shop Love...

2010-03-09T13:34:00.003+11:00

My visit to the local Op-Shops this weekend was very fruitful. Apart from this awesome apron, in mint condition, still with price tags, I picked up a heap of patterns, a bag full of zips (not that I ever use them), some brand new vintage bed linen and some other bits that I can't remember...

Love the retro fabric, it totally matches my ugly mission brown kitchen so well that I'm having second thoughts about renovating!

Pockets...

2010-03-04T14:12:00.003+11:00

I would love this amazing dress by Marimekko. Think of all the bitsy things you could put in each pocket.
Background: Designed by Vuokko Nurmesniemi in 1960, the Iloinen takki dress with its colourful small pockets is made from the grey Nadja fabric. A children’s version of Iloinen takki was introduced at a later stage.

A well earned rest...

2010-02-15T20:53:00.004+11:00

1. Blue with airplanes, 2. avatar

I am going away, just for a little while...to a lovely place over the sea. I'll need my passport and a bathing suit. Emma will need that, and so much more...any hints on travelling with babies greatly appreciated, you have 2 days...would love your input.
Business as usual re: the shop, I have staff you know...

Folk style Valentine's Placemats...

2010-02-13T13:12:00.003+11:00

Perfect for Valentine's day...Check out the tutorial on how to make these sweet little placemats on the Knick Knacks & Ric Rac blog.

Lucky me...

2010-02-07T20:40:00.003+11:00

I have a new quilt, well when I say 'new' I really mean new to me, because in reality it's quite old. Oh, and when I say 'quilt' I mean more of a patchwork throw (no batting or quilting to be had). But it's so amazing and I'm lucky to have spotted it.
Hand and machine pieced from the tiniest bits of vintage fabric a very long time ago. Picked up today at the Bentleigh Market.
I spent most of the afternoon admiring the little triangles of fabric. Not perfectly pieced, some triangles bigger, some smaller (1 inch). So this week I will gently hand wash it and put it out on the line to dry, and then I might admire it some more...

Sharp!

2010-02-06T15:01:00.003+11:00

Mmm...nice new scissors. Must tether these to the sewing room.

Old stock from a shop closing down in Union rd. Ascot Vale. (across the rd from the Op Shop)

Sneek peek...

2010-02-03T16:00:00.003+11:00

A sneak peek (as promised) of the folk inspired new season range, currently in my sewing room...with more to come I hope. Influenced by this lovely guy...

No sewing today though, too hot in there, literally a 'sweat shop'!

Folk...

2010-02-01T08:36:00.003+11:00

1. tribute to Kihnu, 2. sjurpriz, 3. la gaité, 4. Svensk samisk familie fra Jokkmokk, 5. Traditional costume in Kosova, 6. Đakovački vezovi, 7. Serbian folk costume, 8. Some green, 9. Girl in Kalocsa Folk Dress

I've always been enamoured with folk costume. The colours, layers, textures, patterns. The timeless elegance.

For a couple of seasons now I've been wanting to make a range of clothing for the store with Northern European folk influences, but for many reasons including time, I've never gotten round to it.

Also I didn't know if anyone would get it! Well, I've started making some one-off pieces that are loosely inspired...whether my customers 'get it' or not. Coming (slowly) this autumn/winter season.

I'll give you a sneak peek soon...

Big B, little c...

2010-01-25T13:42:00.004+11:00

Now that Miss Emma is napping I can share my latest project with you all. Whipped them up yesterday. Was inspired by similar cushions here. Have been scouring the internet for cool typefaces to use, and whilst Ben was entertaining the little one, i snuck away to make these...
I used felted recycled knitwear for the letters and felted woolen blankets (from the oppy) to make the cushion covers. I love using recycled wool felt, doesn't fray, lovely texture and usually quite inexpensive.

I'm a bit obsessed with orange at the moment so and orange cushion for me. Ben asked for a blue B...You'll have to ask the previous owners about the odd placement of the intercom phone, I'm yet to work that one out!

Vintage Refashion

2010-01-24T10:07:00.003+11:00

I found this sweet little illustration in one of my old Golden Hands craft books (from the 70's). Refashioning clothes was a very common thing in the past because clothing was not as cheap and mass produced as it is is these days. As child, my mother would often refashion second hand clothing for my sister and I, making use of woolen skirts to make tunic dresses etc...
And now when I get the time I'm really enjoying making refashioned items for Emma. If you haven't all ready noticed, I've been posting some of my projects to the Wardrobe Refashion Blog. There is a little list of my wardrobe refashions in the sidebar, check them out if you get a chance. You might get inspired to do a little bit of it yourself...

Wardrobe refashion, literally...A tutorial

2010-01-16T09:29:00.004+11:00

Before, a generic pine wardrobe gathering dust in a friends garage...going cheap at zero dollars!

Added a couple of coats of Acrylic gloss paint, some cute little red knobs from Ikea and some sweet little homemade fabric decals...

Instructions for Decals:

You will need: Cotton fabric scraps, stiff iron-on fabric interfacing (white), scissors, Iron, a pencil, PVA (woodwork) glue or similar, a damp cloth, a brush to apply glue.

How to:

Iron your fabric to remove any creases.

Iron on a piece of interfacing to the wrong side of your fabric, this should make your fabric nice and thick and prevent fraying.

Trace your desired design in reverse (interfacing side) remember it will come out in reverse so if you are doing letters you will need to trace the mirror image.

Cut out your shapes.

Glue them on to your desired location with the PVA, brush onto the back of decal initially then when positioned brush onto front. The glue will soak through and great a bit or a shiny finish when it dries. Make sure to wipe of any excess with a damp cloth while the glue is still wet

You're done!

Felt Flower Pillow...

2010-01-14T15:10:00.002+11:00

Love these pillow covers, easy to follow instructions on the Purl Bee Blog...I might make one for my new bed...

(Image from The Purl Bee)

Birds...

2010-01-11T17:38:00.003+11:00

1. Enid Collins inspired embroidery, 2. birdcage fabric, 3. Vintage Fabric Birdhouse

Romper Re-fashion Tutorial...

2010-01-07T21:06:00.004+11:00

I came across this sweet little romper in an Op-shop whilst I was pregnant with Emma. It was handmade and in great condition and had a lovely handstitched birdie on the front. The only hitch was it didn't have a crotch opening. Sort of a pain when you have a squirmy baby that needs changing.
But not to worry, that problem was easily fixed...here's how...

1. Un-stitch the crotch seam and remove the leg elastic2. measure around thigh and inserted the correct length of elastic in the casing.

3. Stitch ends of elastic firmly in place

4. Hem up the seam that was originally unpicked. I've added a little extension piece as this romper was getting a little snug on Emma. (That'll teach me to have stuff sitting in the sewing basket for months and months)
5. Add press studs and your done!

What a Romp...

2010-01-06T22:25:00.004+11:00

While I've been busy doing my thing, Emma's been busy growing - out of everything! She's 8 months now, her body is so long, in rompers she wears a size 1.
Yesterday I felt a little bit inspired and made her a couple of pairs. This little gingham number is made from a Butterick pattern (6675), picked it up from an Op-shop. I lengthened the body a bit because it was a little short and there is plenty of room on the straps to add another press stud as she grows. Quite an easy pattern, only 4 pattern pieces.

The romper below is probably the coolest thing I've made in a while...Vintage stretch terry towelling. I'm really proud of this one because I have an aversion to sewing with stretch fabrics. The terry was quite forgiving because it hid my wonky stitches. Pattern from a Golden Hands book.

I had to draft the pattern from this diagram. Sizing was for a 1 yr old but it was a little snug so I added a gusset and lengthened the straps, also added cuffs around the ankles.

Both the fabric and the book were op-shop finds. have been lying around waiting for just the right project.

FABRIC SWAP...

I have quite a bit of this terry fabric left, does anyone has some similar stretch terry fabric they would like to swap for it (or some other fabric)? I'm quite keen to make Emma another one of these rompers, am willing to share the pattern too. If you live in Melbourne even better, saves on postage.

Turning Japanese...

2010-01-04T20:34:00.004+11:00

Popped into town today and stopped by Tessuti fabrics in Flinders lane to say hi to my friend Lisa. Really worth a visit. They have a pretty good range of Japanese sewing/pattern books to choose from. I had to take this one home. Lisa put me onto this French blog -Japan Couture Addicts, where members post pictures of projects they've made from Japanese books or magazines. You can click onto the images of the books on the sidebar and see how people have interpreted the designs. Some are lovely, some not so...but hey who am I to judge?

The book I bought has sizes 3+ so Emma will have to wait a while, but I'll make some things for the shop for sure. It also has a few patterns in women's sizes.

Hanky Panky...

2010-01-01T20:38:00.002+11:00

Sweated away in my sewing room on new year's eve because I felt an overwhelming urge to finish off Emma's bedroom curtains before the year was up. Must have been 40+ degrees in there! I think I changed my mind at least 10 times over what I'd do with these bloody windows. Was originally going to make some 'window quilts' but decided that it was all just too much work, and these lovely vintage hankies give a similar patchwork effect with a floatier feel. I'd already made some block out panels, but they just seemed too severe on their own.I quite like how the gauzy layer softens the block out fabric, or on its own, lets the light romantically filter through......I left a few gaps so i could add any extra hankies that i come across on my gathering adventures.

Holiday Project...

2009-12-31T12:17:00.002+11:00

I've finally started on this quilt which i have been thinking about since October. I was inspired by the one featured in this book, Patchwork Style (translated version).
It's quite a lot of fun, 'quilt as you go' in 30 squares so it doesn't seem at all daunting. No real pattern to follow which suits me just fine...
I've been pegging the finished squares up as i go to decorate the sewing room a little bit...

Ric Rac...

2009-12-30T22:54:00.002+11:00

1. vintage tins, ric rac and fabric, 2. Smile Crocodile, 3. Ric-rac flowers, 4. felt & ric rac hungarian honey cakes

Have a very Merry Crafty Christmas...

2009-12-23T09:11:00.002+11:00

1. my werelounge Xmas swap for Barbara, 2. softie bûche de noël, 3. Christmas fabric wreath 2009, 4. it's starting to look like winter in St Petersburg

Flickr find...

2009-12-21T21:25:00.003+11:00

Enchantment of the Pixies patchwork Dress
Originally uploaded by eviegreenpixie

Just like wearing a quilt...

Welcome...

2009-12-21T12:59:00.004+11:00

Welcome to Made of Cloth, a little side project where I can share some of my fabric goodness with you. Lot's of pictures, maybe some thoughts, I don't know, we'll see...

All about things made of cloth, things that I'm making, or your making maybe. Sometimes some overlap with My Poppet, but mostly not. This is a side project after all...