Sew Slow!

Historically, I have been a very slow seamstress. Well, not necessarily slow...I just tend to leave my own projects sitting incomplete for quite a while. Over two years ago I bought a couple of the Built by Wendy, Simplicity patterns.

I made one of them almost straight away, and now, two years later, I have finally finished Simplicity 3835! It's not perfect... but for me to finish a personal sewing project at all is pretty remarkable. And it basically fits.



I thought I'd better document it straight away (hence the untidy hair and no makeup) as it is so rare for me to finish a personal sewing project!

As I mentioned, I bought the pattern over 2 years ago and I've had the fabric even longer. Thrifted fabric and scarf, used for the arms ties, from St Vinnies store for only a couple of dollars.

Don't look too closely as I didn't do too well on the arm ties and the neck band is a little wonky too. Otherwise, I feel it came out ok. The arms are a tiny bit too tight... if the fabric had a little stretch they might be perfect.

Cooler weather.

Well, the doll makeover hasn't gotten much further as I have been busying myself making a soft toy for my niece, who is due to be born in about a week's time. Very exciting! I already have a niece and nephew via my husband's side of the family, but this will be my own brother's first child and the first baby for any of the kids on my side of the family.

My brother had a jumper (sweater) when he was little and on the front of it was a generic Eskimo picture. I found a slide at Mum and Dad's with that jumper featured in it and used it to inspire the doll that I finished making yesterday. Unfortunately I don't have a scan of the slide at this stage.




I also made a purchase and added a new member to my slowly growing doll collection.


I believe she is called a Bradley Pose doll...but I'm not 100% sure about that as she has no labels on her.

Doll makeover

Time to attempt a doll makeover.
I bought this southern belle type doll...she's a bit like a Bradley doll...from the St Vinnies op-shop recently. She is a bit dusty and her dress was damaged.




So far I've removed her lace skirt and hoop. I've taken the "collar" off and just for now, I'm using it as a bustle. I've pinned her remaining pink dress to create a new shape just for fun.


I really enjoyed the makeovers that some people on flickr were doing so when I saw her in the shop, I thought it must be my turn to give it a try...I'll keep you posted when I decide what she will become.

Here are some of the examples on flickr.

Lack of Blog Discipline!

I've been pretty slack when it comes to this blog lately! Apologies for that.

I have been working on a few little bits and pieces but nothing major and I'm still not very good at finishing projects that I have started.

Here are some little zip pouches that I made using a tutorial from craftster.com -




I think I will use some iron-on interfacing inside the pouches if I make them again...just to give them a bit more shape.




I've been working on some more handmade buttons using oven-baked polymer clay too.

Sewing and crafty update -

The continuing story of my works in progress.

Back in April I wrote about how I was going to try to turn a large t-shirt into a zip-up hoody (with the help of a tutorial by Mezzi on craftster.org...but the link doesn't seem to be working at the moment). My attempt still isn't finished and has a few problems but here is how it looks at this point. I messed up the zipper and am having trouble with the hood. I think I might start again with a new shirt. It was fun though.

More soon.

Found items so far.

More Found Objects.

Here are some of the latest additions to my collection of found items (found on my morning walk) - this time I had a little help from my Mum and my niece.

We had a lot of rain over the last couple of weeks. My Mum found this little bracelet which looked like it had been washed down the gutter in all the rain.
The cherry charm was actually found by my niece in a playground a few months ago and she forgot to take it home with her last time she was visiting.



Then, a week or two before, there were these two mysterious items -



Someone is definitely trying to tell me something...but what? ;) hehehe!