Portabello Pixie Claire

I love the Claire pattern from Portabello Pixie but so far have only used it to make the peasant top so when a fabric order from the US arrived with a bundle of Michael Miller co-ordinates I knew I had to try a different version. After a discussion with Princess and Monkey during which they fought over every single print before accepting that there really would be enough to go around, we decided on the Round Apron Dress without the apron for the bigger girls and with the apron for the little girls (Baby and Niece).

And almost a week later, here they are! 2T for Niece, there was *just* enough of the owls left to make the aprons.



18-24 month for Baby, she is trying to spin in the last shot and it was hilarious to watch her copying her big sister.



Size 4 for Monkey.



And finally, size 6 for Princess.


I wasn't convinced about these the whole time I was making them. There seemed to be far too much fabric in the skirts (almost two full widths for the bigger sizes!) and they looked very wide and boxy. Then I put them on the girls, the sash pulled in the extra width beautifully and the skirts twirled enough to get three big grins and we were all sold! There was a lot of work here, nothing was particularly difficult about the construction, it just took a lot of time to put them all together but after seeing them on my girls I will definitely make this version again. I prefer it without the apron so will leave it off all of them next time.

Purple paisley

I have had four or five metres of purple paisley fabric sitting in my stash for ages and ages, it never did grow on me until I used it last summer to make a dress for my Monkey and completely fell in love with it. Funny how a fabric can look so different in a big piece than it does as a garment.

Anyway, I have finally sewn it all up now. There's a dress for my niece, Ottobre 03/07 #15 which is a knit pattern but as it used the same bodice pieces as #16 which is for wovens it was a simple matter of inserting a zipper in the back to make it work.



Here's the zipper as per design #16.



Then there are a lovely pair of ruffled trousers for the Baby, Ottobre 01/04 #12 which is my new favourite summer trouser pattern as they are so quick (no gathering for the ruffle!) and so very cute.



The ruffle is finished with a rolled hem on my overlocker.



And they fit the Baby just right.



I have enough scraps left to make her an appliqued Tshirt to go with them, coming soon! Hmm, and apparently also coming soon is a purple twirly dress for the Princess as I don't seem to have a photo of it. You will have to wait for Purple Paisley Part Two!

Bright and funky

I ordered a load of Flaphappy fabrics from The Fabric Fairy ages ago and they have been sitting in my stash for a while as they weren't quite what I was expecting. The quality is great, really lovely weight cotton lycra, but the prints were a lot larger and brighter than I thought they would be so I have been mulling over just what to do with them. This particular combo has turned out so much better than I thought it would, I made it as a muslin of the Jalie sweetheart top pattern and it's now one of my favourite tops.



The rest of the stripe went to make up some bike shorts for all of my girls, Ottobre 03/2010 #10. The bottom two are for the baby, I need to check her waist measurement so I can finish them off.

A sweet little skirt

Isn't it just?



My little Monkey came to the fabric shop with me a few weeks ago and disappeared up one of the aisles. She staggered back a few minutes later carrying a huge bolt of hideously pink fabric covered in holographic dots with a huge grin on her face, it was love at first sight. How was I supposed to refuse?? I hate the fabric, it feels horrible and was a complete pain to sew (nylon/poly velour kind of stuff, yuck!) but she absolutely loves her new skirt and I have to admit, it did come out at the end looking very sweet :)

The pattern is from Ottobre 04/2006, #23 and the ribbon came from stash. The pattern was easy enough but the gathering wasn't much fun! The Princess has requested one too, we have to go pick out a colour for her.