Shelley Made: July 2012

Sunday 15 July 2012

A New Personalised Fabric

It's been a while since I did a new Personalised Fabric option... I've had a few people ask if I could do a pink one along the lines of my Turquoise Daisies...so I did, and here it is:

Personalised Name Fabric - Pink Birds

It matches the pink colourway of my Bluebirds fabric collection which is currently available on Spoonflower...

Pink Birds on Branches Bluebirds and Blossoms - Pink Cherry Blossom Branches - Pink Pink Blossoms Pink Bird Stripe Pink Blossom Stripe

The Bluebirds themselves are also in blue (funnily enough!), and a mix of light and mid purples...

Bluebird On My Shoulder Light Purple Birds on Branches Purple Birds on Branches

As usual, just contact me if you would like me to create it in any name you like...

Tuesday 10 July 2012

My Stars and Stripes Matrix Fabric!

I'm very excited to say that my entry into the Spoonflower Stars and Stripes fabric design contest made the top 10!!  Sixth, to be exact...out of 328 entries!

The inspiration for this design was the movie - The Matrix...do you remember the falling binary screens???  Here is my version, called Falling Stars in Stripes (you can click on the image to go to the full design on Spoonflower):

Falling Stars in Stripes (Zoom Out for Effect)

I was very excited to find out I had placed in the Top 10 - and of all places I was in Queenstown, New Zealand when I got the email! :)   We never go anywhere - and I was desperate to check how it had printed, as the top 10 get put up for sale immediately!

Here is the photo Spoonflower took of the printed fabric:



I had to rotate the photo - when they took it, the fabric was upside down!! 

Thanks everyone that voted - I really appreciate it!!!

Sunday 1 July 2012

How many times can you make the same little dress??

I made a dress for my daughter's first school visit the other day.  In fact, I made two, because she has grown, again!

That got me to wondering how many times I had used that pattern...and I was very surprised at the number.  Let's recap...

Number 1

My daughter was about 20 months in this photo...and this was the first real sewing I had done for her.  I think one other dress attempt before this with another pattern when she was about 8 months old, that she wore maybe once, and was an awful fit!  This was true to pattern, and I still love it.  In fact, I've kept it!  Corduroy with the cutest little buttons...


Number 2


About 2 months later, I made it again...again, true to the pattern - this time I chose appliqued hearts.  Loved the little tights with this one!


Number 3


This one was her 2nd birthday dress!  I left off the appliques, and made it from a stretchy merino wool knit.  I used metal snaps rather than buttons.


Number 4



Exactly the same as number 3, but for my little niece Emma, and in a jade-green colour, again for my daughter's second birthday, so Emma would be about 5 months.  I think this is the first actual photo of me on my blog!! :)


Number 5

Exactly the same as 3 and 4 but a scarlett red merino...can't find a photo...but made for my niece's first birthday...so no wonder no photo!  My little boy was only about 4 weeks old then.  I can't believe I was sewing!


Number 6


I love this one!  Blue is so my daughter's colour...  This one was for a trip to my niece's 2nd birthday, so my daughter was about 3.5 years.  I did white satin stitching around a deep hem - ended up looking like piping!  I appliqued the daisy on the front.  It's from Bunnycup Embroidery - I used plain coloured corduroy, and skipped the smiley face...but this is what it looks like close up...


Number 7

For my niece's second birthday...just like her big cousin's, except orange!

Number 8


This is my favourite of all I think.  Lots of double thread contrast topstitching, and a lovely appliqued bird.  I cut made the "bodice" section of the pattern in dark purple, and the "skirt" in light purple, and did reverse colour topstitching on each part.  Made it at the same time as the daisy dresses...



Number 9



A very rushed - got to wear a costume to Kindy tomorrow dress!  She decided she wanted to be a princess, so I made this out of pieces of old bedding fabric I had lying around.  I made the basic dress out of some heavy bedspread fabric, and gathered a piece of sheer fabric from an old duvet - attached it around the middle of the dress, adding a sash and tie from the duvet lining to hide the gathers.  Did a rolled hem around the bottom of the sheer. 

Number 10


After making so many of these dresses, I had a break from the pattern!  This was was made for my daughter's first school visit.  I sliced the pattern and put a white stripe up both the front and back.  You can't see it from here, but when I stitched the hem - I used matching thread!  So blue on blue, white in white.  Yes, it took longer...but I thought it looked better! :)

Number 11


This one she wore for her last day, and farewell from Kindergarten.  I added a contrast strip at the hem, and did some topstitching detail.  No appliques here!  I was going to add pockets, but ran out of time!  Also ran out of time to take a decent photo!


Wow...11 times I've made this dress.  From toddler to school girl, and each year in between.  She's growing up so fast!

For those of you interested, the pattern is New Look 6576 and New Look 6578 (baby or toddler sizes).