New Additions

I thought it was about time to offer a little variety in the Personalised range...  So, I've come up with some new layouts, which are available now!

As usual - available in any name, and your choice of colours from my colour chart.  The first three are three colour designs

First - we have SPOTS...

Then we have HEARTS...

Not forgetting STARS...because I love stars for babies :)

And last, but by no means least the DIAGONAL, which is available in four different text styles

BLOCK

SCRIPT

HAND

 

 

PLAYFUL

 

 

From now on - the old layout will be known as ORIGINAL

 

 

 

 

Ordering is easy - see my Personalised Designs page for information.  I hope you like the new designs!!!
 

Fabric Giveaway!!

Hi there...

To celebrate (?) my "milestone" birthday that is looming next Thursday - head on over to my Facebook page to enter to win a yard of fabric on either Basic Cotton, Kona, Poplin or Silky Faille!  You can choose ANY of my designs - either regular or personalised, and it will include my design fee if you need it customised.

All you need to do to enter is be a current "liker" of my Facebook page - like the post with the image above on it - and enter a comment with the design you would choose.  Easy!

(If you win and choose a cushion panel set as your prize - you will get a matching pair of panels on the yard)

The personalised options are all here

Or to browse my whole range see here

The contest closes at midnight Feb 13th 2014 - and the winner will be announced on Valentine's Day...

GOOD LUCK!

NEW Family Cushions

Hi everyone,

Today I'm introducing a new addition to my personalised range - "Family" cushions.

The panels make up into a very unique item, and would make a lovely Mother's Day gift, or for someone who has just completed their family with a new addition!

The front has your chosen family names repeated across it, in your choice of background colour...

Here are a few I have made up...

This one is printed on a beautiful matte satiny fabric called "Silky Faille" - so soft and lovely to snuggle against!

 

The backing fabric looks like this...

 

Another example, this time printed on a lovely canvas fabric...

I haven't decided whether to add these to my Etsy store yet to sell as completed items - it will depend on demand - but for now they are available to order as fabric cushion panels. 

The panels are 18 inches square, and are sold on a yard of fabric.  You will get two fronts and two backs (so enough to make a complete pair of cushions) on the narrower fabric options.  On 54 inch wide and above fabrics - you can fit three complete sets.

If you want all of your sets to be the same on your yard (e.g. a pair of matching cushion panels) - only one design fee applies.  If you would like each set to have a different name - then a separate design fee applies for each.

All the ordering details are on my Personalised Designs information page at the top of this site...

I hope you like this new addition to my range! :)  If you would like to be kept up-to-date with new additions like this - feel free to follow me on my Facebook page

Ombre Hearts Dress

A post for the New Year...best wishes for 2014 to you all!

I did some sewing for Christmas, as usual.  First was a dress for my 6 year old. 

I used the Fair & Square dress from Tie Dye Diva again (it's a favourite of mine), but wanted to change it up a little as I've made it maybe 6 times now?!

There was this one, and this, and this...plus a few more I haven't shared, LOL!

So, I added some little capped sleeves.  I've described how I did it below if you are interested in trying it yourself!

Really a very simple addition - but I love the way it turned out.  In fact, I think this dress is now my favourite of all time.

Some detail pics to show you...






First, the sleeve I added. 

I also chose to bind the lower armhole with some spare white faille instead of double folding the edge - just to be different!

  

Front and back views (very happy I found the perfect matching button!!)

My matchy-matchy seam!  I always make this dress now with one centre back seam, rather than two side seams.  Only one seam to match up!

 

Then some action twirls shots from Christmas Day!  I love the way this fabric design seems to ripple!

I used my own fabric design, printed on Silky Faille - this one here called "Ombre Paper Hearts":

I absolutely love the way it printed.  A gorgeous raspberry red with lovely matching lighter and darker tones for the ombre hearts.  It is such a wonderful soft, draping fabric - and so nice to the touch.  It also has a teeny bit of a sheen in the right light!  Plus it washes AMAZINGLY.  My daughter wore it to the movies - she came out covered in sticky melted chocolate and icecream.  All down the front of it - brown and orange.  My heart sank!  Not only was I able to spot clean the worst of it off in the cinema bathroom (rubbing with bathroom paper towels!) - when I finally got it into the wash every single thing came out.  Awesome!!!


Anyway, for those of you interested...to add the sleeves:

I basically drew an oval that was 7 inches high, by 6 inches wide - then chopped it in half down the longest diameter (so the straight edge was 7 inches long).  That was the template.  I cut two out of my fabric (one reversed) for each sleeve. 

Sewed a half inch seam along the curved side with right sides together.  Clipped the curve, turned, and pressed.  Gathered the straight edge in by an inch, so it then measured 6 inches... 

When the bodice outer and inner have both been completed (i.e. you have sewn the front to back at the shoulders) - and just before you the outer to the inner to complete the bodice - this is where you add the sleeve.  Line the gathered raw edge up with the raw armhole edge of one of the bodice pieces, and centre it on the shoulder seam (right sides together).  Do this for both sleeves.  You will need to tuck the curved edge of the sleeve in so you don't sew over it when you sew the neckline.  Place the other bodice piece on top like normal now, and sew away...

I love the added sleeves - and I'm sure I'll do it again someday...soon!

Happy New Year!



Stars in Stripes Dress

Quite some time ago I created a fabric design - I called it "Falling Stars in Stripes".  The fabric design was inspired by the falling binary code images in the movie "The Matrix"...maybe you remember that one?  I have to admit to it being one of my all time favourite of my fabric designs... 

I entered it into the Spoonflower fabric of the week contest way back in July 2012...  The theme that week was "Stars and Stripes".  To my delight, it was a top 10 finisher - and I always had in my mind to make a dress for my daughter out of it.  Now I finally have!

You can see the detail of the stars a bit better on the closer photos...

You can see the slight sheen on the fabric in this one...



This time - I just embellished with simple silvery star buttons.  No flower or anything fancy.  The fabric was detailed enough not to need anything much.

I chose Spoonflower's new Silky Faille, which is a stunning fabric.  So soft, satiny and prints with SUCH vibrant colours.  She loves wearing it - and the faille washes up brilliantly.  You can click the inage below to see the full repeat on Spoonflower...

The pattern I used was one of my favourites - the Fair and Square from Tie Dye Diva.  I've used it many, many times now...and I'm sure I'll use it again very soon.  It's getting hot here - and it's a great dress/top pattern for the heat.

A few things to note about the Silky Faille.  Use a microtex needle.  Keep the fabric taut when you sew - but don't stretch it - just enough pressure to keep it firm.  It does not hold a crease very well - which is awesome for washing (I'm not a keen ironer!) - but something to remember if you have to crease small double-turn seams like under the arms of this dress.

The end result - a flowy, drapey, soft and very comfortable little dress. 

The Ruffle Pop Skirt

I'm finally back at the sewing machine, after a frantic few weeks of custom fabric designing, and photography assignments!  I've got a few projects on the go - this is the first...

I had a piece of fabric looking for a home...and decided on a quick and simple skirt for Miss 6.  The fabrics in the skirt are two of my designs...if you want to replicate the look, links to get hold of them are at the bottom of the post.

This is another from Jen of Tie Dye Diva.  I like her patterns as they are fast and easy and I don't have to read the instructions over and over again to get it right!  It's called the Ruffle Pop skirt, and it goes from a size 2 through 8.  A great quick sew.

I opted to use pre-ruffled eyelet for the trim.  I had no idea it even existed till last week...  I'm not a big ruffle fan - all that gathering usually puts me off!!  But this was too too simple, and I will most certainly be using it again.  Plus I think it looks really sweet :)

The hardest part of the whole process was getting a photo of the finished skirt!  My daughter has taken to silly "model" posing whenever I ask...  It's a bit like pulling teeth to get a decent shot right now...but you get the idea anyway!

The main fabric for the skirt is this one:




and the matching stripe is this one:



Have a great weekend!
Shelley

Personalised Blankets and Cushions!

I am very happy to be able to finally announce that my Etsy store is full of new listings!

I've been planning this ever since I started designing the fabrics...so near on two years now.  So today is a rather big day for me!

Here are a few examples:

I have cushions (with and without inserts), matching blankets and matching greeting cards.  I will add more items to the collection over time...

Meet Emerson - my lovely little model...  With her blanket!

In a range of lovely bright colours - in any name you like.  Available plain, or with owls, or birds, or butterflies, or even robots!:

 Matching greeting cards are in my store as well...

A few of the fabric options



The minky I use to complete the cushions, and for the blanket backs is SUPER soft and snuggly...

Would love to hear what you think of them...  You can see the complete range in my Etsy store here.