Couldn't do any work sewing this morning because I'm either waiting for fabrics that are in the pre wash or waiting for fabrics to arrive. I pondered starting the corset I've been meaning to make for several months,but I'm still too scared..pity,cos I *need* it!
Instead though I decided to make this tunic,and it turned out pretty well.As usual I ignored the instructions and did my own thing. I hate that I do this,but I truly seem incapable of reading instructions.
So I've bound the neck and front edge rather than piddle about with teeny facings,and I didn't elasticate the sleeves...elastic not a good look on my fat arms!

Today I have been hiding from my neighbours! We are having our loft converted and so far our neighbours have been very understanding,(plus the builders have been very tidy and considerate.)but my neighbour one side has no tv reception due to our scaffolding and therefore can't watch her husband play in the rugby world cup,and my other neighbour values her mornings in bed,so didn't appeciate being woken by hammering at 8am this morning...Ooops!
So,I've buried myself in sewing and these are the results.

Firstly a jeans to skirt re do for Eden.





A blouse.This pattern came with the wrong instructions,so I had to wing it,and I forgot the waist darts! Not sure if I'm going to add them or not....



Finally, a skirt.This is the layered skirt from the Amy Butler Barcelona skirts pattern.

Today was Eden's turn on the sewing machine. She used a batik she made at school as decoration for her bag.







And another bag from me.This one I am giving away.

I was directed to morsbags.com last week,and thought it was such a cool idea,and something I could do with my children over the holidays.
Today India and I got started and these are the results. No labels yet,they are on order.






Only thing is,we both like our bags so much,we don't want to give them away!

I finally finished my first ever sock! I bought this sock kit over two years ago,and finally started it just about two months ago. It's not perfect,but I think passable for my first try,and not nearly as scary as I imagined. Now to start the next one...this pair is for my daughter. She's 11 with size 5 feet!!

Title says it all really. http://www.slide.com/r/CE0IssME7D-blw0VAEV7CxbSx6TbezZw

The warmer weather lately has prompted me to make a few skirts.
Firstly a skirt made with some funky canvas a friend bought for me.This skirt started life as a Betsy Ross "One Hot Skirt",but the fit on my fat tummy and slim hips was dreadful,so I altered it by extending the back waist darts,and replacing the front waist darts with two pleats.







Secondly a wrap skirt made from a throw I found in a charity shop for £3.This was such a simple quick make,and I love it!



Finally a reconstructed jeans skirt. Not entirely happy with this,and may very well have to unpick and start again!

I really hate trying to think of titles for these posts,and I'm rather miffed with myself because I just wrote a looong post complete with photos only to realise I'd added it to the wrong blog!! Ooops! I deleted it immediately of course.
Soooo,my news! I guess it's not really that exciting,but after dithering about for quite some time trying to decide the future of Tiddlybums,and then being too fluffy to stick to any decisions,I have finally decided something needs to be done!
I hate to admit it,but after five years of sewing nappies I'm sick of it.I hate production line sewing,and I'm not going to do it any more! (Too many exclamation marks?)
This weekend I spent sewing a one of a kind Tiddlybums Kimono and nappy set,and thoroughly enjoyed it.So,from now on (once all the old stock is sold),I will only be making Tiddlybums as special limited editions,and if anyone sees me slipping back to production line sewing,you can shout at me!
This is my latest set










My other "news" is that encouraged by my fellow babywearing Mamas,I have decided to launch my own baby carrier on to the market. Zidee Podeagis are currently being baby and toddler tested,and will hopefully be available to buy at the end of May!





Zidee Podeagis are made from beautiful fabrics such as silk,cotton and corduroy.Each one is hand crafted with great care and attention to detail...and how much fun have I had fabric shopping for these?!

I've kinda gone a bit Pod crazy! I made both of these today.
First Pod is cotton,reversing to silk with aubergine corduroy straps.



Second Pod is made with two beautiful Laurel Birch fabrics,straps are royal bluey purple corduroy.

Side one:




Side two:

This one is for a friend. I really hope she likes it. Cotton reversing to raspberry silk dupion,with raspberry corduroy straps and head rest.

Hmmm, dunno what I've done,but all my pics seem to be chopped in half!
I've gone through editing the more recent ones,but to be totally honest I just can't be arsed to change the older ones...sorry!

I've been meaning to try a Podeagi for some time,and finally got around to making one a couple of weekends ago.
This one is made using some beautiful Mchael Miller cotton with a silk lining and cotton corduroy straps.
I love this carrier,it's soooo comfy and sooo pretty,even in my scruffy jeans I feel all dressed up once I put this on.





I know this looks creased,but that's because I took these photos after I tried it on!

A couple of people on another forum asked me how I made the toddler MT below.I wrote up these instructions from my notes.They are in no way perfect,but might help someone out.
Just remember if you do follow them,that your baby's safety is your responsibility.


Jeanette’s Toddler Mei Tai


Fabrics etc

Main fabric: 2 metres (outer body, sleep hood and straps)
Lining fabric: 1 metre
Inner (hidden) layer: ½ metre
Shoulder padding: polar fleece or fusible fleece/batting.
Jeans needle (or two) for machine.
Good quality thread.
And if you have one a walking foot makes top stitching much easier.

Cutting Out

All measurements include a 1.5cm seam allowance

Body: 65.5cmx43cm round off top edges

cut 1 of main fabric
cut 1 of lining fabric (or 2 if necessary)
cut 1 of hidden layer (or 2 if necessary)

Straps:

Shoulder straps cut 2 200cmx30cm
Waist straps cut 2 100cmx30cm

Sleep Hood: 29cmx39cm round off top edge to the same angle as body

Cut 1 of main fabric
Cut 1 (or two) of lining fabric

Ties…cut 2 approx 30cm x6cm


Making up

Shoulder straps:

Using fusible fleece/other padding add shoulder padding to required length, remembering to leave approx 10-15cm of strap to attach to body without padding.
Fold straps in half lengthwise and sew 1.5cm seam, along long edge and one short edge.
Trim
Turn right way.
Press
Top stitch.


Waist straps:

Fold in half lengthwise,and sew 1.5cm seam, along long edge and one short edge.
Trim.
Turn right way
Press
Top stitch.

Sleep hood:

Make ties as straps
Placing main fabric and lining fabric right sides together and pinning ties in place,sew 1.5 cm seam ,along sides and top edge.
Clip curve,trim.
Turn right way
Press.

Turn up and press bottom edge in place.

Top stitch.

Sew sleep hood onto main body(and hidden layer) in desired position.


Body:

(this is the tricky bit!)

Place main fabric and hidden fabric layer(with sleep hood attatched) flat on a table with right sides facing up.
Position straps in desired place, keeping at least 10-15 cm of strap inside the body of the MT.

Remember to keep waist straps 1.5 cm from bottom edge to allow for seam. (then waist straps will be in line with bottom edge)

Pin and tack in place, keeping all loose strap ends,sleep hood etc inside and away from the seam allowance.

Add lining (2 layers or 1 lining 1 hidden) right sides facing down.

Pin and tack in place.

Sew seam 1.5 cm along sides and top edge.

Trim and clip corners.

Turn and Press.

Turn up bottom raw edges. Press and top stitch.

Top stitch entire body

Reinforce straps by top stitching through all layers on each strap. X boxes or similar are recommended.

Press

Then try it on!

Made with embroidered cotton corduroy and silk.

Babywearing is a huge part of my life,and finding the perfect large toddler carrier is not so easy.We were using wraps (simple pieces of cloth) daily,but wrestling a wriggly and reluctant toddler into a wrap is really not my idea of fun,so our Mei Tai collection has started to expand somewhat.
I'd been meaning to make a Mei Tai for some time,but finally I got around to it yesterday.I started out with the intention of making a Babyhawk inspired carrier with a sleep hood,but during the design/sewing process found myself making something more like a Colibri.
For once I'm actually really pleased with how this project turned out.No doubt there will be things I'll do differently next time,but there's always room for improvement.






I've got the bug now,so will definately be making more.

I have a love / hate relationship with knitting.My Mum taught me the basics when I was a little girl,and in my teens I discovered I could make myself all sorts of "cool" things,like the piano scarf I knitted using a free pattern in a teen magazine (could have been Jackie).It was a scarf based on the old Minors make up advertisment where a disembodied heavily made up head had a piano keyboard twisted around where it's neck should have been...oooh didn't you love the 80's?
I also knitted myself several berets with pom poms and assorted hats to keep my head warm...a mohawk in the winter was not my best ever idea,although it did mean as a 6th former I was no longer allowed to go to school assemblies,or do prefect duty!
Since then I've flirted with knitting occasionally.I've knitted the odd lacy cardy and bootees when I've been pregnant,but still never got the bug.
While pregnant with my last baby I decided to knit a babywearing poncho,a huge task as it turned out.I spent 18 months (on and off) knitting the damn thing,then just as it was long enough to try on,I discovered how utterly horrible it was,and threw it in a cupboard in disgust!
I'm am not going to let this beat me though. There are some beautiful yarns available now,and I've discovered dyeing and felting too...lots of fun,though as yet I haven't made any felted items I actually want to show anybody!
I'm not a natural knitter,but that isn't going to stop me!

I spent the day on Friday finishing off some projects I cut out before Xmas and had no time to finish.
Firstly a needle roll.I've needed one of these for a while now,and finally decided to use up some knitted fabric salvaged from a poncho I spent 18 months knitting only to discover it was utterly horrible!
I lined the roll with quilters cotton,and used a really lovely ceramic button to fasten.
TBH it's not exactly how I imagined it.Sewing the knit to the cotton was not at all easy.I probably should have stabilised the knit first.


Secondly is a little cardy using a pattern from Ottobre Woman. I made the largest size,but unfortunately it still wouldn't stetch across my boobs. It's not quite a lurid green as it appears here.(please excuse the clashy and stained t shirt.)





Finally a skirt made using a pattern from Prima magazine.(April 2004) I used PRR Buttons cord dyed royal blue. I was so surprised at how great this fits,and it's actually quite flattering.
There is a front split,a yoked waist,and a centre back godet.