Mend and Make New

Issie Top Blog Tour

2017-11-05T15:08:00.001-08:00

Yay, another Sewpony blog tour, this time for the very versatile Issie Top Pattern – a sweet knit top, with optional ruffles and the ‘Rose collar’ optional add on. Joining me on the tour today are Pistolwhip & Kneesocksandgoldilocks .

I jumped at the chance to pattern test this top because:

I mean how can I not when I have my own ‘Issie/Isy’?
Sewpony patterns are gorgeous,
I love sewing with knits,
Ruffles.

Clearly, I found the sew enjoyable because I ended up making THREE tops (with plans for more!)

For my first one I used this gorgeous Art Gallery knit with Owls and blossom in the short sleeved option with no waist band and double side ruffles. I had meticulously fussy cut the front upper panel to feature the owls (or so I thought – turns out it was the back!) Not to matter, I still had enough for the bottom panel of the front and there’s the added bonus of that interest on the back. Who doesn’t want a pet owl on their shoulder?

I made my petite Isy (almost 7) a size 5 based on her measurements and it fits her perfectly. It was such a quick and easy sew that I was inspired to make more…

I know I’m biased, but isn’t she beautiful? She’s always had a kind of gracefulness/ dignity that’s shone out of her eyes.

For my second Issie, I wanted to sew a striped dress inspired in part by this breastfeeding dress I recently bought from Addison Clothing (as shown in the last photo in this post). I just love the clean classic styling of this dress. At the time of testing I hacked the pattern 2 ways, by making it sleeveless and also by adding the dress length. (There has since been a dress length add on.)

Finally, and in a bit of a departure from my normal (more muted) aesthetic I made my 4 year old, Pipi a My Little Pony (Rainbow Dash) inspired Issie Top. This time I made a long sleeved size 4 with a rainbow ruffle across the front. It is just so Pipi… and she LOVES it! (And can’t you just see the mischief and sunshine shining out of her eyes!?)

Want to sew your own Issie Top ? Now is the time to buy it because it is currently discounted by 10% during the blog tour with the code: ISSIERELEASE10 .

If you want to follow along with the rest of the blog tour, the schedule is as follows:

MONDAY 23/10: anaaisID//frl.love//naaisgerief//

WEDNSEDAY 25/10: VINK//amore//MeToezie//

FRIDAY 27/10: Beletoile//Flaflinko//Froleintilia//Ariane//

MONDAY 30/10: Riddersenrozen//128//

WEDNESDAY 1/11: WithlovebyEva//ByDagbjort//Stannel//

FRIDAY 3/11: Nah-connection//DoGuincho//Groovybabyandmama//liiviundliivi//

MONDAY 6/11: Pistolwhip//Mendandmakenew//Kneesocksandgoldilocks//

WEDNESDAY 8/11: Creativecatoo//Justaddfabric//Casennina//
FRIDAY 10/11: Enjoyfulmakes//Kaatjenaaisels//Larth//Whileshewassleeping//

Thanks so much for having me and letting me test your pattern, Suz. I definitely see more “Issie’s” in my future!

Jen x

Cosmo Dress Blog Tour

2017-09-01T03:13:00.001-07:00

I’ve long been an admirer of Suz from Sewpony’s sewing and patterns, but up until now I had never sewn one! What a travesty! Fortunately when Suz asked me to join in with the blog tour for her adorable Cosmo Dress this was rectified. I feel so honoured to be asked and to be amongst such a great calibre of fellow sewers…. speaking of which, be sure to check out today’s other posters: yaaritg, Knee Socks and Goldilocks, honderdachtentwintig.

The Cosmo is a lovely A-line dress in a classic style that can be made in sizes 12months –10 years. It has three rather sweet collar options or you can leave it plain as I have done. There are also a few different sleeve options and, optional piping on the front and an exposed zipper on the back. Although I’ve put in a few zips in my time, I’d never done and exposed one, it was so easy… and now I want to sew all the exposed zippers!

I really enjoyed the sew despite being a bit under the weather at the time. My little model is sick too, can you tell? She is such a trouper. Despite the fog in my head I managed to soldier on, largely due to the fact that Suz has provided such clear and concise instructions. There is even a video clip which shows you how to install the exposed zipper. Have I mentioned that I’m now in love with exposed zippers?

I sewed a size 6 using a beautiful grey double gauze swan fabric that I got from Miss Matatabi a while back (I think it’s a linen cotton blend), and I also had some scraps of the same print in a blush pink colour way so I used that for the nice deep pocket and the outside of the flutter sleeve. For the lining of the sleeve, piping and facings I used an Art Gallery fabric that I had in my stash – mustard with little white coat hangers. There are little yellow details in the swan fabric (the swan’s beaks and the centre of flowers) which ties in nicely with the mustard, I think.

I had all these grand plans of photographing Isabelle in this dress at the park surrounded my beautiful spring blossoms and magnolia trees… given that it’s the first day of Spring and all… but the weather put an end to my plans, so instead we have a girl dancing around in her bedroom and a few shots from the backyard before the rain set in. Ah well, at least the girl is a breeze to photograph!

Thank you so much to Suz from Sewpony for having me on your blog tour and encouraging me to sew the Cosmo! You too can sew your own – during the course of the blog tour your pattern here with 15% off price with code: COSMOTOUR. You had better get in quick though as today is the final day of the tour and tomorrow at 9pm AEST this deal is off!

Below are the links to all my other fellow blog tour sewers… make sure you check out their lovely blogs/ instagram accounts.

Happy sewing J x

KaatjeNaaisels//Bel'Etoile//PetiteBoutdeChou//ByDagbjort//Havinsewmuchfun//

WenSJe//GiddyAnts//Flaflinko//Larth//PetrolandMint//DoolittleDesignsCo//Bellevi//

Amore//PimpYourPattern//Cas&Nina//Liivi&Liivi//Whileshewassleeping//

StraighGrain//Kneesocksandgoldilocks//Yaaritg//
MendandMakeNew//Honderdachtentwintig(128)

{Sewn} A Golden Bellbird Dress for Isabelle

2017-08-20T01:12:00.001-07:00

This is the second time I’ve had the pleasure of sewing The Bellbird Dress by Below The Kowhai. A couple of months ago I sewed Sophie a size 1 using stunning Liberty of London fabric. This time I made a size 6 for Isabelle out another precious fabric, some mustard linen that I’d recently acquired from The Fabric Store. I’d bought this linen recently along with a blush pink and beautiful teal, with no particular project in mind (more like 100 possible projects), but it was on sale and it was beautiful, so it had to be mine!

Truth be told, although I intended sewing Isabelle a BellBird Dress eventually, this project wasn’t on my immediate ‘to sew’ list… but that all changed when I won a facebook competition for Isabelle to have her portrait taken by award winning and extremely talented photographer, Richard Wood. It was requested that she wear classic, almost old fashioned clothing, so rather than buy/ hire something I thought sewing this dress would fit the bill. The embroidery also added a nice touch I think.

I finished the dress on Thursday and Isabelle had the photo shoot done on Friday night. She was a complete natural, quite excited about the whole experience and I really enjoyed spending the time with her, just the two of us. Richard did an amazing job capturing Isabelle and sent through this amazing photo yesterday… doesn’t it look like an oil painting?

(If you want to get a similar portrait done by Richard then you can get more information and book it here. )

I’m really happy with how the dress turned out. It’s roomy enough to fit a merino underneath on a cold day and I think it should fit my petite girl for at least another year. The style is classic and timeless and the embroidery adds an almost heirloom quality to it. I lined it with a scrap of light pink Swiss dot fabric, which I think works really well. … And the dress was given the ultimate seal of approval this morning when Isabelle decided to wear it to church. (I took the opportunity to snap a couple of photos by the lemon tree before we left.)

So there we have it, I sewed a dress and managed to blog about straight away. I haven’t managed that in a while! Next on my sewing agenda is a Cosmo Dress (pattern designed by the talented Suz of Sewpony) because I’m part of the Cosmo Blog tour.

What’s on your sewing table/ to make list at the moment?

Jen x

{Sewn} 2 x Playgroup Rompers

2017-08-01T19:14:00.001-07:00

While pregnant with Sophie I discovered the Playgroup Romper Pattern by Fresh Stitch Patterns (a company that I’d not heard of before.) Although I didn’t know if I was having a girl or a boy, I knew that I had to snap up this gorgeous pattern straight away! (It also helped that they were having a sale meaning that I got this pattern and the Overnap Bodysuit for just a couple of dollars each!)

Apart from the obvious cuteness of this romper pattern with its bubble/ puffy legs etc, I really love it’s versatility … long sleeves/ sleeveless/ flutter sleeves/ peter pan collar or without … there are endless possibilities! I also have found it a great way to use little scraps of my favourite fabrics with the bodice panel option.

This is exactly what I did for my first one. I discovered that I had a larger scrap of my favourite Liberty of London ‘Betsy’ print and used that for the front and back bodice panel and a lovely light grey linen for the main. I made the 6-9 month size for Sophie to grow into in the Summer, sleeveless with the bubble bloomers (there are 2 bloomer options.)

It was a pretty simple sew and I’m very happy with how it turned out!

After making that romper my mind was awash with different fabric combinations and ideas for other rompers. And then I was sorting through my stash and stumbled upon this perfect shade of blush pink cotton (leftovers from when I made my sister a quilt 6 years ago!)… I knew I needed to make another!

Once again I made the 6-9 month size but mixed it up this time by adding flutter sleeves and attached a piece of lace trim down the middle of the front bodice.

Look at the little deer peeping through from the lining! ^

They were a lot of fun to make (and it was fun practicing my flat lay skills too! ;) ) I am resisting the urge to sew more as I think Miss Sophie might almost have enough Summer rompers now, well for this Summer at least; but I plan to sew some larger sized ones later.

… And now I leave you with my cute photobombing baby (she’s getting big, just over 3 months old now!)

Happy Sewing,

Jen x

{Sewn} A Liberty BellBird Dress

2017-07-31T04:57:00.001-07:00

This is one of those projects that I actually sewed a little while back but just hadn’t got around to blogging … mostly in part to the fact that I intended to sew Isabelle a size 6 for her too and blog them together (watch this space.)

Anyway, back to this little dress! The pattern is the thing that inspired the sew. I’m not sure about you, but I tend to get inspired by either a pattern or some fabric (also I sew for pragmatism too, when items are needed – although that’s not quite as romantic!) The pattern is The BellBird dress by my friend, Sophie of Below the Kowhai, and was the first pattern she designed (and she did an amazing job! The instructions were clear and easy to follow, and I just love the end result.) Sophie has since put out the equally as inspiring Tui Pinafore (which I also intend to purchase and sew at some point – 3 matching pinnies for my girls perhaps?); and she also has more patterns in the pipeline – very exciting!

I made a size 1 for my little Sophie to wear next year, perhaps a first birthday dress? (Of course protected by a full body bib if she does a cake smash!) We will see! I opted for the sleeveless option (you can also choose to sew the trademark bell sleeves, I think I’ll do that next time). It also features pockets, that no doubt she’ll fill with smooshed raisins and other ‘treasures’ as toddlers tend to do! Also, there is an amazing embroidery option, whereby you can adorn the front bodice with lovely flowers – however I decided to let this gorgeous Liberty fabric do the talking!

Let’s just talk about that fabric for a minute – isn’t this Liberty print stunning? It was left over from this little vest that I made Pipi, and I was just waiting for the right project to come along. And I’d say it’s a match made in heaven, wouldn’t you agree?

What’s on your sewing table at the moment? Since making this dress, I’ve made a couple of baby rompers… which I will hopefully blog about and share with you soon.

Jen x

DIY Floral Mobile

2017-06-13T04:13:00.001-07:00

Oh hey, look! I made a thing!

Don’t get me wrong, I love the current season of life that we’re in, but it’s nice once in a while to break up the continuous breastfeeding/nappy change/school run/cook and clean, with a little creativity. Of course creative inspiration always strikes right when I settle down to breastfeed (the Pinterest app on my phone may have something to do with that) – but it was nice this week to smash out one of those ideas that has been lurking round in my brain for a little while now.

I wanted to make Sophie a floral mobile. If you’re a long time follower of this blog you might remember the hot air balloon mobile that I made Pipi. Man, I’m a sucker for a theme, aren’t I? But I like a theme in a subtle, non over the top way (basically the opposite of the themed rooms in Extreme Makeover Home Edition – if you remember that show?! “Move that bus!”)

Anyway, this time around I seem to have loosely gone for a floral/ bohemian theme for our baby nook area – inspired in part by our Alphabets & Animals prints, Sophie’s Fox and Swan name banner and the Nani Iro floral mat that I made for Sophie. (See photos further down this post for the Alpha prints and name banner.)

This mobile is pretty simple, but I’ll give a basic ‘how to’ for those that are interested. I used the inner ring of an embroidery hoop and bought faux flowers and leaves from Spotlight, my local craft store. I choose the most realistic one that I could find. I went for the less is more philosophy and initially had less, but added some more greenery hanging down to add interest for Sophie to look at. (After all that is the purpose of a mobile, is it not!?)

I wound the greenery around the mobile and tied natural twine at four even points around the hoop in quite long lengths which can be trimmed later. I used the twine to most of the securing but also used a bit of hot glue too. I attached 4 faux peonies using the hot glue gun on the outside of the hoop at each of the four points where I’d wound the twine. (Before attaching I cut their stems off.) … And that’s pretty much it, I attached it to the ceiling by tying the four lengths of twine at the length I wanted and used a command hook to dangle it from.

… This is the view from below…

… And above (cue arsty photos) … peekaboo Sophie!

And while I’m here, I thought I’d share a bit more of our room/ Sophie’s baby nook…

Of course this blog post wouldn’t be complete without a little bit of Sophie spam, so here you go – in the words of Maui, “you’re welcome” – unless baby spam isn’t really your thing, in which case I wonder why you are reading a blog post about baby mobiles, but anywho!

What are you making at the moment?

I also have plans to try my hand at a macramé wall hall hanging and get a bit of sewing done too!

Thanks for reading,

Jen x

{Sewn} Two bunny-themed projects

2017-05-19T19:19:00.001-07:00

As I neared the end of my pregnancy with Sophie, I seemed to lack energy to both sew and blog – but when I went overdue, I regained a bit of my sewing strength (after all, I needed to do something to pass the time and take my mind off the weeks of persistent braxton hicks contractions that I was experiencing!)

In the lead up to Easter I was inspired to make a couple of bunny themed projects. In our house, being Christians, our focus during Easter is the cross and the empty tomb, rather than bunnies and chocolate, however I’ll take any excuse to sew a theme (especially a cute animal one) and I’m not one to turn down chocolate, either!

Anyhow, I made these cute bunny baby shoes for my new niece who was born about 3 weeks before Sophie and just in time for Easter. (I already have visions of sewing matching outfits for our two girls, whom I’m sure will be firm friends as well as cousins.)

The pattern I used was the Wild Things Baby Shoes by Twig & Tail and the fabric was bits and pieces from my stash, including some vintage embroidered linen that I’d been given (for the ears, insides and backs – see above photos); and some blush pink corduroy which I’d picked up from a Facebook destash page at some point (and previously used to sew the girls these dresses.)

This is my second time making this pattern, having previously made these shoes here.

The second bunny themed project that I made was this mustard yellow top for Isabelle. Doesn’t she look delightful in that colour? I think it really brings out her sunny disposition… but then again, I think this girl would look lovely in anything.

The pattern I used is one that I’m very familiar with, having sewn it many, many times before: The Street Smart Sweatshirt, by Little Kiwi's Closet and the beautiful fabric was gifted to me by my friend Elza. Thank you!

Right, that’s another couple of previously unblogged projects that I’ve now managed to catch up – now I feel that I can move on to making and blogging new projects…. including a little something that I finished the other day using this fabric…

More soon!

Jen x

Sewing for Sophie

2017-05-11T18:33:00.001-07:00

As I’ve mentioned before, I didn’t do as much sewing whilst pregnant for Sophie as I did when pregnant with Pipi… actually, correction – I sewed a HEAP of undie orders, but not that much baby sewing.

But I did manage to sew a handful of things, including the little whales romper below.

The pattern I used is the Summer Romper by Brindille & Twig and the whales fabric is from Elvelyckan Design. I made the size 3-6 month size for some reason (Sophie will fit this when we are still in Winter), however with a merino and tights underneath it will still work well. I also plan to make heaps more of these in a slightly bigger size for Summer!

The next couple of things that I ‘made’ both involve fabric from Miss Matatabi and kind of cheating! … As in all that I did was edging! I ‘made’ this gorgeous Nani Iro play mat/ quilt by just simply sewing bias binding around the edges of this pre-quilted fabric. (I did this project whilst a few days overdue with strong braxton hicks!)

Secondly, I ‘made’ the wrap that Sophie is wrapped in below by sewing first hemming and then sewing a delicate pom pom trim (from Spotlight) on the top and bottom edges of a gorgeous piece of cream triple guaze fabric (I left the side selvedges au naturale).

Incidentally, do you like my birth announcement photo? Here a few tips if you’re thinking of doing something similar:

Make sure you spell your new child’s name correctly before you excitedly post the photo to all your social media accounts! Ops! (Clearly the below was my second and corrected attempt!)
If, like me you’ve chosen a name for your child with an extremely large number of vowels and you run of the letter blocks with the ‘i’ on them, not to worry – just get creative and use a ‘j’ for one of them, sneakily hiding the tail of the j under a soft toy rabbit’s ear! Problem solved!

Although when pregnant with Sophie we weren’t 100% sure of her gender, we did have some inkling that she might be a girl – so I did sew a couple of more feminine things, including the swan playsuit below.

I used the Little Kiwis Closet Flutterby Playsuit Pattern (3-6 month old size) and the beautiful swan fabric is from Art Gallery Fabrics, which was a small scrap that I had leftover from the Twig & Tale blog tour that I participated in last year. I had some cream swiss dot fabric in my stash that I used for the flutterby sleeves.

The first baby project that I sewed while pregnant (and one that I've already blogged) was these little bunny shoes (pattern: Wild Things Baby Shoes, fabric: assorted vintage stuff from my stash). See original post for more details, if you are interested.)

I’ve since made a pink pair of these shoes for my new little niece, which I’m sure will get blogged in due course.

The last bit of ‘Sewing for Sophie’ that I’ve done; and the only bit (yet) that I’ve done since having her (honestly, I’m already having sewing withdrawals and have a growing ‘to sew’ list, so I can’t see this hiatus lasting long)… is these baby washcloths. (Spot the polar bears??!?)

They were made using a double gauze by simply cutting and overlocking the edges in a manner of around 20 minutes or so. (I made 6.) A quick, easy and practical sew.

I used to have this fabric in a pink colourway (from Miss Matatabi), but this scrap was scored from a facebook destash group I belong to.

I can’t wait to get back behind my sewing machine soon and sew floral dresses, bloomers and lots of other things too!

What are you sewing at the moment!?

Jen x

Glasses Review for Optically.co.nz

2017-05-08T16:17:00.001-07:00

Recently, (in a stroke of perfect timing) I received an email from Optically.co.nz (an online glasses retailer) asking if I’d be interested in reviewing a pair of their lovely glasses. The timing was perfect because I’d just broken a pair of glasses and learnt first hand that it is NOT at all ideal to not have a back up pair! (Let’s just say that going to the movies and driving at night is not the best in your prescription sunglasses while you wait for new pair of normal glasses to arrive!)

Anyway! I was pleasantly surprised by huge range of products that Optically.co.nz have! (Over 3000 products in stock!) There are so many different styles in both prescription sunglasses / standard eyeglasses and they cater to all price points. Their website boasts of “New Zealand’s lowest price. Guaranteed!” and prices start as low as $9 including your prescription lenses. Or, if you’re feeling fancy, you could choose to splash out on one of their still competitively priced, designer frames (including Dior, Benneton or Gucci – just to name a few!) There really is something for everyone.

The website is very professional and super easy to navigate. I simply searched under 'Womens glasses' styles, narrowed my selection down to a few styles I liked (this was easier said than done, because I liked a LOT of the frames) and then I was able to virtually ‘try them on’ my using a handy feature on the website which super imposed my selected frames over a photo of myself! After much deliberation I chose the Jorgio JO1302 C4, as pictured below. I provided my prescription details and the process was finished as easy as that!

My new glasses arrived very promptly in the mail and I absolutely love them! The quality is great and overall I had a very positive experience with Optically.co.nz. Their service was faultless!

So if you’re in the market for some eyeglasses or prescription sunglasses then perhaps take a look at Optically.co.nz! They also have a 100% money back guarantee, which means you can shop in confidence, knowing that if they’re not quite what you were after then you can return them no worries!

Thank you to Optically.co.nz for kindly providing me with these lovely frames! (And thanks also to my 8 year old, Noah for kindly taking these photos!)

Jen x

*This content was sponsored by Optically.co.nz and the frames were provided to me for the purpose of this review – however all views and opinions expressed are completely my own.

Sophie Evangeline

2017-05-06T02:14:00.001-07:00

Long time no blog, eh? Yeah, I’m all about quality over quantity these days, and I’ll think you’ll agree that this is a rather special blog post.

Let me introduce you to the newest member of our family, Sophie Evangeline! She arrived at 6am, 2 weeks ago today on 22 April 2017, weighing 7 pounds 10.

She has slotted right into our family and we all are quite besotted with her!

I sewed a few things while pregnant with Sophie (which I hope to post about soon), but much less than I did when pregnant with Pipi. However, I hope to make up for that in the next few months (time willing of course!) I already have so many sewing plans that I can’t wait to undertake… but for now I’ve been easing into being a Mum of 4 (!) and have been soaking up newborn snuggles and snapping LOTS of photos (as you can see!)

…And if baby spam is your thing … then you can find heaps more of it on my Instagram page … @mendandmakenew !

Jen x

{Sewn} Isabelle’s Art Deco Dress

2017-02-23T13:20:00.001-08:00

Here in the beautiful Hawke’s Bay of New Zealand we celebrate an annual ‘Art Deco’ festival. This festival commemorating the 1931 Napier Earthquake in which 256 people lost their lives, and many of the damaged buildings were rebuilt in accordance with the distinctive ‘Art Deco’ style of the time – thus giving Napier a real Deco flavour that still lives on today.

The festival is a pretty big event in our community with a lot of people travelling to attend and many people dressing up. Our kids’ school does a dress up day too, and when I spotted this fabric in my local fabric store (Spotlight) I decided to sew Isabelle a dress!

At some point during this blog post I had planned to make a hilarious joke about how I’d painstakingly stitched every sequin on, but unfortunately I’ve already revealed that I bought it like this from Spotlight, so that joke won’t fly! In fact, the whole sewing process was rather pain free – I just used my old staple, the Blank Tank pattern from Melly Sews, with a few modifications – the obviously one being that I lengthened it to be a dress and I also lined it with a soft grey marle cotton/lycra knit blend (because the back of the sequin fabric would have been a little itchy if left exposed against the skin.) Because I was sewing with sequined fabric (my first time), I used special needles called ‘sharps’ as recommended by my fabric store and a small zig zag stitch due to the stretchiness of the fabric.

The only trouble I encountered during the sew was trying to get my mind about how to line it and still be able to turn it in the right way. As the original pattern isn’t lined I had to work it out for myself and in the end I put the call out for advice in a couple of facebook sewing groups I belong to. From there the ‘Burrito roll method’ was suggested (as demonstrated by this video) , but in the end I followed this method which gave the same end result. (All in all it was a very quick sew and I probably spent more time trying to get my head around this issue rather than anything else.)

Honestly, how gorgeous is this girl!? She shines with or with out sequins!

To complete the look, Isabelle and Pipi both made the flapper style headbands (with some assistance from me.) We just used stretchy black lace that I already had in my stash and tied it at the back and the girls attached the feathers and plastic jewels with the hot glue gun. They are big fans of the glue gun!

I would have got some photos of them making them, but I was too busy supervising two eager girls dealing with hot glue, so that didn’t happen!

Pipi, never one to be left out, decided she needed some photos as well – she’s not in full costume, but you get the picture… and I think these pics reflect her personality rather well!

No words!

I’ve been on a bit of a sewing kick recently, with heaps of things I want to sew (once I finish custom orders of course – nearly there!) … and also with a couple of unblogged projects/ works in progress that I hope to share with you soon!

Do you have any projects on the go/ in the pipeline?

Jen x

{Sewn} Gingham Ruffle Dress

2017-01-28T02:15:00.001-08:00

On New Year’s Day, on a whim, I sewed myself a dress! Spotlight was having a sale and I needed to get some fabric for something else anyway, so I grabbed this super cheap gingham at the same time and away I went!

To be honest, it wasn’t completely on a whim as I’d the basic idea in my head for a while – essentially a lightweight sack cinched in above my growing baby bump with a tie and a cute elasticated ruffle neckline that could be either be worn trendily off the shoulder, or not (as I prefer especially with these maternity bra straps to hide!) ;)

It was super quick and easy to sew, I didn’t follow a pattern but had a top of a similar style which I loosely followed, of course lengthening it a bit and adding a bit of width to accommodate my ever increasing girth! Hemming and making the elastic casing was super easy too because I could just cut out and follow the line of the stripes which kept it nice and even with little need for a measuring tape. I bound the arm holes.

It’s a lovely comfortable dress to wear and nice and light and breezy, perfect for some of hot days we’ve been experiencing and it fits my currently 29 week bump rather well (with room to grow).

I have worn it a number of times since making it almost a month ago, but have only just managed to get some photos now. Unfortunately, most of the photos I got the ‘Instagram husband’ to take didn’t turn out so well, they were overexposed and washed me out! Honestly, I’m not that pale at the moment, I just got a little bit of a tan – although I do have a prescription for iron tablets that I need to fill! It’s really saying something when a mannequin is more photogenic with you!

It’s a good thing that beautiful Isabelle decided to crash my “photoshoot” with her dazzling albeit food covered smile!

Next on the sewing agenda, I have a couple of custom orders to get through and then hopefully, a little bit of sewing for this new baby!

What are you sewing at the moment?

Jen x

Handmade Christmas: Personalised ‘Guess Who’ Game

2017-01-02T14:35:00.001-08:00

This year for Christmas we did ‘Secret Santa’ for Andrew’s very large family (he is one of 7 siblings). As you can imagine that buying for everyone can prove rather expensive, so the secret santa idea where you buy for just one person/ family is perfect. We were allocated Andrew’s brother Toby, his wife Tash and their two kids and I wanted to think of something a bit unique and personal to give.

I saw this personalised Guess Who idea online somewhere earlier in the year (I think originally on Instagram?) … and thought it was just perfect – especially with a big family, I knew that we’d have no trouble whatsoever in getting enough faces! In fact we had too many faces! In just the immediate extended family (Andrew’s parents, their kids, their wives/ husbands and kids) we have 25 people (… and counting… 3 of us sister-in-laws are currently pregnant too!) So I just left myself off to make the 24 places required.

Getting the photos was pretty easy (mainly thanks to Facebook!) As it turns out sourcing the old school Guess Who board game to use as a base was probably the hardest part (well, that and the fiddly task of sticking the little photos in their little plastic frames.) I didn’t have much luck at op shops and I seemed to be up against a bit of competition on trademe (maybe other people had the same idea as me) and it seems that in recent times the game has been a bit modernised making the original game a little rare. But eventually I was able to get one off trademe and we went from there.

I found a couple of tutorials on Pinterest, including this one that included templates that you could use in Photoshop. I was considering using this because the hubs is a photoshop whizz, but ended up taking the simpler route of just measuring the size of the original cards, re-sizing photos to this size, adding names printing them out, attaching them to coloured card for the back and laminating them.

We also had a bit of fun subtlely personalising the box too. Can you spot the new faces and words (below)?

All in all it was a bit of fun to make, and I hope it proves a bit of fun to play too!

Did you make any of your Christmas presents this year?

Jen x

Festive Things

2016-12-31T18:17:00.001-08:00

^{Christmas day fun!}

^{Handmade Christmas gifts for the teachers. (Featuring this Angel printable from Caravan Shoppe and homemade gingerbread.)}

^{Soaking up the boxing day sunshine at Waimarama}

Christmas day this year for us was a pretty subdued affair. In the aftermath of a busy last few months with kids’ birthdays and school and other break ups; a quiet celebration was just what we needed. We’d also just returned from a brief trip to Wellington for my brother’s 30th, so we’d managed to catch up with family members pre-Christmas anyway.

On Christmas day we unwrapped gifts, went to church and had a simple yet delicious lunch at home with roast lamb, new potatoes and lots of Summer fruit and sweet treats. We spent the next day, Boxing day, at one of our local beaches Waimarama, testing out the girls’ new saltwater sandals and building sandcastles, and have spent the last few days in the same relaxed manner, catching up with family and friends and with me stealing a few moments to sew!

Wishing all of you a very blessed 2017 and wonderful holiday season!

Jenny (and family) xx

My year in Sewing {2016}

2016-12-23T13:28:00.001-08:00

Yes, yes I know today is Christmas Eve, not New Years Eve… but I’m feeling a bit nostalgic and with a little free time to spare, being on holiday mode and all … so I’ve decided to post my annual sewing round-up now – hope that’s ok with you?!

2016 for me, definitely has been the year of less blogging and perhaps less sewing (although there are about 25 gazillion pairs of undies and a whole bunch of market sewing that would testify otherwise), but definitely less blogged projects than previous years – heck, in other years I’ve struggled to decide which of my numerous projects to choose for a couple of 9 square grids, whilst this time, I’ve struggled to fill them!

^{Left to Right: (Top row:) Take Flight Dolman Top, The Clementine Dress (Middle row): Katie-pie Play Dress, Homemade Lego Storage Bag/Mats (Bottom row): Pipi's Bunny Hat, Pipi's Liberty Vest, Merino Singlets.}

^{(Top row): Noah's Lightning Bolt Quilt (still a work in progress), Isabelle's Ballet Cross Over Top and Ballet Bag, Wayfearer Shoes (Middle row): Isabelle's Solis Dress, Wild Things Bunny Shoes and Swan Pixie Shorts (Bottom row): A couple of unblogged projects, including far left a cushion cover collab between Noah and me and also (centre and right) Isabelle’s Ruemi Raglan (I tested this pattern for Little Kiwis Closet).}

So that’s that! Not so much sewing for Noah or myself this year, but I’ve definitely put a few hours into that quilt of his, with plenty more to come! I have a few things I want to make for myself, perhaps a few maternity things and things for after – we’ll see.

Despite the significantly fewer items sewn this year, my passion for sewing still hasn’t waned! I’ve just found myself busy with family life, the admin work I do for my husband and the exhaustion of early pregnancy (which I’m glad to say has now passed!) And I also really tried to pick quality and need over quantity this year.

I plan to enter 2017 armed with beautiful fabric and lots of ideas (including a bit of new baby sewing) – So watch this space!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, one and all!

Happy Sewing,

Jen x

Noah’s 8th Birthday!

2016-12-21T20:12:00.001-08:00

I can’t quite believe that my firstborn is now eight! Noah celebrated his birthday on the 13th of December and I’ve just been reminded by my Dad that this blog is how he keeps up with our happenings, so I thought I better post about it before Christmas is upon us!

We had a simple party for Noah on the Friday night before his ‘actual’ birthday with a few of his school friends. It’s such a busy time of year, so we kept it pretty low key with pizza, a DVD and DIY ice cream sundaes. I had a bit of a cake disaster, in that I’d intended for it to be 2 layers but hadn’t quite let them cool properly resulting in the destruction of the top layer… good thing the bottom was unscathed though, so it wasn’t a complete disaster! It still turned out pretty yummy, if not a little rustic! And Noah didn’t care!

The gift we gave Noah was a big Star Wars Lego set, perfect for our star wars and Lego loving guy! He spent most of the next day building it, with only a little help from me…. and that was only because I really wanted to help. (I guess as an adult you forget how much fun Lego building can be!)

Happy birthday Mr Noah, we love you so!

Mum / Jenny xx

Lately… Isabelle turns 6 and other things…

2016-11-20T20:35:00.001-08:00

Somehow another year has flown by and my (not so) little girl, my middle child, Isabelle is now SIX!

I mean, how has it been a whole year since her beauty & the beast/ Belle party!? Because I’d thrown her that big party last year, and because this time of year is always a busy time, I hadn’t originally planned to do a party for her this year, however somehow managed to wrangle one anyway!

We kept it pretty simple, 6 little friends, no theme this time, a basic cake and DIY decorate your own waffles (because our waffle iron is still a bit of a novelty ‘round here.) It was a super hot day and we all had a lot of fun!

You might be able to guess from that last photo what the ‘other things’ mentioned in the post title is…. yes, we are having baby number 4! I’m now 20 weeks along with baby due April next year. We are all very excited – especially the kids!

This little baby seems to be a very wiggly one! We had made the decision to find out gender this time (Pipi was a suprise but we found out with the oldest too), only to have our plans foiled by an unco-operative fetus! So, for now at least, the mystery remains!

I did however, manage to get the 3 babes on the outside to stay still and look at the camera for the announcement photo above (no mean feat!) So I call that a win!

… It did take a couple of shots though! ^

So that’s what’s new around here! I’m still sewing away and will probably back here soon enough to blog about another project, or Noah’s 8th birthday in a couple of weeks!

What is happening in your neck of the woods? Doing any Christmas crafting?

Jen x

Sofilantjes Down Under Blog Tour

2016-10-12T22:52:00.001-07:00

Recently I was invited to be part of the ‘Sofilantjes Down Under Blog Tour’, involving some of us sewing bloggers from New Zealand and Australia. I’d seen Sofilantjes patterns (a Dutch company) before and thought that they looked nice, but this was my first time making one. When I clicked over to the Sofilantjes website I was immediately taken by the Solis dress (and tunic) and knew that was what I wanted to sew for the blog tour. (I mean how cool is the back on it?)

I sewed little Miss Isy a size 5 (based on her measurements) and it fits her absolutely perfectly! There is a pleated skirt option (with either tunic length or dress) and also a circle skirt option. I chose the circle skirt, because my little ballerina loves to twirl!

The sew was so quick and easy! I sewed it up one afternoon (I actually think the cutting out possibly took longer than the actual sew!) I opted to leave the dress unhemmed which made it even faster. The pattern instructions very easy to follow, and I definitely will be making more. In fact, little Miss 3 has requested one exactly the same in her size, thank you very much!

For fabric I used black stroke Elvelyckan Design fabric for the bodice outer, the back strap is a mustard and triangle design from there too, the floral neck strap is a Birch Organic knit (if my memory serves me correctly) and the skirt and bodice lining are a candyfloss pink from NZ made Levana Textiles. (All of these fabrics are knit). A lot of pattern mixing, but I’m really happy with how it turned out!

Thanks so much for having me as part of the ‘Sofilantjes Down Under Blog Tour’

Today is the last day of the blog tour, but make sure (if you haven't already), to go back and check out the other posts by my amazing fellow 'down under' sewers! The schedule was as follows:

Monday Idle sunshine
Tuesday Horris And Deedle
Wednesday Little Cumquat, Bartacks and Singletrack
Thursday Tea, Dust and Stitches, Brave Fabrics
Friday While She was Sleeping, Mend and Make New

There is also a GIVEAWAY! You could win a copy of the Nivalis Tunic and Dress Pattern.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

… AND… Sofilantjes is also offering you 15% off for all of their summer patterns (including the Domis and Semper). They have bundles including the Aura.

The code to use is DOWNUNDER. This discount expires on October 16th and, is valid on Summer patterns only.

Happy sewing!

Jenny x

Twig + Tale Blog Tour (Featuring Art Gallery Fabrics)

2016-10-09T00:56:00.000-07:00

I’m so pleased to be part of the Twig + Tale (formally ‘Big Little) welcome blog tour. For this week long blog tour, myself and a bunch of other amazing sewing bloggers have been busy sewing a few of Twig + Tale patterns to celebrate the launch of their brand new name. (More about the tour schedule, and a giveaway at the end of the post!)

We were very lucky to have the blog tour sponsored by the amazing Art Gallery Fabrics, which meant I was able to pick out some beautiful fabric to sew with!

I made Isabelle the Twig + Tale 'Pixie Shorts' in size 5. The Art Gallery Fabric I selected for this project was 'Dabbling Swan' in Plum from the 'Hello, Ollie' Collection, by Bonnie Christine. (I requested 1 yard and still have quite a lot left over which I’m looking forward to using for other projects.)
This fabric is just stunning. It is 100% premium organic cotton and has the most soft and luxurious feel. I wanted to showcase the gorgeous swan print on the front, with a swan facing in on each leg, so I decided to fussy cut it to achieve this (and managed to do so, while still economically cutting my precious fabric! Phew!)

I’ve made the Pixie Shorts a number of times before and they came together quickly. I omitted the pockets this time, so as to have optimal amounts of swan on display. The fabric was a dream to sew with and I’m really happy with the result. (As is my little girl!)

Twig + Tale is a celebration of the innocence of childhood and the wonder of nature, and I think that this collaboration between them and Art Gallery Fabrics (with all their whimsical and often nature inspired designs), is a match made in heaven. I also think that my wee girl, Isabelle epitomizes this too – it was hard to get a still photo of her, all she wanted to do was climb trees, feed the ducks and blow dandelions!

As well as these swan pixie shorts, I also made Twig + Tale’s super cute Wild Things Baby Shoes. It was my first time making these, and it was a lot of fun.

We have a couple of babies on the way in our family, so I can see myself making a few of these as gifts! I choose to make a bunny pair in the smallest size (0-3 months). The pattern also contains templates to make other animals, such as pandas, foxes, cats, bears, mice and raccoons, and goes right up to size 12-18 months+.

While on the topic of Twig + Tale's Wild Things patterns, it’s worth mentioning that there is currently a 20% off sale on some of the Wild Things range, including these baby shoes (and just in time for Halloween sewing if you’re into that sort of thing!) (Sale ends midnight Friday, no code required.)

These little shoes are such a great scrap busting pattern, and I just used various vintage bits ‘n bobs that I found in my stash, including grey wool for the outer fabric and mustard corduroy for the soles.
The only modification that I made was adding the little ‘cotton-tails’ on the back – inspiration struck when I opened my sewing draw and spotted some pom pom trim!

Thanks again to Twig + Tale for including me in this amazing blog tour (see schedule below), and of course Art Gallery Fabrics for providing me with the amazing swan fabric to sew with!

Finally, what would a Blog Tour be without a giveaway?!

Art Gallery Fabrics is kindly sponsoring 2 yards of Art Gallery fabric of your choice. To make the prize extra sweet, we are also adding a collection of 5 Twig + Tale patterns of your choice.
International entries are very welcome. Our bloggers come from every corner of the world to celebrate the global nature of Twig +Tale too. Enter using the rafflecopter below. (The winning entry will be checked to ensure all criteria are met).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday: Falafel and the Bee - Handmade Boy - Sew A Little Seam - Sew Shelly Sew

Tuesday: Näh-connection - Khadetjes - Paisley Roots - Vera Luna - Inspinration

Wednesday: Skirt Fixation - Mend and Make New - Idle Sunshine - NZ Green buttons - Candice Ayala

Thursday: Vaahtokarkkimonsteri - Lulu & Celeste - Sprouting Jube Jube

- Life in our busy household - Elephant Dimples

Friday: Pattern Revolution - Milk Monster Momma - Small Steps Big Noises - Fliegfederfrei

Saturday: - Made by Sara - So Popo Sew - Big Little Tales - Needle and Ted

Good luck and happy sewing!

Jen x

Wayfarer Shoes by Twig & Tale

2016-09-28T20:31:00.001-07:00

Quite some time ago, (which my computer photo filing system informs me was back in April) I tested a the Wayfarer Shoes pattern for the designer formally known as ‘Big Little’ (I’ve always wanted to say something like that!) For those of you that hasn’t already heard, Big Little has now re-branded under the amazing and very fitting name of Twig & Tale.

Twig & Tale patterns are distinct from others out there in the PDF pattern market, in that they are whimsical, inspired by nature and play and they emphasise the use of recycled materials and beautiful embroidery!

Anyway, back to these cute little shoes! Wayfarer Shoes are fully reversible, use minimal fabric and are super quick and easy to make! The pattern features are as follows:

Extensive size range 0-3 months - approximately 9 years
Choose size bundle using dropdown menu when ordering
Fully lined, no exposed seams
Skill level: Beginner - adventurous beginner

You can also use recycled fabrics as I have done here (a recycled op-shopped/ thrifted dog blanket for the main, a vintage pillowcase for the inner and an old pair of jeans for the sole.)

I also decided to embroider them using this jasmine design, which is one of a few embroidery options that are contained within the tutorial. I really love the way the embroidery looks!

My little one informs me that they are nice and cosy and comfy too!

Go and grab yourself a copy of the pattern and create your own pair of gorgeous little shoes!

Jen x

{Sewn} Isabelle’s Ballet Cross-Over Top (and ballet bag)

2016-08-16T01:59:00.001-07:00

Isabelle recently started ballet lessons, something I, myself enjoyed as a child from ages 4-13. Naturally, this is something that I’m pretty excited about - my little girl is a ballerina!

Also, I was rather excited as to the prospect of more sewing. After all, we can’t have my little ballerina getting cold after her lesson can we? Armed with gorgeous blush pink merino that I already had in my stash (a generous gift from my husband last year from The Fabric Store, that I already used to make these toasty PJs), I was amped and ready to make a ballet cross-over top … apart from the fact that I didn’t have a pattern.

I searched online and found 2 PDF patterns, one had a hood (not what I was after) and the other was a faux cross-over that your had to pull over your head. What is the point of a faux cross-over??? The whole point of a cross-over is so the precious ballerina does not have to mess up her immaculate ballet bun, getting on or off her top over her head, thus the cross-over! So of course that would not do! So back to the drawing board – literally! Instead of buying a new pattern I decided to use my favourite tee pattern - 4 seasons tank & tee as a base and modify it to have the cross over front, different binding and ties. I made a size 6 for my little 5 year old, hoping to make it last for next year too, but I shortened it a bit in keeping with the look I wanted.

It was a bit of gamble (especially using that lovely merino, and no muslin), but I’m so glad it paid off!

I also made Isabelle a simple draw-string ballet bag, just like my Mama made for me when I was a little girl. All up, both the bag and the top took about 2 hours sewing time, plus about another 30 mins of me faffing about modifying the pattern.

With all this thinking about ballet, I decided to dig up some of my old ballet photos – see below. Usually when I look Isy I see her Father, but when I look these photos me, and then her … I see a little similarity, don’t you think?

Have you got any sewing projects on the go at the moment?

I’m still chipping away at this in the background, but am also hoping to get a start on some Summer sewing, and a few baby gifts.

Happy Sewing!

Jen x

A New Project: Noah’s Lightning Bolt Quilt

2016-06-30T22:00:00.001-07:00

I have a new project on the go, and I have to say – I’m rather excited about it! It’s nice, first of all to be sewing something for my boy! It really does feel like it’s been a while! It’s also nice to be quilting again. I haven’t done that in a while. Lastly it’s nice to be trying new techniques and learning new skills – the new skill here being ‘foundation paper piecing.’

I have used ‘English paper piecing’ before when I made Pipi's hexi quilt; but that involved a whole lot of hand stitching, and I’ve now discovered that foundation paper piecing is quite a different kettle of fish (but equally as fun!)

The pattern I’m using is this one by SLOstudio that I bought off Etsy. I was initially planning on using a free pattern, but because I was new to this skill and wanted a bit of a better tutorial, plus I really wanted a square block, I decided to pay the couple of dollars for the pattern. And I’m so glad that I did.

For fabric, I was intending on buying a new cool fabrics I’d seen online, but one day, all of a sudden a bit of inspiration hit and I just wanted to get started so I grabbed a few fat quarters from Spotlight. Luckily for me they were half price that day to so it worked out well!

Noah is very excited and also eager for it to be finished already. When I first started and had completed a few blocks he woke up and saw it and informed me that he liked it but thought it was a little small! Haha! There’s still a bit to go son, still a bit to go!

Although it is a bit of a slow burn project, I’m enjoying it so expect it to grow quickly – it already has grown a bit since I took these photos. I plan to post photo updates here from time to time. I’m aiming for just slightly bigger than a standard single size, maybe king single. (Borders will be added at the end.)

Also, I normally quilt in rows and am not sure how I came about doing columns, but never mind it wont make any difference to the end result.

What is your current WIP (work in progress)?

Jen x

Pipi’s Liberty Vest

2016-06-17T21:46:00.001-07:00

A quick glance at my blog would lead most to believe that I only sew for Pipi, or perhaps, even that I only have one child! And yes, while most of my recent makes have been for this little button, first let me justify that fact by stating that a) the other 2 have less need given that they wear school uniform a lot of the time, and b) Pipi has had a growth spurt and is still in desperate need of a few more warm Winter layers (despite receiving Isabelle’s lightly worn hand-me-downs!) I guess this happens when your children are born in different seasons!

Of course, this little vest is one of a number of handmade birthday presents that I’m still milking for blog posts! ;) (See more about Pipi's birthday here and about her bunny hat here.)

The pattern for this little vest is The free woollen vest pattern by Little Kiwis Closet. I’ve previously sewn it before here, it’s such a quick and easy sew and I already have an old woollen blanket cut out ready to make Pipi another one. That one will be her rough kindy one, however I’m a bit more protective of this one with it’s gorgeous Liberty of London fabric!

The lining is a vintage wool (most likely poly) blend with a kind of waffle texture to it. I scored it free along with a bunch of other vintage fabrics from a friend’s grandma a few years back. (Thanks Kirsten’s grandma!) I used kam snaps in place of buttons, which make it reversible too, although I’m reluctant to hide that Liberty fabric, if yannowhatimean?!

It’s such a beautiful vest for my beautiful girl!

Until next time (aka the next addition to Pipi’s Winter wardrobe!) Seeya later and happy sewing!

Jen x

{Sewn} Merino Singlets

2016-06-07T21:36:00.001-07:00

After experiencing a pretty mild Autumn here in the Hawkes Bay (NZ), we have recently been hit with a bit of a cold snap. It’s official, Winter has definitely arrived!

My Mother-in-law had kindly nabbed me this grey merino fabric (along with others) at a Levana sale sometime last year. Right away I knew that it was destined for little singlets/ vests – there’s nothing better as a sewing Mama knowing that you’re making something to keep your little ones safe from the Winter cold and potentially bugs and all those things that come with the cooler weather. (It kind of makes you feel like some kind of Winter battling super hero! ;)

For a pattern I used the FREE 'tank' pattern by Fish Sticks Designs. I made a size 3 for my little, just turned 3 year old and although they are a little roomy, they fit well enough under layers and should last for next Winter too. Bonus!

I enjoyed putting little pops of colour around the arm and necklines, and something like this is a great way to get good mileage out of your fancy/ favourite/ expensive knit fabrics. The black and white ‘stroke’ fabric is from Elvelyckan design and the pink fabric (with little snowflakes that are hard to see here), is something I got from a fabric destash group on Facebook.

I still have a bit of this merino left as well as a couple of other colours. When I find the time, I hope to make Noah and Isabelle some to wear under their school uniform, plus a bunch of other merino things.

Happy Sewing all!

Jen x

Pipi’s Bunny Hat

2016-05-29T22:31:00.001-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post about Pipi's birthday, I made her a few homemade presents this year. One of these handmade gifts was this bunny hat/ rabbit bonnet which I made using this pattern from 'Sewing in No Man's Land'.

Last Winter I made Pipi this matching coat in a nice roomy size, and I was happy that I had saved the scraps of left over fabric when I saw that Kelly from SINML was offering the bonnet pattern for free for a limited time just before Easter this year. Just as I had when making the coat, I used a wool blend fabric in soft pink for the outer and a vintage sheet for the lining.

I think Pipi looks so cute as a rabbit and the first time she tried it on, on her birthday she let out an almighty “roaaaarrr!” (Obviously she hasn’t spent too much time around pet rabbits!)

Apologies for the 5 gazillion photos, but this girl is just too cute, how could I resist sharing them?

Pipi is such a busy wee girl, it can be quite difficult getting a good shot. Therefore one has to be creative… resorting to taking photos of her in action, while she’s picking flowers, or bouncing on the trampoline…

… or fast asleep!!!

… Us Sewing Mum bloggers we do what we need to do to get a good shot!

I didn’t have the spare time to join in with Kid’s Clothes Week this time around, but I still have a few Winter sewing plans that I hope to get through in the next few weeks. So far our Winter here has been pretty mild, so if the lovely weather could just stick around a little longer (until I manage to get my sew on) that would be great.

Have you been doing any sewing lately?

Jen x