Lulu Carter

spooking it

Happy Halloween! 

Halloween makes me feel a bit of a phoney but Australia has embraced this tradition that does not belong to us and, well, I'm going along. In fact I'm shamefully delighted ( I lodged an official complaint when the book parade was cancelled this year in favor of colonial day, due to the lack of character costuming opportunities so I'll take it where I can get it) . Yesterday, after foraging in the roof storage for our selection of rubber bugs, snakes and the like with no luck, I ventured down to the dollar shop for some new props. There must have been forty people between me and the halloween product. Unbelieveable. With elbows sharpedend I eventually got to the cobwebs.

When I was a kid we went 'trick or treating' but lets face it, more often than not you were met with a humph. Some years we all got in on it though and I distinctly remember a shaving cream in letterbox situation that had some boys at school in deep trouble. But trick or treating was not a regular thing. Its taken this many decades to become mainstream for the kids today. 

Tonight was a full on costumed, decorated houses extravaganza. So. Much. Fun. A woman from school glued fangs on to her teeth. There were red contacts on some familiar faces and an awful lot of skeletons and some pirates from The Black Pearl. Even a zombie bride. We let the team down with last minute mind changing over costumes from the boys, a baby who simply refused to wear his bandit mask after I gave up trying to get him to wear his pumpkin head piece ( kids!) and in the end I am sorry to say I walked the streets in my bright yellow saltwaters and not a medusa hairdo in sight.

 

*Scaredy cat and mice templates from Martha Stewart

*Sweets in plastic bags then bundled in orange tissue and tied with twine

Next year I will:

Make a giant yarn cobwed like Dana

Whip up some freaky pants bunting 

Make the costumes well ahead of time and let it be know that "this is what you are wearing kids"

Keep hoping that Australia will shift position so we can enjoy spooking in the dark and a cold christmas. Yeah ok. That ones a fantasy

 

HAVE A HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

"

the longtime skirt

Last night I got four hours sleep and I cannot blame Charlie entirely. He and Harriet (resident feline)share equal sleep doom blame from five am but the fact that my head didnt hit the pillow before two is all mine.

I was making mysef a skirt. Megs online sewing party has got me going again and I don't dare put the machine away for fear it will get dusty  in that special place know as the sewing stuff dump zone. You know the one. We all have them.

So I borrowed this pattern from Suzy months ago and yesterday finally FINALLY whipped one up. I do not use that term loosly ladies-this is a quick sew. And I lined it. AND hand sewed part of the zipper. Quick. Sew.

Pattern- Simplicity 2226.

Fabric- Anna Maria Horner voile

Lining- nasty- as synthetic as they come yet light and soft grey.

No zipper foot? see here

Did I alter it? Can't help myself- Omitted the belt loops, dropped the waist, added length and fullness.

Am I happy? Pretty much though lining up my front and back did not go quite to plan and that 1 cm drop in print panel at the side seams will annoy me for ever. I do LOVE a skirt with pockets though.

Do I need new shoes to wear with it? Totally.

New bag? Could be pushing it but I see a french basket or a La Tropezienne in my future.....

Will I have spilt something on it by tomorrow morning and curse my choice of fabric? Without doubt but I endeavour to spill selectively.

Go make one!

xx

 

spring printing

I have not printed fabric for probably twenty years. The fact that I still had silk screens and a squeedgie stored in the roof was beyond a miracle and let me tell you when the woman at the prininting store told me they hadnt used wood for screen frames for decades, well, she gave me a look. The fact that mum bought my screens at a garage sale back then so they were already 'old' failed to turn into words.

Anyway I digress.....

I had a crazy amount of fun doing this. When a fabric printing swap was discussed among these lovely ladies I meet regularly with, I was so excited.  I immediately drew up my prints based on the theme "Spring" knowing it would be on linen tea towels and then I did nothing about it until this week. A little panic perhaps?

There was a spare for each person in cased you ballsed one up but I've managed to keep that one to try something else.

  

The paint- Ecotex. This will apparently last longer than the fabric its printed on as long as you heat set it properly. It washed really well-no difference in intensity so I guess all that time standing at the iron paid off.

Buy primary colours then you can mix whatever you fancy.

For the stencils I decided that tracing paper was ideal. Large enough to cover the area and using a craft blade to cut out your shapes works fine.

For stamping I used the sponge rolls from paint rollers. They have a hard plastic tube inside so you can actually push down and get a firmer print rather than all sponge which just squishes down on itself.

I have some grey linen Im going to print and make pants for Charlie. Its a little addictive! 

kcwc - final

Wow. I can honestly say that was great. I didn't sew nearly as much as some but I made things that have been on my list for weeks and weeks so I'm really happy. I wish it wasnt over!

Today was meant to also see another kurta in Heather Ross Far Far Away frogs and some Nani Iro spot but Charlie decided he could reach the cord hanging from the bench so I packed up. The cord that was attached to the hot iron. Scary.

Skater boy shorts for Henry. He loves his Boden shorts so I drafted a pattern from them but instead of a fly, just put belt loops on an elastic waistband. I put a patch pocket on the back and I think Ill add some cargo pockets to the sides for him too. He's really happy with them but I think they need the detail and pockets are handy. Such a quick sew! 

Take 2 on the Oliver & S bucket hat. I used the pattern I traced for the first one but added extra when cutting. This one might even fit next summer.

Do you see this baby playing with his Daddys phone? Wow. It was the only way to get him to keep the hat on for longer than half a second. Little monkey.

Thanks Meg! I will certainly be giving Kids Clothes Week Challenge another go next time. Any excuse to sit on my bottom and sew. 

xxxx

kcwc - my old romper

I love this.

Its a treasure kept by mum and I dare say one of the reasons I was often thought by strangers, to be a little boy. I dont remeber putting Henry in it and Oliver was too big for it by the time it was warm enough. Charlie wore it a handful of times and that was it. So Ive just drafted a larger size and made him another.

Not buttons at this stage but the straps are long enough that I can put some on when this becomes a little short but it is so cute! And fast. 

How many have you done this week? There are some seriously kids running around this week. Check out the flickr pool.

kcwc-pjs hour

The fastest thing ever to sew. I traced from these but added width and length. He has completely destroyed the owl fabric (regular quilting cotton) so this time I went for a soft drill. I have fingers crossed all the late night lego play on knees will take the heat.

I thought a back pocket was a good idea for those random toy soldiers and lego pieces found lying around.

Ok. Shorts

KCWC

Third project- a linen kurta.

I made a pattern based on one that used to be mine. It was quite paneled to get the sleeve/armhole shaping so I adjusted it to make regular armholes. Its quite easy making your own patterns even if you dont have any experience. Just remember seam allowances and align measurements. When you have a piece of clothing thats relatively simple and you love the shape, I really recomend giving it a go. So often I follow a pattern and it doesnt work. Things going wrong is a lot less frustrating when you havent spent money on a pattern and the postage.

For facings you are  tracing off the main front and back pieces but curve them  to finish a couple of inches down from the edge. Then I turned them under and hemed them before attaching them to the neck edge. NOT the shoulder seams. When you open out the facings attached to each piece, you then sew across all four shoulder seams from facing/front to back/facing. Then you press and tuck your facings inside. Neat.

I clipped into the front slit before turning it through. In hind sight I think a propper placket would look nicer but I dont mind the look of this opening.

Next up-pj pants and some shorts for Henry. And I'll make another hat.

KCWC

Ive never joined Megs challenge before but this time I thought....meh....why not? So late sunday night I joined and then I thought....eek! whatamIgoingtosew?? As you do.

Monday night-

Oliver & S bucket hat. Unfortunately I made it when Charlie was asleep and in the morning I was annoyed to see that it didnt fit. I made the medium size too so I have no idea what happened there. It measures correctly.

 Well lets just say I had to yank it on. Which is possibly ideal given that its hard for him to toss it on the ground but I think we'll call it a fail.

There is a chance he has what is technically referred to as a 'boomba' of a head.

Tuesday -

Happy.  Remember these little harem style pants I whipped up? Time for a replacement so I traced them onto some stash (being very generous) and decided I would add a bum patch rather than another panel.

Come on in plate. I think those baby pants with the bum insert are so cute but I didnt have the time to play around making the pattern as while he naps, I must sew. You know how it goes! So I cheated the look with applique but placed the circle low enough that it would be caught in the crotch seem. 

When Charlies was sitting I measured him from the waistband and down to his seat and along to the ankles. That way I had the right length when sitting with a bit of growth length. I settled on 44 cm. Add two inches for elastic turnover and take the main fabric length back by 4cm as I added a panel at the hem.

I machined the edge down then two more rows for detail. 

I then french seamed the crotch/inside leg. I know-its a curve. But I hate edges more than I hate some puckered crotch seam and its the babies puckered crotch seam not mine. Seems justified.

He woke, got into everything and eventually I had to secure him. He looks so patient here. Not really. The delay on my camera simply caught this pose. Were you fooled?

There is a HUGE size difference! But funnily enough both fit him. Crazy. I dare say he is much more comfortable on the new ones even if his daddy thinks they look like pjs.

Its the customer that counts though isnt it. I think he's happy.

So now I'm off to finish the kurta I am making from some orange check linen based on an old top of mine.

How are you going with your sewing list this week? 

something sweet

Hello lovelies.

I am so jealous of you lucky people able to to start rugging up. Some have even had snow already ! Its been hot here. I am just no good as a Southern Hemisphere human.

Some of you emailed about the necklace on Lolas frock the other week and after their success at the school fete recently, I have just launched 'Candy'.

They look so gorgeous no matter what you are wearing. In fact, I have had quite a few happy 'candy' wearers mention that their necklace works whether they are out to dinner or off to the park with the kids. I do love a multi-taking accessory dont you?

You can find them here in the shop now.

AND all necklaces with pink in them will have 20% of the sale donated to the Breast Cancer Foundation during October. 

So get your pink on!

*shipping is free for Australian residents and everyone else you only pay shipping for the first necklace if you order more than one. Not a bad idea given we should really start that enormous task called christmas shopping.

There are several of each colourway available so if the one you want is sold ( I hate it when that happens), I will pop another up pretty quickly.

I hope you love them.

xx

 

Lolas Park Frock

Known formally as Anna Maria Horners Paper Fan Dress. Mostly.

When I saw Suzy the other week, she was putting together the sweetest fabrics to make a dress for her Miss M. Despite having a moment when I wondered if I was too old to wear Amsterdam houses on my clothing, I didnt think that much about it. But then I walked in here yesterday and yelp. There. The sweet little houses and market stalls print. SWOON.

One metre. In case I didn't know what to do with it other than a pillow for myself. On my side . You know.

This morning I woke and I knew I had to make my God Daughter 'The Dress'. Ignoring the fact that I had already made something else for her birthday (which has since been bumped to Christmas as you do), I got busy.

Because I had seen Suzy's, I assumed wrongly that the bottom panel was part of the pattern and for a moment, when I was doing the maths for the skirt, I envisaged Lola in a whopping great nightie. 

After tracing the pattern pieces for the bodice straight of the computer screen onto tracing paper ( which is what I do whenever it is a printable pattern and I am in a hurry) I sewed like a demon today. In between baking yogurt cake ( completely addicted) and taking to one of the wheels from the pram with a hammer then nearly breaking my finger tips trying to install the new part that came in the mail ( the damn wheel sailed off into the bushes yesterday on the way to school) and feeding the baby and cruising instagram, twitter and checking emails...I sewed.

 It is definitely a sew between drop off and pick up frock to whip up.

Anyway I made a dress. Not completely correctly but then I never really do. 

My fudgery is as follows:

The bottom panel ( which I know you ) is 6inches deep.

I french seemed. I know-booooring but overlockers and I don't really get on. I think edges should not be seen or heard.

I did not cut a front skirt piece and left back/ right back pieces for the skirt. Its about 4 inches shy of the pattern measurements but I managed because there was no seem allowance and I ditched a pleat. See? Cheeky.

I also didn't do the foldover skirt top attached to the bodice. Didn't really like it. Instead I inserted the skirt top and sewed it to the right side of the bodice, then pressed the lining side under and stitched it down much like you would if you machined your binding on quilts. This was scary for me as I hate a wonky on/off the line machined line too, and if Id had the time I would have whip stitched it but that damn clock was sweeping around by then.

Tick Tock.

The final act is the two buttons and this is where my machine and I had a bloody great fight. I'm sure if I'd bothered to change my blunting needle and sewed button holes more often therefore remebering which order I have to turn the dials.... Well it would have gone better.

There is a huge risk that I may match Miss Lola. You see I couldnt resist holding the skirt piece up to my waist and woo it would make a pretty skirt.

God Daughter is on a blue/green/ yellow kick at the moment so her necklace went a little like this.