Top 5 Hits of 2013

Well it is only fair that I balance out my failures of the year with my top 5 hits.  I cheated on a couple of points so there are actually more than 5 makes in here but let's keep that between you and me. So without further adieu here are my top 5 of 2013.

5. Peplum Tops

Peplum tops seem to be every where this year!  I quite like them but sometimes they can sit a bit funny on me and make my torso look really short.  When I found this pattern I thought it would be perfect to give the peplum look without cutting my torso in half.  Luckily I was right!  So far I have made two versions but I would love to make a few more.  The mustard version was made during Me Made May when I was dying for something new to wear.  As soon as I finished making it I started dreaming of a collared version and thus the comic print top was born.  While I love them both equally the comic print top is kind of special.  My sister has a skirt made of this same material and Imogen has a dress/top as well so it is a special material for me.

4. Mini Skirts

I think these three skirts (version 1, version 2, version 3) would have to be my most worn me mades of 2013.  And seeing as they were all made in the past three months that is really saying something.  As I mentioned in my misses post my style since having Imogen has become a lot more relaxed and casual.  Easy to throw together outfits have become my norm so it is no wonder that these are popular items.  I can definitely see more mini skirts being made in my future.  I am thinking a few embellishments are in order though to mix it up a bit!  

3. Boyfriend Cardigan

2013 was the year I finally managed to knit a garment for myself that I actually wear!  I have attempted cardigans and jumpers in the past but they have never turned out right.  This was due to a mix of wrong yarn, patterns that weren't my style and beginner mistakes.  This time I did a bit of research and decided to do something basic that I would get a lot of wear out of in decent yarn.  I am so glad I took that time because it turned out awesome!  The colour is fast becoming a favourite of mine and the basic style makes this super wearable.  I think I may have to make another next winter.  Full post here.

2. Red Lace Dress

My red lace dress was a labour of love! I made it to wear to a friends wedding during Me Made May and it has had many a wear since.  It is perfectly classy but also versatile.  I am really proud of this dress because it was my first time working with lace and I think it turned out great!  I went into it with a no fear approach and full of confidence and it paid off for me.  Usually my cockiness can get me into trouble in my sewing but not this time.  I am sure this dress will be seeing many more wears in the future!

1. Sew Bossy Dress

This dress is by far my most favourite thing that I have made this year! So a massive thank you must be made to the darling Marie who agreed to be my Sew Bossy partner.  She sent me the most amazing package of goodies and this dress would never have been without her.  For more info on this dress check out the full post here.

I am really proud of what I have made this year (misses included!).  At the start of the year I would have never have thought it possible for me to do so much while looking after a new baby.  I became exceptionally good at time management this year and I think my sanity thanks me for it.  Sewing and knitting are the perfect way for me to take some time out and get myself together.  Even if it does take me a little longer to finish projects now I think it just makes me appreciate them even more!

How did your sewing go this year? What is your favourite make of 2013?

Merry Christmas!

I wanted to wish all my readers a massive merry christmas and a happy new year from my little family! 2013 has been an awesome year. I have had the opportunity to meet a lot of gorgeous bloggers in real life and online.  I have loved reading along with all your creations this year and sharing mine with you. I hope you all have a fantastic day with your family and friends however you choose to celebrate.  And may 2014 bring you all loads of laughs, happiness and good times! Merry Christmas xx

Top 5 Misses of 2013

It's that time again when we all start to reflect on how the past year played out and what we would like to achieve in the coming year.  Gillian over at Crafting A Rainbow is running her top 5 series again and I thought it would be the perfect way to round out the year.  First up is my top 5 misses!

1 -  Sew for Victory Blouse

Basically this top just isn't a style that I would usually wear.  It was made on a whim as I wanted something to go with the skirt I was making for the sewalong.  I skirt I love! I have always wanted a suspender skirt so this was the perfect opportunity to make one.  Unfortunately for the top impulse making made me choose a pattern that just wasn't me.

2 - Tessuti Dress

Now this dress failed purely from my own stubbornness and laziness.  Firstly, I decided I wanted to make a summer dress before the fabric arrived.  When it arrived it was much thicker than I was expecting and not entirely suited to this style of dress.  Alas I made it anyway because I'm stubborn like that!  Secondly, I was too lazy to muslin the bodice and therefore ended up with a shelf bust that didn't fit me well at all.  Total fail!

3 - Knitted Heart Dress

Ok so I actually quite like this jumper but the problem is it is way too big! Don't be fooled by the photo.  I had strategically placed the excess to the back.  Halfway through making this I thought it seemed a bit big but I pushed through anyway. I should have trusted my instincts because it ended up a shapeless sack that I just don't wear.

4 - Green Jumpsuit

I was quite bummed when this one didn't work out! I was really excited when making it but I just couldn't get the shaping right.  I liked it but I didn't love it!  Every time I wore it I felt 10kgs heavier so it got relegated to the back of the wardrobe.

5 - Vintage Blouse

And lastly, another make that was simply a fail because it just wasn't my style.  I think I need to go through my pattern stash and pull some things out.  There are patterns in there I feel I should make simply because I have had them so long.  However, most of them have been sitting there because I don't love the styles.  I think a stash clear out is in order to avoid more misses like this blouse in the future!

So the main lessons I learnt from these misses:-

• Make a muslin when you are making a pattern with a new to you shape!
• Fabric suggestions on patterns are there for a reason! Too heavy fabric will kill a soft summer dress.
• Don't be hasty in choosing patterns! Make sure they are a style that will suit my shape and my lifestyle.
• Trust my instincts!  If something doesn't look right it probably isn't.  Take the time to investigate further instead of just pushing on.
• Just because I liked a pattern once upon a time doesn't mean it is actually my style now.  Impulse purchases can lead to sewing fails!

Since having Imogen I have found that my style has changed quite a bit.  Where I used to be drawn to a lot of vintage styles from the 1940's or 50's I now find I am more drawn to casual looks with 70's or boho influences.  I still love a good 50's silhouette for parties and going out but on a day to day basis I have definitely become more casual.  I don't mind the misses though.  I have learnt something from all of them not only about sewing but also about how my style has evolved.  These lessons will help me sew more wearable garments in 2014!

Have you had many sewing misses this year? And if so, have you learnt anything from them?

Krystal's 30th Birthday Cake

This past weekend was my sister-in-law's 30th birthday party.  A few weeks ago her husband contacted me and asked me to make her a nurse themed cake for the party.  Of course I said yes!  I was a little bit stressed out about it because it is the first cake I have made for her.  Thankfully it turned out pretty well despite the heat I was battling in making it.
The cake is a bit of a hybrid of a few cakes that I found via pinterest.  Originally I was going to make a stethoscope as well but I didn't end up having enough room so I just left it off.  I was pretty stoked with how the syringe turned out!  I think that is my favourite part.  The ecg line was drawn on with edible marker.
I am really happy that they asked me to make this cake! I had a lot of fun making it and it is one cake I was actually semi happy with when it was finished.  Usually with every cake I make I get to the end and hate it.  This one though I was kind of happy with.  I wonder what cakes 2014 will bring?!

Christmas Present #1

Look, I made my first Christmas present! Given that we are only 15 days away from Christmas it is about bloody time.  The only presents I am making this year are for Imogen.  The past few years I have made a couple of things here and there for other people but the last three months of the year are hectic for us so I decided to focus my present making time on Imogen.
So present number one is this little doll who I am going to call Clover.  She was made using the black apple doll pattern available here.  Essentially this is a very easy make! The hardest part was turning the legs and arms right side out because they are so tiny.   This is also why I decided not to stuff the arms and legs.  I stuffed one and it became really stiff.  I thought it would be a bit easier to play with if it wasn't stuffed.
I also decided to stitch the face rather than paint it on as I have absolutely zero painting/drawing skills.  Lastly, I added a little extra touch with a flower in her hair.  I love when Imogen wears her flower headbands so I thought this would be a nice addition.  I am really happy with how this turned out! Fingers crossed Imogen likes it.  Now onto the other 2 presents.  Keep your fingers crossed for me to get them done in time!

The Gingham Project

In my books you can't go wrong with gingham! Big gingham, small gingham, all colours of gingham. I just can't resist it. So when I was shown this gorgeous roll of black and white gingham at Alannah Hill in Melbourne I knew I had to have some.  And I wasn't the only one.  Lizzy, Lizzy, Amanda and Rachel all jumped on board too.  We decided to organise a little challenge and all buy 2 metres and see what we could do with it.  Lizzy has made a gorgeous dress and mine is the second completed project.
I wasn't really sure what I was going to make at first.  I don't actually know what originally made me decide on shorts but something drew me in this direction.  The shorts are made with the Movie in the Park pattern by Dixie DIY.  I spent a lot of time trying to decide what colour binding to use on these but finally settled on green.  I am really glad I did! Green compliments the black and white so well without being too obvious.
The fun little trick with these shorts is that the bottom three buttons are purely decorative.  I love the look of the buttons down the side but I can't imagine how annoying they would all be.  Thankfully the bottom three are all sewn up safe and secure.  You get the adorable look of the buttons without the worry that they're all going to pop open and leave you pantsless!

These shorts were so easy to make! I am a bit lazy so I didn't bother doing a muslin.  Thankfully I didn't need to and the fit was spot on straight out of the packet.  The only difficulty I had was when I mucked up a couple of buttonholes and had to redo them.  That was due to my own stupidity rather than the pattern though.  So I would give this pattern two big thumbs up for anyone that is wishing to make a pair of shorts.

When Scout Met Jenny!

I meant to post this little outfit last week but time just ran away from me.  I can't believe we are in December already. Christmas is just around the corner and I am far from prepped!  But I digress. This little outfit is made from another two quick and easy projects that were designed to reignite my sewjo.  They are fast becoming two of my favourite patterns so don't be surprised if you see them pop up a few more times on the old bliggity blog.
The first pattern is of course the easy peasy perfect skirt that is Jenny by Burdastyle.  I have made this skirt twice already (version one/version two) and the more I make it the more I like it.  I should probably try making a proper pencil skirt version but with the hot weather we are having at the moment minis are totally the way to go.
I found this fabric at Spotlight recently.  Honestly that place is my kryptonite.  I walked in there for some binding and some buttons.  I walked out with binding, buttons and about 5 metres of fabrics.  Safe to say Corey wasn't impressed.  But how could I resist the colours!  And check how I matched those stripes.  They certainly aren't perfect but considering my lame ass matching skills I am pretty stoked with it.
And what's hiding under my jacket.....why that's my newest scout of course! There isn't a lot to say about this one.  It's my second Scout by Grainline Studios and I made it with a white rayon I picked up on the same trip at Spotlight.  I was going to embellish it and then I realised that I don't have a plain white tee in my wardrobe.  Isn't that ridiculous! Well I have firmly fixed up that little issue.  But it has made me realise I should look into fixing some of the other holes in my wardrobe.  Hmmm maybe I should get started on that.

Corey's Minion Cake

If you follow me on instagram you would have already seen this cake but I wanted to share a few more photos.  I must admit I was pretty stoked with how this turned out!  Corey loves the movie Despicable Me and will watch it every time it is on tv.  So when I came across this tutorial on pinterest I knew that I had to make it for him.  I have been looking forward to making it for months so I am really glad that it turned out well.

This was the funnest cake to make! While I love working with fondant and the results it gives I am a lot more confident when working with buttercream.  It can easily be used to give just as spectacular results as fondant.  If you would like some more buttercream cake ideas and inspiration I highly recommend this website.  There are a bunch of free tutorials that I love reading through.  They show how buttercream cakes can be just as amazing as fondant ones.

A Summer Kimono

It's no secret that I love a kimono style jacket! I own about 5 and only one of them I have made.  When I saw this gorgeous light summery cotton in Spotlight the other week I knew it was the perfect fabric for this tutorial.
I have had this tutorial saved in my pinterest for a while.  I am so glad that I finally got around to make it because I am in love with this jacket.  These are so quick and easy to make! I think I finished this in around an hour.  Depending on your fabric you could make your kimono super casual and summery or a little bit more dressy.  As long as your fabric is nice and drapey then you're good to go!
This is the second quick and easy project I decided to make to help my sewjo make a comeback.  I am happy to report that it is well and truly on it's way back in!  I have two more quick and easy projects that I cut out for myself and then it is onto something slightly more difficult.  Only just though!  Hopefully I will have those projects ready to share next week.