The patchwork dress.

I guess I've had the idea of making a quilt kicking around in the back of my head for a while now. I've got lots of bits of gorgeous vintage sheet fabric and more than enough inspiring bloggy photos. So yesterday afternoon, when I had a few hours to sew I thought it was time to get started.

I ripped (sorry) up lots of 2.5 inch strips, over locked the sides and then spent AGES sewing them back together again.

Oh my goodness you quilters are a patient lot.

At this stage it was time to pick up the girls, do dinner and bath time and bed.

This morning I looked at it and knew that it was meant to be a dress. A mixy-matchy, patchwork dress. The quilt would have to wait.

I think it is about a size 5/6.

I was planning on selling it in my online store/market stall but to be honest, the skirt took HOURS and I have no idea how much I would charge.

And oops, I sewed the Everything But The Thread bit upside down.

Thanks to Candace for the vintage bits of fabric.

Thanks to Fii for the zip.

Thanks to Gina for the doily.

Thanks to Lizzie's Mum for the pink bit of fabric.

Thanks to the op shop fairies for the bias binding and the little girl pillow case.

Oh and if by chance you wanted to have a go at my crochet ric-rac tutorial but only speak French, you'll be happy to know that Christine has translated it. Click over here for French ric-rac.

Have a happy weekend y'all. XX

Busy's skipping dress.

This is dress number three in my Everything But The Thread range.

This dress is heading up to Northern New South Wales to live with a gorgeous princess and for lots and lots of skipping and dancing and spinning.

Its made from op shopped pink and blue denim, four vintage sheets, op shopped binding and zipper and a heart doily crocheted by me.

It is a bit small on my Jazzy so hopefully it fits the little princess perfectly.

The problem now is getting it off my Jazzy and into the post. She loves it. She says its the most perfect twirly, spinney dress she's ever worn.

While we were away at the beach we celebrated a belated Mothers' Day. The girls had packed me an outfit to wear for the festivities that included my green dance party tutu. Let me tell you I had lots of fun twirling and spinning and dancing that morning. I totally get the little girl fascination with the skipping dress.

Have fun and maybe a bit of dancing and twirling out there. X

Inspiration.

Oh inspiration, where for art thou today when I have time to hang out with you?

Why did you keep me up half the night last night whispering sweet words and ideas in my ear?

This morning you helped me rush the girls off to school, promising grand plans for homemade undies, sewing with knit fabric for the first time and taking yesterday's wisteria drawings the next step.

But now we are home and you have disappeared.

You are silent.

I have put the washing away and cleaned the kitchen waiting for you to come back but you are nowhere to be seen.

I don't have much time left, so my plan is to sew a sure thing in order to hear from you. I will sew something I have sewn many times before and then you might come back to visit.

Please hurry, we don't have long before school pick up time.

This dress was sewn while waiting to be inspired to bigger and better things. It was was sewn from an old tea towel, a piece of thrifted fabric and ribbon and a zip from a package I received from the lovely Two Tuesdays.

I hope you find inspiration somewhere in your weekend this weekend.

I can't wait to meet some of you at the Sew It Together dinner tomorrow night.

Building The Stash.

I've been sewing for many years now so my stash is quite substantial.

I've picked up bits and pieces all over the place. 

I know the sort of sewer I am that I need to be prepared for when inspiration hits and what particular materials I will need for my next project.

So I have plenty of fabric of all different weights, some printed, some plain, some new, some vintage.

I have lots of different coloured cottons.

Zillions of zips of different lengths, colours and weights.

Bias binding,

And elastic.

Then there are the desk drawers full of bits and bobs.

See what I mean?

I'm well set up for whatever new sewing project takes my fancy.

So the question I'm asking is; how does one build a wool stash?

I have a few bits of balls of wool left over from Jazzy's blanket. Bren's Mum gave me some of her leftovers and there's some unidentified bits and pieces rolling around.

But when I'm sitting in front of the fire at night and I pull out my hook to get started, there's not the materials needed to complete anything substantial.

When I read a tutorial for a groovy beanie, scarf or vest I'm unprepared.

So tell me you yarn lovers out there, is it something organic that just happens or are there some necessities that every stash should have? What is the fat quarter of the yarn world?