Lion Dungarees

You knew I'd be back with more Clothkits stuff didn't you? In my defence I was not just satisfying my own kit needs, I was making sure I was being equal with the kids. I have this inbuilt sense of fairness about my two, and if I do or make something for one of my children I have to equalise it with the other. I think it's because my mum did that with my brother and I. That meant that I had to force myself (haha) to choose an outfit to make for my boy. I loved the dungarees so went for a pair of them but was deliberating between the funky car ones and the lion ones.




I decided to go for the super retro orange and red lions because he loves lions...and because I can only get away with dressing Povey in this kind of thing while he's still small ;) I'm guessing that they must have been based on some of the original Clothkits designs, if this classic catalogue shot is anything to go by!



The kit was as super kitty as I could want and again I made them in one evening but to be honest that was because I COULD NOT STOP! I finally completed them (save trying them on my boy to do the hems) at 2.00am!


I was in such a hurry to make them I forgot to take a photo of the whole thing before I cut them out but managed to find this photo online. All other photos here were taken by me or Clothkits.



Considering they were a pair of dungarees I was surprised by how easy they were to put together. The most fiddly bit was sewing around the elastic at the back. They did come up rather small I felt. I made them in the largest size, which is meant to be suitable on a 4 year old, and they only just fit Povey at 3! Then again he isn't a small lad.


Povey himself loves them but was rather reluctant to be photographed! I finally managed to convince him to let me near him with the camera on day two of wearing them and these three shots are all I could get! His expression in the first one is priceless but doesn't reflect his opinion of the dungarees honest (I think the fact this was day two of wearing after he made me wash them overnight shows he likes them!) it was more in objection to being made to sit still!









Back soon (hopefully) with some more (non-Clothkits!) sewing projects!

Clothkits

I have long coveted a Clothkits pattern to make up. Unlike many it's not something I remember from my childhood, (mother sewed a lot for us but as this was in the mid-80s she missed Clothkits's heyday by a few years) it was last year when they had their major relaunch that they first came to my attention. For one their prints are just so gorgeous! Bright colours and retro styles, right up my street! The other thing that appealed was the whole "kit" idea. Now anyone who knows me well knows that I love a kit... of any kind; fajita dinner kits, pamper you kits, nail kits, craft kits, kit kits just any kind of kit! I even like the meals you get on planes because they're like a little kit. Clothkits's kits just looked perfect but until now I had resisted as they just seemed rather expensive and we are poor as church mice! A nudge from a lovely friend and a well-timed sale meant I finally submitted and ordered their Stop! Traffic Lights Frock Kit for Papaya.



The kit arrived the very next day and was suitably pleasing in it's kitness. Inside the tissue paper was not only the printed fabric but also the buttons, thread and lables I would need to make it up.... oh and the all important instructions!




Clothkits designs come all ready printed onto the fabric. Every piece was there, even the lining. You then just cut it all out (you don't even have to leave selvage around, it's all been worked out for you!) and sew it up. Easy peasy!



It really was easy peasy too! I can only ever sew in the evening once the children are in bed and then I have to do it on the dining table so must clear away before morning. I was therefore very grateful that the dress just took the one evening to complete, bar the hem which I needed Papaya to model it for! It was so super simple, no matching of notches, the pieces just fit together. It makes you wonder why we ever bother with patterns and all that nonsense!



The only sticky point I had was with the back of the dress where the halves of two cars had to be matched. The instructions didn't tell you to do it, so it wasn't until I turned the dress right way out that I noticed the problem. It looked okay mismatched but I couldn't bear it! At that point I couldn't unstitch the whole thing so I had to try and restitch from the inside to even it up. I did my best and if you don't look too closely it's pretty good.



I decided to forgo the buttons that came with the kit and instead used some poppers (matching the yellow colour to the road lining) for ease of dressing.... and because I'm not much good at buttonholes ;) Here is my Papaya modelling it, I reckon the poppers work well with the modern print on the dress.






I am now properly addicted and have my eye on more of the range, including maybe a skirt for me. I still reckon they're pretty expensive so had better start saving up!

Purple

Two months since I wrote anything here! That's shocking! I have been crafting but have been too busy to pick up a camera and photograph it, let alone write about it! I've finally got a moment now so I wanted to show you two bits of sewing with a purple theme!

The first was for a baby shower. I wanted to make the present specific to the mother rather than the child (I'll do something for the baby once he's here!) so rather than baby blue or pastel pink I went for a rich purple. The fabric is some nice thick Indian linen with a waffle texture. I used it to make a bag with some silver ribbon for the drawstring and to make a flower brooch attached to the bag. Inside the bag are pregnancy toiletries.


You can't see the brooch particularly well unfortunately as it blends into the bag. I made it using strips of the fabric, with the edges left unfinished. In the centre is a fabric covered button from the huge button collection I inherited off my Grandmother.



The second little purple collection was put together for my friend's birthday. She is a real fashionista and as my budget didn't stretch to her usual labels I decided to make her something more personal. I found this beautifully soft vest in her favourite purple colour and thought I could make a little brooch for it. In the end I went a bit brooch crazy!


Four little brooches, each handmade. I could have kept going but didn't want to overpower the delicate little vest. My friend doesn't have to wear any of them with the vest, she could take them off and put them elsewhere or maybe just choose them one at a time. I think my favourite is the two button brooch, although I'm quite fond of the simple little bow too.

Sugar Skull Badges for Sale!!!

Finally I have something up for sale in my Folksy shop!

I have had so many positive comments on the little Sugar Skull badges I made for my SIL and myself. My brother really liked them too and asked me to make some for him to sell on his table at the UK Web and Mini Comix Thing 2009!

I decided to make up some extras to sell on Folksy....








Click here if you'd like to buy one :D

Honey mustard sausages

As requested by Tat ;)

This recipe is super easy and super yummy! It doesn't make for the prettiest photographs I'm afraid but here goes.....



Honey Mustard Sausages

Ingredients
1 pack sausages (any type but this time I used some delicious 75% meat ones)
2 tablespoons mustard (the mustard above is the best imo)
2 tablespoons honey

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 190 degrees Celsius (gas mark 3).

2. Place sausages into a casserole dish, and place in oven.

3. Bake until cooked but not too brown... around half an hour.



4. Meanwhile mix the mustard and honey together in a bowl.

5. Remove sausages from oven and brush with the mustard honey mixture.




6. Return the sausages to the oven and continue cooking until brown and sticky. Baste occasionally with the remaining honey mustard mixture.



7. Serve however you like. Today we had them with cheese filled pancakes as it's pancake day!





That's it... easy peasy! You can adjust the amounts as you like and can even sprinkle the sausages with sesame seeds. It works well with cocktail sausages too for a party!

My heart in your hand

Here is my Valentine's day present for the Comedian.

We usually give each other underwear but I changed that by asking for the perfume below this year. Left to my own devices I decided to get my man something that may not seem romantic to anyone else but I know he'll be really touched by. He suffers from psoriasis on his hands and has tried most creams and often spends the evenings with cotton gloves on while the cream soaks in. I decided to buy some extra nice cream and make him some soft red gloves plus a bag to hold it all, oh and a little heart brooch....


and a card to match.....



I really hope he likes them :D

Dolly Perfume

This isn't about my own craft I'm afraid. I have a few things in the pipeline but life (and snow!!) keeps interrupting me. I just wanted to blog about this and it seemed more a crafty blog type thing than a family blog type thing... if you know what I mean.

When I was around the age my daughter is now, about four years old, I went into a Pharmacy with my mother and spotted some children's perfumes in the shape of little dollies. They came in various fruity fragrances and were in colours appropriate to each fragrance. My lovely mum agreed to buy me one but I was stuck in a dilemma. I loved the smell of oranges, but my favourite colour was pink (like my daughter's is now!).... should I go with the lovely orange smelling, but orange coloured dolly, or should I go with the pretty pink, but not so nice strawberry smelling dolly?

In the end I let my nose win and chose the orange dolly.... and I still have her!


She still smells ever so slightly of the perfume too! I let my daughter play with her now.
I was faced with a similar dilemma recently when I discovered that Gwen Stefani had brought out a range of dolly perfumes herself!


Now I have funny pheromones, it seems like whatever perfume I try it smells awful on me, so I'm always on the lookout for a perfume that would work. Generally anything fruity or with Jasmine seems to work, it's anything too musky that goes wrong. I read the descriptions of these 5 and two of them, "Music" and "G", sounded like they might actually work for me. I spotted them in Debenhams and tried them out. My favourite of the scents was "Music" but I really liked the blonde Gwen Stefani style bottle for "G", which to choose?


Again I let my nose win and am now the proud owner of this....



So far so good the fragrance really works for me, now I just need to stop my daughter stealing it!