handmade dress swap

a little while back I signed up for the handmade dress swap that was hosted by the lovely Taz of butter and buntings.
I was partnered up with Mezz. so with details exchanged we both got sewing. with our love of vintage sheets we were well paired.

this is the dress I made Mezz. I used a crisp cotton sheet in hues of blues and greens. the zipper at the back and the binding were thrifted along with the belt which paired perfectly.

and the beautiful dress Mezz made me. I'm looking forward to pairing this with a tan leather belt and cardi.

butter and buntings dress swap

have you popped by Taz's blog butter and buntings lately? if not you may have missed the handmade dress swap she is currently hosting. If you're handy with a sewing machine (even if only at a basic level) or know someone that can sew for you, you can join in. and if you don't feel up to making a dress you can also join in by making and swapping a skirt instead.
I think a simple shift style dress is perfect for this swap. something with only a couple of pattern pieces and the sizing is fairly forgiving too.

think of all the possibilities... using a vintage sheet or tablecloth, adding pockets maybe made from doilies, or adding a lace or pom pom trim around the hem

also you there's still time to get involved in my vintage sheet FQ swap 2015. you can find all the details here.

hope this week is a lovely one. x

wearing: stripes

 

another day, another dress.

I trialled a new op-shopped pattern for this dress (McCalls 5084) and instead of my usual floral fabric choice I went with this blue and white stripe.

it's a lovely, light cotton. perfect for pairing with a tan leather belt and my favourite tan Lotta clogs.

 

x

swapped dress.

a little while bag Taz and I decided to have our own little dress swap. we both like bright and floral so into the stash we went. This is the dress Taz made for me. It's stunning and a real crisp cotton.
You can see the dress I made for Taz here on her blog butter and buntings. I chose a retro floral in teals and purples and a shift style beach dress pattern.
it was such fun sewing a dress for Taz. She's even thinking of hosting a dress swap so if you're interested in joining in, let us know.

 

x

an Aussie tea towel necklace

todays outfit, for a day of picnicking by the lake. all handmade,

dress: thrifted seersucker fabric and the same pattern as this dress.
necklace: upcycled from a tea towel

tablecloth dress.

my first (of hopefully many more) wearing post of 2015.
with the weather so hot in my new town I've noticed a bit of a gap in my wardrobe.
one of lose fitting, easy wear dresses.
I made this one with a thrifted tablecloth and a thrifted pattern- Butterick 3349.
it's a simple pattern with (after alterations by me) only two pattern pieces- a front and a back. I tried a high/low hem for the first time too.
I'm still trying to perfect the neckline binding. I can't seem to make it sit flat. any tips?
wearing it with Lotta clogs, WeWood watch and thrifted bangle.

things i'm liking now

a few of my favourite things.

dreams that turn into plans, that turn into reality... have you seen the amazing idea that Rohan and Kate have. It's called the nursery project. it will be a place where you can get in there and experience growing your own vegies, picking, preserving, foraging, hunting, cooking and eating. and you can contribute towards making this dream a reality. every little bit helps.

garden growth... there are so many baby apples on the tree. self seeded poppies and nasturtiums are blooming too.

a bouquet of rosemary.. the plants needed a good trim so in came the stems and into a milk glass vase they went.

op-shopping... I've scored some beautiful pieces of clothing lately- a denim dress, lace cropped jacket, polo shirts, a handmade skirt as well as milk glass, a length of linen fabric for sewing and floral sheets.

x

floral dress lace trim

the inspiration to make is upon me, and with a decent collection of newly purchased dress patterns i wont be short of projects for some time.
this is the first dress i've made with the help of my new overlocker. it's made sewing it up that much quicker and neater.
i added some thrifted cotton lace to the hem of this one for a change.
teamed with lotta clogs, op-shopped leather belt and purse; and my new timber sunglasses.
x

a floral dress and tooled leather bag

so with the delightful Spring weather here finally I've been able to wear this dress. I made it back in the autumn but didn't get much of a chance to wear it as the temperatures were rather winter-like.
the fabric is op-shopped upholstery type fabric and I used a Style pattern 3671 for the top and a simple pleated skirt.

dress: handmade
tooled leather bag: newly thrifted from the tip-shop ($2)
belt: Oroton snakeskin, op-shopped ($2)
tan clogs: Lotta from Stockholm

cushion give-away

looking back it's been over a year since my last little give-away. so I think it's about time for another.
to thank you for taking the time to read and comment on my blog I've made a cushion cover just for you.
in my usual style.. constructed from a tea towel and backed with a vintage floral sheet and thrifted zipper.
this is one of my favourite tea towels from the stash. its pure linen, Made in Ireland and the most vibrant sunshine-y design.
simply leave a comment and i''l draw a winner at the end of September.

a tea towel quilt

 

so after I shared a photo with Kylie of a tea towel quilt the motivation arrived and I decided to make one of my own.
so here it is.. my latest handmade piece.

the great thing with this quilt is that you don't have to hack into those precious t towels. they are basically left complete and stitched together.
I backed this one with a thrifted woollen blanket (in the same colour-way as my vest) and made the binding from a coral-striped sheet.
i quilted it by stitching down either side of the tea towel joins. it's a fairly heavy quilt with the blanket backing so with my little sewing machine this was about all the quilting i could manage. it measures 128cm x 211cm.
i used all city and state themed t towels for this one and I'm already planning the next.. I'm thinking a calendar one.

do you have a favourite t towel up-cycling project?

wearing: woollen blanket vest

so I've been spying a bit of woollen blanket up-cycling around lately.. think hats, satchel bags, quilts and kids clothes.
I have a little stash of blankets stored away in vintage suitcases, collected over the years from op-shops and decided to cut into one.
I made the pattern for this little vest from a vest I already own (and seem to wear several times a week layered with shirt/cardigan/scarf). I lined it with a floral sheet in shades of blue and green and added a glass button from the collection.

wearing:
up-cycled woollen blanket vest
chambray shirt: wardrobe staple
jeans: wardrobe staple
scarf: handmade from vintage linens and doilies (you can find my simple diy here)
clogs: lotta from Stockholm
leather satchel: down that little lane

have you up-cycled a woollen blanket before? what did you make?

 

 

I'm joining in for the first time with wardrobe Wednesday hosted by Kimba likes.

stills: frosty paw prints

 

1. frosty mornings and kitty foot prints
2. said kitty
3. a new chicken tunnel (chunnel)
4. a bit of blanket repurposing
5. river cottage syrup cake... baking and eating. a favourite cookbook of mine