30 June 2014

Major News Alert! (and Simplicity 1710)


Have you managed to guess what the major news is yet? For those of you who read my blog and know me in real life I apologise for the old news, but for those readers who don't know me, you guessed it, we made a Fox cub! You know how much we like to make stuff around here, well now we are making a person as well.

Of course I wouldn't be me unless I made this little announcement to the internets in the form of craft would I, so I introduce to you Simplicity 1710.


As soon as I found out the news of course I started searching for some sewing patterns and this one just couldn't be resisted. I have had the pattern for weeks but I didn't want to jinx anything. However as we are now out of the major danger zone I think we are probably ok to start crafting now (and crafting we will!).

The pattern pack has a lot of cute options, but we love cats in this house so it had to be the kitty booties, there was no question really. The pattern pieces are nicely sized to fit on a single piece of felt which is very helpful. Although the pattern is really straight forward these did feel like they took an age to make! I am really happy with them though, they are so cute!! I think its just that there is a lot of fiddly bits with machine sewing the faces on, but it was just time consuming, not difficult.


So you will now see why there has been a lot less garment sewing going on. This is mainly because I don't want to put my heart and soul into making something which will only fit me for a couple of weeks (and I am already out of most of my normal sized clothes unless they are made with plenty of stretch!). I do hope to be able to get on to some maternity sewing, but again, I am not quiet the right size for that either yet so I can't really test it out for fit. Watch this space though.

This does of course mean the blog will take a bit more of a turn towards crafting for babies/toddlers etc. I hope that's OK with you, personally I can't wait! I have always been drawn to crafting in bright colours and things so I can't wait to get my creative juices flowing.

I also need to get on the look out for some more kiddie craft blogs for my feedly so if you have any great suggestions let me know :)

And here is a little picture of the bubba for those more interested in babies than shoes...
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27 June 2014

Its amazing how much better a bit of lippy can make you feel.... oh, and the jade dress hack


Don't you sometimes find that even on the days when you are feeling particularly not that attractive a bit of slap can put you in such a better mood? Thank god for going out for dinner as an excuse rather than just wearing it round the house (though of course there is nothing wrong with that if its making you feel good!).

So anyway... you remember the jade prom dress I made which is for a wedding we are attending next weekend? Well, those halter straps, lets face it, a girl like me needs a bra and I wasn't feeling all that comfortable (or happy) with the dress showing of my straps. What to do about it? Hack off the straps and replace them with some new ones of course. Thankfully the straps from the georgia pattern were perfect for this so I just needed to cut them out and replace them.


The dress pattern allowed for this pretty easily so I attached the straps on the back first then tried the dress on so I could get the length and the placement of the straps just where I needed them to be in the front. This turned out to be a great way to do it, and I will definitely do this with my next version of georgia as it turned out to be a bit like goldilocks... the first ones being too long and the second too short.

So now I can wear my dress with straps and even if its the hottest of hot days when we go off to the wedding next weekend I can wear the dress without the need for a bolero! yippee!

And just because they deserve a picture of their very own... check out the shoes, I so made the dress to match these babies! I LOVE them, they are such a pretty colour. BTW, my legs are not this pale, its just bad photo editing on my part, though I think they were quiet pasty tights.




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24 June 2014

Blogging Home School and New Stationary


So, I think that missing my first post since I set out my news years resolutions to you is the perfect time to sit down and get this blogging shit together. You may have heard me mention the fab ladies at Blogcademy before (who very kindly selected me as a winner for one of their sparkly goodie bags). Well they run two day, in person, workshops for blog owners to help them find focus, get hints and tips from people who really know their business and to hopefully improve their blogs for you, the people who come along and read them.

Well I would LOVE to be able to attend one of their workshops, they look like so much fun, not to mention educational. Sadly though the price of attending is a little more than I can stretch too so that will have to wait until a lottery win I am afraid. However, these lovely ladies have now offered those of us who can't attend for any reason the opportunity Home School with bite size videos full of loads of information for bloggers. They are also pretty cheap. It is my plan to purchase one a month and work through them so I can hopefully create some better content for everyone. They also very kindly offer the first one for FREE so there really is no excuse to not go check it out!

Even Scamp wants to get in on the learning....


But as we all know, new education requires new stationary right? Well it wouldn't be my blog if that wasn't at least brought to you in some crafty form, so I made a fabric book cover for my new note book using my favourite 'by the sea' pink anchor fabric. Do you like? I also have to use some of my favourite ever pens which are Muji coloured gel pens. They sadly closed the shop in Nottingham, but you can still get these online, and believe me, they are well worth it. Honestly, on Christmas day these are the presents we really hope for under the tree, even more so than the years new underwear!

I have high hopes from these ladies so lets see how this place starts looking in a few months once I am well educated in the art of blogging!

Now I think its time to go in for a cuppa, its hard work doing all this learning! 


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23 June 2014

We're back!


Afternoon, I am really sorry but in my attempt to get some stuff for you whilst we were away I haven't managed to schedule you a Monday post :( sad face! But don't worry, hopefully I will have a belated Monday post for you ASAP tomorrow. Then we can get back on track as if this little blip never happened! 

Meanwhile, enjoy this lovely picture of the sea and I will see you tomorrow. 
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20 June 2014

Fit for a King (or Queen) Crown Tutorial

You will hopefully member my felt crown post here; well here is the long awaited tutorial and PDF so you can make your very own! 

You will need:
  • Your pattern which can be downloaded here
  • Some felt in main colour (yellow or grey are good crown colours but don't limit yourselves)
  • Scrap felt pieces in either 3 or 5 colours
  • Thread to match your main felt colour
  • Interfacing
  • Scissors
  • Some Velcro, or poppers if preferred


Step 1. Cut out two pieces from the template on the fold using your main felt colour. You will also need to cut one piece in the interfacing.  On one of the felt pieces you will need to trace and cut out the holes, this will be the front piece and the one without the holes the back piece. Now attach the interfacing to the back piece. Be careful not to melt acrylic felt with the iron if using iron on interfacing. Sew in facing will work fine.


Step 2. Using I you scrap felt cut out 5 squares big enough to cover the holes and leave a bit of seam allowance. 


Step 3. Carefully top stitch around the edge of the circle on the front of the crown making sure to catch the scrap on the underside. You will now be able to see the colour of the scrap piece through the front of the crown like a little sparkling gem. 


Step 4. Place the front and back crown pieces together with the right sides facing out and the interfacing and scraps on the inside. Top stitch all the way around the outside of the crown piece to secure the front and back together.


Step 6. You might now find that your edges aren't totally aligned. Not a problem, just take a good pair of scissors and trim the edges so there are no uneven sides.


Step 7. Sew your Velcro to the tabs at the end with one piece on the inside and one on the outside so when they are out together you get a flush circle. I would recommend hand sewing these on so you can't see the stitches on the other side.


And that's it. Now you can give the crown to your little prince or princess who can happily play dress up. Please note that I have a tiny head and this doesn't fit on mine. If you need to make the crown a bit bigger my suggestion would be to increase the size of the end tab to 4 inches to allow for more head to go inside :) 

Thank you very much for visiting, show me pictures of your crowns when they are done. I would like to see the different colour combinations people go for. 
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16 June 2014

DIY Glitter Bow Clips Tutorial


Look Look! A tutorial using all of my favourite things: Glitter, Bows and Shoes Clips!!! For me this literally couldn't  get better (well I could have chosen pink, but sometimes its nice to be different). You could make a pair of these bad boys in just a few minutes if you follow my instructions below:


You will need: 
  • A sheet of A4 glitter fabric (I got mine from ebay and here)
  • Shoe clip blanks (ebay)
  • A pair of skissors
  • Glue gun
First of all cut out 4 pieces from your glitter fabric. Two pieces measuring 2.5 x 1.5 inches and two pieces measuring 2.5 x 0.5inches (as above)


.1. Fold one of your larger pieces in half along the length with the glitter on the inside.


2. Then fold the tops down towards the outside in half again, pinching in the middle (it looks like a bow already... does a little jig). Its a bit like a concertina or fan.


3. Wrap one of the smaller pieces around the bunched up middle, with the ends at the bottom, and secure with a blob from your glue gun.


4. Using the glue gun, glue the shoe clips to the underside of the centre piece as above and your done! I honestly didn't manage this stage once without getting completely stuck to the glue and getting stringy glue gun bits everywhere but the stringy bits come off so its not a problem if this happens to you as well.

You can round of the edges with a pair of skissors at this stage if you would prefer them to be a bit smoother. Personally I don't have a preference as to which is best, they look great either way.  


5. Now repeat with the other two pieces to make a pair and clip em on your favourite pair of shoes... and then make some more because that was so easy and you need a pair of these in every colour and so do all your friends!


If you make a pair of these I would love to see them, so leave me a link below. Also, don't forget these would not be limited to shoe clips. You could make brooches, hair clips, all sorts using the same method but different findings so let me know if you come up with any good uses for this template. 


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13 June 2014

Herete!

That was 'be happy' in Greek!



You may remember me mentioning it (and I'm not rubbing it in honest) but we are off to Rhodes tomorrow for a week of sun and relaxation to celebrate Mr Fox finishing and passing his degree. He got a 2:1 clever boy! Really looking forward to spending some time together, enjoying the warmth and mostly the greek food... Feta anyone?

I have tried very hard this week (and believe me its been a busy week) to make sure I have some good content for you whilst we are away and I think I have managed a couple of corkers for you. So keep your keen eyes peeled for not one but two! DIY tutorials coming up in the next week. I am good to you lot aren't I!

And until then, because you know how much I love them, feast your eyes on a little collection of my favourite Etsy Shoe Clip porn...

'Shoe Clips!' by monstermagic

A collection of some of my favourite


50% OFF SALE gold sparkle gl...
$9

Pretty Sparkle Pink Bow Shoe...
$22

sequin bow shoe clips, boot ...
$11.99

Glitter Heart Shoe Clip Pair
$5

Multi Shoe Bow Clip
$10

Pair of Blue with Black 7mm ...
$6.99

Floral Shoe Clip, Rose Pink ...
$10

Black fur and diamante fring...
$12

Gold jewel encrusted cat sho...
$15

Navy Blue Shoe Clips, Bridal...
$13

Handmade rose shoe clips in ...
$12

Navy glitter Shoe Clips, Big...
$24

Bow Shoe Clips, Cute Bow, Re...
$19

Textile 38mm button shoe cli...
$9

ORANGE CRUSH Flower shoe cli...
$43.95

Leather flower, leather flow...
$35
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9 June 2014

New Mollie Makes Subscription and This Months Shoe Clips

  
You know we all need more shoe clips right? Of course we do! and here are some more DIY clips brought to you as the DIY project on the front of the latest issue of Mollie Makes magazine.

Aren't they so cute! pretty pastel pink tulle and some added sparkle make these a perfect way to jazz up a pair of old pumps. 

Its ok to wear leopard print tights and leopard print shoes at the same time isn't it?   


The issue (41) is out now and choc full of retro makes. I personally really fancy trying out the floral crown and the record label place mats (which would make an excellent gift for my daddy). I love this magazine. I always check it out and buy more copies than I think I do so decided that I might as well just say 'sod it' and I purchased a 6 month subscription. It will be so nice to have a bit of craft inspiration through my door each month, especially as I get more and more involved in the blog with you guys. 


The flowers are made in a very similar fashion to some of the ones we made during our away day, however instead of one long piece of fabric is it three smaller pieces overlapped slightly. You then do a quick running stitch across the bottom, pull it tight and secure. Then add the pretty sparkley gem to the front and the show clip to the back. Really simple but wonderfully effective. I made these up in one of my lunch hours it was that simple!


So what did we get up to this weekend? Well Me and Mr Fox had a lovely chilled out one. Finished off our new front garden (pics on my Twitter if you are that interested), saw family, went for a dinner at friends it has been great. Now just one more week of work and we jet off for some sun, sea, sand and relaxation! Bring it on!

I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Do you have any magazine subscriptions? I would love to hear about them.
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6 June 2014

Upcycled Pure Wool Chataigne Shorts (and probably my new favourite pattern!)


This post might be a bit picture heavy, but its worth it to see my fwuffy cat come and join in the shoot!

Moving on... this pattern is a winner and definitely my new favourite. Will you get mad at me if I just keep making various versions of this for a while? Its probably going to get a bit samey right? Personally I LOVE a good pair of shorts. They are so comfortable to wear, you can sit down without worrying about anyone seeing your knickers, look good with or without tights and they are also great under short dresses to keep a bit of decency.


About the Pattern:
Pattern: Deer and Doe Chataigne (chestnut) Shorts
Size: 38
Material: Pure Wool thrifted from a charity shop skirt
Alterations: Absolutely zilch! 


This is my first pattern from Deer and Doe and I was a bit worried that sewing a pair of shorts might be a bit complicated, I mean you need to make seperate legs and everything, but this was actually a lot easier than I suspected. The pattern packet is pretty, the instructions are incredibly clear and the pattern was simple enough yet well drafted.

I normally don't have any fit issues when I buy off the rack shorts so I didn't make any adjustments to this pattern and they turned out perfectly. This will definitely not be my last Deer and Doe pattern purchase *runs off to drool over the other patterns...


The first time I saw this pattern on the website I knew that I wanted to make these in a pure wool. I prefer to wear a pair of shorts with tights and I thought using a wool would make a really versatile garment which I can wear right into the coldest of winter months. However, pure wool fabric is not the cheapest to get your hands on. Having never sewn with it before, or used the pattern I didn't want to spend a fortune on the material, so whilst I was recently browsing some of our local charity shops I found a very long, rather large, very pleased pink pure will skirt which cost me a mere £6. It still had the shop label in so the thing was practically brand spanking, except I assume it sat in someones wardrobe for a while. Looking at it I could tell that if I unpicked all those pleats I was going to have one quiet large piece if material to work with. This turned out perfectly and I had more than enough to make up the skirt.


You can still see the pleats in the front (close up anyway), but do you know what, I kind of like the little reminder of where the material came from, and I am sure after a few washes these will be out completely. Also, check out my invisible zipper below... is pretty invisible right! so pleased with how much better I am getting at inserting these things. It turns out you really won't get sucked into a black hole and the world won't end if you have to try mastering this! Its really not as bad as all that.


Do you have a favourite sewing pattern that you just return to over and over? Or one that just fits so perfectly you were really pleased with it. I would love to hear all about them. You never know, they might then become one of my, or another readers new favourite as well.
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