i'm having a hard time getting into the blogging lately. i've been making lots and even photographing lots but the words, or sometimes, the energy to create the words, seem in short supply lately. and there is so much to write about! i went away on another craft weekend and a three day on this time which was so lovely. gorgeous company, amazing food, and so many new sewing skills picked up thanks to an ever patient and knowledgeable
sooz. she helped me create my first ever successful garments from commercial patterns and introduced me to the world of
ottobre for which i will be forever grateful. i ended up making three tops for me (which i hope to photograph soon) and tons of stuff for mae:

a little top i made her from an
ottobre pattern. i cheated and used the front of a
country road shirt i picked up at the lancefield op shop that morning so it has these lovely pintucks and i didn't have to do extra hemming plus buttons!


two little skirts using a basic skirt shape from
ottobre (the pattern in the book had extra bits and embellishment that i didn't use). these were so simple and fun to make, i foresee LOTS of skirts in mae's future.


a reversible pinafore made of lecien cotton/linen with vintage floral trim and pale blue/grey polka dotted cotton on reverse. pattern from
this japanese craft book, borrowed from
ellen.
and a pair of jersey pj pants and some super cute bloomers that i haven't had a chance to photograph yet. i love this clothes sewing thing. it's been a goal of mine for so long now, seriously YEARS, and it's completely satisfying to finally feel like i can make things that are tidy, pretty and
actually fit.
i also finished off a new quilt for our couch to sit on and under. this one has been planned for months now and, after about 8 - 10 hours of quilting, i was supremely happy to sew the binding on and then throw it into the washer and dryer when i got home.

it was hard to photograph but hopefully you can see the good
randomness of it. i used a bunch of cotton and linen that i had dyed grey and blue a couple of years ago and added the odd accent cotton pattern and a bit of linen that i gocco printed ages ago.

i quilted it more heavily than anything i've done in the past (LOVE the cushy, wrinkliness of it) and it's backed with dark grey kona cotton. happy with this one : )