More 'Gypsy Dreams' Clothes

I'm so pleased with these cute little hippy/gypsy style fur waistcoats I made using some teddy bear fur that I had picked up at Vinnies just before I left Aus. It was sat on my sewing table when I returned. By the way, the bird fabric isn't upside down, it's ......... whatever it's called when it can't be upside down ........ hehehehe. I think you'll know what I mean!

I've pretty much used it all now making four waistcoats but that's the way it goes when you make things from recycled. You only have what there is, there's no going back for more and when it's gone, you have to come up with something new. But that's what I love about making everything out of recycled stuff.

What have you all been up to? It's been a while hey. Just gonna pop over now to the new 'Our Creative Space' to have a good catch-up.

Been Sewing

I've been back in Tasmania after my trip to England for five weeks now and at last I feel like I have my sewing mojo back. Feeling seriously homesick isn't psychologically conducive to creativity. I would mooch into the haven of my sewing room in a miserable state, sit for a while, drink a cup of tea and then mooch back out feeling deflated, uninspired and incapable.

How stupid is that? Just when I really needed that outlet, I couldn't find it in me. But I do think that brains and bodies can only cope with so much and sometimes mine just says NO! And on this occasion it was fair enough. I was seriously jet-lagged having found myself wide awake at night time unable to sleep. I was also redecorating Maggie-May's room after realising upon our return that there was no way she was going to fit into her cot. I was also trying to remain sympathetic to husband and child who had serious flu's, unpack 70kgs worth of stuff, deal with my own flu and make the house back into our home. Therefore, sewing up a storm on a new collection of childrens clothes was probaly asking just a little bit too much. It was time for brain to say NO - ENOUGH ALREADY.

But isn't it amazing that as soon as Maggie's room was finished, the patients were better and the house back in shape I went into my sewing room and whizzed up three gorgeous little 'gypsy dreams' tops and the following day I had fun making two more blanket dresses. I love the way the raw edges on the blanket dresses 'felt' (as in matt together) and improve with each wash. This A-line pattern came from one of my favourite dresses of Maggie's. When she was small (about one and a half) she wore it as a dress and now at three she wears it as a cool little vest. It's a really great shape. The blanket obsession will go on the back burner now until next winter as I start to think about more spring summer ideas. Thankgoodness things are looking a whole lot brighter around here.

I still have heaps more photos and stories of 'Memories from Home' to share with all you lovely readers so please feel free to become a follower if you're interested in hearing all about our English adventures. If you are interested in purchasing from me, email me claireyloo@hotmail.com I'd love to hear from you.

My Creative Space

After coming over all inspired, refreshed and excited by my new book Sewing Clothes Kids Love, in my creative space I have been working on my new children's clothes range for the Made with LOVE Bazaar and I have to say, it's been a big hit with little Maggie-May. She has given me lots and lots of feedback on every miniscule detail! Her favourite was the wolf on the 'little red riding hood' ribbon.

I'm still trying to maintain the gypsy theme, so lots of ruffles and bright mismatch colour but I fear the style is more imaginary than real-life.

I made more recycled blanket jackets which I posted about before here, here and here as well as some trousers using the Dortje pattern. I love this style because it's given them more of a jeans look than just plain pyjama style pants. I've been looking for a pattern like this for ages, although I did alter it a little by straightening off the kick flair for the smaller sizes. I like the kick flair for older children but hate that 'Elvis' look it gives toddlers.

Of course I'm still using the usual op-shopped fabrics, bed linens, doilies, table clothes, tea towels, zips and buttons but mixing it all up with my very special new ribbons from Farbenmix.

I've also been playing around with my jersey knits more than I ever have. It's especially handy the way these curl over on the ends, I love that for a change from the normal seams.

I can't wait for our next market as I missed the last when we were away at the surf competition, which Kim came 3rd in - stoked!!!! The fancy dress theme is 80's and at the moment I'm thinking Karate Kid, Breakfast Club or Dexy's Midnight Runners and as a back up I can always get a disgusting satin prom dress from my local Vinnie's that has the best dress-up hire upstairs.

The market is on Saturday 9th April between 9am-1pm in the Artscape Building, Jackson Street, Wynyard, Tas. I wish you could all come, you'd love it so much.

Thanks for continuing to host My Creative Space Kirsty, it gives me an aim every week. See more here.

Ugly Seams

Well here we have it, the finished jacket, allbeit the prototype. All ready for Irish gypsy Jake, well that's what I had in my mind when I was making it..........a tad obsessive about this whole gypsy thing at the moment I know!

I'm pretty happy with the way it looks on the outside but there are bodgy bits lurking inside that will need improving before it's all 'ship shape and Bristol fashion' and ready to be included in the Baby Boudoir range. Wanna see the bodgy bits? Dare I bare all and expose the very ugly seams?

Oh dear, yukey hey? So now it's all about tidying up the seams. The last jackets I made like this, which you can see here, were fully lined so the seams were all hidden. But in trying to keep the price down, I've tried to avoid having to line these. Maybe it'll just work out quicker to line them?

Of course the obvious solution would be to overlock with red thread and incorporate this as part of the design. I know this would look super lovely, but I really want to avoid having to change my overlocker thread, particularly when I have so many different colour blankets. Hmmmm.

We had a good discussion at 'Stitch n Bitch' on Tuesday night about using ric-rac on things for boys. I think ric-rac is cool-as for little dudes, not necessarily the thicker wider ones, but this thin one that from a distance looks like a stripe, would be lovely. What do yout think. Would you buy something with ric-rac on it for a boy? It's one of the reasons I'm developing this 'gypsy' range as I want most of it to be unisex. There are so few alternatives to the surf brand style clothes for boys.

Off to the rodeo now to 'admire' the cowboys! See you again soon. Have a fan-dabi-dosie weekend peeps.

My Creative Space

It's been blankets, blankets and more blankets over here! With the gypsy theme in mind, I'm starting to create a new range for winter, all made from blankets. So time to get stuck in.

The range will include hooded jackets, similiar to the ones I made before here, trousers, flat caps and mittens.

I'm hoping to create lots of unisex styles with that 'thrown together' look. I'm starting with the grey blanket, which is surprisingly soft and we think may have angora in it! I love the red edging.

Of course I'll also be 'decorating' this little jacket with all the usual bits and bobs that I manage to find to recycle; buttons, ric-rac, ribbon, beads etc.

I'm still deciding on the pockets; side ones like these or just patterned patch pockets? I'll wait and see what looks best once I've put on the buttons.
 

 
This one will be for one of Maggie's besties Felix. You know how the first ones are always abit of an experiment.
 

 
What have you all been up to whilst I've been away? I'm heading over to Kirtsy's now to check out more lovely projects. Why not join me.

Feeling the LOVE

What with all that's been going on in my imaginary gypsy life, is it any wonder that at the third 'MadewithLOVEBazaar' I ended up looking like this in just my normal clothes? The theme was "hippie love".

Inspiration is a wonderful thing. Soak it up and see how much fun you can have. I loved being a hippie gypsy. Recognise the dress, I posted about it before here.

These were taken when me, Michelle and Sarah were playing in my mums aka 'Dora the Explorer's' camper van. Don't you reckon that Michelle looks like Gypsy Rose - Fortune Teller?

Hehehehe. Mum bought the textiles in Rajasthan. She was there for six weeks in October/November. She painted a traditional Rajasthani design on the floor and everything else a beautiful warm aqua blue, tiled the top of the small cupboard and stuck little round mirror tiles everywhere. It looks absolutely brill.

The 'market girls' have been so busy making so many new things for the market after our sell-out success of the first two. We're also really looking forward to welcoming new stall holders to our next market on 12th February, just before Valentines. Dress-up theme is RED.

If you fancy being part of this cool, fun, funky market, please visit our Facebook page for contact details, we'd love to hear from you. I'll leave you with a quick peak at some of the goodies on offer at the MadewithLOVEBazaaar in Wynyard, Tasmania, Australia.



My Creative Space

Late on Saturday night with the film 'The Notebook' on the telly, I dared to delve into the 'very old unfinished projects' pile I have stored in my grandmas old sewing basket and was very pleasantly surprised indeed to find this large double bed sized completed patchwork in need of blanketing, backing and binding.

I remember making this when my sewing machine first arrived in Tassie from the UK. After nearly two years of living with only the belongings I had stuffed in my backpack or had recently accumulated, I felt like a child on christmas morning when all my goodies arrived from the UK and once again became part of my life. Including my grandma's old sewing basket jammed to the brim with some treasured sewing items that I just couldn't be without, some very carefully selected fabrics and other bits and bobs and my trusty old Singer (mums old one given to me when I was about fifteen).

So, I digress, in my creative space this week I decided to get 'Vera' the quilt finished so that we can use it in the beloved caravan. I don't know why I do that by the way, but I always do name my quilts. I even remembered this old girls name when I pulled it out. Maybe it's because when I'm sewing with the old vintage sheets I think about who would have had them before me and I create this imaginary charater which the quilt then sort of becomes. Anyway, I digress again, to finish Vera, I stole the old blanket we currently had on our bed that really had seen better days and was in need of upcycling and chose a beautiful vintage sheet from my stash for the backing. I had already sewn on the bias binding made from purple corduroy when I originally did the patchwork so the first job was just a massive case of ironing, sandwiching, pinning and basting.......she's a big'un!

I then realised that Vera was going to need some quilting as she is rather large I was a little worried she might get abit bumpy and misplaced with age.....bless her! So I embarked on an applique project to go on her backside to hold her together.

But that didn't quite work out as my optimistic self hoped as she was just way to bulky to manouevre in the machine, so plan b had to come into action; I ended up just stitching in the gutter of the patchwork panels to keep her altogther and maybe later I'll attach the applique design by hand, one for the road trip maybe!!

So she's now all finished and hanging up drying. Tomorrow she'll be on our bed, I can't wait. What has everyone else in blogland been up to this week? Lets have a lookie here. Cheerio.

Resist the Plastic!

With little Maggie-May's birthday recently upon us, conversation turned once again to present buying for kiddiwinks. I always procrastinate way too much on what to do for birthday and christmas presents for our little girl.

I want Maggie to grow up realising that toys and belongings are special, are to be valued and do not just get given willy-nilly to be then thrown away a month later when they become broken or get bored of it. I also want her to experience the joy that is had in making and creating toys, games and amusement ideas.

Check out this blog the homemade dolls house. A mother pledges to "engage in one-on-one playing for an entire year" and they create the most wonderful little 'dolls house' world. When I read this I thought it was just so special, a real character building project. I think it's so important to feed our children's imaginations, let them experiment with their abilities and express their feelings in ways other than the obvious.

I hate all those horrible plastic toys, particulalry those that have mass consumerism 'branding' plastered across them. I just don't think they're neccessary - like mosquitos! I'm also very concerned about the social and environmental issues in mass consumerism but that's a whole other soapbox:) But then I feel torn with guilt. Is she missing out? Is it unfair to put all this on her when she is still so ickle? But I guess she'll still get given all the 'plastic toys' that other kiddiwinks have.

I always like to make Maggie a present and when the gift she receives from us is as cute as this upcycled rocking horse, I don't feel so guilty.

Next time you head to your local charity shop, check out the toy section too and see the potential of those toys. It's such a good feeling to recycle and recreate.