Where did 2013 go?!

I can't believe that 2013 is almost over, how did that happen?? I hope everyone had a great Christmas, we had 13 here for Christmas Dinner which was nice but totally chaotic  In fact, the last part of this year has been rather chaotic with lots going on and not much time for this poor neglected space. Hopefully 2014 will be a little less chaotic and I will actually sew/make something that I am happy to share on here rather than the half hearted/last minute panic crafting that has taken over!

Here is a small round up of my better/more popular crafty attempts for 2013:

Most popular (double the page views of the next one!): DIY Minion Cake

In second place: DIY Origami Bunny

Third Place: DIY Men's Dress Shirt to Ladies Blouse:

Fourth Place: DIY Fabric Origami Bow
 

 



Fifth Place: DIY Ninja Costume

Hopefully next year will see some more fun crafty projects, Big E is 8 in 3 weeks so there will be a cake post coming soon, at the moment it is to be a Star Wars Angry Birds cake....!

I hope everyone has a great Hogmanay, see you in 2014!

Linking to some of these fab parties!

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little e: Cheeky face looking very grown up!

Big E: Snuggling a sleepy wee sister.

Joining up with Jodi again this week for 

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

 

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DIY Snow White Dress version 2

One of my friends asked if I would make a Snow White dress for her 2 year old daughters Christmas. Of course I said yes and this is what I made! I can't wait to see her in it, she will be so cute :)


The last Snow White dress I made, for little e, had a velcro closure at the back and was made of non stretch velvet.

This time, because it was for such a young child, I used a stretchy velvet so it doesn't need any fastenings.

I used a simple butterick girls dress pattern but cut the back piece of the bodice and skirt on a fold because it was stretchy fabric. I attached the skirt to the stretched bodice and then, to hold the shape of the bodice better, added a band of elastic to hold the skirt at the unstretched bodice size (does that make sense?!). I skipped the piping step altogether and just sewed a narrow gold ribbon down the front. Not exactly like the actual Snow White dress but hopefully a 2 year old won't notice these things :)








Linking to some of these fab parties!

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little e: A cheeky Mary in the church Nativity

Big E: Shepherd!

   Joining up with Jodi again this week for 

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

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Big E: More excited than the picture makes out, just chosen a hamster (the wee brown one at the top)!

little e: Excited, until it bit Daddy!

 Joining up with Jodi again this week for 

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

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Tartan Skirt Refashion

I have been wanting to get a tartan skirt for ages so when I found a 100% wool skirt for £7 on ebay I jumped at the chance! I forgot to take any before photos but imagine a below the knee pencil skirt that was about two sizes too big! .

Now it is an above the knee pencil skirt that I love (not sure why there is a funny sticky out bit on the right, must be the way I am standing)! The skirt has a centre back zip so taking in the sides was easy and then I re-hemmed it at a better length.

It looks a little crushed in the photos, that is what 2 days in a row wearing it does :)

A final photo, this is what it looks like when it has just rescued a tree that has fallen over and deposited most of the decorations on the floor...(the innocent looking little girl was not innocent)!

Off to re-decorate the tree now...!

linking to some of these fab link parties!

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Big E: Starting on the decorations!

little e: very carefully putting the pink decorations on first!

 

 

 Joining up with Jodi again this week for 

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

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little e: Practicing her yoga!

Big E: Snuggling with Daddy on the sofa.

 Joining up with Jodi again this week for 

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

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Big E: In the Scotland Rugby team's changing room on a visit with Beavers!

little e: she is a little obsessive about the velcro on her shoes, it has to line up exactly...

 Joining up with Jodi (late!) for 

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

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little e: the apple of my eye!

Big E: lots and lots of apples!

 Joining up with Jodi again this week for 

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

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little e: 20 mins into tea time and still the plate is full, she prefers to play rather than eat!

Big E: New Darth Vater mask for the avid Star Wars fan!

Joining up with Jodi again this week for 

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

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DIY Blanket from felted sweaters

What do you do when you buy 2 jumpers on eBay thinking they will be perfect to wear in the winter then realise that there was a reason they were cheap, they are about 2/3 of the size they should be....?!

You store them for two years of course, and when your fabric cupboard finally refuses to close you drag them out, felt them some more along with another sweater you have acquired, and cut them in to A4, A5, A6 and A7 sized rectangles with the plan to sew them together in to a blanket. That was in June.

Finally I set them all out on my bed in a pattern I liked then sewed them together. It was a bit of a rush job as I laid it all out (which took a good 45 minutes) on my bed, at 9pm.... I finished sewing it up at about 10.30pm, there is nothing like a desire to clear the bed so you can get in to it to get you moving!

It now sits over my legs like a proper old ladies blanket keeping me warm!

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Big E aka the Werewolf: Dooking for apples at the Beavers Halloween Party!

little e: at our first Classical Music concert - Haunted House!

 Grainy phone photos this week, must do better! 

Joining up with Jodi again this week for 

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

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Another Dress - V1194

This was another dress I chose because, technically, it should have looked good on my rectangle body shape....

I made in from a light weight cotton jersey with some lycra that I got on ebay. It was the wrong fabric choice, too stretchy and not thick enough. Unfortunately I only realised once the dress was made and  that the fabric stretched out of shape at the back under the weight of the gathers.

It looks awful in this photo, couldn't be bothered to iron it and I really need to put my shoulders back.. I wore the dress to my Nephew's christening and thought it looked ok until my Mum was asked twice if I was pregnant again.... Another item relegated to the wardrobe until I become skinny, hahaha.

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A New Dress for Halloween!

I got  Butterick 5917 pattern ages ago when I was looking for patters to suit my shape.

via

Technically it should suit me, being empire line and having detail at the bust to draw attention away from my non defined waist. I didn't bother with the bust ruffle on this version, it is really a wearable muslin.

The fabric is very old (1960's) that came from a Great Aunt's house years ago, black with white stars. I thought it would be a perfect witch's dress for Halloween.

Turns out it is not all that flattering after all (which is why it has taken 3 months to photograph and post about it), think it emphasises rather than disguises my non-waist but it will do for Halloween!

The next dress I have to post about is even worse, no wonder my desire to sew for myself has been non existent!

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