Orinoco Designs Australian Bushfire Fundraiser

I spend my sewing time very wisely these days! I don’t say yes to just anyone… Unless your name is Nadia and you design awesome prints for Orinoco Designs! This round is very special! At least 50% of all profits will  be going to help people affected by the Bush fires in the 2019/2020 bushfire season.

What could be better than fabric for a fundraiser! Creating with a conscience! It’s our duty to go mad and buy it ALL! ❤

I was so blessed to be sent 5m of stunning Aussie prints to showcase! I called in some help from our Swozzie (Swiss/Aussie) cousins to show you some great combinations! My girls had already chosen a tank and tee with shorts, so all I asked was wombat or echidna and skirt or cropped joggers?

Miss 12 chose the Clay Echidnas and Pink & Rust Hash. She wanted a cropped dolman tee, so I used the Peach Patterns Pearlie dress, which was created for One Thimble Issue 16. I extended the bodice to get the look she wanted and made her some Striped Swallow Designs Run in the Sun Shorts. She is up in the top end of sizes in both these patterns! I added a little extra length to the shorts for her long legs, I swear I didn’t leave one pattern alone when I created this collection!

Miss 9 chose the Pink Wombats and Pink & Rust Hash for some Made by Jacks Mum Hang Ten Shorts and a Wicked Patterns Wren Tank. I cut the shorts to the length she wanted and added extra seam allowance to the armscye and neckline of the tank, so that I could just turn and hem instead of using bands.

Miss 10 chose a tank and joggers combo. I used the Rust Waratah fabric and the Sofilantjes Solis Dress Bodice for the tank and extended by an inch and just hemmed to finish. Her joggers are the Juniper Joggers by Striped Swallow Designs. I shortened the legs to a cropped length (using my Miss 9 as a guide for her height), then measured my Miss 9’s calf circumference to make cuffs. I spliced in a cute patchy section down one leg to bring together all the prints.

Miss 7 chose a skirt and tank combo. A skirt bless her! Nobody has requested a skirt around here for so long lol!!! Her tank is also the Rust Waratah fabric and the Sofilantjes Solis Dress Bodice hack like her big sisters. Her skirt is based on the free Gracie Skirt by Simple Life Pattern Co. It is made for woven with a knit waistband. I used the waistband, pocket and side panel dimensions, but drastically reduced the width of the skirt front and back panels. I didn’t want a super pouffy skirt that was so gathered that the print was obscured.

I made sure not to use all the Rust Waratah fabric on the kids! I had some minty green cotton lycra and navy ribbing in my stash so I squeezed myself out a tee! I am on the hunt for the perfect relaxed tee pattern, so you will see a few more versions and trials of this popping up! I used the Wardrobe by me Daisy Drop Shoulder Tee. I raised the neckline and drafted my own neckband and wide cuffs. Pretty happy with it I must say…

I’ve saved possibly the best for last! Navy Australian Flora is such a stunning print! I made myself a Chalk & Notch Waterfall Raglan with an extended hem instead of a ruffle. I have a few of these and I love wearing them so much in winter! Sadly my stash is completely lacking in solids and coordinating prints right now! I have been staying home as much as possible and didnt have time to order something in, so I used this great looking striped double knit. Not the best idea… It doesn’t have nearly as much stretch as the gorgeous cotton lycra, but hey, it looks good right?

So have I totally overwhelmed you? You really need to check out the whole collection to appreciate all of it! It is for a good cause and its completely stunning! You really should buy the lot lol!! All prints are available in Cotton Lycra, French Terry, Bamboo Lycra and woven cotton. I think I need a Mustard Wombat Sweater, but what else have you picked as your favourite print in the collection?

Happy Sewing

Brooke x

Fabric From Utopia in the Week From Hell

This picture really sums up our week! I received a package of really beautiful fabrics from Utopian Threads to create to my hearts content, and then a few things didn’t quite go to plan…

The short version is that my girls got sick, I sewed through my finger making this dress (snapped the needle off straight through the nail and out the other side), we had a car accident on our way to take some pics and then when we finally got to take pictures, this kid (who still had a temperature), stepped straight in a mud puddle!!! I’m not kidding! BUT like I said, I had these really beautiful fabrics to play with, so it wasn’t all bad 😉

The first fabric I have to share is a gorgeous pastel Mermaid Scales in Swim 220gsm SPF50+. I first thought I’d make some swimmers, but little Miss decided it needed to be activewear. We met in the middle and I made this cute Kyra crop hack by Simple Life Pattern Company, some Boo Pins and some Boo Swimmer Bottoms. 2 in 1! That made us both happy! I am the master of fabric tetris (takes a curtsy)…

We found a beautiful wall for pictures right near where my kids play basketball! It was a fantastic match for this print, I couldn’t believe it! It was a PCYC and it had lots of figures painted on it, but with some creative cropping and framing when photographing, it looks pretty amazing.

Next up was a gorgeous Whitewash Roses in Lime printed on cotton lycra 220gsm. My girls were scrolling through my instagram page and decided it had to be a Tadah Vetur Dress! They love the cowl neckline and thumb cuffs! It’s such a comfortable and cosy dress, but so cute too.

My third project was made in a Cotton Sateen 150gsm in a Mod Floral Print. It would have made a beautiful skirt or a stunning dress with pleats! My big girl could see it as overalls, so I suggested the new Tadah Mykonos Romper! I tested this pattern recently, but I haven’t shared any photos yet. Mostly because I spilled a full cup of coffee on it before I could sew the button holes and hem… What is going on with me lately?

I made this version in a generous size, as I do with a lot of my sewing, because I don’t like my kids growing out of my handmade too quickly! It will work well in winter with a long sleeve tee, long socks and boots, then hopefully when spring and summer roll around again it might still fit! I love a matching headwrap, it’s an awesome finishing touch to an outfit.

Finally I decided on the Simple Life Pattern Company Norah Dress for this Funky Cotton Poplin 140gsm in Neon Sorbet! I wanted a fun design to go with this fabric. My girls don’t really like pretty dresses, but give it a bit of edge and you’ll win them over.

SLPCo Norah has a round or square neck option, integrated cap sleeves and various back strap configurations. I chose to use black grossgrain ribbon instead of making straps and ties. It was a great shortcut. It wasn’t enough to save me from sewing right through my finger though! That’s the first time I’ve done that and it’s quite a shock when it happens lol! I’ll spare you the details but I was lucky to avoid getting any blood on the dress, only for my girl to cover it in mud right when we were taking pics haha!

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Preorders are open now for all these gorgeous prints and more! All designs are offered on the following bases … Cotton Poplin 140gsm, Cotton Sateen 130gsm, Cotton Sateen 150gsm, Cotton Lycra 220gsm, Bamboo Lycra 200gsm, Swim Lycra 220gsm, SPF50+ Rating.

Pre-Orders close on the 5th April. Afterpay, Zip, Paypal, Bank Deposit, and Layby are all avialable! PRE-ORDER LINK

I hope you like what I came up with for these fabrics! It’s so fun to decide what you can make when a fun fabric suprise arrives. I love to make something to show off the awesomeness of the fabric, while making sure it is something my girls will love to wear ❤

Warmest wishes,

Brooke x

Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will add value to my readers.

Winter Sewing with The Material Girl Australia!

I love sewing fabric strike-offs for fabric goddesses! A suprise parcel arrives in the mail and I get to choose what I make with the pretty contents inside! I always have a huge list of makes on my to-sew list so I usually get to tick a couple of them off in the process!

These pretty fabrics arrived recently in a parcel from The Material Girl Australia! They are available as a Pre-order – open now until July 14th, 2018. They are both cotton lycra 220 weight, but are available to order in a great range of bases including cotton lycra 180, cotton lycra 260, woven, minky, swim lycra, peach skin, french terry, double brushed poly, sports performance and rayon.

I put my hand up for a couple of prints, but I didn’t really know what was coming until it arrived. I really hoped I would snag this gorgeous Design 14 – Birds print and I was lucky enough to get 2 metres to play with!

I immediately had this combination in mind for a Ainslee Fox Bonfire Jacket, which was released in One Thimble Sewing E-zine Issue 5, and it turned out just as amazing as I imagined! I have had the Bonfire Jacket on my list to sew f-o-r-e-v-e-r! It feels good to tick one off and I can assure you it won’t be my last.

I lined the body with a thin polar fleece for warmth, because where we live we need more than a light jacket in winter sadly. The ribbing is actually a double knit from my stash, which is fairly stable but it works well and looks amazing with the birds!

When I cut out the jacket I knew that I was also going to be left with enough fabric to make a beautiful twirly dress. It was the other design that popped straight into my head when I saw this print.

I used the Simple Life Patterns Skyler dress pattern which we tested recently and introduced on their blog! If you know me at all, you’ll know that I can’t leave a good pattern alone! I hacked the Skyler dress by slightly curving the corners of the low square back to create a low scoop ballet back. Isn’t it gorgeous? ❤

I used the circle skirt for maximum twirl and it makes such a fast sew. The Birds print is a directional print and so I could not cut the circle as a whole piece (unless I wanted upside down birds on the back), so I cut two semi-circles adding seam allowance for the side seams.

This dress is what little girls dreams are made of! Stunningly beautiful, yet comfortable as your pyjamas at the same time!

Print number two is Design 39 – Floral Deer. This is a sweet pastel print suitable for all ages! I can picture even a baby romper in this!

My brain went straight away to a pretty dress for this print, but I didn’t want to pigeon hole it. I knew it was more versatile than that, so I challenged myself to make something my big girl would wear.

This is a Little Kiwis Closet Cuffed Dolman. This pattern is my most often made pattern for myself and my girls closets are catching up! I used the long sleeve version as it’s for winter and I hacked the cutout back!

I used the scoop back from the Skyler dress I made above as a guide for the depth, and cut the scoop from the back piece of the dolman. I measured the neck opening front and back, minus the seam allowances and calculated the binding at 90% of the opening. After I completed the top, I created a strap for the back by sewing a long strip right sides together into a tube. I turned it right way out and pinned it across the opening a couple of inches below the shoulder seams. I adjusted the length of the strap until I was happy it held the cutout shape nicely and top stitched it behind the binding.

What’s your favourite winter pattern for knits? These are just a few I thought of to showcase this fabric. I hope you like them as much as these cheeky girls do!

Warmest wishes,

Brooke x

Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we believe will add value to our readers.