Project ReStyle 2

So I fell off the Project ReStyle bandwagon, ah, after my first project. Although I think I've probably been reStyling things, I just haven't been documenting them.

But I'm going to claim this one as my second project and hopefully more will follow. Although sadly, as with my first project, I neglected to take a before shot.

Seeing as this dress was previously an old cot blanket though, I don't think it's too much of a stretch for you to imagine that.

 I love the colour of this blanket.

 I used mismatched vintage buttons, a doiley, and just a little scrap of trim to decorate.

 It's a size 2, but the beauty of this most awesome style pinni is that a size 2 is perfect for a two to three year old as a dress, and still scrapes in OK as a top on a 6 year old.

 I wanted to keep the original tag from the blanket so I removed it before I started and re-attatched it when I was finished.

I quite like it and have another blanket so think I might make a couple more.

I made this dress this morning and have been unsure if I should show it on the blog. It's clearly a copy of a popular design. I have not made it to sell, it's for personal use of course. Just quietly I don't think anyone  is going to see  me as a threat, lol. But if you know different on this issue please do let me know.

It's made from a mix of new and recycled fabric. The light weight denim up top is new, all the rest is either thrifted fabric (the apron part, and straps), recycled clothing (the main skirt part was cut from a thrifted womens skirt) or old sheets (the bottom strip on the skirt).

 The hardest part was definitely getting the gathers even-ish, and pinning that into the top. Fiddly, very, very fiddly.

I'm planning on making some pants to match, but as I let my entire house turn into a pigsty  while making this, I don't know when I will get them done.

Little People Style I Love

Although my kids pretty much refuse to wear anything I make for them anymore, I still have my dreams. For six years now I have fought hard in the battle to keep licensed clothing off my children, and I think I've done as well as, realistically, I could in that one. Ruby has one Dora dress and a pair of Tinker Bell pj's (both gifts). I can live with that. If she is ever gifted, say, some Bratz clothing or anything which announces to the world that "I'm a Princess" or anything similar I'm afraid those items will mysteriously disappear fairly quickly.

In a perfect world, these pictures below are how I would be dressing my children.

I adore this dress, and the shoes are just too delightful. I don't even know how to describe how I feel about those shoes, they're killing me. (from here)

 I am loving the buttons on this, and the perfection of teaming it with brown tights and boots.

Brown cape with cap and knickerbockers? So simple, so sweet.

(here)

If only I had tried harder at getting my kids to love wearing hats even when not needed, just because they look so good, perhaps I would be able to pop one of these beauties on Ruby :)

(here)

I am a big fan of aprons or apron style dresses for little girls, so this is right up my alley. (found this one on Bellinipics)

I have chosen a lot of brown, and otherwise considered to be 'drab' by many, colours here, so I'll break it up with some red. A boys shirts all styled up for a little girl. Looks relatively easy, as well as looking great! Love the belt.

There is a tutorial to show you how to do this yourself over at Blue Bird Lucy's.

I think what I love most about this doiley-detail dress is that it is actually made from a wool blanket! I have a gorgeous blue woolen blanket lying around that I am tempted to cut into to make somethng like this myself, what do you think?

I found this on a Wardrobe ReFashion Blog

When I was going through images I had stored away to do this post I realised I had all girls clothes, nothing for boys. So I went looking for some boy stuff. And I couldn't find anything. At all. All the little boys stuff I found seemed to be geared towards an "I'm a budding Rockstar" kind of a theme. No thanks.

Then I found this PERFECT girls outfit (below) at Anais and found that they had boys stuff also.

Looking at these I know I am incredibly boring when it comes to colour, for my kids as well as myself. I have a wardrobe full of grey and navy. Must get more adventurous.

And kids underwear, do not even get me going on this subject. (seriously, I've been toying with the idea of making my own, especially since I found this) but I don't think I'll ever get there.

These, though, are just spot on.

(found here)

Although white jocks for Clary right now probable wouldn't be the best way to go (I do enough Napisan-ing already I think)

Sushi

Are you familiar with these contraptions? I got this a couple of months ago and it's been pretty good so I thought I'd give it a little plug.

It's a Sushezi Sushi Maker, I got mine at Robins Kitchen. Basically it's just a device which you pop your sushi rice and filling into, compress, and then you push out it out straight onto your nori sheet.

Sounds like something you shouldn't need any kind of device to be able to do, doesn't it? Except I am exceptionally crap at making sushi rolls without it. Without it my sushi rolls are misshapen, deformed messes, barely resembling the shape of a roll at all.

But using this, much better.

I made these this afternoon, they're in the fridge ready for lunch tomorrow.

My sushi usually involves left over chicken (as above) or tinned tuna, with carrot, cucumber or avocado. Whatever is in the fridge, generally.

Therefore I will not be showing my kids the likes of this.

Not even sure what's in that, to be honest.

And while this is not sushi I have to share it with you because it is so stinkin' cute.

A Little Bit Royal

Ok, so apparently not everyone is interested in the Royal Wedding, but it is TODAY and in honour of that, I bring you some crowns. (I neither love nor hate the royals but I will be watching the wedding and I do love me a crown)

Oh my lord, there sure are an awful lot of crowns out there, something to please everyone I think.

Simple ones such as this little lovely found here.

This feathers-and-butterflies-within-a-crown crown I have seen quite a lot on the net, so much so I have no idea of the original source.

One of my favourites, I think, is this book-ish crown from  here

 This one which I call the 'chicken wire and glitter' crown by the super talented Pam Garrison. Would love to make one of these one day. One day.

Oh dear, everytime I go to describe the next crown I find myself saying 'ooh, ooh, this is one of my favourites'. Can they all be my favourite?

Of course Etsy provides some of the very best in handmade crowns.

Such as these next two from sweetvioletjane.

A little more Regal from Kiss the Groom.

Completely perfect, completely simple, and completely accessible to the masses. In yellow. I love. (found here)

After breakfast here this morning we went all hoighty-toighty (I'd ask you if I spelt that right but I don't think they are actual words) and made some crowns of our own.

Ruby's features intricate drawings (done with Crayola Twistables) of the Palace, the Royal carriage, and Royal horses. She wore it to school.

Clary's features some very regal and posh scribbling (again, Crayola twistables, nothing but the best). He took his to kindy.

Mine (modelled by Ruby) is a dunny roll featuring cheap and nasty glitter as my precious pot of lovely vintage glass glitter is currently nowhere to be found. Actually I was surprised at how good that cheap glitter looked.

I'm not wearing it but I just might be thinking about popping it on for the rest of the day after this post.

*I totally want to scream and rant and rave because all of these pictures are so much nicer than they look here. Blogger is doing my head in*

Smile Sewing

OK, I have managed one more sewing project for my self, here it is. Again, from one of my beloved Japanese sewing books 'Smile Sewing' (how cute is that!)

I chose this pinni/apron type dress because it's a style I love and it looked like it wouldn't be too hard.

Just a quiet word on the quality of these pictures. Yeah, it's terrible, I know. I am trying to work it so that my pictures can be bigger,  but in bringing you bigger pictures I have completely lost the quality. So I am going to keep on researching this annoying issue, if you can bare with me. And if you have any tips on this, I'd love to hear them.

I used fabric I already had for this, some stuff I had picked up at the op shop. I'm not sure if it's linen or some kind of blend but when I saw these photos.............ewwww, it wrinkles up nice and good!!! (this dress had been ironed prior to wearing this morning.

I really love it, although sadly it's already got stains on it (chainsaw oil, don't ask).

The top from my previous post - stained also (splattering oil while making salmon patties on Good Friday).

I really must wear my apron more often.

Sewing for me.

Super quick post as I am right in the middle of unpacking and re-packing right now. Travelled yesterday so Clary could have his full cast put on today. He is being very good with his arm, it does not seem to be bothering him much at all (it certainly has not slowed him down!!).

So, to help me deal with my grief over the fact that my children will no longer wear clothes which I have made them, I've decided to start making for myself.

I'm sticking with my Japanese sewing books and really loving them.

 As I am not a super seamstress in any way, I picked something very simple, this top here.

 I used a grey linen (I think it may have been a linen blend, actually), nice and simple.

 My workmanship is pretty poor but I seriously could not care less in this case. I love it. It is super comfortable, my new favourite top.

 My self portraits suck, but this is it, on.

 I think the kids were up to no good when I took this one.

I have plans for more 'me' sewing, as soon as I can.