Little Tops

 Hello friends!
A little while ago I decided to make each of my nieces a little top to wear in the warmer weather. For two of the tops (the ones on the far left and far right in the picture above) I used the gorgeous HINE pattern. It's a fabulous pattern that is well written and easy to follow and gives a great result :-)

And for the top pictured below I used a pattern that I wrote myself :-) I'm hoping to add the pattern to Ravelry soon :-)

 For each top I used some glorious vintage buttons that i got from the lovely Kate at Buttonmania in the Nicholas Building in Melbourne :-) If you haven't been there before I highly recommend that you make the trip to Buttonmania!

The yarn I used for all three little tops is Spring Cotton from Bendigo Woollen Mills. It is a really fabulous yarn to work with and perfect for the warmer months, with 99.6% cotton and 0.4% Lycra.

New Baby Shoe Patterns

After many requests from fellow craftsters I have been busy writing patterns for the baby shoes I sell in my JoliBebe stores which can be found HERE and HERE
So far there are two different designs available: The Slipper style and the Maryjane Style.



The patterns are in an email format so you can have them straight away, which means you can get started on them immediately (this is good if you're stuck for a last minute gift :-)
Each pattern includes full size pattern pieces for multiple sizes from 3-18 months, easy to follow instructions as well as step-by-step photos to make it even easier :-)

I highly recommend using a non-slip sole when you make your baby shoes, especially for babies over the age of about 9 months, for safety.
I will soon be listing the special non-slip fabric that I use for my baby shoes in my JoliBebe store under "Supplies" in small quantities, as this can be hard to find.


What you will need to make your little Maryjanes:
Small amount of fabric for exterior, and for lining
Matching thread
Scissors
Sewing machine
2 small buttons (or press studs or velcro if you prefer)
Sewing needle

What you will need to make your Slipper shoes:
Small amount of fabric for exterior and lining
5mm Elastic (approx 30cm length)
Matching thread
Scissors
Sewing machine
Sewing needleYou can find these patterns in my JoliBebe store on Etsy HERE and my JoliBebe store on DaWanda HERE.

Scarflettes

I started making scarflettes several years ago, and gave it a rest over the last summer... then got distracted by a bunch of new scarf designs and forgot to make some more scarflettes for this years Southern Hemisphere winter :-/ But I'm back on track with them now.
I have changed my designs ever so slightly, for more comfort, warmth, wearability etc. I have found that they are a great way to use special fabric that I only have small quantities of and special vintage buttons that I have been hoarding, waiting for the right project to come along.
I actually made a few of these scarflettes for myself (for a change :-), and I love wearing them. The soft cotton flannelette lining means they are really soft and warm against your skin. And they sit nice and flat, not bulky like a fully grown scarf :-) here is me wearing my Japanese Plum Scarflette.
Here is the Sunshine Scarflette, which is made using some very bright and happy vintage fabric that I picked up from the Camberwell Market a few years ago. I lined it with a very soft, lemon and white gingham print cotton flannelette, and it closes with a sweet little vintage glass button with a happy little yellow bird on it that I got from the button lady.
I also made this very cute Mushroom Scarflette, using extremely sweet Japanese canvas with a colourful mushroom print. I love using this canvas, it sews up really well and sits nicely.
I love this colourway, but I also have access to several other colourways that I'm looking forward to experi- menting with.
I've also made a few scarflettes that I have screen printed images onto, but I haven't managed to photograph those yet, so you'll just have to wait for another day :-)
I have been doing quite a few experiments with my screen printing recently. Screen printing onto suede for bags, and some little girls summer dresses and scarves, so I think that's what I'll write about next. Until then, farewell from Camp Shara :-)