Folk Heart Dress

Hello friends!
I have been rather busy this week :-) And it's all been the good kind of busy! Yay!
One of the things I have been busy doing is making this dress :-) I'm pretty pleased with it (and pretty proud of myself). I made it entirely from scratch, including drafting the pattern myself :-)
The bodice and sleeves are made using a cotton sateen with a little bit of elastine in the blend so that it is a tiny bit stretchy, and the skirt section is made using a really lovely cotton duck cloth that is just the right weight for a skirt/dress. Below is a close up of the skirt fabric. Sweet, yes? I have quite a bit of this fabric left... I wonder what else I will make with it? Perhaps a bag??

I actually made this dress to wear to the races tonight. We're going to see Black Caviar run again!! We're pretty excited! I'll try and take a few pics to show you (but it is a night race, so photography might be a bit challenging... but I'll still try! :-)
xo Shara

The Horse Dress

Hello friends!
I have been busy sewing today :-) I made a dress to wear to the races on the weekend :-) I hope the horses appreciate my ode to them :-)
I combined two of my patterns to make this dress. It was very easy and reasonably fast to make. I think I will be making a few more of this dress in other fabrics in the near future :-) I'm also thinking about perhaps adding some 3/4 length sleeves to the next one as well? What do you think? Might be too tricky....

Here is a close up of the horse fabric :-) It's a lovely cotton duck cloth, just the right weight for a dress :-)
Giddy up!
xo Shara

The Junior Hat

Well last week I promised you something new for the kids. And here it is!

The Junior Hat comes in sizes from 12 months to 5 years, with larger sizes to be available in the future :-)

The style is suitable for both boys and girls. I've made some summer hats from cotton fabrics, and some Winter/Spring/Autumn hats using a combination of wool and cotton fabrics.

I also have a selection of Junior Hats that are reversible!!

Available in my JoliBebe store.

Stay tuned for more new items in the JoliBebe kids range soon :-)

xox Shara

New Hat Pattern AND Kit!

I have just added one of my original hat sewing patterns to my Etsy, DaWanda, and Felt stores. This pattern, for a 100% reversible Mod Cap, is available on it's own or as part of a Kit. The kit includes all the fabric and interfacing you need, along with instructions and the full sized pattern.
You can use the pattern over and over again to make many wonderful hats using all your favourite fabrics. You don't need much fabric to complete the hat so it's a great way to use up all those little scraps of that special fabric you have been saving.
Making small projects like this is also a great excuse to go for a treasure hunt in your local second hand store to find some vintage fabric, or you could rescue the fabric from an old shirt or a suit for a winter hat. Add a few buttons, or a badge. The possibilites are endless :-)
With the kits you have several fabric combinations to choose from. Below are just a few examples:

Cherry Cola

Black Strawberries

Chocolate Leaves

Black & White Cat

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 :-)