Bonnie Wee Skirt Pattern Testing

Rachael

Been a bit quiet here lately (my site got hacked 😭 and Christmas and that) but I’m back and I’ve recently been helping to test the new children’s skirt pattern from Puperita!

It’s called the Wee Bonnie Skirt and is a Scottish inspired modern kilt. It is super cute and just in time for you to whip one up ready for Burns Night!
The skirt could also be styled up in so many ways so it can be used year round. Paired with tights and boots, it makes the perfect little winter outfit!

It has a great tutorial on how to make the skirt with traditional tartan fabrics, with instructions on how to get the pattern to match up across the skirt pieces and through all the pleats. I chose to make mine out of a solid navy twill for this version but have been eyeing up some really sweet, grey baby cord with little stars on from our local fabric shop recently which I think would make an incredibly cute skirt. The pattern is also suitable for any medium weight cotton, corduroy, lightweight wool, wool blends or denim.

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Pattern Release!

Rachael

So I’ve finally got around to releasing my own patterns!

These first two are foundation Paper Piecing (FPP) patterns of a cute little manatee and a tulip sea shell, I plan to release more shells and sea creatures to go with them soon also along with lots of other designs.

Each patterns includes:-
– A full colour diagram
– A numbered overview diagram to help with piece positions
– Written assembly instructions on how to assemble the pattern
– 6″ and 12″ finished blocks (6.5″ and 12.5″ square including seam allowances) but could easily be printed at a different scale and seam allowances adjusted

It’s been a steep learning curve with l lots of l little improvements being made to the patterns so they should be up to scratch now!

I’m starting out on Etsy first to see how it goes so go check out my shop!

For the first two weeks of release (up till the 8th July) there’s also a coupon code! Use BRANDNEW at checkout to get 20% off!

Thanks for supporting this new indie designer!

MMQ’s Annonomous

Rachael

Hi my name is Rachael and I’m addicted to mini mini quilts!

They’re so much fun to make, if a little challenging, and are a great way to test out new techniques, designs or colour schemes.

If you play around on Instagram much they’re also many people willing to partake in little informal swaps of mini mini quilts which is a great way to make new friends and get a little unique piece of artwork! Just search for #miniminiquiltswap for some inspiration!

Usually with my mini mini quilts my main goal is to just how small I can go! I feel I may be just a little crazy at some points. My smallest measures just 1.5″ x 2″!

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Disney Trip Sewing

Rachael

So a few weeks (note: many now, I’m a bad blogger) ago we went to Disneyland Paris! We had two very excited little girls (1yo and 4yo cousins) who needed things sewing for them (and me!). I didn’t want to go too overboard (however my niece and other half did end up with matching underpants) but wanted something simple that matched for the littles and something not too matchy-matchy for me and our little one.

My first choice was two ponchos for the girls. We were traveling in April and it’s still quite chilly out then and they could wear the ponchos everyday. It took a little bit of coaxing for the older one to actually wear it in the end but once it was on she realised she loved it. The littlest didn’t have much choice once it was poppered up but didn’t complain either. Win. I used A Stitch Upon A Times Riding Hood Poncho. I’d made one before but this time chose to add pockets! These were remarkably easy following the instructions in the pattern and I was immensely pleased with the results. Think the only issue I had was with the poppers, I was rushing and ended up wasting so many!

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Bugaboo Chameleo/Buffalo Pram Liner Pattern Testing

Rachael

Recently I got the chance to do some pattern testing for Muffy Duck Design on a fitted pram liner for Bugaboo Chameleon/Buffalo prams (all versions!) and I’ve got to say I LOVE IT!

I’ve got a fairly ancient 1st Gen Chameleon… in grey (nothing against grey, I usually love it, but babies are bright and bubbly and grey just isn’t them). It also came with a navy colour pack but thats not that much more exciting. Add a funky pram liner into the mix and it looks so much better now! It’s almost as good as new … only BETTER!

Heres the before and after shot.

 

pram_liner_empty pram_liner_front

 

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Diy Custom Clothes Tags

Rachael

Since my small human was born I’ve really got into making clothes for her. They’re so satisfying! Most use almost no fabric (compared to adult sewing at least), take no time at all to whip up and they all look super cute! But she grows super quick so I’m making new sizes every few months. Thus the need for labels. I’d love to order custom ones but they can be expensive and I’d end up with loads for each size, so, I started making my own.

There are a few ways you could do this but I’ve settled on this method as I find it has a good level of adaptableness and a professional (if handmade) finish.

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Teeny Tiny Binding Tutorial (single fold binding)

Rachael

For the love of mini mini quilts!

Binding a quilt has been my favourite bit of quilt making for a while now (took me a while to build up the courage though!). It shows that the end is in sight and, as I hand stitch the back of my bindings, has a nice therapeutic slow down after the frantic rush to finish your quilt and get to see what it finally looks like.

For other quilting projects I mainly use double fold binding but with mini mini quilts for the #miniminiquiltswap this uses too much fabric which just bulks loads and makes things more difficult to sew. So single fold binding is the way to go and here’s a little tutorial on how I go about it.

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Travel sewing

Rachael

Recently we’ve been in the process of moving cities, visiting relatives and generally moving about the country which has ment a lot of staying with friends and families and not being near my machine or fabric supplies. Initially this was incredibly frustrating with my head continuously trying planning projects but not being able to move on to the realms of choosing fabrics, starting them or being able to tryout steps to see if the rest of a project is feasible.
After a while though I’ve got used to adapting my plans to involve more hand sewing that can be transported, started, stopped and packed away in between.
And… Its been great! By the end of each trip I’ve had time to plan new projects, I get home, organise it and pack it up for the next trip. Whilst away I’m able to escape the sometimes stressful travel situations and still feel like I’ve accomplished something, especially when I’m able to start and fully finish a project. There’s also the added satisfaction of knowing that its all been completed with my own hands.

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Welcome!

Rachael

So this is my new blog. I’ll be using it to share various ongoings in my life, mostly, but not exclusive to, sewing, creating and the little one. For now there aren’t many posts but I hope to add more with tips, tricks, inspiration and tutorials. In the mean time why don’t you check out my Instagram