Tree Fall

The one item of clothing that I struggle to find for Lily is trousers. There's so many out there that I don't like,  and I just get frustrated with the fact that I have so little choice. I'm not overly keen on most jeans available for babies and I get sick of all the little jersey pants that are out there.
When it's warm (when will it be warm?) she's happy in the various pairs of little bloomers that I've made her. But I really struggle on the colder days.
All I've wanted is something plain that isn't pink and that could be worn with her many printed peasant tops. I also wanted it to be soft and comfortable, which is why I ruled out linen trousers. Until I came across this extra, extra soft, perfect weight, linen.

I can't describe how lovely this feels. But I can tell you that it makes the perfect pair of trousers. They're cool enough for a sunny day and warm enough for those, all too frequent cooler ones. And they look wonderful with her printed blouses.
For the pattern I started off tracing an existing pair of Lily's trousers, but they weren't baggy enough and had straight legs, so I altered the pattern by widening the legs and then lengthening them to allow for the casing for the elastic. The first draft wasn't quite baggy enough, so I went super baggy the second time around and they're just right. I have no idea why, but I love babies in really baggy trousers with elasticated legs.

Jim's says they're her Hammertime pants. And I'm not going to lie, the girl loves to dance when she's wearing them. But seriously, did MC Hammer ever wear anything so cool? I think not.

And of course, Bella doesn't get left out. She gets the coolest pj trousers ever. I'm not sure that she recognises the fact that they're the coolest pj trousers ever, but she likes the fact that they're pink.

Oh and I failed. How crap is that? Apparently I'll stop crying about it at some point. But in the mean time, I'm feeling pretty sorry for myself. I hate to fail.

There's a lot going on in this house at the moment. It's a busy place to be. Some of it's great, some of it not so much. I'm not hugely keen on the insane 3 year old tantrums that we're experiencing. A  crazy ass screaming fit over me asking her not to flush the toilet over and over is a little tiring and quite possibly a waste of everyone's energy. A crazy ass tantrum over whether her new Charlie and Lola book is a story book or in fact a sticker book (it's both) is again an exercise in total futility. And a crazy, crazy ass meltdown over trying on a new grey jersey jacket, so that we can see if it fits, but not so that she can wear it now, because we understand that she's indoors and not cold and doesn't like it because it's not pretty, is counterproductive for all concerned (and it doesn't fit and we don't like it either).
Of course the upside to having a split personality (we're renaming her Sybil) is that there is an upside. Because God Knows, if she wasn't also loving and caring and a comedy genius we'd have her up for sale by now.
As well as the schizoid 3 year old we also have a horrible coldy/flu thing going on. Which thankfully has passed me by, but has Jim and Lily firmly in it's grips. And I can tell you, it's heartbreaking watching your 5 month old desperately try and smile through the coughs and sneezes and incessantly running nose and eyes. That girl's a trooper. A snotty trooper, but a trooper.

That aside, there's lots of painting and drawing going on. Bella has become obsessed with creating huge collage like paintings. She very cleverly paints shapes on to various pieces of paper and then tapes them together to make one large picture of a butterfly or a fairy. If you look closely on the dresser in the background, you can see the top half of one of her butterfly collages. I'm really impressed that she came up with this idea herself. I wonder if watching me piece fabrics together has had any kind of influence on her?
We're also in the process of trying to, possibly, maybe, perhaps, one day, actually finish all the decoration, re-decoration and general sorting of the house and garden. Which is why I chose today, with much sickness going on and many tantrums, to do some gardening. With extreme predjudice. Meaning that, what once was there, pretty much isn't anymore (I'm not great at gardening, but hacking plants to death is a trait that runs in the family).
Next up is the re-wallpapering of the chimney breast in the front room. And I don't want to excite you guys, but the new stuff is Orla Kiely. Uh huh.
There's so much more stuff happening that my head is a little spinny, but like I said, it's mostly good. And next week is a biggy. I have my driving test. Lunch with a friend. Two birthday parties. A very important meeting. And housework. And actual work of course. And parenting. And a few more plants to destroy.
And did I mention? My driving test....

The Wrap Dress.

This is a bit of a departure for me. Because it involved making something that actually has to fit properly. It's not a coincidence that the dresses I've made so far are shifts that just hang loosely (apart from the baby dress, but that's still a jumper, so again not fitted).

I made this on the morning of a birthday party that Bella was going to (why would I decide to try something completely new on the very day it's needed?? Because I'm a moron that's why). And used my favourite (Paul Smith) red and white pinstripe shirting, teamed with the print Garden Party  for American Jane.
I wanted it to have a light, summery feel and had this dress in mind when I started. I also wanted it to have a simplicity about it that allowed it to sit somewhere between childish and sophisticated. Hence the pinstripes coupled with the bright print. I also wanted to evoke a slightly nautical feel, kind of Sunday at the Regatta, and so emphasised the existing red and white theme by using a thicker red and white striped tape for the ties.

I didn't fully succeed with this one, but it's almost there. If I hadn't been in such a rush I would have ended up using a different print for the bodice because I don't think this one quite works. The balance is wrong, leaving the dress looking too top heavy. 

Next time I'm going to use the pinstripe for both the bodice and the skirt, and make more of a feature of the ties, using those to bring in a more subtle contrasting feature. I'm also intending to make the skirt a little less full - it's not obvious in the photo's but it's a really full, twirly skirt, which is almost a deal breaker for the twirling dervish that is my daughter. But I think that it needs slightly less.

I have to say though, that regardless of what I think of it, Bella had the exact reaction that I was hoping for. When I held it up for her to see, she literally gasped and then clapped her hands and jumped up and down. And that's the real reason I'm silly enough to start something completely new on the very day it's needed. (that and the fact that I'm a moron).

Wanna know where you can buy this fabric?

Of course you do, because it's ace.
It's hand printed by everyone's favourite Aunty Cookie and is perfect in it's clean, crisp lines and gorgeously bright colours.

Treat yourself, go buy some. Before I snap it all up. Because, as you know, I hate to share!

It's right here. Along with far too many other goodies.

Nothing makes me happier than a pile of new fabrics. And this pile makes me want to jump up and down. Especially that print on the top. That one makes me want to jump up and down and then roll around on the floor with it.

It's  The World of Susie Wong meets my very sophisticated Nana, back in the day. And I love it. With a passion. And so does my daughter, who requested a new dress asap. And I don't blame her, because I want one too. So much so that I've already ordered more of it. And it's not even cut yet.
It's part of Anna Maria Horner's new collection, Garden Party. And I can promise you that this is a collection that you're going to want to hoard.

Of course I'm also still on the buying fabric for dressmaking kick, and still loving seeing so many prints in a whole new light.

I found this seersucker over at Superbuzzy and immediately fell for it, not least because it reminds me of my childhood seaside holidays. It's the perfect colours of my youth. And it's another one that I'm ordering more of. Just because.

This is another Superbuzzy buy. And another print that harks back to my childhood. Is it strange that I find myself wanting to dress my kids in clothes reminiscent of my youth?
The fabric itself has a very cheese cloth-y feel to it and is beautifully soft. It's almost definitely destined to become a little dress for Lily and if there's enough and I can be brave enough, also a skirt for me.
I'm sure there's a picture of my mom wearing a top exactly like this somewhere.

This apple fabric is a little more modern and was found in one of my favourite Etsy shops, the wonderful, wonderful Goodness. If you haven't shopped there yet and haven't had the pleasure of knowing Lesley then head over now and say hello. She stocks some really lovely fabrics and will happily take special commissions for books and fabrics if it's not already in the shop. I also bought the fantastic yellow fabric that a few of you asked me about, from Lesley. And although she doesn't have either in stock at the moment, if you ask her, she might be able to get hold of more. She's good like that!

This next print is a bit more left of the centre for me. It's part of Kaffe Fassett's new collection for Westminster and comes in a number of different colourways. I bought it in the red/pink colourway, the green colourway (and I'm now wondering why I haven't photographed that one, since it would fit in with the apparent and sudden green thing that I've got going on) and this multicoloured one. They're all very close to being a little too, what? A little too psychadelic perhaps? I'm not sure, but one step further and I wouldn't like them, but right where they are, I think they're beautiful. Very Missoni.

 

Of course it's not all just about the greens, because there needs to be some fresh, clean, summer brights in there as well.

I bought up the last few yards of this fantastic floral print last week when it was on sale in Reprodepot and I truly wish I'd bought more. It's so lovely that as soon as Bella saw it she held it up and asked "Is this one your favourite Mummy?". She knows me so well. Because it is my favourite. I have a long held passion for the perfect floral print. It needs to be printed on a pure white background, it needs to have both red and blue in it and the flowers need to be small and delicate, but not too small and delicate. A couple of years ago I bought a few yards of a London Lawn by Moda that was perfect, but it's been out of print for ages now and I'm down to the last few inches. So I'm constantly on the look out for a replacement. And this is it. Unfortunately I can't seem to get hold of anymore of this one either! It's Mrs Marches floral for Lecien and is out of stock every where (unless you can get some Lesley???). I'm totally torn between hoarding this or being ever so kind and sharing it with my daughters!

The polka dot is a beautifully calm white with grey dots and is by Tanya Whelan for Freespirit. I bought it from SewMamaSew and love it even more in the flesh. I intend to team it with a lot of natural linen, to keep a really light, natural feel to it.

And finally. What has to be, (almost) the most perfect large floral print.

It screams summer skirt to me, and summer dress to Bella (never to be worn at the same time) and was bought from Superbuzzy but is also available in Reprodepot. And it comes in a number of gorgeous colourways. Is it a shock to anyone that I'm going to be ordering the green and yellow colourway too?

 

These pictures were taken today. They tell their own story.

Isn't that a lovely story?

Of course it bears little similarity to the actual day. Which consisted of Bella needing the loo after about two steps in to the forest and doing nothing but moan and complain about how she doesn't like the countryside because it doesn't have toilets (Bushes. It has goddamn bushes. Go use one.Or a tree. I don't care which). And that she wants to go home. Now. To use the toilet. Because she needs the toilet. And she hates the countryside. Did she mention that? That she hates the countryside. Because it HAS NO TOILETS.

And these pictures? They were taken in the one minute pause between ending the sentence and starting the next.

Of course, after we left and she pee'd in a TOILET in a pub, she wanted to go back to the countryside because she really loves it. A lot. And wants to go back now.

  

As well as giving me an opportunity to purchase lots of new fabrics, my newfound dress making skills (a word I use loosely) has also afforded me the opportunity to buy lots of new Japanese pattern books.
Most of them are pretty similar to be honest, but they're just so pretty that I can't resist. And this new one is the prettiest yet.

The patterns are lovely of course (albeit very similar to the patterns in all of these books) but it's the actual style of this one that I'm so impressed by. And even though I've been 'reading' Japanese craft/pattern books for a couple of years I still find that I'm in total awe of how fantastic they are at styling these books.
This one in particular has a ornithological theme running through it, and that just appeals to my childhood dreams of becoming an ornithologist so very much!

Like I said, the patterns aren't anything new, but the book itself is beautiful and I'm still going to be making a few new things for the girls (it hasn't escaped Bella's attention that she hasn't had a new dress for a week or two and yet fabric still keeps on arriving).

  

I am notoriously bad for not making toys for my own children. In part I think because Bella never really showed too much interest in toys as a baby. That may just have to change though, because today whilst hanging out in my studio Lily grabbed one of my Juliet Bunnies and seriously claimed it as her own. And she didn't even offer to pay for it. And it's supposed to be part of a wholesale order. But of course, one look at that huge smile had me offering to make her anything she wants. I'm a sucker like that.

This quilt was finished just a couple of days ago. It was a commissioned gift for a 10 month old baby whose mother wanted something girly and pretty and yet not too babyish because she wanted it to be able to survive the transition from babyhood to childhood and upwards.
In my attempt to achieve this I decided not to use any overtly babyish prints and instead stuck to a pretty, girly, floral theme that I also thought had a little maturity to it.

 
I've used a combination of prints : Anna Griffin, Alexander Henry, red gingham, a traditionally based rose print by Grand Revival Designs and a gorgeous Liberty print that I think gives it a slightly more modern edge.  And although the remit was for it to be a predominantly pink quilt I've injected it with my favourite reds to stop it from being just too sweet. I'm a big fan of mixing red and pink to create a palate that's pretty and feminine whilst still having a bit of oomph to it.

For the backing I was tempted to use another intense print but at the last minute chose my (newly) most favourite fabric - part of the West Hill collection by Heather Ross. And I'm truly happy that I did because I think it completely lifts the quilt and gives it a lovely freshness, and acts as a foil for the densely printed fabrics on the quilt top.

In fact, I love the back so much that I immediately ordered another 10 yards of the fabric so that I can make (amongst other things) a whole piece quilt for Bella and even possibly for me.

I heavily machine quilted the whole thing in squares that are reminiscent of a Greek Key design. And bound it with the same fabric as the quilt back. Size wise, it's between a cot and a single and is meant to sit folded across the end of a single bed rather than cover the entire thing. I find this size really practical because it's big enough for a child to snuggle under but can still be dragged around by them. Bella's quilts are mostly this size and she seems to really like it and I'm pretty sure that they'll still be big enough for her for more than a few years yet.

 

 

We have a lot of routines around here. I'm a routine kind of person. The girls are routine kind of girls. Jim? Well not so much, but he manages to tow the line. They're not super strict routines (I want us all to be flexible too) but they are there, everyday, so that we all know what we're doing. They stop me from feeling overwhelmed or out of control and they give the girls stability. And I like them. I like them.

Of course, I like having Jim home too. It's fun and relaxed and we get to do lots more things. But for the love of Pete, how hard can it be to have Jim home and have routine?
We're lucky if we manage to remember to have lunch around here at the moment. Every thing has gone to pot. Lily's naps are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Bella's mealtimes are erratic and my work time? Sorry? Work time? Sure, whatever.

Still, we're having fun. We've been to the beach and to the pool and to the library and out for lunch and dinner. And we've painted and drawn and read and played with playdoh and watched films. And I've been able to get lots more driving practice in.
But routine? Oh my friend, where are you?