Baby's summer tunic and bloomers

Have been working on this little number for the past week. The top is the Toffee Tunic from the Summer issue (3/2009) of Ottobre. I love this pattern, it was so easy to make up (although I always struggle a little with getting the the gathering even), and I love it more because I learnt a new skill - "shirring" or using elastic thread. The end of the capped sleeves are gathered with the elastic thread, which is so much easier than the last dress I made (here) like this where I had to fold over, sew and then thread elastic through. There's a fantastic shirring tutorial here, if you've never tried it, do, its so effective. The pocket detail is also really cute.

I did have trouble with finding the perfect matching buttons. I find I am so particular when it comes to finding buttons and the stores just never seem to have the right ones. After a few days of visiting every haberdashery store in the vicinity, I finally came across an old work shirt, slightly stained that was a perfect chartreuse colour (and from my own pile to go to the op shop!). So I pinched the buttons from that which I was very happy with.

The shorts/bloomers, were then made by refashioning the shirt (as it really was the perfect matching colour. I used the sleeves and made then into legs! This is what I did:

• Traced a pair of bloomers I had already to cut out the sleeves
• Sewed the two "arm/legs" together at the front and back
• Put on a new waistband
• The leg bands were already finished, but I made two incisions at the back and inserted elastic into the band so they gathered a little around the thigh (assumingly a one year old's thighs are not as big as my upper arms).

Because a lot of the finishing on the sleeve/leg bands was already done, they were whipped up in no time. One completed summer outfit - tick! Here it is in action.

My creative space

This is my first addition to My creative space, by Kootoyou.

This is my new blog, which I am having fun with so far. My creative space today is the leftovers from yesterday's efforts. Seems to be a green theme going on, projects sitting there waiting to be finished (maybe not finished today, but hopefully progress made). I like the light through the window, and the way it is overexposed.

A green jacket I have had for ages, but never wear. I am going to refashion it so I like it more, replace the buttons, add some contrasting cuffs to the sleeves and trim to the hem (maybe). On the chair is a green and blue playmat in the making for the bubba. It's a smaller one that can hopefully be taken places along with us without being too cumbersome. Picked up the bright fabric at the Amitie sale last Friday. Love it. I am having trouble with it though and the more I think about it, the more I think I need to unpick and start again. Oops. I tried backing it with a fleecy material, which is stretchy. And its fine, I can control the stretch on the edges (sewing stretchy material to non-stretch is always difficult), however I was also hoping to top stitch some of the pattern to keep it together and so the other plain side is also decorative. I think this will be too difficult to achieve. So I have two choices, unpick and get new backing material. Or hand embroider it. Hmm.