New in Store - 24th July 2016

This week I have listed the last couple of Riley Blake Fabrics I got in a few weeks ago, there are cute bunnies from the Pixie Noel range and pineapples from the Fresh Market range. I have also added in a few more old favourites from Alexander Henry Fabrics including the very popular Golden Garden and After Dark designs.
In an attempt to stock more vintage style and men's patterns I've resorted to getting in a select range from Butterick and Kwik Sew. There is a Men's bowling shirt and easy shorts/pants pattern and a few new vintage style dresses for the ladies.

Top Row

Fresh Market Pineapples Blue By Riley Blake Designs

Pixie Noel Bunnies Pink By Riley Blake Designs

Pixie Noel Bunnies Aqua By Riley Blake Designs

2nd Row

Life's Little Pleasures Black By Alexander Henry

After Dark Natural By Alexander Henry

After Dark Smoke By Alexander Henry

Golden Garden Black By Alexander Henry

3rd Row

Rashida Skin Green By Alexander Henry

La Paloma Tea By Alexander Henry

Magic Meows Magenta By Alexander Henry

Bottom Row

Patterns By Gertie B5882 - Sweetheart-Neckline Dress Pattern

Patterns By Gertie B6094 - Fold-Back Facing Dress

Retro Butterick B4790 - 1952 Walk-Away Wrap Dress Pattern

Kwik Sew K3793 - Men's Sleep Pants And Shorts Patterns (S - XXL)

Kwik Sew K3484 - Men's Bowling Shirt Pattern (S - XXL)

Till next week, happy sewing :)

- Ky

New in Store - 1 June 2014

Newly added to the store this week we have Wee Wander from Michael Miller and a geeky Computer Circuit Board design from Robert Kaufman.

We also received our latest shipment from Serendipity Studios including the ever popular Marilyn Dress and two new dress design. 

Top Row

Wee Wander Glow Friends Sea by Michael Miller

Plug and Play Circuit Board Green by Robert Kaufman

Middle Row

The Ramona Wrap Pattern by Serendipity Studio

The Tara Tank Dress Pattern by Serendipity Studio

Bottom Row

Wee Wander Summer Night Lights Twilight by Michael Miller

Back in Stock

You can find our full range of Serendipity Studio Patterns here.

- Ky

Voodoo Rabbit x Boo! Designs Bat Dress Fabric Giveaway

**** This competition is now Closed ****

Winner is Elinor Drysdale

If you are on the look out for good quality, Australian designed Children's clothing patterns then you should definitely check out Boo! Designs.

Boo! Designs latest pattern is called the Bat Dress. Bat Dress? Yup, we're going to love that!

You can purchase the Bat Dress PDF pattern directly from here.

To celebrate the release of Kristie's latest pattern we teamed up with her to find the best six Voodoo Rabbit x Boo! Designs Bat Dress combos.

Option 1 - Kitty Cutie

Main - Kitty Floral Navy by Cosmo Textiles

Contrast - Premium Solid Rose by Northcott

Option 2 - Harajuku Geisha

Main - Anime Geisha and Monkey Blue by Trans-Pacific Textiles

Contrast - Salt Water Submarines and Seaweed Coral by Free Spirit

Option 3 - Flamingo Fling

Main - Tropical Flamingos Turquoise by Timeless Treasures

Contrast - Spot On Pindot Pomegranate Pink by Robert Kaufman

Option 4 - Pew Pew Pew

Main - Pocket Arcade Alien Invaders Black by Timeless Treasures

Contrast - Spot On Pindot Pomegranate Pink by Robert Kaufman

Option 5 - Gone Batty

Main - Spooktacular Gone Batty Orange by Blend Fabric

Contrast - Spooktacular Distressed Dot Orange by Blend Fabric

Option 6 - Simply Gorjuss

Main - Santoro Simply Gorjuss Tossed Character Buttons Grey by Quilting Treasures

Contrast - Premium Solid Lipstick by Northcott

Simply leave a comment below telling us which fabric combo you love the best and you could win enough of those fabrics* to make your very own Bat Dress.

Winner will be randomly drawn on Tuesday 27th May. Good luck!

- Ky and Cloud

(*if the fabric combination you choose is no longer available a similar fabric will be substituted)

Pattern Test Drive - Red Velvet Dress by Cake Patterns

I really struggled to get my sewing mojo back after the Stitches and Craft Show at the end of March. Over the Easter break I thought it was high time I got may act together and make a Red Velvet Knit Dress. It is made from a stretch velvet dance fabric which I had picked up specially for this dress in November last year when I was in Melbourne. I don't know why but I've always wanted a velvet dress and the burgundy red colour is very lush.

Sizing and Adjustments

The Red Velvet Dress has 6 bodice sizes (from 30" up to 59" full bust) with 4 cup sizes for each. 

Since I never write down or remember them I always start by taking my measurements:

High Bust - 32"

Full Bust - 33"

Waist - 29.5"

Bodice Length - 12.5"

Based on my measurements I cut a 30" bodice with a C cup (I probably could have gone for a B cup but I don't like my clothes to be too tight). The finished length of this piece is marked on the pattern as being 10-1/8". I lengthened the bodice by 2" so that the bottom seam would sit in the correct spot under by bust line (on the underwire of my bra).

2" length added at the lengthen/shorten line marked on the bodice pattern piece. The same adjustment was made on the back piece as well.

The fit straight off the pattern trace was pretty good and only a few adjustments were required while sewing up the dress.
After basting the midriff to the bodice and the side seams I decided that I need to take the bodice/midriff seam up at the centre back by 1/2". I also skimmed in the side seam a little on the skirt to shape it to my hip/thighs.

I'm rather short (5'2") so I had to cut approx. 5" off the bottom of the skirt to get it to finish just above my knees with a 1" hem turnover.

Variations

You have a choice of a scissor or box pleat on the skirt. I'm not a big fan of the scissor pleat so I have gone with the box pleat option.

You can also add in a concealed ticket pocket on the waist seam but I decided to skip this option due to pure laziness :) and lack of an invisible zipper.

Red Velvet Dress teamed with a Cocoa Knit Shrug

Finishing

The stretch velvet can't be ironed onto directly so I made sure to only use a warm iron with a pressing cloth when seams had to be pressed.

I also didn't want any stitch lines visible on the outside of the dress as they would have stood out too much against the pile of the velvet. The hem and neck facing have been hand stitched in place using a dodgy blind hem stitch.

The image on the left shows the machine topstitching I did on the shoulder seam, as you can see it stands out quite strongly (almost looks like piping) but I thought I could get away with it on that section of the dress. The right image show the right and wrong side of the hem sewn up by hand using a blind hem stitch. The stitching is virtually invisible on the right side of the garment.

The finished dress is very comfortable to wear and teamed with a shrug/ cardigan and stockings it is going to be perfect for a Brisbane winter.

- Ky

Serendipity Studios The Madeline Maxi Dress Pattern Test Drive

In between all of the preparation for the Brisbane Stitches and Craft Fair as well as the day to day running of Voodoo Rabbit I have managed to make myself another dress. I have been wanting a maxi dress for a while now and have these fabrics in my stash for a few year now. I purchased them specially to make a maxi dress out. When we ordered in the Madeline Maxi Dress pattern from Serendipity Studio I knew it was time to finally make my dress.

I have made the full length version of the dress with a ruffled hem band, contrast neckline and waistband. 

Contrast Neckband

The contrast neckband in the pattern has a seam down the centre of it but I thought it would look better without the seam. To make this change simply cut the seam allowance off the centre seam of the Front Contrast Trim pattern piece and cut it on the fold. It is then attached to the dress as per the pattern instructions.

Pockets

I have added inseam side pockets to the dress as per my pocket tutorial here. If you are going to add pockets make sure you fit the bodice before you attach the skirt otherwise it is a real pain to unpick the skirt and take in the side seams. If you aren't including pockets you can do your final fit after the skirt is attached and the zipper has been inserted. The dress is constructed in such a way that you can just sew down the side seam to take in the dress if it is a bit too loose.

Bottom Ruffle
I wanted a fuller ruffle than the one specified in the pattern so I have cut 3 strips of fabric instead of the 2 specified in the pattern instructions.

Apart from what I have mentioned here I did have to make a few other adjustments to the bodice but I will have to save that blog post for a later date. Gotta go and do a bit more prep for the Stitches and Craft Fair now.
- Ky

How To Add Pockets To Almost Any Outfit

I sew and draft a lot of clothes for myself and my family and everyone is always asking "Can you add pockets?" Today I thought I would share my go to pocket pattern and instructions. I have used this pattern piece and method to add simple in-seam pockets to dresses (eg The Marilyn Dress), boxer shorts and skirts. 

The pattern piece is just a bit larger than A4 so I have broken it into two parts to be printed on a home computer. Save the two jpg images below to your computer. Print out at full size (no scaling), the scaling ref box should be approx. 2.5cm (1") wide on your print out. Cut out the pattern pieces and join together at the "Join Here" line.

Pattern part 1:
Right click on image and select "save link as" from the drop down menu

Pattern part 2:
Right click on image and select "save link as" from the drop down menu

Step 1

Step1: Cut out pocket pieces out of fabric, you will have 2 for each pocket (usually 4 per garment).

Step 2

Step 2: Finish the edge of each pocket piece so it doesn't fray. I use a 3 thread overlock. If you don't have an overlocker you can use a zigzag stitch or similar on your sewing machine or trim with pinking shears.

Step 3

Step 3: With right sides together sew a pocket piece to the side seam of each front and back piece, lining up the top of the pocket with the waistband seam of the garment as shown in the diagram.

If your garment has an elastic waistband casing, the top of the pocket should sit just a bit higher than the bottom of the casing.

You don't need to sew across the top of your pocket - it will be sewn when you attach your waistband. If you sew across the top, you won't be able to open your pocket out for the next step.

Step 4

Step 4: Finish the side seam, press the pocket open along the stitch line. It will look a bit like puppy dog ears at this point :)

Step 5

Step 5: Place the front onto the back piece with right sides together.

Step 6

Step 6: Pin the side seams and pockets together. I also like to pin the pocket opening together along the seam line so that the pockets will be aligned correctly (as per diagram above). Sew around the pocket until you reach the side seam, pivot and finish sewing the side seam together.

Don't sew straight down the side seam from the waistband! Cloud did this on Saturday & felt like a right numpty. Good thing she knows how to use an unpicker :P

Step 7

Step 7: Press the pocket towards the front of the garment. Leave the pin at the top side seam in to hold the top of the pocket closed. Pin the top of pocket to the front waist seam, baste in place if desired. You want the pocket to be anchored to the waistband in some way so that it sits forward and doesn't move around inside your clothes in an unsightly fabric bunch.

Above: Circle skirt with in-seam pockets, the top of the pocket is sewn into the waistband to anchor it in place.

Left: Pocket added to a Marilyn Dress. The skirt on this dress is gathered but I didn't want the added bulk of the pocket included. The top of the pocket was kept free until the skirt was gathered and then laid down flat over the gathering to be sewn into the waist seam.

Right: Pocket in boxer shorts. Please excuse the crumples, the shorts had just come out of the washing machine :) The top of the pocket sits 0.5 - 1cm into the pocket casing so that it can be anchored in place when the casing is sewn down.

I'm not claiming that this is the only and best way add pockets, it is just the way that I do it and I hope that this helps everyone with making their clothes more practical.

Pretty Pinterest image for those that like to pin :)

- Ky 

Making Pattern Adjustments to the Marilyn Dress by Sew Serendipity

Last week I showed you my Marilyn Dress, while the fit was pretty good it still required a few tweaks to straighten the waistline. 

After trying on the finished garment I felt that the side seam was in the correct position but the front needed to come down approx 2cm (1") and the back needed to go up 2cm (1"). As I mentioned last week, you should make a rough toile out of a cheap fabric to sort out these issues before moving onto the final fabric.

We need to change 4 pattern pieces for this adjustment, the bodice pieces and the waistband pieces.

Original Bodice Pattern Pieces (Size XS down to S waist)

Adjusted bodice pieces, the original pattern pieces are in black and all adjustments are in red. 

Bodice Back

Raise the back of the bodice (left) by measuring up 2cm along the centre back seam. Draw a line from this point to the bottom of the side seam to create the new under bust seam. 

Bodice Front

Lower the front of the bodice (right) by measuring down from the centre front 2cm. Draw a line from the bottom of the side seam through this point. Extend the centre front down to meet this line to create the new under bust seam on this piece.

Original Waistband Pattern Pieces (size S)

Adjusted waistband pieces, the original pattern pieces are in black and all adjustments are in red.

The adjustments for the waistband pieces are much the same as the bodice, except you have to move the under bust seam (top) and waist (bottom) seams.

Waistband Back

To raise the waist at the back of the waistband (top), measure up 2cm from the bottom of the centre back seam to find point A. Draw a line from this point to the bottom of the side seam (point B) to create the new waist seam. Measure up 2cm from the top of the centre back seam (point C), draw a line from this point to the top of the side seam (point D) to create the new under bust seam. Join points A and C to create the new centre back seam.

Waistband Front

To lower the waist at the front of the waistband (bottom), measure down 2cm from the top of the centre front seam to find point E. Draw a line from this point to the top of the side seam (point F) to create the new under bust seam. Measure down from the bottom of the centre front seam to find point G. Draw a line from point G to the bottom of the side seam (point H) to create the new waist seam. Join points E and F to create the new centre front seam.

My final marilyn dress made using the adjusted pattern pieces, the waistline is now straight :D I still wear the cherry version of the dress but this one is a much better fit. I have a made a few other marilyn Dresses for other members of my family and I will be blogging the pattern adjustments made to these garments over the next few weeks.
- Ky

Sew Serendipity The Marilyn Dress Pattern Test Drive

Today I will be giving an overview of The Marilyn Dress designed by Kay Whitt of Sew Serendipity Patterns. This pattern features a full gathered knee length skirt, close fitting V-neck bodice with subtle gathering at the bust-line, and a wide pointed waistband that fits just above the natural waist. The back features a V-neckline and centre zipper.

As a rule I would never recommend making any clothing pattern without first sewing a toile, even if it is only just the bodice section. I decided to live on the edge and made this dress directly from the pattern with no alterations or adjustments while sewing. The pattern is multi-sized from XXS - XXL and my measurements are a XS bust to a S waist so I did grade between the two sizes when I traced off the pattern. As the skirt is so full I didn't really look at the hip measurement though I took a couple of inches off the bottom of the skirt as I'm only 5'2"ish and wanted the skirt to finish just above my knee.

The fit is actually pretty good, perhaps one of the most accurate I've ever gotten straight off a paper pattern going by the measurements on the pack of the packet.

The only problem I have is that the front waist is higher than the back waist, this issue also affected the hemline which had to be straightened as it was higher at the front than it was at the back. So saying I am quite happy to wear this dress as it is and the majority of people won't even notice the waist isn't straight. It is a fun dress to wear, cool enough for Australian summer and has a nice twirl factor.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as Basic to Intermediate due to the invisible zipper and gathering required. The written instructions are good but might not be explicit enough for a beginner sewer. After the first couple of seams, edge finishes are no longer specified so you need enough sewing knowledge to know when to finish the edges. The sewing techniques used are sound and result in a professional looking garment. The illustrations in the pattern are hand drawn which may be difficult for some people to understand.

Pattern: The Marilyn Dress Pattern by Sew Serendipity

Main Fabric: Cherries Green and Purple by Kei Fabrics

Contrast Fabric: Premium Solid Plum by Northcott

More variations of the Marilyn Dress from the pattern cover. 

I have since made a second Marilyn Dress and next week I will go over the adjustments I made to straighten the waistline.

- Ky

Show and Tell - Christmas Present Sewing 2013

For the past couple of years I have been making gifts for the majority of my family for Christmas. Now that it is over and everyone has their gifts I can show off everything that I sewed this year :) I left almost everything to the last two weeks before Christmas (majority were done in the 3 days before, I finished at midnight on Christmas Eve.) which is something I hope to avoid next year.

For my mum I made the Camilla Insulated Bag Pattern by Sew Serendipity. I have used laminated cotton for both the inside and outside of the bag so that it is water proof. Sewing with a double layer of laminated cotton plus the insulated wadding was a bit of a challenge but I think the finished product and the fact that it is waterproof both inside and out made it worthwhile. The binding, trim and Kanzashi flower are all regular cotton.

For anyone who is interested here are the fabrics that I used:

• Laminated Cotton - Owls by Robert Kaufman
• Laminated Cotton - Spots Chocolate by Robert Kaufman
• Premium Solid Pumpkin by Northcott

The first part of Cloud's present was a Dr Seuss One Fish, Two Fish Pyjama set. I drafted the pattern for the boxer shorts and I used Steph's Blank Canvas Tee Pattern for the top. I have adjusted the neck line and used cotton bias made from the Dr Seuss fabric to bind it. The tee shirt fabric is a Jersey cotton I found at The Fabric Store. 

The second part of Cloud's present was another pyjama set, this time using a cute Hello Kitty dobby fabric I picked up last time I was in Japan. Once again the tee shirt is the blank canvas tee which I have embellished with some appliqué plum blossom flowers. I would have liked to have bound the neck in the same fabric as the shorts but I only had 1m which was just enough for the shorts and the appliqué. 

For my eldest sister I made another pair of pyjamas using a Marvel comic fabric I also picked up last time I was in Japan. I embellished the tee shirt with a simple patch pocket.

There was just enough of the comic fabric to make a flap for a satchel bag as well.

For my youngest sister I made a Ghastlie Holiday dress, the pattern is an adaption of The Marilyn Dress Pattern by Sew Serendipity and of course the fabric is A Ghastlie Holiday Mauve by Alexander Henry. The lace trim on the bottom is something I found in my stash. 

and because Cloud obviously doesn't have enough pyjamas I also made her a set for her birthday. I picked up this Hello Kitty fabric during my travels. The Hello Kitty face on the tee shirt is an appliqué I made and they were packed up in a cute little drawstring bag.

Did you make gifts this year, we'd love to see them :)

- Ky

Alexander Henry Camouflage Pinup Girl Cargo pants

Ever since I first saw it I have thought that Camouflage Girls by Alexander Henry was calling to be made into a pair of cargo pants. Last week I had time to make them up and I must say that I quite pleased with the finished result.

The pattern is self drafted based on a pair of cargo pants that I owned years ago but because I have used my own pants block I was able to avoid the issue I often have with ready to wear clothing. Namely the gapey bit around the back waist band. The original pair of cargos had a draw string which cinched in the waistband but if you are going to go to the trouble of making your own clothing, then it should fit properly :) 

Like all good cargo pants there are heaps of pockets, including the box pockets on each side leg, patch hip pockets and back patch pockets. I have used antique brass press studs and buttons. It also has a zippered fly front. If you have trouble inserting a zippered front fly you might like to try using this tutorial. It is by Martyn Smith and I've not had any issues since I've started using it. 

Next I really have to draft myself a pair of jeans, last time I went jeans shopping (5 years or so ago :) I had to try on a dozen pairs to find 2 that fit. Of course there are at least 5 other things that need to be sewn up first.

What's on everyone else's to sew list?
- Ky

Hummingbird Skirt hack in Secret Ladybug by Timeless Treasures

I am in love with this skirt & I am in love with how good I feel when I wear it! So many compliments have come my way since I put it on this morning that it impossible not to be bursting with confidence. Even better is the knowledge that I made this skirt (with lots of help from Ky) so no-one else has one like it in the whole world.

We started off with the front of the Hummingbird Skirt by Cake Patterns. I love the structured lines and the pockets. The red and black Secret Ladybug fabric really works well with the black flat piping and the colour blocked sections for the pockets. The pockets are fantastically huge!

The rest of the skirt was drafted by Ky from a skirt block she did for me years ago. Ky figured out the kick-pleat from instructions in one of her pattern making books.

Double inverted kick pleat

I had to be really careful cutting this out. Nothing would be worse than spots that don't line up across the hip line! Fussy cutting isn't easy but I really enjoy it. To me, it can make or break a project. It really adds to a professional looking finish.

Secret Ladybug is a quilting weight cotton so we needed to add structure to make this skirt work (it was designed for a heavier weight fabric). Ky did a bit of research & found the answer - interlining! We used Northcott Colorworks Tomato for the interlining because it was a similar weight to the Secret Ladybug and it also brightened up the reds on the front. Sounds weird but it's true! We put black underneath to begin with and it dulled down the colours when it was held up to the light.

Interlining meant that I had to cut the skirt out twice and hand sew all the pieces togther but it was worth it. The final fabric is soft but thick. It feels so nice against my skin and it doesn't seem to wrinkle as much as a single layer of cotton fabric would when I wear it.

Hand basting the layers together

Basting complete

I sewed up the front of the skirt and Ky sewed up the back. We used a lapped zipper because, for some weird reason, invisible zips hate me and always break. Ky then worked out the logistics of putting in the back kick pleat. The Hummingbird pattern has a big flounce option but I wanted something small & not so showy because I wanted to really feature the front of the skirt instead. Next time, if I use a plain fabric, it will be all about the flounce! We chose Northcott Colorworks Black for the kick pleat instead of the Secret Ladybug to make it a bit more obvious and to balance out the black pocket panels and flat piping on the front.

The original Hummingbird skirt pattern is more straight than mine. This skirt was made for the Rockabilly Riot show so I wanted it to be a body skimming pencil skirt. We made the skirt the same as a Hummingbird and then Ky graded it from the hip line down to my knees in the classic pencil shape. Add the high waistband and voila!

I can't see my love affair with this skirt ending anytime soon!

- Cloud