Wink Designs

A tunic top for me

I made this top a little while back (in "summer"!) but haven't had a chance to post it.  I was aiming for a basic loose-fitting tunic design with a (modified) bat-wing look.  

I didn't use a pattern but simply cut 2 rectangles of fabric and took it from there with some shaping for the shoulders and v-neckline. I added a drawstring belt by using a large bias maker to make the casing and a smaller one to make the drawstring.

          

I knew that to get the effect I wanted I needed a silky, drapey fabric.  Enter this fabulous rayon/cotton mix from Tessuti.  It was exactly the right thing for the job.  I don't think a heavier cotton would have worked as well.

I'm quite happy with this little number and hope to make some more based on this style.  (I think it would work equally well lengthened to a dress.)

Take care and hope you are having a happy week! Marina xx

New "Butterfly Breeze" dress & top pattern

I haven't given up sewing and blogging although it might seem that way.  I've been hard at work churning out drafts and samples for this pattern and here we are at the finishing post.  Hooray!

This one I've called the "Butterfly Breeze" because it's a little bit fluttery and a breeze to make.  It's a classical peasant style pattern for girls which you can make either as a dress with a hemline ruffle, an all-in-one dress or a top.

           

I have lots of photos of the girls wearing their finished "Butterfly Breeze" dresses/tops and will post those soon but for the moment the pattern is here in the shop. (Enter code "Butterfly1" at checkout for a 25% discount until the end of March.)

This sample was made in Anna Maria Horner's "Loulouthi" butterfly print fabric.  The main body of the dress is quilting cotton and the sleeves and ruffle are in a coordinating solid voile (the colour is "Heather" from memory - looks pink but is a pinky-purple in real life).  Both from Pink Chalk Fabrics.

Thank you again to Dani for your editing and testing help which was excellent as always....

Simplicity 2599 top & ruffle skirt

I posted a while ago about the patterns I was using to sew things for myself this summer. Here are some pictures of the Simplicity 2599 top and the ruffle skirt.

                     

As you can see, I made the top without the ruffles or neckline detail that come as an option with the pattern.  I think the gorgeous Nani Iro gauze print speaks for itself and needs no further embellishment.

The skirt is made in a Kaffe Fassett shot cotton.  It's my own design and is based on the ruffle skirt for girls pattern.  Instead of three tiers, it has an extended a-line piece with two ruffles at the hem.

OK, now if only the weather gods would roll out the hot days so we can actually wear our summer clothes....?!

Back to school

Good luck to all those with back-to-schoolers....

Saturday afternoon, garden games....

Here are the girls enjoying a sunny Saturday afternoon in the garden, skipping and having egg & spoon races.  It seems the hot weather has arrived just when the holidays are at a close....

Miss Wink is insisting on dresses only at the moment and, if possible, in her preferred colour of pink.  So I'm going through the stash to see what's lurking in there that fits the brief.  Not a lot, I'm afraid.  This Heather Bailey print got the thumbs up, though.

Cee Cee is wearing a ruffle skirt made to this pattern.  I hemmed the ruffles instead of leaving the edges raw as I think it suits the fabric better.

And if the dress is not enough, you can always finish off the outfit with some hot pink sandals....

"Mini quilt" cards with washi tape

A bit of holiday fun: give the kids some washi tape and a pair of safety scissors and ask them to make a little "quilt" on a piece of card.

Mount each one on some matching folded card and you have some super cute gift tags.

Cap sleeved dress

A little design that's on the back burner is this cap sleeved top/dress.  The pattern needs a bit of tweaking but this one in a lovely dot print by Brandon Mably (partner of Kaffe Fassett) is cute enough to get a showing:

Of course, there's nothing like a spot of twirling on a sunny summer afternoon.

                 

Cross stitch bookmark and summer reading

I made this bookmark for Cee Cee (who is a big mouse fan) using an adorable iron-on cross-stitch patch made by Katia of Plushka which I've had tucked away for a little while. (As you can see Katia has made some gorgeous bookmarks herself - hence the inspiration!)

 

  

I think 7 is a hard age to find good books for if you've outgrown baby books but aren't quite into Harry Potter yet. (I'd be keen to know if you have similar aged kids and have any recommendations about books they love?)

Anyway, here are some of our summer reading picks:

Violet Mackerel's Brilliant Plot by Anna Branford (a gorgeous book which I loved reading with her).

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl (anything by Roald Dahl is good at the moment).

Meet Letty by Alison Lloyd (part of the wonderful "Our Australian Girl" historical series aimed at the under-12s).

Utterly Me (Clarice Bean) by Lauren Child (utterly fab!)

Chatterboxes

A bit of summer holiday fun: chatterboxes. How to make link here.

Checking in....

To say Happy 2012 (with the help of "Photo Booth").  Three, Two, One!:

It's hard juggling two squirming girls on your lap in front of the computer, but here you have it with some extra pics for fun: