2021 - Page 2 of 6 - Handmade by Carolyn

gingham!! carrot cake!!

29/11/2021 6:35 am \ 2 Comments \ Carolyn

Hello! I made a fun new frock…

I received 2m of this gorgeous blue gingham from Minerva; it’s very light and floaty and so I decided to make a little sun frock. I spent several hours laying different patterns down on the fabric to see which one would result in minimal leftovers; something that has become really common for me now when I’m deciding on a project for a piece of fabric . The Deer and Doe Myosotis pattern “just” squeezed on with absolutely no leftovers at all! and even then I had to cut the sleeve cuffs out on the cross instead of with grain. Which is no hardship at all, of course… Can you even tell? The gingham squares are so regular and even … it’s hard to see if you don’t really check it out very carefully!

I’ve used the Myosotis pattern once before, for this favourite little sun frock, and this time I did a substantial small bust adjustment to the pattern. Basically I rotated out the front waist darts completely and reduced the bust dart by about half, and the result is a really good fit for me! I left the back waist darts unchanged, because I do have a small sway back and so this shaping suited me well.

it appears that the shoulder is altered in the right hand photo, but it hasn’t; it’s just that the paper is floating up a bit at that point

I used three small white buttons for my stash for closure, and all the raw edges inside the dress are overlocked with ivory thread to finish.

I submitted a long blog post to Minerva on the dress, here, which you can read if you like..

In baking news, and yes! I do seem to be doing a bit of baking lately! I made a carrot cake for Dad’s birthday… to be clear, this was not THE birthday cake, which Mum made, but more of a consumable treat for Dad as a birthday present, since he’d stipulated absolutely NO birthday presents, please.

I did a bit of sleuthing to find out his favourite eatable treat, and lo! it is carrot cake (surprise!) So I made one! I figured at least this is a present that will be consumed and then it’s gone, and doesn’t need storing or dusting or anything.

I used this recipe from the cooking tree, yes she is my favourite thing to watch at the moment! and it was absolutely delicious. We all liked that there was a much higher proportion of icing to cake than usual.

I really enjoyed decorating the cake!

Posted in: sewing \ Tagged: baking, daily outfit, deer and doe patterns, dress, Myosotis

I made a really nice coat

22/11/2021 5:36 pm \ 3 Comments \ Carolyn

I’ve made a new coat, and I really love it! I’ve been seeing some oversized, over-long coats here and there, not in the flesh I mean since where I live we really do lag behind just a leetle bit fashion-wise, particularly when it comes to something as Perth-inappropriate as a coat. No, I mean I’ve seen them mostly in Vogue magazine or Pinterest, and had a fancy for one myself… when I saw this pattern by FibreMood I decided it was time to go for it and make one!

I used this beautiful tobacco silk/wool fabric with a recurring, tiny gold spot; so tiny it sadly doesn’t show up in my full-length pictures… but look how pretty and delicate it is 🙂

Hehe, I’ve had this gorgeous stuff in my stash since late 2010/early 2011, when I bought it in Tokyo… this was the first time I’d met Yoshimi and Novita in Japan, and they took Cassie and me out fabric shopping. It was such fun! and this lovely piece of fabric was one of my spoils of that trip. I posted about it here… and as you can see, I finally made the choice as to which side I should use… obviously the wrong side finally held sway. It was hard though, I was honestly still dithering right up until the very first cut!

wrong side is at the top, right side is below…

This is all the fabric I bought on that trip… and I’ve used all but one piece now; the deep green wool at the top of the picture. I really should use that up now!

below; I still carry that bag regularly, and wear that red scarf…though I gave that white coat to my daughter-in-law Kelly a few years ago when we last took the family to Japan 🙂

Woops got a bit distracted down memory lane there! anyway, so the pattern I used for my new coat is the new FibreMood Carmen pattern, and it’s a really nice one… it’s big and roomy, has very deep side seam pockets, a chic notched collar and closes with a minimal tie. No buttonholes, yay!

The coat is designed to be fully lined with a bagged lining, that turns out through a gap in the sleeve seam. Now, patterns rarely specify this, but in my opinion they should; my one recommendation for doing this is to make sure that you can fit your fist through the hole. Your job will be so much easier!

My lining fabric is also from deep stash, it’s a metallic gold/bronze taffeta that I bought years ago on special from Fabulous Fabrics. You can probably see in my lining photo that it has water stains all down the centre, which is why it was on super special, and also why it took me a long time to use it, probably. It’s ok, at least I’ve used it now! and I actually love it. I really think the metallic-ness of it beautifully highlights the gold flecks on the shell fabric.

I added a hanging loop between the collar and the back neck facing; because I’ve always found this to be a really handy thing.

Not sewing related of course, but chocolate related, and who can resist a bit of chocolate-related content, hmmm? No need to answer that, I know it’s purely rhetorical… anyway, I made this chocolate brownie cheesecake recently, using this recipe by the Cooking Tree, and this is to remind myself how utterly divine it was; and that I MUST MAKE IT AGAIN!!!!

Posted in: sewing \ Tagged: baking, carmen coat, coat, daily outfit, fibre mood, the cooking tree

work outfit pt 2, blueberry crepe cake

11/11/2021 10:57 am \ 2 Comments \ Carolyn

Phew! I’m currently feeling like the Red Queen! in that I’m running as hard as I can just to stay in the same spot… anyway, a bit late, but here are some more random things I’ve made recently.

Items 1 and 2; new things for the little work capsule-wardrobe I’m making for Cassie… and btw, WHY am I making so many capsule wardrobes lately?! Actually it is kinda fun, so I’m not complaining 🙂

The pistachio green cowl neck top is similar to the previous, avocado green one that I made for her, with a few improvements… I made it from the leftover cotton jersey that I made Theo’s little panda romper from… so they have a matching mother/son ensemble, should they want to wear something like this!

The mint green skirt is from fabric that I inherited from Mum’s stash, when she cleaned it out… it’s a really lovely suiting fabric and we have enough leftover for a little top too, which I’m planning to make next #spoilers

The skirt is another heavily modified Vogue 8363, and lined with mint green lining fabric from my stash; this is an absolutely perfect colour match which is nice! It’s the exact same fabric that used to the blue skirt I made for her recently. Again, the only new thing I bought for this outfit is the invisible zip, yay!

Item 3; I rarely post cooking/baking projects here, but this one was kinda… out of my comfort zone, should I say! I recently came across the Cooking Tree on YouTube and quickly became slightly obsessed with her beautiful creations, her beautiful videos and was completely inspired to give it a go. I picked something super easy, haha; the Blueberry Crepe cake; and for my first crepe cake I’m quite pleased with how it turned out. The mixture was supposed to make 21 layers; my crepe cake has 20 layers because my first crepe was a fail which means there is absolutely zero excess for spares!

Anyway, it was quite yummy and I really enjoyed the challenge of making it, so I’m definitely going to have a go at some other of the Cooking Tree’s recipes 🙂

Posted in: crafty stuff, sewing \ Tagged: cake, Cassie, own design, skirt, the cooking tree, top, Vogue 8363

some wide-legged chocolate trousers

03/11/2021 3:19 pm \ 12 Comments \ Carolyn

I guess the title says it all really!

Well, a little more detail wouldn’t hurt I suppose 😉 This is the latest and 10th thing in my #use12 mini capsule wardrobe that I proposed for myself at the beginning of the year.

I used Vogue 1693, an old Issey Miyake pattern that I’ve had for many many years, and am very sorry it’s not available any more since it’s completely unique and I think a real beauty too. I’ve made the trousers once before too, a navy blue pair. Although a few commenters, particularly my husband, ahem, did not think they were as wonderful as I did (!) I really liked them and ended up wearing them a lot! I personally thought they were all of chic, “interesting”, comfortable and flattering, a combination that doesn’t pop up all that often. Maybe they’re a little “80’s” but I am an 80’s child at heart still, no point in denying that. Also, all things fashionable do come around again at some point and I’m a believer that if you like something then it’s perfectly ok for you to wear it. ps, he did come around to them in the end!

For these ones I bought the same fabric from Spotlight that I’d used for my first pair since it worked out so well… a medium weight cotton twill, this time in a rich tobacco-chocolate colour. I actually bought the fabric about two years ago but did nothing further, probably since I was still wearing the navy blue pair quite a lot at the time and didn’t feel that desperate need for a new pair yet. And now the Time has Come!

The chocolate dress zip was already in my stash, it was a trifle too long but that’s not really a bother if you’re truly committed to using up the stash like I am right now! and the buttons are recycled off of an old pair of jeans that I made about ten years ago, these ones here actually. Yes, I finally bid those adieu just recently too… it takes me a long time to say goodbye to things sometimes! Also, thank you so much to lockdown me who devoted an entire afternoon to sorting through and neatly stringing together all of my unholy button stash into batches. T’was worth it!

Oh, I also made the little white T-shirt I’m wearing too… it’s a modified Closet Core patterns Nettie, as usual. I have often joked to myself that the last thing I need is another white top… but I was recently forced to throw out my previous small, short-sleeved white T-shirt because it really was disgracefully shabby from over-wearing… and I’ve really missed it! White cotton jersey was thrown my way by Mum just recently; actually quite a massive length of it, like enough to keep me and the whole family in white T-shirts for the rest of our lives, I think. Thank you Mum!

Video? why yes! … currently up on my youtube channel here:

I’ve probably said this before? but anyway, I am truly grateful to everyone who does watch my videos and leave a like and maybe even a comment or something.

I’m so excited that my little #use12 capsule wardrobe is nearly finished, and EXTREMELY excited to really get into it and style them all together for a little photoshoot when it is completely finished! I can’t wait to see how/if they go together as a complete set as well as I’ve been hoping!

Posted in: sewing \ Tagged: Closet Core patterns, daily outfit, issey miyake, Nettie, top, trousers, use 12, Vogue 1693

a cute little outfit for the little guy…

23/10/2021 5:28 pm \ 5 Comments \ Carolyn

I made a new little outfit for the littlest guy in our family! isn’t he the cutest?!! of course I am not in the least bit biased, hehe

The little romper is self-drafted, the same pattern I used for the bumblebee and the sloth rompers made previously. And now he has a panda romper… hmmm, what animal should this sweet child become next, I wonder?

Yes I went to the trouble of changing between white and black thread because, of course…

Actually, there is a tiny design difference… Cassie requested that the romper be made even more clownsuit-y, if that was at all possible. So I added a little pleat in the crotch area, this adds a bit of extra volume without ending up with a complete straight line at the bottom…

The panda patch is an iron-on from Spotlight; I ironed in on and the also stitched it on too, just because I don’t actually trust the long-term adhesive capability of these things to be honest. Before stitching, I also pressed a layer of lightweight iron-on interfacing on the inside of the romper underneath it too, for stability.

I was really pleased with how neat the grandpa-placket closure turned out at the back!

The T-shirt is the same pattern I used for the ones I’d made previously for both T and A too, in this post here.

That little smile!! Totally melting my heart!!

Striped fabric is leftover from a T-shirt I’d made for myself previously, I think originally from Fabulous Fabrics, and the green fabric and panda patch is from Spotlight. Although they appear “new”since they are not leftover from anything I’ve made previously, they both are actually from stash, because I bought both of them quite a long time ago, seduced by one of those treacherous 40% off everything sales that Spotlight has periodically. I’m not falling for those again, trust me! at least until I’ve used up my current stash. I’m a changed woman, I promise!

oh, I also made some soap.. this is my favourite buttermilk recipe, outlined here; and I made a video

I hope you like it!

so pretty! I almost can’t wait until it’s ready to use!

Posted in: sewing \ Tagged: baby clothes, babywear, own design, soap, Theo

a bumblebee cake

17/10/2021 8:52 pm \ 5 Comments \ Carolyn

I know I don’t do baking posts here very often, but I actually make a lot of cakes! and if I get to decorate them in a exuberantly fun way like this one then I will be tempted to write a post about it here…

My niece Jacinta was having her 21st, with a yellow-themed birthday party… and what with one thing and another making it very busy for my brother’s family I ended up offering to make the cake. Time was pretty short and the pressure was on! and I’m so glad I could spare the time myself, as well that I had already prepared my own yellow outfit well in advance!

I made two batches of cake, flavoured one with the grated rind of two lemons for a lemon flavour, the other one with vanilla essence… baked each in halves to make 4 flat cakes, and layered them alternately. I made lots of batches of plain icing to glue them together and give the cake a crumb crust, and coloured the outer layers with yellow food colouring… finally it’s decorated with real flowers and mini chocolate bumblebee cake decorations. I wound gold jewellery wire around my finger to make spirals, speared the bumblebees on and secured them with a tiny blob of icing.

I was so happy with how it turned out! Also, we had such a wonderful time at the party and it was so lovely to spend time with all the family!

Posted in: crafty stuff \ Tagged: baking, cake

yellow clogs

16/10/2021 4:23 pm \ 6 Comments \ Carolyn

I made some new shoes!

So, we have my niece’s yellow themed birthday party coming up, and I’d made my dress so was all set to go, and well hmmm; I just kept dreaming of matching yellow shoes. Of course I could not resist such dreaming for long. Eventually bowed down to the inevitable and set to making a pair of yellow shoes to match.

You might think this is a ridiculous amount of effort to go for an outfit for a birthday party. Yes. Yes, it is. Actually the truth is that I just fancied some yellow shoes anyway of course, the party was just the excuse! I ordered one of the new high heeled clog kits from leather needle thread, and got onto it!

well hello, my little photo bomber…

This was just as much fun as the first time I made a pair of clogs from this company, and honestly, I don’t think these will be my last pair! I did make a few boo boos making this pair, just like I did before. The main thing with these was that I broke my awl making holes for the nail/stud thingies *sob* and had to prise off a bit of the glued-on leather and then tease out and pull the broken end of the awl from out of my almost finished shoe with a pair of pliers … yes, you can imagine my barely controlled panic at this point! I ended up using our drill with the skinniest drill bit on the end to make holes instead. Actually this was a far superior method to the awl in the end and I wished I’d thought of using it right from the start. We live and learn! And now I guess I need to buy a new awl too!

Anyway, these are awesome and I’m so excited to try wearing them with my entire summer wardrobe… I’ve found in the past that “unusual” solid coloured shoes actually go with far more colours in your wardrobe than you might think…. and by unusual I mean unusual for my own particular personal colour tastes. For example, my lilac sandals have gone with so much of my wardrobe, in spite of the fact that I have basically no lilac in my wardrobe at all. Strange, isn’t it? I have confidence the same phenomenon will result from having these gorgeous golden beauties in my arsenal too.

Posted in: shoes \ Tagged: leather needle thread, shoes

some cute new work clothes

10/10/2021 6:20 pm \ 5 Comments \ Carolyn

I actually finished these things a little while ago but have only just now had the chance to photograph them… also I have a new policy with regard to making things. I’m planning to alternate making things for others in between making things for me from now on, well for a while at least! I’m really, really trying to get my stash down, and so I’m sewing like a madman lately! Hopefully my blogging will keep up with it all too!

So, a few months ago, Cassie and I helped each other go through our entire wardrobes and make brutal decisions with regards to what should stay and what should go. It was heaps of fun! and we also identified a few things that Cassie needed to go with her existing pieces and just generally refresh her working wardrobe. She selected a few pieces of fabric from my stash, and she also had a few of her own too… and this new skirt and top are the latest things.

The top is kinda selfdrafted, loosely based upon a bodice piece from a really old NewLook dress pattern that Cassie keeps as her “block”, and the cowl neckline is a hack, she got the idea for it from a Pattern Magic pattern book tutorial. The avocado green merino knit is leftover from a long sleeved tee I made for myself, originally bought from The Fabric Store. I did a binding finish on the back neckline, and the armscyes I did by rolling and invisible slip-stitching by hand, because you know; I’m a glutton for punishment.

The lower edge was done with my twin needle, and a not quite matching green thread. All inside raw edges are finished with navy blue overlocking thread, because I do not have matching thread and I’m really determined to buy the absolute minimum in my quest to use up my stash!

The skirt is a heavily modified V8363 – honestly, not even the same pattern by now – and I lined it with a beautiful sea green lining fabric (stash). The skirt hemline is bound with pale pink poplin, itself leftover from some mask lining fabric I bought at the beginning of the pandemic for such a purpose; pale blue button from my stash too. Cassie supplied the blue cotton fabric, I think it was given to her by a relative of D’s who was cleaning out their stash.