I was lucky enough to be a pattern tester for Shwin and Shwin’s Sunshine dress a couple of months back.

I had to hold off on showing you all until it was listed in their shop, but if you click the link above you can go straight to the pattern now!

As you can tell Izzy adores it!

And I’m pleased too! My first bodice, and no unpicking required. The instructions were really clear, but still made me feel like a pro.

I think I’ll probably make a few of these with variations. In fact I made one for Ethan’s friend and it came together really quickly, I just hemmed the bottom instead of adding the casing to turn it into a bubble bottom.

It’s much more like a top that way, which make it really versatile!

I think it’s going to be my go-to bodice pattern for a long time :)

Oh and although I got the pattern for free to pattern test this is just my own thoughts, Shauna doesn’t even know I’m writing this post! I just fell for the pattern!

I have a great guest poster for you today! Eva’s going to share some fab ideas to make family crafts that you’ll love to display:

Craft and Decor Ideas for All Ages

Do you find that your creativity is being stifled? Are you too busy looking after the family and working at your day job to find time for your favorite crafts and activities? There is a solution – steal a weekend! Ban electronic goodies for a day while the family all works on various craft and décor projects! Do not worry if the family thinks that they are not very skilled or talented – there are plenty of quick and easy projects that are suitable for all.

Seasonal wreaths for year round greenery and fun

Wreaths add a touch of warmth to a blank door or wall and are often thought of as being only for Christmas but this is not so. Change your wreaths with the season to enjoy a sense of freshness – sadly, good weather does not last forever, but you can make it last another week or two by delaying the change to the autumn wreath!

Spring wreaths can feature soft pinks and blues with soft bright green ferns and vines, while summer ones can make the most of your flourishing flower bed with vibrant yellows and red with luxuriant shiny green leaves.

Autumn gives scope to use brilliant flame notes with wonderful warm earth shades to create a lively piece.

Winter would be trickier were it not for the opportunity to get festive with lavish amounts of silver glitter to simulate snow in creating beautiful and delicate looking wreaths to brighten up the dullest space. Enjoy some beautiful seasonal and occasional wreath by Williams Sonoma.

Paint on glass for a wonderful effect

Recreate a favourite photo by rendering it onto glass using translucent paints to create a gorgeous stained glass effect. Trace over the photo to create an attractive picture using just a few bold lines. Then paint in the colours with a sparse palate until you have a very simple yet striking effect that, while not an exact copy, is strongly reminiscent of that scene or person.

Another idea for unique and attractive painting on glass is to turn old wine glasses into flowers! Paint the base and the stems in green and position the petals around the bulb of the glass. Depending on the paint you use these glasses can be ornamental or functional, perfect for using at barbecues for a splash of summer colour. Chole of Ranibow & Honeysuckle shares a cool idea to paint glass. Do check it out.

If you love the look of coloured glass displays but cannot afford to buy some of the ruinously expensive pieces available on the market you can make your own very quickly and easily – even fairly young children can have a go, but be careful of enamel paint as it is not child-friendly, especially when caught in hair!

Find an unusual and attractive plain glass vase or jar and purchase a quantity of enamel paint in your chosen colour. Apply the paint generously inside the jar or vase, using brushes or sponges to ensure an even covering. Curves may make it a little awkward to reach deep inside the vessel, but you can always tilt and turn it so the paint runs into every crevice. Keep turning and moving it until the surface is fully covered then invert the jar for a short time – be careful to place it on something absorbent as a surprising amount of paint will run out.

Please do not use these vases or jars for living plants or anything edible, they are solely decorative! These creations are opaque and look absolutely stunning on an elegant sideboard or bookcase. A contemporary collection of book case is displayed at Shop 4 Furniture. Must visit.

Once each family member has completed a beautiful objet d’art and has seen it take pride of place in the home you may find that you have awakened their creative genius, paving the way for many days filled with trimmings and glitter while you satisfy your inner artist.

Thanks Eva, I’m definitely trying the wreath one with our littlies!

Sorry I’ve kept you waiting so long for this. I’ve been MIA for a month as both my kids had birthdays and I needed prep/recover time :)

Here’s the easiest way I know to make a super comfy and cheap maxi skirt.

Start with a rectangle of jersey fabric (or another one that doesn’t fray and is stretchy) which is about 1 and 1/4 time bigger than your waist. It doesn’t need to be exact, I just wrapped the fabric round my waist and put my finger to hold where I needed to chop. The length should be a little longer that you think you need, just to allow for any errors. When you try it on you can chop off some excess fabric if you need to.

You’ll also need a piece of thick elastic which fits snugly around your waist.

Fold the fabric in half right sides together, pin and sew down the side seam with a long zig zag stitch. If you don’t use a zig zag you’ll risk the fabric puckering as it has a tendency to stretch when being sewn. It’ll also allow for flexibility when you’re wearing it.

Next make the waistband by overlapping the elastic end one inch to form a circle and then sewing a square to join them. Then turn the skirt right way round and attach the waist band using this method.

Lastly try on your skirt and trim the bottom if necessary.

So easy!

I apologise for the wierd feet. Firstly I need to give them some tlc. Secondly I’m so coordinated that I managed to hit my toe on the pushchair wheel while it was moving. My nail has snapped in half and is really gross and painful. I’ve just squashed it down and covered it up with a plaster.

S’all good if you can’t see it. :)

Anyway I LOVE how comfy it is. Plus there are a few extra benefits I hadn’t though of.

I can wear a skirt and not have to shave my legs.

You could wear it as a maternity skirt as it’s stretchy enough to go under a bump.

It’s cheap. And it’s like wearing pajamas. I’m not even kidding. (Now I KNOW you’re gonna make one too!)

I’ve done the instructions for jersey fabric, if you want to use cotton (which I’ve also done) then just make the following adjustments:

• use fabric 1 1/2 times the width of your waist. This means that there’s more room to move in a fabric that wont give.
• You can go ahead and use a straight stitch for the side seam, though it’s probably a good idea to finish the seam with a zig zag stitch or serger.
• Hem the bottom of the skirt, so make sure you add on an inch or two to the length depending on your hem width preference.

And as always I’d LOVE to see pictures if you do one yourself!

In my attempts to clear out my craft space I realised just how many cute small pieces of fabric I have just begging to be turned into something. I’ve also given myself a very small bag in which to keep my small scraps. So these few wouldn’t fit so I had to make something!

I did these the same way I did these make up bags, but I boxed the bottom and used an upholstery fabric for the interior to make it more sturdy. I also used two colours for the exterior. I like the look of mixing two together, and means you have more options with smaller scraps.

All I did was sew the two smaller rectangles together and ironed the seam before piecing and sewing as usual.

Perfect for anything really! Though mine’s gonna be more make-up than washi tape. Washi really should be displayed :)

Get your pretty scraps out and use them to store your other pretties!

The other day we were shopping and Izzy saw some cheap disposable doll nappies. She then declared that she wanted some for her fifth birthday.

I very nearly rolled my eyes. They last five minutes and manage to gather all the fluff in the whole room in a day. I knew they’d be easy enough to make myself and as a bonus use up some of the smaller pieces of fabric I hoard.

I just laid her biggest doll on a sheet of paper and drew a nappy shape based on the size of the doll. Cut two from fabric, sew wrong sides together, turn and top stitch.

It will probably look too long in the middle, but it looks good once it’s on. Just sew some velcro in the right places, a little longer than needed to fit smaller dolls, and you’re done.

Another little gift for my nearly-five-year-old. Another scrap buster.

Apologies for the lack of posts. Ethan’s birthday was last weekend. I’ve been elbow deep in penguin backpacks and r2d2 cakes. Photos soon I promise!

Here’s a sneak peak: