Creating fairy-tale world

I was just looking through some pins on Pinterest in order to find something useful to make baby doll clothes for my daughter's dolls, obviously. And I came across this amazing and extraordinary site full of fairy tale characters and clothes. I actually found lots of useful, nice, great sites for making Barbie doll clothes and baby doll clothes and other cute little things, but this one is by far the most beautiful and exciting and time consuming and means you are totally dedicated and committed - Antique Lilac - and let's not forget - talented. I haven't checked everything yet but I think I'll come back for inspiration from time to time.
It's really special, not to mention it has lots of free patterns for doll clothes and some very interesting tutorials and tips on how to create all those divine costumes. (I wasn't even aware that a world like this exists - I mean so many different dolls and such rich embellished clothes. I feel like a child in a candy store when browsing that site.)

Two of my favourite tips at the moment are: 

1. How to create a bodice or any kind of clothes for any dolls: use paper towel to help you create a pattern http://www.antiquelilac.com/queen-of-the-night---a-creative-journey---tutorials.html .
What a great and simple technique to be able to make the right size clothes. I wish I could do something like that for real people.

I found on the net to use an interface (http://miniatures.about.com/od/dollshousedolls/ss/Custom-Fit-A-Basic-Doll-Clothing-Pattern-To-Any-Doll-Basic-Torso-Shell.htm#step8) to do just that and I thought that was brilliant at the time but you must admit that paper towel is cheaper than interface. 

2. How to embellish lace (or other ribbons) with beads: http://www.antiquelilac.com/victorian-ballgown---tutorials.html

(I have lots of beads but I never knew what to do with them.)

I said two tips but just one more - a beaded picot around the neckline: http://bjdcollectasy.com/2012/02/26/picot-beading/

(I wonder if I could do this for my own shirts not just dolls.)

For Christening - What a Dandy!

We had christening of our baby boy which I took as an opportunity to sew something nice for him. (I wanted to sew something new for my daughter and for myself too but I didn't have enough time.)
I found my inspiration on a Russian blog/ site (didn't understand anything) but never mind, I just needed  the picture.

My inspiration: 

My creation:

I decided to make a two piece outfit because it's easier to change diapers like that. I bought 3 pieces of fabric: jersey, shiny fabric and jacquard fabric. The vest is just a mock vest, attached at the front and it finishes in the side and shoulder seams.

But I must admit that it's cute to see a small baby with a bow-tie.

How to make a bow-tie: http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2014/04/little-boy-bowtie-the-quick-and-easy-version.html

The shirt is my creation: will make a link

The pants are: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bx_iUlU6voEXU3JqUU5kX0ljbUE/view

found on a Russian site: https://vk.com/shop_zigzag

My favourite music at the moment

Some of my favourite songs and videos on you tube.

One Republic - Something I need (I love the music and the video. The dog is scary and crazy beautiful at the same time.) 

Zaz - Si jamais j'oublie (in French) 

Christoph Mae - Il est ou le bonheur (in French; I like the music but I have mixed feelings about the video.)

Rihanna, Kanye West, Paul McCartney - Four five seconds (First of all I like Paul McCarney the most not the other two, but I think the song and the video are just great.)

Patsy Cline - She's got you (I absolutely love her voice and her singing.)

Cat Stevens - Morning has broken (Our wedding song, I love the piano, all of his music is great.) 

A new blanket for a new baby

I decided to make something new for our new baby boy - Erik. Unfortunately he is forced to inherit almost everything from his older sister so I wanted to do something special just for him.

My inspiration were: baby sleeping bag 1
                                       baby sleeping bag 2

I became a fan of this burda style sleeping bag (burda 9/ 2013, mod. 148) after I saw how the other sewers made it useful in two ways: as a blanket or as a sleeping bag. And because it can be done quickly - this is essential when you have kids. I still have to insert the press buttons which scares me because you have to make this right for the first time. You can't make corrections after you make a hole in your garment.

It is made of: flannel, striped cotton (bought at AliExpress) and a white fleece blanket. There is a polyester stuffing inserted between the two fabrics. I also used my new bias tape maker to make some bias band to finish the blanket opening at the bottom. I also sewed small and big hearts so that the inserted stuffing would stay in place when washing the blanket.
It looks great I hope it will be useful.

This is the blanket that he inherited from his sister and which my grandma (their great-grandma) made for her, I think it's crocheted and it deserves mentioning because it's all handwork. I wish I knew how to make this but I don't - yet. Maybe someday ...

Updating free on-line patterns 18/5/2016

I added some new sources of free on-line patterns, so check out my old post - March 2015:  http://minxplace.blogspot.si/2015/03/free-sewing-patterns-on-line.html

Aliexpress.com - part 1

Recently I've order a couple of things via AliExpress.com (so from China and Hong-Kong). I must say that it can be addictive sitting at home in front of your computer and looking at all kinds of nice things you could buy. I tried to be modest. I spent around 120 eur.
I bought this wonderful leather messenger bag. It's supposed to be men's but where does it say so. It was very cheap, only 86 eur but then I had to pay tax and import duties in Slovenia. So in the end it cost me 123 eur.

But it's nice, isn't it? It looks robust.

I bought some sewing supplies, of course.
I bought a pom-pom maker to make my life easier. It was only 2,28 eur.

And I bought a bias tape maker to make my own bias tape. I love it. It was only 5,89 eur. I could spend all day making bias tape. It's so surprising after years of sewing and so many clothes made, like coats, jackets, shirts, skirts, dresses, curtains etc., I still discover something new and exciting about sewing.

I bought a maternity dress for 12 eur. It looks horrendous on me. I'll have to give it some shape. It looked so cute on a little China girl. On me it looks like a potato sack. The clothes are not really worth the money. I can make better things myself. This one was a disappointment. I'll have to alter it and it will take up my time.

New maternity shirt - flamingoes

I've wanted to make this shirt from the beginning of my pregnancy and I've finally made it (like two months ago, I'm just slow at publishing things). It's easy to make and great to wear. I think that the fabric is just great for this pattern. It's a bit whimsical. I bought it in Svet metraže in Slovenia.

 I really don't want to show my double chin so I prefer to cut off my face and neck.

It's taken from Burda 8/ 2005, mod. 123, size: 40.

Pink squirrel costume

Again a year has passed and our annual carnival holiday is here - PUST (in Slovene) (this year on 9th February 2016). I gave my daughter three choices for a costume: a squirrel, a chicken or a kitty. Well, she wanted to be a horse. Absolutely not. Finally we agreed on a pink squirrel.

Tinkara 3 y 10 m

So I decide to go fully pink, a pink plush tail, a pink tull skirt, pink ears and a pink vest. Obnoxiously pink. Too much pink for my taste. I don't even like pink colour. But I guess little girls can stand a lot of pink. So here it is. So far I have done just the tail and the ears, the skirt is waiting to be finished.

How is it made?

1. I made the tail from old bed sheet and then stuffed it with soft polyester filling. 

2. Then I made the tail from pink plush material. And stuffed the white tail into the pink one.

3. I have sewed white elastic on top of the tail and somewhere in the middle like it's a rucksack. That's the best way to carry this tail everything else makes it floppy because it is quite heavy.

Children's squirrel tail and ears - download

4. Then I attached a kind of belt in the waist - made of plush material and white elastic band. I hope the pictures are clear enough.

5. Then the ears: I used a head piece which I encased/ covered in jersey fabric.

6. Then I made the ears and stuffed them with polyester filling, but a flat one. Then I folded them and attached triangular pieces of fabric to make the ears more squirrel-like. The ears were easy to sew on the head piece because it had holes in the head piece (I bought it just for 1 eur in KIK).

That's it!