Casper's Cubby

I made a little cardboard house for Casper yesterday as he seemed to be bored with his usual toys. He was way more interested in the scissors and sticky tape than the actual cubby. Although after a while he started crawling inside and playing. Anyway, I just think it's cool to have a cosy little house with white smoke billowing out of the chimney!

He's such a mover, I can hardly ever get a photo of him that is completely in focus!

Handmade Christmas

We decided to make some Christmas presents this year as there have been some new babies born into the family!

Casper's stork shoes and his special silver shoes...

Baby cotton soft-soles,

And two quilts for some very special twins.

Merry Christmas!

Velvet Bathers

I know what you're thinking- "Is she crazy?" Well, yes I am. I also know my dance fabrics, and I know that these bathers/playsuit are perfect for the beach.

How cool are they? I am very happy with the finished product. I will now be embarking on a new adventure of colours and textures with the same pattern, there might even be a velvet bikini in the mix! 

Emerald Bikini

These are an experiment in colour. I decided that I would make some wacky green bathers with light pink ric-rac and we'd see how they looked. Too bad last night we didn't have enough time to photograph them properly, we only got these jokey seaweed pictures. Although, I like them!

I think they give me a good idea of what sort of tones and colours I want to use in the future. I will be getting back to work on some more swimwear designs in the new year. 

While we were at the beach, Casper was being very cute and turned into a wild urchin seababy. He slept the whole drive home.

Photos by Steve.

Bombshell Bikini

Here is a high-waisted bikini that I designed for myself and my shop! It is made with a nice matte black Lycra and is really comfy and flattering. On a whim I added ric-rac to the band along the bust and neckline. I think it's a winner! 

I sewed it without the use of elastic as I have found with swimsuits in the past that elastic seems to disintegrate with time. So I have used a banding technique which I think is far superior and much more comfortable.

The bust is supportive and cone-shaped to achieve a classic silhouette. I have actually worn this top as a bra before. I just love these. I swam in them at the beach last night, it was a blisteringly hot day. But right now it's raining- I am wearing a cardigan and drinking tea.

Photos by Steve.

Sock Monkey Pants

These are some pants that I made for Casper out of our old felted jumpers. They are really cute and accommodating for his cloth nappy bum! I made up the pattern, it's basically two rectangles and a triangle. I love the cute little knee patches. he really does look like a sock monkey in them. I have made a couple of pairs, but these two are the ones that deserve attention.

Bombshell Bathers

These are the bathers I will be putting in the shop this week! They have a control feature on the bust, and a cutaway back. Inspired by bathing suit fashions from the 40s and 50s, I decided to make a pointier shape with the bust, reminiscent of the cone bra.

I had so much fun making these! The fabric is 100% lycra and they are super comfy and flattering I think. I can't wait to wear them when we go swimming at Stingray Bay this Christmas. 

Photos by Steve.

Floral Bathers

I made this swimsuit from some Zimmerman fabric that I bought early last year. I have been making bathers for some time now, but this is the first time I have photographed and blogged them. It's a bit scary really!
I made them because I am continuously frustrated by the lack of "supportive" bathers on the market. This is why I make most of my own clothes- I don't feel that there is any thought to how clothing is structured for larger sizes. Most of the time, if you go up a size, everything gets bigger, not just the bust and hips. I feel sad that we don't live in a time when tailored women's clothing assumed that everybody had a waist.

I have sewn a control bust into these- it was surprisingly easy and it means that I have more support than with regular swimwear.
The fabric is lycra and I didn't use any elastic as I find that it disintegrates with time. Instead I used a fold-over cuff technique, which acts as an elastic anyway!
The hat is one that I made back when I was still in high school. It has a matching dress and I made it instead of studying for my French exam.

I think I will be getting lots of wear from these this Summer!