A take along art satchel made by me, filled with beautiful art supplies and a watercolour nature journal or some Littlest Pet Shop?

All my instincts about parenting would instantly tell me the Art satchel is perfect. It is a gift that I have made for her and making for me is a way to show my family that I love them. It is full of quality art materials that I hope will nurture her creativity, her interest in the environment and  an appreciation for the beauty in the world around her.

And well Littlest Pet Shop is... Littlest  Pet Shop - a huge collection of plastic stuff sitting on toyshop shelves waiting to be purchased and collected. Stuff that I would usually dismiss as rubbish, stuff that would annoy me if anyone else gave it to my children. But this stuff has another role that I am only just learning about. It is something that helps Madeleine connect with her peers. The two littlest Pet Shop characters Madeleine already has are highly treasured possessions. Madeleine would say that it's because they are cute, but I think it's got a lot more to do with her feeling like she belongs - she has something that her friends have and that makes her feel good. This  is probably the first lesson they teach in Marketing 101, but I haven't really thought about it like this before!!!

So what do you think...

Should birthday gifts be virtuous or should you put your parenting philosophies aside and let your children have what they would truly love but you don't really approve of?

I'm going to sit on the fence this year...
On Thursday morning Madeleine will be unwrapping the Art satchel and a Littlest Pet Shop character to add to her collection.

If you're feeling virtuous or you're a fence sitter like me, I'll have a tutorial for the Art satchel later this week. It's quite nifty!! I'll show you how to measure up your art supplies and make a take anywhere satchel in any size you want.

We are feeling a little sad...

We would have loved to have participated in the final round of Project Run and Play, but it was not to be. We have been amazed by the skills and talent of everyone who participated in Project Run and Play and are really looking forward to seeing what the final three will show us for their signature looks.

Please indulge us for a moment...

Project Run and Play has been such a focus for us for over 2 months. We don't know what we will talk about now that it is over!!! Despite some minor differences of opinion and completely different timetabling styles you'll be pleased to know that at the end of Project Run and Play we are still talking to each other. Interestingly all the personality traits you would expect from a little sister, big sister team panned out exactly as you would imagine, but maybe now we have grown up we are a little more accepting of this dynamic. In fact, we still love hanging out and sewing together!!

Some very important thank yous...

• Our husbands - the true Handmade Ryan Goslings in this world
• Our Mum - a never ending inspiration and support
• Our Dad - just as inspiring and supportive but also incredibly tolerant of 3 women talking incessantly about sewing!!!
• All our family and friends who have cheered us on.
• Romy, for all her help with the photos
• Liz and Elizabeth from Simple Simon and Co who organise Project Run and Play. The work that goes on behind the scenes must be phenomenal and we can't thank them enough for making it happen.
• All the other Designers from Season 4 - you are such amazingly talented people. You made us think harder, sew faster and push ourselves further than we have before!!
• Our five amazing kids!!!! Our little boys did not feature in Project Run and Play but they did put up with plenty of very average meals and  lots of play dates that involved just a few discussions about sewing!!!  And our fantastic girls and their brilliant modelling - they always rose to the challenge.

So for now, we might sip a little coffee, read a few books and catch up on some sleep. But we will be back before you know it.... Sewing up a storm for sure!!!!

Look at those curls!

We grew up loving this movie (and of course Johanna Spyri's novel.)  When this week's theme was announced, how could we resist?

Pip is our Urban Heidi - look at her curls!  She was so excited when we flew her to Switzerland for our photo shoot this week. (we wish - thanks photoshop!)

Anyway, enough with the cuteness... Let's talk about the clothes! (that's what we are here for, after all...)

We actually found this week quite challenging.  There are so many great movies out there with amazing costuming but we didn't want to  just make a replica of an iconic costume.  We wanted to make something wearable - not a dress-up as such but a set of separates that  together  evoked a sense of Heidi and the Swiss Alps but on their own were perfect to wear to school, to the library, to parties and on play dates.

There are three parts to this week's outfit. To start with , a twirly red skirt, perfect for skipping along and playing  in  the back lane ( as well as climbing the Swiss Alps, we're sure!)

The hem is bound with black bias and highlighted with a fine black ribbon trim

While black isn't usually a colour associated with children's clothes,  it highlights the bright colours of the skirt and jacket,  it's  a little bit sopsophisticated and reflects Heidi's Swiss heritage.

We used the same black trim on Pip's shirt. This, coupled with some Eidelweiss inspired broderie anglaise and a super fine grosgrain ribbon trim around the neckline created a very 'Swiss'  but still wearable shirt. 

Now... onto the jacket.

The jacket is made of purple corduroy and bound with black bias.  It's waisted (well, as much as a four year old has a waist!) and  is cut away to create a cute peplum and make it easy to move in.  It's lined in a purple floral cotton which screamed 'Swiss Alps' to us.  You can see a tiny bit peaking out from the three quarter length sleeves and in the neckline of the jacket.

Our favourite bit of this jacket is the closure.  Made of black grosgrain  ribbon and brass buttons it reflects Shirley Temple's jacket (in our inspiration picture) but it's a little more modern and up to date.

So there you have it... an outfit you can wear in the Swiss Alps AND in the streets of Sydney - what more could a girl ask for?

Head over to Project Run and Play to check out some other gorgeous outfits inspired by the movies.  Don't forget to VOTE!

We spent a lot of time this week  sewing together strips and squares of a rainbow of pinks, from the palest of baby pinks to deep cerise hues.  There are actually 14 different pinks in the girls' dresses. Stripped together, they created a beautiful 'quilt top' which we then proceeded to cut up to create Pippi and Lizzy's outfits.  Our husbands thought that we were completely mad...but hey... you've got to do what you've got to do. (Especially in this competition!)

One of the exciting things about this week's design was cutting and piecing Lizzy and Pip's dresses.  The horizontal and vertical stripes created lots of lovely lines and surprises. They created fantastic patterns where the side seams joined, where the box pleats met and along the hemline.  We weren't exactly sure how the dresses would turn out till they were finished.

While the girls look like they are wearing pinafores and blouses  they are actually wearing little dresses - high waisted with  big a box pleat in the centre front. The peter pan collar and puffed sleeves are created out of crisp white cotton - a lovely contrast with the warm pink tones of the rest of the outfit.

Our little girls like little details...Pink button bracelets, pieced headbands  and covered buttons added to the overall colour of the outfit and the bracelets and headbands were excellent bribes!

We had lots of fun creating the outfits for this week's challenge and the girls had lots of fun having their photos taken (and are still possibly coming down from their pink sugar high...)  We hope that even though their obsession with pink won't last forever, they'll continue to be the best buddies that they are today.  

Make sure that you go over and check out the rainbow of projects at Project Run and Play.  Don't forget to VOTE!

Firstly, we would like to thank everyone for all their support during the first 3 weeks of Project Run and Play. We have had so much fun designing and creating. It has really pushed us to think a little harder, sew a little faster and work on our overall asthetic. We would also love to thank Romy who has become so enveloped in our lives - friend, nanny and the photographer of many of the beautiful images you have seen in our Project Run and Play entries.

A tutorial for the 6 gored skirt can be found at Project Run and Play.

We are looking forward to showing you our entry for the colour theme later this week.

This is a very long post! We were so inspired and excited about this weeks challenge that we can't contain ourselves. That's why there are so many pictures and words. So... before you get lost, don't forget to look at all the other designers fantastic clothes and vote at Project Run and Play.

We had so much fun making and photographing our outfit for the Earth Day Challenge. We have created some fun French inspired fashion completely with items we already owned. These items were all pre-loved clothes used by our families, eaten by moths, partly worn out or stained but still with potential. Redesigned, carefully cut and sewn, Madeleine now has an outfit she just loves to wear. In this stylish outfit, with a satchel over her shoulder and  a bagette under her arm she really could be wandering the streets of Paris, past the Eiffel Tower, confident in the knowledge that she is doing her bit for the environment - no new materials were used to make this "new" outfit.

So let's talk about the jacket. We started with Caroline's maternity winter coat (hint - you're highly unlikely to see any more baby photos from The Sew Together Team!!) and one of Bill's old business shirts (unfortunately Bill still has to go to work!!). We found metres and metres of gorgeous red and white striped bias binding at the last Stash and Treasure Recyclers Market. If you live in Sydney you really should check this Market out. It's a great way to move on some of your unwanted stash and also a wonderful way to replenish your stash by buying what others no longer need.

We are not keen to show you the "before" photos (we didn't want it to detract from our fun "after" photos) but just remember the "before"s are supposed to look bad!!

A great principle when upcycling is to use what you have - not only when it comes to the clothes you choose to work with, but also there are often some great features on the original clothing that are worth preserving. The button loops on the front of the coat have become a feature on the pockets of Madeleine's new jacket. The original cuffs have been re-cut to create the new ones and the seaming in the sleeves and the back of the coat create interesting features on her jacket.

When we asked around our family for someone who may have an old navy jumper (pullover) we could use, Madeleine's grandfather started to look wistful! He talked about the best jumper he had ever owned. He bought in Tunbridge Wells (UK) in 1996! Unfortunately (but fortunately for us!) the moths loved it as much as he did and it was no longer wearable.

Before - with moth holes:

After:

This 100% wool jumper was so soft and fine. We used the waist  and arm bands to create the casing at the top of the skirt. The seams on the 6 gored skirt are finished with vintage bias binding, giving the skirt some structure and a little pop of colour.

So next the shirt...
Unfortunately, this favourite shirt of Maryanne's had some stains on it that could not be removed:

We wanted to preserve the pretty pin tucking, front button loop closures and the fullness of the shirt, but we also wanted it to be fun and girly. We added some floaty gathered sleeves, cut from the original sleeves to achieve this, and a waist band to create a shape that complemented the line of the skirt. We then trimmed the neck line and sleeves with more bias binding.

And finally the bag.

We felted a very stylish (not!) vest that Grandpa used to wear to work (in the late 90's!) and added some scraps of polar fleece and ribbing to create a satchel for Madeleine. We wanted a leather strap on the bag and came up with the idea of creating loops to feed a belt through. One belt makes it a great hand bag, two turns it into an over the shoulder satchel. And when the bag isn't in use, those belts can be holding up someones pants!

So we are all happy -Madeleine loves her outfit, it cost us less than $5 to make, it cleared out some of our cupboard space and it has had no new impact on the environment beyond the energy it took to sew it all together. That has got to be a good thing!!

And the bagette tasted good!

Vote here!

On Saturday evening I experienced a major dose of mother guilt as I wrapped Will's birthday presents ready for his birthday on Sunday. You see, the only wrapping I could find in the house was of the Christmas variety and so, that is how they were wrapped. I find it so easy to get caught up in "perfect" - perfect hand made gifts wrapped perfectly, and a perfect birthday party completed by a perfectly decorated cake. I know I can never achieve perfect, I just pretend to aspire!!

In all the fun and rush of Project Run and Play, Will's 2nd birthday crept up on me. Rob and my Dad were very organised and made Will a fantastic gadget board full of locks and clips and black boards and mirrors. It justifies its own blog post - so watch this space!

My birthday crafting started on Saturday afternoon. Will has a new Teddy in a Tin which he loves. "Teddy sleeping" is heard often around here now! The squares in the quilt are 3/4 inches - a perfect contrast to the big picture of Project Run and Play.

I was inspired by this.

Our party was very much last minute as well - our family, grandparents, the cousins who were in town and our most wonderful friend and nanny, Romy. Although last minute, the party really felt perfect.

There was a cake decorated by big sisters:

For those wondering, it's a dog!!!

And most importantly lots of family with lots of love:

Who needs mother guilt when all your little 2 year old needs for a perfect birthday is a cake and lots of love?

For us, sportswear is all about separates  in cool natural fibres - easy to wear and easy to wash ( essential around here!)
We had lots of fun making this outfit .  We really focused on the little details...button tabs on the pants with a classic grosgrain ribbon belt, a double collar and loads of hand embroidery (thanks Maryanne - you're amazing!)

While she's definitely a skirt girl, Lizzy loves this outfit

It's especially exciting when your favourite doll has a matching outfit!

We wanted the outfit to be pretty and a little bit dressed up but still wearable.

Lizzy's smile makes us think we may have achieved our goal!

Make sure that you take the time to have a look at all the other gorgeous designs at Project Run and Play.  Don't forget to VOTE for your favourite!

I don't often post about our 'work' on here, but today  I want to tell you a story...
Maryanne and I run a sewing studio teaching beginners to sew.  We specialise in the absolute beginner and most of our students are young mums - it's amazing how many women are inspired to take up sewing after the birth of their first child. (I certainly was!)


Last year, Tiffany signed up to one of our Sew for Children courses.  She didn't have only one baby - she had gorgeous twin girls!

After each lesson, Tiff would come back the next week, having made a zillion of each project - hand embroidered and  appliquéd t-shirts, elastic waisted pants, beautiful peasant dresses.  It was truly amazing!

 To deal with all of the outfits she created, Tiffany set up a  stall at a local market.  As she says "my twinnies Eva and Lucy really didn't need 40 embroidered tees or 28 summer dresses!!!"  From there, Tiffany has created Eva and Lucy - a boutique range of the most amazing children's clothing - all of her outfits are divine!  Have a look at these...

Tiffany now sells on Madeit where she has a wide range of clothing but also takes custom orders.  You can also check out her Facebook page. Go and have a look  - they're beautiful AND inspiring!

So it has finally begun - Project Run and Play Season 4!!!

We had so much fun creating this dress. It was one of those great designing sessions - 30 minutes and a series of back and forwards "What about...?" and we had come up with a concept that we both loved.

We love Dana's Circle Skirt tutorial and decided we wanted to use it  to create a 1950s style gown. We aimed to make a dress that was glamorous but still child friendly and modern -  a dress that an (almost) seven year old would love to wear.

We followed Dana's great instructions for drafting the skirt pattern with some variations to make this a double circle skirt. You can create a great twirl in a single circle skirt but a fabulous one in a dress with a double circle skirt!! The bodice we drafted ourselves - we really wanted it to be fitted, in keeping with the 50s style and the best way to do that was start from scratch. We attached the skirt to the bodice and finished it with a belted waist. The final hem line was 7 metres (23 feet)!!! We used horse hair tape to support this hem line and to create that gorgeous ripple as Madeleine twirled.

We used shot cotton in a colour range from deep teal to the palest of blues. The shot cotton adds a depth of colour but still keeps it vaguely practical and the colour blocking adds to the dress's modern feel. We used a similar colour range in the tuille petticoat that gives the skirt some of its volume.

We continued the "circle theme" in our accessories. Madeleine's clutch is decorated with hand appliqued circles. We then covered lots (and lots) of buttons in the same colour range- to create a "necklace" that surrounds the neckline of the dress.We were very excited to find some turquoise silk ballet flats and added some covered buttons to these. The final touch is a simple but stylish button embellished headband.

We'd like to thank Madeleine - our gorgeous model...

I think she likes the dress...

Make sure you go and check out all the fantastic creations from the other participants at Project Run and Play.
And don't forget to vote!!!!!