Ra Ra Ra

Mixed up with a couple of mornings roller skating and bowling we've thrown in enough crafty time to keep me and the Buns happy. Paint, glue, stickers and fancy paper came out this afternoon to decorate polystyrene eggs and keep us all quiet and happy. They look great and stupidly I forgot to take a photo of them.

While Mr Bun and the Buns glued away I drew some letters freehand. I'd seen an easter banner in a magazine and couldn't let the idea out of my head until I'd made one for our wall.

Other snatched crafty moments have found me trying to whip up enough bits and bobs to sell next Saturday. I keep finding myself looking at colour combinations more often than I'm actually turning them into something.

Yesterday though I managed to stay with it and finish what I'd started. It rained all day like you've never seen, so after roller skating we cosied up at home. The Bun's made a lego village and I got out my sewing machine. I'd found a fabulous book the week before full of home and clothes patterns and had been itching to get started with the projects in it. The best thing about the clothes patterns are they're all ones we like. There's a good mix of Little Bun age clothes, pre-teen ones for Miss Rosey and ones for me.

I'd seriously reccomend a look at this book as there's tons of great stuff in it to get your teeth into. Both Buns wanted the Ruffle-Mania skirt. Miss Rosey keeps looking at clothes from shops like Superdry, Hollister and Jack Wills. They all do the short frilly skirt, but I don't fancy the prices so I think an original from my hands will be dandy. In my day (old persons type of talk here) it was called the Ra Ra Skirt. My mum made me wear trousers, instead of my Ra Ra Skirt, when we visited Venice (aged 12 and already 6ft). I thought she was a real spoilsport. Now I've got a 6ft leggy blonde who's nearly 12 I fully get her over-protective point of view.

Anyways, back to the making. Yesterday I managed to start and finish a Ruffle Skirt for Little Bun. We chose the fabric together, not that I'm sure who it's by, in case you're wondering. The beauty of this skirt is that there's no pattern, it fits anyone. Basically it's made up of lots of strips and as long as you get your measurements right (which being mathmatically challenged I struggled with for a while) then you'll have a Ruffly Ra Ra skirt.

I did get the measurements a wee bit wrong on the bands under the ruffles so I had to add in an inch or two of extra fabric. That explains the sticky up ruffle at the back. I've learnt to really concentrate on my measuring for next time. 

Really though, if I didn't point it out then you'd be the none the wiser that I cocked up and it wasn't 100% perfect would you. And does it matter? Not at all. Little Bun loves it and has worn it all day and plans to wear it tommorow too. I think she looks gorgeous in it and now I can't wait to get going on Miss Rosey's skirt.

After that we've a few more things lined up for me to make to add to our spring time wardrobes. 

When I was in my teens and early twenties I made loads of my clothes and altered vintage stuff. I had to really as at 6ft 1" most clothes in the 80's were far too short in the legs and arms so I looked a complete idiot in them. There's far more choice these days if you're tall, but it's so much more fun to make stuff in the fabric you really fancy at half the price.

I definately think I've got the dressmaking bug again. I even thought I might search about for a mannequin to help me get my sizing right then there might be a few less cock-ups.

Wishing you all a Happy Easter weekend.