FARBENMIX "ANNA" Wrap Dress For Fern

Pattern: FARBENMIX "ANNA" Wrap Dress
Made for: Fern
Size made: 136/140
Fabric: Navy Drill
Embellishments: Iron on Enbroidery Motifs, Daisy chain and Ric Rac

The length is ok but it's too wide for Fern.
Fern is petite.
One more to make!
I've run out of the Daisy chain so will either need to buy some more or try something else to embellish with the Rose will like.

I bought the pattern from Crafty Mamas here in Australia.
If you haven't seen it this is the first one I sewed for Lilly.

Learning something new.

I visited our local op-shop on Friday, they had a lot of craft books in.
I found this great book.

In the book was a how to make hairpin lace.
A technique I've never tried before.
It was popular in Victorian times and the 70's.
I'd bought a couple of the hairpin lace forks on a previous op-shopping excursion.
So with book, a Youtube video, wool, frame and hook in hand I got to work.

The hairpin lace frames are to the left, I used the smaller of the two.
My very first go at hairpin lace.
It didn't take very long to get the feel for this technique.
It's really just crochet around a frame which creates loops of an even size.
Just a little sample. I enjoyed making the band.
I think this could be another craft to add to the list.

You make lots of bands and join them together to create, what looks mostly like shawls in the vintage pattern books.
If I made a few in fine crochet I could use them as lace inserts on garments.


I sewed the ends of my sample together and made a headband for Lilly!
Pardon the hair she took to it with scissors and it's all different lengths.

FARBENMIX "ANNA" Wrap Dress

Pattern: FARBENMIX "ANNA" Wrap Dress
Made for: Lilly
Size made: 98/104
Fabric: Navy Drill
Embellishments: Iron on Enbroidery Motifs, Daisy chain and Ric Rac
Time Taken: 3 hours 30 minutes

Lilly is pretty happy with it.
I bought the Iron on Motifs from Spotlight when they were on sale.
The girls choose them and I've finally found the prefect design to use them on.
I bought the pattern from Crafty Mamas here in Australia.
The instructions were a little light on but there is an online tutorial which is very helpful.
The fabulous ladies at Crafty Mamas Forum finally got me to sew this wonderful pattern by holding a sew-a-long.
I think I'm the first to finish!

Fern helped by pressing the garment as I sewed and finding the embellishments, which were shoved into a drawer.
I read that the Anna can shift a little so it was a good idea to add a loop of ribbon to thread the ties though to help the dress stay in place. I did this to the back and also the lining of the front.

This is really a very clever design, there are no side seams to sew.
The dress is two aprons which wrap around each other. and tie under the front and at the back.
It took me just over 3 hours to sew, that included tracing the pattern out.
The next one will be faster as I know what I'm doing now!
Rose and Fern also want one.

But now I better go cook the tribe some dinner.
I've been sewing all day and it's now 6 pm.

Oh and how do I get time to sew with 6 kids?
I have a shed and if you look at the photos of Lilly you can see how the kids have occupied themselves as I have sewn! Lot's of cleaning up needs to be done.

Sweet Little Dress - leila & ben

Pattern: Leila & ben Sweet Little Dress
Fabric: Vintage Sheets

I made the above two in about an hour.
This is a very quick simple to sew pattern.
You can buy the pattern from YOU Can Make This as a PDF download!
I like you can just print cut and tape the pieces together, no tracing.
If I want to make a larger one I can just print another copy, I've not destroyed my pattern.
I bought the 3mth to 12 month pattern and there is another from 12 months to 5 years.
The instructions were very clear and easy to follow.
The pattern pieces went together well.

I did a little modifying to create this night gown.
I lengthened the dress and sleeves and added elastic in the hem.