chickens are good for the soul

Ah, look at them. I could waste so much time just watching them. In fact I do. Except, I think it's not really time wasted. (Those are our six 'babies' there with the two mamas, at six-and-a-half weeks. How fast they grow!)

- Jane x

this moment - Clem's schoolbag contents

"A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember." - joining with Soule Mama

- Jane x

PJs, shorts and another apron

Hmm, mysterious post title that, I wonder what I'm going to show you?

Clem has a habit of begging me to make him things out of such ridiculously adorable fabric that I am powerless to refuse. Check out those little lions. On Japanese cotton lawn. Oh, I suppose a second pair of summer PJ pants won't go astray.

And then, the Heather Ross Briar Rose frog pond shorts. It wasn't until I looked at this photo that I began to question the placement of that log on the front. It's just a log, and I will think no more of it.

Both PJs and shorts were made with my go-to pattern for Clem-pants, from Japanese Pochee magazine. Alas, he's now in the biggest size!

Styled with his pyjama top this morning, and a froggy hop.

 And he wanted me to take a photo of him wearing Dadda's childhood fire hat. It's made from that really sturdy seventies plastic and is in amazingly good shape.

Lastly, here's an apron I whipped up this morning as a gift for my boss at the job I recently left. Australian readers will probably be familiar with the 'map of Tassie' reference and corresponding placement on the apron. Let's just say it suited my boss's sense of humour very much. Inspired by the Sew Liberated Gathering Apron (in this post), I made it with a great big kangaroo-style pocket so it should actually be quite useful for her, as well as silly. Maybe good for gardening.

The apron is made from a souvenir linen tablecloth I've been hoarding for a few years (plus a bit of plain natural linen). I've been tempted to make myself a skirt from it but I'm not sure I could exactly, you know, wear it with pride. Apron - much better idea. And hard as it can be to make the initial cut into prized fabric like this, I'm always happier to see it put to good use rather than languishing in my cupboard. Yay for stash-busting gifts!

- Jane x

Colette Violet blouse

I was inspired to try this pattern by a version of the Colette Violet blouse I'd seen on Pinterest. Of course in the end the only vague resemblance between the girl and shirt in the inspiration pic and myself and shirt are the fact mine is also a sort of plaid.

Shirt is unironed and I am totally unstyled but I have come to the conclusion that if I don't grab someone and get photos when a garment is hot off the sewing machine, it probably won't happen. Of course, husband or son will not tell me when a button is skewiff. But they don't notice things like that, bless them.

I wasn't too sure about the shirt - blouse - whatever - as it was coming together but in the end I think I quite like it. Needs to be washed and worn a bit to be 'broken in' but I think it will be a sort of good t-shirt substitute.

The fabric is a quilting cotton by Art Gallery Fabrics, and although I generally steer clear of quilting cottons for adult garments, the Art Gallery ones have a particularly soft and drapey feel. Even so, I think it's a little crisper than ideal for this pattern - but that's where I hope the wash'n'wear factor will come in.

Pretty happy with my plaid matching skillz. The buttons are some cute little things I found at the Salvos.

And the back. Super-creased, and probably could use some fitting adjustments. I cut a straight size 10 (Colette size 10 that is!) since the finished garment measurements seemed to work for my bust and hips. My shoulders are fairly narrow however so maybe I could have started with a size 8, done a FBA and graded out to a 10 in the hips. But sheesh, all the effort for a loose shirt? Nah...

Gosh but I love having my photo taken. This much.

Would you bother to make fitting adjustments to something like this? Or just let it 'wear in' to fit you better?

- Jane x