This is the week that counts you guys. Who goes through to be in the final three, who gets to work all this way and get sent home soooo close to the end! Whether it's myself or one of my competitors, it's going to suck anyway. Your vote counts! It makes a difference!


Oh guys this was a fun theme! It was also really difficult. It's the week before the FINAL {woah I'm in the final 4!} and we had to refashion a men's shirt. This is the men's shirt. Sorry babe, orange is not your colour...


I made the cutest dress up when I was thinking out my design. It was a bit too big for Eddie so I decided to make another. Oh the drama of trying to find a good enough men's shirt. I think I bought about 6, before bringing them home and going  "WHAT WAS I THINKING? THIS IS STUPID. THIS IS NOT GOING TO WORK." And then flouncing.

Just kidding, no flouncing, but I was annoyed at myself.


So I finally found this men's checked shirt in ORANGE. The original one I had made was orange stripes, and after remaking the same dress a few times I knew what I needed in the fabric. It couldn't be dark {woah what? Max, you are so goffic!}, it had to have some sort of stripes or check on it so that the bodice could stand out from the rest of the dress.

Because this is the second last week, and I am absolutely petrified of being sent home so close to the end, i decided I would bite the bullet and pull out two looks.

This was the moment we all went THIS IS THE SHOT!

I ended up making a dress for Edison with a Y-shaped back, reversible bloomers with a shirred waist, moccasin boots and a pretty little headband. For Amelia I made a shirt with a peplum, little orange shorts, moccasin slippers and a headband also!

Amelia's Shirt

Using the top of the shirt, I kept the original collar and the placket. I cut the shoulders down to 5cm wide and used a tee as a guide for how deep to cut the armholes. I added the purple lotus blossom fabric as a little gathered peplum to the shirt, the orange piping getting sandwiched in-between and making the two looks match but not become identical.

I swapped the cream men's shirt buttons out for these purple ones on both the outfits. It really mad a difference and made everything POP. I have my darling Kat to thank for that! I made bias-binding from the purple lotus fabric and bound the armholes. 

Amelia's Shorts

Using a par of Vince's old jeans, I drafted up a pair of shorts for Amelia. The mock-up pair originally had a scalloped hem and looked really cool but I decided against the scalloping since there wasn't any of it in the other pieces.

The shorts have a flat front and an elasticated back. They have four pockets, two at the front and two welt back pockets. The pockets are all bound in the lotus fabric bias binding I made, and are lined with scraps from the men's shirt. On one of the front pockets I added two little tabs and two of the men's shirt buttons.

I also added two of the men's shirt buttons to the back of the shorts, purely decorative.

Moccasins!

Oh boy oh boy oh boy. These little shoes. I love them but what an adventure! Firstly, there is nowhere in my town that sells suede, fake suede or soft leather. Nowhere that I could get it at short notice anyway!

So instead I used my curtains.

That's right. We have faux suede brown fabric curtains on my back sliding door. My mum had an extra set in her cupboard, and lovingly donated it to my cause {or maybe she was worried I was going to hack into the curtains that were already hanging up?}


I lined them in brown wool felt and the soles of the shoes are the same black pleather I used in Vincent's dripping pocket.

I used the Charlie boots pattern for Edison's moccasin boots. I added the fringing and made a fold over cuff for the top of the boots. Amelia's moccasin slippers were made from the baby moccasin pattern here. I omitted the button and added a fringe around the outside. These little shoes were so dang cute, I want to get proper soft leather and make more!

Hair Accessories

Using this tutorial, I made some twisted flowers from strips of scraps for Edison's headband. I glued it to felt and then glued part of a doily behind it. The arrangement was glued onto lingerie elastic.


Amelia's was made from this scrap of beaded and sequinned something I have had in my stash for at least 7 years. it was quite easy to sew, on. I attached it to part of a doily and it originally had some faux pearls dangling down the side but my little model could not deal with that, so the beads vamoosed.


Well that is that!


Resources
How to make your own Piping
Another piping tutorial using a zipper foot
Double welt pockets


You know how they say never work with children or animals? Well working with my own kids is sometimes difficult, especially Diva Vincent, and trying to get the cats into last week's look was RIDICULOUS. This week, it was difficult with two little babes. Amelia is such a sweetheart, I love her so much {she is the first baby I have known since she was kicking my hand from inside her mama}. She did NOT want photos though. In the end, I got amazing shots of the two of them, and I'm so proud of little Milly bug! She had had a big day and then got hauled to my house and then down to the park and then forced to pose for photos while the boys played on the swings!


So Sophie, if you're reading this, thank you. I'm lucky to have you as a friend, and I'm glad you let your baby girl model for me. <3


PLEASE vote guys. This is the second last week of the WHOLE COMPETITION. This is the week that decides who is in the final three. I don't want to say VOTE FOR ME, but I would LOVE it if you did.