I've wondered a few times over making a Colette Sorbetto top. It is such a reviewed, made and talked about item of clothing in sewing and crafting blogland I wondered if it hadn't just been "done like a dinner".

But... I found myself checking out images on a Google search and started to get inspired. I also had a lovely 1.3m piece of cotton lawn that was begging to be made up. In all honesty it has been waiting, partially prepped, for its originally planned incarnation as a Lisette Market Blouse. I literally had that pattern prepped and ready to go and upon laying it out on the fabric I realised that my fabric was so not square and no matter what I did to try to resolve it, I could not for the life of me line up the pattern square when folded. It drove me to tears/madness It had me a little riled up and I eventually gave up. And whilst I am really attracted to the Market Blouse in theory I was a little concerned about its reality for me. I rarely wear short sleeves... I have these weird skinny/muscly arms and they just look like little sticks when hanging outside short sleeves. And I NEVER wear button down shirts (even if the Market Blouse involves a faux button placket thingy and doesn't actually open at the front). I love them on other people, just not me.

So the Sorbetto it was. And it's a free download, woot, woot, sa-weet! Thanks Colette Patterns, you rock. Did I mention it's FREE???

And here she is!

My lovely Sorbetto

I love this fabric, and for some reason I got the pattern to square for this simple top. Hard to make out the detail in this shot, but it's a lovely orange colour with a navy print. The print include little Japanese characters and shapes reminiscent of petals. It kind of has an edgy feel that I was really attracted to.

I really love it with my favourite pair of jeans of all time. I will note that it is designed quite short and the length pictured is after adding about 1.5 inches extra to the bottom of the pattern and doing a very tiny hem (I didn't have enough fabric for adding anything more). I am not particularly tall, perhaps just over average at 5'6"/167cm, but with a proportionately long body. I will make it again, but next time add a good 3 inches in total to the length.

And I happen to have the perfect beads to go with it, when I feel like accessorising.

A lovely back view

It fits quite nicely, and I made no alterations (other than length) to the size 2. The only other thing I'd like to try and change next time is the size of the armhole. A few reviewers have noted it's a snug fit under the arm and I tend to agree. It does make me feel a bit cramped in that area which is a shame as it's such a light and breezy feel to the rest of the garment.

I also did French seams for the first time ever and I'm hooked! They make for such a neat professional finish.

There are directions associated with the pattern for making your own bias tape, so that you have matching bindings. But given my recent sew-jo issues I really needed a quick win, so I cheated and bought what turned out to be a perfectly matching ready made bias-binding. It meant I didn't have to spend hours making up the binding. But ick... why can't you buy anything but poly cotton bias binding. It's so scratchy and seems such a shame to add to a garment made out of this lovely cotton.

But in the end I really love this top. I see myself making this in a block colour next time so that the pleat at the front "pops" a bit more. And maybe some bows or buttons. Stay tuned!

Oh where, oh where has my sew-jo gone..

... oh where, oh where can it be?

Oh my, I have seriously lost my sewing mojo. Is it the time of year, lack of inspiration? Well, I know it's not the latter, inspiration is out there always. It might be the nasty croup M brought home in the last few weeks that had us up for nights on end, that then turned into an even nastier chest infection, that she then kindly passed onto Mummy and Daddy in the form of the most dreadful cold. I've renamed our home "The House of Ick". We are still struggling striving valiantly onwards though...

I don't think I've ever gone this long without sewing in a long, long time. You know, perhaps it's also that I've been pumping things out at quite a rate (for me anyway!), and really, how many items of clothing can one person wear? I've got a heap of dresses, a few new skirts, I've been making stuff for M... seriously, when will this stuff wear out so I can "replace it".

Well it seems M has helped me out there. I swear that child grew inches overnight. Suddenly all her pants were looking more like capris!

So I share with you my latest project, the piece to break the sewing drought. M's new Big Butt Baby Pants.

Don't worry, I didn't accidentally cut one leg shorter than the other... all will be revealed.

Now if you don't know of this pattern and you have a little one to sew for, you gotta get it. It's from Rae over at Made By Rae and I have literally made a million pairs - well maybe not literally, but you get my drift. This pattern rocks and the finished product is just awesome.

Why so exciting? A few reasons...

• You can make them for summer or winter, simply by changing the fabric used (I've made them in denim, corduroy, quilting cotton, flannelette, lawn, you name it).
• You can add little features that change the look completely, so it doesn't look like they're wearing the same pants everyday. Rae's pattern includes a frilly butt version and cuffs, just to start you off. I've also done them with knee pads (for those crawling months) and with a cute embroidered flower on the butt.
• They've got space for a nappy (even a cloth one)

Dreadful shot, but trying to show the butt panel at back

• The pattern comes with all sizes included from 0-3 months, right up to 2T.
• You can protect gorgeous, fragile little baby and toddler legs that tend to be prone to scratches and bumps when learning to traverse this brave new world on all fours or on tippy toes.

My little M has been in long daycare three days a week since she was 8 months old (oh, the guilt of a working Mum). She started in a long hot summer and was just beginning to crawl. She was always getting bumps and scrapes when wearing shorts, so I decided to make a few pairs of these in a super light cotton (gotta keep cool) to help protect those chubby little legs. She loves them - whenever I make a new pair, even today, she wants to put them on straight away. She still wears a pair to daycare everyday, 13 months later.

This latest version I did with cuffs. M seems to grow at the rate of knots lately - up, but not out. For this reason cuffs are awesome. I can fold them up when she first starts to wear them and flip them down as she starts to grow. Here's a close up showing one up, one down.

They always draw compliments, with lots of requests from other's for their own custom pants. You are allowed sell your versions (handmade, not production line), with design credit given and registering with Made by Rae as a seller. I haven't gone this route yet (haven't made them for anyone other than M, just no time), but it could be interesting to be a seller if I find the time in the future.

Oh and the best part? They are super quick to whip up. I've renamed them "nap time pants" in our house as they are so quick to run up they can be completed easily during a 2 hour nap!