March Making

Happy 1st March to you all!

I can't quite believe it is March, which means the last whole month before baby Ezra comes. Maybe. Hopefully. We haven't been very good at keeping you updated, but we have been incredibly busy with all the making, and being Mamas. You know how it goes.

So, on this lovely Spring day (oh it is most definitely Spring) we thought we'd let you know what's been happening and some of what we have planned for Spring.

January and February have been busier than ever before. We have been knitting away, both for ourselves, our little ones, and for Mama Make, and our elf hats and pebble vests have proven very popular.

I have been on lots of different knitting adventures, and each one has taught me some, or many new techniques, which has all but deepend my love for this craft. Really, I can't get enough of it! Sam is already there and has an absolutely huge enviable yarn collection, with many things on different needles at any given time.

This last two months have flown by and have kept us very busy indeed- our Dorothy Dresses have been bestsellers and I've been making baby ones up to ones for 10 year olds! Aside from that, our most popular items have been our bubble dresses and gypsy skirts, our flared aprons and some Little People Slings (we might have some exciting news on that front soon...)

Sam is nearly finished an Alice in Wonderland costume which will be added to our 'Dress Up' range, and I am about to make a pair of very special pair of wings for Ava, which I think will be a good addition to this line too (all thanks to a very inspiring music video)

Aside from that, I'm about to start work on my first quilt order for a baby boy - including bumper and quilted clouds, and once that is done, I will be working on a colourful String quilt for Mr Ezra, as well as some other things (quilted booties, reversible trousers and little boy bloomers)

Since the weather is warming up, we will be focusing on more dresses and skirts, which are always amongst our best-selling items, so expect lots of bubble dresses and smocked dresses in beautiful bright summer colours soon.

And, let's not forget our MamaMake bloomers, of which I have already had a custom order through for five. (I suspect said Mama is, like me, getting excited about the sudden appearance of the sun!)

We also have some lovely new dress patterns to show you soon, including pinafores, swing dresses and layered, summery, floaty numbers.

Next week, quilts and Dorothy dresses aside, I also get to work on a lovely pure wool cloak, lined with fleecy cotton, for a very special custom order, and make a few things for all those March birthdays that keep my sewing machine so busy. But for now, we're planning on enjoying the sun this weekend and spending some more time outside.

Introducing: The 'Dorothy' Dress

Sometimes, for no reason you can fathom, you wing something - you design it yourself, pretty much decide what is going where as you go along - and it actually turns out to be just as you imagined. Maybe today the Gods were feeling sorry for me after a trek into town for fabric and yarn had me feeling a little achey, a little tired and a little cross at how many people commented on my impending due date (Think again people, 3 months to go. Now move on.)

This dress is going in our 'Dress Up' line and is inspired and based upon Dorothy's dress from 'The Wizard of Oz'. My little lady is somewhat obsessed with this film right now, which I am more than happy with - it's my favourite childhood film - so a Dorothy dress was in order.

It's adjustable too, which means it will last Ava (or any other MamaMake girls and boys) a good 2 to 3 years of wear. Smocked at the top with buttoned straps, just like Ms Dorothy, then a thick waistband that ties at the back.

I do love smocking - our Smocked Summer Sundresses were a huge hit last summer and will be back with full force in our Summer Line, but it does make for an extremely comfy, easy to put on and adjustable dress. In fact, once your kiddy grows out of it as a dress, it can be used a skirt! Such is the power of good smocking.

But back to Dorothy - my dress passed the test. Ava refused to take it off. She picked up her basket, her dog, and with pigtails in, that was that. She was Dorothy (and I suspect will be now for days, maybe weeks, to come).  Now, to find some red sparkly shoes...