What Kimberley Makes

Vienna Dress This wrap dress is a flattering, versatile style that can be worn casual or more dressy. I've made mine in jersey for a more summery day time dress. The fabric I've used is gifted from The Craft Cotton Company and is an organic jersey spandex that was designed by Tilly Walnes from Tilly and the Buttons. This jersey collection features lots of pastel rainbow colours and bold geometric prints which will just brighten up your wardrobe!  The Vienna dress pattern is by Fibre Mood and suggests using fabric with a good drape and not too stiff.  I opted for the PDF version because I am impatient! The instructions are all on the website and can be accessed once you set up an account.  I've used an overlocker  (Janome AirThread 2000D)  to finish edges and roll the hems of my dress but this can all be achieved on a sewing machine too. Some tips for working with jersey - if you find that the fabric is curling too much, spray it with some spr...

This is a really simple way to make a quick skirt for kids. It honestly took me less than 10 minutes! I followed a tutorial on YouTube by The Crafty Gemini called How to Make a Simple Girls Skirt so have a look at that for her tutorial. It's really well explained and easy to follow. All you need is a piece of fabric measuring double the width of the child's waist measurement and the length you'd like the skirt to be. Add double + 1/2 the length of the elastic you want to use to length and that's the size of fabric you need. (this is slightly different to the video instructions as to make it even quicker.) My elastic is 1" so I will add 2.5" to the length. The elastic should measure the same as your child's waist measurement. So for me, my daughters waist is approx. 22" so I measured a piece of fabric 44" wide and 10" long. Add 2.5" for the waist band so my final fabric piece was 44" x 12.5" and the elastic is 22"...

This is a gorgeous princess seam strappy dress that has a centre back invisible zip and adjustable straps by NH Patterns called the Lara Dress. Purchased from Etsy, it's a downloadable pattern that you print yourself with full instructions and pictures. It reminds me a lot of the 90's style, square neck dresses, so when I saw the Chinese dragon print fabric from Craft Cotton Company this is exactly what I had in mind to make! The 90's was definitely my era so I have a soft spot for the fashion and music from that time.  The fabric is 100% cotton and after working with Craft Cotton Company fabric in many other projects, I knew it would have great structure for this type of dress. There are other designs as part of this Chinese collection so if you like cherry blossom prints and water prints in the Chinese style too then make sure to check them out!  The pattern is an intermediate pattern so it's more for a confident dress maker or someone who knows how t...

This is the first time I've ever made anything for myself to wear, I've only made clothes for Vienna before now so this was a new venture for me! I've always wanted to try a Tilly and the Buttons pattern as I've heard they are easy to follow and they are also lovely garments, so when the new Indigo pattern came out I knew I had to get my hands on it. It didn't take me long to choose the fabric I wanted to use as I prefer the feel of viscose, stretchy fabric and love a comfy material, judging by the clothes I already own! I also love dark colours and bold prints, so the daisy was perfect! (It was also super cheap off eBay so.. bonus!) I was going to make the indigo top but seen as I was able to get so much fabric, I decided to go for the dress instead. Once I decided what size to make, cutting out seemed a bit daunting. the different marks on the pattern looked scary at first, but starting with the biggest pattern piece you soon get the hang on followin...

I’ve made these adorable pyjamas and eye mask using the Simplicity pattern 8806. I’ve adapted the eye mask from a cat to a rabbit to suit the Miffy fabric and theme! Here’s a guide to using this pattern as well as step by step instructions with pictures to hopefully you’ll find it really easy to follow. This is the first time I’ve made a top or trousers so this was a really fun project. So once you’ve decided what it is you’re going to make, you’ll need to buy/make sure you have the right amount of fabric required. It states on the back of the packet how much fabric you’ll need depending on the size you’re making as well as any other extras you might need such as elastic etc..  1. Cutting out your pattern pieces - make sure you cut out all the pieces needed, there’s a diagram of all them all in the booklet provided (pieces given) that are numbered so you know which ones to cut out.  TIP! - Iron these roughly cut pieces to make it easier to cut them accu...