A package arrived from Australia today containing new supplies of Melly and Me patterns including some new patterns – both toys and bags.

You can browse all the new Melly and Me patterns on our shop website.

For tips on making some of the toys, Melly and Me’s blog is worth a visit.  They also add pictures of their toys in different fabrics which help to inspire.

One of our favourite patterns from the Melly and Me range is Bonzer and Beaut.  So we thought we’d make one of them.  Here’s….. Bonzer!

Bonzer by Melly and Me

He’s so cuddly, but you could equally fill him with beans or rice and use him as a doorstop or bookend.

If you want to make your own then you can get the pattern here for just £6.85.

As I mentioned recently, we’ve just started stocking Melly & Me sewing patterns in the shop now and my Mum immediately grabbed one of the toy patterns, Rudy, and made this little fellow with some Christmas fabric in her stash.

Rudy by Melly and Me

Rudy is just one of the toy patterns that Melly & Me have designed and I’m sure that we’ll be making some more very soon!

Melly & Me are two sisters from Australia who have joined forces to produce a collection of wonderful sewing patterns for bags, quilts and soft toys.  We’re delighted to now stock a large selection of patterns from their range.  We love the toys in particular and are already making Rudy the reindeer with some Christmas fabric from our stash!

Melly & Me sewing patterns

A new sewing book arrived in the shop today: Simple Sewing by Lotta Jansdotter.  Lotta Jansdotter is a celebrated international designer who has published 24 of her most popular sewing patterns into this book.  Each project is paired with step-by-step instructions, charming photographs, inspiring design ideas, and helpful, hand-drawn how-to illustrations everything you need to make whimsical pieces for the home and beyond.

Best of all, there’s nothing complicated about the projects!  Perfect for a beginner.

I think the warm, sunny, Spring time weather that we’ve had recently is what has given me an urge to do some sewing. I’m fairly new to sewing so I started with something simple – an A-line skirt. I used Amy Butler’s barcelona skirt pattern and some of Amy Butler’s fabric which I think is perfect for summer.

The instructions that come with the pattern are clear and the pattern pack also includes the instructions for making a layered skirt and an apron.  I might well try the layered skirt next as I’ll need to do some sewing again soon, in order that I don’t forget how to do it!  Perhaps I should have taken step-by-step photos to remind myself of what I did at each stage?

Even for a beginner, it was quick to make – I did it in a weekend.  If I’d really gone at it I could have made it in a day, but I didn’t want to rush it.

Here I am modelling my skirt:

My Amy Butler skirt