Happy Angry Birthday!

Today is my lovely boyfriend Sam's birthday and I felt the need to make an Angry Birds cake.  Ok so I am not making it for a cute kid like most of the ones online but I wanted to make one and he was obsessed with Angry Birds when he first got his iphone so it fit. 

Aerial View

I am sooo happy with this!  The cake is just a sponge and then has buttercream icing and the birds and pigs are made from marzipan rather than icing as Sam loves his marzipan.  (Seriously he just ate the rest of the pack.) 

Piggies!

The Stonehenge arrangement is cheapo caramel wafers stuck together with icing.  I am not very happy with Silver Spoon, I bought their writing icing and the white exploded out the wrong end first time I went to use it.  Plus it was more clear with a hint of white than actual white.  I just mixed up some icing sugar and water to make the eyes in the end.  The black icing was fine though and pretty fun to write with.

Birdies!

The birds are my favourites, I like the fat little tummies and the monobrows.  The funny thing is that now it won't fit in my new cake tin, it is just too high!  There are also some strategically placed toothpicks as I was worried the henge might fall down.

Who will win?

Something Borrowed

Something Borrowed Spring 2012

Today I am revealing why my blog was so quiet last week and why my Banana Carousel dress is still on my dress form.   I have been contributing to the lovely Dorset wedding magazine above!  How did this come about?  Well my sister is a very talented graphic designer and she was working on the launch of the magazine at the company she works at.  They were looking for someone to write up some wedding dresses and she passed my blog on to the relevant people and they asked me!  I was really surprised and very happy to do it.

Something Borrowed Spring 2012

There are my words in print!  I wrote up 6 wedding dresses which was really fun.  My favourite was the 1950's style one above.  They must have been pleased with them as I have just done some more on different styles for different body shapes.  Plus they asked if I wanted to take over the DIY tutorial section!  Do I heck!  So here is a sneak peak of my Summer issue bunting.

Bunting!

Bunting!

They are not the best photos but I am hoping to get a new camera for my birthday next month, fingers crossed!  The magazine is free and given out at wedding fairs and other events so if you live in Dorset be sure to pick one up!

The Banana Carousel Dress - WIP 1

This dress seems to be taking an age, not because it is difficult, just that I have only worked on it for two days since my last post about it due to something else with a deadline coming up.  (All will be revealed soon!) 

Doesn't look as bright here as it is

I started by cutting my pattern pieces then reading the instructions and writing out my own extra steps such as 'add piping' and 'draft tabs' as otherwise I was worried I would follow the steps and miss out the bits I wanted to add.  I chucked the bodice and neck band on Anne Boleyn as I needed to work out the size and shape of the tabs. 

Tab pattern and tabs

I drew out the tab on paper then added the seam allowance and cut 10 shapes from my fabric.  The piping I pinned around the edge and had to snip on the corners to get it to turn.  I don't know how people get such neat corners on tight turns like this, most of mine as passable but they are not amazing.  I then made the tabs into a sandwich, stitched again and turned them inside out.  This is where I realised I had made them too big!

TOO BIG!

Originally I was going to put all 5 tabs on the front but I made them larger than I really wanted.  I think at some point my seam allowance measurements went a bit crazy.  I put all 5 on the model and they just looked far too costumey, if I was making a clown costume then great but I want this to be a day dress.  I have compromised and put 3 on the front and 2 on the back now.  I added the piping when I sewed the band to the dress.

You can tell I took these in the evening!

I read the instructions for attaching the neckband and facing and couldn't make head or tail of them.  It seemed like the instructions told you one thing and the illustrations another!  If anyone else has made this and understands them then please let me know!  In the end I just did it how I thought it would work best.  I tacked the tabs to the seam allowance then machine sewed the facing to the neck edge.   I should have used the interfacing on the outside of the band though as the fabric band had stretched a little I found but I was able to manipulate it without too many creases.  I then hand sewed the bottom edge of the facing to the piping all the way round and I did a pretty good job too!

Back view

I actually like the tabs here, it gives more detail to the back as there was not a lot going on back there before.  I think I will need to take some of the fabric off the centre seam as it is a little big on me so I made sure the tabs sat towards the arm holes.

That is as far as I have got!  

Happy Easter Everyone!

Burda Style April 2012

What a turn around!  The April issue is a corker!  If you like retro then this is one for you, a whole retro/vintage style section.  Yay!

Blouse 126 A

There is not a chance that I would wear this see through blouse just over my bra but I love how it looks on the model and over a vest top or strapless dress it would be gorgeous.

Skirt 118 B

I believe this is the skirt in the first photo and it is so sexy!  What a slinky high-waisted look, Burda really does these skirts well.

Trousers 125

How much do I love these trousers?  Wide legged trousers suit me best even if skinny-minnie ones are in fashion now and the buttons on the pockets are a really nice look.

Bolero 123

I love this too!  The little capped sleeves are sweet and the bolero is always good over a party dress to keep out the chill.  This one stays open which would show off your dress too rather than covering it up.

Top 115 A

Now this is one I can't decide on.  The main cover is the dress version and this is the shorter one.  I think the sleeves look better on the top than the dress but I can't really decide if they are just too much or if they are cute.

Dress 106

The construction of this dress looks really confusing.  From the picture it looks like a wrap dress tying on the models left but then it has a flap on the bodice which comes across the opposite way?  Slightly odd.  I love the white dress though, you could do without the bib/flappy bit and just wear a top under it and it would be very Jane Austeny.  (Is that a word? haha!)

Dress 147

It is a real shame there is not a better picture of this dress.  It is by the designer Alberta Ferretti which I found exciting and it is something I would defiantly wear.  It is actually quite demure but I love the draped feel and the special brooch or buckle look great.

DIY Belt Loops

I really like this style of top where the belt loops through the top to cinch it in and there is a great 'how to' for adapting floaty loose tops so you can thread your belt through.  I may have to try this as I don't like loose tops with no definition but I love this!

My least favourite garment was this, purely because the saggy wrinkled waist does nothing for this girl and completely eliminates her lady lumps!

Burda Style March 2012

I'm a little late with this one as I have had a bit of a time restricted project going on but more about that in another post!  The March issue was not that inspiring to me but I have picked out my favourites.  I have realised doing this each month really helps me when I want to find a pattern that I remember seeing in a previous magazine as I can just look of my blog posts.  It really helped when I was looking for a particular shorts pattern the other day.

Blouse 138, Shorts 139

I love these little waste paper bag-style shorts, I would wear them if they weren't a kids pattern!

Blouse 113 B, Shorts 114 A

I totally love these shorts!  The print is so pretty and the tie belt is sweet, they would  look great in silk or satin.

Dress 106 C

This is not a very flattering pattern, a belt would look better but I am in love with pink eyelet at the moment after seeing Amy Adams in a gorgeous eyelet dress here.

Dress 104

This is Burda's take on Pippa Middleton's bridesmaid dress but I just like the back button detail.

I am loving peplums at the moment but I think I need some courage to wear one.  This one may be a little big but I think it could be adapted.

Tunic 131

My least favourite is this blouse. I like lace but this is just a bit too much for me! 

Me-Made-May 2012

'I, Sarah of Sorbet Surprise Gets Sew Crafty, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '12. I endeavour to wear one self made garment or accessory and not repeat a complete outfit to try and think up new and exciting ways to wear my hand made garments each day for the duration of May 2012'

I have done it, I have signed up for Me Made May 2012 and made my pledge above.  I have not done one before as I didn't really think I had enough self made clothing for it not to get boring but I am going for it now!  I am hoping that this will spur me on to get some project finished too so you may see some new garments along the way.

I am also really bad at just wearing the same whole outfit over again so I am pledging to try and come up with different ways of wearing my various dresses, skirts and tops.  Come to think of it, I don't  have many me made tops so that is a gap I need to fill!