Cute Colourful Dresses

It’s been another good sewing week, and my favourite pieces are these bright and colourful frocks I’ve made.

It’s a no-brainer that I’d fall in love with the giraffe frock, since I have a rather sizeable giraffe obsession, but even accounting for that, you have to admit this fabric is just divine.  I’d like to thank my gorgeous friend Alice for gifting it to me – she is just the best.

Happy Giraffes Dress

The rangoli dress is made from a panel I found in a sale and just couldn’t resist.  I just adore it, not least of all because of the sassy strip down the back.  Wouldn’t that bring a bit of oomph to the cold winter months?

Rangoli Dress (front and back)

If you want to one of these dresses, or want to peek at my other creations, just pop over to mooandflo’s online shop.

Thank you, happy stitching,  Dianne

Autumn Winter Collection 2012 – Skirts

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Winter is Fancy Pants Time

The cold weather is slowly sneaking up on us here in New Zealand, and whilst a few hardy folk will steel themselves and wear jandals right through to next summer, for most of us the dark nights herald thermal vests, warm cardigans and long trousers.

This is good news for mooandflo, because I love making exciting trousers, fancy pants, and loony longs!  There’s nothing better than sewing fun pockets  or kooky frills onto a seemingly normal pair of denims or cords, transforming them into something that raises a smile and brings a bit of yippeeee into our lives.

With this in mind, I’ve embarked on a range of fun Carnival Pants with lovely flounces and frills around the bottom, invoking a bit of Brazil, a warmer climate, and a whole lot of dancing and fun.

carnival pants with antique rose frill

carnival pants with minty apple frill

carnival pants with sassy striped frill

carnival pants with strawberry frill

This is just a little sample of the trousers that will be coming up, so keep popping back and what on earth I’ll come up with next!

Until then, Ay Carumba!

Dianne (flo) – mooandflo

Monster Madness Friday 13th Sale at mooandflo

There will be a mooandflo Monster Friday the 13th Sale tonight, one night only, 8-10pm only (NZ time).

Some ridiculous bargains to be had!

Come join in the fun and foolishness here

Or just go to the online shop and avoid the foolishness – your choice, lol.

Love, Frank N Stein

possibly the best handpainted plate in the world

I’m so pleased with my new logo design by the clever, fast and accommodating Gwenda at Rosebud Creative, Christchurch, that I’ve splashed out and got some goodies made with it on.  I  bought a whole raft of the usual things, such as business cards and thank you cards, all of VistaPrint’s finest.

But best of all, I had this custom plate hand painted with the new logo by the incredibly talented Niki at Odd One Out.

I am astounded that she paints freehand and still manages to get such precise lines and curves.   The finished plate is just brilliant!

So, thank you Niki – for your clever artistry and for your patience with such a tricky design.  You’re a super star!

Mwah.

You can see Niki’s creations at  Felt and on Facebook, or read her very entertaining and beautiful blog or have a wee peek at the web site.

~Dianne – mooandflo

Snakes Alive! Baby Snake Skin Shoes

Recently, I had a request from a customer on my Facebook page to make some of my Little Pods with snakes on.  Snakes!  Cripes!

I had a little search and couldn’t find any fabric that had snakes on or that was even a bit snaky to my mind, and then I remembered that in my magical fabric cupboard of joy, right at the back, I had some gorgeous suede-like material I’d always called dinosaur skin… like this

I mulled over the possible fabrics for the reverse for quite some time.  I do have some lovely fabrics that are boyish, but couldn’t quite think of any that would so with the snake theme… and then I remembered some Ikea fabric I’d bought recently to make bags…

Perfect!

So I whipped up a pair of reversible shoes in it, to see how it would turn out.

Here’s the finished product.  I love the fact that the poppers are brown on one side and lime green on the other – it’s the little things like that which keep me amused and make crafting fun.  What do you think?  Do they say ‘snake’ to you?

Luckily, they did indeed say ‘snake’ to Karina who had commissioned them, so now they are all wrapped and ready to go to their new home in Australia.  Like they don’t have enough snakes there already!

Bon Voyage, Snakes Alive Shoes!  Enjoy Brissy.

~Dianne of mooandflo

By the way – no actual snakes were hurt in the making of these shoes 🙂

Some Super Size 3 Dresses

I finally had time to make some new stuff this week and treated myself to making some girls’ dresses in really lovely fabrics.  I made size 3s since there have been a fair few requests for that size lately, but there will have to be some 2s and 4s made soon otherwise there’ll be an insurrection.

Anyway here they are, the new frocks.  I sometimes so wish I had a wee girly all of my own – thank goodness for nieces, cyber nieces, and friends’ kids!

I guess at some point I should also make some trousers for the boys, too, since winter is just around the corner.

~ Dianne

pretty princess slippers and space invader shoes

I’ve been making shoes again – I think I might be just a tad obsessed to be honest.  They are just so darned cute.

Here are a few of this week’s doings – they are all reversible except the first pair (due to the lace – it’d itch, lol)

All the shoes are on sale in my online shop – and keep your eyes peeled for my new online shop coming in the next few weeks too!

~Dianne

Little Pods Reversible Children’s Shoes by mooandflo

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The elves and the shoemakers and flo

There is a wee rumour that I may just be a little bit on the ADHD side of life,  as it seems no sooner do I find something new to make as I’ve lost interest and found something else altogether.  Last week it was jewellery – this week it’s dinky wee  shoes.

To be honest, I blame Google.  I was searching for a pattern for a new cuddly doohicker, when out of the corner of my left eye, just by the rim of my specs, I spotted the magical words ‘baby shoes’.

I didn’t mean to look.

Honest.

But – not for the first time – the voices spoke to me , and before I knew it I was halfway through the left shoe, leather sole and all!

In the end I found two patterns I sort of liked, both of which I adapted because, as my husband puts it, I “just have to fiddle with things”, and here’s some of what I’ve whipped up so far, in under 48 hours…

mooandflo's Little Pods Reversible Slipper in swirls 'n' cogs

mooandflo's Little Pods Reversible Slipper in camo/harlequin

mooandflo's Little Pods Reversible Slipper in Japanese flower/harlequin

Little Pods Slip-Ons by mooandflo, in spots and watermelon

So now I have recruited some testers to take the shoes and have a good play and run around in them and generally put them through their paces, so I can make any changes needed and then make heaps more!  I can’t wait!

If you want to see what I’ve been making, pop over to my Facebook page and join in the general silliness…

~Dianne (Flo)