Wednesday, May 26, 2010

A quickie.

Of the blogging variety...
...not that other variety.

Quick stop as I am trying to pack essentials like wine and crafty projects
and non-essentials like clothes and toothbrushes
as I depart with 3 gorgeous South Aussies tomorrow on a road trip interstate.
Have a fantastic weekend ahead with 12 other like-minded crafting mums just out of Bacchus Marsh.
This is the 2nd annual Crafty Mamas sewing retreat
and I am sure that it will be as much fun as last year.
It will involve op shops, coffee, crafting, chatting, wine...
you know the sort of thing!

So I will be back to report sometime after the weekend.

Meanwhile my quickie extends to a fast run down of a skirt that I made this week.

Pattern: Kwik Sew 3494- short version
( I wanted to make th elonger version
but I was too late buying the fabric I had chosen and it was cheap due to some faults but not enough to make the lovely longer version...next time!)
Fabric: green brown boucle (yucky to sew and I don't usually find boucle appealing but this caught my eye)
Verdict: I don't think that the photos do it justice. It is a lovely pattern and I am very happy with the result.

Little Boozle 2010

Little Boozle 2010

Little Boozle 2010

Little Boozle 2010

I think that it might just make my butt look big
but I love the style
so I'll suck it up.

Have a great weekend everyone.
I know I will.



Monday, May 24, 2010

A Fairy House

One of my personal faves!

In October 2008
I came across this blog tutorial
for a carry along doll house.

I jumped in with enthusiam to make my then 19 month old daughter
her own little fairy garden.
It was a labour of love
and a trial of patience,
(not one of my better virtues)

Of course, once I had shed blood, sweat and tears,
I realised that it would be trashed if she got her chubby little baby hands on it
so it was hidden away high on a bookshelf 1 ands 1/2 years gathering dust.

My daughter has just turned 3
and admittedly may well still trash it
but short of putting it away until she turns 18
or getting her to sign a legal document,
I have to hand it over at some stage.

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The fairies came from etsy.
I also made up little felt draw string bags
which I filled with little frogs, butterflies, ladybirds and the like
as well as some fairy wands with glitter and colour.

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This is one of my prouder moments as a crafts person.

I was so happy with the result.

It is a great little idea and has so much scope for your own personal theme
for your own little person.




Friday, May 21, 2010

Muriel pinafore in cord

A great basic pattern.

I have had this pattern for a while but it didn't inspire me.
I made it up this week as it was a great pattern to use some co-ordinating cords with.
It is a really easy to put together zippered pattern
with limitless room to co-ordinate, adorn or embroider.

Pattern: Farbenmix Muriel.
Fabric: Robert Kaufman cords
Embroidery: Huups Mini Florets 2
Approval rating: After an initial tantrum unrelated to the dress
and related to the little goddess' general mood this morning,
she hasn't asked to take it off and it is mid avo
so I will take that as a winner.

Little Boozle 2010

Little Boozle 2010

Little Boozle 2010

Little Boozle 2010

Disclaimer:
While I may have been responsible for the rainbow arms and red legs in a clumsy attempt to co-ordinate
colours until I can make a red long sleeved tee,
the purple socks are in no way, shape or form
my responsibility...
...but at least there aren't any sandals with the socks today.




Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Quote of the Week

from a 6 year old.

"God made monkeys then they turned into people"

Methinks that he is covering all his bases-
religion, evolution and Harry Potter-
just in case.


Tuesday, May 18, 2010

New Look tunic- take 2

Love a good red.

I loved my first version of this so much
that I made another one,
this time with full length sleeves.

Pattern: New Look 6731- version C with lengthened sleeves.
Fabric- Stenzo knit from Crafty Mamas shop
Approval rating- yum!

Little Boozle 2010


Little Boozle 2010

Little Boozle 2010


Monday, May 17, 2010

Happy birthday Miss Maisy Mae!

Bittersweet.

My baby just turned three.

AMJ 2010

AMJ 2010

AMJ 2010

AMJ 2010

AMJ 2010
AMJ 2010

AMJ 2010
AMJ 2010
A few things to note.

I don't advocate sandals and socks.
In fact it is one of my pet dislikes.
But I am sure Coco Chanel didn't give a flying fig about what others thought of her fashion choices.

The last photo was Mae getting the fairy garden that I made.
It was a labour of love that I made well over a year ago,
before I started blogging,
but one of my prouder moments as a craftster.
I should do a retrospective blog to show (off to) you.

The best scooters are pink.

While I love watching my child grow,
I share that familiar bittersweet feeling with many of you I am sure.
She is our last born child,
forever our baby,
forever our little girl,
but growing up oh, so quickly.

May your life be blessed, Miss Maisy Mae.
Happy 3rd birthday.

AMJ 2010

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Quick embroidered lined bag

For a 5 year old's birthday.

She likes pink.
She likes cute.
She likes keeping things.
So I hope that she will like this...

No pattern.
Embroidery : Another cute one from Anja Reiger Designs

Little Boozle 2010

Little Boozle 2010

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

I'm making shorts...

...while freezing my butt off.

Because I finally got a knit short pattern for boys in the latest Ottobre magazine.
I really like knit shorts on boys.
I think that they are cool
and hope to play around with the pattern next summer.

But I did just want to make up a pair in the meantime
to try out the pattern and some embroidery.
Even though I am shivering in my cardi!

Pattern: Marley Bermudas from Ottobre 03/2010
Fabric: Knits from Crafty Mamas shop
Embroidery: Fox from Anja Rieger Design

Little Boozle 2010

Little Boozle 2010


Little Boozle 2010

My son seems happy.
They are long, even for Bermudas
but they are a size bigger than my son anyhow.
Easily shortened in future.
The embroidery is super cute.
Check out Anja and Sonja's website for lots of cute designs.



Make It perfect Versatile wrap skirt

Addicted to sewing for me.

I really have gotten addicted to sewing for me now that I have lost weight.
I can suddenly make those patterns that I have salivated over
but ignored
 knowing that they would not look good on my hips!

I don't feel too guilty about it as my kids all have more than enough clothes
and I really need to stop sewing for them anyhow...

Soon I will share with you my stash of dress patterns that I want to sew up.

Pattern: Versatile Wrap by Make It Perfect
Fabrics: Cottons from my stash
Verdict: Really quick and easy to sew up
Great pattern for any large or bold prints that you may have
I took the time to topstitch a lot of seams that the pattern didn't ask you too
but I think it gave a neater result.

Little Boozle 2010

Little Boozle 2010

Little Boozle 2010

I love the look of wrap skirts over a pair of jeans.
But I should I leave that to the 20 somethings?
Can a 41 year old carry off that look?
(and really- do I care if I can't,
as long as I love what I am wearing?)

Pin cushion frenzy

My lovely little parcel.

Little Boozle 2010

There seems to have been pin cushions bouncing all over the world
the past few months
with different swaps going on.
Crafty Mamas was no exception
and the April swap was pin cushions.

My little elephant went to the Netherlands
and yesterday I received another gift that went across the water
-from my birth state of Tasmania.

The lovely Suzanne from see Suzie sew
sent me this gorgeous pin cushion
and these little extras: button fridge magnets.
Super cute and unexpected
...and very much needed in a house that seems to eat fridge magnets
at the same time as eating half of my family's pairs of socks!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Quote of the Week

Explaining to my 2 year old daughter that I have a cold.

Me: "Please don't get silly. Mummy doesn't feel very well.
Mummy has a sore throat and a sore nose and a sore head"

Daughter: "Poor mummy. Mummy needs a bandaid"

(Well, I did say just last week that a Wiggles bandaid will fix anything)




Lucky me!

A giveaway of Euro proportions!

The lovely Uta over at toadstooldots
let me know last week that I won her blog giveaway of some headbands.
But that's not all that I got in my scrummy little parcel today...

Sewing 2009

Iron on stars,
a little bag,
Farbenmix labels,
Farbenmix ribbon,
embroidered patches,
a little card,
a little plastic princess bag (currently AWOL as my daughter snaffled it as soon as she saw it)
and 2 gorgeous headbands...

Sewing 2009

One with toadstool detail

Sewing 2009

The other pink
(Enough said. Too big for Mae but must be hers as it is pink)

Sewing 2009

Thank you so much Uta for your generosity.

If anyone would like to make their own headbands,
pop over and check out Uta's blog.




Sunday, May 9, 2010

More sewing for me.

New Look 6731

This pattern has been on my to do list for nearly a year.
I have put off making it mainly because I thought it may end up looking like a maternity top.
It was quick to sew up
but the instructions were written more for a woven fabric
which I found a bit odd for a knit sewing pattern.
So (unusually for me) I ditched more of the instructions
and sewed it up as I would normally sew up a stretch top.

Little Boozle 2010

Fabric is a gorgeous knit from Crafty Mamas.
Sewed beautifully.
(Yes, that is orange in the fabric.
Never say never I guess...
But I don't notice it much given the dominance of purple in the print)

Little Boozle 2010

Little Boozle 2010

Little Boozle 2010

I really adore the neckline.
It is just a bit smarter than all the tee shirt necklines that I have done so far with my knit sewing.




Happy Mother's Day

Enjoy the sentiment,
ignore the materialism.

Sweater, n : garment worn by child when its mother is feeling chilly.
Ambrose Bierce

Wishing mothers everywhere a lovely day with their families.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Chicken Stock: the modern approach.

Sewing 2009


 How to cook chicken stock at home:

Place one whole chicken into your slow cooker.
Add three roughly chopped carrots and one quartered onion.
Add enough water to cover the chook.
Turn on to high and reduce to low once simmering.
After 6 hours, notice something black floating in the slow cooker.
Remove foreign object, identify it as a well boiled food moisture absorber liner.
Make sure that the children aren't listening and swear a few times (and stomp your feet if it makes you feel better)
Throw stock in the bin and cry because it smells so damn good.
Have canned soup for dinner instead.
Next day purchase another chook and start again.

Note: you could, if you chose, omit the liner from the recipe and not waste a whole day of cooking time and the expense of a chicken in the process.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Amy Butler: The Liverpool shirt.

An exercise in patience.
(A virtue, so I have been told)

When I learnt to sew at school,
we were taught to do everything properly.
Tie off the ends- don't just backsew.
Baste in your zips, your sleeves, your everything.
Iron. Everything. Lots.
I even used a tailor's ham.
Hand up if you ever used one of those.

It has held me in good stead.
(Though I am crap at ironing as I go.
I am getting better
but it is a pain as my ironing is set up far away from my sewing space.
But I digress...)

Upon leaving school,
I rebelled and haven't made anything tailored, lined or out of crepe ever since.
(One day remind me to tell you how many times I had to redo that zip in my crepe de chine skirt!)
Collars? Too much effort. Cuffs? Pah. Multiple buttonholes? Do I have to?

But the Amy Butler Liverpool pattern caught my eye.
A lovely, shaped (and yes, collared, cuffed and with multiple buttonholes) shirt
that I really wanted to make.

Even more suprisingly I wanted to make it out of fabric that was beige (my 3rd most disliked colour)
and had some yellow in it (my 2nd most disliked colour)
(No orange though. Even I couldn't bring myself to wear that colour.)

Pattern: Amy Butler "Liverpool" shirt length version
Fabric: Heather Bailey Nicey Jane Hello Roses
Approval rating: I love it! It looks more slimming in real life
and it is really nice to make something for myself that I am really happy with.

Little Boozle 2010

Little Boozle 2010
Sweet little button loops on the cuffs.

Little Boozle 2010
Little cream vintage cabbage rose buttons to finish.

Little Boozle 2010

And, as a nod to my grade 9 sewing teacher,
the pattern asked for topstitching of the collar to attach and finish the inside seam.
But I handstitched it instead.
Just like I did learnt to do back in 1983.
Because I think it gave a better result for me.
(But I still don't baste my zips)