A Cupcake dress

Well I did have a crazy day looking after four kiddies... I was very tired by the end of it all. But as I knew once they arrived I would have no time to do any sewing once they arrive I drove into a cupcake dress, and seriously it took 20 mins start to finish including cutting. Easy, quick and super cute. I used for the main part some fabric I had lying around, beautiful mermaids, not sure what the brand or designer but I got it from Spotlight, plus I have seen it on line so must be common. Then I teamed it with some cheapo stars and spots and a bit of purple ribbon. The top again was from T&T. $4 who really can argue. So the idea was from Toni Coward and her fantastic new book, avaiable from her blog, http://www.makeitperfect.com.au/. She has other patterns as well, which are so easy to follow, I am a fan!

And I used my new Amy Butler book last night and cut out most of a pattern once the kids were in bed, making it from the same materials as my Birdie Sling bag, I figure I will have a birthday or something so I can give it away... Though trying to pluck up the courage to take some of my work to a craft market, so it could I guess be an item to add to the market

Oh Thanks..

And I am so grateful to have one follower EXCITING!! And a couple of comments!!!!! Doing a blog is quite like walking around naked, you put yourself out there knowing that people will be looking at you, very scary! So far so good!

birthday sewing and a little more

To take a wee break from sewing I made up some cucumber relish. It is one of those ones that takes a couple of days, you have to put the vege in a whole heap of salt and leave over night and the boil up. And man it is so tasty. I wasn't to keen on making it to begin with (a couple of years back) but my husband talked me into it and now it is a staple in our cupboard. This year we are going to make a couple of batches as we always seem to run out...not good. It goes really well with crackers and cheese (and a few wines)

Right here is how you make it:

725 grams of cucumber (about 2)
500 grams of green tomatoes
500 grams of red onion

cut up finely and place in a bowl, covered with water and a tablespoon of salt

24 hours later, drain off water and add
750 mls of white vinegar
500 grams of sugar

bring to the boil and boil for 20 mins. I stir it quite a bit to begin with to make sure the sugar doesn't burn.

Finally a small bowl mix up
1 tablespoon of curry powder, mustard powder and corn flour, make into a paste with some of the vinegar. Add to the mix and boil for another 5 mins.

In to jars yum!!! And it doesn't really taste like curry, it is worth a least one go!

Also I have been doing some sewing (of course). So my wee man picked out some material before Christmas and it was all a bit crazy so only have made these yesterday...ops
It is burda 9641, I have used this pattern loads!!! A couple of times like it is, a couple of time without pockets, with half the amount of pockets. It is so easy to change around. Anyone who sews and has boys know there really isn't a lot out there so I find this a good staple and well Ryan loves what I make for him so he is happy and that is the most important! Yes he was Batman at kindy today, and that was the best of the shorts I could get.







Now birthday girl... Well I used "Little Girl, Big Style", it is a book by ummm not sure but it is on a lot of crafting blogs and easy enough to find. I made the size 2 twirly skirt, finished off with ribbon and sequin trim, plus a T&T tee-shirt with sequin trim (I added). I did think about making a tee-shirt but it was only $4, I can't make a plain tee for that, so I just brought and embellished, surely that is crafting too?? The material (oh shame) is stuff I have had lying around for a couple of years, the top tier was from covering jam tops a very long time ago and the second and third, I can't even remember where and why I brought that. So good to see it finally being used he he he

Well enough for now, I am looking after my friends two boys today, so don't think and sewing will be happening today.

T xx

Another busy week

So I finished Adele's quilt, so it is in getting quilted, so then the binding and finished! I am going to wait till it is all finished before I posted a photo, just so I can explain it all.

So last week a friend's daughter biked over her rainbow twirly skirt and her mum asked me what I could do... I really wanted to keep the length, but there were some pretty huge holes. So made a whole heap of yo-yo flowers and hand stitched them all on. I was pleased and I really hope her little girl is too.

I used left over pieces from Adele's quilt, so still nice and light for twirling.

I also made myself a bag. I am just so pleased with this! You know how every now and then you make something that you just LOVE and want to show it off...well this is one of those projects. Over summer I treated myself to the Amy Butler pattern, "The Birdie Sling", it is a huge bag, I could get lost in it. Then a bit later I got a "treat" afternoon where I got to go fabric shopping by my self, so I picked this amazing fabric by Moda. Near our beach they have just opened a Cushla's Village Fabrics and I just love it. So anyway, here is the finished project. It is lined with a lovely teal blue fabric...I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!

And even better for my birthday, which is still a week away, but I found my new book and just had to start reading...I got an Amy Butler book. And once again there are a whole heap of bags I just want to make. I am going to be so busy.

Plus baked a couple of cakes and starting making some relish, but more about the relish next time.

Tx

Because I NEED another project!!

I have just sent away my order to join the www.sewaddictivefabrics.com sew along!!!! I am very excited and been waiting for this as soon as it was announce she would be doing one. The anticipation of the item to make, looking at possible fabric...heaven! So anyway it is a cool summers hat, she is doing a good deal on the patterns (which as cheap any way) and some fabric. Should be fun!!!

Making good progress on my quilt, I have to get it into the quilters tomorrow, so a lot to do today, cross fingers

What the.......

I have no idea what happened to all my photos? So I guess the older posts make for boring reading, grrrrr

Anyway, tomorrow is my Dad's birthday and he and my mum are planning a huge overseas trip, so I made him a small toilet bag, you know for on the plane, since you can only take small tubs of "stuff" and a passport cover. I just made up the passport cover pattern, cut out a rectangle a little bit bigger than a passport, I really should have gone a bit bigger but I think it will work. And for the bag I used www.prudentbaby.com/2010/05/man-gift-toiletry-bag-with-oil-cloth.html but I didn't use oil cloth, I just interfaced both pieces and it seems to work well enough, and if it does get dirty the whole thing can go in the wash anyway!

right photo...I hope it stays!


For the rest of the evening I will be working on Adele's Princess and the Pea by Heather Ross, quilt...Oh and yes I did manage to cut out most of the other quilt, lack of fabric meant I couldn't do the rest

Of late...

To keep with my new years resolution, I have been trying to make a bit of each present we give. Sorry to the first party we went to, but it was 3 Jan and I just didn't know where to start or what to do....but the next party we went to I had it all under control. A bag, sort of on the design of "Bend the rules sewing" by http://www.angrychicken.typepad.com/. It is fully lined and fits two art books perfect, and a pencil case, again fully lined, from...I can't remember sorry :( But it was based on the idea of a toilet bag. But suited me just perfect. Sorry the photo is upside down, I saved it the right way up??

So we had my husbands family over for dinner and he was cooking and showing off his fantastic cooking skills... He is pretty good darn it! So I made ice-cream. Berry...yum! It was sort of cheats ice-cream since you use brought ice-cream and add to it...but time was short and normally I would make it, but this is all that was left so I think it was still appreciated.

1 litre of ice cream

1 and a half cups of berries, I used blue berries and boysenberries

and 1 cup of sugar

Take 500 grams of ice-cream and line the bottom of a loaf dish. Put berries and sugar together and slowly bring to the boil, boil until all sugar is melted and the berries are all mushy, cool.

Mix with remaining ice cream and add as a second layer to the first...yum!

Now on my cutting board I have this...By the end of tonight I hope to have an idea of what to do with it, and it cut out...I am being ambitious, but gotta have goals!

About to hem

Right, about to pull the dust cover off the overlocker and start to hem... oh how I dislike hemming, no idea why, after all it does finish the project...

Thats all for today, waiting to get the splash back fitted to the fall then heading back over to the beach, only a few days left of our holiday

Tx

Busy, busy busy

January 11th, 2011

Been very busy!

• The other day I woke up and I just knew...I HAD to sew. Not a choice but a need. And a whole heap of things that I have no one to gift to, I made baby stuff all day but no longer have babies. I did finish off my efforts with something for both of my kids so they weren't too unhappy.
  
  Anyway the first few items are from Anna Maria Horners book "Handmade Beginings" which can be found on her blog www.annamariahorner.blogspot.com It is truely amazing, simple and I have made so many things from it and I am sure a few more things will be made. Notice the fabric! Yes another "free" item. To be fair and slightly shamed, all the outfits posted today are "free", yes this is now much I have lying around and even worse this is fabric which is lying around our beach house, so not even my "good" stuff....I am an addict!
  
  Anyway next!!!
  
  
  Two pairs of reversable pants, for a boy and a girl! Just way too cute!!!! I love this pattern, great for winter babies as the two layer keep them so warm, I wish I had this book when my babies were little!
  
• So next I opened my new Christmas book, One metre wonders by Hoskins and Yaker. It is awesome as a few of the projects are great for using a bit less and can be a bit mix and match. LOVE IT!
  
  So from this I made: Sorry the photo is upside down

It is a lined wee top for my little 2 year old (plus I cut out one for a 5 year old, don't know one!!). She was quite excited till I wanted her to wear it, and well we all know how well that can end up, tears and topless

You can't see it that clearly, but it is a rocketship, made out of rocketship material Brilliant, well my wee man thinks it is! First time at making a toy, so I sort of over stuffed and it came apart during the night, one very sad young man. But I was able to handsew it back together, "I knew you could mum"

So myself, well I did make up a skirt, sort of threw a couple of patterns together and came up with a skirt, I like it, not so much the fabric, but since it was just lying around, so free, he he he, It will do the trick this summer

It needs a hem, but my overlocker is at home, and I don't know why I just hate hemming!

Anway thats my last few days, I have a few other things cut out ready to go, plus I splashed out it a big way and brought a fantastic Amy Butler pattern and all the stuff I need for that....Starting that soon!

T x

My new clutch EXCITING

Jan. 4th, 2011

So I was at work a few nights ago, surfing the many super duper cool crafting blogs, ones that will completely blow mine out of the water, but hey. They are just so inspiring and so I print out patterns, mostly lose, but this one, the gathered clutch I thought was right for me! I had been needing a new wallet, my old one was looking tired. So as soon as I saw this it was like the stars had aligned. I used left over material from my daughters Christmas quilt (which had been given to me in the first place) and the backing of a quilt I made for my mother-in-law....So FREE!! Even took the zip out of a pair of maternity pants, felt very pleased with myself.

I just love the retro print of this, I can't wait to use it!

It was a divided bit and little slots for EFTPOS card and stuff. It was the first time that I had made something that turned out well the first time...make sense?

Anyway now I have it all sorted I bet I could pump these out pretty quickly!

Down the pattern is from www.noddle-head.com/2010/04/gathered-clutch-tutorial.html
I did read the instructions a whole heap of times, but if you just work with it and do it, makes far more sense.

Anyway enough for today, brought a couple of my books with me tonight, going to make a list of things to make YAY!!

T x

The first of.....Many???

January 3rd, 2011

First...of many???

This year I really just what a record of what I do, think and most importantly make. I love to make stuff, things any thing. I try to give most things ago, some I do over and over again, some, I finish and then throw away.

Anyway, instead of posting everything on to my Facbook pages, which I am sure bores people I am going to keep this record, mainly for me, and I guess if anyone else is interested.

I have already made something for this year, and for a change for me! I just have to get the link of the pattern then will post a photo. It is a super cute wee purse which I can see being made numerous times. Especially when my wee girls gets a little older. And even better mine was made with every thing I already had, no trips out to the store YAY!!! So basically free!!

Right until we meet again

T x