Pirate Dress

Ryan has his first kindy disco coming up. I know it isn't really a big thing, but you know I don't care! I want it to still be special and well there is only so long that you can dress them up like dolls. So while no Ryan isn't wearing a dress, we have another family who we are rather friendly with who has a daughter that attends the same kindy and of course she too has her first kindy disco. So I get an e-mail, do you want to dress them up matching!! Well hell yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So pretty much creative instruction was left to me and I came up with a couple of options and we made the choice to go with a super duper girlie dress, in pirate fabric. Both of them are so into "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" it just made a perfect choice. Plus Ryan can have a little something and it isn't girlie. At nearly 5 he is starting to have strong options about what is girlie and what is not. So I made the Simplicity 2709 three tier ruffle dress. I think this is out of print now which is a shame as I have used it a few times and have really loved it. I did change it a little, they had the top of the second ruffle exposed, so I just cut the skirt part in half and joined it all up with the top of the ruffle on the inside (if that makes sense) I had seen that in other layered dress and tops and thought it looked so much nicer. I still have the zip to do, that will be tonight's job, but is this not the cutest pirate dress IN THE WORLD!!!!!!


So I did the lining and the second ruffle with the polka dots, it is a really soft and light cotton and sort of floats around. Now I got every thing from Spotlight and I was so pleased to find this fabric in the cheaper stack of fabrics. I am not a fabric snob and as long as the design meets my needs I go for it. Really this is the perfect combo.

So now for Ryan's. I am making him a waist coat in the pirate fabric and a tie in the spots. So that is the plan for tomorrow. And of course there will be photos to come from the disco night, will have to show off the cute pair!

Tx

Cut, cut, cut oh crap!

I have made a start on cutting the quilt top my MY bed. Wahoo. Pretty much all I can do on the quilting front as my machine is in getting fixed and I left my quilting foot on the machine and the machine I borrowed, well I didn't even think to ask to grab the foot. I don't particularly like cutting so it is a good way to make me do it. Although I really just start sewing more clothes for my over clothed family. I am so excited about this quilt so it sort of has been "fun" getting it all sorted. So tonight I have cut 135 5.5 inch squares, which goes into 9 perfectly! Couldn't have planned it better. Well sort of. There was meant to be a couple more but I sort of cut them to the wrong size as I was trying to do the maths in my head about what I had cut.





So here is the pesky 5.5 by 5 inch rectangle I guess. It is rather pink so I am guessing Blair wont be too gutted!




















And here is my very small looking bundle. It always looks so small when it is nicely stacked. I haven't started on the white yet, I thought I would wait until I had most of the colours sewn up. So I will have 15 coloured blocks and I think I need 12 or 13 so might be able to make a pillow or something. It is always good to have a couple of spares just in case.



Right going to go sit down with a coffee, been standing for what feels like for ages! Need to rest.



Tx

Preparing for the next market.

I thought I would give the market I went to last month another go. I didn't do too well but now the weather is so much colder I am hoping people will be going crazy over my merino goodies. Well at least enough to pay for my stall site. I have a few ideas to make it look more interesting and thus hopefully get more sales. People were interested but I think they just wanted to touch the merino more than buy the merino. Well lets face it merino is pretty common so while trying not to sort ungrateful I found it difficult to be super friendly to people who just wanted to touch it. But anyway I am sure I have gotten over that, because it would be so nice to sell some more.

So to make myself look cool, I found a tutorial on the www.sewprettyfabrics.blogspot.com site which you could make super cute (and easy) mini aprons perfect for markets. Today is cold and now is raining so I made one. It only takes 2 fat quarters so it is pretty cheap too.

Here is the link http://sewprettyfabric.blogspot.com/2011/04/to-market-to-market-to-market-we-go.html if you want to make your own. I am think I am going to make one for a wee party we have coming up but instead of the bigger pockets, smaller pockets to make it a sort of kids pen/crayon holder type thing. Still thinking about it.

You know I even think I got the fabric from the Sew Pretty fabric on-line store! Gosh she doesn't even sponsor me!!!! I have no idea the name of the fabric but it is bright and floral and I think will at least make me look good!

Right we are taking the kids to the Cars 2 movie tonight and I have to get Blair inside from making the fence. We are going "out" for dinner too, good old food court. The kids love it and any chance to have a break from cooking dinner is good for me too!

Tx

Loom knitting

I try to give everything crafty ago. Somethings I am just terrible at and some I am happy with. See knitting with needles not so good, loom knitting pretty happy. Well to be fair is it pretty repetitive and pretty simple. I have made a number of scarves, a baby blanket and I have made two long panel that need sewing together which will be a blanket for Ryan's bed. But I don't know how to sew them together in a nice way. Two words You Tube. You tube taught me a couple of different looming techniques and how to cast off. CRAZY! So really I just have to search and I am sure I can find a way to join the blanket together. Any way the scarf. I used a lovely dusty pink teamed with a smokey grey. I quite like pink and grey together. I used the second to smallest loom. I really should have stuck with the smaller one as the scarf is super heavy and used about $70 of wool. So I am now the proud owner of a super expensive scarf. The smaller loom is perfectly nice, it is what I have used in the past and usually only need two big balls of wool, so about $25 ish worth of wool. I used 100% wool.
I want to get some of the round looms and have a go at making a hat. But then I kind of think how little I wear woolen hats, how much the looms cost and is it worth it. So I guess I will see.

My darling friend has lent me her sewing machine. She is off on holiday for a week and I didn't realise that my next market is next Sunday, like a week away! So I am so grateful. I went and brought a whole bunch of merino yesterday, to fill in some gaps in the colour sizes and try a couple of new colours. Plus I want to make some skirts and a couple of tops! There is never enough time because I also want to play with the kids, hang out with Blair and do some quilting! Oh and it is 10 o'clock and I am still in my PJ's. But i have made a pair of leggings. Oh dear!

Tx

Darn!

My machine has finally quit on me. It has been playing up for a while, missing stitches and just playing up. But the other day it finally said "Enough is enough"!! So it is off to the repair shop. Now the guy there is good. BUT he is a little slow, and not so good at giving accurate times for picking back up. Be ready in a week... Last time it was three weeks :( I tried to explain that I have Ryan's dance coming up and I needed to do sewing for that and he sort of laughed and oh you will be itching to sew aye. Yes, I will, I have too! So a tiny bit stressed.

The upside, I have been cutting loads and loads of my quilt top. Almost cut up all the months now. So I am almost up to date. Yay for the broken machine I guess.

I brought this a little while back and last night I have come up with my quilt design. Hopefully if my maths is all correct it will be big enough for our Queen size bed, Yes I will finally have my own quilt!!!! I am going to do a disappearing 9 square design as my blocks and then big white squares in between. So hopefully not lose the cool designs, but still be quite patchwork in design. I have 12 FQ, so they will be mixed up and bright and colourful and my husband has even said he doesn't mind the floral prints. To be fair I don't really think he would mind what he slept under as long as it is warm. I know I have a few on the go now, but to be fair the store also ran out of the cuddle i need for Ryan's quilt. Talk about a bad run!! So I have to wait for the next order of that to come it so I can finish that.

Right off to cut 5.5 inch squares.

Tx

Half of the next month and a birthday skirt

Wow I have done more on this quilt in the last two days than I have done in FOREVER!!!! The next row is made of 10 smaller blocks, I think it is called whirlwind, maybe. So I have finished one of the colourways, and I really like it. I am not a big triangle fan I must admit. I do like rows, blocks, squares. But for some reason I do like this. And even better I think I have made these quite nicely too. O.k, well not the one I photographed. Why is it the photo always seems to be of the worst one you make??This is quite cute and rather bright and summery, which as it is the middle of winter is quite nice!

I know I said I would blog about a merino I made Ryan, but that last couple of months really has been merino overload for me, so instead I made a skirt. A family that we are friendly with, their daughter is turning 5. So we have a party invite and of course a present to sort. I asked if there was anything they needed and the mum said clothes. Totally awesome for me of course!! I had just ordered most beautiful fabric from Sew Addictive fabrics, when it arrive I knew it would be perfect. I made Adele a skirt last year which was really cute, simple and would show this new fabric off perfect. I sent a text off for measurements and even better I had enough!.

I got the idea from one of those amazing Japanese sewing books. If you ever get the chance to look through one do. It is in Japanese but the pictures are so easy to follow that it makes it look to follow. I just cut the full length of the fabric, worked out how long I wanted each layer and then gathered a little up the side. Then put on an elastic waist band. Super simple and with this fabric I think looks super duper stunning. And of course looks so much better in real life. Not long to the party. Which then means not long till Ryan turns 5 and then starts school. I will have a big boy.

Tx

My quilt along is coming along

I feel like I have been missing in action! The cold we had was so awful, it has taken til today to really feel better. All four of my little family spend hours in bed, watching t.v and pretty much unable to function. I had a couple of Silly Goose orders to get out and they took forever to get right. One top ended up being given away, I just couldn't do it.

But all good now and I have been quilting. Straight sewing is always good. I did another row of Ryan's quilt, so only two to go on that. I need a tiny bit more fabric but that should be finished this week AND hopefully off to the quilters by the end of the week. But I have been finally getting my quilt along quilt top moving. I am so so so far behind. Sewing merino for markets and stuff has really been taking up all my sewing time. So the upside of getting so much done in the last few months is that now I finally have some free-ish time. At the moment I am one and a half months behind. Hopefully by the end of tonight I will have the other half finished, so then will only be one month behind. Super exciting though, I have figured out, oh god the name has now left my brain!!
This ^^^ what is it called again???? Anyway I have been doing this and it makes it so much faster. A million times faster. So I went super duper quick and got my two blocks for what ever month it was now :( done.
So the next month is three blocks and then the five of them are all sewn together to produce the next row. Though in my lack of thought (totally because of sick brain) I am doing the following month, so I wont be able to sew my five blocks together for a wee bit longer.

I have made Ryan a new top, merino of course but I think will tell you all about it tomorrow, on a quilting roll and dont want to break it!

Tx

Felt like blogging, but nothing to blog about

I have sick kids today, so things have been quite and cuddley today. Now that there is a little down time all I have wanted to do was blog, but I haven't done anything!! I watched some soup boil away, but to be fair Blair made most of that, I just supervised. I did a order, but even that is not creative as the purchaser picked the fabrics and I just put it together...

But I guess I have been thinking about my friends daughters birthday. It is the big 5! So I asked was there anything special she would like, after all 5 is a huge celebration. She said clothes, and she like green and purple. So I have been going over patterns, fabric and what to do over and over in my head. It is a month away so I will have to make a start soon. I am thinking a balloon skirt, leggings and a top. A complete outfit for school. But then how nice would a new warn coat be..... Or a fancy shirred dress. Oh the choice!

So anyway folks that is it. No photos, no new creations... right off to administer a few more cuddles.

Tx

A treat for my girl

I saw on Cotton Kiwi she had made a puffball, bubble, balloon (take your pick on the name) skirt for her daughter and I had been looking for such a pattern. She said it was easy, so that sealed the deal and I brought it. Just a side note, I brought it from The Book Depository in the UK, on-line of course, free shipping and cheaper than Whitcoulls! Wow. So I waited and an even bigger surprise it arrived maybe a week. The book is lovely, some great ideas and loads of lovely inspiring photos. And of course the skirt! And yes it was that simple. Even with the gathering and stuff I think you could do it in 1.5 hours. So I did a cotton outer and merino lining. I think it looks great, Adele refuses to wear it. She even hid it and then packed it away in a bag. I told her I would give it away, usually the words to make her wear it, and she said o.k. So very gutted. She is going through a full on pink phase and since this skirt is purple, green and brown she doesn't want it. So it will either go to the kids will friend or my online shop. The elastic is twisted some how in the process so mostly likely to be gifted, if I try to sell it I will have to fix the elastic and since I am so gutted she doesn't like it I don't know if I can fix it.






















So as you can see I have been missing from blog land. I have been busy with TWO markets. I am sure I have mentioned them. One I did really well, well I was pleased. The other one, not so good. But from I have heard from talking to others that is how it can be. But it was still exciting going through the whole experience. There have been a whole bunch of learning from both of them. And I have had a few second round of orders so that is good too. I like the markets because people know exactly what they are buying so they can make that choice on the spot.

Right I have to go make a cake, it is a wet, cold day, so cake will be high on the list of things to eat!

Tx