Playing teacher

A while a go a friend had been asking question about sewing, how to start, what machine to get, you know all that sort of stuff you think about when you are about to start a project. I sort of forgot that I had a spare machine, so one day I was sewing away and I was looking at it and I thought "I should lend this to her so she can see if she really wants to do some sewing". Sewing takes a bit of investment so if you can try it out first at least you know it isn't a waste of money.

So we got together and I showed her how to make a twirly skirt for her daughter. My other spare machine (promise I only have two and one is broken) has  a crazy fault in it and gathers fabric super duper well. On this day it was even more super duper than normal. So in the end we had two amazing twirly skirts. The most twirly in history. Both the skirts ended up with just shy on 2 metres of fabric. Yes the waist bands have to be rather snug to keep them up. Adele's skirt is made of cord, so very heavy.

I regularly go to a fabric store in Otara and they have the left overs from Pumpkin Patch. I think the cord was about $6 a metre and branded!

Check out the twirl. Didn't her mummy do a great job! This one is cupcakes fabric. Of course my over locker had a fit on the day which was a pain. I think the needles were really blunt. I have since changes them and cross fingers every thing is going much better.

 

I had to laugh at us, it really felt 1920's. Getting together for a morning of sewing. It was a great way to get a project finished. Plus we now have two happy girls.

Tx

Chocolate Creations

I was wandering round Spotlight awhile ago now, probably, time goes fast. I saw these cool looking chocolate moulds. I thought that looks like fun. Sent a FB update out and a friend said yes they were fun and she had a kit I could borrow. So she and her son came out one morning and the kids had a go at making chocolates.

I feel bad that I don't do more crafting activities with Adele. We live in chaos a lot of the time so adding glitter and glue and paint to it all seems a bit overwhelming. Since my friend and I did this morning we have decided to once a month set aside a morning to do some sort of crafting activity. I think next time will involve glue and glitter. With just the two of them we found we could take our time and really let them do it. I thought they would get over it quickly but they didn't. Which I was sort of gutted about as I wanted a go! Since our morning I have been out and brought a couple more moulds so I can do butterflies and work tools with them again.

So we broke up bars of Whittaker chocolate. The best in my opinion. She had the kit with the perfect size double boiler (I think that is what it is called).

Scooped the chocolate into the moulds.

It took about 10 mins to set. It really was so easy and quick. I was very proud of them.

Long weekend this weekend, looking forward to three days of not having to rush anywhere. And you know what, I am planning on doing as little as possible so I can RELAX! Well relax as much as you can with two kids.

Tx

A Raincoat

Poor Ryan, now he is a school boy he doesn't get as many clothes made for him. He wears a uniform so there isn't the same need for new things. Last year I brought a "Make it Perfect, Big Downtown Boy" jacket pattern. Like a lot of things it was put on a pile and sort of forgotten about. A few weeks back I really wanted to make him something. He even has a uniform jacket so a full jacket was out, but, then, he NEEDED a rain coat, and to be fair he really did. His old one wasn't really a raincoat and was way to small. Perfect.

Spotlight had a whole to a light weight oilcloth type stuff. Like most fabric there was loads of cute girls fabric and lots of baby boys but not really any big boys fabric. I ended up getting him spots. Not particularly exciting but really was the pick of the bunch for him. I lined it with a fine, but really warm merino/polyprop blend. The jacket can get scrunched down small into his back, but is functional and warm.

The pattern, wonderful as per usual. As you know I just love her patterns. The only thing is I think they run a bit small. I made a size 7, Ryan 5 years old. I thought the 7 would be quite a bit big so he would get two years but this fits perfect. He is a big boy and usually wears a 6, but still... Sewing the fabric and then the knit. Wow that was a challenge. The slippery raincoat stuff and then the knit that went all out of shape, very much was a nightmare. Ryan loves it though so he is happy and the faults can't be noticed once it is on.

I feel like I have made quite a hit on my list. A couple of things left to go, but alas I am starting to get orders to work through. I am grateful of course for the orders. Just that whole juggling act of being a mummy and a crafter.

Tx

Quilt for the Baby

Another project also finished. Just needs the binding. I am going to do it in the bright pink in the squares.

So this quilt is from a Modern quilting book, wonky nine patch or something like that. So I must point out that I wanted to make the blocks and I used only what I had in my sewing room. So a lot of scraps and some not really designed or colour suited to each other. If I was to make it for a purpose I certainly would pick fabrics that went together better. But such a long time ago I just want to make it so I went with what I had. It is perfectly fine for a baby quilt and overall I am happy with it. I even stitched together left over pieces of batting, so it really was a free quilt! I did buy the backing, but it was on special. I have enough of the blocks left over I can make a gift non-matching fabrics quilt too. There are a few babies being born around here so maybe. Oh and the backing is a flannel with Disney princesses.

I am a little proud of myself to as I quilted it. Usually I send it off to get quilted.  But I did it myself. There is a bit of puckering under it, but overall it is o.k. And you only really see the top so I am not to worried. Massive envy though of people who do quilting on a standard machine. I got quite a sweat up trying to pull it round and through my machine.

I have finished Ryan's raincoat, but he is at school with it and still don't have a photo so that might be tomorrows plan.

Today Adele and I (and a friend) are going to make some moulded chocolate. We left Playcentre earlier this year, had been involved for about 4 years and just had a clash of personalities and since PC was pretty much the world to this other lady I moved on. Was quite sad about the whole thing but alas these thing happen. So anyway Adele doesn't do as much hands on crafting. She is at kindy but not the same as sitting down with mum and making a project. So as I was feeling guilty (mums, we are our own worst enemies) I thought this would be a cool project to do together. So could be a sucess or a huge chocolate mess. Either way, I think and hope it will be fun.

Tx

The super duper twirly skirt

I have been so busy with the Women's Expo I did on the weekend that the list of clothing I want to make for myself and the kids is getting longer and longer and longer! I now know I can't do everything! Well not at once.

So the expo is done and dusted. It was average. A lot of work for not as many sales as I had hoped. But now I have done it, I would have spent a lot of time wondering "should I have done it". Next year, not so sure. But then I wont be 6 months pregnant so it might be a bit more achievable. Who knows?

I caught up with a friend for coffee and a trip to Spotlight on Tuesday when our girls were at kindy. We had her wee man, but he was such a star and my perfect helper. Helped me pick out a zip for a future project. So of course when you have loads of stuff at home to work on, what do you do... Buy new fabric of course! I had been eyeing up this Little Red Riding Hood fabric for ages. The the roll was starting to get a bit low. It was expensive, well for me but I thought what the heck. Even better it was on sale. I am thinking of getting some more, they have The Cow Jumped Over The Moon too. I think it will be brilliant for a pair of overalls I have in mind for the baby. This is a long long story... The next day is coffee group and for some reason I just had to make Adele something new for coffee group. Luckily for me Blair was home so he took Ryan to school and I set about making Adele a new skirt. Her twirly skirt was starting to get a bit short from last year so I set about cutting strips for a new twirly skirt. It worked out fantastic. I made the top layer a bit tight, so the layers appear super twirly, it is a bit tricky to pull on and off for her. I am thinking about making another one and bit more roomy. Though I do like how it makes the twirly layers more, well, twirly.

So what I did.... Usually I cut a full width of fabric for the top band, I don't know why, but I cut it smaller. Bad mistake! So if you plan to make this, FULL width of fabric. I made it to 6 inches wide. Then the layers at 5 inches. I used two for the second layer, needed three I think and then 4 for the third layer at the 5 inches again. Should have cut 5. I gathered the two layers as much as I could. This makes for super twirly action. Sewed the layers together and then sewed up the back. Folded over the top to make a space for elastic and off we went.

She is so funny, skipping jumping at every chance to make the skirt flip up. I think she rather likes it.

So this week I want to do Ryan's raincoat, a quilt for the baby and a ballet bag for Adele. Oh and a Jedi coat for Ryan. The list is always expanding so who knows what will be finished.

Tx