show and tell

Hey everyone, here is a wee bit of show and tell 🙂

I know it seems like ages ago already but I made a couple of Christmas quilts for my youngest two.

Christmas quilt for master M.

I love the cute fabrics in this one for Master M. I scrolled through a million pinterest images of quick and easy quilt ideas and stumbled across this one by Just Quilty. I had yardage rather than precuts but it was easy enough to recreate this design. It is just the right weight for a hot and humid Queensland Christmas.

Of course one Miss K saw this she HAD to have one too. I was reluctant to get fabric that was too ‘young’ for Miss K, after all she will be 10 years old soon. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a gorgeous Christmas Jelly roll and added my own fabrics to it. I also made a matching quilted pillow case, just because.

 

My next project was a play mat for a nephew soon to arrive. I had chosen these fabrics ages ago with this purpose in mind and had seen this quilt at One last stitch, and just adjusted the measurements to suit the size I was after. I think it turned out super cute and is nice and soft for baby to roll around on. 

That was my last project for 2014!!

My how time flies. I say it every year, but then the next year whizzes by just as quickly. Did you make any new years resolutions this year? Normally I have resolutions of saving all my money, losing all my cuddly (wobbly) bits and running a super efficient sparkly clean lifestyle all without a single glass of wine. This year I have been a bit more realistic (I hope). I pledged to resist the temptation of buying delicious new fabrics and work on all the projects I have already waiting for me. My stash has steadily grown with my sewing addiction and I am running out of room.

But ……..

So here I am half way through January with even more fabric (have decided to search for a larger storage solution instead). However I have successfully finished two quilts, a library bag and hosted a sew along for 9 eager children. I am well on the way to completing all the unfinished, yet to be started projects waiting patiently for me. 🙂

First finish for 2015. a gift for one of my brothers and his lovely wife.

 

This was a pattern I saw in an Australian Patchwork and Quilting magazine, I have changed it slightly though.

Yes, this fabric is a recent purchase- but how could I NOT have it? Its perfect for Miss K’s Library bag 🙂

 

These are all the lovely kiddos I had come visit me to learn to sew a Fancy Pillow case. They all had a great day and their creations are awesome 🙂

Well, that’s me for now, hope everyone had a great Christmas and New year. May your fabric be plentiful and your seam ripper gather dust. x

 

 

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My hand quilted Double Wedding ring.

So in my last post you would have seen the dresses I made for a very special wedding. Well now let me show you the gift I gave the bride and groom. It is a hand quilted double wedding ring.

 

You can buy the pattern here. The quilt is made from fabrics chosen by the women of both sides of the family, making rings that represent both the bride and the groom, both family rings interlocking. Cute huh?

Naturally the quilt was quality tested by my supervisor Buddy the cat.

This quilt was a Quilt as you go pattern. I didn’t use a hoop, and struggled with finding a comfortable thimble
Hence my new callous on my finger

 

 

The back of the quilt is pretty as well.

 

 

So there you have it- I ADORED making this quilt, it was a labor of love from start to finish!

 

I am alive and well- and have been sewing like mad!

So honestly- What on earth happens to time?! I blink and months have past! Crikey!!
Wow I have so much to show you!! First and foremost- I have the absolute pleasure of sharing the news that I have two new sisters!! Two of my little brothers have gotten married since  I last posted. There really is nothing quite like beautiful weddings- especially when you adore those that are getting married.
And guess what!! I made the flower girls dresses!! And they turned out pretty ok!
Here is my Miss K in her dress.

Not bad hey!?

Lets ignore the fact that I had previously unpicked a dress so much I had to throw it away and start again shall we? 😉

I had a love-hate relationship with these dresses, I had trouble deciphering some of the pattern and ended up ‘winging it’ a few times. And for the life of me I couldn’t get my ruffles and hem lines completely straight. Argh!! I also made a few changes to the dresses, they are sash-less, and on both of the dresses the sizing measurements were cut across a few sizes as it was fairly generous. The pattern is B4967 Butterick.
I have not used many Butterick patterns, and I found the dresses challenging, it is more from my lack of experience working with slippery and fine fabrics and my inability to understand some sewing terminology. But I still love the end results.

Hand Quilting

Here we are in a fast paced, instant, modern world. Crafters and seamstresses from days long gone had none of the modern day tools we use today, even fabric itself was scarce. They were thrifty and would sew out of necessity as well as for love. I find it all rather fascinating really.

It seems that quilting is a new and intense fascination of mine.  (I have a lot of quilting posts coming your way). Even my all time favourite author Jane Austen was a quilter!

 

(Image courtesy of here)
Why on earth would I even look at hand quilting you ask? Well truth be told, I looked into it purely because I wanted to give quilting a go but my little tiny Elna was not walking foot compatible. I laybyed myself a new machine that had lots of features but I knew it would take me ages to pay it off. Enter the art of hand quilting.

I began my journey, as I often do, with YouTube. I found a simple block and machine pieced a top together (I lost a few points, but I left them like that. I have learnt to love my imperfections). And I even used polyester (eeep!!!) for the sashing and binding because it was all I had in my stash.

I do not have a hoop (although I am hinting for one for mothers day) and my basting was done by what safety pins I already had in my kit. But still I went ahead and quilted, my stitches were big but fairly even. It is very very far from being a perfect quilt, but I do not care. I loved making this quilt so much. Curling up on my lounge of a night and quilting that sandwich together did good things to my soul. It was just so..peaceful.

 

This Hand Quilted lap quilt now sits on my Mothers lounge to keep her warm on cool nights while she reads or watches TV. She loves it and I loved making it for her.

Liebster Blog Award

Well, how is this for some happy news!? The lovely Barbara from barbarajanemade has nominated me for a Liebster Award! Barbara you made my day! Of course, being a new blogger I had absolutely no idea what a Liebster award was so I did a bit of research. It is an award given to fresh new baby bloggers by other bloggers. It is given to those with blogs with 200 or less followers. It spreads love and encouragement throughout the blogging universe. I am so happy to be a part of it!

If you wish to except the award you have been nominated for, the rules are as follows (copied from Barbara’s blog)

Thank the person who gave you the award,  linking back to that persons blog. Copy and paste the Liebster Award on to your own profile. Answer 5 questions your nominator has asked. Pick 5 blogs you feel deserve to be noticed (they have to have less than 200 followers). Ask them 5 questions. Let them know they have been nominated by leaving a comment on their blog.

 

So now here is a little snippet of me, questions asked by Barbara:

Do you have a favourite sewing or knitting skill? I don’t think so, I am hungry to learn everything. I get completely lost in my projects and lose track of time. Sometimes til wee hours of the morning (a habit I really must break).

Why do you like it? My most recent projects have been quilts both machine and hand sewn! I have actually really been loving Hand Quilting. It is a tricky rhythm to learn but once you get the knack it is so relaxing to sit in front of the telly with your quilt in your lap and stitch away. I even found an amazing group of dedicated Hand Quilters from all over the world who have been a wealth of information. The group is celebratehandquilting. They are also on facebook.

How did you learn to sew or knit? I was never really taught by one person, just self taught myself by playing around on a cheap sewing machine- I did take a handful of lessons with my local fabric shop which was worth every cent, I grew so much more confident. I also did a few Craftsy online lessons which are also really helpful.

What is your favourite time of year? Weather wise- my favourite time of year hands down is spring. Festivities wise- Christmas time!!!

What do you like about it? Spring time in Queensland is beautiful, the days are warm but not yet too humid, and everything just seems that little bit brighter and happier.
Christmas time is a love that I have inherited from a family full of Christmas nutters! We start planning our Christmas very early in the year- Who’s house? What’s on the menu? How to decorate? Then there is all the Christmas crafts, shopping, Gift giving and gathering of loved ones. How could it not be a favourite!

So there you have it! Now lets introduce my nominees…

Drum roll please…

I wish to nominate

Liz from Busy Lizzy In Brizzy

Janet from Middle Aged Mama

RoseMary from heartandsoulquilts

Helen from Patchwork Bliss

Wendy from Wehago Designs.

I also want to sneak in another lovely blogger Kez from Stitching Ribbons

I have no idea how many followers these lovely blogs have, so if you have over 200, please just think of this nomination as admiration of your lovely pages. x
Here are your questions

Why did you start blogging?
If you could add a room to your house just for you- what would it look like?What are your top five favourite movies?
Tell me something you are looking forward to in 2014?
Tell me about a happy memory, one that makes you smile- no matter how big or small. 🙂

Have a great day!!

Phew- Another birthday cake done!

 

One of the greatest joys of being the Birthday boy is getting to choose a cake. So guess what I’ve been doing all night?!
Here are a couple of pics of the latest creation for Mr 3 . I promise I have some fantastic sewing projects to show you all too, but flip-a-dip my kitchen looks like a bomb site!

 

 

 

Its been ages!!

Wowzers- its been so flippin long since Ive posted! I have been doing plenty of sewing but none for me! All gifts. And whats more.. I can only show you one because I havent ‘given’ the others to their new owners yet!

Meet the Rag Quilt. Its my first go at quilting. I have always adored quilts. They are precious keepsakes that wrap you up in the love they were made with.

This quilt was made with cotton squares 6″ x 6″ and cotton batting cut at 5″ x5″. Its ragged up nicely in the first wash. I was so pleased!!! Now I just have to give the other gifts to their new homes so I can show you my other pretties!

Jungle January- Just made it!!

So its the last day of January! I have really wanted to join in the Jungle January fun.  And right at the very end of January I found the perfect fabric! So here is my Jungle January….

This dress is NewLook 6889 in version A. The only change I made was to the length, which I made a tad shorter. And I added a sash. There are no fastenings to this dress and its a nice comfortable fit. Easy as pie and the red leopard print is just plain AWESOME!

What else have I been up to you ask? Well, its the middle of a Queensland summer- so I’ve been crocheting a scarf! I know it makes absolutely no sense, but on a stinking hot day- I love to switch on the old clunky air conditioner to freezing and start crocheting. I am not the best crocheter yet either but I am happy to give it a whirl. Here is my no pattern scarf. Its basically just a row of chain stitches to the width you want then an alternating double crochet and chain stitch until you get to the length you want and then add some tassels! Easy as pie! This one is made on a large hook with nice soft and chunky yarn. It will look great with a pair of jeans when winter eventually rolls around.

Now that the first week back at school is done and dusted and the family is getting back into the ‘school routine’ I am hoping for more time with my beloved sewing machine. I have itchy fingers after receiving some new patterns in the mail this week from the lovely Valerie at Valerie’s own sewing blog. Plus a few more ‘must makes’ floating about in my head. If only there were more hours in the day! 🙂

No Sewing- But there is CAKE!

My twin boys turn 12 tomorrow!! Where on earth does the time go? Their favourite ‘thing’ at the moment is a game called Minecraft. If you have kids around the same age, chances are you know exactly what I’m talking about. For this years birthday I have made them a Minecraft cake each. (Ain’t no way they be sharing a cake as well as a birthday!) So tonight I am just sharing some photos. Have a great Australia Day tomorrow! I know we will. x

I have to add a little credit here to Sew Delicious. If it wasn’t for the unbelievably cute Fox cake I may have just bought a ready made cake each for the boys, but this post reminded me of how special ‘Mummy Made’ can be. x

Back to school- Library Bag

Well hello there! Only a few more days left of the school holidays. I can almost hear every one sigh with relief. This year my big boys start High School (holy smokes!) and my gorgeous girl is going back to school. I have been homeschooling Miss K and loving it but unfortunately my bank account is insisting I go back to work. So school it is! In a mad rush we have managed to get her uniform, shoes and books all sorted. On the list of items she will need for the school year was a Library Bag. I have to admit, I did intend on buying one from a shop. That was until I saw the prices of them and how terrible they looked!

Being a beginner and still finding my feet with my sewing machine (no pun intended) I ran through the motions of making this bag in my head over and over and over again. And when I actually got out the machine and stitched it together I was really surprised at how quick and easy it was!  This drawstring bag can be made in any size- so I reckon home made giftbags would look great for that bottle of wine or to hold some little pretties for a childs birthday, even a fancy bag for swimming gear or kindy sheets.

So, yes, this is my first go at a tutorial. Keep in mind this is one beginner showing other beginners- if you have any tips and pointers please please comment after the post! I’ve put together some pics of the process in hopes I can help along another sewing newbie.

EASY PEASY LIBRARY BAG

Things you will need:

Your chosen fabric (pre-washed and ironed of course!)
Fabric scissors
Tape measure
Pins
Bodkin or safety pin
Drawstring or cord
and your Sewing Machine and Iron.

The first thing you will need to do is cut your fabric. I am making a library bag so I found a nice big book to help me decide on size.
Once you have worked out how big you want your bag (make sure to add in 1.5cm or about 5/8″  for seam allowance!) cut out 2 lining pieces and two outer fabric pieces all measuring the same size.

Now on the top of each piece, measure and mark 1.5 – 2 inches (depending on how thick your drawstring is)

Next you will be sewing the lining pieces together with right sides together. start and finish at the marks you have just made. repeat with the outer fabric, stitching with right side together. You will end up with something like this..

Now trim those bottom corners a bit so your bag doesn’t end up with bulky corners. Careful not to cut the stitching. Make sure you do both the outer fabric and the lining fabric.

Now you need to iron those seams apart. The iron really is a sewers best friend.

Still with me? Great. See those open bits.. that will be where the drawstring slides though- so lets stitch those. Aim to sew straight down the center of that seam allowance ( I used my presser foot as my guide). Sew all the way down to just past the bottom of the slit. With your needle still down, turn your fabric and stitch across to the other side (I did a little back stitch here for extra strength) turn again and straight back up to the top. It will look like a little U shape when you are done. Repeat this step on all the other little slits.

Fantastic! Now turn the Outer fabric right side out. Put the lining inside with seams lined up. You will have the wrong sides together now..

Pin the top edges together and stitch across the top, I used my presser foot as my gauge for this, once you have done that, iron this seam toward the inside like so…

Looking good, now you need to measure and fold this edge again, pin in place because this is going to be the casing for your drawstring. once you are all pinned, stitch nice and close to the edge. We are almost done!

Now you will need your Bodkin or a simple safety pin will work too. Thread your drawstring through the casing of your bag. If you have enough to do two loops it will make pulling it shut easier, but one loop will work fine too. That’s all I have used here.

And once its threaded, tie the ends or stitch them together. Woohoo! Look at your stylin’ bag. Pretty easy huh?