The new year is coming quickly!

What a year it has been...

I did forget to take some piccies of the other Christmas things I did such as the Reindeer taggies for presents which were very cute but no doubt will do more next year.

Have spent the last few weeks lusting after a book of softies and finally got around to making a few and the mind was whirring while loving every moment of it. Current thought is.....

The website The Bedbug is getting a sister site The Fabricbug (currently in testing phase). This will be stocking all the licensed fabrics that I get in. I often have scraps and bits and piece from the end of bolts that I have been wondering what to do with. So the whiring brain decided it would be a good idea to whip up some softies and sell them on the site. As the cost is minimal and I just love sewing I've decided that I will donate the bulk of the money to my favourite charity Adra and to the women's refuges they run in Australia.

Here are some of the prototypes:
1. Polar fleece Alien: I have this polar fleece in Dora, Thomas and princesses as well as plain blue and cream so should make some cute ones. Was also thinking of felt for eyes for bubs. He is about 30cm long and nice and cuddly. Price $20 and donate $15







2. Rabbit: Archer already thinks this is hilarious and has taken great delight in whacking everything he can with it. (He looks a tad wriggly in this as I had just rescued him from a whacking attack). He is about 25cm long and just squishy! Have heaps of fabrics that I can use including Dora, Thomas, Cars, Princesses, Winnie the Pooh as well as a heap of craft prints that would be great out of my fabric stash.
Price $15 and donate $10






3. Owl: Did the front and back panel of this on in Treehouse "Rumble in the Jungle" fabric and hope to get some more in so it can match the stock that we have in the store. It's is stuffed really firmly and eyes and nose are in felt. He is almost pillowlike. Sits about 20-25cm high. Price $30 and donate $20.







That is if I don't give them all to the kids first. They are so cute!!!

Also got this great Sock Monkey book but am saving that for the next holiday where I need to hand sew to keep me busy. Would love to hear feedback on this idea though.

It's Christmas present time!

I love Christmas crafts. Everything about them and love making presents for friends and family. Here is some of the stuff I've put together over the last 2 weeks. (Needless to say the fingers are a tad sore.


1. More magic blocks - now with photos. Here is some pic's of some of them. Present for Dad.
2. Rudolph tea towel. Needs a bow around his neck but need to get get some red ribbon. Presents for the lovely Kym, Billy's kinder teacher.
3. Revesible shopping bag. Whipped this up this afternoon for mum. Easy pattern, popped a jeans pocket in it as a pocket and the base of the fabric is reversed. All made on the overlocker except for the overstitching. Took about 1 hour from picking up the fabric to the finish. Is a present for Mum but I really love it. Is going to be hard to give this one away.

The wall hangings for the babe.

I forgot to put them in here. Whilst not technically sewing then are fabric on fabric and just look fantastic so they must go here. I will get back to the fabric and maybe whip a quilt with the offcuts but they are just so cute. 9 inch square blocks with contrasting fabrics and low and behold an easy wall feature in the nursery.

It's been a while between posts

The mojo is flagging due to madly sewing blocks as Christmas presents. So what does one do..... fabric shop. There is a new seller on ebay that is soon to become my best friend and they don't even know it yet. Here is a few of the purchases tonight.

Japanese Fabric, a wallhanging is born

Thanks to a very very clever friend getting some work put out by the Lonely planet about Japan, I have been dreaming about the stash of Japanese fabrics I had sitting there waiting for a project.

Saw a something a while ago in this style of fabric so have whipped it up into a similar design. Shocking photo but will post a proper one when I have put a border on. No idea how yet but that is the next task.

That and might make a little crane out of fabric for the hole.
Will see....hope to have it finished next week so check back.

THE Block

This is just the best toy ever and thanks to a scrap booking friend with great ideas have big plans for Christmas presents and photo's on fabric. It is a fabric cube that just folds out and out and out and so on.

Easy to make.....(I promise Shannon)

There is a new baby.....

Well, way to get me to really knit in a hurry. The beautiful Sienna decided to arrive 5 weeks early so the cot blanket quickly became a pram blanket. I used a heap of different wools and just knitted 9 squares and then crocheted the edge. Managed to finish it the morning I popped in to see her. It has now taken pride of place on the edge of the cot eagerly waiting her to come home and snuggle under it.

Quilts of the past

Have had a few requests for pictures for some other stuff I've done.

Here are the favourites.
First is "Breaking the Drought" by Lisa Walton from "Dyed and Gone to Heaven" fame. Here is her link for the pattern: www.dyedheaven.com/store/pattern_kits/breaking_the_drought.html" Mine however is just "Full on Drought". It's hanging in our dining room on the wall and I just love sitting and looking at it. I was lucky enough to meet Lisa at a Quilting conference and chatted about the colours I wanted so she helped me choose. They worked so well together. There is also beading, hand painting, embellishing with silk cocoons, ribbons and thread.





















The next favourite was one I made while pregnant with my second child. I needed to do heart as I love them so, but it needed to be boyish. So this is what happened. I really need a lesson in good quilt photographer though as you can't see the quilted hearts in the middle that well.




Last but not least is the gift I made my mum. She wanted something retro and I was in my traditional quilting phase. It is lovely and I am so glad she has it over her lounge, ready to be pulled over as a rug for a snooze at a moments notice.

Eye spy quilt

Almost forgot.

Just a little something I whipped up this afternoon in preperation for our long drive to Brissy. An eye spy quilt. Lots of things to look for and a bit of fur for fun (or rather I ran out of fabric so had to improvise.)

Task 2 down.

OK, tasks were:
1. Amy Butler Bag - check
2. What are little boys made of - NOW CHECK!!!
Just leave the other two on the list for now.


Finished this quilt this afternoon after 3 years in the making. The majority of it is hand sewn. Silly idea really but thought it right at the time. Back it with polar fleece and no wadding. I really wanted this to be a snuggle and use lots type of quilt. (Just saw threads that need snipping in the photo too!)

Just folded over the PF at the edges for the binding. Looks a tad on the dodgy side but I am so over this. At least the back is sooooo very neat thanks to a friend and her mum and their "green pinning carpet". Not a hiccup in sight.

Darling son though, when presented with the gift his mother had toiled over had one thing to say. "Looks good mum, you give it to A, my has to have dinosaurs". Cheeky brat! Does he not realise this took me 3 years!!!

Well I'm sure the baby will love it and I guess I am on the lookout for a quilt with Dinosaurs.

Fabric Heaven!

I have found the shop of my dreams!

http://stores.ebay.com.au/Funky-Fabrix

Oh my! I am in love. Currently desperately trying to finish some projects but the new knitting bug gets in the road.

Almost finished B's quilt and he has told me, "It's good mum. You give it to A though, I want dinosaurs" Grrr!!!! So will see. Should have it done this week so will post some pics then.

Got a pattern also to make origami fabric cranes. A doesn't have a mobile for his room yet so thing I might whip one up at some stage.

All most finished hand sewing the fabric blocks also so check back for more photos of those......phew. If only I didn't need to sleep!

Thanks to Mum and Youtube....

I can now knit. Being left handed means it is a challenge and I defiantly had mum scratching her head but Youtube saved the day. So far a cardy for Archer's has been whipped up. I will get a piccie of him wearing it even though it is almost too small. I am very proud of it for my first attempt.

I then knitted up this soft rabbit toy on a trip to the farm last weekend. It has no face as I need to get some thin black wool. I only had thick and every time I sew it up it look plain evil so I have to unpick it. Will post it again when it doesn't look demented.

Off to start a top for me now and Billy has now put in an order for a jumper. After all, why should Archer and I have all the fun!

Comments

Thanks guys - isn't that fabric fantastic! There is an ebay seller in the UK with some interesting finds. Here is another with Goldfish in bags. You have to look close to see all the different names and characteristics. Archer is getting a magic block from this. I just have to learn how to make it. Thursday night is quilting night this week so new photos coming!

Karen Stone Quilt.....a continued work in progress

Sigh...this one so hard. Every quarter I have been taking pic's of to get the colour match right. Here is some of them so far. Each quarter is taking me ages but I just love the look of it. It is going to one day be a wall hanging in my sewing area. I have the wall space just sitting there crying out to be covered

New fabric.

Oh oh oh....the best fabric arrived today.

Is destined to be the inside of a messenger bag (I know, no new projects yet.....)need to look for the right outside fabric anyway.

Here's a snapshot of it.

Well, that wasn't hard.

No idea why I held out on making this cute tote. Was easy as (just ignore the threads in the pic that have now been trimmed). Is reversible and has great potential for funkiness in future sewing adventures.

I think this will become a favourite pattern!

Why hello

Ok, time to give myself a boot up the backside and finish some projects that are sitting there. This will also give me the chance to put out there what I'm working on and chance to reflect when I am stuck.

Currently on the go are:

• Amy Butler Handbag
• Daisez Quilt
• What little boys made of Quilt
• Karen Stone Cinz De Mayo Quilt

Figure if I aim for 1 a month to be finished I might get some of the other stuff that I want to do.