PRESENTS!!!!

WOOT!!! Love this time of year. Presents are going out thick and fast. So far we have had:

Cafe apron in super retro green and chocolate, where I got to practice a little flappy border thingie (I know there is a technical name for it and can't remember what it is).


Then a use for that funny bottom fabric. Another of those great little shopper bags.

The always useful pencil/crayon rolls. Whipped up another of these last night and handed it out and forgot to take a pic so you will have to imagine a third.



Last but not least, the end result of the sandwich and fruit pack. A little lunch bag with 2 pieces of bread, cheese, ham, tomato, cucumber, boiled egg slices and baby spinach leaves. Also a few strawberries to finish it off.

Sunday Stash Week 6 (on Monday)

I think you may have seen this in something I've made however I have a stack of it and just love the colours! Looks great with hot pink.

Stash Sunday - Week 5 (oops, missed week 4!)

For the love of Batiks. Some of the luscious fabric I picked up in Malaysia.

It's a Mummy!

While technically fabric, we have a mummy for a dress up party!

I might add for those considering a dress up, this is potentially the easiest costume you could ever consider. Just make sure your first aid cert is up to date as there are a few tricky corners. Also make sure there are shorts a a t-shirt underneath.

Ode to Red

While terribly disappointed in the photo, this quilt just turned out lovely. A smattering of all my favourite reds with variegated red thread stippling. It was a gift to someone that shares the red love. She has just finished her uni degree and over the years I have got to know her will be great in her chosen profession. I wish her all the best and hope she likes this gift as much as I enjoyed making it for her.

More Christmas Presents!

I'm on a roll and loving getting ready for Christmas.

Found this fantastic pattern for fabric shopping bags so have been sewing up a storm. The they fold up into themselves also so easy to chuck in the handbag or nappy bag.

There is a bottle of wine and 2 soft drinks bottles in that one standing up and heaps more room. There is also shown one all folder up and ready to go. Super easy!!

Sunday Stash Week 3

Arm reaching in......foraging about and......

RETRO!!!
I've tried to use this heaps but it just hasn't happened. The right time will come.

Felt Food.

How cool is felt food!

Have a stack of little girls to give Christmas pressies to this year, so felt food it is.

So far we have about a loaf of sliced bread, block of sliced cheese, cucumber, spinach leaves and tomato. To come is: Ham (still working that one out, think I might needle felt some white streaks into it), strawberries and cupcakes. Then a little lunch bag for them to go into. I have been on a role so am making enough that when my little one is older he will have them to play with too.

Sunday Stash Week 2

Hasn't that week gone fast.

I reached my arm in and look what came out. This fabric just makes me giggle. I have no idea what I will do with it - BOTTOMS!!!

Stash Sunday - Week 1

Stash Sunday was started by those talented EB quilters to ensure blog posts and to show off the lovely fabric hidden in draws.

In the theme of Christmas I thought I would do my first Stash Sunday post with 2 of my favourites that I have been chopping up today. I know the rules are just one but these are so similar they count as one......don't they?

Another another sneaky peak.

First homemade Christmas present finished and here is the proof.

Yes, you don't know what it is, that is because this is the fabric of it, hiding the present within. How divine is this print!!! You should see the finished thing.

I love making gifts for people.

Sneak peaks.....

The latest quilt in the making.....

I just love it.

Fabrics from afar.

After just coming back from the best holiday in Malaysia, I have to share a small purchase.

I am not a huge fan of batiks or Asian prints or even hibiscus flowers. However I fell in love with these. No idea what I will do with them but great stash builders.

It's housewarming time.

And what better way with more quilty goodness.

Oh, I just love, love, love this. The photo doesn't do it justice. A close colleague and friend has just bought her first unit with her boyfriend. This is a little housewarming gift. She deserves so much happiness. It is a pattern from DUQ and is called "The Fishing Net"


Was a little disappointed that the white of the border isn't the same as the white of the squares (I ran out and had to race back to spotlight 2 days after) but it is hardly noticeable.



In the real light you can see the quilting far better. It gives the appearance of a fishing net.




Now, to sew more or mark assignments. What to do...?

Quilts for Babies

Love a good quilt marathon.

When a square like this:


Gets turned into this: A Winter's Garden
These EB quilting girls are very very clever!

A present for the the Teacher

It's been a long time between posts. Not because I haven't been doing anything but because most of what I have been doing is for people that read here.
It is Billy's teachers birthday today - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

I asked him all her favourite colours and what she liked. We decided I would make a little sewing carry all but he would need to help make it pretty and pick the fabric from the fabric cupboard.

Here is the result:

Apron made for the Sassy Apron Swap.

YAY! She liked it!!

It's blogged here Raelene's Blog.

Now, to find the fabric for one for me.

Sassy Apron Swap

It's taken a bit for me to put up the photo but I have already worn and washed my apron many times. It is lovely!

I don't know if my person has a blog but here is a piccy of it!


I am a bad swapper. Mine has only just gone out. I won't post a pic as she sometimes reads here but I hope she likes it and will post a piccie on Monday after she has it.

Lovely wool-like things

Well, it's been a long time between posts. Going back to work and uni has interrupted the creative streak.

I did however get the chance to make this scarf the other day. It is made from half a wool top and some scraps of wool all sewn together. I just love it and get lots of comments on it which is nice!

Softie Swap

I've been part of a softie swap. After much deliberation and arguing with my sewing machine and it's naughty tension I have finally finished it.

I hope my Swap partner likes him. I as so tempted to keep him as I think he is gorgeous and will just have to make another.

He's made in lovely flannels with some vintage buttons and trim to finish it off. He's called George in the book but we think he is really a "Henry".

Handmade Birthday Presents

I must admit is it getting hard as they get older but the lovely Ness pointed me to the direction of crochet finger puppets. She modified the matching castle and so they were made.

Orginal pattern from here and here but if you check out Ness's she added in a Prince and a Witch.....clever clogs! I am not that clever nor have the inclination as if you will remember, I vowed to not crochet toys again!

It's the day of the party!

It has arrived. There is excitement in the house. I must say I am glad....I am over the Dinosaur/dragon theme this year. I long for pretty cakes......

Anyways, here is Mr B's birthday cake for his party today. His tail is a tad short as I miscalculated the size and his scales aren't scaly enough but B loves it and that is all that matters!!





And just for the fun of it...here is the Master A's first birthday cake from feb. If I am breaking the craft only posts I may as well do it properly!

My big boy is going to be six!

I'm breaking my "only craft posts" rule. Tomorrow my big baby is turning 6. According to him there are so many things that a 6 year old can do that a 5 year old can't. They can read, say grace and bedtime prayers (though as 3 year old he could do this but not a 4 or 5!!!), amazing!

While the party is on Sunday complete with dinosaur cake, he has once again requested bug cupcakes. As I love making them so much I didn't argue so here they are in all their glory.

Happy Birthday to my B boy!!

Birthday Fat Quarter Swap

Well the EB girls are truly amazing and this is the sort of thing that happens on your birthday. Your postie gets really cranky and has to drive up and plonk a huge amount of mail on your door s it doesn't fit in your mail box. It then happens to be full of lovely lovely fat quarters and other lovely little surprizes. You guys rock, you really do.

Here is the most eclectic mixture of lovely lovely fabric:

Top Row: Adds (HUGE piece of Robert Kaufman, Amanda - AJ(Lovely spots - think it's prints charming), Bec (Retro cats in Paris!), Joy (lovely pink and yellow print), Leah (chocolate print on dusky pink. Definatly my fav!!)


Middle Row: Cass (Gorgy Retrol Dick and Jane I think and an Owl and Pussycat Magnet), Kylie (Prints charming & Button box), Natalie (funky purple paisly and wonder pieved quilts mag), Amanda (Michael Miller heads, retro blue scrap and 2007 Annual P&Q mag - YAY - don't have this one!)


Bottom Row: Emma (Palazzo - Yippeee!), Xena (ovely mushrooms), Lily ( Freespirit and a charm square), Helen (Gorgeous Geisha Girls)


Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

A day at the Job Warehouse

I got my day and boy was it a day. Mucking around in the dust and dirt and boxes and crates. The stuff that I unearthed was amazing. Lace, trim, ceramic buttons, thimbles, button on collars, woollen under garments and feathers in every colour of the rainbow all hand wired, braids, lace, netting, satins, silks felt hats.

Here is some of the treasures that were unearthed!
Guipure Lace, black 100% cotton on wooden spools, ceramic buttons, tortoiseshell buttons














Lace, lace and more lace, trim, ricrack, sequined trim, eyelet lace. I can't take good photos but this stuff is so beautiful.
















Darning thread in every colour of the rainbow. Even some wool darning thread!







I haven't taken pictures of the other things that really don't show up well. Some buttons that are made of pressed metal, some old buckles, thimbles. Oh the goodies.

I have been invited back and can't wait to go next time to see what I can find.

The Big Flower gets Quilted!

Easter is a perfect time for eating chocolate and quilting. They go hand and hand really as they are 2 of my favourite things.

This Easter I had the time to quilt my Big Flower quilt that I had been putting off. The stippling is a little dodgy as the old sewing machine's tension has decided it's too old to behave, but we managed in the end. Ended up stippling flower chains in the 16 square patches and echo lines int he flowers and leave. I'm really happy with the end effect. A few dodgy lines but......gives it character.















My lovely lounge loves it's present.

Sewing with Babysitters

My mum is the best. She is here visiting at the moment and I got to sew all day yesterday!!

My beautiful friend's daughter was christened today so I made some little shoes, a ball and an ABC's book. I so happy with how they all turned out.
































Then as I was on a roll.....I whipped up a second pair for the little baby Georgia that was born last week with a rough start to life. Hope they will make her mum smile a little. I got the fabric from a scrap swop. There is heaps of lovely little pieces that I now have to play with thanks to Bec. She makes and sells the most amazing bags on Etsy so my scrap pile is now full of funky fabrics. YAY!

Thanks Mrs Price!

Well, I will need to place the full blame on B's Prep teacher for this one. She came on a home visit and had the most lovely fabric that she had made into a handbag. I had plans for this dress quilt made of all these pastels BUT I had to have her fabric. It was going to be the border of this quilt and basically the rest of it was designed around it.

Add to that, the visit to the Job Warehouse and the amazing vintage trims and this is what you get:


All the dresses have lace or buttons or ribbon. The handbags and shoes the same. I will post close ups of things when it has been quilted. So Raelene - this one is for you!

First attempt at dyeing.

Well, that was a whole lot of fun. With my little sneak peak dresses comes a whole lot of opportunities to dress them up with trims. Add to that a visit to The Job Warehouse where I hunted and found some of the most amazing vintage trims and glass buttons to add to the black and white dresses and maybe a red shoe here and there.

Here is what we started with. Obviously the black and red ones weren't dyed but the others were prime candidates:
















The process (and yes, I really should have worn gloves!)


















The end product:
















I am just stoked!!