Sewing

Progress

Better?
Actually, I really enjoyed cleaning up my sewing space. I came across projects and ideas I had forgotten and feel I can now focus on what I need to do next.

I finished a wool felt horse that had been sitting for I don’t know how long. Usually if I start making something I’ve designed and it’s not going according to my “vision” it gets abandoned. Must get over that.

I have so many materials and ideas and now I feel inspired to get stuck into it. I went through my sketch books (how long is it since I indulged in the luxury of drawing?) and designs (hey brain, remember all those plans you had to release your embroidery designs – they’re all there, still waiting!)

Today I have some princesses requiring some new tops and shorts so that will be my starting point.

Happy sewing, crafting, doing!

From scraps to….

by Kelly 3 Comments

Experimenting with dyes and paints is lots of fun but can leave you with a lot of swatches. Being the despiser of waste that I am I’m always trying to come up with ways of using the scraps.

My embroidery scissors had been housed in my needlecase, which was just awful as they were forever falling out.

Ah – much better! If I was going to have a scissors case it needed to be bright so I wouldn’t lose it!

I sewed together bits and pieces of painted and dyed swatches, then practiced my free motion embroidery to make it really interesting.

I love a project that brings together a variety of skills and techniques. I machine embroidered spirals on the front.

And stippled all over the back. Now I think I’m ready to tackle a bigger machine embroidered project!

A few things I’ve been sewing

by Kelly 2 Comments

Another busy week but at least I managed some sewing time! I found a cute monkey printed jersey at Spotlight on the clearance table and made some “non girly” pyjamas for the “non girly” girl. The good news is she loves the shorts and wants to wear them 24/7 – the bad news is she hates the top and refuses to wear it. Sigh.

I had dyed a mandala on some broadcloth that was just the right size to make a little dress for Half Pint. It’s very cute but next time I need to make the straps longer and the dress less “boxy”.

From the back.

I love these moments! I caught the boy teaching the little one some piano. These two may be 10 years apart in age but they are terrific friends.

It’s pouring rain here today after yesterday being warm and windy, so the garden is drinking it in. I must show you some photos of the garden soon, it’s such a wonderful place to be at the moment.

Happy weekend and God bless you all 🙂

Silk mandala cape

by Kelly 2 Comments

Remember the mandala I dyed last week? Now it’s a children’s cape! It is really gorgeous, I’d love to make more of these.

I intend to make one for each of the girls but as my silk supplies have been somewhat depleted recently it will have to wait.

I used some of my son’s handpainted fabric for the collar and added snaps for doing up.

This one is in my Etsy shop now, custom orders are available too.

Phew, it’s finished!

by Kelly 1 Comment

You know how some projects just drag on and on, you lose your enthusiasm or don’t have the tools you need?

I started this cover for my A4 size art journal yonks ago, I don’t even remember when. I really liked these fabrics from a Crafty Mamas swap with Carolyn so I wanted to use them to make something I would be seeing often.

I started out hand quilting but realised it was going to take me forever (those who hand quilt entire quilts now have my utmost admiration!) so I bought a free motion foot for my sewing machine and made this my guinea pig. It took a while to get used to and I still need practice. Youtube was a big help, except when I saw that 4 year old girl machine quilting like a pro, then I felt really embarassed!

My son has been having a go at fabric painting and has had some fantastic results! Here are a couple of his first swatches.

He’s looking forward to doing lots more.

Ok, that’s all from me for now, I have to get back to baking that lemon curd tart I started. I want to say thank you to those who commented on my last post – all very helpful and constructive advice.

Watch out for a giveaway here in the very near future.

Lotsa leggings!

by Kelly 3 Comments

I’ve made many pairs of leggings for my girls this winter and I think they would be quite happy to live in them permanently. They look great on their own, with a skirt or with a dress. And they keep those little legs toasty warm.

Did I mention that leggings are super easy to make? I’ve used the same Burda pattern over and over.

I bought this beautiful spotty soft cord from Craft Mamas to make pants for G (that’s a little pocket on the leg there, it’s hard to see). I was a little disappointed when she proclaimed that they are “horrible!”

Apparently this is because they’re not leggings!

Ah well, lucky she has two little sisters who can grow into them.

Jalie Men’s top

by Kelly 2 Comments

I made this top using light grey Stella from the Crafty Mamas Shop for my husband’s birthday. He has been asking me for so long to make him something but I had never “got around to it”. I’m really pleased with the result, the fit is beautiful and most importantly, he loves it!

I really recommend the Jalie pattern, it was easy to follow, there aren’t many pieces and it came together in a fairly short amount of time.

You’ll have to take my word for it that he is very handsome – I was allowed to post these pictures on the condition that they were “anonymous”!

He has asked me to make some more so now I have an excuse to buy more fabric!

On the home front we have another birthday tomorrow – the little one is turning 1. July is a busy birthday month for our family.

The Melbourne Show planning continues – I’m now agonising over exactly what I will enter (embroidery, a doll, a toy???) and keep changing my mind. Entry forms have to be in next week so I’d better just make up my mind!

Who says direct marketing doesn’t work?

by Kelly 6 Comments

I had already decided not to go to the Craft & Quilt Fair – that is until this colourful little piece of promotional material turned up in my mailbox. My resolve weakened, then gave way completely as I leafed through the pages and saw what and who will be there. By the end of the brochure I felt it would be a crime against craftiness to not attend!

In other news, I have one newly arrived nephew with another shortly making his way into the world, so some very warm and fleecy baby blankets were in order. Thanks to Spotlight’s stocktake sale they were very economical to make too!

And Mim made her way out from under her blanket (see previous post) to celebrate her 3rd birthday. It was also my husband’s birthday so we had a lovely small party for them both.

Hooray – a bit of sewing!

by Kelly 6 Comments

Life is so very busy these days I barely get to blog, let alone sew.

So much to do, so little time.

I did manage to make a top for Mim who turns 3 next week. I had the butterfly and chandeliers fabric saved for something “nice”. The pattern is from the book “Making Children’s Clothes” by Emma Hardy – a really cute little book full of simple kid’s patterns.

This top is actually a pajama top in the book, but I thought the style could suit day wear as well, I love the crossover style.

Not sure what happened with the sizing – I made size 4 but it’s going to be way too big on her.

I added a little suffolk puff with a button on the front.

If you haven’t seen me at your blog for a while please accept my apologies, I try to catch up here and there and comment when I can.

UFO or PFP?

by Kelly 5 Comments

The former being Unfinished Object and the latter being Partly Finished Project. I think I like PFP – it’s a little more positive, more like a WIP (Work in Progress) and less like a FTF (Failure to Finish).

Whatever you choose to label it, I have 13 of them! Now, I know I’m not alone on this, and probably like me you avoid the fact that you have so many projects on the go at one time. It’s your little secret, am I right?

As finances are a bit tight at the moment and I can’t indulge in new materials I’m finding it a perfect time to finish off a few of those projects that had just been “put aside later” AKA “I’ve lost motivation and can’t be bothered”.

Here are a few things I’m working on:

Baby gowns and blankets for the Bonnie Babes Foundation. Some finished, many unfinished!

A cute waldorf softie doll (needs hair)

Embroidering vintage pieces (pure joy!)

Baby Mary Janes (need snaps).

So, how about you share your little secret? How many PFP’s do you currently have?