My Creative Space - hoo hoo

This week I SO wanted to sew a top for S. We've had some hot weather, and I've had this gorgeous owl fabric (from Tessuti) calling my name. (Because S's name means 'wisdom' I'm subtly suggesting a bit of an owl theme for her childhood.)  So last night I stayed up and just did it.

Of course, when I asked S to put it on so I could take a photo, she insisted on heading straight out to the ride-on mower for the shots. Hmmmm. Interesting choice.

And modelling in general meant an particular stance.

I love this pattern. It's from this pattern book, and it has just enough little details to be special. There was a time when I wouldn't attempt anything with 'extras' like pleats and frills, but now I'm keen to make really special things that will be treasured and worn because I just love seeing my kids wearing them.

Head over to kootooyoo for more of today's creative spaces.

Some crafting in the dead of night

I made this owl last night.

I did it because I was egged on by Chantal who is putting together an etsy owl treasury. But I've accidentally fallen for it. So it won't be for sale - it's for my daughter.  Her name means 'wisdom' so I've decided owls are her thing (until she tells me otherwise). Plus I've realised I'm never going to be a making-softies-for-sale sort of girl. There are much more competent sewers out there with marvellous ideas. I might just make a couple more of these for my own present shelf.

The table is my creative space at the moment. I am making some more hobby horses that will be for sale, so it's good to know that's all underway.

And the undies - well, the lovely Cintia of my poppet put me onto Project Underpants and I was in Kmart
and knew it is a little project that I'd be happy to help. Maybe you can too.

Or join in my "Great Hanky Drive" and pick up a handy hanky for charity. More designs are on their way.

So it's all happening around here this school holidays. I'm a bit tired of cleaning up spills (lemonade on the carpet, anyone?) and having no chairs because of the climber we live with is wearing a little thin... But hey, the
mornings are a LOT cruisier. Love it.

Love Note Cushions - Lovely Idea

I'm off babysitting nieces and nephews this morning, but thought I'd post this link to a special project by the extremely talented Alisa Burke. Who can ever have enough cushions?

SAHM Guilt Overload

In a fit of what I can only think of as 'Stay At Home Mother Guilt' (as opposed to 'Working Mother Guilt' beautifully described by Maxabella recently), I got it into my head to help my kids have really good costumes for the bookweek character parade at school today. (That and my now-Year 7-er proclaiming a year ago that as it's his last year at primary school he really wanted to have a 'decent' costume for bookweek this year - looking back, we've cobbled together costumes from things in the house each year, and he doesn't have much to complain about, really. Must have caught me at a weak moment.)

I present to you Fantastic Mr Fox and The Mad Hatter.

So in the last 3 days I've made my first ever foam costume hat (a learning curve, I tell you), fur ears and a tail, and a suit jacket and pants out of half-priced mustard coloured faux-suede. Yum. Thank God for dear Annette stopping by and mentioning that her daughter had dressed up as the Mad Hatter just last week, so the rest of the outfit was borrowed from her (she has a doctorate in op-shopping, that girl!).

I blame all the lovely, encouraging comments on this blog, for raising my levels of self esteem and self-perceived-skill-levels ... I was actually at the stage of thinking I could pretty much sew anything! It was just a pattern after all... cut it out and sew it up!

But no, that jacket looks ok in this photo, and yes, it's only a costume - but dear God, how do you sew sleeves in well? These were a total mess. Ah, but the ears and tail, they were fun to make!

The kids were suitably appreciative (very sweet actually), had a great day, and now it's over I'm going to bed.

If you could see the massive pile of folding due to my sewing bender you'd be pretty impressed too. Oh yes you would! Guinness world records material.

Creative Space - hanky panky

 This week I've been sewing a gift for a sweet one-year-old nephew - 

Making delicious lemon cake with a mysterious hole through the middle (how does THAT happen???!) -

And gaily screenprinting new hankies for my upcoming project - due for a spectacular launch soon! (Some hankies are for sale already here, now.)

Just in case you thought I was dead. Because I haven't been posting. That's all. Thanks for worrying!

For more creative spaces, head over to Kirsty's at kootooyoo!

My Creative Space - sew sew

Inspired by Sooz, and on the recommendation of a fashionable friend, I actually sewed myself a pair of wide leg pants last night. In a very forgiving wool blend that hangs kindly, and only being my second Ottobre pattern, I started out just planning to cut out the pattern, then I thought, "Why not? I'll cut out the fabric."

Then of course the little voice starts, "May as well sew the darts and pockets, then it'll be a breeze to finish."

Then "Oh look, the leg seams and crutch take just a moment and these instructions for the fly look pretty easy."

And before you know it, the thing's sewn up, I'm making the waistband fit, and finding a button in the stash that's accidentally perfect.

This afternoon I sewed on the belt loops and whaddayaknow - it's a pair of pants! And they actually fit.

Don't get me wrong, there are definitely some very homemade bits, but I think I'll get away with it. The fabric is very forgiving.

And in a house full of sick kids with ear infections and coughs, and invisible housework that never ends it feels good to have finished something.

Here is a picture of a happy little sick kid that keeps smiling although her head must be hurting so much.

She doesn't care about the pants. So that's why I'm 'show and telling' here.

Pop over to kootooyoo for more creative spaces.

My Creative Space - Denim

More sewing this week. I think I may be avoiding painting. Have to get my mojo back there.

Anyway, I took these jeans that my son had split whilst ice skating on the school trip to Canberra, (had cut the legs off before I took the photo), and made this shoulder bag from the two back pockets -

It's lined with the spotted fabric and I pretty much just made it up on the fly. Didn't realise until I took the photo that the red stitching ties nicely to the red fabric. That was a happy accident. If I did it again I'd spend just a smidge more time measuring things I think. It was a gift for a 12 year old friend.

And then I used this drawing by my 6 year old nephew (of his mum imagining a birthday cake and then getting  one) -

and used a panel from the leg of the jeans to make this cushion as a gift for my sister.

The colours of this delicious Amy Butler fabric that I used on the back dictated the colours of the felt I appliqued on using mainly freemotion machine stitching (pretty dodgy tension actually) and some handstitching. The coloured wool felt was from winterwood. It was fantastic because I could iron it. The white felt is not wool and it's from Spotlight. Wasn't nice to work with at all, but I didn't have any white wool felt. Must remedy that.

There is still some fabric left from these jeans, and it's going back into the stash to reappear another day. I'm loving that one pair of unsalvagable jeans has been repurposed as two gifts that I was very happy to give.

Drop by Kootooyoo for some more creative spaces.

My Creative Space - FINALLY a Creative Space!

We had a long weekend here this week, Labour Day and all, and having been unable to participate in the 'Creative Space' for the last few weeks (there's been nothing creative happening here, it's been all meetings and school musicals and study and classes) I explained to my husband that I needed to sew. My son explained to me that he needed to work on his magic tricks (read experiments with vinegar, bicarb, salt and fizzy drinks - pic below). Happily we both got what we wanted.

I probably would have also needed to bake, but the mixmaster is in the shop at the moment, due to the fact that even though I know better I stuck a spoon in the beaters - and I've noticed a direct correlation between mixmaster usage and my bottom line (literally - my big wide bottom line). So best that it be taken away for a while.
 
So back to the sewing. Even though I also need to be painting (it is my year of school-friend's 40th's and I want to give paintings this year) I haven't been happy with recent attempts. So I have fallen back on the predictability of making things with recipes and patterns. There's a much greater possibility of success that way.

Anyway, the weekend involved a complete takeover of the dinner table, rolling out my sewing 'cabinet' (it's a clothes rack thing on wheels) and getting stuck into it. There were a few late nights (even with a helpful husband there's a limit to what can be achieved during children's awake hours) but even though I'm tired now, it's a happy tired.

 

Here's what got made. Cord pants (above). Fabric from Lincraft.

Two tops (two patterns), and two more bottoms (same pattern). LOVE the japanese pattern book I got from RetroMummy. All these were from that book. The cream japanese print fabric was also from RetroMummy (and on special at the moment FYI). Navy and natural linens from Lincraft. Coloured patterned cotton from Spotlight.

I did make a few mistakes, mainly to do with not reading the pattern properly (it was in japanese, but all the numbers are there in the pictures) and seam allowances. But now that I've made the pants three times, and have learned new ways of doing things by making the tops, I'm no longer afraid of patterns with detail and interesting bits. Everything fitted well and I am seriously happy mum.

Then I made a pair of pants for a groovy newborn (altho they won't fit him for at least a year) from an Ottobre pattern (my first), to go with the t-shirt I bought from Well Spotted, and a stuffed toy I made up - which ended up a bit like a pizza with too many toppings (so has been named "Prince Alfonzo Cooee Popple" - note to self, perhaps pick a theme next time). S cuddled him and settled in for a midday nap, so at least I know he works well.

And I also made a girly stuffed toy for another newborn, which S loved to cuddle, but refused to 'model' for me. So here she is again. Inspired by the softies book, but altered because of my inability to really want to follow a pattern.

I am now feeling complete again. The sewing 'room' has been put away, and tonight we will eat dinner at the table. Life is getting back on track.

For more consistent creative spaces, be sure to visit kootooyoo.

End of the year

Following on from a conversation with Leisl at Hoppo Bumpo - here is a pic of my unfinished Christmas Project Bags. Including that lovely Christmas dress with the reindeer on it that I had planned for S to wear on Christmas Day. Luckily I've got another daughter to grow into it so it's not a totally lost cause. Better make that soon though before I forget (that's the beauty of these project bags - they make me finish things before I start new ones - I'm easily distracted these days).

The stuffed birds that I made for a couple of friends from the spool downloadable freebie got mixed responses ("so that's a bird?") so I lost a bit of momentum there. And one little goddaughter-to-be won't be wearing her frilly pants this New Year. Perhaps by Australia Day?

And maybe my oldest son will get his pyjama shorts before the end of summer...

One thing I did get done just last night was a cover for my Collins Week to a Page Diary. I've tried a few different diaries over the last couple of years but I keep coming back to this $8 one from the newsagent. But I wanted to surround 2010 in Anna Maria Horner fabric (she's a real inspiration to me) - so I've been working it all out in my head, and trawling other tutorials to help me come up with what I want (including a pen pocket, inside pockets and an elastic to hold the whole thing together).

I'll work on a tutorial for this diary cover over the next little while.

We're having a quiet NYE here tonight, with a game of Cluedo and a bit of Shawn Micallef's show planned, with a few friends for lunch tomorrow. There are resolutions floating around my head that will be committed to paper before midnight and the new Remo Wallplanner (click below) is on the dinner table, ready to have some phone numbers added to it before it's blutacked up on the pantry doors.




Thanks for all your interest and support this year. See you in 2010!

Some softies for Christmas

These two partying Mamma Bears designed by Carly Schwertz from the Softies book, were made by my 11 year old friend Taylah, as Christmas gifts for herself and her little cousin, using a tshirt that belonged to her wonderful grandmother, Nell, who died just over a year ago. Taylah's just started embroidery (see the little cross necklace?) and is really enjoying it. Will have to get her a Sublime Stitching kit one day soon.

This little lady (photographed by my long suffering husband, out in the lovely rain we've been having) is a Christmas gift for my little 6 month old, and has been Christened "Doris".

And here are the three of them, just hanging out together. Waiting for an eligible man-bear, perhaps. Or not.

Cushion Zipper Tutorial

I used to think zips were far too hard, and do pillow type openings on my cushions, but once they got sat on a few times (and perhaps used for a pillow fight or two) the openings started gaping. Guaranteed.

So I checked out some bought cushions, and figured this method of inserting a zip into a cushion back. and so that I can remember what I did for next time, here are my pictorial notes!

If you haven't done zips before, just know you've got to use a zipper foot, and you'll be fine. This method is not new, but it'll make your cushions look super professional.

Step 1 - cut two strips as tall as your cushion front (screenprinted linen at top) but longer. Then cut in two - evenly or unevenly, it's up to you. I prefer unevenly (so the zip will be obviously closer to one end of the cushion than the other) because I don't have to measure anything.

Then fold and iron a 4cm (ish) hem on the two 'inside' sides as pictured.

Step 2 - using your zipper foot, sew one entire folded edge, from top to bottom, securing the zip (zipped up to start with, then leave the needle down, open the zip a little, then continue sewing til the end).


Step 3 - pin second back piece to the piece you've just sewn, placing fold over the zip completely. Then mark out the zip location and draw chalk lines to sew up and over both ends and around the zip. (You want to sew inside the metal bits at the top and bottom.)

Note - it's best to actually follow the lines you've drawn, because if you hit the metal, you'll bend or break the needle, as I've also demonstrated for you here...

(It's good to have spare needles on hand at all times!)

You're still using your zipper foot, so this is what it'll look like (above) - you're starting at the top edge, then turning corners by holding the needle down and swiveling the fabric, all the time keeping things straight by bumping right up next to the zip (you'll feel that it's there).

Don't try to sew next to the zipper 'pull' without leaving the needle down in the fabric, then lifting up the presser foot, and gently easing the zip open a little before dropping the foot down again and sewing past.

If you want, include a tag, or a piece of folded ribbon (or even some sort of message) under the flap as you sew it, just for fun.

There. Done.

This zipper was made for the cushion below (which is my mailing list prize for December 2009 - join my mailing list by 20 Dec to go in the draw) which was finished with french seams and topstitching around the edge.

And here's another example using two Anna Maria Horner fabrics for the back - it made the back almost as nice as the front.

So there it is! Thanks for reading, and happy cushion making!

How You Can Tell My Mum Sews - Part Three

All the girls seem to be wearing my outfit!

But that's ok with me.

Creative Space Thursday

My boys have been away, so while I've been exhausted by these two gorgeous little girls, one upside is that it has been a pretty creative week. I'm still commandeering the dinner table for my art and craft projects as no dinner has needed to be eaten at the table all week!

I had a dear friend come and stay a few nights and she encouraged me to pop this pic on the blog. Basically I have a long list of projects that I want to get done. So I spent a couple of sessions just cutting out the fabric required for everything and then basically making up kits (including patterns, elastic, etc) for each project.

These are my current project bags:

I'm hoping this way I can at least put the fabrics away, and just leave the sewing machine and associated paraphernalia out until I've achieved what I can before the boys get back. I'd be delirious if I thought I'd get them all done, as I'm also planning to get a bit of sleep over the next few nights. But hey, it's a plan!

Here is my 'Claudia Frilly Pants Project' Bag before:

And here is the finished item:


The 'Maya's Frilly Pants Project' is also done! (Love these Heather Bailey fabrics!)


And because I needed to visit our brand new Spotlight store to buy elastic, I spotted this apron panel, that I'm going to make into a Christmas dress for my daughter using a Oliver & S's free downloadable Popover Sundress pattern. That project bag's still full, but the pattern seems pretty simple so it'll be done soon. And by mentioning that here, I'm even more accountable. Thanks readers! I'll also be doing a new diary cover, kids apron and shorts. Just going with the flow...

Hope you've had a creative week. For the last list of Creative Spaces for this year, head over to kootooyoo.