I see leopards....

There's a bit of sewing and non-sewing going on over here. I want to try and participate in 'Me Made May' this year, where I can wear 'handmade by me' for the month of May, so I'm trying at fill the gaps in my wardrobe! More on that later though, I'll show you what I've been doing for everyone else...

I gave the girl free choice of fabrics at Spotlight to make an outfit for her bestie's birthday party. (We'd actually bought a long sleeve denim dress from Target she'd had her eye on, but was too hot and uncomfortable!) This light top (not sure the fabric, but a pain to sew and heaps of thread pulls, grrrr!) suited the day much better! I used a pattern, but ended up taking it in and adjusting so much, I may as well have cut a rectangle with a whole for the head!

I made the leggings too, from a tried and true pattern. It's a ponte stretch (from Spotlight as well) and she adores them! They have the gathered elastic bit on the outer leg, gives em an extra bit of cute. Hmmm, something about this outfit makes me think in about 20yrs I'll hear 'How could you let me go out in THAT?? It's pretty out there!

We ended up buying a denim jacket, as the fussiness and umming and ahhing over styles, fabrics etc was doing my head in! Gone are the days when I can whip something up and she wears it regardless- I have a pile on non-worn handmade stuff to prove it! I made the leggings again, though, she's pretty mad on leopard print at the moment.

I also made some bags for a happy customer, she chose some great fabrics, definitely not my colour schemes, but a real pleasure to sew with. Another fave pattern by You Sew Girl (but unfortunately discontinued)

 A little extra pillow for her son...is that the cutest pillowcase you've seen? I joked that they would all have names within a day!

We had a lazy long weekend a few weeks ago, and we joined Cam for another basketball game- and another Tigers win! We're officially fans!

  

We had a great long day out, with dinner and a play at the park on the way home. The perfect weather made it easy to chill out!

I finally dug into my wee Liberty stash and ran up this pattern, which I'd printed forever ago and hadn't made up! I'd also been after a cute pincushion, similar to these.

 

I also cut up some scraps and made a bigger one, gosh, it is sooo cute! 

I've been carrying the bigger one around all week, despite not having a minute in the workday to do any knitting at the moment. It makes me smile!

Hope your last few weeks have been stitchy and smiley too!

Back soon to show you some clothes.

A while ago....

So a few weeks ago I got hold of this lovely stretch fabric from Karen. Remember the Tova that didn't fit? Yep, we swapped!

It actually looks black, but is a dark navy. 

I thought I'd try it with this pattern. I think I like it.

It is quite a thick knit, so I think a lighter knit would drape a little better. But this is super warm!

I finished it in the morning and wore it out that afternoon. Karen was there and snapped a pic! 

I also made a few bags. I have left a job (and started at a new one, don't worry) and wanted to give a few of my fave colleagues a little something. Boy, it's hard finding something to make 6 of (I ended up keeping one teehee) that are quick and easy!

I went with this tutorial- and used up quite a few scraps!

The most fun was choosing the colour combos

and the linings! They look great, and were very well received! For anyone wanting to try it, do it- clear instructions, and only used fabric and batting. It stated fusible batting, but I joined my scraps together of cotton batting from quilts, spray basted them on, and then quilted around the patchwork squares to keep them in place. Once it was all sewn up the batting is in position!

Patchworking...

I found these last night when I pulled out the box with my quilt pieces in it. I got them months ago at Threadbear in Castlemaine, not sure what I'd do with them, but loving them anyway. Have a project in mind, but have to finish my own quilt first!

And here is tonight's work. There are 8 of the big diamonds to attach together, after joining all the little f*&^%$s, and unpicking and restitching so the points are all perfect. My back hurts!! Luckily all the little pieces were cut out already, ie 2 yrs ago, so a bit was done. Unfortunately the pink and white stripe were nowhere near the shape needed, so I had to redo them.

It will look pretty impressive as the Prairie Star alone, bit scared about putting the squares in the corners! Hopefully I'll be doing that at Perle 8's Thursday night, people around who may be able to help me. Don't know what it is about me and patterns, I never go for easy, only advanced!

Kid's crafts

Ok, i am having trouble.... I am trying to write, then add a picture, then write again. I can't make it happen, and it would be making me frustrated, but my cat is annoying me more, and I am having a glass of wine- teehee. As you can see, pictures arrive before the text, even though I wrote first. Help!

I will start again, as I know this happens and then I can say what I wanted to.

I started today, after a shocker yesterday, with the hope of giving my daughters room a 'thorough cleansing', as in gut it, clean, then repack. She has obviously learnt in her 4 and 1/2 yrs that mummy does this and I should stay out of her way, because she mostly did that. The fairy theme I started with at 2 is getting old, and she is having more say in the decorations,vintage Strawberry Shortcake is a fave, as is her knitted patchwork blanket (how can you say no when you have made it, and she loves it?), See pic of kid and cat.

The most exciting part of the cleanout is we need new canvasses for her wall, which I started with the fairy theme, but wanted to update. TAA-DAA the yo-yo maker has delivered the goods! With lots of help for my girl, of course, who picked all the buttons. See how excited she is?I got to work the glue gun. see 2nd 2 pics.

Please excuse the Bee Movie t-shirt, it was a gift that I am hoping she will destroy with textas and kinder haha. It's getting there!

There is another blank canvas next to it, she wants more yo-yo's, hmm, I will try and do something with it.