Sewing It

My parents have joined the e-reader revolution and bought themselves Kindles. This was a super easy, fun project. It just about took more time to select the fabrics than do the sewing.

Quilting It

I finished a very simple lap quilt for the young man of the house last week. Very simple but it still produced a satisfying sense of achievement - of a completed project and of using stash fabrics.

Wearing It

I'm working hard on improving my sewing from the slap-happy beginner I am. My main struggle is with getting the fit right. I finished this dress back in June - just when it got too cold to wear it. Next time I'll downsize the top even more and attempt a proper Small Bust Adjustment. It's a forgiving fit being a wrap dress.

I bought Pip's Sew La Tea Do purely on the basis of the wrap around skirt pattern. The fabric screamed Holly Hobbie to me. Just the thing I was right into last time I wore wrap around skirts! Yeah, t-shirt doesn't match - will sort that out before summer.

And the Tunic dress from Sew La Tea Do. Again, I started out making it in the wrong size, then realised that women of a certain age and figure can't really wear tunics without looking like they're wearing a paper bag. So a bit of hacking and sewing makes this more wearable. Just.

Making It

Sewing It: Schoolhouse Tunic - turned into a dress with front closures.

Knitting It: Leaflet Cardigan - great layering piece.

Quilting It

I read The Happiness Project recently, and Gretchen's Personal Commandment to Spend Out challenged me. So I opened the fabric stash and grabbed my Ginger Blossom that I've had for an embarrassing three years. Ugh. I hacked into it and whipped up this lap quilt (50" x 60") in one week. It's my second ever quilt, and the first one I've sandwiched, machine quilted and bound myself. I'm feeling very proud and satisfied seeing the kids using it every day on the couch.

Next target - that Very Hungry Caterpillar fabric in the same three year old post and some Michael Millar retro cowboy stuff I've also had sitting for far too long!

And again...

Recurring theme...

I'm not so into the hipster, smart, modern looking e-reader accessories so whipped up this "granny chic" Kindle Cozy. Instead of (sensibly) using stash fabric and going all matchy matchy with my Laptop Cozy I was hooked on using some home decor weight linen. Unfortunately it's ended up a bit more granny than chic but was lovely to sew with and has given me a nice, thick, safe result.

First Stitches of Last Child

The girls and I made a field trip to Craft 2.0 yesterday. We were tasked with choosing a little something for Mr Six. I quickly realised that six year old boys are not the target demographic of many of the stall holders. We were rescued by SuperVery who sold us a very cute Sock Owl kit. Easter Sunday is damp and dull here - perfect conditions for parking the kids on Mum's bed for some stitching, fueled by Easter chocolate.

Didn't he do well on his first stitching!

Crafty boys need their very own needle case for their supplies so Mum had to oblige.

Easter

With life as it is at the moment, my Easter crafting has been done FOR the kids, not WITH the kids.

Summer of Frocks

I declared it (to myself) the Summer of Frocks LAST summer but the dismal weather put paid to that idea. I'm just putting it out there now, to the weather gods, that it would be nice to wear something other than jeans and t-shirts soon. Not sure what the idea of the snow today is, by crikey!

I hit my favourite thrift store in my home town over the holidays and limited myself to four vintage patterns with great plans for the girls and I. I've already hit two snags. One of the girls patterns is missing 1/2 the pieces and I'm not sure how clever a seamstress I really am to forge ahead. The second one is something I can't do much about - my bust, waist and hip measurements! Oh golly goodness those gals sure had TINY waists! Mum had a chuckle when she saw the patterns as she remembers wearing Jiffy dresses in the 1960s.

So. We'll see how we go. I have plans to buy a couple of modern vintage-style patterns that may have more realistic measurements for this pear-shaped kiwi gal. I also scored a 50 cent 1970s polyester shirtwaister that I've altered and will start wearing as soon as this dastardly weather improves.

Achievement

Finished. One Sampler Quilt top! Phew. I started back here and have thoroughly enjoyed working on this project over the winter months.

Next step: piece the back, and learn how to sandwich, machine quilt and bind this wee beastie. Hopefully then I can take some better photos of it.

My clever hubby suggested I use this baby wrist rattle for a much-needed wrist pincushion;-) Needs must.

This is my second quilt ever and the first since finishing my big girl's cot quilt ten years ago. Achievement!! I'm already plotting the next one.

Celebrations and Sewing

This week in September is always a big one for our family. Miss Moo turned 11 on Monday - does that mean she's officially a "tweenie" now? Man of the House baked her a FANTABULOUS Black Forest Gateau at her request. I wish you could hear her say "gateau" - her accent is delightful. Those French lessons are paying off;-)

I churned out this quick, cute knit for a wee friend because she looks just like the girl on the cover of the book.
Then there was sewing. I'm on a bit of a stash-busting sewing bender.

A cell phone cozy

Another pillowcase dress

A sweatshirt from some gifted fabric plus my first of many Reinvention skirts. (Um yes, wrinkles - no, my children do not fold their clothing.)
Another skirt and a hoodie - also from gifted fabric. I'm not convinced about them being worn together but don't have much say anymore;-) Can't complain about almost free clothing though!
On Wednesday, my lovely hubby had a Big Birthday - made easier by a lovely afternoon with friends, a few whiskys and fish'n'chip dinner with this view.

Wardrobe Wednesday

I really didn't want to trot out the usual Wednesday outfit, but it appears to be a uniform around here! I took a quick pic once I'd finished my latest stash-busting reversible apron. But yeah, skinny-ish jeans plus Glassons top plus homemade apron.

Here's the pinky side. 'Cuse the face - she was eating crystallised ginger;-)

Apron leftovers were turned into table napkins - slowly building up our stash of these.

Bonnet, Take Two

Bigger bonnet, better fit.

And one for the other girl.

Heidi Headbands: Amy Karol's Bend-the-Rules Sewing.

Reversible Apron: Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing.

Letter Satchels: Amanda Blake Soule's Handmade Home.

Five year old boy's need a Little Wallet too!
We've had a wet and wild Spring storm at our place over the last two days. Nothing to do but stay inside sewing;-)