Thursday, December 31, 2009

The last 3 things.

So here they are, the last three things I will make in 2009.

(I snuck another one in after the photo to make three.)

A dress using the same pattern concept as this top for Indi. She chose the Ikea fabric from my stash.

Another one of these tops for Indi. This is one has no ruffle and is made from an old bed sheet.

And this dress for Jazzy.

I am so pleased with this dress because it is made from a thrifted sheet given to me by my gorgeous friend Beck, the cotton for the ruffles is from Bendigo Woollen Mills that is less than an hour's drive from here and it was cut, sewn and crocheted here, in the lounge room and in the sewing room. It is a low clothing miles dress.

I learnt to crochet back in May, so I could add details to the clothes I was sewing and now I have. (Oops, I spy a thread that still needs to be sewn in.)

I have so many plans for further clothing embellishments...watch this space in 2010.

I hope you have the most wonderful 2010!

I hope it is filled with creativity, love, happiness, inspiration, passion, satisfaction and many completed projects.

I'm off now to paint the girls' nails, put hair masks in and write our New Years' resolutions.

Have a great night.
XX

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Dressing a nine year old.

We've been having a bit of trouble buying clothes for our nine year old.

It seems that there's a bit of a gap in the market for the kids that don't want to be covered in slogans, brands or dress in skimpy, sexy clothes.

So our nine year old has been wearing the same denim shorts and a couple of t'shirts on high rotation since school finished a few weeks back.

This morning when both those t'shirts were in the laundry pile I decided enough was enough and when visiting the local craft shop I decided to check out the pattern section.

I have made plenty of clothes in the last few years. Many for my kids, for presents and for sale. But I have never made any from a pattern. I have devised a cut up old clothes and trace the pieces technique or just draw straight onto the fabric a shape I like and cut it out.

But for some reason sewing for the nine year old seems different. It has to look right, feel right and be comfortable and cool.

When I saw modkid's Nina All season's peasant top pattern I had a feeling it would work.

We came home, put Pepper to sleep, set the girls up with some Das and off I went to choose some fabric from the stash.

I did something I've never done before. I followed the pattern.

And it worked!

And she loves it!

And she wants another one in different fabric and a longer one she can wear as a dress!

I'm totally excited about sewing from patterns now as this one was so easy to follow. It comes with the pattern for a short sleeve and long sleeve version too. The only thing was that the pattern pieces are for size two to seven so I had to trace bigger pieces for size nine.

She's run off to the shed to show her Dad and I'm typing away as fast as I can because I can hear Pepper waking up.

I hope you are having a great day. XX

Monday, December 28, 2009

Kitchen table creations.

Its all happening at the kitchen table this morning.

I know I said I would sew fabric bunting to decorate the farm shed shop, but I really wanted to see what crocheted flags would look like.

I know, I know, I have a crochet addiction and will make up any excuse to get hooking. But seriously, with three kidlets desperate for my attention, having my back to the world on the sewing machine is out of the question at the moment. So I figure I'll make up a set of these and when the girls go back to school and I have more time, I'll sew up some fabric ones.

Bren just came in and said he's not mad on these ones anyway.

I also crocheted the last buttons on and sewed in the ends of this jug cover this morning.

Indi is weaving a pot holder.

She told me that one day soon when all mine go up on the wall, hers will too.

Indi is interspersing her weaving effort with a bit of coiling.

Jazzy is cutting hearts.

And Pepper is cutting shapes out of play dough.

She's also wearing undies for the first time this morning which has been the cause for much celebration.

I hope your Monday is a funday!

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Rosy cozy & milk jug covers.

On Friday I crocheted a Rosy Cosy tea cozy.

To be honest I found it quite challenging. The pattern is easy enough to follow, but made up of many stitches and stitch sequences that I had never attempted before; like decreasing over 6 stitches and single crocheting backwards (crabbing) and the fptb (front post treble).

I found myself pulling it apart over and over and at times asking my very talkative and inquisitive children to only talk if they absolutely had something urgent to say.

I am really happy with the end result, but it has made me question the level of crochet I thought I was capable of.

After a bit of a tidy up the other day I found my copy of Vintage Crochet by Susan Cropper.

After seeing so many milk jug covers in blog land like those stunning ones Melanie M* has been crocheting, I knew it was only a matter of time before I made a few myself. And let me tell you they are as lovely to work as they are to look at.

Its been a great opportunity to sort through the jars of buttons I've collected just in case.

And for my helpers to make stacks and patterns of their own.

My next project is to make some bunting to decorate our farm shed shop. I had thought to crochet the little flags, but realistically, I think fabric might wear better.

The bunting above has been hanging outside for over a year and the grape vine has started to use it as a trellis.

I hope you are having a lovely Sunday where ever you are.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Caravans & a dress.

This morning I've been doing a bit of screen printing.

These caravans t'shirts are for last minute Christmas and Birthday prezzies.

I've finally had a bit of time to work on this dress. I've almost finished the bottom ruffle and next I think I might crochet some little sleeves.

I ended up crocheting quite a tight frill to avoid little toes poking through the holes when the wearer is getting it on or off.

If Christmas is your thing, then I hope you have the merriest and brightest one, and if not, then have a great and peaceful Friday.

Lots of love.
XX

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Flowers finished!


The last few flower brooches have been crocheted and gifted.

I didn't wrap the flowers but let each recipient choose their own.

I've been enjoying watching them pop up on t'shirts around town over the past few days.

Now that I've finished the prezzies, let's hope the girls' new obsession with origami holds their interest long enough for me to have a bit of a go at some of the projects I've been putting off.

I've got a lot of crochet to play with.

And some screen printing.

And some playing with the contents of this wonderful giveaway I won over at Bec's lovely blog. Piles of knitting and crochet needles, some vintage patterns and some of Bec's wonderful handmade soap.

I hope things are happy with you and yours. XX

Monday, December 21, 2009

Brooches then trims.

What I should be doing is turning this bundle of wool into brooches for more end of year 'thank you' prezzies.

Even though its crochet work and I love to crochet, I never really want to make what I should be making.

The other day my wonderful friend Beck gave me this pile of old sheets and linens.

My head is full of ideas of what I can turn them into.

I'm not sure I can ever cut into this Holly Hobbie sheet though. Something about that girl makes me so happy.

For some reason this sheet, now dress, reminded me of the reason I wanted to learn to crochet in the first place.

Way back at the start of this year I had this idea to make crochet trims for the clothes I was sewing. So I learnt to crochet and then forgot all about the trims.

Until now.

But I am going to be good and put this future frill aside until I finish all the prezzies.

I really am!

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Crocheted egg cosies & more.


I've been thinking about ways to decorate our market stall and make it look a bit festive for the last few farmers' markets of the year.

The egg cozy pattern out of the Vintage Crochet book that I bought in Melbourne last week, but haven't seen since we've been home, really appealed to me. I'm pretty sure this is what they looked like.

I love the button detail.

I made these two first but soon realized they aren't really the look I'm after. I think I might put them in the present pile.

I'm thinking about making a few more and then maybe some crochet bunting to replace the fabric ones.


I've also started another washer and just finished these two pot holders. Do you ever feel that crazy panic to make everything you want to make, so you have to do a bit of everything all at once?

A huge Happy 42nd Anniversary to my parents!

I hope you are having a lovely weekend.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

No more school & a bit of baking.

The teachers' thank-you presents were finally finished late last night and then gifted this morning. One each for Indi and Jazzy's teachers and one for the music, art and Italian teachers.

I've got a few more to make but I work better under pressure, so I'll be making them at the last possible minute.

I love how these little stacks look.

I hope they understand the whole hand made wash cloth thing. Recently I was knitting one at a market and more than one person looked at me strangely when I told them what it was.


I had so many sewing plans for the last day before school holidays, but unfortunately Miss Pepper woke up from her nap just after I'd put the washing away, so not a lot got done.

Instead we made cup cakes.

And apricot and peach pies in these gorgeous little dishes we found at the op shop yesterday.

I hope you are having a lovely Thursday.

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