thirtieth - a giveaway

Oh my goodness you guys there is only one day left in January this year. Which means after this post there is only one post left in my blog-a-thon for this year. And one more day of our summer holidays for this year. Wow! Wasn't New Year's Eve like a couple of days ago, a week at most?

So I guess the most appropriate thing to do on the second last post is to give some stuff away. Just for fun. Kinda like a thank you for coming along for the ride and holding my hand and making me feel like I'm not alone in this crazy uncoordinated dance I'm doing.

The prize is made up of five parts;

1. My book! It's called Vantastic: Retro holidays in the modern world and it's full of pictures and stories from the caravan trip we took up the centre of Australia and down the west coast a few years ago. There's loads of practical info, craft how-to's, recipes and heaps more fun stuff. If you like caravans and family and adventures - then this book is for you!
2. That Dotty Angel dress pattern that I bought two of by accident. I still haven't made mine but hopefully you'll get yours off the cutting table, onto the machine and be wearing it before I've even opened the packet and chosen my fabric. And you'll look great in it of course.
3. A couple of wash-cloths I crocheted.
4. An apple carry bag that I screen printed.
5. A copy of Slow Living magazine that includes an article I wrote about craft as therapy and the pattern for the wash-clothes above.

Cool?! Awesome.

To enter leave me a comment below telling me something you think I'd like to know. Simple.

You gotta be in it to win it folks. 

Big love,

Kate

xoxo

Craft report

And now for the crafty bits.

In the middle of all the apple picking, apple cooking, apple preserving and apple eating, I screen printed a whole bunch of bunting flags



to decorate our stall at The Lake House produce day last month.



I actually finished the farmer boy socks about two months ago but then apple season exploded and I never got a chance to blog them. The top four things about knitting these socks are;

1. The skein of yarn is split into two 50 gram bits so you know when to stop winding one and start winding the next and then you can't help but knit two identical twin socks.
2. The colours and patterns change so often which made them interesting and fun.
3. Somehow, I have no idea how, the yarn is dyed into those colours and patterns which means you get the cool designs without all the ends to darn in.
4. Farmer Bren LOVES them!!

Ravelled here.



Apart from the giving or wearing, the best part of finishing a pair of socks is adding a new colour into my scrappy sock blanket. It's still not very big, but I'm really loving it.

Raveled here.



And then there's Amanda.

As far as I can work out I have one button band, the neckband and the seaming to do and then I'm done. I still have no idea if it will fit me but it's getting to that stage where I'll soon find out.

I'm knitting Amanda in Tonofwool which I am LOVING!! It had beautiful stitch definition, it is super soft, it's Australian and I have a few samples that I'll be giving away soon - so watch this space.

Ravelled here.



Then there's the weaving kit that farmer Bren and the girls bought me a week before mother's day. I am busting to have a go but trying my hardest to wait til I am wearing my new cardigan.



Which brings us to the sweet Tea Mouse.

Tea Mouse is the cutest softie pattern designed and written by lovely Sarah from Chantille Fleur.

In Sarah's own words - The Chantille Fleur Tea Mouse has darling little ears with fabric lining, a matching love heart on the front and even a little knitted tail. She's a sweet little character with a lovely black nose which she just loves to point in the air. The Tea Mouse is a delight to look at and to create.

Sarah posted me the kit which meant all I had to do was find the right sized needles and get to work. The pattern was easy to follow and came together quite quickly. I had thought it might make a sweet gift for a new baby but it keeps disappearing into Miss Pepper's bedroom. Looks like I'll just have to knit up another one. Or two.

Sarah has very kindly offered to send a Tea Mouse kit to one of you guys, (Australian addresses only, sorry).

Tell me in the comments who you would give your little Tea Mouse to and I'll pick a winner on the weekend.

Until then check out the knitting kits here.
The Tea Mouse Ravelry page here.
Chantille Fleur facebook here.
Chantille Fleur on instagram here.



OK, that's me all craft caught up, how about you?
What're you making at the moment?


Big warm woolly love.

xoxoxoxo

Who farted?

This is not a back to school post, an Indi goes to high school post, or a Pepper's first day as a preppy post. Nope, I'm much too fragile for that.

This is not an end of a twelve year with small girls at home era post either.
I think I've already cried enough for one morning.

This is not even a post where I talk about what I want to do with my time now that I have some. Right now I have no idea. All I want to do is go back to bed and watch episodes of Breaking Bad. It's a shame we haven't got enough water in the tanks for me to have a long hot shower.

I have no idea what this post is. I feel lost and a bit empty. I guess I'm blogging because it felt like a bit of a comforting thing to do. Load photos, type text, publish.

I think I'll leave you with these words of wisdom my crew gave Miss Pepper on her first day of school;

Farmer Bren - Be nice to others and they will be nice to you.
Miss Indi - Shine bright like a diamond.
Miss Jazzy - If you fart, don't let anyone know it was you.
Me - Have fun.

I hope you and your gang have loads of fun too.
I think I'm going to go and get my hands dirty in the garden.

Bye! xx

ps. I don't know what's with the caravan tees. I printed them the other day when I should have been working on my book. They're in theme but I'm not sure how I'll use them. Maybe I need to reopen my shop. Hmmmmmmmm so much to think about.

Three dress challenges.

I've had a few sewing disasters lately. A couple of sewing mess ups that have had me avoiding my machine and even my sewing room all together.

First there was a knit dress for me that I could hardly get over my head, let alone squeeze the rest of me into. How on earth did I measure that so wrong??

Then I measured again and sewed another dress only to discover that I looked like Kermit the Frog when I tried it on. Waaaaaay too green!!!

So after a week away from the machine, it was time to return. But how??

I decided that what I needed was some design and sewing challenges.

Challenge one: Pull five bits of vintage sheeting out of my stash without thinking or planning. Do not pause to consider how they will look together, just yank and sew.

The result is The Green Sleeve Dress.

It's in my shop.

I added some lace around the hem and a napkin pocket, but other than that I played by the rules and I think it worked.

Challenge two: Make a dress from all the bits and pieces lying around on my desk. Do not pull fabric or trims from the shelves, make do with what's there.

The result is The Bits and Bobs dress. The process was scary at times but a lot of fun and not like any dress I've made in ages.

It's in my shop.

Challenge three: Finish one of the dresses in my works in progress pile.

The result is The Little Tree Dress. I have absolutely no idea when I started this one. Perhaps it was as a gift for a new baby. In any case I am happy to have finished it and popped it in my shop. I'm guessing its about a size 0-1 but I'd err on the smaller size to be sure.

So that's where I'm up to. Who knows where I'm going next. Do you have to trick yourself into doing things sometimes?

I hope your Monday is a fun-day.

Ciao. xx

Printed T's 4 sale!

Hello!

How's it going?

I had such a great morning this morning. I had breakfast with an old friend of mine who I haven't caught up with in ages. I was her brides maid and my kids were her flower girls when she got married, I was with her when she birthed her baby. But still for some reason or other its been a long time between lattes (or champas).

There was so much to catch up on. So much has changed. But still I was relieved that nothing has changed between us. We chatted for ages and then I came home all inspired to do some screen printing and look what I found when I went to get my supplies...a whole pile of t's I printed last year.

I printed the trees here, the owls here, the caravans here and the seals here.

So, here's the thing: I want to move them quickly and you need hand made prezzies for the end of the year. So I have popped them in my shop at $16 each with free postage to anywhere in Australia.

That's right!

There are lots of designs and colours and free postage in Australia!!

I'll be adding more over the weekend too, I've just run out of time to photograph them.

I hope you have a great weekend!

I hope you get to catch up with an old friend soon too. Its such fun!

And for all those who emailed asking where to buy Solvy, I'm so sorry but mine was gifted to me and I have no idea where to find more. Maybe try your local craft shop.

See ya!

Desperately seeking Forest!

What's cooking good looking?

The sun is shining and we are having a lovely morning this morning.

The washing is drying, the apple cake is baking, Jazzy is obsessed with that song 'anything you can do I can do better', Indi has gone to school late because she was busy finishing off her crane that can lift some wood 10cm off the table, Pepper is slowing me r-i-g-h-t down because she insists that she's Pixie and has to crawl everywhere and Bren and the boys are responsible for the wild and loud noise that is coming from the shed.

And me? I'm good too. I feel like things are speeding up towards the end of the year, I feel like my 'to do' list is so long that the things on the end of it are never going to see the light of day, I feel like being everything to everyone sometimes has me forgetting to breathe but truthfully I probably wouldn't have it any other way.

And I'm sewing a seam here and a seam there, so I'm happy.

If you think your Little Miss would look gorgeous in this Tree Dress 2, you can find it in my shop.

Oh and the desperately seeking Forest thing?

Well it seems that Bendigo Woollen Mills have delivered my order, but the ball of Luxury in Forest colour is currently unavailable. The ball that I needed, whereas the rest of the order I just wanted. The ball that I must use if I ever want to finish the sleeves and button band of my Tea Leaves cardi.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, I am wondering if one of you guys has a ball, or a bit of a ball, of BWM Luxury in Forest that you could spare. I would LOVE to buy it off you if you do. Or, alternatively I could send you mine if and when it arrives.

Are you having a happy and sunshiny day??

Are you ticking your way through your list?

I hope so.

See ya!

Where I'm at.

I feel like I'm all over the place at the moment. Little bits scattered here and there.

I'm so tired after two big nights in a row. One spent drinking fancy cocktails and eating gorgeous food with my boy and the other driving down dark, windy roads somewhere out the back of anywhere to pick up Jazzy who had changed her mind about a sleepover at midnight after the lights had been turned off.

She's so sad today at the thought of her besties waking up together and having adventures today without her.

Indi is cutting out and colouring in paper dollies for her birthday party invitations. After weeks of agonising over the guest list, she's decided on the six old faves and I must say I'm pleased too.

Bren and the boys have revolutionised the egg department and now all of a sudden they have so much more time. Time for all the projects we always dreamed of but never believed there would actually be time for. First off they've been leveling the ground for a kitchen garden. Yay! I am beside myself excited to have vegies and herbs right outside the front door rather than down in the paddocks.

And Miss Pepper said she's tired of trying on clothes for me these days. She wants me to keep being her bunny rabbit and to eat the carrot she's trying to feed me.

I've cut out a pile of these smocks and am slowly sewing them together. Pepper lives in the four I made for her last year. They are the most practical things in her wardrobe. The one that is too small for her is hanging on a hook as decoration.

This one is made from vintage sheets and lace, a tree I screen printed last year and some crocheted ric rac around the hem to finish it off.

The Tree Dress is now in my shop.

I'm off now to cuddle Jazzy, check the details with Indi, discuss sleepers versus bricks for the garden beds with Bren and eat Pepper's carrots. And in between all that I'll be washing school uniforms, making lunch and knitting some more leaves (top pic), a quick project is a good project today.

I wonder if its the wind.

Happy Sunday. X

A pinafore & 2 winners.

When Ms Dance For Cheese (formerly known as The Craft Gypsy), put the call out on her blog for some reversible pinafores to be sewn and sent to the girls of the Dago Dela Hera Orphanage in Kenya, I knew I had to make one.

I had this doona cover in my stash that seemed perfect as it was covered in Australian animals and a farm scene.

I have sewn quite a few pinis in my time and was confident in drawing and cutting the shape but it was the reversible part that got me.

I love the idea that a Kenyan girl who has so few dresses will get a new one that is really two, but I had no idea how to sew it together.

So rather than wasting time shopping for a pattern I decided to cut each of the three pattern pieces out twice and then sew them together, turn them inside out and make the pini the usual way.

While great in theory, my way ended up with wrong bits in the seams on the inside dress. I was tempted to unpick it and start again but I have limited time today and I think a finished pini is better than a pini on my 'to do' list.

So I stitched the seams down and made a feature of them.

I also had no idea how to do a reversible closure so the girl who gets my dress might need to ask for help when fastening the dress on the pink side.

If I were to do this again, I think I'd make two dresses and then sew them together at the end.

And now for the giveaway.

The screen printed, vintage sheet panel and the three meters of crocheted ric rac will be heading across the seas to Malaysia where they might be turned into a zippered pouch by comment number 55 Whimsy Loft.

And because I was a bit overwhelmed by all the new visitors to my blog and because my favourites are really the day to day regular visitors, I did a secret little second giveaway.

And the winner of my secret giveaway who will be receiving this screen printed, vintage sheet panel and these two lengths of ric rac is Kristi!

Congratulations Grace and Kristi, I'll be emailing you soon for your postal details.

I hope you have a fantastic weekend. XX

My creative space.

After drawing and appliqueing wisteria leaves last week, this week I decided I wanted to take the concept one step further and screen print it.

So I cut a stencil,

and collected a pile of t'shirts and pillow cases to print onto.

The first couple turned out well.

But then a very dirty Miss Pepper decided she was sick and tired of her important work,

and wanted to help me with mine.

The next few had black marks on the neck line and various other spots.

Time to wash up I think.

And maybe stick to applique while my helper is around.

Check out the other creative spaces over at Kirsty's.