Life is Great, and ironic...

Here are the pictures of the finished bag I promised....
I had a stupid thought, Applique it freehand....!!!!!!What a silly idea that was. Whimsical and utterly stupid.. I have a state of the art embroidery machine and my own digitizing software and I now appreciate it to the fullest extent. I promise I will never irk at the thought of hooping up and finding the right stabiliser again.... It is way easier and unless it is for aesthetic purposes, refuse to applique like that... For starters I was daft enough to trace the letters the right way up ...about to iron the fabric on and realise that it was going to look pretty weird in mirror image... Learn from the experience isn't that what they say.. Cute mess though...

This is the front pocket panel on the bag with the new little boys name..

and matching side pockets too!!!

I am having trouble thinking on one track at the moment , I will be another year older tomorrow aaaarrrgh....yep more grey hairs and wrinkles, I'll blink and be an old fuddy duddy before I know it.. I am trying to think up a name for my sewing stuff. One that I can register and isn't taken... Well what a headache.. I have searched high and low for inspiration.. Song names, Paint colour charts, Family tree book, children's bookshelf, and asked friends of course the ... Whilst browsing for something suitable I found these gorgeous prints in an old book I have. I thought they were too cute not to share... Like I said my mind is all over the shop..cant focus at all...Must need more coffee....(or perhaps less?)

I have pictured a gorgeous dress I must sew, I have located a similar pattern and will modify it to suit. It will be made from chocolate linen and I hope it looks as great in real life as it does in my mind.. Stay tuned for that one, I must first learn to focus..! (Yes Yoda)

Oh for those who love freebie patterns I found this gorgeous little doll pattern for download, it is from the most successful seller on etsy..

Snakes and Ladders

I have just completed the construction of a 7 storey Snakes and Ladders board for the kids.. Obviously this was a gift from someone without children!!!
It has kept the entertainment going for a little while. I should be trying out that differential feed and my gathering foot with test strips that I was supposed to have cut out.. Or maybe sewing up some hats that I was supposed to have already cut out.. Oh damn. Why cant I have little elves just like the shoemaker did..
I have been looking in my Japanese pattern books, but I want a winter dress, that is not gathered. I am not big on the Little House on the Prairie look.. A wrap dress would be nice, but that is a bit high needs in the getting dressed department, perhaps a shift with a placket will do..
Procrastinate, um and aarh, ho hum...surf more, Go through some old Topkids magazines.. I have nearly every issue, including number 1... Some reeeaaal gross stuff in the 8o's ones.. Lycra, headbands, frill skirts with leggings and the batwing windcheaters, uknow, the cyndi lauper era..
But there is a whole set of lovely euro style fashions from years ago..
I finished the bag and will .................

Project Runway

Oh I have a new favourite show...Project runway, what a wicked show for the fashion inspired sewer.. One older contestant on there was definitely 'out there' ,she should have been out first off for not being able to use a sewing machine...

I will add that I am having severe withdrawals from Prison Break and Lost..What is going on??

And not to mention 'What about Brian?" That was the greatest show ever, and it only lasted five minutes.. I know TV is evil, fills your brain with rot, makes your eyes go square( I tell my kids the same bad lies that my parents told me). But what is worse, TV or internet? You can still pin things together or iron whilst watching tv and unless I grow another arm that's not going to happen soon whilst typing..

Anyway I have started another project today. I have a name bag to make for a little boy who was born into the extended family.. (wow that sounded very well worded.. I need to know how to cross out the oopsy sentence so you can see how funny it looked when I wrote that my cousin had just had his first baby!...not at all correct...Please someone tell me how to do that line through the words thing..

Back to the story, 2 trips to Spotlight, found some great fabric.. A canvas type cotton print with vintage cowboys and wagons... I have more checks and plain linens and stuff in the stash to co-ordinate with it, So now to make the bag. Here is a pic of the fabric.

I have made bags for all my kids with their names appliqued on the front pocket. They are great for sleepovers, kinder or swimming.

I need to get onto sewing that bag and for once I am going to applique the name freehand instead of digitizing it on the computer for the embroidery machine.. I like the look better (thanks Judy!).. Although it might wait till tommorrow now. Does anyone else imagine made up articles in their sleep? I think it is my brains way of saving the angst of unpicking a bad colour combo..

Happy sewing till next time.

So much to sew, So little time .........

Oh my glory, aren't these school holidays just the bees knees!!! You gotta love all those lovely well mannered patient little people being oh so quiet and tidy.. Oh and not to mention being oh so pleasant toward one another at ALL times... What a JOY...(OOpps, wake up your dreaming).
Today I finished a dress for Miss6 that she saw a photo of in my stash of Studio Bambini's... I picked the fabric and played around with a few similar winter pinnafore pictures I found here and there... This is what we came up with...





She wore it to a Birthday Party this afternoon and thought she was just it and a bit!!!!!! But don't all 6 year old girls??? I had to put an elastic panel at the back as Miss tall and lanky wanted it tighter....But I put it in between the outer in lining. worked well, looks very RTW.


We did managed to get away and have an Easter Holiday, We were going to swing by France or Italy (just kidding). Swan Hill was good enough. Weather was great and the whole extended family came along. Swimming everyday, mini-golf, shopping and lots of Tia-Maria..

We father took us all a trip on a paddlesteamer trip. The kids were very excited for the first 15 minutes - There's a fish, look at that duck, I can see a cow. Here comes a boat... Then boredom set in and the next 45 minutes were very high maintenance. You can imagine explaining to a 2 year old why he should not stand on the seat and lean over the rails!!! Oh well, It will be a good one for show and tell....I did get a nice picture of the girls wearing their bucket hats before the frowns set in...

I have been procrastinating plenty and have finally taken photos of all the summer nighties to put in my Made-It shop... Good one, winters nearly here!!!!!!!!!

Rousabout nighties, my girls love them!!!!!!!

My next project that I am putting off is trying to work out a method of sewing 3 tiered skirts using only the overlocker and not having to hand gather at all... Brave arent I...I figure if I can get the ratio right I can use the gathering foot and do it in one pass. I havent quite worked out how to jump the last inch, but I am sure I will find out soon enough.. I need to go and cut a whole stack of little strips to get the ratio right.. I knew I was keeping those scraps for a reason....

I would like you all to go over and see this very crafty lady who would have to be the best offering of light humour a tired and weary sewer/mother can find 24 hours a day... Check out her dolls, they are so gorgeous and oh so cheeky too... Please check her out.

Also If you have anyone needing a baby gift, check out the great items for sale by the very clever Emmarose...

Phew its tiring tooting all those horns, but if you've checked them out you will agree I am sure..

Well until next time, happy ironing, cleaning, cooking and hopefully sewing/crafting to you all.

Go with the inspiration...

Thanks Fiona for the tips at the Stitches and Craft.. I made my first necklace today while trying to be quiet so Master2 would find his way to the land of sleep...

It was good fun actually, procrastinating over which button next to the last one & whether or not to balance it up each side of centre... I made a loop at the back to thread a large button through for the closure at the back.

Miss 4.5 won 5th prize in the Easter raffle at Kinder today and was into it straight away..

Amongst all the Easter hype, I have been doing a little bit of sewing, I have had to prise myself away from the computer, all those new blogs to browse, the stitches and craft seems to have been a real popular meeting spot... It has made me realise that is very normal to enjoy sharing the pleasure of craft with others who enjoy the bit of pride it brings to your day.

I drafted a pattern off a old pair of wide legged linen pants the girls have had. I want to make them a few sizes up.. What was meant to be a size 4 ended up a 6, but too short. Bugger. So I made a contrasting hem facing and now they look just fine. I must have been running short of chocolate or coffee when measuring the old pants....

Inspiration Galore

I have just returned home from a very inspiring day of Craft and delectable eye candy...
I have visited Magnolia Square, and it was just lovely.


The Stitches and Craft Fair was great, especially the Living Creatively Site. I had hoped to meet up with Cathy but alas she was not working today. I did however meet the lovely Fiona who had some very crafty things going on, and shared her secrets to making a button necklace which has been one of those (must do one day) projects.

Phew, all that linking is tiring.......

Finished at last.....

( I took the photo without the sashes, oops)

The flowergirl dresses are finished so now I can concentrate on those yummy bucket hats, I can see a whole girl accessories thing going on, little bags to match the hats are a must now!!!

Still sewing in the heatwave

It is crazy, poor old Easter Bunny is getting his things together and the morning dews are supposed to be here. Why on earth has someone forgotten to flick the autumn switch...

I shouldn't complain. I do enjoy summer and our house is temperature controlled.

I have spent the last week trying to squeeze in some sewing time amongst the hectic domestic schedule.. I am sure a lot of those people who sew and blog all the time, must have cleaners and nannies...

The flower girls have all had their fittings and now I can finish all 3 dresses. I just have to muster the energy and enthusiasm to go for it.

I continued with my bucket hat experimenting on Monday and I am about to draft off a different brim, I just want the brim to sit out a little more, more sun protection and less eye interference. The girls loved them, Miss4.5 already insisted on wearing it at Kinder today. I will try photographing them next chance I get..

Once my current (paying) task is done, I want to experiment with my gathering attachment on the overlocker and tweak it up so I can make a tiered skirt in one pass. If anyone has done it with success, I'd love to hear from you!!!!!!!!!

I am thinking it might be time for another Japanese Sewing Pattern Book....

This little shirt dress is gorgeous, I could just see it in linen with a nice print collar and placket, Have to keep the (to do pile) bigger than the stash itself.

Motivation, it is a strange thing, some days it only takes a simple thought, other days I might browse through stacks of magazines and clippings I have collected over the years..

I guess Inspiration cannot be made. It just has to come on its own.