random catch-up in no particular order:: a bag for my mama

Last month was mum’s birthday so I thought it was about time to make her bag. This was one we had decided on together over a year ago which I had never found the time [or perhaps inclination to follow a pattern] to construct.

It’s from bend-the-rules sewing by Amy Karol [aka Angry Chicken], which I borrowed from Katie. It was easy to follow her instructions and turned out just perfectly! I only made a couple of changes: I used stiff sew-in interfacing to give it a bit of shape [because who knows what cotton flannel is or where to get it here - anyone?] and I stitched my own embroidery design on the front instead of the one Amy has in the book.

And my mama loves it!

A Bag and An Owl

1. embroidered tree bag:: a quick-I-need-to-make-a-present-right-now-and-I-only-have-an-hour-and-all-my-fabric-is-packed-away present for my darling aunty Christine [yes - it does get confusing when you are named after your aunty - we have always been known as Big Chris and Little Chris]

2. tea cup sock owl:: a gorgeous quick and super easy to follow pattern from Craft Schmaft - a pressie for my darling sis Mandy

P.S. Don't forget to enter my giveaway - you've only got till Sunday!

Guess Whose Birthday It Wasn't...

Ahh, the big three-oh - well not really (actually only 7 and a half due to birthday being deleted from the calendar 3 years out of 4).

It's actually not as bad as I thought - leaving the twenties. Isn't it funny how you build something up in your mind so it seems really big and scary and it turns out to be just fine! What a sook she is, I can hear you saying, it's only another year. Somehow going from 29 to 30 sounds like it's a huge jump. Like now I should grow up and act my age and stop going off with the fairies and actually do sensible grown up things like cleaning the house and ironing. Who am I kidding! Like that's gonna happen!

I got a bit spoilt today with all the lovely pressies and family and fun times. Look at all the pretty things.

 

Anyhoo since it's my not-birthday and I've got a blog that a couple of people read and I've hit the 1000-visitors mark on my hit counter (did you know I had one of those? - it's right at the bottom of the page - and I happened to look at it right when it hit 1000 and I promise I don't look at my blog ALL the time to check the meter so it can't be ALL me)

 

Where was I going with all this? Oh yes, that's right - I thought I'd do a little birthday GIVEAWAY! Yay! I've been busting to do this! I haven't worked out exactly what it's going to include - but I'm sure I can rustle up a cute little package. Check back in the next couple of days for the details.

Making Stuff For Eamon

There's a new little cutie around these parts. Eamon Thomas is my darling nephew - a gorgeous son for Katie and Ben (my little brother) born three weeks ago now.
We had to get busy crafting as soon as we heard the exciting news. As all my fabric is in storage at the moment we had to get creative with what I had floating around in the studio scrap box. A boyish bib for dribbling on and an Alannah-designed teddy made their appearance by the end of the day. Just right for numerous drools and chewings-on.

On a Christmas tree somewhere...

...there is a little birdie made with love.

And on 129 other Christmas trees there are 129 more little birdies made with love too [the love nearly ran out though after that many!]

I designed these as a little gift to give out at our annual church Gingerbread Nights. I did have a couple of lovely ladies to help me with the assembly but turned out to be a bigger job than I first thought. [isn't that always the way?]
So I was busy sticking on wings, tails and eyes a day before we were off on holiday!
Busy times but so rewarding!

Creative Update

So I've been a busy girl making lots of stuff!

Let me see... 15 little girls skirts, 8 marble bags, 2 pencil cases, a couple dozen button hair ties, ballerina tutu, a princess and the pea playset, and even a dress for me! Phew!

Plus there are a few half done projects that are still to be finished off: dress for a sweet little girl, few pairs of pants for Finn, bibs for Finn and I'm sure there are a few more lurking in the studio!

Things we made for Operation Christmas Child boxes we did last month. This was such a great way of teaching the girls about the huge need there is to care for poverty-stricken in this world.

The girls really enjoyed thinking about what a little girl their own age might like to receive and talking about how and why we should help, making a card and praying for the girls who would be receiving the boxes they made.

We are so blessed in our lives and to teach our children to share what we have with those who have nothing is so important to us. I highly recommend doing an activity like this with your kids.

And here's that gorgeous gypsy gal who sold skirts and button hair ties in the peddler's parade at the school fair.

Her costume was thrown together during a raid on my wardrobe - so much easier than trying to make something which was my initial lofty plan.

Mushies anyone?

It was Ed's niece's birthday the other day. She turned 11, so I thought maybe a "makeup" case would make a cute gift.

Alannah chose the fabrics and directed the design and mummy sewed.

We also made some simple button hair slides and put in some lip balms and little lippy samples.

Even lined it!

I love how it turned out - though there's something awry with the zip. May have to do some homework on that one.

Making Pressies

I've been sewing lately, making birthday gifts for friends.

I really love giving something I've made myself. It's so rewarding to be creative and be happy with the finished product.

Plus it means I don't have to drag the kidlets around town for hours searching for the perfect gift and come home with a headache, crabby kids, and a present that's not quite what I was looking for.

So making your own gifts = winners all round!

[just don't mention the upside down house, fabric everywhere, dishes not done, dinner not cooked, children not bathed ;) ]

This one's a reversible cover art journal. With a really sweet mini red polka dot for the inside flaps. And I even sewed in a little red taggy thing on the side. How professional!

And this is how I wrapped it. A few layers of tissue paper. Scrunched then flattened out again. Lay book on top to the side. Fold paper in half. Sew all around with the sewing machine. Easy. Oh and I first sewed a piece of kinda transparent, holey handmade paper to be a little pocket thing for the card I stamped.

This is a tool / knitting needle / pencil roll with some cute flower binding. It's so easy to make with a bias tape maker. Just cut a strip of fabric and feed it through the tape maker as you iron. Perfect!

I cut out a few leafy shapes and ironed them on with double sided fusible webbing, then stitched round them.

Some simple tote bags. My favourite fabric has to be the little red riding hood, how cute!