Here She is...

in all her polished cotton loveliness... I just couldn't take the risk of leaving it to fate and having her slip through my fingers. So now 2.5 m is mine - which hopefully is enough for the planned dress.

I am intending to make up a 'muslin' in this navy stretch poplin - not the standard muslin type fabric I know but  I am kind of hoping that if the muslin turns out well I might be able to wear it too. I just couldn't justify paying $6.00AUS per meter for calico when the poplin was only $8.00. Plus the little bit of stretch in the poplin should mirror the 2% spandex in the dress fabric. I will also use the poplin to line another dress that I have in the pipeline - one that I will actually be able to wear now. I will share the details of that one in another post though.

I am excited about this project!

A couple of days ago I found myself with a clean house and nothing to do during nap time and I started flicking through this book:

I have made a number of things from this book - mostly things for H boy like toys - I find the patterns quite simple and a little frivolous. By that I mean mostly things I don't really need. However, I did need a new pouch to store all the things that float around in my handbag and I came across this and thought it quite cute:

pictures sourced from Meet me at Mike's Book

It took me some creativity with lightweight fusible interfacing as I only had that and it called for medium weight - so I just put in two layers of lightweight which gave it a nice firmness. It only took around 40 mins to make up and turned out really cute.

Back to it

It's been a while between crafty sessions - due in part to the arrival of Harris Pedro - the newest addition to our family. He is a darling child most of the time - BUT - he doesn't really let me put him down for long enough to really get stuck into a sewing project. I have a sling that I carry him around in and I have mastered the art of typing with him in the sling so sewing is the next fronteir.

I did manage to cut a few things out before I had him so I have a few little projects to start with.
This below is going to be a toy giraffe. And I have a couple of aprons to sew up as well. I might start with the aprons to get the sewing finders back into touch.


I have decided that I am going to have an ongoing project this year of making a quilt. I am going to start off with a really easy pattern of just squares so I can get the techniques down pat. I would like to have it done by winter so that we have a nice rug to put over our laps when we are watching TV - but we will have to see how we go. I have a pattern so I am just in the process of deciding on fabrics now.

Introducing...

Frankencatbear!

Well - that's what Mark christened him. Because he said that it looks like I have attached the head from one toy to another. I made him last week and I think he is pretty cute.

Now I'm working on the next creation... a flowery giraffe who may be named flowers!

Progress

Well I managed to sit down this weekend and make some progress on sewing projects I have on the go.

Mainly just cutting out of pattern pieces BUT I did manage to sew up a prototype of the shorts pattern that I had sitting around. They are cute but they wont fit my boy for a little while. I might try and make a smaller version - looking at the pattern it shouldn't be all that difficult. I need to use a different fabric for the main part of the shorts though - I used a poplin but it is a little bit light on and I really cant see them lasting a rough and tumble boy very well.

I also made some little nappy covers/ pilchers - because really - who likes to go out with their underwear showing! They turned out really well and once he is here and I can try them on him I will most likely make some more. I may try and alter them so they I can add some snaps to make nappy changes easier - or i could just not worry about it!

My least favourite job of the weekend was fixing the massive rip in the dog's bed - oh it was disgustin gto have to put that awful thing near my lovely sewing machine. Now I am desperate to scrub the sewing room/office to get the doggyness out.

I will take some pics tomorrow once I have finished the shorts off with some elastic in the waist band. I wasn't very happy with the pockets - mainly because I found the really difficult to sew on.

The baby's room is also finished (apart from one wall hanging) so I will attempt to take some pics tomorrow of that as well.

A bit slack

I know that I have been a bit slack but I just haven't really been up for crafting or sewing at all in the past few weeks. A little bit because it has been too hot and a little bit because I haven't had much time to spare.

But today I went to the fabric shop and stocked up on sewing supplies so I can have a few little projects going on in the background over the next few weeks.

here is what I have planned:

• Make some cot sheets from some old cotton sheets we found in Grandma's closet
• Make a few more snuggle bed covers to rotate through
• A few pairs of cute shorts from a pattern I have
• An apron that I have been hoarding th material for.
• some little cotton nappy cover - like pilchers I guess. My concept for these needs a little bit of work.
• Mend the massive tear in the dog's bed.

I think that is all for now.

I constantly surprise myself...

I bought a Tetra snuggle bed for my new bub to sleep in and feel secure when he first comes home with me. I was in a bit of a dilemma because I didn't want to have a bassinet - I wanted him to get used to the cot straight away, but I also wanted him to feel cosy and snug. That is where the snuggle bed comes in.

When I bought it, the one I got was white and had a removeable cover on it like a pillow slip (like the one in the pic above but white). I kept thinking that white was not the best choice, but I would figure something out.

Well tonight I made myself a new heavier duty cover for my snuggle bed - in coordinating fabric to my nursery and I am so happy with how it turned out. I do surprise myself with my sewing abilities because they are limiited - but I am starting to think that I can probably make anything I set my mind to.

I will post a pic another day because it is very late at night and I do have to work tomorrow. But I was just so excited that I could make something like that from scratch.

Some of my Nursery things

I have been happily crafting away on things for the baby's room for a little while now but I have been waiting to put up pics until it was closer to finished.

Last night I was bored and decided to play around with my Mobile concept. It is a little bit shabby but still cute I think it is more a Dangle than a mobile. Here is one of the fish....

And the dangle from a distance.....

I did these paintings a little while ago now but I have waiting to hang them beofre I took a picture. I am really happy with how they came out....


There are other things but I will save them ntil the room is more together.

New Project

This is the beginnings of the last project for the baby's nursery (If you exclude the mobile - I'm still working on the concept for that.) It's not much yet but I hope it comes together. Thats if I can even get it to hang on the wall once it is finished. LOL - it is so heavy!