A quick morning project...

Quick projects are my fave! Don't get me wrong, I do love the immense satisfaction from completing a really long & arduous task (like my vintage sheet quilt will be!) but since having Jaimeson those tasks seem ever more daunting. I like something I can do start to finish in his sleep time. And so I did today!
One of my good friends has a gorgeous 2D cloud brooch which I saw her wearing in some pics on Facebook. This morning as I was messaging her about how much I loved it, I suddenly got the idea to make a felt cloud brooch for myself!
I drew a cloud template similar in shape to her brooch, cut from white felt, hand sewed on some aqua raindrops & a brooch back; then blanket stitched it together with a little tiny bit of stuffing inside to give it depth. All in about 30 mins! {sweet!}
What do you think?!
(excuse my house clothes & unbrushed hair! It's me, a la natural!!)
:) C

Project 365; Collages 12 & 13

Happy Friday y'all!
More pics from Project 365. I love doing this fun project a lot more now I have an iphone (when I'm not wanting to throw my iphone against the wall, for other reasons. An iphone is both a blessing and a curse; they love you, and do heaps for you, then they come back and smack you in the face with stupidity and stubborn-ness. Well, at least mine does. Soooooo frustrating!!)Day 45: Meeting up with Granny and Papa at Macquarie centre. I do love our "Tuesdays once a month meeting up!" {hugs}
46: Milton the Monster! Jaimeson's new toy I made {smiles!}
47: I do love seeing this little fella's washing on the line. It's so small and cute!
48: Jaimeson and I stumbled across this baby bird cowering in the long grass on the edge of the path while we were out walking. I think it might be a baby Mr Puffy! I called WIRES and they said to put him up high somewhere cos his parents were likely around. I was worried a cat or dog would get him! He was soooo cute and fluffy and sat neatly in the palm of my hand! I put him on a brick fence next to where he was. I hope he ended up ok!49:Jaimeson's first ride in the seat part of the shopping trolley! He lasted the whole way around Coles, he was such a good boy! He waved at the Butcher (a big man too, who waved back, cos how can you not wave when such a little person is waving at you!), and charmed the Baker lady who oohed and aahed at him! Then he chatted away to the checkout chick! It was soooo cute. He loved being up high, not stuck down low in his pram!
50: Piecing out my Quilt on the study floor. I've even sewed some of the strips now too (not finished though! EEK! I am so easily distracted!)
51:My cheeky boy pulling faces while he eats his dinner. So cute!
52: Jaimeson enjoying himself at playgroup. He's never played with a hoop before!
Hope you have a good weekend!!
: )C
P.S. I also found these 2 old collages from January/Feb in my 2009 Project 365. Enjoy the little walk down memory lane!

Meet Milton

Hi y'all!
Say hi to Milton the Monster!
I made him after being inspired by a felt monster of the same shape on Pinterest. I have heaps of cool fabrics to use up, so I drew out a pattern & sewed Milton out of some fabrics instead of felt & I really like how he turned out!
He has one big felt eye & a big lopsided smile with his tongue sticking out, as well as a big torso & short Asian legs like Willy {belly laugh!} I gave him some taggies sewn in the side cos Jaimeson does still love to chew on taggies & he has a small plastic rattle inside. And I embroidered Jaimeson's name on his butt cos Jai's not gonna be able to find many personalised things, so when I can personalise something for him I will!
And I made Milton totally, from drawing pattern to cutting, sewing, handsewing, stuffing & finishing, in just 2 of Jaimeson's sleep times! Not bad!!
You like?
:) C

Vintage Sheet Swap

Hi y'all!
Well, it's been a week of posting! Hooray me {party poppers spraying streamers around the room!}
Take a look at this sweet package that arrived after Christmas! Isn't it wrapped so nicely!
Since the awesome success of the Op Shop Swap Swap I participated in back in November (and got Lotti, thanks Lotti!), I decided that swaps are heaps of fun and I'm going to participate in more swaps! Yvette encouraged me to join the Vintage Sheet Swap that Mardi from The Love Supreme was hosting, so I got my Op Shop self into mode and went on the hunt for Vintage Sheets! I do love all things retro and I'm pleased to say I got quite a sweet little collection of sheets together to send off. My phone is being a pain in the butt so it wont let me download a pic of the sheets I sent, so I'll have to leave that for another time. But here are pics of what I got back! Aren't they all so pretty! What a sweet little pile of squares! I sent 72 in total, and Mardi had the unenviable job of compiling all the squares, diving them up and sending them back to us. She did such an amazing job cos I don't think I even got one of my own squares back, and I only got two doubles! What a mammoth task!
So in this swap the idea was to cut your sheets into 6x6 inch squares to swap, which could then be sewn into a quilt-top and you back the quilt with another vintage sheet. Mardi scored pay-dirt this year when she came across a Vintage Sheet Quilt already made up at the Op Shop (awesome score!) and she wanted us all to get enjoyment out of a Vintage Sheet Quilt like she has! I decided I'll make a "Lounge Quilt", not a bed quilt, cos I do love snuggling up under a doona when I watch TV on the lounge in winter, and I know I would get lots of enjoyment out of a Lounge Quilt that is made from Vintage Sheets! I still haven't decided the size, I use a single bed doona at the moment, but I might make more of a square shape for the Vintage Quilt.
The last pic shows some of my fave's from the swap. Isn't the mushroom one cute! Yvette even got an awesome Snow White square. It's totally beautiful {swoon!} I've never seen a cute vintage sheet like that one!
So I'm really keen to get sewing and put together a gorgeous Vintage Sheet Quilt! Mum is gonna have to help me when I get to the batting and backing (thanks Mum {hugs!}) as I've never completed a Quilt before, but in the mean-time, I'm pretty sure I've got 'sewing the squares together' in the bag!
:) C
Edited to add:
Ah Ha! My computer bent to my will! Here are some of the sheets I sent, I had a few others but these were within reach! Me likey! Did you get any of my squares?

Rolled Fabric Roses

Hi y'all!
So, Yvette, here are the Rolled Fabric Rose brooches/headband roses I made on Sunday! Pretty cool hey?! I googled instructions (after trawling around etsy for a while and almost buying a pattern on there I realised I should just google and someone would have posted one for free. And I was right!) I used the Tattered Roses Tutorial from Everyday Chaos. It was super fun to sit down with lots of my fabrics and the hot glue gun and get to work! I made some tiny roses to make an interchangeable headband for Peabody if it's a girl (they are the 7 tiny ones at top left of this pic), and then I made a whole bunch of larger roses for brooches. Then Sunday night I sat and watched TV and cut out leaves from felt and stitched on leaf veins. Tuesday I bought brooch backs and assembled them and voila! Another Maternity Leave project finished! I should really have "holidayed at home" more often, whenever I had a specific project in mind actually, cos I have found these last 2.5 weeks at home very productive!
I have to thank Mum for teaching me to be crafty, cos without craftiness I would have been very bored these last 2 weeks! As it is, I have had an absolute ball! And hope that I can still squeeze in some craftiness between Peabody's feeds and sleeps too!
:) C

Peabody's Pirates

Hi Y'all!
Well I can strike off another one of my Maternity Leave projects, yesterday I started, and today I finished, these little beauties! They are sweet little Pirate dolls! I was inspired by some I saw a few weeks ago on Etsy and I thought of all the nautical inspired fabrics I have that need using up and I thought what better to do than to make some of my own! I drew the pattern out (the ones on etsy were probably double the size of these little beauties who are only about 17cm tall) and I changed up the hair a bit from the ones on etsy, and I also sewed on a little anchor button. I sewed them on really well so if Peabody does get to chewing on it and slobbering on the button then it shouldn't give way too easily! Don't you love the cute pigtails on the girl Pirate? Their names are Tess and Tom. I don't know why those names, but in true tradition of toys I've made, they chose those names themselves and it has stuck {wink!} I like Tom's dashing red eye patch, don't you? LOL!
I am so proud of all the toys I have made for Peabody, especially as I don't sew that much but I have certainly dusted off the old Singer these last 2 weeks and gone to town with my Creative juices flowing! Mr Mojo must have come to stay with a long lost sewing cousin of his! {giggle}.
:) C

The Friday project unveiled!

Hi y'all!
Well did you have a good old guess at what yesterday's project was from my iphone pic? Yvette guessed an owl, which was a good guess seeing as I love owls, but I've already made Peabody an owl so no. It was..... a Mr Hedgehog taggie!
I got the idea after buying my pinking shears to make a small felt Hedgehog for Peabody and I was thinking what else I could make using the pinking shears (it turns out it's addictive to cut things in a zig zag. Who knew?) I drew out this pattern at work one night and decided to make it into a taggie (a toy with tags of ribbon for baby to hold on to) cos that sounded pretty cool. And I have about a trillion different ribbons so it was going to be a good way to use some of them!
Initially I was going to make him all out of felt, but then when I looked through my fabric collection I realised if I make everything out of felt there will be no use for the stash of pretty fabrics I've been hoarding for a rainy day {wink!}. So I gathered some brown and aqua fabrics & ribbons and set to work! I was on a roll yesterday til I broke my sewing machine needle. D'oh! So I used last night to hand sew the eyeballs on and his nose on and sew some eyebrows (cos what Hedgehog doesn't have eyebrows, honestly...) and then this morning I found a spare sewing machine needle and I finished him off {high five!} I am so proud of how he turned out!! I just love him and I hope Peabody does too! And I'm so proud cos I thought of it all on my own and drew the pattern and it actually turned out exactly as I wanted {happy dance!}
So here is all the sewing I've done for Peabody, lovingly arranged in the lined basket Mum made using some beautiful bird-nest fabric I bought at Spotlight and a basket we got as a food hamper for our Engagement (hooray, recycling!) Thanks Mum!
So hooray, another one of my "Maternity Leave Projects" out of the way! Now I just have to scrap about 40 pages before Peabody is born. LOL!!
:) C

A late Friday afternoon project!

So as I was laying down today having my mandatory rest period after shopping (I took your advice Mum!) I was checking out etsy on my phone & was inspired to come downstairs and make a toy for Peabody. I'd drawn out this pattern a few weeks ago but hadn't gotten around to doing it, but I had renewed energy today & came down to my studio and here it is in the making! Can u guess what it is? If it turns out {tongue in cheek} I'll post a proper pic of the finished toy!
:) C



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sewing for Peabody

Hi y'all!
Yay, it's only day 2 of our 5 day Easter Long Weekend, hooray! This means I can get heaps of stuff done for Peabody and also get Hotel d'Lam cleaned up a bit before my MIL returns from China on Monday. Apparently Will's cousins have been giving his Mum lots of stuff to bring back for Peabody, so I'm interested to see what she brings! Is it going to be those (sometimes gorgeous) Asian Puff-ball dresses, or a bunch of horrible character outfits made from hot, scratchy, flammable, unbreathable fabrics? {giggles} I'm really excited to see! LOL!
As you know, Peabody's nursery corner is "Woodland Themed" (yet to be all set up though- better get moving {sound of whip cracking behind me!}) so I have had all these cool ideas of some toys to make for Peabody, including a Woodland Mobile. Well, this week I have finished off 4 more Felt animals which takes my total up to 6! Hooray! I have sewn them all onto red ribbon loops so that they didn't have to be permanantly fixed to anything. At this stage I will probably peg some to the "hood" bars that go over the bassinet which holds the mosquito net, then I could also tie one to another long ribbon loop for the pram etc. Then when Peabody goes into a cot I will probably make the mobile then. I figure they're probably quite multi-purpose when they're sewn to a ribbon loop! I got the idea for them from Etsy, where there are so many gorgeous felt animals and baby mobiles! But there was no way I was going to pay $70 for one! Not when I have 2 hands of my own to make them with!! The idea for the moose, fox and hedgehog all came from finger puppets on etsy, the mushroom and cloud are like Japanese ones I've seen around and the rabbit just came from my head. I still have a lot more animals in my head, so I should keep on sewing this weekend!
And here is the Nanna Knitted Knee Rug (well, crocheted, but it doesn't alliterate as well) I was telling Yvette about, that I bought from the Hospital Auxiliary on one of our Antenatal Visits. The old dear's always have a stand at the Hospital and one day as we were walking out this rug caught my eye and I bought it! (For the bargain price of $14 too, including a face washer and vanilla scented sachet!). I loved the gray and yellow colours and knew it would be suited to Peabody's Woodland room, especially seeing as it is non-gender specific and we don't know if Peabody is a girl or boy ! I thought it would be handy for throwing on our floor to give Peabody some tummy time, cos we've got floorboards throughout the house, and the rug is nice and soft & squishy. Mum said it's made from pretty good Wool too so that was good to hear! I loved supporting the Hospital Auxiliary and I always stop past their stall now, though haven't bought anything else yet. I really can't believe I will have only 4 more weeks of visiting the hospital before Peabody is born! How time is flyyyyyiiinnnnggg (eek!)
:) C

Hello Bloggers! I'm back!!

Hello everyone in Blogworld, did you miss me?!

We had an awesome holiday in Japan!! Of course :) I was already having a great time when Will proposed to me on day 5, at Mt Fuji! How special is that?!

Seeing as I haven't done anything very creative lately (for obvious reasons!) I thought you might like a recap of our holiday! I hope you enjoy the next few posts, and live, at least a little, vicariously through me :) {wink}

Day 1- Fly in (nothing too exciting here, so I'll move straight on!)

Day 2- Ueno, Nippori- Fabric town!!, Akihabara

We started the day off by heading to the Imperial Palace only to find the garden is shut on Fridays and Mondays, and it was Friday!! Argh!!

But- don't let this get you down... we walked across downtown Tokyo to Tokyo Railway Station (massively busy, even on a Friday mid-morning!) If you realise you're standing on the wrong side of a river of Japanese people, take care crossing over between them, it's madness! We took the Yamanote line to Ueno for a look around Ueno park. The park has a couple of shrines which introduced us to the amazing traditional culture of Japan. I loved the prayers tied to the pole fences and the long strings of origami cranes hanging beside them. So beautiful. There were big orange Inari gates and traditional buildings with Gold lettering and beautiful glowing lanterns, just so stunning.

We cruised around the park, talking in the sights, and strolled through some market stalls selling pottery and octopus balls! I bought a gorgeous little Rice bowl with owls on it (of course) and 2 sweet little pottery figures of an owl and the traditional bunny that was on lots of fabric etc. So cute!

We went to the Tokyo National Museum and did some people watching in the 1hr wait to get in and see the special exhibit- the giant Buddas from the Golden Temple in Kyoto. Man they were massive!! They ranged from about 400-600 years old and some broken up idols that were even older, so amazing. The main ones were over 2 stories high! WOW!!

After the museum we walked all the way to Nippori (we were up for some foot punishement on the first full day!) cos I really wanted to go to Textile Town at Nippori. We passed through the cemetary at Nippori and found this massive guy which Will is impersonating, although Will has added the interesting feature of his Swine Flu mask!! After the massive breakout in Osaka I couldn't get a mask anywhere! I haven't started snorting yet, so I'm thinking Swine Flu may have passed me by :) {sighing with relief!}

Nippori Textile Town is a whole street of fabric shops that sell way cheap. I'd read a lot about it on the net and boy did it NOT DISAPPOINT!! The fabric ranged from about 350Y to 650Y. Totally awesome prices, and the quality of the fabric is just amazing! I got some beautiful printed cottons for only 350Y per m, and then some more traditional prints for Mum in darker colours for only 550Y per m. Wow!! So gorgeous! My absolute fave fabrics are the woodland prints, I got owls and Little Red Riding Hood, Deers and Mushrooms, and I got a cute one with giant Babushkas (yes, not woodland, I know, but so cute!!) Top left are the navy prints I bought for Mum, under that is a traditional print seersucker with flowers and a bird; top right are more fabrics I bought for Mum, all prepackaged for easy buying (what I liked!!) and in beautiful traditional prints. All the little tubes of fabric at bottom left are 30cm by 1m and were only 105Y each. WHAT?!! I know, can you believe it!! I got lots of beautiful patterns to make another Babushka doll like the one I made a couple of months ago. Bottom right is my fave print on top with the deer and mushrooms, under that is some awesome spotty fabric and gorgeous little deer at the bottom (to make something for the Little Lams in a couple of years time!)

My darling husband-to-be carried all this fabric (it was many many kg's worth) around for me for the rest of the day cos he loves me! {HUGS WILLY!!} He even put it in his luggage cos he said I was going to buy more stuff than him so he'd carry it. He makes me want to hug him permanently or carry him around on my back in a papoose.

After Nippori we caught the Yamanote line back to Akihabara which is the Electric Town of Tokyo. It was amazing, there was a spruker who was rapping, trying to get us to go into his shop and buy a laptop! They have the Maid Cafe's there, and there was lots of Neon and cheap electronics. Definitely full of tourists though. I got the most gorgeous USB owl that sits on your computer desk and when you plug him into the USB he blinks and turns his head and is just so darn cute! A little bit of good company for my blogging nights!

Ok, it's totally bed time for me now, stay tuned for days 3-12!!

:) C

She is a sewing machine!

LOOK MUM, ARE YOU PROUD OF ME?!!!!! I MADE THIS!!

Wow, what a massive sense of accomplishment I have tonight... cos I made this from pattern to finished product in 3.5hrs!! Is that a long time? Ok, I don't sew all that often! And the last time I actually finished something, like totally on my own was about..... never! I usually need Mum's help or encouragement or sewing skills to finish projects... so Mum, I hope you feel the pride that I'm feeling right now! Cos not only does this little beauty actually look like the picture, but I don't think I made any boo boos at all! Awesome {high five... slap!} I got the kit from the Mathilda markets last weekend, it's by Sew Your Own and is just so so so so cute! The kit cost $25 but the full pattern is inside so I want to make it again in totally different colours, maybe greens and pinks, sweet! I think I was really drawn to the colours in this kit though, especially the turquoise and black combo, it's so cool! I utilised my wonderful patchwork skills (thanks Mum for the tuition {hugs!}) and I am so pleased with how she turned out. Pleased as punch!! The pattern allows for a 1cm seam allowance though, so I have acres of seams in this little baby!

And here she is, relaxing with a little hoot of owls beside the TV. I have 2 things to do now.. decide where to put her, and what to call her. I was thinking Babushka's need a cool name like Olga or Gerta. Any suggestions?

Will and I are off to V-Festival at Centennial Park tomorrow.. awesome! Duffy, The Killers, Kaiser Chiefs, Snow Patrol.. should be coolio!

Have a good weekend!

:) C

Almost Finished!!

Look Look Look! It's almost done!!

I can't believe I have sewn this SailorMoon costume from scratch and with only a home-made pattern for the collar (thanks Mum {hugs!!}). All I have left to do is the white trim on the Sailor collar. Hehe {giggles} I am so impressed with it! I hope it all comes together well on the night: costume, hair, makeup etc! It's gonna be fun!

:) C