Month: October 2008

craft, embroidery

Sausage dog CD envelope

The last time I attended Brown Owls I barely put needle and thread to fabric, lured instead by the call of the crochet hook.  Over the past week I decided to make Kirsty proud of me and finish off my sausage dog CD envelope.

 Sausage Dog CD holder - with instructions by you.

I love the way that the dog wraps around the back of the envelope…

Sausage dog CD holder - back by you.

so she can sniff her own bottom.  Well, isn’t that what dogs do?

Sausage Dog CD holder - front by you.

Clare has been doing a little embroidery at school, in art.  It reminds me of Sashiko embroidery.

Clare's embroidery by you.

She said that her teacher started it off, and she finished it.  Clare brought home a book on embroidery from the school library on Monday, showing it to me with great excitement because she’d was sure I’d like it “because it’s about craft”.

by thornberry
patterns, planned projects, sewing

Oh I love boutique patterns!

While the Australian dollar was still worth something, I participated in a few fantastic special buys over at the Crafty Mamas forum.  Crafty Mamas is an Australian online store specialising in supplies for – you guessed it – we crafty mamas, particularly European and boutique fabrics and patterns that are otherwise difficult to find here.  I couldn’t resist the pattern specials.  The hardest part was restraining myself from ordering more!

Pattern bonanza - Portabello Pixies & Favourite Things by you.

The Portabello Pixies patterns are really gorgeous.  I am about to cut out a dress for Clare from the pattern called Claire!  I’ve made the Prairie Girl dress in little girl size before, and liked it so much I bought a pattern in my size too.

Oliver & S patterns (& Lola apron) by you.

And these are super cute as well!  The Oliver & S one on the bottom right is about to be put to use to make another dress for Stella.

by thornberry
baby, craft, quilting, sewing

Mia’s quilt

Baby Mia was born on the 1st of October – it’s now almost the end of the month.  But finally, her quilt is finished.

Mia's quilt - with hands by you.

Although I spent hours agonising over the block placement so that I wouldn’t have the same combinations in the same line, or the same two beside one another more than once, I must have mucked things up a little when I piled up the blocks before sewing them together.  There are a few glitches.

Mia's quilt - on bed by you.

I’m not certain that this should actually be called a quilt, since although there is plenty of piecing, there is no actual quilting involved.  There is a layer of wadding in between, and I backed it with fabric from the stash.

Mia's quilt - detail by you.

The fabric squares are a mixture of vintage chenille and quilting cottons.  Now to get it in the mail! 

by thornberry
craft, miscellaneous, sewing

Another generous blogger

Kellie recently held a giveaway with the prize being one of her superb art smocks.  If you haven’t seen them yet, you should – she is a quilter and applique-er (is that a word?) extraordinaire!  She has even been generous enough to provide a tutorial on how to make them.  I was lucky enough to win the rocket-ship smock that she was giving away.  But when Kellie realised that I have two little girls, she suprised me by making an entirely new one with a girly design!

Art smock by Don't Look Now by you.

Isn’t it absolutely gorgeous!  And as if that wasn’t enough, she also made Jemma the sock monkey for the girls (although I think I shall keep her for myself).

Sock monkey Jemma by you.

What a talent – and she manages all this with FOUR young children!  Yikes!  There are more pictures over at her blog.  Thank you SO MUCH Kellie – and I look forward to meeting you in real life once you’re back from your overseas jaunt!

by thornberry
craft, miscellaneous

By big sister for little sister

Last weekend Clare spent half a day putting together a book for Stella for Christmas.  The idea and instructions came from here.  We explained what she needed to do, handed over the digital camera and told her to go for it.  Clare decided that since there were so many pages available, she would do a book of “first colours, alphabet, numbers and nature”.

Clare's colour book for Stella by you.

Clare took three photos of household objects for each colour, wrote the name of each colour, and popped them in the book.  She drew pictures for the remaining themes. 

Make a colour book activity by you.

She even numbered each page and inserted a contents list into the front.  Clare was very proud of herself – she took the book to school the next day to show her teacher (and anyone else who was nearby).  I was very proud too!  I’m sure that Stella will love it.

by thornberry
fabric stash, Sunday Stash

Sunday Stash #4

Sunday Stash is making me go through my fabrics – what a good idea!  This one is a stretch woven – cotton with a little bit of lycra, from slightly addled memory.

Sunday Stash #4 by you.

I bought it from Darn Cheap Fabrics a year or so (possibly two years?) ago.  Love it!  It is destined to become a trench coat/jacket.  Something for the inbetween days that Melbourne seems to specialise in.  The print is fairly large scale.

Thanks again to Tamara for hosting Sunday Stash!

by thornberry
baby, children's clothing, kids clothing, patterns, sewing

And a coordinating dress for Stella

Thanks so much for the compliments on Clare’s top!  That fabric is very cute, isn’t it!  Apparently it began life as a bedsheet.  Luckily, there was just enough left to squeeze out a dress for Stella as well.

I used New Look 6792 (circa 2008, unlike the pattern for Clare’s top).

New Look 6792 circa 2008 by you.

And the finished result?

Stella's New Dress by you.

This is a size small (for 3-6 months! crikey, Stella is almost 17 months but at the upper edge of the weight suggested for size small) and fits perfectly.

Oh look! It's chalk! by you.

It’s pretty much made according to the pattern instructions, other than omitting the ric-rac trim around the armholes and adding bias binding trim to the hem.  And we even have some coordinating knickers (a gift from my sister-in-law):

Cute knickers! by you.

Too cute!  The knickers stop Stella from undoing her nappy all the time.  Here’s a close-up of the front:

New Look 6792 - front detail by you.

Those little puffed half-sleeves are so cute and so wearable (keeping the sun off those little white shoulders).  The tucks are a lovely detail, as are the curved side yokes.  The curved yokes are a bit tricky to attach to the dress front, because you’re joining a concave and convex curve, so I wouldn’t suggest it for beginners.  The back has a lapped zipper which I could have done a better job of if I’d inserted it earlier in the construction process, rather than when the instructions said.  I might need to get a copy of a general sewing reference like the Reader’s Digest one to double check for these types of issues.  That said, a delightful pattern!

by thornberry
children's clothing, kids clothing, patterns, sewing, vintage patterns

Crafty gifts coming together

The warmer weather has inspired me to make a start on summer sewing.  Firstly, a new top for Clare.

Simplicity 8430 circa 1978 by you.

The pattern is Simplicity 8430, copyright 1978!  Many thanks to LIttle Miss Flossy for sending it to me.

Yoked 70s top - front by you.

The main fabric was a gift from Linda; the contrast yoke and undersleeves are from Heather Bailey’s Freshcut line.

Yoked 70s top - button & sleeve detail by you.

I have always liked using fabric-covered buttons; these close the back of the yoke nicely!  It was much more enjoyable sewing this yesterday than doing the chores.  It is a fraction big on Clare at the moment (I made the size 6) but at the rate she is now growing it should be fine over the summer.

Welcome also to anyone popping over from Sew Mama Sew!  I am really pleased and humbled to be on the Sew Mama Sew Board.  Please feel free to delurk and say hello!

by thornberry
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