Sugar and spice and everything nice

Hi all,

Another random post from me. I dont seem to have time to be a frequent blogger so I grab the chance to write an entry whenever I can.

Im happily in a sewing frenzy and snatch whatever time I have to head to the sewing room. I now have a dedicated time for quilting as I've signed up to a quilting class. Everyone in the class is really nice to be around and there is always something to smile and laugh about. It makes a nice change from other classes Ive done where either the teacher or the other students werent very communicative.

The last couple of weeks has seen me working on the above mentioned quilt (which is coming along very slowly) and presents for kids birthdays, which I love doing. It lets me try out something new (usually the night before the party!!).

So here are my offerings today.

Firstly, a friend asked me to make some cushions for her friend's daughter. The brief was simple and modern. I came up with a few alternatives but in the end, it was a very simple set of cushions. The feature fabric was an Amy Butler design which was one of the many fabric scraps my lovely friend Lisa of 1plus2equals3 sent to me. Im slowly working my way through them.

I blanket stitched the name and heart on by machine. As the cushions were to be simple, I didn't want the irregularity of hand stitching to be the feature (as well as the fact that I always go overboard with the hand stitching!).

As the kinder party season is in full swing, I decided to stick to the theme of bags for the kids. I was getting a little bored of the same old messenger bag so it was back to the internet for more inspiration. I didnt have to look to hard before I came across this bag (tute can be found here ) and knew this was the perfect back for the birthday girl.

The tute was pretty good although I had to redo the front flap as i'd sewn the pin tucks on the front the wrong way (resulting in the front flap being way too narrow). The tute is quite good with pictures and all but does not give you the finer details of, as mentioned above, which way to sew things on as well as how to do the box corners at the bottom (thankfully i've done them before) and how to attach the lining to the bag. All in all though, Im still pretty impressed by what people put up for free.

To accompany the bag, I made a tissue holder which was the easiest thing ive ever made.

Tute can be found here. Great tute and site by the way.

Finally, we celebrated my hubby's birthday last week and as he'd already bought himself his presnt (this is way ok by me) I thought it would be nice for him to open something. So the girls and I had a bit of a photo shoot and this is what we came up with.

He was very happy with his present.

Hope your week is treating you and yours well..

Sof xx

What a hoot!

Hi all,

Just a quick post today. Ive been asked by a couple of people to make owl softies and after some thought at a lot of experimentation I've come up with my first prototype. Introducing 'Owlie greenie lovely good' (as named by Miss G).

Im not convinced by its proportions. What do you think? Im thinking I should add little legs to close up the tummy area but as the owl is intended for small people, I didn't want to add too many attachments (little people love to stick things in their mouths).

Ive got a few other ideas but alas, time is not my friend so the ideas stay in my head until a spare moment allows me to set them free!

Hope you're all having a wonderful day.

Sof xx

Whats a few months between friends

Hello lovely blogger readers. Yet again months have passed without a blog post. Time just goes by so fast at the moment.

Not alot going on in my part of the world. I had a few weeks of absolutely no creativity whatsoever and then a burst of enthusiasm (and necessity) drove me back to the sewing room to create again.

The kinder kids birthday season has started again and this year I've chosen to make the birthday kids messenger bags. I really enjoy making these and, with all things, the more I make, the better they get. My latest messenger bag was fashioned from an old pair of the birthday boy's own jeans which is mum had given to me to upcycle.

Sorry for the slightly fuzzy picture. The light was fairly poor.

I used the back pockets of the jeans rather than create new pockets and they turned out really well. It did take me a little longer to cut the fabric but it was really satisfying to create something new from something which would have been otherwise thrown away.

I have spent a little time making a jacket for Miss G. I spent a decent amount of time trying to buy a winter coat but could not find a decent one. Im not sure what manufacturers think but i'd rather buy something that will last a couple of seasons. All I could find were flimsy, barely lined numbers which were poorly made and came in the most awful colours or trims.

The exterior fabric used for this jacket was free, picked up from freecyclers and the fabric lining I found at my local op shop, costing me the princely sum of $1 for about 3 metres. The buttons I pinched from my mums button collection. I liked the effect of the 6 different buttons.

I decided to make a size 6 thinking i'd be able to stretch the jacket out for a few winters. However, I found that the sleeves were a little too tight and, unfortunately, Miss G cant wear a jumper underneath it. So its destined to be a dress jacket.

Finally, Ive made a couple of margaret bags (online free pattern from oh fransson is unfortunately no longe available, however, I have printed it out) for my mum in law and a friend who recently celebrated her birthday.

Michael Miller owl fabric.

Shoulder version made for my mum in law.

Im currently working on an owl softie and some more cute kids clothes. No doubt there will be a few more messenger bags in the works. Im also starting a quilting workshop at the local neighbourhood house and am really looking forward to having some time specifically for quilting, something I havent done much of lately.

Hope all is well in your part of the world.

Sof xx

My creative space #2 2011

Hi all,

How are you all??! Life has been pretty busy around here. The colder months have set in and with it has bought my passion for sewing. Im glad my mojo is back. I missed my machine.

Here are a couple of offerings.

First, a boy's messenger bag for a special little buddy who turned 2. I really wanted to make him something but struggled to find a project until I came across a picture of a boy with a messenger bag. From there it was just a matter of finding the right tute for the right one.

Carabinas hold the strap to the bag with eyelets inserted in the bag's sides to give it strength. Much swearing was employed whilst banging in the eyelets.

I need to thank his mum for taking these fantastic pics.

I used an old pair of my jeans for the exterior fabric and the inside fabric (and binding) was specifically bought for the birthday boy. To be honest, I couldn't resist it and I knew his mum would really like it too!

If you'd like to make one of your own, the tutorial can be found here. The tute doesn't come with instructions for the fabric lining but is pretty easy to come up with that bit on your own. Also, if you're using fabric that isn't stiff, Id suggest using a thick fusible webbing to help the bag keep its shape.

I'll definitely be making this one again. The kinder birthday season is starting so you can expect to see a variety of messenger bags this year. Even the husband was impressed by this project and has requested an adult sized version.

Next, I made this set for a little girl who I will hopefully be seeing soon. The pattern for the top is the same one as used here and the pants are a simple elasticised waist number.

Ive had flower fabric for about 2 years, always admiring it but never really having the right project for it. Im glad its finally found its form and is on its way to a new home. Im hoping that the pants aren't too 'boyish'. I think there is way too much pink for girls. Let them wear blue I say!

Hope you are all well.

For more creative spaces, click over here

Do not compute...

Hi all,

Yet another long gap between entries and it will be a quick one as there has been lots of kid work and not very much sewing work.

Firstly, I wanted to show you these two robots, made for two very special little boys. They are made from a pair of my old jeans (which I also got two pairs of pants for the girls from... just shows you how big my jeans are!!).

Ive got a fair few jeans past repair so I'd say a few more of these little guys will be made in the not to distant future.

Also, thought i'd share a couple of pics from easter. We were lucky enough to be invited to a house of a friends parents. They were the most accomodating... moving into a downstairs flat so we could have the run of the house. The house was beautiful and the scenery... well take a look:

The backyard!!

Paper woven easter baskets left by 'the easter bunny' for the kids to use for an egg hunt.

Thats it from me. Im still working on a quilt and have made a few other things for a friend who really wanted a bunny :)

Take care,

Sof

Easter is on its way...

Hi all,

Its been a hectic month or so. Weddings and birthdays and sewing but not alot of posting.

Im currently working on a quilt that Im quite enjoying piecing together. Its a very simple chinese coin quilt and its going very easily, albeit slowly. Its a gift for the recently married couple

Groom punching the air.. he knows how lucky he is :)

..who I was lucky enough to be a part of the bridal party (a bride slave as she put it :) for.

Some of 'the girls'. Im the one with the glasses.

The day passed without a hitch, the bride was absolutely stunning and we had a blast as the limo we travelled in had a karaoke machine AND champagne. Dangerous combo!

Completed items are, again, few and far between. Ive made another pinnie for a little girl who turned 1

denim one side

pastel blue floral on the reverse.

... and have been trialling bunny designs. Here is what I've come up with:

bunny #1 has very strange legs...

bunny #2 is Miss G's most fave softie at the moment.

Last but not least is a quick pic of what the girls got up to today after I gave them a box of scraps to play with...

my girls LOVE mess!

Hope you're all well.

Sof

A spot of modelling and the essential little blue dress

Im grabbing 2 minutes between my shower and the kids having to get dressed to quickly post the pics of the little blue denim dress I made a few days ago for a birthday present. Miss G has a few little girlfriends and this birthday girl is one of her BFF's. I thought it appropriate to try something new with the machine and came up with a little improvisation on a simple a-line dress.

I added the frill at the bottom (which IMHO should have been alittle longer for a bit more frill) and a, well i guess you'd call it a kind of frilly bib at the top. Ofcourse both kids loved the smily flower buttons and Miss G took alittle convincing to take the dress off.

What I found most fun about taking pics of her is this posing that she now does when I ask her to put on stuff I've made for photographs. Im not sure where's shes learnt it from. My dad was a real advocate of the 'pose for the photo' but I dont think he's ever taken a picture of her and asked her to pose in this way. It just made me giggle. Ofcourse, little sister had to get on in the action too.

Hope you're having a great week.