Category — Sewing

Once I was over the pain that was the pettiskirt, the natural thing to do seemed to be to pick up something equally large scale in the dullness stakes and sew up some lined curtains for Zoe’s room. I bought some tab top curtains for $30 from the bargain bin at Ikea 2 years ago thinking that I could somehow string them up without having to get my sewing machine out of the cupboard. Of course I couldn’t – so they have sat clogging my cupboard since then. Which was fine, until they got moved to my marvelous sewing room cupboard where quite frankly they were taking up precious space that could have been used to store more inspiring fabric. So I bought some lining, cut the tab-top curtains up, gritted my teeth and started sewing.

And here are the photos to show that you shouldn’t put jobs like this off – because as boring as sewing curtains might be, nothing transforms a room like taking down the 30 year old faded blue curtains and replacing them with something new.

Here are the before shots:

And here are the new curtains:

These photos don’t do the job any justice – the curtains give the room a soft creamy quality which the faded old blue curtains certainly didn’t. I purposely put a very lightweight backing on them because I can’t be bothered opening and closing them every day, so this way they can stay closed most of the time and Zoe can still see during the day. The only problem I can see with the curtains is that they now show up how old and faded Zoe’s bedcover is – which is ok – because next on the list is a new quilt for the little girl….

This year I participated in my very first craft swap over at Strollers and Prams. The idea is that each person in the swap receives the name of somebody else and you make something for them (much like a Kris Kringle at Christmas time). There was no real theme to this swap – just a budget of $20. I was partnered with someone with a 3 year old girl which meant I had no shortage of ideas, but I wanted to do something that I hadn’t done before, or something I’d been meaning to do but hadn’t quite got around to. I stumbled upon some photos of a doll’s quilt someone had made and decided that this was the perfect opportunity to dip my toe into the world of quilting.

Here is my very first quilt

The block in the middle and the fabric around the outer edge is of course designed by the very talented Melissa over at Mahogany Turtle

I machine quilted around the flowers which would have looked so much better if I had done it by hand, but alas there are only so many hours in the day! I quickly whipped up a matching pillow the day the swap was due to be sent, and had it safely in the post at 5.30pm.

Now I must say that after lovingly creating the doll’s quilt I wasn’t too worried about what would arrive for me. I really enjoyed spending time creating something for a little miss 3, and the kids had been really interested in watching me sew the quilt and hearing about who it was for. Really by the time I posted it I felt I had had my swap experience and I had thoroughly enjoyed it.

It was nice to think that a little something would be arriving for me soon though, and my Zoe in particular was curious to know what it would be (or more to the point who it would be for ). Imagine my excitement when I received a parcel from the the lovely Kirsty in Queensland full of the most gorgeous delights!

Miss Zoe was the very lucky recipient of this pink sparkly twirly skirt and matching top.

Master Hamish got this very cool (and much needed!) t-shirt, the applique designed and sewn by Kirsty herself.

And *I* got this stunning apron. I LOVE it!

Wow, what a lovely experience the swap turned out to be! Thanks to Kisrty one more time, and also thanks to Jakki over at S&P for organising it

Yep – that’s where I’ve been all weekend. Sewing thousands of yards of nylon chiffon. Ugh! I know I know I know….it’s not like I wasn’t warned. Who in their right mind would make one of these things when for a very quick and painless $75 you can buy one? Yeah…well…where is the challenge in that?

The truth is that I was never particularly in love with these things to begin with. But then more and more people kept getting them in more and more impressive colours, and then people started making them, and then I realised that I my daughter needed to have one like all the other mother’s girls. And since I was never going to pay more than $20 for one…I needed to make one. So I bought the chiffon, thinking I’d tuck it away to make one day when I had nothing better to do. But then I saw more and more pettiskirts arriving and my need to make one of these things grew stronger and stronger.

So, late on Friday night I started cutting out strips of chiffon, and then I sewed straight lines down that chiffon for hours on end, until the site of the fabric itself made me want to gag. The odd bits of ruffle I was trying to join together kept reminding me of cheap lingerie, and I wondered how on earth this thing was a) ever going to be finished, and b) ever look any good.

Well once I started there was no way back…so I emerged from the sewing room 2 days later with the skirt. I’d like to crow about how it was all worth it – but to be honest I’m still a bit bruised to really be able to enjoy looking at it. Anyway – after I begged Miss Zoe to try it on (she’s been sick with gastro all weekend and I think the nylon chiffon might make her feel nauseous too), she seemed happy enough to perform for the camera.

So now my daughter can hold up her chiffon masterpiece to her overawed friends and announce that it was her mum who created such a magnificent piece of art. And one day I’m sure I’ll look back and say it was all worth it. One day!

A long long time ago when I first started this blog (ok – so it wasn’t THAT long ago…but if sure feels like it now) I made this softie based on a drawing by Zoe. Soon afterwards, feeling chuffed by my success, I asked Zoe to do me another drawing so that I could make her another toy. Zoe very kindly obliged with a lovely drawing of a pink 7 footed ballet shoe shod bow covered tiger with purple ears.

I took a deep breath and started to sew….

…..and about 8 months later I decided that it was time to finish the ballet loving pink tiger. Here she is:

Hamish really took a liking to the tiger, so I took another deep breath and asked him to draw me a picture.

His creation had many spikes but thankfully it was adorned with neither ballet shoes nor ribons, and after only a couple of evenings the stegasorus was finished.

The kids are planning their next designs, but I have informed them of the ’sewing queue’ and they seem to understand that it may be a little while before mummy starts stuffing miniature feet again.  So…next in the queue?  Curtains or yards chiffon?  I haven’t decided

This was the note that was carefully stuck on my sewing room door just before school started:

And as a dutiful mother (who may or may not have stayed up until 1am on the night before library day) here is the bag as promised. I made it from a tea-towel I bought in Venice (you should have seen hubbies face when I was buying it! ).

Now that the boy and the girl both have library bags I can move onto something more fun – like that Japanese pattern book that arrived last week

Zoe loves me making things for her, but she is often frustrated by my choice of fabric. While I try to keep things pretty and often add splash of pink, Zoe has explained to me carefully that there needs to be more pink. Pink on white, she explains, is ok, but what she really likes is pink on pink.

Recently Zoe needed a library bag and a rest bag for kinder and after sending her last year with a cot sheet stuffed in a pillowcase I was told that this year she would like one like all the other kids thanks. I was happy to buy her one, but asked if she would like me to make one – and I promised it would be very pink. Zoe agreed.

So here are the very pink creations – Zoe is very pleased with her bags (although the green ric-rac did cause some angst!).

Aha! Remember me?

I’m back

We arrived home 3 weeks ago to our piece of suburban paradise and have been reacquainting ourselves with our suburban existence ever since. In between all that I’ve been sewing!!!  I must say I was a little worried when I left that my joy of sewing would somehow leave me whilst we were away but I am pleased to report  that it has not! Apart form the 46 degree days when the sewing machine scolded my hands I have enjoyed nothing more than retreating to my newly decorated sewing room to sew up a storm. In just three weeks I have sewn curtains, library bags, clothes, soft toys and mattress protectors AND have got the house cleaned up for a rental inspection. I’m feeling like a bit of a hero (and if you’re thinking there’s nothing heroic about getting a house ready for inspection that has only been lived in for 3 weeks then you don’t know us very well!).

I will update this blog over the coming week with all my creations…but here are a few to start off with.

This is a favourite skirt from a Japanese pattern book that I can whip up very quickly for summer and winter. I squeezed this out of half a yard of Amy Butler fabric:

Here’s Zoe modeling it in front of the Fairy Tree in the Alexander Gardens holding Russell the kinder wombat:

This is a copy I made of one of Zoe’s old dresses that is nearly too small and I LOVE it! It was so quick to make too.

And this was another dress out of my favourite Japanese pattern book. I currently have this dress hanging on my sewing room wall as I love looking at it off more than I love it on (it makes Zoe look a bit pale and looks too much like a nighty!).

I might give it another go in a better fabric, or I might not. Toooo many other things to sew!

Why should the girls have all the fun? Tina from Purple Happy Tree asked if I would make a bag for her son’s 4th birthday and I had a heap of fun choosing some fabric that wasn’t pink for a change. I also made a bag for my Hamish with the same robot fabric.

This one was for Hamish:

And this one for Hunter:

I also made them both a matching pencil roll:

Here is Hunter showing off his goodies. What a cutie!

I was so thrilled with the little bag I made for Zoe’s friend for her birthday I sewed up a few more for Zoe and her cousins.

Have a look at the fancy stitching I did on the strap of this one! I have to thank my little man for encouraging me to try the decorative stitches on my new sewing machine.

Here are the girls modelling their bags:

Zoe has used her bag a couple of times since I made it -once when we went out to dinner, and once at a concert in the city. Both times she has packed it up with goodies to keep her amused which is just what I intended it to be used for. As an aside -check out how well it matches her PMP Pants!

Zoe has grown!  I know that doesn’t sound too remarkable to most people, but my kids grow so slowly they often get two seasons out of their clothing.  Not the Pink PMP Pants though!  I found this Ginger Blossom cord on Etsy and tried to sew her the prettiest, softest, baggiest, girliest pants I could (to avoid the pants rage we face experience each Tuesday morning).   The kinder teachers all made a suitable amount of fuss and she seems quite happy with them (after calling them ‘poo-poo pants’ all week).  I very loosely used her old pants as a pattern (which were cut from an older pair of pants) and they’re way too baggy around the hips.  I might take the waist band off and sew in the sides, but since we’re hoping to go away soon it might not be worth it.  I find it hard to leave sewing creations that aren’t quite right though.  Funny, because in most parts of my life I’m very relaxed about ‘not quite right’.