Christmas 2010

Some pictures of Christmas. There isn't many, there was too much going on to remember to take many. Talking, cooking, swimming, scooter riding, dog walking, a lot of eating and lots of cuddles with my new nephew born on the 21st. Unfortunately there was also always someone with gastro as well, crossing fingers now that everyone is on the mend.
Leo and his big sister Lyssie.

This is what happens when the house if full of big girl cousins and a crazy Dad.

Love these pyjamas my Mum bought in Hong Kong. That clever Father Christmas bought scooters which seem to be the bestest presents ever.

Quilt for Mum.

Finished! I won't have to wrap a half finished quilt and put it under the tree. The fabric is Rural Jardin by French General for Moda. I know Mum will love it as it is like they designed this fabric just for her and she loves this quilt I made for her.

I managed to use up all the Rural jardin fabric I had in the back. Nothing too exciting, but I couldn't cut the pieces any smaller and waste the fabric in seams.

Nearly Ready for Christmas

I think I am nearly ready for Christmas, there is just a few things to finish then the packing, cleaning and sorting. I am sure if I forget stuff it won't matter. My sister had a little boy yesterday and the girls and I are more excited about that than anything else at the moment!
There has been basting and quilting. Crossing fingers I can get it done by Christmas.
I made this doll for Eva a few months ago to match a dress I made her. Lucky as all she has talked about for the last month is wanting a doll with a 'wrappy thing'. I hope this sleeping bag is what she is wanting.


A couple more ipod/phone covers.

I bought this gorgeous panel from Kristen Doran. I just have to make it into softies for the little girls and sewing kits for the big girls to make their own.

Merry Christmas everyone!

One More Present

I think I have just one more Christmas present that needs to be finished. I finished all the blocks last week, but realised yesterday that I was going to order more fabric for the borders and big triangles months ago, but I forgot. So the original plan for the quilt below is impossible to do.
So here is plan B. I think if I cut very carefully I can just do it.

New Look 6972

New Look 6972 for Grace. Made from some Alexander Henry fabric I bought in Textile Traders a while ago.Finished just in time to wear to see The Nutcracker on Saturday Night.
Mum and I took all the girls to see it performed by the WA Youth Ballet and all of them were mesmerised. They have listen to it nearly every night as they go to sleep and love to watch a DVD we have of it. I thought it might be a mistake to take Eva, but she proved me wrong and watched to intently until she needed a little nap. Mum and my Nan took my sisters and me to see it every time it was on as children and it was so nice to take my girls to see it.

Now back to the last minute Christmas sewing that needs doing and hoping that the gastro Grace had yesterday on the way home in the car does not spread to everyone else.

Mushroom Purse

A little mushroom purse for a purse obsessed friend's birthday.
I am still ploughing throught the Christmas list. One mermaid is done. Another to go. Picture here so little eyes don't happen across it here.

Another Kyoko Dress

The idea of a Handmade Christmas (well as much as possible) seemed a great idea a couple of months ago and would still be a great idea if I had of started sewing a couple of months ago. Of course I didn't and now there are late nights and early mornings to get things done and if the quilt for Mum is finished it will be a miracle (I promise it will be finished before winter Mum!).
I have made good progress on the cousins sewing and lucky they are all similar ages and sizes to my girls so I can check if they will fit.
One of them is getting a Kyoko Dress. Eva really liked it and I think I will have to make one for her soon.

Little Christmas Houses

Little Houses from Scandinavian Stitches. So cute and with 5 minutes here and there on a really busy day yesterday they were done.
Unfortunately Mr Banshees reads the blog and read the ideas of flowers and Liberty for his ipod pouch and insisted on supervising the fabric choices. So boring denim on the outside and some guitars on the inside.

Kyoko Dress

A Modkids Kyoko dress for Amelia. I have had this pattern for a year and have put off making it as it always looked difficult, if only I had pf spent 5 minutes actually opening and looking at the pattern. It really is easy - a basic dress, some binding and an obi belt. The thing that took the longest was cutting and sewing the binding. The only problem with the pattern was the belt pieces do not fit on the fabric - you are meant to cut 2 pieces on the fold, but the pieces are longer than the width of any quilting cotton (it would be fine if your fabric was 150cm wide. So there are seams in the belt. I also just cut the skirt in 2 pieces (not 6 strips) as I just used one fabric. Other than that it is a great pattern. I would love to make a light weight denim one for winter with red binding and a red belt.

• The new Petite Purls is out. I really want to knit this for one of the girls.


• I made this Green Beef Curry the other day - yum (a warning - it is hot).
  
• I have bought some of these sand carving tools - they should keep some kids (and adults) occupied down the beach at Christmas regardless of the weather.

Quilt Blocks and ipod cover

Two blocks for Kate for Around The Block 2. I love half square triangles and I love blue and green so this was really enjoyable to make.

A little present for myself. An ipod pouch using some flex frames I bought here. Has the husbands tick of approval and he actually asked me to make him one, but in boring denim. I couldn't convince him any of my fabric was manly enough.

Tissue Holders and Clothkits

I whipped up a few tissue holders using this tutorial. Quick and easy.

Clothkits recently had an 'order two kits get one free' deal'. How could I refuse that deal. The ones I bought 2 years ago have been worn and worn and the girls loved them. I am leaving them all tied up and looking pretty until autumn and cooler weather.

Same, same but different.

It was the girls Christmas concert at school this morning and they requested new Christmas skirts that were 'same, same but different'. The girls don't like to wear exactly the same clothes, but they do like to wear similar clothes and often request the same patterned fabric in different colourways. Same, same but different.

This loveliness arrived yesterday. All Flower Sugar by Lecien.

Blue Fabric

I'd like to say I had a great day out in Bunbury shopping yesterday, but it was mostly doing jobs that had to be done and there was one car sick child just as we got to Bunbury. Lucky I carry emergency clothes and clean up supplies in case this happens (motion sickness is not uncommon in our family). It is amazing how happy children are and back to their normal selves after they get it out of their systems.
I managed 5 minutes in Spotlight and found some nice fabric - the apples at the top were in the quilting section (though not cheap) and the trees were in the childrens cotton drill section. The gingham made up for the cost of the apples - $1 a metre. I got enough for lots and lots of school uniforms.

Markets and Christmas Sewing

The Bridgetown Fair was lovely yesterday (even if it was cold and rainy, better that the 40 degrees it was last year). It was a little less stressful then last year as we knew what we had to do this year, but there were still a few things to stress about. I am in awe of people that organise big fairs and markets and do it several times a year. Once a year is enough for me.
I now have a very big list of things to get done by Christmas. I made a start today with a little pouch (from my tutorial) from some laminate I got from Quilt Fabric Delights last year.
It was a lot easier this year with this teflon (or Ultra Glide Foot as Janome calls it).

New Books

One more market and I can start on the Christmas Sewing. These books have arrived just in time. Both of them are by bloggers who have given me a lot of inspiration. Neither of these books disappoint. All of my girls loved them too and went through them cover to cover pointing out what I should make.
I knew when I saw Wee Wonderfuls the girls would want the mermaid on the cover. Evie also asked for these sweet dolls.

Scandinavian Sticthes is such a lovely book it is hard to know what to make first. The girls all agreed we need some houses for the Christmas Tree.

My yarn stash seems to be out of control and the book shelf is full again so I am having a bit of a destash here.

Summer

To celebrate the first day of summer I am having a 10% off sale in the shop until Friday night. Use the code SUMMER10 to get the discount.

New Look 6429

I think I might have nearly recovered from Upmarket on the weekend. Thanks to everyone who came to say hi - it was lovely to meet you all and thanks for coming out in the heat.

New Look 6429. There is a reason there are so many reviews on Pattern Review. This pattern is fantastic. I used a cotton lycra which is painful to sew as it keeps rolling up,but great to wear. I bought a roll of it on special earlier this year which has been really useful because you can't go wrong with a good cotton knit fabric and because it was so cheap I don't make muslins on my knit clothes - I can just use this and if it works fantastic and if not I really haven't lost much.
I read a lot of reviews of this pattern and it really did seem to flatter every body type - there is nothing like a little ruching over the stomache to disguise a few problems. The shape of the back is really flattering too. A few people did have problems with the shape and had to make lots of changes and some found it too big, so I cut a size smaller then usual, but other than that I found it fit perfectly.
The only negative is the facings. They just don't seem to sit right and on the next one I make I will just use some clear elastic and sew that on then turn under and top stitch.
Otherwise it is the perfect summer dress (and will probably be the perfect winter dress with long sleeves).**
Thank goodness for our verandah on hot days (36 again today). The girls still get to be play outside.

** My head was originally in the picture, but thought the face and unbrushed hair might scare people today.

More Skirts

While I actually knew where the pattern was (not an easy thing in this sewing room) I whipped up two more skirts. This is some echino fabric with a red polka dot binding.
Some Far Far Away 2 by Heather Ross with some of her Lightning Bugs fabric for the binding.

Now off to finish some toys and hats for Upmarket on Sunday. It is on at UWA at Winthrop Hall between 10 and 4. I will be down stairs in my usual spot (probably wearing one of those skirts).

Skirt

A new a-line skirt from some IKEA fabric I bought earlier this year. I love this fabric - it reminds me of boab trees. The binding at the top is some Amy Butler fabric. I probably should have cut it on the bias, instead I cut 3 inches and bound the top like a quilt.
I did the top binding and then put the zip in tucking the top of the zip into the binding. Easy and quick.

The best of the photos the girls took this morning.

Square Quilts

Thsese have been finished for a while but I only got around to washing them this week.

Both are listed in the shop.

Hippos

Hippos. That is all. Now back to my little sweatshop. Literally, it is going to be 37 today.