Christmas Sewing peek

Cute smock!

Pattern from Oliver + S Little Things to Sew  & fabric from a local opshop a reclaimed table cloth!

Finally I am back in the studio

Well for a moment there I thought I was never going to pick up a needle again - I fluffed about cleaning up my studio, got the sewing machine serviced, cut out material and gathered patterns and put projects together in little bags - and now I have finally finished something!

I has been a very special making year for me with Places and Pieces, The Enlightenment Project, Easter in the Conservatory and some smaller commissions. Not forgetting Knotty Ladies came into being!

Right now I am enjoying making gifts for Christmas and sewing for my daughter.

The skirt above took about 15minutes using a tutorial by Oliver & S dead easy I am pleased to crow.


These are some flags for my nephew - he is turning two early December - easy and satisfying to bring them together. I have finished off some other gifts - but I can't post about just yet!

She has arrived!

A little while a go I posted about a doll I started to make for Hj and I am proud to say that I have finished it - although the sewing is not the bestest of all bestest I love her & I hope Hj does too!

Here she is sitting in a doll crib that my Grandfather made for me & now Hj's Great Grandfather. I am also giving this to Hj for her fourth birthday. I made a little quilt for her and today I found some doll blankets that my Great Grandmother made for me!

Today she started playing with my old barbies - I am so glad Mum saved them. I would have thrown them out for sure. We spent quite a bit of time playing together today - didnt get any of my household chores done!

Recent Stitching

Washed Up

A little gift for a nice niece's third birthday - instant success and a request from a certain soon to be four year old for her birthday too!
Pattern Inspiration here.
Sustainably harvested wooden cooking set found here

Last night at the studio

Last night continued on with my home made birthday gift challenge - goodness with a birthday nearly every week and it won't get any easier with an ever expanding family! But I do love making things - would do this any day - really can't stand shopping.

Here is my second scarf attempt and also a little handbag pouch for secrete note book writings or list making stationary - something ensures my hand bag is always heavy to lug around. Again these gifts are made out of fabric cut off that would have otherwise been thrown out or discovered in op-shops. (OK op-shopping I can manage)

Here is a another treasure sporting her Christmas gift.

New Baby - she is a gift - but so far away my heart cries

How can I ever be as clever as my sister to make a precious beauty such as she?

Madeleine Joyce Whitty
3.36 kgs
Born 4.05 am 20th April

And a little passage I have been musing on from my current favourite author:

"She is the gift that carries our songs into the ocean where all stories mingle. Too soon many things will claim her - the man she loves, the children she bears, the tasks and the duties that bind her to life - and so a mother loves a daughter as something more precious than any love, because though we many love her with an infinite tenderness we much teacher to swim."

The River Wife by Heather Rose

Stitching is apart of the stuff we do

Kd is into his second week of school as a Grade One boy & also a new school. One of our "start-of-a-new-year" ritual is sewing key tags together. Here is 2008 and then 2009
This is the orginal image - I nearly passed out when Kd handed it over - as it is so detailed - but I think we did an Ok job! Kd stitched the black line around the outside of the design.

Below is an image my darling brother in law sent through of my sister soon to have her baby in April with her birthday scarf on. Her birthday was in Novemer, and I sent her gift to London via the ocean - I think she got it mid Jan! It includes french lace left over from my wedding gown, placed over some lovely velvet I found.
I have also fallen in love with this amazing paper sculpture that Kd created a few weeks back - completely brilliant

Oh when will I ever be brilliant? Speaking of embroidery brilliance check out these embroidered chairs.

More gifts

Living up to my hand made pledge here is my next gift, placemats, for a certain sister in law - who also happens to be a super star. (can you iron out those wrinkles for me?) - pleased to note all made out of reclaimed fabric - aside from the threads.


Unfortunately this is not my creation - but that ruffle has most certainly stolen my heart - a bit of a fan of frills.

I would happly hand my soul to the devil for this table cloth - especially if it comes with a matching apron.

You can read more about the creative frill girls here.

The Handmade gift giving challenge 2010

Waste.

As a mother I can't seem to stop creating it.

One way I thought, and a way also to enhance my skills as a maker, is to attempt to give all handmade gifts this year.

After a disasterious Christmas due to a extreme sporting (!) injury I simply didn't get half of the presents made that I would have really liked to have made. There are some bloggers out there who have really drilled into me the need for planning and scheduling. Especially when you are a working mother.

Some resources out there to help me get going include:

• Balancing Everything: the Daily Stuff that Needs Doing
• Planning with Kids explains why her Christmas Planning spreadsheet is completely essential

So I wonder - does more planning mean less waste?

Any howse in the fever of January making New Years promises last forever I have been planning gift making and some how achieving my modest goals.  (although making a few minor short cuts here and there)

Baby gifts for Ariya

These gifts pattern and instructions starting points are from Bend the Rules Sewing, which is a fab book and I have called upon often.  Resulting in large library fines.

home made christmas gifts

My nature got the better of me today and in my hast to clean up our computer I deleted all my Christmas files and also all my files from 2008. PLEASE shoot me.

Here is a little of what remains from Christmas. My making gifts - jammies for Hj & Kd - unfortunately don't have a shot yet in them - as made cute jammie shorts too - Kd's t-shirt was made from scratch which was quite an achievement!




This is a recent embroidery I did as my Marwood Chris Kringle to my sister NJ - from a fabulous drawing by Kd - just love his drawing!

some baby gifts

Recent studio follys.
Wont be driving on the machine for a while - managed to tear my calf - vey painful and stuck on the couch

Here is a link to a great tutorial to make a crayon roll or pencil holder, which is very similar to what I have made.