Japanese Scarf

I dragged the gang off a couple of Saturdays ago for a "family afternoon" in the inner west. My ulterior motive was to go to the Yoshi Jones warehouse sale in Enmore.

I managed to pick up a few bargains like a cardigan for Sarah reduced from $139 to $10!!

I also bought this bag of scraps ($10) which looked like it could make a great scarf.

And here it is! (As with all my sewing, it could use a good iron and the threads cut off).

 

The awkward self portraint. I'm looking a bit like a Ninja.

Portable DVD player cover.

After years of doing the 10 hour drive north to my parent's house, I finally caved and bought one of these.

 The 3 older kids have all been great travellers, but little Ben, almost 2 Ben, with ants in his pants (or nappy rather) was in need of a bit of help for the journey, his beloved Wiggles.

 I sewed up a quick case for the DVD player that is lined with polar fleece for a bit of protection, and has a pocket on the front to hold the cords. Bright? yes, but it does the trick.

And I am pleased to report we arrived in one piece, and reasonably sane.

Ikea Curtain Christmas Dress

That IKEA curtain I bought on the op-shop tour is now a Christmas dress for Sarah.



 She did some of the sewing herself. It was basically a seam up the back, and a casing for the elastic. I sewed the straps, and VOILA! A Christmas dress.

  



S.S.A.S

Simple. Sunday. Afternoon. Sewing.

 Vliseofix is your best friend if you like instant gratification like me.

Should have been an architect!

My husband Dave that is. He is constantly surprising me through this house designing process with his good ideas, I have pretty much let him go for it with the architect, and together our new house is slowly coming together.

And as the weather gets chilly, I found the need to make a cosy blanket to snuggle under while watching TV at night. I used up some of my fabric stash, and bought some grey polar fleece to back it with.

Here is my littlest boy, busy with the very serious business of watching the Wiggles. As I approach my uni exams later this week (I have 2 on the one day, yikes!!!!) , I am very thankful for the Wiggles.

Pram rug and thrifted shirt shorts.

My wonderful mother arrived this week to help out while Dave is in Japan.
She brought Ben this gorgeous pram rug that she knitted. I love the colours, and it is so well made and finished. Thanks Mum.
Ben is wondering why we have covered him up with a rug when the weather is hot and sticky????
At Monday Craft this week I made Ben a pair of shorts from a thrifted shirt. I traced around a pair he already had instead of using a pattern, and use the side seams that are already on the shirt as the side seams for the shorts.
This is such a cheap and esay way to get a funky pair of shorts.
$3.00 for the material, and $0.00 for a pattern.

little bag.

A little bag I sewed up for Ben at craft today.

He seems to like it.

Letter satchel.

These letter satchels from Handmade Home are so easy, and are going to be a great gift. Fill them with some cute papers and blank cards, and maybe a book of stamps.

Oh how I've missed you...

I have been trying to stay away from op-shops in recent months, as I tackle some of the 'stuff' in our house. This morning I spent almost an hour in one, and came away with only three things, (two pillowcases, and this gorgeous girl).

Pretty darn good I thought!!!

Look at the colour of those eggs. Can I say how clever our chooks are at laying big, beautiful, yellow yolks, and eating all our scraps? Someone remarked recently that they are the fattest chooks they have ever seen.

Can I say how clever our kids are at never finishing their dinner...

My very first zip ever!! I have been putting off making anything with a zipper for years now, which kind of limits what you can make. Well this week at Monday Craft I was a very brave girl and decided to have a go and.... it really was not that hard.

A hive of activity.

There seems to be a burst of creativity in the house at the moment.

Matt has discovered 'claymation' movie making, and I was roped in to be his assistant. My job was to guard the tripod from getting bumped, and to press the button on the camera (100's of times).

This frame from an old cork board is slowly being transformed into something else.

A couple more pairs of daddy t-shirt pants...

A cover for my journal.

This is a habit I have only just got into, and it is amazing. As a busy mum I don't often take time to be still and think about what I think, if that makes sense.

Jen's 1/2m Dinner Plate Bag

I'm not sure if that's actually what Jen calls these bags (I'm thinking not), but as you only need 1/2m of fabric and a dinner plate (pretty much) to make one, that's what I'm calling them.

The very clever Jen was visiting from NZ (check out her blog, she makes the most AMAZING things). While she was making a couple of these bags at my place, we decided to make a tutorial.

My job was to take photographs and to make notes on what she did. Her job was to be clever and make the bags. She did her job, I did half of mine.

I have lots of photos, but unfortunately only limited instructions. I must have got distracted by the kids (there were 8 running around that day).

Here is the picturey tutorial, with a few words. I hope you can work it out. If not, see Jen.

*Start with 1/2m each of the outside and lining fabrics.

*You will also need 20cm for the band across the top.

*Cut 3inches off the bottom of the main fabrics, to use for the handles.

*This is where the dinner plate comes in. Trace around it to get nice rounds corners. Sew around the sides of both bags, (outer and lining).

*Pleat and pin the top. Repeat with lining fabric.

*Attach the band and sew around the top.

*Fold over and tuck in the edges. Topstitch at the top and bottom of the band.

Attach the handles, and a loop for the button if you are having one.

Voila!!

Jen has put hers to good use as you can see here.

Jen and her sister, Katie.

Recycled kid's clothes.

Monday Craft had a bit of a 'recycled' theme today.

Pippi made these pants for her Ben out of the sleeves of a men's business shirt. He looks so cute in these funky pants, very 'Zoolander' we thought!!

Then using the idea from the Soulemama book, I made some pants for my Ben out of an old t-shirt of Dave's. I copied the style of a pair that Ben had grown out of.

They are so soft and comfy, just perfect for crawling.

Busyness

A big thanks to my button swap partner Casey for these buttons, ric rac, and fat 1/4 , they are great!!

A simple Steiner 'doll' I made for Ben after reading this great book about Waldorf-Steiner toys for babies.

A giant library tote I made at Monday's craft group, also doubles as a baby carrier (he is standing up, LOL!!). Good thing I double stitched all the seams.

And Ben is wearing one of the many bibs I have made him using the pattern in Bend the Rules, so easy.

Happy things.

A sweet big sister with a sleeping baby on her lap.

A pile of books from a newly discovered library, including the one about boys I have been told I should read.

And something finished off my to-do list.

A scarf for Sarah.

Yes, it is a bit wide for her tiny frame, but it is finished!!!

It is backed in pinky/purple fake fur and is very soft and cosy.

Any hint of itchiness or scratchiness near a childs neck, and you know they will never wear it!!