My Creative Space

Today's Creative Space is brought to you by a plastic dress form and a large box of tissues. There's been very little creativity in this house over the last few days. I've been confined to my bed with a nasty case of the flu. Thank goodness for a wonderful hubby and amazing friends (thanks Michelle!) who have taken over looking after the kids and all the cooking needs. I'm on the mend thank goodness. There's a Devonport Craft Market this Sunday and with my partner in crime sick too, it might be a bit of a disaster if at least one of us wasn't well by the weekend.

So here it is. My new top and I'm rather proud of it. This is what I christened my new overlocker with. I am cheating a lot given that I made it last weekend but I hope that given that I currently resemble Rudolph, with Worzel Gummidge hair right now, I hope you will turn a blind eye.

I used the same pattern that I used to make this tunic. I can see that this pattern is going to become a firm favourite. The fabric came from Nick's Fabric on Barry's Point Road in Takapuna (opposite the supermarket). It's a fabric clearing house so I'm not sure if it's still there this week, but if it is and you are local, it's well worth a visit.

On a completely different note, I've very nearly reached the 100 'Likers' stage on my Facebook page. I've promised a giveaway to the facebookers if I reach 100 by the end of the week so why not pop along and 'like' me if you haven't already?

For more Creative Spacers, pop over to Kirsty's and prepare to be awed.

My Creative Space - Escaping the rain

It's still revoltingly rainy here in Auckland and our basement is more than a little damp. My sewing room is in the basement so my Creative Space is in the kitchen today. I'll be wearing a lovely ensemble of thick wooly socks and extra long cardigans and trying not to cut any of them as I crawl around on the floor cutting out patterns and fabric. Know the feeling?

I have some little red shorts to make for my Dolly Donations soccer player.

If you can spare the time to make a dolly, please do. It's a great cause. All the info can be found via the link above. All you lovely ladies who can crochet and knit can join in too. There are free pattern's on the Dolly Donations blog to make knitted and crochet dolls. The deadline isn't until 1st November so there is plenty of time for you to get creative!

I've been doing some more knitting myself. The green sweater has been put on hold briefly while I make a warm ballet cardigan for Maddy. Mum is going to make Eloise's for her which is a very good thing. I hate making the same pattern twice (my knitting bag is full of single socks and booties). Do you have that problem too?

I'm also slowly adding a few bits and pieces to my Felt shop. I've just finished this little size 2 pinafore dress to list in the shop. It has gathered strips on the front which I really like the look of. I think I might do this on a few of the kid's t-shirts too. To make the gathered strips: 

• Cut out three or four 2 inch wide strips about 1 1/2 times the length you want them.
• Set your machine to the longest stitch length and stitch down the middle of each strip. Carefully pull one of the threads to gather your piece to the length you want it.
• Pin all the pieces to the front of the outfit you are decorating (I used a pin at the top and the bottom and one in the middle to secure it).
• Stitch down each strip (remembering to adjust your machine back to the normal stitch length), removing the pins as you go. Back stitch at either end to make sure the strips are secure.
• If you use knit fabrics, the strips won't fray. You could do something similar with wide grosgrain ribbon.

Let me know if you do this as I'd love to see what you make.

What's your Creative Space today? Pop along to Kirsty's Kootoyoo blog and see what amazing stuff she has been doing (and spend the day in awe of all the other creative spaces.)

My Creative Space - Painting and Sewing

My oldest daughter's school is having an art auction fundraiser next week so I've been busy trying to get my contribution finished. It's been a long while since I got my paintbox out and I have to say I really loved getting back into it. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. Fingers crossed someone buys it and it raises a few dollars for the school.

The weather is really cooling down now so I've been on a mission to make some more winter clothes for Madeleine and some new slippers for her. I had to crochet the edges on the slippers. It's my first attempt at crochet and I wasn't overly happy with it but I have to start somewhere right? And Maddy is happy so that's the main thing! I will take her down to the wool shop after school to chose the buttons for them so she can wear them tonight.

I made this two piece outfit for Maddy really quickly over the weekend. The jeans are made from a stretchy jean fabric that I bought a while ago from the local emporium for $4 a metre. I made them using a leggings pattern because Maddy likes her jeans skinny. The top is a bought one and I found the cross stitched doilies in a local op shop. I sewed the one on the jeans into a pocket. Doesn't she look gorgeous?

Why not check out what everyone else is up to today over at Kirsty's?

My Creative Space - Something for me

My Creative Space today is this tunic/dress that I made using the material I bought from Global Fabrics last week.

Don't you love it when you make something and it fits right first time and it looks like you wanted it to?

I'm really pleased with it.

It's made using Burda 7798.

I am smiling here ... honestly.

I'm also thinking about what I'm going to stick in the kids' lunchboxes, wondering where my oldest daughter's school shoes are and thinking about what to get out of the freezer for dinner. Know the feeling?

I've finished the back of Maddy's sweater. I don't think I'm going to have enough

of the recycled wool to finish it but I'm sure it all work out in the end. I'll figure out a way to stretch what I have even if I have to make the sleeves shorter. Any other suggestions?

Eloise's Creative Space is this mad hairstyle she gave herself this morning.

It's been a year since I started this blog and I have a giveaway to celebrate. Enter here if you want to!

What's your Creative Space today? Thanks to Kirsty at Kootoyoo for hosting this great game.

Treats

The lovely Cat of Cat Taylor Design emailed me last night to tell me about the merino special on at Global Fabrics. I've just been and now wonder why on earth I have never been there before (it's probably a very good thing for our mortgage that I haven't.)

Look at those beautiful colours! I'm planning some tops and

leggings for the girls and a little something for me too.

This is a gorgeous heavy weight cotton (don't know the technical word for it).

It's destined to be a tunic for me.

And talking of treats, I bought myself this gorgeous gorgeous sculpture piece at the Smashed Pipi Gallery whilst I was in Mangawhai at the weekend. I am totally in love with it but haven't quite decided where it is going to live yet so it is sitting on our mantle piece until we do.

It's by Angela Hockenhull. You can see more of her work here.

Have you treated yourself this week?

My Creative Space - A new dress for Miss Madeleine

Good old Kwik Sew pattern 3169 strikes again. I've made it longer, tunic style and added embroidered doily pockets. She says she loves it so fingers crossed she will wear it.

Do you think the dress needs a flower brooch on the neck or is that too much?

Check out more Creative Spaces here

Sewing for Children by Emma Hardy

When we came back from the school run this morning, Eloise and I were extremely excited to find a Fishpond parcel waiting on the doorstep. It was Emma Hardy's latest book: Sewing for Children. I have all of her other books and love the way she explains things. Her books are beautifully illustrated too and full of gorgeous things to make so when I saw she had a book aimed at children I had to have it for my girls.

It's aimed at 3 and above and Eloise (aged 3 1/2) was desperate to get stuck into learning to sew as soon as the book arrived. She chose to make a spoon dolly, which was lucky as it was the easiest project in the book and this was her first time handling a needle and thread. The only sewing involved was a running stitch across the top of the dress to gather it, but she just loved it!

The button is her nose in case you hadn't gathered that!

As soon as she finished this one, she immediately wanted to make another. Could you resist this face?

Needless to say we now have to go and buy some more wooden spoons to replace the ones that are missing from the kitchen drawer.

Cath Kidston - Sew - bag sewalong

After reading Megan's post on her Simple Pleasures blog earlier in the week, I decided to have a go at making my bag kit that came with my Cath Kidston Sew book. I  lined the bag (which is suggested as an alternative version in the book) and turned the facing pieces into a pocket.

The fabric is really quite stiff and had I had the time, I would have put it all through the washing machine to soften it up before I started stitching. The stiffness of the fabric makes the button loop a tricky project. The book suggests that you sew it right sides together and turn it out. With canvas, this is nigh on impossible and I'd highly recommend doing it this way:

EASY ROULEAU STRIP:
Turn both long edges into the middle and press.

Fold in half lengthwise again and press.

Stitch along the long edge and you have your rouleau strip without any frustrating turning.

To make the pocket out of the facing I did the following:

Put the facing pieces right sides together and stitch along the long edge.

Fold in half lengthwise and press. Cut along the fold.

\

Straighten the pointed end.

 

Stitch the pieces together so you have four strips.

 
 

Cut out a piece of lining fabric the same size and stitch right sides together with the outer pocket piece. Leave a gap of about 6cm to turn. Clip corners.

Turn right side out and top stitch.

Fold lining piece of bag in half and price to mark centre. Line up centre of pocket with the fold on the lining and pin and stitch in place around three sides, double stitching at the top edges.

Here's my finished bag with the pocket peeking out.

It's the perfect size for me to take to the Craft Market on Sunday so thanks Cath Kidston... loving my new bag!

My Creative Space

Today, I'm working on a secret project for a friend. It's pretty tricky knitting in black and yellow as it tends to assault the senses but I'm enjoying the challenge.

Mum is helping with her own piece. I'll add a photo of hers later as she's just taken it off with her. (I've just added it at the bottom of this post.)
If you want to join in, you can do by visiting this blog.

I've also been making my sewing room pretty. I made the ironing board cover yesterday from some fabric I found in the Spotlight sale. This is the second ironing board cover I've made using Emma Hardy's Sewing in No Time book and it's really quick and easy. The birds came from Chandler Market in Brisbane. You can probably find something similar on Trade Me or Ebay.

I found this old shelf unit at the op shop last week and it's perfect for my overlocking threads which tend to get lost in amongst all my fabric and magazines on the shelves.

And here are some of the wee cuties that I've found in op shops over the years that had to come home with me. My girls play with them when they are in my sewing room. You can just see the legs of one of Jennie's dolls. I'll take a photo of her another day.

Pop over to Kootoyoo for more Creative Spaces.
Have a great Thursday!

P.S. I've just finished the Jolly Roger piece.

and here's Mum's finished piece:

It hasn't photographed very well but trust me it looks awesome.

Patches

Remember these patches?

Our beach bag gave up the ghost last weekend so I decided to turn those patches into a new one. The patches aready had interfacing on them because I used the Posy Gets Cosy patches tute so it was a really quick make. I'll do a tote tute if I get around to making another one as a gift.

Postscript:

Here are some great tote tutorials from the web:

Non-lined tote with pocket and french seams... great tutorial! http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=514

And a slightly more complicated lined tote bag http://mamaspocketbook.com/freepinkoctpattern.htm

Jammies

I found some beautiful vintage sheets and pillowcases at the op shop which I had intended turning into market bags, but when it came to the crunch they turned into pyjamas instead. The top is from Kwik Sew 3169 which I use a lot (it's easy to lengthen and widen it to make summer dresses) and the shorts are from a vintage pattern. Any shorts pattern is good. These really are a quick and easy project so if you are a beginner sewer you should definately try these!

So tired Mummy... I'll just twirl my hair and go to sleep here.