Sock Monkey Love

Trevor and Dottie

image Good Magazine

Monkeys by me

Thanks to all of you who left lovely comments about my Creative Space yesterday. There was quite a lot of sock monkey love so I thought I'd give you the link to the Sock Monkey tutorial I wrote for the wonderful Good Magazine a few years back. (If you haven't read an issue before, go out and buy one immediately. It's a fab Green magazine meant for real people)

image Good Magazine

Monkeys by me

My moment of fame (with my gorgeous Madeleine)

Image Good Magazine

Monkeys by me

Let me know if you make one. I'd love to see what you make. And don't worry if you can't sew or haven't got the time. You can always buy a monkey from me! They're always available on my stall at The Devonport Craft Market and there just happens to be a market this Sunday 6th June, 10am-2pm, 32 Clarence Street, Devonport (next to the Depot Art Space and the New World Supermarket).

And an update on the Bling-Monster tulle wrestling mentioned in yesterday's post. You will be pleased to know that she has willingly handed it over for the greater good (ie so it can be made even more pretty when it's filled with flowers and worn as a fairy skirt).

Tiny Doll Carrier Tutorial (pic heavy)

(Please ask permission before using any photos from my blog)

I bought my daughters some tiny dolls the other day as a little treat for being so good all week. They begged for the carrier that went with them but there was no way I was going to pay the nearly $30 for each bag when I knew I could make something similar at home. I took photos while I made the little dolly carriers so you can make one too.

The bag is more like a little folder with pockets inside. The idea is the baby dolls can have their nappies changed on the soft pink quilted fabric on the right and all their little bottles and accessories can be kept in the pockets. There's  little ribbon to tie the carry cot or baby doll to.

So here's how you make it. What you need is:

1 piece quilted fabric

1 piece printed cotton fabric

both 37cm x 23cm

2 pieces printed cotton 15cm x 9cm (closure)

1 piece printed cotton 12cm x 40cm (handle)

1 piece printed cotton 26cm x 9cm (for pockets)

1" square velcro.

1 narrow ribbon 25cm long

Instructions:

• Cut out all the fabric pieces. Put the 2 bag pieces together. Fold them again so the fabric is in quarters and gently round off the corners on one side. Open out. You should have two oval shapes.
• Round off one edge of the bag closure pieces of fabric. Stitch the two pieces together, leaving the short straight edge open. Clip curves and turn right sides out. Press and stitch one half of the velcro to the curved end.

• Fold the handle strip in half lenghways and press. Open it out and fold the two long edges into the centre and press again. Fold the two folded edges together so they meet. Press and stitch close to the long edge.
• To make the pockets, fold over the top edge of the pocket strip twice, as if to hem it. Stitch. Cut the strip into three pieces. 1 x 10.5cm and 2 x 7.5cm. Cut 2cm off the bottom of the two smaller pieces so they measure 7.5cm x 7cm (or you can just make the pockets whatever size suits the toy you are making for.

• Fold in the two side edges and the bottom edge of each pocket and press. Mark the centre of the inside piece of your bag with a pin. Pin the pockets and ribbon in place to the left of the centre mark and stitch.

• Pin the handle to the centre top of the bag so the raw edges overlap the raw edges of the bag. Do the same with the closure piece and stitch them both in place close to the edge.

• Now you need to attach the second piece of velcro. With wrong sides together, put the quilted piece together with the outer cotton piece and fold in half as if you are closing the bag. Fold the closure over the outside and marke where the velcro piece should go. Stitch the velcro to the outer cotton piece only in the marked position.
• Put both pieces right sides together, tucking the handle and closure inside, and pin. Stitch all the way around, leaving a 8cm opening for turning. Clip curves and turn right sides out. Poke all the edges out with your fingers or a chopstick. Pin the opening closed.

• Stitch close to the edge all the way around, catching and closing the turning opening.
• You're all done. Go and make a little girl very happy!

There's no reason why you couldn't make a similar bag for a little boy to carry his cars or other treasures around in. Iron stiff interfacing on to the inner piece of fabric rather than using quilted fabric.

Let me know how you get on or if you have any problems with my instructions.

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.)

Bed valance with pockets tutorial

My youngest moved into her big girl's bed this week. It was very exciting for her (and pretty sad for us to see our baby growing up!). It's a beautiful white wood bed, handmade by a lovely man who we found on Trade Me. The bed maker built it for her right there in her bedroom and clever Richard swiftly converted the change table chest of drawers he had built her into a big girl's chest of drawers. Her room was all ready for our little princess. 

We were very kindly given a trundler bed by a neighbour so the girls can use it for their friends to sleep on when they come for a sleepover. It peeks out from under Eloise's bed and doesn't look very pretty so I had to do something about it. I decided to make a valance with some little storage pockets. I've seen them before in kid's decorating books and they really aren't that hard.

Here's a very rough guide to what I did to make a pocket valance for Eloise's bed:

Materials:

1 single bed flat sheet or 1.5m x 2.1m plain fabric.  I used white calico from Ikes Emporium in Devonport which sells for about $5 a metre.

0.5m patterned fabric for pockets. All the same colour or different colours for each pocket.

Matching thread

Sewing machine

Scissors or rotary cutter and ruler

Tape Measure

Tailors chalk, pencil or water soluble marker (my favourite)

Pins

Iron and ironing board
self adhesive velcro dots

Directions:

1.Measure the length of your bed and add 5cm seam allowance. The bit that tucks under the mattress is the shorter length. Cut it out and hem all edges. Press. Try it on your bed to check it fits. You can just lay it over the top of the mattress and check that your hemmed fabric is long enough. If it isn't I'm afraid you've got a date with a seam ripper and a narrower hem! While it is on there mark roughly where you want your pockets to be and how many you want.

2. Take the valance off the bed and lay it out flat on a table with the bit where you want the pockets facing you. You will come back to it shortly.

3. Now make your pockets. I made 4. You want them big enough to be useful but not too big that they will gape. Longer is better than wider. Mine measured 22cm (top) x 26cm (side). My pockets are big enough to hold golden books and pyjamas but make yours whatever size/s you want. Cut your pockets out. You can use a book to make sure your corners are straight if you don't have a rotary cutter and cutting board etc.

4. Now it's time to mitre your corners. Now don't panic. This really is easy once you know how. First, turn all four edges in 1cm and press. Turn in again 2cm. You can just fold over once if you like but I didn't want any raw edges inside my pockets so I folded over twice.

5.Press really well so that the creases hold. Now open out one corner and turn the corner in towards the middle like this:

6. Fold in the two sides towards the middle so they meet in a neat little triangle (a bit like you do when making a paper airplane). You will have to look at the first picture below quite closely. The fold line is blue against the red. Sorry, it's hard to see with the patterened fabric! Don't worry if the folds overlap slightly. As long as your corner is flat and pointy, that's all that matters! Press again and toodle off to your sewing machine.

7. Make sure that your pockets are all the same size (or the sizes you want if you are making different sized pockets for your valance). Top stitch across the top. Do this with all four pockets,

8. Mark where your pockets will go on your valance. Mine are 15cm apart and 12cm up from the bottom edge. Pin them in place and stitch in place. Stitch again close to the first stitching. Don't stitch across the top of the pocket . The picture below is upside down! Press everything so it all looks neat.

9. Grab a friend/spouse/neighbour and get them to lift the mattress up. Tuck your valance under the mattress and make sure the bottom edge of your valance is even. Grab some tape and stick the under mattress bit of the valance down to whatever you can to keep it place when the mattress is dropped down. Get the kind soul who is holding up the mattress to let it down gently.  Stick the velcro dots onto the legs of your bed and on to the sides of the valance. Fix them together to keep the edges straight and tidy (I did this after I took the picture up at the top and it looks a lot better!) Fill up your pockets and you are done!

Let me know if something doesn't make sense or didn't work for you.

Welcome to the world little man

The embroidery I did the other night is going to a very good new home. It has been transformed into a Plunket book cover for a brand new little man. Congratulations Stephanie, Johnny, Olivia and Flynn! Can't wait to meet him.






To make a book cover like mine, you can follow the following instructions. I always allow a little extra for seam allowances when making book covers as it's always good to have some extra to play with. If you are a very accurate sewer, adjust the measurements to make the seam allowances smaller. Okay, so to make your book cover:

• Open out your book and measure the length and width of it.
• Add a 3cm seam allowance to either end of your width measurement so if your book is 10cm wide, then your fabric needs to be 16cm wide.
• Now add the 3cm seam allowance plus 6cm fold over allowance to each side of your length measurement. So if your long side is 15cm long, the total length would be 15cm + 3cm + 6cm + 3cm + 6cm = 33cm.

• Cut two pieces of fabric in your measurements eg 16cm x33cm. Embroider your outside piece at least 9cm in from the right hand edge.
• When your embroidery is finished, place the two pieces right sides together and stitch a 1.5cm seam allowance all the way around, remembering to leave a 4cm opening for turning.
• Clip the corners and neaten the seams.
• Turn right sides out and making sure that all the corners are sharp (use a pin or needle to tease them out if they aren't), press your cover. Fold in half to find the centre and tuck your book inside.
• Open the book out and fold the edges in about 6cm. Pin them in place and close the book to check that it fits. If its too loose or two tight, adjust the flaps and test again. When you are happy with it, adjust your machine to a longer stitch length and stitch along the top and bottom edges, close to the edge and closing the turning opening as you go.

Voila. Nice and simple and a great gift for a Kiwi baby. You can also do this with a baby book or a photo album.

This time last year...

... I was getting all glammed up ready for a fab night out at the NZ Music Awards. This year, I have the awards on TV and I'm wearing an apron covered in little bits of snipped off thread and I'm making marmalade and dress-up capes.

I do of course look extremely glamourous in my pinny as it is a Fireworks Agnes one which I bought at last months Devonport Craft Market. It is rather beautiful and even has a little net skirt underneath it. I shall have my picture taken in it when my other half is not out gallavanting with the Hoi Polloi of New Zealand's Music Industry.

Here is my Marmalade. It needs a capital letter as it was my first attempt and I'm quite proud of it.

If you know me and like marmalade,let me know and I will share.

I feel the need to attach pretty pinked circles of fabric over the lids just to add to the whole celebration that is making my own preserves.

Of course, we are still in the depths of school holidays (although they are rapidly coming to a close and there was a demand today for new costumes from the small people in the house. Specifically they wanted to be a Snow Queen and Red Riding Hood.

" No, Mr Wolf, you can't come in."

The Snow Queen and her kitty cat

These capes are spectacularly quick and easy to make. They took me about 20 mins each (but I do have my sewing machine and scissors all out and ready to go). They'd probably take a beginner about 45 minutes tops.

To make a cape that will fit a child aged between about 3 and 7 (just make it longer and wider if you want it larger), choose your fabric and fold it in half. You need two pieces for the cape. Cut the hood out first:




Cut the longest edge (the back) on the fold.

Next, cut out the cape part which is essentially a big semi-circle:


Remember that this is on the fold so when you open it out you will have a semi-circle which will form the cape. Again, its the longest part that goes against the fold.
Now to sew it all together.

Put the hood piece right sides together and stitch along the top (be careful here as its easy to get mixed up). If you have some pinking shears and the cape is unlikely to be washed much, you can pink the raw edge at the front to finish it, but I would suggest hemming it as if your kids are like mine, they will put it on, run outside, wait until you nip inside to grab your camera, fall over and get covered in the most revolting black mud. They will then come inside with muddy feet that resemble those of a hobbit in order to show you that they have mud everywhere. Anyway.... to hem it, just turn the front edge over 1cm and fold it over again by 1cm. Pin or press it in place and stitch.

Now grab your cape, fold it in half and match up the middle of the back of the hood to the fold point. Pin the hood, right sides together, to the cape and stitch it on. You will have two long flappy bits either side. Don't worry about them. They look good when the cape is on, honestly.

Hem the edges of the cape in the same way as you did the hood, attach a couple of pieces of ribbon either side of the hood and you are done.

If you want the snow queen cape, just add a bit of maribou around the hood. You could make it in green or black for elves and witches and I'm quite sure there are lots of warriors out there that need some hooded capes. You can leave the hood off and just use the cape bit to make... um... a cape. Use my applique tutorial to add a dragon or a super hero sign. The options are endless.

Have fun. I'm off to paint my nails or something else hugely glamorous.

Its raining its pouring

What a wet and windy and 'orrible day it is today. A big difference from those balmy Spring days of last week. I'm keeping Eloise entertained by printing off colouring in pages from this fab website . She's having a ball.

I've been working on some things for my stall at The Devonport Craft Market and some more new Summer clothes for the girls. I'll be adding some tutes for creating a little girls summer wardrobe shortly so watch this space.

"Summer Holiday" patchwork throw cushions

Baby bibs

Travel Activity Pack Tutorial

I’m taking my girls on holiday tomorrow to see their Nanna and Grandad in Australia. Rich is staying here to work and I have to say that I’m dreading the flight just a little bit! I did all our packing a couple of days ago so I decided to spend today making a couple of bits and pieces that would make the flight easier. I made this bag from Kwik Sew pattern 3612 but added pockets to hold all the bits and pieces that I can never find in normal bags.

I made myself a matching passport case with an appliqué bird on it.

And I made the girls these activity packs to hold all their colouring bits and pieces. I got the basic idea from this tutorial but changed it to suit my needs.

Here’s how you make one big enough to fit a couple of A4 size colouring/reading books, 6 felt pens, a pencil and a pocket for other bits and pieces like stickers and treats.

You will need:
Fabric, small piece of velcro, interfacing or thin wadding, Scissors,
Sewing machine
Straight edge
Rotary cutter and mat (optional)
Tailors chalk or disappearing ink pen

Preparation:
Cut out 2 oblong pieces of fabric. Mine were 23"x16"
Cut out one piece of thin batting or stiff interfacing (I used stuff for handbags) in the same size as the fabric
Cut out a long pocket piece the same length as your outer and lining pieces and about half the height.
Cut out a smaller pocket piece (about 8 1/2“ x 6 1/2” )
Cut out a long d-shaped piece for the outer flap (see pic further down)

1. Take your lining piece and pin it to the wadding or attach fusible interfacing. Fold over the top of the long pocket twice and hem the edge.

2. With the right side of the lining face up, pin the pocket to the lining piece. With your ruler, mark the middle point with tailors chalk or disappearing ink pen.

3. Mark vertical lines over the rest of the pocket wide enough to fit your pens or pencils. Mine were thick pens so I spaced them 1 ½ “ apart.

4. Turn the top of the small pocket over twice and press. Turn over the other 3 edges once. Pin the pocket on to the left hand side of the folder, above where the pens will go. (see above)

5. Stitch the pocket in place and stitch along the vertical lines of the pen pockets. This is what it will look like on the underside of the wadding/interfacing.


6. Stitch around the d-shaped flap piece. Clip curves and turn right side out. Press and top stitch close to the edge. Attach a piece of Velcro (the rough side) to the top edge of the flap.

7. Place the flap Velcro side down in middle of the right hand edge of the lining piece. Make sure that there is a bit of an overhang from the flap piece to make sure it stays there securely. Put the cover piece face down so the pieces are right sides together and pin

8. Stitch all the way around the rectangle leaving a gap for turning. Trim edges and clip the corners. Turn right side out and press tucking the turning opening edges in. Top stitch all the way around catching the opening as you go.

9.Fuse a piece of felt to double sided fusible webbing. Cut out a letter shape of your choice. Peel off paper backing and fuse it on to the closing flap piece.

10. Mark with pins where the soft part of Velcro needs to go and hand stitch it in place.

You’re all done! Fill it with pencils/pens and books and give it to your favourite kiddliwink. Let me know if you make one of these and come across any problems.

Eloise's activity pack has a purple felt strip that she can put fuzzy felts on (which I found in an op shop).