5 baubles

This years baubles all complete. Phew. Although there are only 5. One got smashed in a school shoe incident, and if it weren't for the season for to be jolly I would be quite peeved.

partridge in a pear tree

I am making myself some pj's. Pants to come later. These are store bought tank tops from Kmart, and a transfer from New Idea 1977, before New Idea became obsessed with celebrity.
I hope the un-embroidered blue transfer washes out, I really have completed these to my satisfaction.

not a cracker

OK its the 1st of December, the Christmas tree goes up in our house.
We haven't seen all this stuff in a year and its just...well, like Christmas!
I will show crafts of years gone by as I cannot show any new things cause Ive got zilch at the moment.
The gold stars are dough. They have stood the test of time. They are about 4 years old now. The deer is from last year and a 2005 ball hand painted with my sons name on it.
At the moment I am quite bereft of time and hope to get some sewing done soon. Im getting all itchy and nervy about it.

doin' stuff

The sewing machine hasn't been singing my song lately so I thought I would start on these Christmas balls. I bought the clear balls at Spotlight last year or the year before. Its all a blur. I remember they were v. cheap. So yesterday I started drawing with the Pebeo pen. I've never used this before. Quite satisfying, albeit my hand is a bit of a wobble, which I will put down to adding to the charm of the desired finish.
The 'inspiration'(aka rip-off) for the design is from the tea towel underneath. The only o.s find for this week, some weeks are like that.

pencil cases

An extra present to go with the bean bags for the boys.
From the Creative felt book. I used velcro instead of a button to fasten it. Less than 1 hour to make two. My kind of attention span.

two little boys had two little toys

I got this book at the local church fete a couple of months ago. It is from 1972. There are some simple projects in it.
The two 'monkeys', are for two brothers that will be coming to visit soon from the United Arab Emirates. Little bean bags that they can throw around and drive everyone nutty. If they burst all that will be swallowed are lentils and rice, not beads that cause hallucinations.



On a technical note, I have been using bloglines but thought I'd try Google reader. No good, it doesn't highlight all the new posts. Does anyone else use anything else?

fickle

My son didn't like the plain black and white pillowcase from Ikea. I do. I embellished it a little.



He doesn't like the embellished black and white pillowcase from Ikea. I do.

crafts and boxes

Who hasn't decorated a box in their time? I know I have, and reading Victoria's post on nineties crafts the other day reminded me. The bottom box was decoupaged in 1992 and the top box hand painted in 1989. Good times.



My children's efforts over various holidays. Good times.

australia 1986

This is a picture I cut out of a magazine and stuck in my 'what i like' book. If memory serves me correctly it is Leona Edmiston's kitchen. What struck me of course was the plastic bag holder hanging in the corner. Old tea towel + sewing = i can do that.



There, done. Quick fix on a Sunday.

walking foot

Its amazing how a little gadget will give me hope for the future. I bought a walking foot and I can already feel/see less frustration and hesitancy for quilting projects down the track. I gave it a test run last night on the bag, though it looks like a cushion. Its a bacu. Anyway it works a treat.





A planned still life of a couple of os finds today.

out with the old, in with the new

A new camera case. The old orange one was getting a bit thread bared. Felt and needle punching.

friday night sewing

This has been a UFO for about two months. It is voile from Spotlight. But I will admit something. I had some pattern pieces left over from the interfacing around the arms. It was just like when you buy a flat pack from Ikea and at the end of putting it together you have screws left over when there shouldn't be. Well that's what happens in this household. Eh, I figured I'd wing it and am happy with the outcome.



So chic and long. Pattern from late 1960's. Summer love.

NOT AS GOOD AS ECLAIRS

On a scale out of ten, I'd give this finished quilt a six. I scale my finished handicrafts judging by my own level of satisfaction. I do it with food too. For example, I give the chocolate cream eclairs from the patisserie around the corner a ten out of ten, fast food chains a one. I also do it with my children when asking how their day was, I am relieved when it is in the high digits. The binding was a slight let down. I will not use gingham again, it is not very forgiving when it comes to slightly off skew sewing. I am such a dunce. I keep saying that to myself that I will not use it again but I love it so.



So, now that it is finished, I am in two minds if I ought to give it as a Christmas present as originally planned. Will they like it , is it good enough? Will it come apart in the first wash? I've got a couple of more months to ponder this.

ONE HOUR ON SUNDAY

The old recycling bag we had in the kitchen had seen better days (an old calico ham bag from Xmas gone by) so being retentive that I am, had to make new one.
R also stands for REALLY quick. Nothing flash, very serviciable.

THE TWO OF US

Finished two bags (Simplicity 4668). One for me and one for my sister. Doing these made me think of the photo below. Just one example of matchy matchy.



My sister and I are eighteen months apart. Pretty close in age but you would have thought growing up that we were twins in as much as mum made us wear the same clothes. This is us circa 73 in Broken Hill at a cousins wedding. Let me tell ya, crimpoline and stockings don't go down too well in the heat. This was a great old style country wedding. Beer bottles and soft drinks in the middle of the table, kids running around having fun, falling asleep on the old couch at the church hall. Most of all I remember the chaffing..ouch.

SLOWING DOWN

Had to go back to work today to my old job (blech) after being on school holidays with my lovies.
This will be my work in progress for this week.

I LOVE FABRIC, I REALLY DO

This excites me.



It matches with fabric that is in this quilt I found last year. There must have been a range of this green material back in the 70's or whenever.



I've got these down to prodution line time now. For my sister.

WOOL BAG

Whilst making the stuffed toys recently I decided to make this bag as well. All preloved fabric. Pattern from Amite, tweaked a little. I got it recently at the craft show and can't seem to see it anywhere on their site. Very easy though.



Purty lining.

CHILLIN'

Looking pretty relaxed on this cold winters day. She doesn't mind being a bit wonky headed and having one hand sewn back to front and neither does the recipient.

WHAT I DID YESTERDAY TODAY

It took nearly the whole day but I finished doing this to the quilt . I don't know what you call it. Tacking? Or maybe if it is supposed took like this with big old stitches.
Now to start on the top stitching.
Each quilt is getting easier.