Tilly's T-shirt

A super fast project to be completed during a single Playschool episode:

1. Go to What a Lovely Name, find your baby's name & then decide on the logo you like the best.


2. Save it to the desktop.


3. Import the pic into word. REVERSE THE IMAGE! (Me being the dumbass I am forgot to do this the first time. Tilly can only read her name in the mirror now)


4. Print the image onto T-shirt transfer paper. Follow the instructions carefully to transfer the image onto a boring white hand-me-down T-shirt. Me, I had to guess at the instructions as I have lost the english ones & only have the ones in japanese, korean, arabic & chinese??  


5. Try not to scald the shirt like I did & Ta-da. You're done!

These would be great embellishments to a little baby package for friends. I'll be making more of these for sure.

Thank you 'What a lovely name'!

Weekend Zig Zag Baby Quilt

One of the handiest baby gifts we were given when The Boy was born 2.5 years ago, was a quilt Jacqueline made us. It was made entirely from flannel and was the perfect size and weight for everyday use. We used it as a wrap, floor mat, spit-up cloth, pram & cot blanket, picnic blanket.....actually, we still do with our 2nd Wee-one who is now 10 weeks old!

As Felicity's baby shower is next weekend I thought I would try to make her something similar. 

 I used the cutting & piecing method described by the Purl Bee'sZig Zag Quilt. Because I wanted the quilt to be square & smaller than a crib-sized quilt, I cut:

• Sixteen 4-7/8 inch squares from the pink fabric,


• Sixteen 4-7/8 inch squares from the white fabric,


• Thirty-two 4-7/8 inch squares from the yellow fabric,
  But didn't bother with the 


• Three 4-1/2 inch x 32-1/2 inch strips from the yellow fabric

The quilt ended up being 8x8 squares, measuring X cm (X inches) square - Perfect! It's as if I planned it that way.

I backed the quilt with flannel, pink with small white stars. I added a strip of the flower fabric (made from the off-cuts) -partly because it looks good & everyone seems to be doing it, and partly because my flannel was too short so I needed to add extra length. I like the result a lot.

The end result is a very soft, compact quilt that is perfect for the nappy bag, bottom of the pram or bassinet. I hope she likes it.

I will definitely make another this way again. If I can make it in less than 48 hours with 2 kiddies, one of whom loves to play with the pin-cushion & sewing machine peddle, and another who feeds every 2-3 hours (or so it seems sometimes!), ANYONE CAN!

A is for pain-in-the ASS...

A is for Apron should read:
A is for ALTERATION, or
A is for pain-in-the-ASS

I just fell in love with the Kaleidoscope apron that was published in the book A is for Apron & highlighted on Etsy's handmade blog 'How-to: Stitch an Apron' and linked to in Whipup and Craftzine. I've been squirreling this pattern away waiting for the right opportunity to make such a cute apron and as this weekend was Mel's kitchen tea, I thought this couldn't be a better pressie for her!
Now, with two kids (one being only 7 weeks old) my sewing time (or any time for myself for that matter) is very, VERY precious. The last thing you want is to leap into the project only to find at what felt like EVERY turn, there are mistakes to this gorgeous pattern & tutorial. Wrong enlargement size, wrong measurements, poor descriptions, the list goes on. Did I mention my time is very precious. After many expletives, some deep breaths and help from my techno-savy husband, I completed the apron. I stuck with it because I think it is a gorgeous looking apron and was worth the effort.
I gave it to Mel & she loved it. Doesn't she just look a doll!

I thought I would write up my modified pattern so that people who wish to reproduce the picture can do so without the trauma I went through.

Just for you interest use to following links to download:

The original pattern from Etsy

The revised templates published on the Lark Books website   (they are still errors in this template!)

Instead of downloading the pdf and trying to enlarge it at your local Officeworks or such, here is the pattern, enlarged as per the errata at Lark Books (found that a bit too late! I'd already cut out the 1st batch of fabric before I realised it didn't fit together - #@**@+!) ready for you to download & print. You just have to stick it all together.

I have done some major modifications to the waistband as the measurements given in the original & in the edited version are STILL wrong.
Here is a version that will work:

Putting my feet up

[caption id="attachment_106" align="aligncenter" width="269" caption="Lounge Pants"][/caption]

I know you told me this morning to put my feet up before the big day but I thought I needed a pair of lounge pants that will fit my ample belly before I do. Just over 2 hours later, I have this pair of uber comfy capri-length pants. Thank god Mark entertained The Boy while I madly cut, sewed & ironed these beauties. The wonderful man also made us all FRESH spaghetti & meatballs for dinner in that time too. What a champion!

I had bought this fabric ages ago from a massive Spotlight sale. I think it was $4 for the remnant roll. I don't know how many meters were on the roll, but more than enough to make several more pairs of pants

[caption id="attachment_107" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="PastaFace"][/caption]

.

Painted Children

This is one of those things all kids just really dig.

Have them lay down on a large roll of paper and trace around them...the ensueing tickles and giggles are hilarious for all. It's a great opportunity to talk about our bodies, it's parts and what they are for. Hand the kids some markers, stamps, sticker, glitter or in our case paint and let them go at it. The best part is it's a fairly big canvas to paint, it takes a while and captures their attention longer than the typical 3 minute child attention span...just got to police the inevitable painted toes hands and maybe even bellies. Try it!

Twirly Skirts

Well with only three days notice for a five year old's birthday...what do you do?!

Easton was invited to a young girl's birthday, from her Pre-school class, Gianna Campisi. I knew right away what I was going to make for her gift. She is very similar to Easton with her love of anything princess/dance related, and my mind instantly went to the few meters of fabric I had just thrifted from our local "Sally Ann" (Salvation Army).

It was a beautiful ;) sequined aqua fabric, truly only dreamt up for a young girl of 4 or 5...or some figure skater or drag queen...dreamy!!! A little purple and aqua tule, sequined braid, elastic and silk lining...wa-la...a skirt made for only twirling and swirling. A tank top, equally "bedazzled" with sequins, ribbon and braid and there you have it...it was a hit!!! 4 days later...according to Gianna's mum, Brandi, she was still wearing it having not taken it off...even for bed.

 Easton, was of course...intensely happy for Gianna, whilst simutaneously immensely jealous. I promised I would make her a twirly skirt for her girlfriend, Ella's 5th birthday which was a "dance party". She was exstatic, needless to say when I pulled it out on the day. Tasman was shattered! Where was his dance outfit?!!! Well last minute pressure always brings out the best in me...I whipped him up a Travolta/Saturday Night Fever style matching sequined shirt to wear with his authentic 70's brown polyester 3-piece suit. A little tule buttonhole and was the styliest man at the party! The pictures aren't great but you get the idea.

My disappearing 9-patch quilt

Mel & Rhys asked us over for a BBQ to celebrate Mel & Mark getting new jobs & Mel's birthday. She is such as sweetie and always is really thoughtful with Xmas & birthday presents so I figured it was a great excuse to jump on board the sew,mama,sew! Quilting Month bandwagon.

I knew the disappearing 9 patch was a groovy and simple way to make a quilt but didn't realize you could make it have an overall pattern, rather than the randomness most of these quilts have. I was inspired Oh, Fransson's Doll quilt I saw on the Quilting Month Flickr Pool. It just took me about 15 min to find the photo but I really wanted to credit her with the inspiration for this quilt. I love the way the center four panels make one big panel. I didn't have any Joel Dewberry's Aviary fabric for the center focal panels so I figured, "I'll embroider something". Geeze, its not like I only had 1 week to make something!!!!! So, for a couple of days, I took the quilt top on the train, tucked my elbows in and finished the birds.

I really must get a better photo of this quilt, I forgot and only had my camera phone the day I gave it to Mel. Hmm, seems to be a recurrent theme here that I need to take better photos and edit these posts.......

If you are interested in how to lay out your blocks to get this effect, go to my Flickr site and check out Before & After photos. Like I said, really easy to get something that looks quite complex.

OK, what else have I got for you...........

Hmm, this isn't really helping Giles....

Geeze, I hope I'm not boring you with all these short posts. I'm  going back through my photos & posting all the ones craft-related. Not terribly interesting, but thorough.......

This project was a 15 minute one, my kind of project these days - particularly when The Boy is awake). I found these polystyrene panels in the garbage bins at work last month and thought they would make great pin-up boards above my sewing machine.

The fabric is a lightweight canvas found in the $2 discount bin at Textile Traders. Come to think of it, nearly all my projects these days are from the $5 or $2 discount bins. Love a bargain.....

Anyhoo, a bit of packing tape and voila' two pinup boards. I haven't mounted them to the wall yet so will show you what the look like later.



I can't get any fabric out without The Boy running off with it, wrapping himself & rolling around in it. Luckily for this project, I had two identical pieces!