Making more pillows

I'm starting to realise I have a thing for pillows, I always seem to be buying or making more! I suppose it's such an easy way to change a room about a bit.  I'm always changing things around, I think I get bored looking at the same layout for too long, or I see something in a magazine or on Pinterest (oh Pinterest I love you so) which inspires me and I'm up and off and dragging furniture around the room. Do you do that? I'm always moving furniture and plants and pictures, I just get an urge all of a sudden that things need to be moved! I spent last Sunday afternoon re-arranging Liam's room. After I do these things I always think to myself, - why didn't I think of that before!? That's so much better! And then I spent a couple of days this week re-arranging Isla's room, I was never quite happy with how the furniture was placed and I would always find myself standing in her doorway pondering. I must share some photos soon - of the whole house actually, I've been terribly slack at keeping you updated with the house renovations, which are almost finished!
Anyway I digress, slightly, we were talking about pillows.
I found two of these lovely big pillows at the oppshop a while ago and they were only $2 each. I had made a little reading nook in the corner of Isla's bedroom and needed a big pillow to go in it so this was perfect. Isla really liked the blue flowery fabric, but I was a mean mummy and said no way, it has to go.

Yellow with spots is so much better than blue flowery! My mum made the grey rabbit cushions for Isla for Christmas. (I think I have actually inherited my cushion obsession thing from her).

Making new pillows

I was feeling the need to add some new pillows to the couch, freshen things up a bit.  It's very tempting to go out and just purchase some new ones, but instead I thought I should make use of some of my hoards of fabric and give my poor sewing machine a little bit of attention - it really gets so neglected these days.



Wrap, cut, fold, sew, x 2, and we have two new pillow covers. It took all of about 10 minutes, the longest part was choosing the fabric. I just made simple envelope fold covers so no zips or buttons to sew and I used the salvage of the fabric as the exposed edge so they were so quick and simple. (The one on the right Liam bought me, isn't he a lovely boy).





I have an old bean bag that needs re-covering so I should get on to that next. It's not so simple though, I'll need to draught a pattern for it which is always a bit of a drag - I just love a quick fix and a 10 minute fold over zippity zip cushion cover is just so satisfying!

Sewing - I must get back into it

Wow, there has been a real creative drought around these parts.  I haven't done any sewing for ages - well the last thing I made was actually the post before last, that was May! and before then it had been a while too.  I really must get back into it.  I was speaking to my sister in the phone this morning and she was saying the same, it's been a while, and she must get back into it. Life gets busy and the day to day to-do list gets in the way, but it feels good to be making things, I need to make time for it.



My excuse for a long while has been that my fabric was all packed away up in the storage, requiring a ladder to get to it - a sure way to stifle that burst of creativity! But now it's all organised in it's permanent home, so I have no excuse anymore!



This is my (almost) finished craft and homeschool cupboard.  It's at the end of the living room and has big doors that can can be closed up at the end of the day if we have a busy day and things get a little messy :).  We have been using it lots and it's really handy having everything finally in one place.



It took a while to sort out all those bags of fabric I had stored away, and now I can truly see just how much fabric I have! How did that happen! I shall not be buying any more fabric for a while. And I must start using up what I have!

Sewing again - a winter top

Look at that smiling face, I haven't seen it like that for a few days.  She's been stuck in bed with nasty fevers.  But fortunately this morning she is back to her normal temperature, though a little washed out and tired.

But anyway this post is not about that, it's about sewing!  I've started sewing again! After a long drought. Which was mainly due to my fabrics being all packed away and having no real space to set up my sewing machines. But yay, I now have a new sewing space, which I will have to show you soon, but in the mean time, my first project, a winter top for Isla.



So quick and easy, I love turning old shirts into new shirts.



I handstitched a little bird on to add some cheer.

Changing rooms

Way back in July (what! it's October already!) when we shifted into our new finished bedroom, the kids moved into our old room, and their old room got a bit of a spruce up. It was a bit slap dash really, I wasn't too fussed with the paint job as these rooms will have to be completely re-done at some stage. Which meant that I didn't mind that the kids helped out.  They loved it! We've been doing so much painting over the last few months and they're always dying to grab a paintbrush and help out.  They couldn't quite believe that I said that I needed their help!

We had set the room up as a spare room for guests, but just recently, sorry guests, the sewing table and machines and fabric have claimed the spot.  I couldn't take it any longer, it's been such a long time since I've sewed anything, all my fabric is away in storage above our wardrobe in our new room, which means getting out a ladder and a flashlight, which in turn quite quickly dulls any new sewing inspirations.  Not good I tell you.

So yay, I've finally done some sewing! And it feels so good.

And it seems that these newly coloured walls are having quite an influence on me, I didn't even realise what I was doing. It wasn't until I finished the dress that it stuck me, hey, what's with all the green.

The top is for Isla, made from a merino top of mine that had a couple of holes in it, the little smock top is for a little friend called Ruby who just turned 1 :) and the dress for me. (Sorry, should have cleaned the children's finger prints off the mirror!).

Winter wool coat

The majority of the sewing I seem to do these days is kind of rushed and simple - a quick pair of pants for the kids or a shirt for one of them made out of an old shirt of mine. So it was quite nice for a change to slow down a bit and do something 'properly' following a pattern and all that jazz. Basting and pressing and clipping and topstitching, and all that jazz.



This coat was made for someone else, little Campbel from Lil Knight Lights. Stacey was after a nice warm winter coat for Cam and couldn't find one that she liked so asked if I would sew one up for her.

I was pleased with how it all came together, and that curved yoke wasn't as tricky as I thought it might have been, I will definately be making one for Isla for next year. The pattern goes up to size 6, so I may just be making a few.





I used this pattern purchased from Etsy. I changed it a bit by adding a hood, changing how the buttons fastened, and adding extra length to the arms as Stacey wanted rolled up cuffs.



I also added a little pocket to the inside for holding treasures.



The apple picking fabric is a vintage cotton that I have had for ages, I love it so much, it has been used for many projects, there's only a few scraps left now.



As you can see it fitted Isla perfectly! Kind of tempting to keep it :)
But no, it has been sent on it's merry way, and Stacey, you must send me a picture of Cam wearing it :)

Recycling clothes

Before I drop off unwanted clothes at the opp shop, I always have a check through and put aside any clothes that have potential to be turned into new clothes.
These pants for Isla were made from an old singlet of mine. I made the stretchy waistband out of some knit fabric scraps.



It always feel good turning something unwanted into something new and useful :)

Dress from a tablecloth - easy tutorial

I was walking past the linen cupboard the other day, and this tablecloth happened to catch my eye. We're having a hot start to our summer so my mind has been on dresses, cool floaty, let-the-breezes-in kind of dresses. And I suddenly thought, hey, that fabric would make a great dress. So I pulled it out and held it up to see if it would be long enough and if it would go around me and just kind of winged it from there.



And I'm so pleased with the results, I've worn it so much already and it has been a lifesaver in the hot and humid and sticky weather we have been having.
It was super easy to make, it's just a big rectangle really, so I thought I'd write up a tutorial, just incase you have a tablecloth around that would rather have life has a dress. A short tablecloth would make a great tunic top too.

:: How to make a super easy breezy tablecloth dress (or tunic top) ::

- Find a tablecloth that fits around you nicely, with enough room for easy walking/moving and the right length for where you want the hem to finish - you can always alter the hem line of course but that's just more work :)
- Fold it in half and hold it up to your body and mark with a pin where you want your arm holes to finish and where you want your neck opening.
- And then sew up to those marks like this.



- Check you are happy with the size of your armhole and then cut an armhole in the folded side to match (as shown above), finish this cut edge by folding over the edge twice, just a little bit, so the raw edge is hidden and sew in place.



- Put the dress on and mark with a pin under the bust, where you want your first line of gathering to start.
- Lay the dress on the floor and draw a horizontal line at the mark you have made, with a ruler and washable pencil or tailors chalk. Draw this line right around the body, front and back.
- Time to sew your first row of shirring. (*See below if you've never sewed with shirring elastic before).
- Keep sewing rows of shirring using your first row as a guide to keep you straight, until you have enough. I did 8 rows and they were about 1/2 cm apart.
- And that's it! Unless you want to change your neckline, (you will have a boat neck style neckline at this stage). Put your dress on and mark with a pin how deep you want your neckline to go, take the dress off and fold it in half down the front of the dress and cut a nice curve (through two layers) to your marked point. Try it on and check you're happy with the shape and then finish the raw edge as you did with the armhole.



*To sew with shirring elastic
- Wrap shirring elastic around a bobbin by hand, making sure you don't stretch it as you go.
- Put your bobbin into your sewing machine and just use regular top thread.
- Sew with the correct side of your fabric facing up so that the elastic will be on the inside.
- At the start and the end of each row of sewing, turn your stitch length to zero and sew a few stitches, this secures it tightly.
- Your first row will not be very gathered, but the more rows you do the more gathered the fabric will become.

Have fun! I want to see photos if you make one!

A little bunny rabbit for a new baby girl

My friend just had a wee girl, so the kids 'helped' me make her a little bunny rabbit, as a welcome to the world present.
As you can see Isla rather liked it.






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Another blanket

Showing you my finished 'beach-blanket-to-go' the other day reminded me that I never did show you the blanket I made for mum for Christmas. The photo below was in amongst this post, I meant to put the finished blanket on here once it had been gifted.



I used an old blanket that I found at the opp shop, it had started to fray a bit on one edge, so I trimmed it down and put binding around it all. The binding and applique fabric was some cotton off my shelf that had also originally come from the opp shop, it was a curtain from memory.





I stitched three ginko leaves on one side, and one on the other side.

I had a lot of fun making this, sitting and handstitching those leaves, and it was quite satisfying turning an old blanket into something pretty. I imagined it would be used as a throw or a picnic blanket. I'm quite keen to make some more of these, once a few other things have been ticked off my to-do list, we could definately do with a few of these around the house, perhaps I'll even make a few for the shop.