New blog

I've just moved over to a new blog, it's called SewSquirrel and funnily enough, it's hosted at www.sewsquirrel.com

If you're looking for the pattern store, come say hello at www.sewsquirrel.com.au

Sew productive

See what I did there? I was productive. As I was sewing. No?

Let's just shuffle along then. The last few weeks have been CRAZY busy with sewing. Honestly, three projects were started and finished, and b's quit has been machine quilted. The binding has already been started.

The strangest thing has happened though. I'm not sick of sewing, quite the opposite.

I feel like it's easy to dream of all the things I want to do, and there isn't the time to do it. Turns out it's a fear of failure more than actual procrastination.

Game on.

Sometime soon, check back here and there might be some very exciting news.

Quilt for Ben (attempt two)

So after the baby confusion, I finally set about making a baby boy quilt for Ben.  As really multi-age boy prints are thin on the ground, I opted for a pet themed charm pack with plenty of brown orange and blue.  He's totally going to get it BEFORE his first birthday.  Most likely....

It's a simple design, using a 5" charm back and a co-ordinating fabric cut into 5" squares.  It's a moda print with a spotted grey.  I'm going to do more on this later, but it's crazy trying to juggle projects!  Having joined the Melbourne Modern Quilt Guild though, it's inspiration time to get some quilts (currently doing 4) finished.   How are your unfinished projects going?

A murder of quilts

What is the correct term for a great number of quilts? A pod? A flock? A....murder?

There has been a flurry of quilting activity around here, babies babies more babies and a big birthday for my own mother. The only possible gift? A very late quilt. It's okay as long ad it's finished before the next major birthday.

This is a slightly elaborate spinning wheel quilt, using the ruby charm packs and layer cakes by moda, and also a few metres of fabric from thr ruby moda range. It's been growing fairly organically, as it started with just one charm pack. Then it was just too small.

small quilt before being pinwheeled

So a layer cake was ordered.

The now medium sized quilt

But it was still too small. And it needed borders. AND there were still some 5" spinning wheels left.

The final size!  Still to be basted and bound

Hip dysplasia and sleeping bags

When our daughter R was born, we found out that she had Developmental Hip Dysplasia (DDH) and was promptly put in a Dennis Browne Brace (DBB).

Aside from the initial shock of finding out, there were quite a few practical issues to contend with, the first being - what on earth do I put her in?  The brace holds the hip stable, but makes baby look like a little frog with legs akimbo.  For clothes it was fine, nothing with pants or feet, and being a little girl in an Australian summer dresses were just fine.

We got to the stage however when you aren't meant to wrap babies anymore, and sids & kids recommend putting baby to sleep in a sleeping bag.  Which is fine if you're not trussed up like a frog.

In the end I had to make her own sleeping bags which were quite flared at the bottom.  It took three goes to get the right construction, but really if you had half a brain it is very simple.

I used the pattern from small dream factory and adapted it as shown below.

Adjusted pattern

 The first sleeping bag was unlined and by all accounts a success, except I listened to someone else on the internet saying to put the zip in upside down so baby can't let themselves out.  Bugger that, it also means that the top of my baby is a solid join and putting the baby in it is cumbersome.  If she unzips herself then R will get cold.  Maybe she won't do it again.

The next sleeping bag was made from a jersey ($2 a metre from Darn Cheap Fabrics in Heidelberg) with a zip running all the way along the bottom.  This actually works pretty well to keep baby in and to put baby in.

R liked to kick her legs at night, so having the extra stretch was great for her as her legs kicked outwards.

If you are looking for a quick easy bag for a baby in a spica or brace, this construction is the best.  If anyone is interested in a tutorial, leave a comment or email me and I'll whip one up.

The final sleeping bag was done when R came out of her brace, and is constructed like a normal baby sleeping bag, but that my friends, is another post for another day.

Sad owl

Sad owl went with fat cat to a new home

Baby quilt for a baby girl

When I was pregnant I was convinced that I was having a baby boy. We didn't find out but we didn't need to- it was obviously a little boy.

The upside of this was our friends who were due a week earlier were having a little girl, so how nice! One of each!

Cue quilt time. Using part of a moda charm pack, and two matching pinkish fabrics from darn cheap fabrics in Heidelberg, one quick sashed baby girl quilt was done.

This was by far the fastest quilt I've ever made, all by machine (the fact it was machine quilted probably helped the speed). This was whipped together so fast, that J was about 33 weeks preggo when I finished it.

Cue late term ultrasound. J was having a boy! Oh the spite of the quilting gods!

But it turned out ok, J has the most gorgeous bubba, and getting to meet the little man he's getting his own planned quilt. And the pink quilt? Oh cue the arrival of...

My baby girl R.

Mittens - One Yard Wonder

If you haven't checked out the One Yard Wonders book - it's a nifty gift for the amateur sewer, although there are a couple of unusual projects (cotton legwarmers anyone?).  

For christmas after getting some insul-bright I made multiple mittens and pot holders as gifts for family and friends.  It was a fantastic way to use up some smaller bit of fabric in my stash, and it's a useful handmade gift.  In my opinion it's only worth making if they are going to use it (refer to legwarmers above).

Roboticus giftus

That's latin for a robot gift.

If you haven't been onto etsy, firstly you are banned from the internets.  Secondly, if you are even remotely crafty you have to love the cross-stitch designs of andwabisabi.

This is a handmade gift (as this is handmade gift year) for a friend in the UK who unsurprisingly, loves robots.  She also has a cat called Rebus.  Clearly very good stock.

Buying moda charm packs in Australia

I love moda charm packs.  Yes, for the traditionalist it can be the lazy way to quilt, but seriously I don't have the financial backing to buy enough of a stash to ever have anything that matches.

But moda charm packs are always so well priced in the US....but expensive here.  Until I stumbled across this gem of a shop!

Want it, need it, quilt store  

I bought three charms packs and express registered post for $40!  EPIC WIN!

Christmas presents...and future procrastination starts........now.....or maybe later....

Burp cloths from a made by rae tutorial

5" blocks from a layer cake

The finished product :)

Well it's been a busy sewing time around here...but the problem with schneaky projects as gifts is that you can't write about them....

But following a dear friends baby shower, I gave her a stack of burp cloths from this made by rae tutorial which is super easy and just great to not think about things like absorbency....I defer to people who already have little people in this regard completely.  

Totally recommended as a baby shower gift :)

What kind of serger to get?

I'm lusting after a serger at the moment, but as much as I want one, I'm also intimidated by so many little threads....

From what is out on the blogs the Brother 1034D is a pretty amazing machine, but has been replaced now. And it's $700.  Eeeeeeeeeeek.

Sad face :(

Kate's fat cat

After making the original fat cat a second was requested.  This fat cat is not quite as obese as the first fat cat as seen here.  This fat cat has a few improvements, namely better ears, arms and a tail.

Working in felt is quite rewarding in terms of finishing a project quickly, but it can be quite fiddly when sewing on all the features.  I tried using my sewing machine to do some of the applique, but it's hard to make the stitch coverage even.  Then again with practice it could save me alot of time.  This fat cat was getting sewn together in the car on the way to the party.   I like to live dangerously.  (also known as foolishly disorganised).

Actually, fat cat number two is still not even as fat as the real life model.  Mei Ling likes to sit in the centre of the action.  Also known as whatever I am sewing at the moment.

Nursery curtains

Something that has been taking up a considerable amount of time has been the sewing of curtains for the nursery.  We decided to paint the nursery blue, even though we don't know the gender of the baby.  Even if it's a girl, there is no bloody way that room would be painted pink.  Or purple.  Worst case scenario we put some decal clouds up on the wall.  Gender neutral FTW.          

The fabric was in Spotlight recently, and while I hadn't even been thinking about curtains really - the blue dots on the fabric were the exact same blue as the walls.  I'm pretty sure that's fabric stash fate calling right there.  So I lashed out and bought 4m of the fabric, and 4m of blockout fabric.  Which was a staggering $80.  But it was just sooo matchy matchy.  

Anyway...these are the most time consuming tab top curtains you could ever see.  After spending $80 on the fabric, there was no way in hell there was going to be a mistake in the cutting.  Measure 6 times then cut.  Maybe.  It probably didn't need the blockout lining behind it, as I've got a white curtain behind - but  if it helps this baby sleep (when it arrives) then it was worth every cent.  

The curtain rail is the fantastic ikea Hava curtain rail which is super easy to put up (especially when you make your husband do it) and has the double layer of curtain well spaced.  We've used this curtain rod style in a few rooms with the single windows as it's a simple and classic style.  Not a fleur de lys in sight.

Lady grey sewalong update

All the way back in September I decided to participate in the lady grey sewalong.  Then I started doing local sewing classes and realised I had no.clue.at.all.

AND nearly a year later, I've decided I'm ready to commit.  Being a preggosaurus, I've gotten rather sick of the idea of sewing maternity clothes, it's cheaper usually to buy newborn clothes, and there is no way I'm making clothes to fit post baby body as I'm yet to get the measurements.

The lady grey jacket however is fairly forgiving due to the pattern shaping, and by the time I finish up sewing classes in 5 weeks (before my 'confinement') hopefully it will be finished.  So far all the lining pieces as cut, and the jacket pieces, this monday it's time to cut the interfacing and start assembling!

The pattern is from the lovely Colette patterns 

One yard wonder - fold up apron

I completed the second one yard wonder, a child-sized apron.  But wait, it doubles as a bag!  Unfortunately I don't have any small children this will fit - but we've got one on the way :P

The one yard wonder book is quite a good sewing book for beginners, a few really useable patterns.  A few very random things like legwarmers - but hey, what's not to love about the 80's?

New sewing machine - singer

I LOVE my local op shops.  I get awesome sewing patterns from there.  Going rate?  50 cents.  And just before christmas?  A 1973 singer sewing machine.  In it's original case.  With the original receipts (FYI, $110 in 1974 - and with the time value of money thats $763.26)

What did I buy it for?  $20.

It sews like an absolute dream, and even buttonholes come out very pretty.  The only problem?  My desk isn't quite sturdy enough and when she's going full pelt, then the desk gets the speed wobbles.

Sorry trusty toyota, but as you've just been relegated to quilting duties.  Only.

Husband shorts

Peter from Male Pattern Boldness has a great post about learning to sew...which I read after finishing my first attempt at a pair of mens pants.  And don't get me wrong, the pants are fairly wearable.  Providing you don't want to wear them out of the house.



But following Peters advice, I just tried again, but this time with a pair of shorts, and you can really tell the difference between the first and the second time.  Which is very much the same for everything I've made.  Really puts forward the argument of making a muslin, but I'm usually far too impatient for that.  Such a fool.  Except for the lady grey jacket I'm making, which has a full bona fide muslin.

Anyway, back on track.  The shorts are actually made from fabric bought to be the lining of the original pants, so I skimped a little on quantity.  Which has lead to the only problem with the shorts, there wasn't enough fabric to do back pockets.  Which according to the husband makes them look like girl shorts.

Too bad.  If you don't like them make your own.  Or at least be quiet and I'll make a third even better pair!  And maybe next time I will iron them before blogging them.

Maybe.

Blue silk dress

This project was my first foray into sewing with silk, and I was trying to finish it in time for my work christmas party.  However that didn't quite pan out, but I did finish just in time to find it not fit around my belly anymore (due to baby, not pies)

Overall I'm pleased with the fit, I had to go down a few sizes and the pattern had far to much ease, and then do a full bust adjustment...which in this kind of pattern pretty much just meant to cut the chest patterns out of a larger size.

The way to make sewing with silk easy I've found is to use toilet paper inbetween the seams to stabilise them as I sew, and then it's quick to remove once sewn.

And the fabric?  $9 a metre.  Alannah Hill.  Heart.

Pantaloons? Yes please!

Pinned waistband on the pants

Less pants, more chinos.  But not.  Inadvertently, I took a pattern for chinos, bought suiting material and ended up with pants for wearing out to dinner.  Only.  But that's ok, they're for the husband!  Perfect excuse to take me out for dinner more!

I previously was a subscriber to a UK magazine called sewhip, thanks to my parents for a lovely birthday present.  And I loved it....for 10/12 mags.  You see, they changed editors.  They were more based on things and clothing patterns....and somehow more random crafty shite slipped in.  Let's be honest people.  There are only so many weird oddly specific craft items you ever need.  I.e. sewn banners, or felted headbands, or finger puppets.

But, back before the editor changed, there was a pattern for mens pants....and I thought...why not?  I completely ignored the sewing skills required, and began to plan....

Pants prior to zip

There were a number of times when I should have realised this project was possibly above my skill level.
1.  When I had to ask what to use as lining.
2.  After I bought lining, it just looked way to hard and I ignored it.
3.  When tracing the pattern was really difficult. Extending the legs?  Bah.
4.  Right now when it's time to put the zip in.

But...to be honest, aside from little hiccups, they are actually coming together quite well.  While it probably made sense to not make a difficult project, I've learnt a lot more than  I've mangled.

Huzzah!

Pant pocket topstitching

Now they are almost finished...but it would be unlike me to finish a project in a timely fashion.  Therefore, onwards with a new project, I'll be back to you in a few months pants!