Pretty Basket!

I've been wandering from one thing to the next today, without much of a plan ... and on one of my wanders, made this little basket for my laundry. The rectangle was 45 x 19cm and the corners were mitred at 8cm. Clear as mud I guess!

Felt that this was a little too tall for my liking ...

So I turned the top over to form a cuff ... much prettier.

And here it is in it's new home! That thing sticking out of the side is a bike pump attachment ... why is it in the laundry? No idea!!!

Smiles, Mrs R

Lovely Laundry Shelves

Happy Husband was wonderful enough to put up these shelves in the laundry. Really, they're his idea as he didn't like everything on the washing machine (one of the downsides of a front loader). So ... ta da ... here it is, neat, tidy and pretty!

I'm going to make a basket to replace the margarine container - it's the home for those 'lost' items - golf tees, bike bits, retic parts etc etc - stuff that comes out of pockets!

Isn't that neat and tidy?

Smiles, Mrs R

New batteries equals new pictures

Yep - took a while to figure out that the camera needed new batteries! Here's Charlie keeping me company while I update my blog! Now he's sitting at my feet hoping for biscuits!!

I've been busy doing ... well ... nothing! Can't think of overmuch that I've achieved at all. This is LMS' ds case that I made last week ... she chose the fabric and I spent a few nights getting pictures in my head to work! This isn't exactly what I imagined, however, it is still great and does the job! The front pocket is for the games carrier.

And, next onto some more bibs! Was lost for things to sew, so figured that bibs are handy, easy and I had the fabric! Plus, got to make some more bias for my stash!! I used to be able to put bias on in one go - no pinning, just fold and stitch - once and done! Now, it's a bit more effort as I'm out of practice. I did the snail bib the 'correct way' ... stitch bias to the front, fold under and topstitch from the top. The second one was done 'upside down' which is how I was taught at TAFE. It all came back to me ... much better! In reality, the bias is on both, no-one will know how it was done, but it was a dusted off skill for me!

Went to Spotlight last night on a whirl wind trip, and grabbed and paid! Phew. Got the fabric for my Sew Mama Sew swap, and some co-ordinating ribbons to 'make it pretty'. Will post them today. Got some pelmet interfacing ($2.99/m) from the curtain section - it's great stuff and cheap. Found the buckram in the sewing section - but at $30/m - I don't think it's the stuff that you stockpile! After leaving there, dashed by Sound Stationery and picked up some butcher's paper (tracing/drafting), white cardstock (always handy) and A4 & A5 cellophane envelopes - these are really nice for packing gifts/crafts in - makes them look professional and keeps the dust off!

Smiles, Mrs R

Dust Cover!

Remember the fabric I made from strips? Well, this is what it ended up as ... a sewing machine cover. Not a highly exciting use for it, but it's fun and useful! Can't ask for much more, plus, there's enough scraps to trim a cover for the overlocker.

Now, to clean up the mess!

Mrs R

Baby Presents

A friend of LMS (age 15 ... poor love) is having a baby in April, and we wanted to give her a present for the baby shower. So, I saw Tracy's beautiful creations, followed the link to Homespun Threads, and made a pair myself - I used iron on wadding for cushioning, and felt particularly keen, and diamond quilted the soles.

Today,I borrowed a bib from my friend Penny (my children are well past the bib stage) and ta da ... a funky and pretty present! The bib is quilters cotton on the front and flannelette on the back. I've been trying to make bias binding each time I cut something out ... so that eventually I'll have a nice stash of pretty bias. It's a plan ...

Mrs R

A Prickly Post

I decreed that February is my "use it up" month as far as fabric goes, so I've not bought any, but am working myway through my stash! It's fun to put things together using what I have, changing, compromising, and eventually getting things to work!

Anyhow ... here is today's making ... It's a pincushion!! Called The Wildflower Pincushion! It actually took more fabric than I thought it would, and is quite big which was a surprise!

Here is one being ready for sewing (figured it was just as quick to make 2 as one!), followed by a finished one! Side view is to show the pretty fabrics!

Off to put pedal to the metal and finish the second pin cushion.

Smiles, Mrs R

Happy Birthday Friend

This is what I have gathered/made for my friend's birthday present ... we try not to spend alot on birthday/Christmas gifts ... so it's time to get creative.

It's a Shopping Survival Kit!

The contents are:

• 2 fold-up shopping bags (made from a cut up doona cover)
• jar of hand sanitiser (Avon)
• shopping list (printed from the internet)
• Pencil
• Pen
• Chuppa Chup (for the sugar burst)
• Packet of coins (just in case you get short)
• Bandaids
• Advil
• Teabags

The case is a re-cycled gift box that LMS received toiletries in. I put lovely cardstock on the front to cover the advertising, and made my own label (gotta love computers!).

She loved it - I had alot of fun putting it together.

Smiles, Mrs R

Baby Whites Part 2

Here is the entire finished set ... complete with cricket bat!! I put a 50c coin next to the set so that you can see the scale. Because it's so late, I couldn't get the light right for photos, but you get the idea (photos in the previous post show the details beautifully).

The cap can't be worn, it's a representation of what the father wears (I even handstitched his playing number on the back) ... The First Grade hat is quite baggy. I traced around a bread & butter plate, took tiny seams inside to create the look of the pieced hat, and then stretched elastic around the circle. The peak has 2 layers of pelmet interfacing and cardboard from a cereal box. This was zig zagged onto the elastic, then I handstitched the top to the peak to make it neat and tidy.

I finished the bag, but it was too tall, so had to unpick and re-do ... the joy of living with perfectionists!! It's lined in blue/white gingham. On the back of the bag is a bat sleeve - which is how they make them now ... bat slips into a pocket on the back of the bag, instead of rattling around inside the bag with all the gear. The zip was a recycled one that I took off a backpack I bought from the op-shop ... bag broke, but zips were nice, salvaged about 3 of them.

The club colours are maroon/white & blue ... which is why I used the colours I did.

It's been a great project, the whole family was involved with drawing pictures, helping with concepts and offering advice ...

The tired, but happy Mrs R

Baby Whites

Happy Husband asked last night if I had some wadding. Hmmm ... there's a question! Turns out one of the men from the cricket club has just become a father and there was talk about giving the baby a cricket related question. So ... I was asked if I'd make cricket pads for a baby!

Gulp ...

OK then ...

HH got out a set for me to copy, and I firstly drafted a 1/5th size, which was too small, so we settled on 1/3 size. So, here are the pictures ...

The pads are made using rip-stop nylon and fusible batting. The leg guards have a layer of pelmet interfacing in the centre to give the pads form and some stability. The abdo guard (box) is made from pelmet interfacing and wadding around the edges.

All in all, this was a very fun project!!

Smiles, Mrs R

Sewing up Strips

I actually attempted some patchworking today - it's not something that comes easily to me, but this technique was so easy that I had to give it a go! I spent an hour or so going through the fabric stashes and cut 6cm strips of pink/green/white/cream coloured fabrics. Was fun to watch the piece come together.

Closeup

Full Length of fabric - 70cm x 110cm

Now, big decision is what to do with it! I could add sashing to the sides and make it into a lap quilt, it could become a dolly rug, a tote bag, an apron, a bathmat, pillow covers, possibilities are endless!

Actually, thinking on that ... it would be perfect as an apron, well used and loved. Plus, it's all the colours I like so will make me smile as I wear it! Would have to fully line it so that the seams stay inside ... but that's very do-able ... hmmm ... food for thought!

Mrs R

Fabulous February Handbag

Welcome to February! School starts tomorrow (yay) ... I must admit that I look forward to the first day of the year with mixed feelings ... I enjoy having the house to myself and being able to do things, but I also miss having the kids around, their noise, their ideas, their general activity. Mind you - it's the cycle of the school year!

Now, onto what I've been creating ... and boy, am I proud of myself.

Here is my new handbag! My current (old faithful) has a minor flaw, the leather has worn away from the piping on the base. It might seem minor, but I'm a bit of a bag snob, and I don't like that it's not 'right'. I might see a boot maker to see if anything can be done for it. So, I took a pattern from it, and made a nice new bag!

Bit of an explanation ... bigger pictures are on their side because when I rotate them, they become short and wide and not at all like they really are!

Here's the original bag ...

The inside to prove that I did make it

(you can see all the layers of interfacing and linings I used to get the bag to stand up firm.

New bag outside

Red satin goodness

It has a zip pocket one side and stitched in pockets on the other side.

So, new school year, new handbag!

Gosh I am proud of myself!!

Mrs R