27 November 2009

My Creative Space

I am on the couch watching DVDs and nursing a sick stomach ... but I'm making a vintage button wool felt bunting too.






More spaces at Kirsty's


25 November 2009

stripes






Spent a few nights these week making this very simple frock - using some stripy fabric I've had for a while. I added a bit of wool felt string I had lying around to the neckline. I cut the material using the same ole Burda pattern I've been using for a while now - it doesn't seem to fit whatever I do so I hacked around for a while until it was a shape I could live and walk around with. I amended the neckline and widened it and played around with the felt until it looked, well, like this! I like to create necklines by folding the fabric over to the inside once and sewing around - then adding some bias tape or neckline binding made from the same material as the piece I'm sewing -  it makes the neckline sort of stand up and outwards a bit, like a little funnel.

Yay!

22 November 2009

Baby's First Quilt













... is complete! I finished it with some red binding and the back is made from white flanelette. I am really happy with it. It may be wonky in parts but I made it!

20 November 2009

My Creative Space







... has moved to the loungeroom because I have a friend of mine staying. I've started my very first quilt -in my usual haphazard way. I will figure it out as a I  go along! Thanks Kate for recommending great Etsy fabric sellers and also telling me I can't get it THAT wrong! I've cut some squares and I'm looking forward to putting it all together. It will be a simple one for my little niece. Just the 58th present I've made for her - you have no idea how much I'm looking forward to giving her the very first cuddle!

Fabrics are from Cottonblue.

More creative spaces, as always, over at kirsty's!

18 November 2009

my place and yours



A shopping trolley. An opped dresser. A hat. A bag. A turquoise rug. What you can't see is: heat, dust, and old, stained floorboards.


A noticeboard. It's not used for notices much, more random musings of the culinary kind. Such as the example above.


DVDs that noone remembers to post back to where they came from. Bills. Books. Books are everywhere in our house. We didn't ship much over from the UK, but we shipped two boxes of books. I guess they make me feel at home.



A board full of memorabilia. Most noticeable the invitation my unbelievably clever friend Lucy made for my Mad Hatter's 30th Tea Party. I am the rabbit in the centre. Though I'm usually not always late.
Lucy is fantastically, craftily gifted and she has something I really envy: patience. She just take her time to make all this ridiculously cute stuff. You should see the way she wraps presents. With my demented, rushing, impatient, freakshow ways and her patience and clever mad hatteriness we make a good team!

Love This Papercut Animation!

15 November 2009

cushion












I made this for a friend I miss a lot.

I bought some cardboard letters in the scrapbooking section at Spotlight (that section to me is still frightening - what do people do with all those stickers and stencils???)  and used the cardboard sans letters for stenceling the felt name tag. Charcoal fabric paint on cream coloured felt. I love how it turned out. I'm waiting for my stamps to arrive from Etsy. Once they arrive I am going to attempt my first baby quilt and stamp the hell out of it. Watch this space! It's gonna be graysh! Have a good flush, of course, and a great week too.

13 November 2009

My Creative Space








Call it Making Mess - or Making a Tree

Skirt








finished it - what a joy! I spent a few hours working on this one with much concentration. I tried so hard not to rush it, it was hard, but paid off. A few seams were ripped and re-done in the process, I tell ya. Kamikaze-sewing happened a few times.

This skirt was made using the Built By You A-line skirt pattern which is easy and also easy to amend. I lengthened the pattern by about 2 inches and took the side seams in to create a really fitted A-line. I also added some diagonal red - using an old scarf I found in the oppy. I love the cornflower blue and red combination. I love this fabric so much - it's organic cotton bought at Amitie. Totally happy with how this turned out. I made it a wee bit on the small side but I can squeeze myself into it holding my breath.

It definitely has flaws and uneven lines but a handmade piece is never going to look like something bought in a shop. Important lesson for me to learn and important, too, not to let perfectionism ruin the joy of making something.

09 November 2009

Top!









Hello! How has your week been?

Mine has been a bit mad. I had some girlfriends staying who came to see me all the way from Munich -  I'm a lucky girl. We had lots of fun - I dragged them all around Fitzroy and took them to see some favourite shops and then we of course drank many glasses of cider in the sun. Actually in the cloudy mist. Because last week was still cloudy, this week it's heating up. I'm not complaining! Yet.

The pictured top had a previous life as a dress. I started off using the Anda Pattern from Burda and as usual cut it out a size too big. I don't know why I can't get the measuring bit right. I suppose it's something to do with my height. So I took it in at the side seams and widened the neckline, and used bias binding to finish that off, to add a bit of non-floral contrast to calm the eyes. And then I looked like badly proportioned giraffe trapped in a tube of flowery wallpaper.

Subsequently I decided I'm not the floral dress type. So I chopped the bottom half off, and instead of using the drawstring the pattern suggests I added some random darts in the front and back sections to create a kind of bubble shape. Add an oppy button, and hooray! Pretty floral top. The fabric is from Darn Cheap. The skirt is the delightful denim skirt bought at Georgie Love a while ago. It is, as promised, the best denim skirt ever. Sort of like a comfortable, but attractive vintage couch.

I am now working on a skirt which I'm making out of organic cotton bought at Amitie. It is my most treasured fabric as it was expensive and it's a beautiful shade of blue so I'm getting every single inch possible out of it. And not rushing it, and not cutting corners. And not being messy. And tidying the seams.

Enjoy the warm weather!

01 November 2009

Album Cover Art

i picked up these old records in the op shop - I think they're wonderful. I love album cover art.








they make nice wall art! they've found a nice spot next to an old etching of Munich Mr MV gave me and a Paul Juve painting my auntie gave to Mr MV.




oh and spare records make excellent place mats. don't tell the DJ.