Finishes and the end of another year

I mentioned in my last post a couple more gifts I finished off ready for Christmas... now that they have been gifted I can share with you!

For my aunt I decided to make a handbag... I've had this Melly & Me 'Black Forest' pattern for a couple of years now, and finally decided to give it a go. I must admit, while the instructions were easy to follow, the bag proved more difficult than I anticipated due to the stiffness of the interfacing. I persevered and was really happy with the result.

I joked to Mum while I made it that it might possibly be the first and only handbag I make... but I might have to make one more for myself!!

I also made a smaller bag, a 'mug bag' for my Mum. She goes to a stitching group each week and I thought it would be perfect for her to take her mug in. This is a small pattern by Anni Downs and comes with the pre-printed linen...

It was a really simple pattern to follow and I managed to finish it fairly quickly :)

Alex is already hanging out for next Christmas, although I'm happy to take it a bit slower for a while! The kids had a great day, they were spoiled with so many gifts and there was much yummy food to be eaten...

With only a couple of days left of 2014 I think the finishes above will be the last for this year... I'll be too busy enjoying the festivities to stitch! Tasmania is a great place to be at this time of the year, we have a big food festival (Taste of Tasmania) and all the yachts that have completed the Sydney-to-Hobart race lining the docks.

If I don't blog again until 2015, have a happy and safe new year xx

Gifts for the kids...

It's been a busy few days, with me taking every opportunity to get behind my sewing machine as possible!

I've managed to finish off two projects for the kids as well as a couple of projects for others in the family... But will have to share those once they've been gifted just in case!!

For Alex I decided to go for a superhero cape, plus a matching one for his favourite soft toy, Bunny. I didn't use a pattern for this one, just made it up as I went. The 'super Alex' letter A on the back was also designed by myself, with some input from my dad. I appliquéd the design using blanket stitch and matching threads.

I love the brightness of the lining fabric I chose :) hoping he likes it too. 

For Sofia I've spruced up a hand-me-down... I'm giving her a wooden doll's bassinet that was mine as a girl, but I've done up new bedding. Mattress, pillow and mini quilt... All in pink with fairy fabric!

The bassinet wasn't the easiest thing in the world to wrap I must say!! 

Looking forward to seeing the kids' face expressions tomorrow morning. 

Merry Christmas and until next time x

New books

While I was in Canberra I managed to visit a couple of my favourite quilting stores (and more than once!). Fabric was bought, as were a couple of small patterns, and I was even tempted by a couple of books...

Last year I made each of the kids a Melly&Me stuffed toy and her latest book 'Fun of the Fair' has been tempting me for some time. Picking it up, it quickly became apparent it was just too cute to put down!

The second book is by a Allison Harris from cluck cluck sew - an American patchwork designer whose blog I've been following for about a year now and whose modern and easy designs I've been increasingly falling in love with. In fact, the disappearing 9-patch quilt I made Alex earlier in the year was based on a tutorial from her site. I'm looking forward to giving a few of these patterns a go :)

Now that I'm back home and back with my beloved sewing machine I have a few Christmas projects I want to get stuck into... Plus I still need to get the tree up!!

Until next time x

Journeying home

It's been a great three weeks holiday in Canberra, although somewhat tiring running after the kids... Particularly as it seems Sofia is working on perfecting her squeal and Alex is constantly keen on annoying her (which of course makes her squeal louder)... Any tips on how to nip this issue in the bud would be greatly appreciated!!

I'm currently on the ferry crossing the Bass Strait heading back towards Tasmania, with a glass of sparkling to relax after a long day driving. It's nice to stop and reflect on my time away :) while I didn't get all that much stitching done, it's been great catching up with some wonderful friends from when I used to live in Canberra, and also making some new ones! I got a chance to go mountain biking on a couple of occasions, and also managed a day trip out to the fabulous "Christmas Barn" in a small town called Bredbo about an hour out of Canberra. 

I think I was told about this amazing Christmas store just before Alex was born and is where both my tree and many of my decorations have been bought from. They have so many beautiful decorations it makes it tough to pick just a few!

Can't wait to get home and start decoratingn my home and get into the Christmas spirit!!

Tomorrow is another half day or so driving to get home, stopping in on family and a scrumptious raspberry farm/cafe on the way!

Until next time xx

Perfect!

So glad I held off to find that perfect backing for Alex's quilt! The kids and I are enjoying a get-away to Canberra... catch ups with lovely friends from when I used to live here, and of course visits to my favourite quilting/craft shops that are here. In one of those stores I came across a new fabric range that I just couldn't go past...

"A Boys' Story" by Anni Downs. Yep, exactly the same designer and name of the quilt I've just made.  The colours match those I chose for Alex's quilt perfectly, and with the designs also matching, it was just to perfect to resist. The green with blue print at the bottom of the picture is also part of the range and I thought would look quite nice as the binding, so I grabbed it while I could. I don't have access to a sewing machine at the moment and the backing will require joining, so it seems I'll still have to wait a bit before I can advance any further with this quilt.

Until next time x

Somebunny is complete!

Back in August I posted about a cross-stitch I was hoping to finish by Sofia's first birthday. Needless to say, I didn't finish it in time and it was starting to fade into the background, yet another unfinished project...

Of late I've been really wanting to do some cross-stitch but getting Alex's quilt-top finished was at the top of my stitching priority list. Now that I'm stalled with that project I thought it would be the perfect chance... and as much as my new projects were calling, I was good... I picked up Sofia's cross-stitch and finished it in no time. Loving the finished product, and it feels great to cross another unfinished piece off the list!

The cross stitch is a Somebunny to Love design from The World of Cross Stitching magazine (issue 202). The original design has some balloons on it which I chose to leave off as I preferred the design without them.

I've got a white frame to put this one in and can't wait to get it up on the wall of Sofia's room!

Heading off on a road-trip with the kids tomorrow... wish me luck! I'll try and do some posts while we're away :)

Until next time xx

Motivation equals progress

Isn't it amazing the amount of motivation that seems to come over you when a project is really coming together?! Over the weekend I found myself picking up my stitching at every opportunity to complete the applique I needed for the final block of Alex's quilt ("A Boy's Story" designed by Anni Downs)... On Sunday afternoon I had it done!

Then I set to work on an appliqued rocket ship I'd forgotten to do on the side of the central block. By Monday morning it was stitched down and I excitedly got out all the blocks and started to sew them together...

The finished quilt top is bigger than I was expecting, taking up the entire top of my couch (which pulls out to a bed). It measures 138cm x 175cm (which happens to be exactly the size the pattern says it should be... funny that it's size came as a surprise to me!).

 

I'm really happy with how it's come together. Today I headed out in search for some suitable backing fabric but after visiting three local fabric shops haven't found anything that 'spoke' to me. I'm heading to mainland Australia in a couple of weeks so will look in the some of the bigger quilting stores while I'm there. It's proving to be quite frustrating to be stalled with this project now - I'm so eager to keep it moving along! 

Now to decide what to stitch until I can progress this one again... 

Until next time xx

Getting closer to a finish

I've completed the penultimate block of Alex's "About a Boy" quilt!

As I've already completed the stitcheries for the last block, it shouldn't take me too long to finish the applique needed for the last block... then join all the blocks together, then quilt it.... hmmm. Can I get it finished by Christmas?!

It's a beautiful day here today, Alex is happily playing in the backyard while Sofia naps... I'm thinking I might join my little man outside, maybe grab a cuppa and my stitching and enjoy the lovely weather :)

Until next time xx

A train ride

I love living back in Tasmania, my island home which offers so much splendour and natural beauty. There are so many ways to take in the scenery of this beautiful state and this week it's been fun experiencing it in different ways... including going on an historic train ride on the island's west coast!

We boarded this magnificent steam train in Queenstown (Tas), and the journey was simply amazing... despite dreary weather, the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. The West Coast Wilderness Railway travels through to Dubbil Barril, with two stops on the way. The carriage we were on had a little balcony on the back which was ideal for capturing the sights on camera...

At Dubbil Barril there was the opportunity to stretch our legs with a 15 minute walk. It is also here that they turned the train around on a old-style manual turntable in order to return to Queenstown.

On the journey back, our carriage (and therefore the back balcony) was attached directly to the locomotive. Alex was absolutely fascinated with the train, and how it hooked together to the carriages.

The return journey took a little over four hours, which proved rather tiring at times doing it with two young children! However I'm really glad I did it, as it truly was an amazing experience. What a fantastic mini-getaway :)

Until next time x

Library bag

For the last couple of months Alex has been attending fan Early Learning Centre one day a week. The centre is connected to a nearby school, and it just happens that the day he goes is library day... the little class all get taken on the big adventure of heading to the school's library and selecting a book to borrow for the week. So naturally, I've been meaning to make him a special library bag... and finally, over the last couple of weeks I've had some time to get designing and sewing!

Alex chose the dinosaur fabric from my stash and I picked out some coordinating fabrics (can you believe, nothing new was purchased for this project!), then played around until I was happy with a design. 

I'm really happy with the result. I used Pellon wadding to strengthen it, and it's lined with a blue spot fabric and I hand stitched his name on it so that it (hopefully) won't get lost... at least not too quickly! Alex seemed pretty pleased with his new library bag and it was lovely to hear him telling anyone who would listen that mummy made it for him :)

Hmmm, lots of projects of late for Alex... may need to work on something girly soon!!

Until next time xx

A big boy bed

I keep forgetting to share... Alex got his big boy bed last week!

He was so excited to see it all set up when he got home from childcare! His matching bedside was quickly filled up with his favourite cars... apparently I was being very silly suggesting he put his hats, belts, socks, etc in the drawers.

The bed arrived in quite a few boxes early in the morning and I set about pulling apart the cot then piecing together the new single bed... rather proud of myself for having completed it by myself.

Some new sheets and pillows, and the bed was ready. I dismantled the cot and gave it a good clean. So many memories associated with that cot... it's also a well travelled, having been in two houses in Canberra, before being taken overseas, then returning here to Tasmania! And now, with my baby boy growing up, it will go to another baby, that of a friend of mine due in November.

Until next time xx

More time!

One of my new year's resolutions was to get my career back on track, and over the last five and a bit months I've been lucky enough to have some great opportunities within the workplace, albeit fixed term opportunities. Finally, a few weeks back, a breakthrough... I was offered a permanent and ongoing position :) A week later, I got another offer for a position I applied for earlier in the year! Decisions, decisions... of the best type really, so I can't complain. I think I've made the best choice, and while the position doesn't start until early next year I am looking forward to the challenges it will bring.

Until then, I have some time up my sleeve. My latest contract finished last week, so for the next few months I'm a stay-at-home mum again... my house will get the spring clean it deserves, the garden a spruce up, the kids some quality time and maybe a driving holiday for a few weeks, and (hopefully) my sewing machine will get a work out. So many projects I'm looking forward to getting stuck into and possibly even finished... possibly!!

Alex has his 'big boy' single bed arriving soon, which has spurred me into action... I'd really love to have his quilt completed by Christmas (how many times have I said that before?!). While I was working I didn't have all that much energy to stitch but on occasion the needle and thread would come out of an evening and I made some headway with the stitcheries on this project. Now with the opportunity to work on the applique and get to my sewing machine I can share with you two more completed "A Boy's Story" blocks...

A couple of close ups of the stitcheries...

Only two blocks left to do now! Then I can join the blocks and start the quilting process... already trying to decide whether to hand or machine quilt this one?

So while it was a bit sad to finish up at my latest job I'm rather thankful for some time at home, some time to stitch, and some down time with the kids... including some cheeky "mummy-son" dates with this little man...

Until next time xx

Some time to sew...

Over the last few months while I've been working full-time my spare room has quickly become a dumping ground for all things miscellaneous. With my current contract coming to an end this week, I've decided to take a few months break before my next work engagement, and reclaiming this space as my craft room is high on the to-do list. However, yesterday I managed to get in and at least clear a pathway to my sewing machine... and oh, how it felt good to sew again!

I managed to get a few things worked on... a bit of progress on Alex's quilt as well a start to a library bag for Alex which I'm hoping to finish next weekend. And I'm happy to report I managed a finish!! 

All the way back in March I showed you the start of a cushion cover for the son of a good friend of mine, however with full-time work this along with all my other sewing projects was put to the side. Finally it's done, complete with his initial hand-stitched in the corner: 

 

I'm really happy with how it turned out (the main component is a disappearing 9-patch but other than that I just made it up as I went along)... and it was lovely to see him so excited when he received it today!

Until next time xx

A perfect fit

I have a dear friend in Canberra who is an amazing knitter and oh-so-quick! I recently headed up to Canberra for a couple of days... on the Tuesday I texted to set up a catch up, on the Wednesday I was asked about Sofia's chest measurement, on the Thursday I sent through the measurements... on the Friday we had coffee and a gorgeous, specially made knitted top was gifted to Sofia in celebration of her birthday. It's even been knitted with yarn dyed by my friend!

The colour... perfect. The finish, perfect. And of course, the fit, perfect!!

Trying to take a photo of (a slightly sick) Sofia wearing it... not quite as perfect...

Finally got one I was happier with... She's getting to be so quick these days, and easily distracted!

To read about this top from my friends perspective (including a link to the pattern), head over to Ruth Plus Two.

Thank you to an amazing friend for such a lovely and special gift :)

Until next time xx