A wee bit Polka Dotty

I spent Saturday with 2 special creative friends at the Quilt and Craft Fair. It was lovely to be surrounded by all things crafty, especially yummy fabric. I managed to add to my stash (I was seriously lacking in Polka Dots!), some of the fabric came from the Patchwork with Gail B stand (their shop is in Bayswater, Victoria) – the fat 1/4’s were $3.50 and they have $14pm fabric at the shop. I also bought a Better Homes and Gardens showbag with a current and back issue of the mag and lots of samples. Some jumbo ric rac also made it’s way into my shopping bag along with a ball of cotton for crocheting (not me, my Mum), 2 x 1/2 metres of Barefoot Roses and some fat 1/8’s…

Saturday also happened to be smileykylie’s Birthday – Happy Birthday from your Sewing Sisters! I made Kylie a rose bag, I thought I’d show you a before and after photo of the progression from cushion cover to bag.

Apparently she took it out to dinner – with her family (not just the bag!). I am planning to have an Etsy shop by my birthday, which is 5 weeks away, & I’ll be selling these babies in my shop.

With Love

It’s freezing cold – weather for stitching!

This weekend has been very cold (below zero over night) and the fire had been going almost constantly. Definitely indoors weather – those weeds in the garden can keep growing for now!  As promised I got out my new sewing machine and sewed on it lots this week. In particular I’ve been working with wool felt and using the blanket stitch on the machine – it almost looks hand done. Much faster than doing it by hand! Here’s a couple of the things I’ve been making for an upcoming market. My 10 year old wants the green crown and my nearly 8 year old loves the pink one… I just  love working with the hand dyed wool felt…

Crowns for dress-ups or birthday celebrations!

 

The next one’s not quite ready to show, so just a sneak peak… I have been having fun.

I can’t reveal any more about my little secret quite yet, but I can show you the results of my four years old’s hair styling (the camera has been replaced and all photos retrieved).

What is most disturbing is that my gorgeous girl looks so pleased with his efforts. Not sure that trusting her brother at all times is such a good thing at this stage in both their lives!!

Hope you had a lovely weekend!

 

Krafty KJ

She’s Leaving Home (and coming back after camp).

I sent my first born off to camp this morning. This is her first camp, she missed year 4 camp because we moved back to Perth - and they didn’t have a year 5 camp last year. After imparting wisdom - “Be Safe, Be Kind, Have LOTS of Fun”, DH went & dropped her off to the bus. The eyes were a wee bit misty. Now I have 3 days to bind and make pillowcases for this…

 

Kathy (KC Quilting) dropped it off at work yesterday, she has done a beautiful job. The quilting pattern is called Sticky Buns (the same pattern that Kylie has on her version). Here’s a close up of the swirls.

I am bag making today (Surprise, Surprise), I have a birthday bag to make and get in the post TODAY, and another bag for a swap I have organised with a fellow blogger. I’m off to the Quilt And Craft Fair on Saturday with Jenny – can’t wait :)

With Love

A new hair product to get you off the couch!!

I’ve been busy lately with some secret developments which will be revealed soon… Very exciting times…

…Then a nasty bug hit me with a case of I can’t do anything or move anywhere – which I might say is a bit of a challenge, particularly when you have a creative four year old like mine. I would show you the photo I took of my daughter with PVA craft glue rubbed through her hair, “Look mum, her hair is all spikey!”… if the memory card wasn’t stuck in the camera (possible due to an interfering four year old- we have no witnesses though). If you ever find a child with PVA through their hair, act quickly wash with shampoo, conditioner and comb thoroughly with a lice comb… I think it’s all gone!!

So no photos today… I think tomorrow I’ll be back playing with felt, fabric and some ideas that have been running through my head…

 

Happy Stitching!

Krafty KJ

Everything's coming up Roses

I have been super busy making my favourite (well, the current favourite) bag for orders and a birthday present.

Ivory Roses for Janet (she’s taking it to a ball).

Red Roses for Christine (a ‘Red Hat’ lady), &

Burgundy Roses for Lisa, who had a Birthday last Thursday!

Most people know how much I love Babushka/Matryoshka dolls, so it was lovely to actually receive a bag on Mother’s Day with these precious poppet's on the sides. Thank you family xxx

Oh, one last thing before I sign off – I finished my Amy Butler Midwest Modern Triangle-less Zig Zag Quilt last night, YAY!!! I even mitered the borders :)

We have nicknamed it ‘Gelati’, it has been sent to the quilters and will be ready in plenty of time for Rachel’s 12th birthday in August. I am planning to make some crocheted pillowcases to match it, my Mum will be doing the crochet - I don’t possess the crochet gene.

With Love

A big brown box from Perth…

It was quite a while ago now that Janelle showed a brown box in her sewing room. She and her wonderful husband escorted that box (with a little help from their daughter who guarded it on the luggage belt) to Melbourne on their recent visit. It has been unpacked, polystyrene discarded and is now living at my house. My little ones are loving the box and have spent many hours playing with it… .

 

 

I have NOT had the same joys with the box’s contents – Don’t get me wrong, there has been no problem with the machine’s operation or functions, I’ve just not had time to do anything with it other than open it, thread it, watch the CD Rom, and put it back in it’s carry bag. OK… I am a little intimidated… I will get it out within the next week and use it. I PROMISE!!  There, it’s in writing… now I have to do it!

Driving along a week or so ago, I came across a couple of old chairs on the edge of the road, and promptly went home and sent asked my kind husband if he would go and collect them for me. I wasn’t chicken – I only the had the small car with me. He brought two home despite saying they were filthy and old. Here’s a shot of one (along side two previous finds that also need some work).

I’ve always wanted to try recovering furniture and well, what could I lose? I gathered some reproduction civil war fabrics and made up a couple of blocks… Then had fun with the staple gun. Not too bad for a free chair – and comfortable too! Thanks to the old owners!

I needed the first one I made to live in our front room which has a more formal feel. It’s quite traditional. The next one I do will be in bright fabrics and live in my sewing room!

Here it is all finished next to our new piano. What fun!



Happy stitching!

 

Krafty KJ

My baby is two!!

I can’t believe how fast time flies – how often do we say that? My little baby… my fourth little baby… probably my last little baby… who I was only dreaming about conceiving a little blink-of-an-eye ago, has just turned two. I think I was in denial as I hadn’t arranged a party, a gift or a cake until last Thursday. A walk through K- Mart found a little couch all in pink (with no sign of Barbie, Dora or any other such brand) as the knitted doll I was making her is not quite finished. She was very pleased with it and her new books from her siblings.

 

Her favourite book about cats inspired the cake, which probably looked more like a teddy bear, but tasted great!




A cake and balloons are all that’s really needed to celebrate a birthday and we did that!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Big 2 year old!! Don’t grow up too quickly…

 

Krafty KJ

PS. Stay tuned for her 21st photos!!