catching up, and a sneak peek

Where does the time go?!  Somehow I thought that having the boys both full time at school this year would give me oodles of sewing/blog posting time, but it seem that a sort of vortex has swallowed it all.  Anyway…lots of sewing truly has been occurring during the week!  And lots of watching-soccer-wearing-lots-of-layers-until-the-sun-comes-out, and some really gorgeous walks (in really freezing places!) has been happening on the weekends.

(Walks at Hollybank, Tamar Island wetlands, and Deloraine)

And now the sneak peek of another new item at the happy nest!  I love making children’s games, and have had and idea for a posting game sitting at the back of my mind for years.  In these photos you can see the fabric postcards, with their detachable stamps.

The game comes packaged in a little ‘mail bag’ satchel, along with a fabric marker to write on the postcards.  The marker disappears when sprayed with water, so the postcards are reusable time and time again.

I had a lot of fun making these!  Can’t wait to get a few more done and out there for budding letter writers!

something new!

After a bit of a break to recover from market overload, I’m back!  It’s been so nice having school holidays and some space from the daily routines that come with school.  Lots of Lego sorting, reading, ANZAC parade with great-great-grandfather’s medals, haircuts (yes!  My children have ears!  Well, Toby does anyway), beach walking and even a spot of sewing on the machine…

…and space to try some new ideas!  I have so many things I want to make, but never enough time to try them all out.  So this was first on my list, after many requests – flex purses!

So useful for a million different things – in your handbag for phones, cards, money, glasses; on holiday for little bits and pieces; in the car…the list goes on.  They have a nifty opening at the top – squeeze the sides and they pop open; release, and everything stays nice and secure inside.

At the moment they are exclusively at Under the Oak in Ulverstone for $18 each, but will soon be available at my madeit shop and periodic market appearances.

Hope you’ve had a flying start to these holidays too!

TONIGHT!

Love to see YOU there (and bring all your friends)!

sewn and to sew

These and many other goodies have been sewn…and lots more are cut out ready for stitching.  Lots of market preparation going on too – super-excited to be part of the Mummy Made It Market in Ulverstone on Friday 21 March!

I think I missed a month…

How is it already March?!  February just flew past in a busy blur of school books, swimming carnivals, new shoes, lost jumpers, tennis lessons, meeting teachers, hot sticky days, ice cream, piano lessons, lunchboxes…and so much more excitement!

Good news: I finally have photos of the dresses I’ve made.  Bad news: they’re not modelled by me (or maybe that’s good news!?  Either way, this means I get to introduce you to Minnie, my super mannequin!  I love Minnie.  She means I don’t have to run through the whole house and up the stairs to try on the clothes I’m making, then down the stairs and back through the house with pins flying everywhere to make adjustments).  Anyway…dresses!

I seem to have had a blue and yellow thing happening, because both frocks are blue and yellow.  The first dress has wide straps which cross at the back, and invisible zipper (first one ever!) and a Peter Pan collar.  The bodice is lined.  Quite happy with this one, but the neckline sits a little low for my liking.

Secondly, spots!  Lots of firsts with this one…piping, sheer fabrics, collars…but I’m basically happy with how it turned out.  I followed the Partly Sunny dress tutorial at Grosgrain, which was helpful but with my limited skills I did find parts of it tricky.  But it was a challenge I’m glad I undertook!  I’ve worn both dresses out of the house several times now, so overall – success!

It feels somehow very triumphant having these two frocks complete.  A satisfying, project-finished, kind of way.  I generally get things to sell finished quickly, but I feel so indulgent sewing for myself that things often get left for very long periods of time.  I also finished two skirts recently – one that I bought 15 years ago (in the form of a horrible, scarily synthetic shirt dress.  But it was in gorgeous bright colours and, most importantly, it had pockets!  It is now a cute skirt, still with pockets!), and this wrap-around skirt that I started mid-last year with a friend and never got finished…

It’s blue linen-type fabric, with a vintage floral waist-band.  Really full at the hemline– gorgeous to wear with a full petticoat!

Next I’ll be back with some other bits and pieces that I’ve been sewing…everything from teeny embroideries to car wallets and memory sets.  Hope you’ve had a splendid start to March!