So Much to do and not enough time!

There is so much that I wanted to finish and start this week.  But as usual it didn't all go to plan.....

My wish list for this week:

• Take part in the Sadie Shirt Sew Along
• Make a Sunhat for Lil Miss
• Start drafting a skirt pattern for me
• Finish the quilt I started for lil miss over a year ago ( so close to finishing )

What I did start and finish:

• Cot Pillow
• Stenciled Shirts for the boys
• My Lush and Lacy Cardigan
• Lil Misses Confection Shrug
• Soaking up the sunshine
• Cutting the old berries canes down and tying up the new ones
• Sewing pea seeds in the kids garden ( with help of course )
• Enjoying Sunday with the kids in our nearest city

So I guess when you add up the list of what I have done it is not all that bad.

But...... yes there is always a but... there is always so many things I would like to do and not enough time!

I know that I shouldn 't be so hard on myself, but sometimes I wish I could have a whole week just for crafting!

Mind you that said, I would probably waste it with sleeping in, searching the internet at other peolples creations and procrastinating. 

Really to be fair since starting blogging I have done quite alot more craft than I normally do.

So the plan worked, this blog has made me get of my butt and do things, other than the usual routine. (did I say routine, more like chaos )

So the only pics I have today are of the Confection Baby Shrug ( you can find the pattern on Ravelry.com )

This was so quick, and I love a quick satisfying knit - Two evenings and it was done.

I used Wool that I bought from Skeinz, it was called wind in the willows and is a angora/wool mix - if you haven't visited her online shop - do! affordable and good quality wool.

I bribed her with a biscuit, to make her stay still - just for a few moments!

She wore this shrug on Sunday at the park with a little dress, it looked even better, wish I had thought to bring my camera, because I could have got some great shots of the kids! Always the way......

Whats planned for today....... who knows?

Cot/Crib Pillow Tutorial

Lil Miss is in need for a cot pillow.

Before I go to bed each night I do my rounds,

Check the doors are locked.....

Make sure all the lights are off......

and then check on the kids......

Lil Miss is last, since her room is closest to us.

Every night I find her out of her covers and

her sleeping on top of them.

She is obviously looking for a comfy place to rest her head.

So it is overdue that I give her a pillow, to hopefully prevent her getting restless.

So since I have limited shops nearby.  I decided to make my own, from inner to pillowcase.

So to start with you need to make the inner.

Materials

 1 meter/yard of quilt batting ( I used scraps that I have left over )

Stuffing ( again I used what I had - some old cushion pillows I had stored,)

So to start with measure the width of the cot.  Mine was 23 inchs.

So I took off 3 inchs from my length.

My finished pillow measurements are 20 x 13 inches

So to customise your pillow inner, take your length minus 3 inches,
I made the width 13 inches because it looked right ( you may want to change this, which means you will need to change the width in the following measurements accordingly )

Add your seam allowances.  Mine was 20.5 x 13.5 inches

 ( I used my overlocker, you may want to add a inch for seam allowances depending on your method)

Now you have your measurements

Cut 4 pieces

Two layers for the each side of the pillow.

Sew each long side and one end closed.

Finish your seams the way you like ( zig zag/overlock...)

Now you can either turn the casing inside out to hide your seams or leave them exposed, afterall it is just a inner.

Now time to

Stuff!

  ( Might aswell have taken a photo of our sky, since it looks just the same, maybe more grey )


Once you have it stuffed to your liking
( once placed in pillowcase it will become firmer, so keep that in mind ) 

Sew down the open end

Yay your'e done!

Well almost.......

Part Two: Pillowcase

Materials

1/2 yard/meter of main fabric
fat quarter or enough to cut 12 x 13.5 inches of coordinating print

Customise your Measurements:

Back of Pillow ( main fabric ): Your length + 1.5inches x 13.5 inches
Front of pillow (main fabric ): Your length - 4.5 inches x 13.5 inches

Front of Pillow ( Coordinating print ): 12 inches x 13.5 inches

Once you have your measurements
Cut 1 each of the above pieces

Sew front contrasting pieces right sides together and finish the seam.

Press open and top stitch

Hem 1 short side of back and front pieces ( coordinating print end )
this is where the pillow case will open.  To hem use the double hem method. ( iron 1/2 inch then 1/2 inch again )

Next fold back the front piece, coordinating print end,
to the back ( wrong side ) as shown, pin in place, so that it wont move while you sew the sides





This will be where your pillowcase  will encase the pillow.

( You may need to check your back piece fits this, if not fold over so that it fits to the back piece measurements )

Now  Place back and front pieces right sides together, pin.

Sew both sides first, from opening end to bottom.

( I find this helps to keep it in square )  and lastly sew the end closed ( the opposite end to the opening )

Turn right side out, press,  now your done

Enjoy!

I would have liked to get a photo of the pillow in use, but I think I may have woken her, so her unfinished sock monkey will do!

Of course since there is a concern with the use of pillows in babys cots, it is up to you to use this pattern at your own discretion. 
My little girl is over a year so this is why I have made this, and tutorial for you to enjoy.

Now I am going to cook dinner and link this up to

Tea Rose Home Wednesday Link Party 28

Disaster!

Rule Number# 1

Always, Always

wash your fabric first!

Well I honestly usually do!

But this time I used some red knit ribbing that was given to me from a retired sewer, giving away odds and ends.

So I guess I thought I didn't need to prewash it.

Woops!

Now this dress has been treated with stain remover.

But I am not very confident on a good outcome.

So maybe it will have to be dyed orange.



My Arty Farty Lil Miss

Well it's official....

my lil miss is arty farty like her mama and papa!

How do I know this?

Because I'm her mom of course!
And she loves loves drawing.
(  just like her very artistic eldest brother )

She started a month ago, she started to pick up pens and pencils
and I was amazed at how well she held them in her hand.

Since then we find her with pencils trying to draw on everything!
Here we go again

But she goes crazy for pencils, pens anything that draws.

Then one day Middle B walks in with his Aqua doodle
( a birthday present for him, to encourage him not to write on walls )

He suggested that lil miss may like to play with it
( afterall he had hardly used it - and it didn't deter him from leaving his signature on the walls, funny how kids do that and then deny it was them -  when there name is clearly written on the wall - ha ha )

It was perfect, and Mike and I had never seen her get so excited
she was bouncing around the mat, bum in air, lying down to scribble on the mat

( for those who don't know a Aqua doodle, it is a mat that when water touches it, it leaves a mark, then once dry the drawing disappears )

So after losing the pen for a couple of weeks, we found it.
So she was having lots of fun today - although she stills like to draw on anything she can

 Oh she is too cute



I love New Zealand T-shirt

I can't imagine living anywhere else but New Zealand....

Mind you I haven't travelled like many friends have,
 so that may be a little naive to say. 

( too busy having kids while everyone else was travelling ) 

I know we don't have much history like many amazing countries.

But we do have a lot of beauty packed into our small islands.

From sandy beaches to deep untouched forests, lakes and mountains.
Not to mention us friendly kiwis :)

So when I saw this tutorial at Living with punks,

I couldn't wait to try it out

What a great idea! thankyou to Living with Punks for showing this tutorial

And what a great way for any Kiwi or ex-pat to shown there love

of New Zealand.

Although when I found that I only had silver glitter fabric paint, I had to improvise. ( and too far from any shops to buy any )

So this is what I came up with ......

I have a few fabric markers, so once I had prepared my stencil (from freezer paper )  and ironed it on, I coloured the outline of the stencil and then lightly filled it in. ( it gave a shading effect )

Then following the manufacturers instructions, I sealed the colour with a hot iron.

Once it cooled down I proceeded to paint the fabric glitter on

When it was still wet I put the felt heart in place, making it easier once dry to stitch in place

I also took the freezer paper off carefully when it was still tacky.

Then once dry I just stitched the felt heart in place with a single strand of thread.

I am really happy with the way it turned out

Now it looks like the boys want some,
with there own designs of course.

Today I am linking up to

Tea Rose Home Link Party No 28

Holey Pants

Lil Misses pants have been getting holes in them, around the knees.

  The above pair are my favourite, but they look worse when worn and I can no longer use them

 (I might have to cut them off above the knee to fix these ones because I really do like them)

So I decided to make my own.

I had some help with my photo shoot!

I figured if your'e going to make your own, then, why not customise?

My lil miss has quite a big belly, and it makes me cringe when I see pants digging into it Youch!

So I decided to make pants with ribbing waistbands.

Now they look comfy!

Basically I just made my leggings as normal, and instead of making a casing for the elastic at the top, I added doubled over knit ribbing.

To do this I made the ribbing measure 1 1/2 inches shorter than the width of the pants waist ( to allow for stretch )

Then I sewed together along the side to create a tube.

Then I doubled the ribbing over and sewed the raw edges to the leggings waist, matching my seam to the back pants seam.

So that the pants didn't stretch out over time I added 1/4 inch elastic to the waist seam.

Measure your childs waist,  cut elastic to measurement.

Sew two ends together, then sew using a large zig zag stitch on to the seam as shown. 

Stretch as you sew.  You may want to pin to four equal points before you sew.

And there you have it comfortable pants/leggings!

Lil Miss helping clean my laptop, she loves cleaning!

Mini Tutorial Refashion Pockets for the Go-To-Dress

Well I finally got to finish that project that didn't get finished on the weekend.

This is the second time I have made the Go-to-dress  from The train to Crazy blog, it is a great quick versatile dress pattern, and its free

I decided this time to add pockets, and I thought I would show you how I did this.

For this dress I used a womens shirt that I got from the local op shop to coordinate with the main fabric.

I cut the t-shirt at the seams, and that was when I decided to use the sleeves ( that were slightly puffed ) for two pockets ( I had a little help with taking the pictures )

I drafted a pattern for the pocket and cut two main, two lining.  I left the ribbing on the edges so that I didn't have to finish the edge.



I pinned right sides together, because I wanted to keep the rib edge.  I pinned down the lining as shown and then sewed right around the edge, leaving top edge open.

Then I clipped the curve, turned right side out.

I pressed and then sewed the top edge as a stitch in the ditch where the main sides ribbing is sew to the fabric ( if that makes sense?)

Then I placed the pocket on to the side seams, once sewn I embellished, and voila finished!

Thankyou to Andrea from the train to crazy blog.  I am now going to post some pics in her flickr group.  Till next time see ya!

A Saturday Morning

Saturday morning and the rain is back....

Lil Miss eats breakfast while she watches the chooks

And the boys..... well, all piled on the couch playing video games

My goal today was to do some crafting......

but I didn't get very far.

Instead I made some playdough using this recipe here from V and Co. 

This took me only a few minutes for each colour and the result was appreciated by all...

Even lil miss had some fun including some taste testing

So all and all not a waste of a saturday, although I do hope to finish the project I was working on tommorow.   Crossing fingers!



Some of my creations

So as promised, here is a little taste of what I have produced.


Below is a room still in progress for my lil miss........

I also love to knit

 This one was requested by Big J and hardly worn ( typical!)

Knitted a few of these, adult ones and baby versions

Lots of other things which I haven't photographed, so I will have to catch up on that front. 

So many things to do!