advent calendar

The advent calendar was finished in time, hubbie made me a beautiful french inspired bread board from some baltic pine we found at a second hand timber yard for $9.00 how cheap is that! I saw an antique one in a shop in Hawthorn for $220 which was a little out of my price range. A little sanding a quick coat of tung oil and it was complete and beautiful.

I found some vintage brass laundry pins, and it just so happens that they are numbered B1 through to B24 - it was meant to be.

Day 1 has already passed, christmas chocies have been consumed by the kiddies.

This calendar was fun to make (& time consuming with the embroidered numbers), hopefully we'll use it for years to come, it's filled with a chocolate for flip & bells each day and some days there's a little ornament they can hang on the tree.

I still have a fair bit of linen left, what to do, what to do... I've been wanting to sew, then not knowing what to sew, so not much is getting done. I feel like I haven't got the time lately, then on the off chance I get a couple of hours to myself I stress out about what to make and again nothing gets done. What's going on????? Sometimes I think I'm driving myself crazy :o

birthday gift for a kinder friend

It's been a little while since my last post - I hope to get back to doing regular weekly posts. We'll see how we go. The days are just whizzing by as Christmas fast approaches, every week-end last month was filled with parties, weddings, parties etc... Not much sewing has been going on, after the week-end away which was great I may have hit over load :(

This is a little bag for one of bells' kinder friends, I put a little note book inside with some colored pencils.

I may have made it a little too thick, I wasn't able to sew the sides together on the machine so I had to do a little blanket stitching.

great weekend away & the advent calendar

Last weekend at Sewjourn was my first sewing weekend away and it was well worth it. Just a short drive out of Melbourne and you're free to sew for hours & hours without interruption (except to be called in for meals..... not too bad really). Lots of hints & tips were absorbed from here, here & here. I was able to make a great start on my advent calendar pockets, they were quite labor intensive - but I'm hoping the end result will make it all worthwhile. I was able to complete 18 whilst I was away, 6 more to go...




Excuse the pin holding pocket '1' closed, I've ordered some vintage brass laundry pins to close up each pocket once a goodie has been placed inside. Hopefully they arrive before dec 1st and they look good. The finished pockets will be strung on a wooden board which is currently in production.

I also did a little work on this dolls quilt (about 21" sq.), it's for a 1st birthday/christening - hope she likes it, it was completed lastnight. Made from scraps, it feels nice to make something from scraps, nothing is wasted.

forged by hand

Just a quick post to let you know about what my dad has been up to, he does a bit of blacksmithing in his spare time, he's trying to sell a few pieces so he can create some new designs he has ticking over in his mind. All items are really cheap considering the hours of work he has put into most pieces. The candle holder below is one of my favorites.

If you're interested please head on over to forged by hand

There will be an updated on the week-end away soon.....

small linen gift bag

I have cut into my piece of french linen, oh - it's so lovely to work with and touch. This is a small gift bag with a tree embroidered on using french knots and some little random stitches, finished off with a beautiful wooden heart bead. I've left the selvedge on, or I should say I've used the selvedge for the top edge cause I think it looks nice - too good to cut off.

sewing weekend

I can't believe it, I'm going on my first sewing weekend and I can't wait - very very very excited! I'll be going along with friends Emily & Leslie and a couple of Leslie's friends to Sewjourn later this month for 2 nights. A BIG BIG THANKS Leslie for organising the weekend. (Hopefully Kylie can come along next time, she'll be busy watching horses run round & round that weekend)

My mind has been a buzz with what to make, at the moment I'm thinking I'll do a few things that I've been inspired by from the book pictured below, I've still got time to change my mind...

I've gathered a few trimmings & things together

There is a small stash of fabrics (could be bigger don't you think???), including some beautiful french & japanese linen from Patchwork on Central. I wonder if I'll be able to cut it up.

I want to do so much, how much can I bring, how much should I bring? Of course the hexagons will come along, that's a given.

1st attempt at crochet

This was so much fun to make, a crocheted linen grocery tote found over here. I was able to locate the linen yarn over here, it was so nice to work with. My sister gave me a couple of lessons and I'll admit it, she did the first few rounds for me. I was getting a little frustrated with my lack of consistency with the tension so I pulled it apart a couple of times and handed it over. After a little while I was off, crocheted until my hand ached so much I thought I had RSI (not to mention the pain in my neck), this bag was complete in 2 days.
Above, the balloon was just to show how expandable the bag is, I don't usually carry around a balloon.

Below, a much better use for the bag - this is after one wash and one tumble dry, it's supposed to get even better the more I wash it.

I may have to make more...