Zoo Babies

There were babies galore at Melbourne Zoo yesterday. We heard Mali the baby elephant practising her trumpeting,

 saw the tiger cubs snuggled up together on a heat pad

and watched the pygmy hippo. I'm not sure if this was the baby one, but it was certainly very small and cute!

Our own baby flashed his giraffe applique t-shirt at the real giraffes and said to them in a quiet and important voice, "I've got a giraffe on my t-shirt". He thought the giraffes weren't looking his way, but I'm pretty sure I saw one of them smile.

My Gran and Other Little Folks

If my Gran were a fabric I think she would be this piece of Anna Maria Horner's 'Little Folks' collection. For a start, she's little: four foot eleven at her height (she says five foot!) and shrinking all the time. But more specifically she's vibrant, strong and has a great sense of style.

This beautiful piece of fabric was a gift from Deb at Works in Progress. I was the lucky winner of the Material Obsession book in Deb's giveaway, and when it arrived it was wrapped in this exquisite cloth- my first introduction to Anna Maria Horner. I wanted to save the fabric for something special, but wasn't sure what. Something pink, stylish and important to me.

I was thinking about my Gran, who's in hospital at the moment, and the penny dropped. Pink is Gran's favorite colour, the brighter the better. She even had pink hair at one stage! I'm combining the fabric with some vintage sheets from Ange's swap, some Munki Munki and some other favorite pinks. It's going to be a disappearing nine patch lap quilt to bump up the personality of her hospital room.

My favorite Granny-moment isn't one to tug at your heart strings, but it always makes me cackle. Before relating this I must assure you that my gran is a lovely person, and a bit cheeky at times "She's a scream!", as she might say.

A lovely male friend of mine was getting married, and I was telling my gran that I was off to his wedding the next day. She said, "Oh. I rather hoped he might be the one for you." I said, "Well it's too late now, Gran, because he's getting married tomorrow!".

"Yes" she said. And after a moment's thought she said, philosophically. "She might die."

(excuse me...I'm wiping away tears of laughter. Perhaps you have to know my gran to think this is funny, but I just can't help it!)

My Creative Space: New Freezer Paper Stencil Tutorial

This week my creative space is in a remote location. I'm guest blogging over at be @ home decor today, so I've been writing and photographing a new freezer paper stencil tutorial.

I used the triceratops design I had doodled for the appliqué I made last week, and made it into a single colour freezer paper stencil. You can see the tutorial here. I'll be adding the link to my page of tutorials, which also has my two colour and three colour freezer paper stencil tutorials.

I tried to get the Bug to model the finished stencilled t-shirt, but he said "You can just take a photo of my back". Models can be temperamental.

Have you voted in my sidebar poll: Triceratops or Torosaurus? It's not too late to make one of these old dinosaurs the next Prime Minister of Australia.

Visit Captain Kirsty and her Creative Space Cadets here! 

Giraffe and a Half!

I've been having a ball with my vintage sheet FQs from Ange's swap, especially a bright yellow and brown one. I've already made a giraffe applique t-shirt and I've cut out a giraffe softie.

I spied some of the giraffe sheet on the blog of Susan at It's The Things That Make You Go Mmmm, and Susan very kindly brought the rest of the sheet from the swap, and a whole uncut sheet too, as well as some more for the owls! Thanks so much, Susan!

So now there's plenty more giraffe for some more projects. What to do first? A giraffe quilt? Giraffe pyjamas? A giraffe costume for the Bug?

In the words of Cindy at our Perle8s group: "I think we need to stop and take a moment here: a giraffe costume (raised eyebrow)?"

A Present A Week: Christmas Car-rolls

It's Week 7 of Deb's challenge: A Present A Week {Till Christmas}, and I'm well on the road to my handmade hallelujah! This week I've finished off a car cozie for a little car enthusiast, using this great tutorial by Little Gems.

It co-ordinates with the backpack I made him for his birthday!

For more gift lists or to join the fun visit Deb at Works in Progress.

My Creative Space: Vote 1 Owls

With the Australian Federal election looming, it's time to think about who you really want as your representative in the corridors of power. Have you considered a parliament of owls?

Owls stand for the preservation of old growth forests and for the protection of the natural environment. They like nests, rodents and hooting, and are reputed to be wise.

You could do worse than to vote owls this Saturday.

*The owls are made with vintage sheets from the swap hosted by Ange of Ange's Ramblings.

** Don't forget to vote in the poll under my profile: Triceratops or Torosaurus?

Visit Captain Kirsty and her Creative Space Cadets here! 

Triceratops or Torosaurus? Cast your vote!

I was aghast to learn from a recent news story that my equal-favorite dinosaur, the Triceratops, is being phased out! Alright, so all the dinosaurs were actually phased out hundreds of millions of years ago, but I suppose I'm still coming to terms with it. I'm making the Bug a commemorative applique t-shirt.

Paleontologists have suggested that the Triceratops is not a seperate species, but actually the adolescent of the Torosaurus. Now, personally, I don't think the Torosaurus has the same iconographic punch as the Triceratops. And besides, the name Triceratops is much more useful for people learning Beginners' Ancient Greek.

In this Australian Election Week I can feel a different poll coming on. Triceratops or Torosaurus, which do you prefer? Head over to my right sidebar, under my profile, and cast your vote. If we get enough votes perhaps we can make one of them our next Prime Minister!

Simple Freezer Paper Stencil Dinosaur

I whipped up this super-simple Diplodocus t-shirt for the Bug after a trek along the Dinosaur Walk  at the Melbourne Museum. I used freezer paper for the stencil, but if you don't have any you can get the same effect with contact adhesive book covering (just don't iron it!).

I took some photos as I did it, so if you would like a tutorial, just comment and let me know. I've done some tutorials for a two-colour stencil and a three-colour stencil, but I like this simple one, especially on the stripey t-shirt.

A Present A Week: Chef Ted

I'm loving the challenge of producing a present a week till Christmas with Deb of Works in Progress. I've got a very satisfying little stockpile now, and the latest addition is this chef's hat and apron for our Little French Friend, aged 3, who loves both dressing up and cooking.

I'm glad I've finally made this chef's hat using Curly Pops' tutorial. I've been wanting to make it for ages, and now at last I can add it to my list of projects I have made using free online tutorials. I think this is probably the best tutorial I've used- lots of pictures, no assumptions and a slow and steady pace. Nice one, thanks Cam!

Big Ted is modelling, partly because he's so keen on cooking, and partly because I met his twin in Taccolina's bathroom recently!

Vintage Sheets: Chop and Change

More Vintage Sheet Goodness! The sheets I received in Ange's swap have been a great source of inspiration. I've been cutting out 24cm squares from the fat quarters to make a quilt, and stockpiling the trimmings. They looked a bit anaemic on their own so I've added some solids. I thought I'd use these little pieces for a stacked coin quilt, but when I'd made a few I decided to slice through them and join them back into a square, hence 'Chop and (loose) Change'.

I might make some more blocks and join them with sashing, but I'm leaning towards making a cushion cover for my etsy shop.

If you were in the swap or make things with vintage sheets, please leave me a comment so I can put your blog and my sidebar and see what you've been making!

Sock Monkeys Come Full Circle

See my new socks? They're a Paul Frank sock monkey design- on socks.

I wonder what would happen if I made these sock monkey socks into a sock monkey? Would two faces in silhouette become a candlestick?- would black become white?- would the universe turn inside out?

Well the universe is safe for now because I'm just wearing them. I got them for the Bug, but they're a little too big for him. And they just happen to be my favorite colour. Pure coincidence, I swear.

Sewing Serendipity!

Ever since Ange's great Australian Vintage Sheet FQ swap, I've been filled with enthusiasm for vintage sheet projects. And it seems I'm not the only one- whenever I bring out a sheet project I hear squeals of delight (and perhaps a small sigh from Mister Bell...hello my Sweet!).

The first vintage sheet project that came to mind was of course a quilt. I've been very inspired by these ones from Melissa of Clothwork and this and many others from Deb of Works in Progress. I sorted through my sheets from the swap and chose my favorite decorator colours.

We all have our colours, don't we? For clothes I love red, for Bug clothes it's blue and green. For decorating, usually brights. For the vintage sheet quilt I've chosen pastels. After sorting through my swap sheets I was left with a small pile of browns and one yellow and brown floral.

Inspiration flew in for the browns, and I began the owl (b)owling team, my Creative Space post for today.

That left the yellow and brown sheet. It really caught my eye but I just couldn't place it- owl or quilt? quilt or owl?

Then- a eureka moment -giraffe! I never can resist a giraffe. I've made an applique shirt and cut our a softie, and the FQ is almost gone, sniff!

And now for the serendipity. I was looking at the blog of another sheet swapper Susan at It's The Things That Make You Go Mmmm. Susan's having a vintage sheet giveaway at the moment- don't miss it!- and I was looking at the piles of goodies when I saw- the giraffe sheet! I left a comment to say I'd got a piece in the swap, and Susan very kindly offered me the rest of the sheet! And I saw that Susan has set aside one of my donations for her blue and green quilt, so I've got something to offer her too!

And now for the really serendipitous part- it turns out we're both members of the same sewing group, but being fairly new and sporadic we haven't crossed paths. Until now, yay! and we're meeting there next week!

Do you have any serendipitous sewing stories?

My Creative Space: Eagle Eyes

...yes alright, so it's not eagles, it's those owls yet again!

So about the eyes. The Bug and I went up to Lynne and Tegan's shop and painstakingly chose eight different pairs of buttons for the remaining owls' eyes. I took the bag of eyes to the Melbourne Modern Quilt Guild meeting on Saturday and dang! I didn't bring them home again.

So if you were at the meeting, or even just walking around North Melbourne, please keep your eagle eyes open for a snaplock bag of brownish buttons!

Worse, they're in a bag with my owl template, enlarged to the size I'm making. And I'll be needing to cut out an extra one, I think, because the Bug and his Little French Friend took them out for a test flight on the weekend and I think one's flown the coop!

My favorite so far is the striped one. He looks a bit like my dad.

Visit Captain Kirsty and the Creative Space Cadets here!

Remote Seaside Gardening

When we moved to our house, I pondered the weedy, sandy front garden. I knew I wanted native Australian plants, no lawn and parking for two cars. It's a small space so that meant the right half the garden would be bare driveway, which I thought would look bleak and unbalanced.

One evening I sat on the porch listening to the masked lapwings, smelling the dry grass smell of the dead weed lawn and another smell too...the sea! We're about 6 km from the coast but the breeze comes through on summer evenings. These sensory cues were the breakthough for the seaside garden design.

Indigenous plants are plants that are native to the local area. This should mean they are ideally suited to local conditions, urban landscape and climate change notwithstanding. There's very little remnant vegetation in our area, so the nearest indigenous nursery is actually much nearer the sea, at the Bayside Community Nursery. Although they're not strictly indigenous to our area, seaside plants suit our sandy soil. The quality of the plants progagated at this nursery is outstanding, and tubestock costs around AU$1.30.

Our initial plantings cost around AU$40 and filled the entire garden. For another AU$100 we covered the surfaces with 14 cubic metres of waste mulch from a local tree felling service. In spring the magpies bring their babies to hunt for worms in the mulch and to practice their warbling.

It's taken a few years but the plants are now above head height. There are plenty of pathways and hiding places for the Bug and Maisy Brown, and a concealed clearing for the deck chairs. I've replaced a few plants that didn't thrive, and put in some more advanced trees from the Bayside Nursery along the fence where they need to compete with the tree privet, an invasive weed in the neighbour's garden.

The next phase will be to cover the surfaces with sandy-looking decomposed granite, a permeable surface which is suitable for paths and driveways but also lets the water soak through into the soil. Visually this should integrate the driveway with the garden, so that we don't just have a great slab of concrete on one side. A weeping sheoak, Allocasuarina verticillata, will hang over the driveway, and perhaps we will have a shade sail for the car. The open area of the driveway is balanced on the other side of the garden by a circular clearing in the planting, which has deckchairs and may one day be a petanque court!

The garden style was inspired by Jane Burke's "Offshore" garden and her neighbour Fiona Brockhoff's "Karkalla" garden in Sorrento, Victoria.

Mixtape Multi Tasker

Jo and I have been following Kirsty from Kootoyoo's tutorial in Justine's fabulous Mixtapezine Issue 11 (January 2010), lent to us by Mary. The tutorial is for this nifty quilters' tool, the multi tasker. It's a cutting mat, an ironing board and a sandpaper bit for arranging your quilt pieces. Clover sells one of these for about AU$100, but Kirsty's thrifty version is made mostly from recycled materials and cost less than one tenth of that.And the fabric is much more attractive!

I covered the outside in Lara Cameron's lovely Birch Forest fabric, which I won as the door prize at Ink And Spindle's first birthday party.The colour match with the cutting mat was a happy accident!

Mary passed on  the thrifty tip that cutting mats can be found for a couple of dollars at the Reject Shop. 

Now I just need to add Kirsty's crafty lazy susan and I'm set!

A Present a Week: Snoopy Beanbags

Here's my latest instalment of Deb's challenge A Present a Week {Till Christmas}. I made these beanbags for the Bug using this gorgeous Snoopy fabric given to me by my mate Sue. Sue used them for the cutest quilt ever.

They're made with two 5" x 7" rectangles,  filled with 3/4 of a cup of rice, with adhesive felt numbers on the back.

Cherri from Cherry House Quilts has a beanbag tutorial and also includes a list of games and activities with beanbags.

For more of the gift list visit Deb at Works in Progress.

My Creative Space: Pigeon Pair

...Oh alright they're not pigeons- it's those owls again. I'm loving these vintage sheets!

While my sewing machine was at the clinic, I went to sew with my friend Jane, and finished the seams on nine more of these little fat fellas.

Jane also had an excellent tip for softies. I need to gather the bases and pull them tight, and found that my thread kept breaking as I pulled it. Jane suggested dental floss- pliable but super strong and easy to grip. Inspired! Never before has an owl's bottom smelled so minty fresh.

Visit super-host Kirsty and all the other spaces here! 

P.S. The tutorial for the Playsak: A Drawstring Sack Playmat for Lego is finished!
P.P.S. I'm featured on Quiltstory today!

Wow! I'm on Quiltstory today!

Fweeee! I'm totally excited because today is the day that my quilt is featured on Quiltstory! This is my version of Kathy Doughty's Avalon quilt- the first patchwork quilt that I started, and the second I completed. I love this quilt and am really happy to be able to share it with the Quiltstory readers.

I've been reading Heather and Megan's Quiltstory site right from its launch in May this year, during the Bloggers Quilt Festival hosted by Amy's Creative Side. In fact, I was the lucky winner of the opening giveaway, and won a collection of five delicious quilt patterns by Heather and Megan as Fresh Poppy Design.

In such a short time, just two months, Quiltstory has already introduced dozens of quilts, and not just the finished product, but also the people, the processes and the personal stories behind their creation. Head over to see the Who's Who of bloggy quilters who have been featured already. Oh, and take a look at my quilt while you're there! ;) Thanks Heather and Megan!

Tutorial: Playsak- A Drawstring Sack Playmat for Lego

If you shudder at the sound of a crate of tiny toys being tipped out onto the floor, then you'll be needing to make one of these! Here's the tutorial for my Drawstring Sack Playmat for Lego and other small toys.

My mum made us one in the 70's and it's still going strong. This one is 120cm wide, but you can adjust the size to suit your needs. I have used a casing for the drawstring because it flows very freely and is simple for a child to spread out flat. There are four points for the drawstring to be pulled up, which also makes it easy for a small child to use.

PLEASE NOTE: The drawstrings on this sack make it unsuitable for children under 3, as they are a strangulation risk. Please actively supervise young children near this bag.

You will need:

120cm (48") square (approximately) of upholstry weight fabric or denim
4.2 metres (168")  of 12mm (1/2") bias binding (optional)
4 metres (160") of cord for drawstring
3.75 metres of 52mm (2") bias binding for drawstring casing
Remnant of medium-weight iron-on interfacing (pellon)

Step 1: Cut a circle of fabric approximately 120cm (48") in diameter (if you would like a tutorial on how to do this, please let me know. I already have pics!).

Step 2: Finish the raw edges of the circle using any method you prefer. I sewed on 12mm (1/2") bias binding with a binding foot (see The Haby Goddess's tutorial here, but if you don't have a binding foot you can use Angry Chicken's bias binding method here). If you prefer you can serge or overlock the edges, hem them or pink them.




Step 3: Prepare the drawstring casing. Turn under one end of the 40mm bias binding and sew to finish raw edge. Repeat with other end. Next, measure from one end and mark four intervals at: 450mm (18"), 1350mm (53"), 2250mm (88") and 3150mm (123").

Step 4: Cut four squares of iron-on interfacing (pellon), around 40mm (1 1/2") square. Iron these to the wrong side of the 52mm (2") bias binding at the four points you have just marked. Be sure not to stick down the folded edges of the binding. The interfacing will reinforce the holes you will cut for the drawstring. **I have used a different colout of bias binding in this picture  to make it easier to see.

Step 5: At each piece of interfacing, draw a circle approximately 25mm (1") wide. I traced around a coin using a disappearing marker.

Step 6: Using a buttonhole stitch or a zigzag with a very close stitch length, sew around the circles you have drawn. Then cut out the fabric in the centre of the circles. These are the holes for the drawstring.

Step 7: Pin the edge of the wide binding to the wrong side of your fabric circle, about 40mm in from the edge. Sew all around, overlapping the ends to form a circle.

Step 8: Take drawstring, tie a strong knot to join the ends. Then tuck the drawstring inside your binding casing, poking the end out through one of the holes. There should not be too much left over, so adjust your drawstring length accordingly.

Step 9: Pin or tack down the other side of the binding, and stitch all around the circle to create the casing and enclose the drawstring. (*Please note: you can also sew the casing without the drawstring inside and insert it at the end if you find it easier that way).

Now fill with Lego and hand to a child!

I'll be experimenting with a double-sided version with an enclosed casing, but as I haven't made one I can't say how easy it would be for a preschooler to spread out. If you've made one like that, what do you think?

Now it's your turn- you are my pattern testers! This is my first sewing tutorial, so please let me know if anything needs to be clearer. And do please send pictures of your completed projects! You can see my other tutorials here.


This is a free tutorial, so enjoy making these for non-commercial purposes only please. If you would like to publish my tutorial or pictures, please email me for permission. I love to be asked and will be happy to share. Cheerio!

Giraffe and Excuse

I was planning to post by Drawstring Sack Playmat for Lego Tutorial last week, but I need my machine to make up a version that's easier to see in the photos.

So to distract you I'm posting a picture, another work in progress from my stash of vintage sheets from Ange's swap.

I can't resist a giraffe!

A Present a Week {till Christmas}: A "No Sew"

My sewing machine's still "in stir", so this week I've done a no-sew project for my Christmas list. It's an applique kit I picked up at The Craft Cubby when I was at the Quilt and Craft Fair in Melbourne last weekend. It was the perfect project for my Clover Mini-Iron! It's for the Bug for Christmas (and it's a size 4!).

I've also put the eyes on my first owl. Thanks for your encouragement this week everybody! Super Softie makers Jess and Marisol suggested a combination of felt and button eyes, so that's what I'm going to do, each one different (so they don't look like owl zombies!). I often sew softies by hand, but I like the smooth pear-like shape that I can get with the machine for these fellas. I'll be making a quite a few of these- ten for the Bug's bowling set, and one for a set for our small sailor friend.

I'm making a withdrawal from my Christmas stash today, because we've got a birthday party today and I couldn't make another one of these without the machine. So that's two steps forward, one step back. Just as well I've got a surplus now- thanks for the inspiration, Deb!

You too can join in making A Present A Week {Till Christmas} with Deb at Works in Progress!