A new wall hanging for my girl

I've used this fabric a few times already but I love it so much it seems to keep popping up on my desk. Here I've simply covered a cheap canvas frame with fabric and secured it using a staple gun. Two ribbons were then added to peg pictures on and it's done.

Best of all it only took about 10 minutes to create and my girl now has somewhere to display her artwork.

(Hopefully) a quiet spot to read

Last week I saw a super special at Super A-Mart. A nest of three coffee tables for the bargain price of $49.95. Sure, I had to assemble them myself but I got to use a drill so that was pretty exciting!

Anyway, one table is in our bedroom as something to throw clothes on, one is our new coffee table in the computer room and one is now in the kids playroom to be used as a book nook or a seat to watch TV on.

This one is the largest measuring 120cm long and 50cm high. So I decided to make a large cushion for the table-now-a-seat. It's a great purple and white striped fabric (that was sitting in a drawer) with large white buttons. It's tied on with sturdy velcro and purple ribbons. So far the kids are using it - let's see how long that lasts.....

Spicy bacon and tomato soup

Wow! It's been a long time since my last post. I've discovered Steig Larsson books and am hooked! So instead of sewing or trying new recipes I've been reading. Anyway, here's a new recipe for you.

Spicy bacon and tomato soup

1 leek, finely sliced
1 carrot, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced or finely diced
1 long red chilli, finely diced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 large ham hock
1 1/2 cups soup pasta
750ml passata (tomato puree)
4 cups beef or chicken stock

Choose a large heavy based pot with a lid.
Add a dash of olive oil and fry the leek, carrot, chilli, garlic and ginger until lightly brown. Add the dry pasta, passata and stock until simmering. Add the ham hock and slow cook on a very low heat for 2-3 hours, or until the ham hock is falling apart.
When ready to serve, break up the ham hock as much as possible and stir through the pieces of meat.
Serve with crusty bread.

A little French inspired whimsy

I've had this fabric for about 6 months now - it's one of those fabrics I fell in love with but had no idea what I was going to do with it. Well, now I have.

I adore the carousel, french street lights and shop fronts together with the lace filigree on the bottom and it ties in surprisingly well with denim. This one is for Mia and is a size two, designed to sit just above/on the knee. Add a simple white T and this is one cute outfit.

Girly in blue?

Whilst I've had many friends and family ask when I'm going to start selling clothes online or at markets I seem to be content (for the moment) just making one off pieces for special people in my life. Of course, Mia and Tom are at the top of the list but I've had quite a few orders lately and they've taken a backseat.

I was recently asked to make a couple of winter dresses for my beautiful god daughter in Melbourne and here is one of them.

I've said many times before that girls CAN wear colours other than pink (and still look like girls) and I love making that happen as often as possible. I think this dress is a perfect example.

Taking on projects I shouldn't.......

Recently, Tom's kindy heard I can sew and asked me to make some new fabric pigeon holes for the kids. They offered to pay me (yay) and let me choose fabric and the design. So off I went only to find out it was NOT as easy as I thought. It wasn't technically difficult, just very very fiddly and there was a lot of measuring to make sure all pockets were evenly spaced, both width and lengthwise and making sure it was strong enough to deal with destructive kids. Anyway.......after a bit of procrastination (read=me cursing WHY I had agreed to take on this project) I got stuck in to it. It took about 6-7hrs from start to finish as it measures 1.5m x 1.2m and if I ever have to do another one I'll be factoring this time in to my quote!

Still, it's a lesson. I now realise that it's clothes I like making the most as I love seeing little people wearing my creations. Although I suppose there's some satisfaction to be had from seeing the wall hanging each time I go to kindy and knowing I made it.

More creativity with t-shirts

After a long break from the blog I'm back! Don't ever get sick for two weeks straight - it's too hard to catch up. I've now got projects literally lined up in my sewing room as friends approach me with ideas of things for me to make. So there will be more pics coming soon. Here's the latest shirt made for a friend's 3yo (love the balloons and so did she!) and a simple shirt for Mia.