Wednesday, December 26, 2012

using a pattern ... woah!

 went to spotty this morning
had a birthday voucher burning a hole
instructions were to buy for me
half price patterns & 30% of all fabric ...
 ok so i've been trying to inspire myself
back into sewing some clothes for me
since i can rarely find what i'd like to wear
 what seems like a life time ago
i used to sew most of what i wore
now ... to be honest its mostly thrifted
which is good
but i need some extras in my wardrobe
 so a super easy pattern to ease me back into it all
boxing day ... what a wonderful day at home
hanging out with my boys
skirt was made
but i didn't follow the instructions
i cut it longer
i added a lining since it is a voile
i finished with french seams
& I did a rolled hem
oh & I made the waist band a different way
 basically i read the instructions
then put them back in the envelope
& did what was in my head
i liked it but it was a little long!
so back i went
chopped off 2" .... re-did the rolled hems 
on the skirt & lining
again
asked my boys to help with the photo shoot
these pics are a combination of their efforts
before the shortening
4&1/2 and 40 something
maybe you could actually take a photo of the 'skirt' please??
funny day
muchly needed
i like it more now its shorter
but i think it needs a little more vavvoom ... ?
or?
looks better in real life
& i need some tops to match ....  
(& a flatter tummy!)
i have the perfect shoes!!!!
i could probably also challenge myself to make something trickier
since i didn't use the instructions ... hmmm

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

oh happy day

 a very merry christmas
to all

 to celebrate the birth
of our new born king
 there were angels
 & shepherds
 joseph & mary of course
 wise men
 & a heavenly host
oh & there was the star of the show
.... baby Jesus!
it's your Birthday ....

Monday, December 24, 2012

bunting tutorial: sewn with grace & peace

really we should all be gracious
& caring & joyful & inclusive & forgiving
& sharing & humble & loving
all year round .... not just because it 'tis the season!
i try to be
so here i am on Christmas eve
sharing some hints with you all about
something i love making ...
bunting flags ... mini sized
i have long multi-coloured all different
fabric lengths of it!
they are for parties (or Playful Markets!)
& can be strung up on the 'invisible' hooks we have
strategically positioned about our family room
no crepe paper streamers in our house!
in fact we even have a set of black & white bunting
that has been used on several occasions
(but i am wondering if its jinxing the result??)
there have been many little gifts made & given
just like these ....
now gracing bedroom windows
is my 'thing' for 1st Birthdays
this 'happy' set is the most recent, made to match

& i've sewn a mountain of these for my
hARTylittlepeaces market stalls
& they are also stocked at
 so somewhere along the line
i may have Googled "bunting tutorial"
i can't remember ...
i usually check out google images
i salute & say 'thankyou' to everyone who shares
share their ideas ...
i've simply looked at what other people do
 & then 'tweaked' it all my way!
problem solving the practical
i'm very into neat finishes .... & i love a double fold binding!

 so
you can make bunting in triangles which appears to be more conventional
or other shapes like semi-circles or deep scallop shapes or squares or the like
you can simply cut the shapes & leave a raw edge or pink if you are using fabric
or you can sew them face to face ....
or not use fabric but paper or card or plastic instead
there are endless options
like there are endless sizes
i came up with my version a long time ago
here's how it goes...

i cut my triangles by way of cutting
wof - width of fabric strips
 i then have a scallop template that makes
slicing the triangles super quick!
yep ... letting out all my secrets here ...
 then .... mostly these triangles are sewn rst - right sides together
in matching fabrics but of course you know
sometimes i mix it up!
turn them out & press
not rocket science but is best to be precise
to be sure you end up with flags the same size!
& before you know it you'll have a nice little stash!!
(well ... its little for me!)
 now for the binding ...
since this binding is not required to perform twists & turns
cutting wof strips is fine .... join
you've worked out how many flags you wish to string
& then work out how far apart you'd like to space them
  make you binding double fold
that means .... press it in half
then open & press the raw edges into the centre press fold
... it will end up 4 layers thick ... make sense?
i use a gadget ... super quick once again
the bunting i make to sell have 12 flags
so here's a combo with 3 fabrics ... all Christmas-y of course!
binding to match
i do suggest that you choose your fabrics carefully
small prints are best, i love a dot as you know
but watch when you're cutting that if you have a one directional design
... well some of it is going to be upside down
now ... my suggestion is that you just don't go there 
as i see it as a bit of a waste of fabric really

ok ...now line up your components 
in fact it really helps to set up the flags in a pile ready to go 
that is ... in order ... 
or you may find you sew in by accident 2 spotty red ones ... oooops!?
save you the un-picking!
here we go
i sew a length of 'ribbon' binding ....
then i start to insert the flags ...
so be sure to have the binding opening facing left
stitch away
you can see my flag spacing here
about the distance from needle to the edge of the bobbin plate

 12 flags later & i add in my hARTylittlepeaces tag
ready for action ... or gifting!

 but perhaps you'd like a no-sew version!??
here are a few hundred i cut recently for
i bought a couple of Christmas themed
scrap booking paper pads
each square piece i cut in half vertically
then each half was folded across the short side
hole punched twice
then the trick with stringing these bad boys
is
to use a kind of 'hairy' twine or something with some texture
why? so that the paper doesn't slip & slide along
you can see here they are hung parralel all along the width of our hall
what makes this so effective is the 'on-mass' approach
then you need to try to hang it all as taught as possible
so simple & it works & is amazingly effective!
again this idea & process has been
my own problem solving applications
& lots of years of working with large groups of children
& settings where a mass application has been the solution
so just as a final note
just like everyone who shares 
ideas & concepts on their blogs etc
they are intended for you to use for personal reasons
not for reproducing for personal gain
so please on my behalf
& for all those generous souls that enrich our lives
sharing on their blogs & sites all over our globe
please respect these wishes

on a note of wishing ... 'tis the season!
i wish for you and your family
a truly joyous, sparkly, happy, giving time
this Christmas
let us celebrate the birth of Christ our Saviour
pray for peace & grace in our world
 
Happy Christmas!!
& there is still time to whip up some bunting ....

lately ...

 there was some Wendy dress wearing
on a boat on a harbor with a bridge & opera in the background
a lovely hotel was stayed at 
adored the carpets!
there was some arcade wandering  
a most enjoyable escape treat
some wedge tree branch bites
were painted
 there was another mighty 
 an in-house market night
with a great big tups sell-off
which was more like a party party & great fun
only a handful of little skirts remaining
 some thinking has been done
few changes are being made to the whole
hARTylittlepeaces making/selling part of what i do
not making some things & starting on some new
& now there's an 
how exciting!
which will always be a work in progress 
& has already 
had great orders with happy customers
there will be lots more handmade & sewn items in the new year
including my unique ooak ... little softie
'Pocket Buddies'
now available at Shop Handmade
 they are cute little buddies
that can be used for a whole host of things
you just never know when you lose that front tooth
.... you'll need a Pocket Buddy to keep it safe
until the tooth fairy visits ....
oooh yeah .... cute huh!
as i said .... ooak & it's also my ip ....
love these whiskers
 oh & this is still a wip
but won't take me long
little humble gift
a scrappy log cabin quilt
love this free form
you've seen this style plenty from me before
its all about working those little 'peaces'
for a true friend who has been on a wonderful
interesting challenging journey of growth
with me this year xo
so a little gift when words are not enough
there is more in store for this journey i am sure
 in fact there have been lots of moments
when words have not been enough
there was a great man in my husband's life
there was a fitting goodbye
& there was a new family member introduced
baby Oscar 5 wks met our Oscar
Definitions:
 ooak = One Of A Kind
a unique, individual, often handmade item
of which there is no other the same!
 
ip = intellectual property!
 
ps - if you like these buy one

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

online shop presence


so yeah .... that online shopping experience
i was promising a while back
the shop actually exists now
yay!
in fact within only a few hours
there have been orders!!
yipeee ....
so far i have only listed my handpainted
wooden brooches ...
loving it .... but
there will be more soon
most espeically 
my original designed Pocket Buddies ....
they are for treasures & secrets 
& lost little teeth being saved for the tooth fairy!
so it has begun
stay tuned for more handmade & carefully selected lovely design
it will be my work in progress
.... ohhh & if you spot something you just 'need' in time for Christmas
then it is still possible ...
cheers ....

Friday, December 14, 2012

seasons

Christmas is coming
there are 12 days ....
how do you say thank you?
how to celebrate the ending of seasons?
do you send a partridge or a pear tree?
our academic year is complete (or almost)
its season's end
it seems its in our australian psyche that
the 25th is one of those great markers ... 
'done by christmas'
what does that mean?
christmas is always 'coming'
or is it the idea of a new year beginning that drives a need for completion?
i think so ...

oscar's 3 yr old kinder experience is nearly over
its our first academic end of year
its not quite the end of the chapter .... still 4 yr old K to go!

our time with Play Group
has come to the season's end
2 years oscar & i have led one of the groups
we've made wonderful friends
& had lots of great times
this group of mums ... too kind
sent me on my way .... with a lovely bunch of flowers
& heartfelt words
to say thankyou for the times
there were tears from some in saying goodbye
its hard when relationships have been built 
& the future holds no direct contact
i say thank you in return
we too have enJOYed our season