new camera?

There are so many fantastic craft and sewing blogs out there with the most beautiful photos. Photos that make me green with envy. So lately I've been thinking a lot about my blog photos and how I can improve them. And they do need improving! Up until now I've been making do with my Fujifilm J10, a simple point and shoot digital camera that does an ok job. It's ideal for snapshots but isn't the best when it comes to showing the detail that I want. I did have a fancy Panasonic Lumix with all the bells and whistles which bit the dust when I dropped it in our fish pond. I replaced it with the J10 just in case of future accidents.

So now I've almost convinced myself that a new camera is just what I need and that it has to be the Fujifilm Finepix S9500 or even better. It's a humungous leap from what I'm using at the moment but I'm looking forward to the challenge of a new camera! My other motives for the new camera are so that I can take lots and lots of photos when we're away in Samoa and also the fact that our GST rate in NZ is set to increase from 12.5% to 15%.

Yeah, just about convinced myself...

crochet crinoline lady

put gingham and crochet together and the end result is a beautiful supper cloth with crochet edging and a crinoline lady posing at each corner. Without a pattern, it took some trial and error to get the lady to look just as I wanted her to and I'm very happy with the result.

I'm on a bit of a crochet buzz at the moment, so next I'd like to try making this swan doiley. Why? I love working in miniature and the idea of crochet swans with long delicate necks and tiny beaks really appeals to me. For true nanny chic, the finished doiley will be displayed underneath my maidenhair fern.

The bach is booked for the end of year holidays. This year we're heading to Scandrett Bay which is the next bay over from Martins Bay where we usually go and we're staying in the 'Graham Bach'. As you can see, there's a 70s retro theme in the decor and the water is right at the door almost. All my favourite things in the one place! We're still set to visit Samoa later this year too.

making poi

my latest crafting endeavour has been to help Miss 13 make poi for her PE (physical education) assessment. This is the second set of poi that I've helped her make. My job was to tightly braid the 4 strand cord that the balls hang from.

For those of you who aren't familiar with poi, it's a traditional performing art by the Maori people of New Zealand. The poi are made up of balls hanging from flexible cords. They are held in the hands and swung in  circular patterns. Historically the poi were made from all natural plant materials. Now, people use whatever is handy. We used dacron stuffing, supermarket plastic bags, bin liners, cardboard, sellotape and wool. If anyone is interested I'm happy to post up a tutorial on making poi. Just let me know by posting in the comments section or send me an email.

They are a lot of fun to make and use!

quiet

I wish I could write about brilliant things that I've been creating. Instead it's been very, very quiet on the creative front while at home it's been a hive of activity.

With the arrival of winter, Miss 3 has been sick with a terrible cold and has spent the best part of almost 2 weeks at home recovering, Miss 13 strained her neck at netball and had to take a few days of school to recover and Mr 11 is having growing pains. On top of this I've struggled on with a nagging head cold and feel absolutely drained at the end of every day.

Suffice it to say, that my motivation to be creative is at an all time low. Hopefully I'll get back to making stuff soon, as there's a few things by the sewing machine ready to go...

a mother's day

it's breakfast in bed

 special cards

lots of hugs and kisses

and then back to

washing

dishes

shopping

and more...

all that makes us mums great!

party skirt

with the arrival of another birthday party invitation for Miss 13, there's always the usual question of what to wear? She found inspiration in the Dec 09/Jan 10 issue of Dolly magazine with a canary yellow Ladakh frou frou skirt RRP $79.95. I made a quick trip to Spotlight for some black cotton satteen, black tulle and an 18cm zip. I especially chose the satteen for it's sheen and weight. It can hold out the gathers well without going all limp. A tulle underskirt would complete the skirt.

the skirt itself was easy to make. It's basically a shortened drindl skirt made up of 3 rectangles. I think nearly every sewer I know has made one of these at the start of their sewing experience.  I put in a centred side zip that pulled to the top of the waistband edge. It gives the skirt a neater and cleaner finish. The tulle petticoat was ditched at the last minute as we both agreed it was too much frou frou and reminiscent of a ballerina tutu. It does look really great on especially since Miss 13 has a nice pair of legs inherited from her Dad.                               

miniature tailoring

my latest obsession is sewing a miniature tailored suit for Owen (Iplehouse Akando).  The photo above shows an Iplehouse black silk/wool suit which sold out quickly at the somewhat unbelievable price of $163 USD. So I've convinced myself that I can easily make a reasonably good looking suit for a fraction of that price and complete with welt pockets, fully lined etc... the whole kit and kaboodle! I can't spare any detail, as after all this is meant to a perfect copy of a human sized tailored suit.

my starting point is this pattern from the Adams-Harris Pattern Company which will need to be re-drafted, enlarged, spliced and then I'll need some fitting muslins made before I can start cutting into my suiting fabric. I've found a black poly/wool blend in my stash which will be perfect for making up my first suit. The pants are easier as I have an existing pair of dress pants to lift a pattern from, it's just the jacket that's making me nervous...

pressing ham and seam roll

back in August last year I blogged here about making some new pressing tools for my sewing room. At the top of the list was getting a new iron which I bought straight away. I've just finished the pressing ham and seam roll at long last. The fabrics were all sourced from my fabric collection and the sawdust came from a local woodworking factory. I was a little frustrated working with sawdust, it seemed to get on to everything & everywhere including up my nose, in my hair, on my clothes, on the table, the floor... so it was a stop-start process! as you can guess, I'm very pleased to have finished them. I'm still undecided about making a new ironing board cover to match.

then to just challenge myself, I made a smaller scale ham and seam roll set for my doll sewing. This set was much easier to make and is stuffed with dacron.

I haven't achieved as much sewing as I'd hoped since my last post... it seems as if there's always something else going on! There's only 1 week left of school holidays and then the children are back at school.

at easter

after an egg hunt, Miss 3's excited face at the delicious thought of yummy chocolate treats. The 2 older children are now on holiday for 2 weeks and I'll be helping Miss 13 work through her 1st wearable arts design competition. It should be interesting stuff.

and then there's the new bike, a Raleigh Sphere 2.0 to replace the commuter bike I had. It met with a sad end. Anyway this bike rides even better. I'll be adding a shopping basket and rear rack next week. Just perfect for nipping down to the local Spotlight to do a bit of craft shopping lol!

Iplehouse Akando

when reviewing my ball jointed doll (bjd) sewing, it's become obvious that I needed new models. Just like the human world, new sculpts are being released all the time and the doll sewer has to keep up. So I decided to retire 6 of my sewing models, 3 have sold on ebay with another 3 to go. Luckily with this hobby I'm able to fund my new models from the sale of the older ones. Then the next thing to do, is decide on the new models. I'm going to stick to sewing only for the bigger size bjds with a mature/realistic look.

My first replacement model is 70cm Iplehouse Akando. After a lot of research, I decided to buy a second hand Akando from a seller in Germany (yes, she gave him a celtic styled faceup) and today I'm off to pay his duties and rescue him from customs. Akando will be my 1st masculine model for sewing. Up till now I'd kept away from sewing for the male bjd as most of the males were skinny, lanky and adrogynous looking. Not very inspiring. Now Iplehouse have created an amazing selection of realistic, masculine sculpts including Akando - exactly what I'm after!

once I've got him home, I'll be taking his head off and sending that away for a new repaint. I've asked faceup artist Pepstar to create a natural, masculine look for Akando. (I wish I could do it myself but I don't have the talent or the paitence to learn). While his head is away, I'll work on removing his blue tatooes and then start putting together some basic clothing styles ie. t shirts, pants and hoodies to sell.

Occassionally I'll write the odd post about my bjd sewing, after all it is part of my craft and sewing hobby/interests but rest assured non doll loving folk, I won't be posting back to back about bjds.

play kitchen

this morning I finished Miss 3's surprise items for her play kitchen. The dish towel, oven mitt and apron were made up using a very bright yellow patterned quilting cotton and creamy cotton towelling from the fabric stash. The apron pattern is from skiptomylou

My young cook is now very busy concocting the strangest dishes. Imagine oranges, eggs and onions. Not very tasty eh? thank goodness I don't really have to eat it!

still here

just a quick post to let you all know that I'm still here. Our family life has been very hectic with 2 school camps, sports team trials (which seem endless), athletics competitions and our youngest starting kindy. I'm hoping that things will settle down very soon into a routine so I'll be able to get back to sewing again.

beat and sift

the worst thing about new fangled gadgets is that sometimes they break down and this week it's been the turn of my most used kitchen tools - the electric beater and fancy flour sifter to bite the dust. Rather than endure days of decision making at the kitchen store, I rediscovered these well loved yesteryear kitchen items. At the very least I'll be doing my bit to save electricity as well as getting a good workout at the same time. Now off to do some baking...

As for sewing, not much happening, the bicycle is proving to be too distracting!

bicycle

I have to introduce you all to my early wedding anniversary present... a Dutch commuter bicycle complete with the cane basket. Isn't it beautiful? as some of you may know I'm a fan of retro and this bicycle style has been on my dream list for a very long time. Back in the late 70s-early 80s I was the very proud owner of a Raleigh 20 cruiser which was a dream to ride on the flat. I rode it everywhere. The only problem was that it had one single gear and was a pain to ride up hills. This bike takes hill rides to another level... smooth and easy!

Now all I need to complete the picture is to cycle in heels and a frock, looking ever so urban chic.

ps. since this bicycle arrived, I've not been anywhere near my sewing machine. So I'll be doing a few late nighters to get my birthday surprises finished before Sunday.

monarch butterfly

since dear hubby planted a swan plant in our garden, we've been inundated with visiting monarch butterflies keen on laying their eggs. This poor butterfly braved a very rainy day to be the very first visitor.

life has been pretty hectic since the kids returned to school. Sometimes I feel just like a butterfly flitting from one thing to another. Sports days kick off the year with a bang. Miss 13 came 3rd overall in her year for the swimming sports at College, she's as pleased as punch! athletics and netball trials up next. Mr 11 is settling into a bigger school and at the same time getting used to a more disciplined environment and our littlest person celebrates her 3rd birthday in a fortnights time and starts kindergarten then too.

on the sewing/crafting list I'm working on making some kindy clothes that Miss almost 3 can splatter and dirty as much as she likes as well as a couple of top secret birthday items for her. Hope to show you what I've made in a few days time. Then it's back to the girls dressing gown that I've just cut out.

jiffy sundress

at last something new to show you straight off the sewing machine! this is a 'jiffy' pullover sundress which is meant to be made in next to no time at all unless you're like me and are a finicky, fussy sewer even on the simplest things. I used Simplicity 5504 issued back in 1984 (another second hand 10 cents pattern from the thrift shop) and 2 fabrics from my stash to make up this dress for Miss almost 3. The iron-on applique is a simple heart placed over a flower shape cut from the fabric scraps.

I really like this pattern. It's pretty and girly and a good style for warmer weather. We're planning a trip to Samoa later on this year and I'll definitely be making at least a couple more of these dresses for her to wear then.

Photo removed for safety reasons due to cyber stalking!

school starts

nervous children, uniforms freshly pressed, shoes shined, freshly packed lunches, bags full of new books, it's the first day of school! the 6 weeks summer holidays zoomed by and now that school has started I can get back to some more sewing and crafting.

three to six

this is the latest Enid Gilchrist pattern book to join my growing collection. Check out the models on the front cover... aren't they cute? they look like miniature versions of their mums and dads at the time. I just love the girls expression as she holds her gloved hand in the air. There's quite a few patterns that I'm looking forward to sewing up for Miss almost 3, especially the shorties pyjamas and some pretty dresses too.

with the new school year about to kick off next week, I've been busy over the last few days getting school uniforms mended and laundered, school shoes & stationary shopping and on and on goes the list. Once they're back at school next week, I can take a breather and get back to sewing... (big sigh!!!!)...

girls nightie

with the warm nights and a growth spurt, Miss almost 3 needed a new nightie. Pink is her favourite colour and luckily I had this poly cotton floral print in my stash and Style 1715, another 10 cent pattern from the hospice shop. A couple of nights sewing and this is the result... a pretty pink nightie!

Photo removed for safety reasons due to cyber stalking!

girls nightie

with the warm nights and a growth spurt, Miss almost 3 needed a new nightie. Pink is her favourite colour and luckily I had this poly cotton floral print in my stash and Style 1715, another 10 cent pattern from the hospice shop. A couple of nights sewing and this is the result... a pretty pink nightie!

plate clocks

late last year I bought this clock for my kitchen from trademe seller natelee. As you know I'm an avid lover and somewhat collector of crown lynn and the idea of this clock appealled to me just as much for being a piece of crown lynn as for it's distinct, visual appeal. Last week I bought these 2 clocks from the same seller. The safari brown clock is a gift for a family member and the ironstone clock for my sewing room.

my husband suggested that I might like to attempt making a plate clock myself. After all he reasoned, it's simply a process of selecting a plate, finding the right drill bit, carefully drilling a hole and then attaching a clock movement. I'm not so easily convinced. My hands would probably shake so much from the thought of drilling a hole in a crown lynn piece that I possibly crack more than I'd successfully drill!

sundress

         

                                              

this is the cheapest dress that I've ever made. A leftover remnant from an 80s project plus a 10c vintage pattern from the hospice shop equals a quick afternoon sew. Miss almost 3 resists regular naps when the older children are on school holidays so quick and easy projects seem to be the way to go at the moment!

Photos removed for safety reasons due to cyber stalking!

sundress

         

                                              

this is the cheapest dress that I've ever made. A leftover remnant from an 80s project plus a 10c vintage pattern from the hospice shop equals a quick afternoon sew. Miss almost 3 resists regular naps when the older children are on school holidays so quick and easy projects seem to be the way to go at the moment!

another heart

using this scented heart tutorial, I set about making one for my wardrobe. It's an easy project that can be completed in less than an hour. I cut freehand heart shapes in my scrap fabric (I like my hearts to be assymetrical), added a vintage button, leftover polyester stuffing, homemade dried lavender and recycled ribbon from christmas gift wrapping. Viola! project complete and ready to hang!

kwik sew 3612 tote

I blogged about this tote bag back in September 2008 when I made a rip roaring start on it. Then I had an issue with one end of the fabric base that refused to give me a tidy corner, no matter what I did. So it went onto the ufo pile. And there it sat for almost 1 1/2 years. Yesterday I got stuck in and finished it.

another ufo celebrates completion!

groovy play dress

I blogged about this dress back in June 2009 and then for months, it just sat in the ufo pile waiting for button holes, handsewing and hemming.  Here it is finally finished and being enjoyed by Miss almost 3. A perfect twirling dress!

Photos removed for safety reasons due to cyber stalking!

groovy play dress

I blogged about this dress back in June 2009 and then for months, it just sat in the ufo pile waiting for button holes, handsewing and hemming.  Here it is finally finished and being enjoyed by Miss almost 3. A perfect twirling dress!

2010 plans

                                

like most people, at the beginning of each new year, I like to look back and review what I have or haven't achieved. It's my personal 'reality check' time. Here's my 2009 plans and my thoughts on how I did...

1. daily blogging   I'm frequent blogging instead. I don't have enough interesting stuff to share to warrant daily blogging.
2. improve knitting skills goes onto 2010 list. I lost my knitting mojo in 2009 and didn't do anything to improve.
3. etsy & felt shops at 100%  I'm ditching the felt shop & keeping the etsy store. This year I'm doing a lot more sewing for ball jointed dolls.
4. try gocco printing this stays on the list. I'd like to produce my own stationary, notecards and even christmas cards this year.
5. try scrapbooking again this gets kicked off the list. I'm not that into scrapbooking so I'll stick with my plan to only scrapbook christmas photos.
6. more personal sewing this one is a real biggie and needs to stay on the 2010 list. 2009 started off well and then my sewing inspiration fizzled leaving me completely unmotivated to sew. On the plus side, I lost a total of 18.5 kgs ( thats about 40 lbs) which added more sewing challenges to the mix. Later in the year, my sewing mojo returned and I sewed clothing for my growing 13 year old daughter.
7. no unfinished projects another to stay on the list. I'm embarassed to admit that I still have some 2008 ufo's in my sewing basket to complete. Getting them done is a priority.
8. reduce wool & fabric stash done! about 3 big boxes of wool was donated to the Middlemore hospital charity knitters and several black bags of fabric to the local hospice shop.
9. continue charity knitting another for the 2010 list. Although I didn't knit a great deal last year, I did contribute 4 christmas shoeboxes and 9 christmas gifts to the K-Mart wishing tree appeal. So this years plan is to continue crafting for charity.

and there you have it, my 2010 plans.

hello 2010

wishing you all the very best for the new year and thanks for visiting my little corner of kiwi blogland. Hope 2010 is a great one for you!