Starting Something
17 Jun 2011 2 Comments
in Craft, Sewing Tags: Craft, Sew It Together, Sewing, unfinished projects
Way back in March I was lucky enough to win this pattern at Sew It Together:
from the very talented Nicole Mallalieu. Thank you very much Nicole – the perfect prize for someone terrified of their borrowed sewing machine.
On my day off this week I once again ventured into my local quilting store (which has very very helpful staff who can not do enough to help when I tell them I am trying to sew and have no idea what I am doing). The lovely lady suggested I should look at the material on special and so I ended up with this:
And tonight I opened the pattern. The first suggestion was to play with the sewing machine, so I opened its lid and had a look. Thought I would try sewing some scraps together – but it didn’t work because I didn’t have the presser foot down. Even worse the needle became unthreaded. Luckily the very brilliant Sheridan had given me the instructions for the machine and even more luckier I knew where they were!!
After reading through them, which was like swahili, I managed to rethread the needle and successfully made a pocket out of some scraps (and I even sewed both bits of material the right way round). And then I tried doing a zigzag stitch.
After such brilliant success I decided I was ready to try step 1 – look at the pattern, understand what is written on it & then cut it out. Looking at the pattern was fine, could do that. Reading the pattern with Nicole’s instructions I could manage. But the cutting out – I was pretty scared I would completely ruin the wholething. But I managed it – fine motor skills are not my strong point and it is a little crooked.
And now I am up to step 2 – hopefully will manage that in the next few days.
Just thought I would also show the delightful fat quarters I purchased from Posie’s Patchwork at the Handmade Market here on Saturday:
When I brought them home I discovered that they would go beautifully with some material I also was given at Sew it Together by Retro Mummy (thank you Corrie). Now to think of a project I would be capable of that would do them justice.
And as I was spending time in my new room (and I now have a room, as well as my bedroom in my new house) I thought I would also show you one of my favourite things about my room:
All created by my very dear friend Kate, a very talented artist who sells her work on Etsy and never ceases to amaze me.
Apologies for the very terrible photography too – it was at night, the lighting is shocking in my room and my poor old Canon ixus 4 mega pixel camera is on its last legs.
Prints Charming
28 Mar 2011 4 Comments
in Craft, Friends, Sewing Tags: Sew It Together, Sewing, Stitching, unfinished projects
This last week has been a crazy whirlwind – moved house, struggled to meet work deadlines, dealt with banks and solicitors for way too much time and finally had an awesome trip to Sydney for the Sew it Together weekend!
SIT was amazing and I have so much to share and so many amazing sponsors and organisers to thank, but just wanted to share what is making me really excited this week.
On Friday I arrived in Sydney on the bus (3 1/2 hours with someone’s knees in my back, thanks for being so thoughtful fellow passenger) and caught a train into the city. I managed to get an early check in for my room (the only one of us staying there who managed that) and caught up with one of my favourite people, chaletgirl, and her very dear friend, Donna – someone who I have heard so much about over the last 6 years and had been very keen to meet. We had lunch and then headed off to catch a bus with 15 other women to hit fabric shops in Sydney.
Not being a huge fabric shopping fan (apart from eyeing off how beautiful some of it is) I was expecting a trip in which I would be able to spend some time with my friend and enjoy watching her participate in one of the many areas she excels. The first stop was Remnant Warehouse and their Fat Quarter Friday (2 fat quarters for the price of one). Who can resist a bargain???
Next stop, after being fortified by the very brilliant snackpacks provided by Donna, was the beautiful Calico & Ivy at Balmain. I admired the fabric and how gorgeous the store was, and then snuck off to do some browsing & shopping in downtown Balmain.
The third and final stop was Prints Charming – the most amazing place! All the girls present converged on a table near the front where there were baskets filled with scrap packs of the screen printed fabric created by the very talented Prints Charming ladies. It was an absolute feeding frenzy – all the packs were sold, Sheri missed out & so will need to take a trip back.
About half the people present then caught a bus back to the city, but a very lucky group of us stayed to do a stitching workshop with Kirsten & Cath. And it was awesome – the highlight of my weekend (apart from meeting some very talented people). We were shown how to do some stitching & then Kirsten came around to assist each person as they required. Being a beginner stitcher I needed a lot of help! I was also very lucky to sit where I did, and was surrounded by other talented ladies who assisted me to keep going.
And this is what I achieved over the weekend:
I am loving the stitching I have done & just need to work out, once my little bird is complete, how to turn it into a cushion without destroying all my hard work. Loos has laid claim to the completed pillow to replace his very tired and torn cushion he sleeps with each night – so my incentive to actually complete this is to make a little boy happy!
Thank you Cath & Kirsten, and also to Megan & Bronwyn who patiently assisted me when I was struggling. And also to Renae for teaching me how to do Lazy Daisies on Saturday.
Something is finally finished!
13 Mar 2011 3 Comments
in Craft, Sewing Tags: Craft, Finished Projects, Sew It Together, Sewing, Stitching
Over the last few weeks I have been a bad blogger – never seems to be enough hours in the day to sit down and write something. My house has been sold, I have bought a new one & the moving process starts next weekend. So I have been flat out dealing with solicitors, real estate agents, builders, painters and everyone else who needs to involved in a move as well as starting to pack!
As well as moving I am also planning a quick trip to Sydney for a special event – Sew It Together, organised by my incredible friend Chaletgirl! As part of Sew it Together I decided to take part in the name tag swap – a very ambitious project for me given that I have never finished anything, let alone made something for someone else!
So here is the completed product, which I know has arrived:
My photography skills are excellent here as you can see by the shadow over the name badge! I felt a bit sorry for the recipient in that she was receiving something made by an very much beginner, as opposed to some of the beautiful work done by others.
So this time in 2 weeks I will be sitting on a bus on my way home after a hopefully wonderful weekend away where I will have seen some old friends and made some new ones, as well as meeting some amazing people whose blogs I regularly enjoy!
And thanks to my other wonderful friend Narelle for helping me to work out how to make a name badge!
Kelli
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