Shopping Bag – day 2
09 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
in Craft, Sewing Tags: Craft, Sewing, shopping bag, unfinished projects
I haven’t forgotten about working on this project. So tonight I thought I would attempt the next few steps. I had to inspect the fabric & look at the grain. Luckily the fabric I have chosen made it really easy to feel the difference between the straight grain, cross grain & the bias. An easy step!!
Finding that one quick & easy I decided to keep going. The next step was pinning & cutting. After discovering that the pins were quite sharp, I managed to get the bag bit pinned onto the material. Cutting was the much much bigger challenge as I discovered my fine motor skills really were lacking! A little bit of pattern was cut, the lines are definitely not straight, but the bag & the straps are now cut out.
And onto the next step – sewing. And I attempted to use the sewing machine straight off without testing on some scrap material first. Big mistake!! The machine made some strange noises and the bobbin was getting tangled. So I pulled it out, put it back in again & had another go. More strange noises & more attempts – why couldn’t I get this bobbin thing working? The machine instruction book came out – one step missed – I needed to pick up the bobbin thread – I will never ever ever forget that again.
Managed to pick up the bobbin thread after 3 or 4 goes and did a little practice on some scrap. It went OK so started on the seams of my bag. Started merrily sewing & more tangles appeared – forgot to put the foot down! Right started again, remembered to do some back stitching & had both sides sewn. Next step was to do some zig zag on the seams.
Remembered how to switch the machine over to zig zag & had the first side done – not right on the seam, but I think it will be OK. Then started on the second seam. Started zig zagging & noticed how clean the needle appeared to look – up & down, looking great. Then I realised why – the needle had become unthreaded and the sewing was looking perfect because I wasn’t actually sewing anything!
Battle to thread the needle & then I realised I had to pick up the bobbin thread again! Another battle was fought & I finally managed to zig zag the other seam.
Next step – iron the seams. That will have to wait until I bring out the ironing board for other purposes.
Am hoping to eventually conquer the sewing machine & end this war – I don’t think the machine likes me very much…..
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.
Zumba!
28 Oct 2010 2 Comments
in Craft, Exercise, Friends, Sewing, Weight Tags: 12WBT, Craft, Quilting, Sewing, Stitching, unfinished projects, Weight Loss, Zumba
For the last three weeks I have been going to Zumba classes at Salsambada – once a week on Tuesday evening. I have managed to juggle babysitters, get dinner organised before I go and head off for me time.
I was very apprehensive about going – I had heard it was fun, but it looked like it needed co-ordination, something I certainly don’t have. I managed to convince a couple of friends to come with me and we headed off to the Serbian Club.
To my surprise it was so much fun. A whole hour to myself, dancing (which deep in my heart is something I would love to do & look at salsa dancing very wistfully) and exercising without realising. I didn’t think I would be able to keep up, and certainly didn’t think I would be fit enough. But all these morning workout sessions have achieved something – while I sometimes feel tired, and sometimes have a stitch I can make it through the whole hour.
The best thing about where I am going is that there are 3 or 4 instructors. So lots of people to watch and people to help. They do it slow and then speed things up – you can go at your own speed to a certain extent. The instructors also teach Salsa so they know the steps well. And they look like they enjoy it too!
This week my friend and I both felt like we put a whole lot more effort in as we are getting better at being able to manage the footwork. So instead of taping our feet we are doing kicks. And keeping in time with the music.
Zumba is my new friend, and hopefully one I will continue on with into next year, and not finish with once 12wbt is over.
In other news, today I paid my deposit for Sew it Together next year. I feel like a bit of a fraud as I still haven’t finished any sewing projects or even the practice knitting project. So I had better get moving on my last block, finish cutting out the material for my quilt top & sew it together and then get started on some of the embroidery projects I have. I am really looking forward to it, just need to get myself together!
Kelli
Look what I did!!!
16 Jul 2010 2 Comments
in Craft, Friends, Sewing Tags: Craft, friends, Quilting, Sewing, Thank you, unfinished projects
My first ever quilt top!! And I didn’t really do it all myself. The wonderfully generous Sheridan helped me – she taught me how to cut, has lent me her old sewing machine & showed my how to sew the squares together.
When I had my first go at the machine she reminded me that I probably hadn’t touched a machine since year 7 sewing – um, not quite. I didn’t get to use a sewing machine in year 7 sewing as it took me the whole 8 weeks to handstitch around a stuffed toy – so nope, no sewing machine playing for me at school. This was the first time I had EVER used a sewing machine. And it was fun.
It is not perfect and it is very small, but I did it. I think this is also the first time I have even had fabric in my house! And this afternoon I have cut out more squares to make a second quilt top, with the plan to then sew them together. At the moment I am planning on making this little quilt bigger and then the next time I meet up with Sheridan she will show me the next steps to turn this into a quilt.
We have had a very busy school holiday period here, and there will be a few other things for show & tell over the next few posts. But I think our holiday highlight was the visit from Sheridan and me learning how to use a machine!!
I finished it!!
03 Jun 2010 1 Comment
in Craft, Knitting, Loo, Noos Tags: Craft, Finished Projects, Knitting, unfinished projects
Finally after 6 years I have finished the scarf for Noos. And I can now date when I started – I found the receipt for the nylon wool, Winter 2004. I am not particularly proud of the workmanship, but I am proud that I have actually finished something!!
You can see quite clearly that the scarf became wider during the knitting process – found me some extra stitches! But after that point it isn’t too bad, especially as I changed knitting needles recently. I don’t think I can say I did this all myself as I am pretty sure my Mum started me off. But I actually did the casting off all by myself, thanks to the instructions that the lovely Donna from CraftJunk sent me.
I now have an order for Lou for a red scarf – I think I will try something that involves more than just a knit stitch. And I will keep on going with my stitching – started block number 10 tonight. 2 more after that and then I need to work out what to do actually do with the blocks!
Superwoman?
31 May 2010 7 Comments
in Family, Garden, Home, Knitting Tags: Craft, Family, garden, home, Knitting, Quilting, Sewing, unfinished projects
Today as I went for my morning walk I pondered the concept of Superwoman! The expectations that I think society places on me, the expectation society really does place on me and the expectations I place on myself. And I think that I am the hardest on myself. I look around my house and see the mess, the dirt and the disorganisation. I don’t see the tidy spots, the places where special treasures are stored, the fact that the fridge and cupboards are bulging with food and the clean, ironed clothes are sitting in cupboards. When I am at work I only see the jobs still to be done, the filing piled up and the folders waiting to be put away. In fact everywhere I look and go I just see mess and disorder, including my car.
I am trying to be Superwoman. And why? Because as a girl child of the 70s I was told I could have anything I want. The successful job, the lovely house, the happy healthy children, a caring husband and a happy life. I think, as many women my age have discovered, this is a myth. As I work myself into a frazzle trying to achieve the unobtainable the pit I am in just becomes deeper. The caring husband – well he never existed in my fairy tale! The successful job – 2 children kind of limits what you can do in a career especially if you do not want to do the 9-5 thing. Lovely house – well I have what I can afford, but it is mine and it isn’t too bad really. Happy, healthy children – doing OK on the healthy front, not to sure on the happy but on the whole I do think they are. And the happy life – well that I can’t answer right now.
The other day as I was hanging out the washing and looking at my backyard it suddenly hit me that I am trying to do everything that in a lot of families 2 people do – raise children, look after a house, look after a garden, manage the kids activities, earn money to support the family and be involved in the community. Oh, and have a social life as well! And at that point I decided to cut myself some slack.
So if my house is messy when you come to visit, or the floor of my car is covered in potplant dirt, or I haven’t managed to provide a homemade afternoon tea, or my garden is overgrown and full of weeds – tough! I am going to be nice to me. I am going to make the time to play with my kids and be superwoman for them. I am going to focus on the things that matter and pursue my dreams – one of which is to actually finish a project and a really big one is to actually make a quilt.
And in the meantime I am going to finally finish that darn scarf I am working on!
My Stash!!!
26 May 2010 3 Comments
in Craft, Friends, Knitting, Sewing Tags: Craft, friends, Knitting, unfinished projects
So very excited – I received a lovely parcel in the mail today. That missing knitting needle? Now sorted, thanks to the lovely Donna at CraftJunk. And she added in some goodies too – I’ve wanted those circle knitting needles for a while, now I just need to learn how to use them! And some littler needles as well. And a pink stick thing – would it be really bad to say I am not quite sure what it is for, but I am sure it is something I will need!
Donna is a very good friend of my very good friend Chaletgirl (and if I knew how to do links I would for both these wonderful ladies). She has just started her own shop www.craftjunk.etsy.com and she has the most beautiful knitting needles.
Thank you Donna for my very lovely parcel. It has brightened up a cold, wintery, tax filled day!
I really did try.
21 May 2010 1 Comment
in Craft, Knitting, Noos, Sewing, Tax Tags: Craft, Knitting, Noos, Tax, unfinished projects
I was going to keep working on this last night. A dear friend told me that it was perfectly allowable to be working on 2 projects at the same time. What would I know? I’ve never attempted much like this before. So I decided that I would pull out the scarf that I started knitting for Noos when he was in kindy. Hasn’t taken me long, he is only in year 5 now! Bit of a change from the stitching I had been focussing on.
So I pulled out the plastic bag it had been stuffed into. Found the WIP, extra roll of wool, a whole heap of other wool, think it is all feathered, and was ready to start. Problem was one knitting needle was missing! What does this say about my housekeeping? How do you lose one knitting needle?
I have pulled out everything in the bottom of my wardrobe, searched through all the crap important things, found the missing 2008 P&C records, but no knitting needle. So back to stitching I went. First thing on my shopping list for this weekend is a knitting needle. Does woolworths even sell knitting needles?
And tonight, when I was hoping to be knitting, I will instead be working on these:
Client Tax Returns!
Must get that knitting needle fast!
And what will I do with the rest of the wool I bought many years ago? Will post pictures of it soon.
And just discovered my local woolies does sell knitting needles - 3mm, 4mm & 7mm, but no 6mm…..
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