Just some of this years creations

 Butterfly canvas done together with Lucy for her bedroom wall

 

It's been a busy year with my two jobs but I always seem to manage to fit in some time along the way for sewing and craft projects.

The butterfly canvas above was made using paint chart samples from Bunnings, old sheet music and some old atlas paper.  I cut the shapes using a butterfly paper punch and stuck them on using a hot glue gun. If I am near a Bunnings store I always pop in to replenish my stash as they are so useful.  They are great for decorating this and I particularly love to make gift tags for Christmas with them.

 

Ipad bag made for my Mums new gadget

 

The ipad bag evolved with some great recycling of a denim dress.  I used the middle section of the dress incorporating the waistband and the buttons down the front and just added a pretty top with a floral green cotton.  The straps were easy as I used the tie belt that came with the dress.  

 Owl made for a friends daughter who simply loves owls to bits

 

Another of my owls, made with recycled denim for the body front, cute cottons for the front and wings, chenille for the back and felt for the eyes

Knitted slouch hat

 

I don't knit often, but was successful in making a slouch hat which I gave to my Mum (it suited her better than me)

 Winter pj's for the kids

Pj's are always a great quick thing to make, I usually buy the tops from target to go with them.  I have started adding large hems on the legs so I can let them down the following year and get at least two seasons from them. 

Cushion for my daughters little friend who adores horses

 

I enjoyed this little project for my daughters friends 8th birthday.  Made with recycled denim for the front and the love heart was done with left overs from Lucys pj's pants.  I quilted the love heart to add interest and hand embroidered her name with embroidery cotton. Another original handmade gift, gotta love it as it costs next to nothing and no one else has one.

Appliqued Towels for christmas for Allie, Liam, Aidan and Nicholas

 

The towels were christmas gifts for my niece and nephew and our neighbours two boys.  I was pretty happy with the result - the towels are really lush and quite large.  I bought the towels from Pillow Talk and used the cotton fabrics from my stash for the applique. 

 

A burlap, lace and pine cone wreath for our front door

 

And lastly here is my new christmas wreath, I used a foam ring that I had in my Christmas stash - probably purchased from a $2 store if I remember correctly.  I wrapped it with strips of hessian and hot glued the pine cones onto it.  I then simply wrapped some old vintage lace around the remainder of the ring and tied a lace ribbon on top to hang. 

 

 

So another year is almost over - only hours left in fact

 

Happy New Year to everyone out there in craft land!

 

See you next year

xox

Oh Christmas Eve Oh Christmas Eve .....

For the children it started with coke spiders 

 Here they are enjoying them on the deck !

For the adults it was a christmas cocktail courtesy of Pinterest, for link & recipe click here

It was called a Kahlua float - and is seriously alcoholic  

 

Followed by home made bacon, banana and chilli pizzas

And a game of Bop It - always lots of fun

We did this in the surrounds of this humungous tree

Before peeling prawns for our christmas lunch the following day  

And of course sleeping in our christmas pj's - this time the applique is complete but a bit hard to see here. 

The inspiration for Lucys ric rac tree came from here

and looks like this

And Olivers shirt with his appliqued tree was my own idea - just a simple tree shape sewn to his $4 t-shirt from Target - backed with iron on interfacing just for some stability using the same old car fabric as his Christmas shorts.

 

Christmas Eve is a time to be with family for us - to prepare the house and make sure the gifts are all ready to go.  Maybe a few carols around the tree, something to eat but not anything special. This year I started a new tradition - a Christmas Eve cocktail for the grownups and a special drink for the children.  It went down a treat for the kids and the adults and I now need to research for next years drinks - no harm in being organised. I also bought some gorgeous christmas ribbon today in preparation for next years Christmas pillowcases,  from here - I am all revved up and wanting to continue my christmas sewing now so I can be ready for Christmas 2013.  Maybe in 2013 I will not need to do any Last Minute.com sewing at a very rushed pace like this year.   Now that would be a nice change !!

 

New project for 2013

This post is an old draft I just happened to stumble across today in my list of draft posts, it never made it to posting for some reason or another.  So maybe instead of doing this in 2011 like I obviously intended, it might happen in 2013.  I had totally forgotten about the whole idea of sewing photographs onto the fabric and making a canvas.  Great gift idea for your childs bedroom or maybe even the lounge. Wish I had rediscovered this a month or two ago I would have done them for the kids for Christmas gifts.  So, please read on .......

I saw this project today posted on The Quick Unpick blog - it's a great idea that I have not seen before. I will be definitely trying it out in 2011. You print out your photos, adding text to them if you like first, then sew them onto your favourite fabric and make a canvas. Check out The Spanglers work here , you could do so much with this. I have never thought of sewing on photos. I have done a bit with sewing paper onto cardboard and it is loads of fun. I did some quick handmade gift tags for Christmas using Belle and Boo images (so gorgeous you can find them here). Also I did a christmas tree using paper doilies and also a bird using scrapbooking paper and a button for an eye and stitch detail for the legs and wings etc (all paper sewn to cardboard (very light gsm).   Happy stitching.  I will post pics of my new project when I get around to it, hopefully not in another two years.   

Christmas PJ's and Pillowcases



 

It's done !

I am so happy....

I wanted to make boxers and pillowcases for the kids last year

but I just simply ran out of time.

 

But this year I have managed it -

a bit last minute but I even made some for myself and my husband too

And a pillowcase each for our neighbours boys (here they are in progress above)

Olivers pillow finished (above)

Oliver very happy with his pillow

Lucy with her pillow

Close up of Lucys pillow

And their boxers (PJ's)

 

I am still to add the applique to their t-shirts, probably a star or tree for Oliver and maybe an angel for Lucy - time remaining will dictate what happens here.

 

So that is another tick off my to do list

And I am very happy.......

But I need to still buy 3 more gifts, bath the guinea pigs, wrap more presents, bake some cookies, make chocolate coated pretzels covered with crushed candy canes and peppermint crisp, finish the kids applique on the PJ's,  pack to go away for Christmas, Shop for the fruit and salad ingredients to take away for Christmas lunch and on and on it goes.

 

Christmas is on it's way that's for sure, but I need to apply the brakes,

COS I'M NOT READY !!!!!!!!!!!

Best be off then and get it going.....

Merry Christmas to one and all

Enjoy the time you spend with your loved ones

It's a special time of year !

 

PS.  The applique is done on their shirts, will post pictures later 

 

 

Mad for Macarons

 



 



 

 

Yesterday we all went up to Montville and Maleny for a drive with my husbands Aunt who is visiting from France at the moment. She bought us a coffee and a macaron for afternoon tea which was lovely. I had a pistachio one and my husband chose a lemon one. They reminded me of some photos I took back in July this year that I have not shared here yet.  Our neighbour had been on a family holiday to Sydney and she bought us back this beautiful collection from Adriano Zumbos shop.  So of course what do I do before I eat them - I photograph them. 

 

I am a bit of a macaron freak. I have never made them and I don't really want to, as that means I will have to eat them (not good for my diet). But it's okay to look at them and drool.   Adriano Zumbo became famous for his macaron tower and countless other spectacular patisserie thingys on the TV show Masterchef (my husband is a big fan of the show and so are our kids).

 

 

Direct from the house of Zumbo

So nicely packaged

They really do look too good to eat....

But we did eat them of course!

 

 

The master himself with his famous macaron tower (picture from the internet)

And another selection of beauties (picture from the internet)

 

I hope I haven't teased you too much with this post

Of course you could always run off and make your own

But I bet they won't look as good as these !

Recipe here

A gift for the teacher

The gift

(basil, parsley and mint herb pot)

 

The card

 

Gift tag

 

Well the last day of school has come and gone - we are officially on school holidays. And every year there is a challenge to find a gift for the kids teachers. This year they were in the same class (one advantage of having twins) so I only had to choose one gift and this time it was for a man (all previous teachers have been female which is so much easier).

So, what to do ?

I did not want to buy chocolate coated peanuts or a coffee mug (he has about 10 already I think). I knew something would spring into my head - but it only happened the day before their final day at school.

I decided to plant a big pot of herbs. Sometimes when Mr Dreise has a day off his wife is the fill in teacher for the class. So I made it a joint gift to Mr & Mrs Dreise from Oliver & Lucy.

 

Last day of school in their Christmas clothes

 

Waiting patiently to perform in their Christmas concert

 

Image from last year - Lucy in her Santa dress

 

 

I did not photograph last years gifts for the teacher - from memory it was a crazy busy year with me working full time and I don't even recall what I gave the teachers.  But this is the post from 2010 where I managed some home made gifts for the 4 teachers the kids had see post here

Each year I say I must start my Christmas sewing early but alas again it did not happen - but let's face it, it is hard to sew for a man.  But next year they have a female teacher once again so no excuses, next year it will be a handmade sewn gift for Mrs Simpson. 

And of course it will be here before we blink. 

 



On the first day of Christmas

 

MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME......

 

December 1st is always the day for us to drag the Christmas decorations down from their hiding place

Today we started off with some German Christmas biscuits and Carols to set the mood

 

The kids were really into it this year and did a great job

 

There was a little bit of messing about

 

 

But I think they are definitely old enough to do a pretty good job now

Here she is all finished

And I didn't have to rearrange too much

(not like last year)

This beautiful heart is from Austria - one of my prized Austrian glass decorations - a gift from a dear friend who lived there for about five years.

 

A sweet Angel - from Russ designs

 

Gorgeous Santa from Earthborn

 

 

And this is this years new creation !

A branch from my Tropical Birch tree propped up in a pottery vase (a birthday gift from my potter friend Ange) decorated with baubles, birds and butterflies.

 

Sweet bluebird on my birch branch

 

And this little girl is from last year too (courtesy of Pillow Talk - again half price) -  I really love her, so sweet she is...

 

 

Lucys snow globe

 

(accompanied by china bell and present from Bed Bath and Table

And every child needs a snowglobe - they were a Christmas Eve gift last year for the kids (courtesy of Myer).

 

Olivers snow globe

Accompanied by the reindeers - purchased from Bed, Bath a Table, a couple of years ago now (always at half price)

 

So that is it, the 1st of December has been and is almost gone.  The countdown is now officially on. 

 

I have started some sewing for christmas gifts but cannot say too much here in case the wrong person reads it.......

The lights are up on the front fence (one measly strand)

And the shopping has begun, still a way to go though

I am yet to find a place that I am happy with to hang my Advent Calendar I made last year

This year our tree is in a different room, I have moved it from the loungeroom to our outdoor entertaining room -  and I have to say I am liking it, a lot !

We will see it a lot more from this position and we already had our Christmas lights up in the outdoor room - they stay there all year.

 

So, have you put up your tree and found your Christmas cheer?