Crafting day with my sister.

My finished boots

Cutting and planning

My sister and I spent a day making Boots / Slippers from the woolen blankets that I dyed and the leather I got from the dump shop. The pattern is amazing and is from Twig and Tale. They are New Zealand designers and makers and their products and patterns are amazing. Very clear and easy to follow and these slippers stitch up so fast.

My sister 

My sisters finished boots. She finished first!

My finished boots

In progress

Linking to these places.

Recycling - now funky Christmas decoration for my craft room

 When I went to my quilting retreat I knew I would need a couple of little projects to do when tired. I took all my old thread spools and my bag of scraps. I should have taken a glue gun as that would have been quick and easy, but I did not so I stitched the material onto the spools.

I think I saw this idea either on Crazy Mum Quilts or Cluck Cluck Sew, but as I can't seem to trace it I cannot accurately credit the idea. 

So now it is above the window over my sewing machine, decorating the craft / computer room. 

I love that it is using something normally thrown out. The first Christmassy (and to be honest it will probably be permanently up there) thing in the house.

Linking to these places and Crazy Mum Quilts.

My favourite kind of finish. Upcycled craft

The first finish of my recovery and convalescence. I love the designs by Jane Van Kuelen from Stash Palace, just because she uses everything, thinks outside the square and upcycles so much stuff, it is inspiring. When we were away on our annual crafting retreat Jane gave us the starter pack with the dyed wool blankets marked out with the pattern and a sample of her stitch ideas. There was an apple or pear to choose from. As you can see I chose the pear!!

 

I knew I would need heaps of sit down projects to complete. So I go this on the go and also used that as inspiration to start a shoulder bag. Again using Jane's dyed wool blankets and some off cuts of velvet that she dyes. It is so sumptuous. Of course there will be the requirement to add a lot of bling and other bits!

What I have found a bit unexpected in recovery though. Is that it is hard to get inspired and actually do the work. Quite a lot of mindlessness and inactivity happens in the day as concentration goes. Where I had thought I would get heaps of craft etc done as I had time up my sleeve, but a lot of that ends up in bed or watching TV. Slowly we are getting out of that.

I have tried to photograph better. The craft / computer room has a bit of a makeover thanks to my brother in law and sister. They pulled the old curtains down and installed the blinds I ordered ( and my measurements were accurate!!!), So I used the thermal lining on a chair to show off the article better. I am pleased with the result.
Linking to these places  and Crazy Mum Quilts, when I have the omph to do so.

Upcycling PJ's into a quilt

Well a month after I finished the quilt top I finally bound it last night. This is another quilt for the orphanage we support in Kenya - Hope Homes International. This is made from old PJ's with a flannelette sheet on the back.

I have tidied my crafting area, it will never look so neat again.

I have packed my bag and my quilt. I am now heading into one of the biggest adventures of my life. Open heart surgery and the replacement of my aortic valve. It has been a journey getting here. I look forward to recovering and feeling that I have my omph back. There is so much I want to do that I have just found too much in the last year.

So onward and upward, with a positive outlook and a great faith in Jesus.

Linking up to these places and crazy mum quilts

My latest upcycle

I am thrilled with this upcycle but when I went to show it to Aaron....hmm...how many ways can a husband be polite when he just isn't riveted? How can you not be excited by an amazing travelling ironing board?

I found the small board at our local dump shop and paid a huge sum of $2. I need a board for my yearly quilt retreat. I added two layers of wool batting as it was sitting on metal mesh. Then I raided my canvas fabrics. Drafted a pattern sewed and Ta Da! I love it. The fantastic thing about it is that the legs fold away and it has a hanger. So when not in use you just hang it in the cupboard.

Looking forward to being fully equipped on my next travels.

Linking to these places.  and Crazy Mum Quilts

A Scandi Christmas

For ages I have been meaning to make a banner - In a Scandinavian style - using reclaimed linen shirt (leftover from my hat) and red thread. So far I have a N and part of a O. I am beginning to think that it will not turn out how I had intended. But I will persist.

A finish - upcycling via the sewing table

Yay, I started and finished something in the same day. A hat. Just in time to head off to Fiji.

I have been meaning to make another hat for summer and think about it often (the last three summers!!). So finally realising my hat was in the caravan and I needed to pack for the tropics, I pulled out an old linen shirt and started cutting.

I used McCalls 2163 with a huge amount of adaption. I quilted the top of the head piece and the brim. Made the brim wider, did not follow their instructions - all the typical behaviour of someone who does not want to be told what to do!!

I am so thrilled with it that I have already pulled out an another linen shirt - in black - and have cut out a new one already. More alterations than before. So there will be another update (soon I hope).

Now on to finishing all those headbands for Christmas.....
I link to these places.

A bit of refashioning and upcycling

Yes I am into broaches at the moment. They are a lovely addition to the winter wardrobe without being all glitz and glamour. This broach is made from dying an old blanket, I adore this colour. I got this material thanks to Jane Van Kuelen in Hanmer Springs. Oh she dyes the most amazing threads and material.

I followed this pattern but instead of adding a button on the front I got the centre from an Op Shop (thrift shop) as one of a pair of earrings.

The filigree broach back was purchased from Jane. The colour is much more like the bottom photo

Linking to these place.

I have to pack my stash

Well we move in two weeks. I am meant to be packing the house up. So that means I have to pack my stash. Now my stash is not quite the ordinary crafter's stash. It is piles and piles of clothing from the second hand store.

All the seams cut, just a few to go

The problem with packing it is that I get inspired and as I have packed all my current projects I just had to start another. My thought was that if it was started it would be far less bulky to pack. I decided to sew another "fluffy"quilt. Out came all the old pyjamas and the cutting began. I took off the buttons (very useful for other projects) and took off all tags(as I have yet another idea re what to do about them) and cut all seams off.

The tags and buttons - oooh another project to start!

So with Aaron away the boys and I were to have a quiet weekend. 1.30pm in the afternoon and I was on the sofa (yes for those who know me that means I am still in my nightie), Jakob in his dressing gown and only Eli dressed.

The rolls of material ready to go, with a bit of supervision from Morris.

Then we get a call "I am parked outside your house can I come in and look at it please?" Oh my stars. I had to confess to being in my nightie and asked for five minutes. They pottered off to an open home and we got 20 minutes. My goodness the boys have the routine of getting the house ready and then skedadaling really well. In 20 minutes I had a shower and got dressed, loaded the dishdrawer, sorted the garage, folded washing. The boys vacuumed, made beds, pulled curtains, opened window and then were off on their scooters.

Now I am ready to start cutting and sewing I think I may have seriously run out of time.!!
Linking to these places

A dedicated follower of fashion

Well not really. But last winter and through our summer all the crafty bloggers seem to be making cowls instead of scarves. A good idea I thought. Last night I finished it and just in time for this foul weather today. I wore it to my stitching group this morning and it looks like the trend may be passing on!!!

This is made from the recycled angora (goat) wool that I posted about unpicking etc here. I only started this when we were camping at Molesworth Station three weeks ago. I looked in my knitting stitching book and found a stitch they called twisted fisherman's. It is soooooo easy. It is just knit stitch but every second row you knit into the current stitch and the one below. So fantastic for watching TV and knitting.

Me wearing it as a hood and scarf at stitching this morning.

Aaron and Eli love this too so I have started knitting Aaron a scarf using the same stitch and the same wool. What an awesome upcycling project. One jersey and this is the fourth knitted item from it and I still have more wool.

A close up of the twisted fisherman's knit

I link to these places.

and

Camping and a new quilt

Ahhh.... Camping again.

Lighting fires because it is not too dry so we wont start a forest fire

Having Milo and making damper on a stick, oozing with butter and jam in the hole made by the stick. Tasting of smoke, damper and a bit of charcoal.

The boys getting to stay up really late. Eli all cuddly with Dad having spent four hours building and then burning a big fire.

I really liked the mood shot but on my cheap camera I could not get the exposure to stay open long enough.

The new quilt on our bed. Now we all have a cuddly quilt for camping. Made from old PJ's and flannelette sheets, so warm and toasty.

The boys have their own bed but as usual somehow everyone migrates to our bed in the morning for our hot drink, reading and cuddles.

I guess the boys bunks aren't as spacious as our gorgeous queen size bed.

Ahh... We only went for one night.... away for 26 hours. But talk about relaxing. It is amazing what a night away can do. Fabulous weather really helps too.

So much has gone on in the last few weeks and the next couple of weeks will be hectic at home. But in the end we will have a fixed house. I have the next week off and am looking forward to relaxing some more, getting gardening done and then heading off with the boys for the last few days to camp again.

Linking to various places here.

A purse that turns into a bag

Need to use it - just unzip it

Ready to pop into a bag when shopping

Now this is an idea that I have been wanting to try for ages. Somehow from start to finish this took me three weeks. Pure procrastination (and the first time I put the zip in it was the wrong way around!!).

I found the idea and amazing tutorial here. Sew Mama Sew is a blog I follow. Though in the tutorial the bag was lined, I would love to line it but I fail to see how it would fit when zipped up. So I used the top stripe to make a neat inside finish and cover the seams.

This is made from two women's shirts - a 100% cotton stripe shirt and a 100% linen shirt (picked up in a "fill a bag for $5). The zips are also recycled from articles I have picked up.

I now have a list of how I would change it in the future.
1) put a tab and D ring on so that I could attach my keys and use it by itself.
2) make the bottom of the bag a bit more square which may give it a better look when zipped up
3) the second had zip is hard to zip up. Aaron suggested using a chunkier zip and maybe not sewing so close to the zip. I think he is right.

Open it up and it is ready to use.

I link to these places

Work in Progress

Over the last week I have been working hard trying to finish many things. Goodness how do I get so many unfinished projects? I have a bit of a rescue job to do when we come back from our next week away (the garage flooded with the recent rain and in spite of being up on blocks the suitcase with half done quilts and material for the charity I support, all got wet and I have to clear it out) so am trying to get things in my room finished first.

The cushion cover on the  matching quilt

The hourglass flannelette quilt in the making

I have just about finished the entire redo of Jakob's room. The last thing on my list for him was a matching cushion to go with his new decor. Last night I spent quilting the cushion top. It is now ready to be made into a proper cushion cover.

I have also been wanting to have my quilt for the caravan done. I am going girly and recycled. It is made from a flannelette sheet I bought at an Op Shop for $3 and lots of PJ tops and bottoms purchased for .50 cents. I am loving it so far but want to be using it!!! (sigh it will not be ready for this next trip away).

I sometimes link to these places.