Nearly forgot

Hi I nearly forgot my most important finish for this month. I have mentioned it in previous posts but forgot to post a photo.  I think the thing I love most about this quilt is that with the hand quilting it is really soft and cuddly. I made another one last year and machine quilted that one and although they were identical the machine quilted one was much stiffer, not quite the right word but I’m sure you know what I mean.

I can just imagine Immi cuddled up on the lounge with it as she grows. A lovely image!

The other photo I have is not craft related but just very beautiful and was captured in our garden last Thursday. This butterfly had just emerged from it’s cocoon on our potted orange tree.

I’m not much of a photographer, I only have the camera on my phone but I was so happy to see this. Do you get excited by stuff like that? I hope so.

Love Annie

Just so Sweet

Hi I want to start this post by congratulating all the craft bloggers and the craft community in general for so generously supporting the Qld Flood Disaster, almost $100.000.00 to aid flood affected people.

I love reading blogs and am always inspired by what other people are doing and quite often overwhelmed by their work load and creativity and sometimes I feel just plain overwhelmed.

I am sure that most of the time this is my place to just talk to myself as I don’t get many comments back and that is fine as I understand I never have anything that earth shattering to say but if you do drop by and read could you please just sometimes leave a comment because when you do I walk around with a silly grin for awhile.

Ok now down to business I found a great  little dress pattern through a link on 2 Giggle Boxes blog. The dress is called strangely enough “Sweet Little Dress Pattern” by Leila and Ben. I purchased the pattern in sizes ranging from 3mths to 5yrs, I hope Immi likes it.

These are the 3 I have made so far and then someone came up with the idea of matching headbands which of cause no self respecting 6mth old can do with out! Well the dress takes less than an hour to make but the headbands because I had to make them up as I go (please don’t laugh I am strictly a follow the pattern type of girl and not so good at that) took me hours and many prototypes to come up with the “simple little number you see above!

I also found another dress pattern really a girl can’t have too many dresses called “The Perfect Day” by Cuddles*n*Chaos  again a beautifully written and constructed pattern that is a print at home PDF.

It takes took me longer than the other dress but this could say more about my sewing skills than the pattern. I also used it as an opportunity to learn to make some continuous binding. I just typed continuous binding into google and looked at several youtube videos. I didn’t save the links but if you want to have a go I’m sure you can find a tutorial on the net to help you. This is not hard and a relatively small piece of fabric gives you a lot of binding.

Happy sewing, crocheting, knitting whatever you’re doing

Annie

PS Don’t forget OPAM is open for 2011 see sidebar

Let them eat cake

This is my first attempted at a cake stand that I found on Cindy's blog. This blog is full of clever handmade gifts that really would suit everyone.

Cindy’s blog gives clear concise instructions with lots of pictures to guide those of us that find written instructions a challenge.lol

I picked up these plates on sale and the hardware is pretty cheap so all up it probably came in at under $10. I can’t wait to try out more I think I would like to pick up some antique (old) bits and bobs to dress it up a bit, the possibilities are endless.

Imagine one using cute fairy plates to dress up a little girls party table, (sorry Sarah, i wish I had thought of that one earlier) or super hero plates for a little boy, oh my imagination is going wild.

I needed my DH help as no-one in their right mind would let me near a power tool or saw for that matter, but I’m sure most people could manage but it was fun to do something like this together.

I am pleased to also announce that I have finished the hand quilting on Imogen’s mini Dresden quilt (no photo’s yet) and should get to the binding tomorrow fingers crossed.

Well I still have another set of plates to experiment with so…………….

Bye for now Annie

Sushi

Ok so there is nothing remotely resembling sewing going on here today but my girls decided we would have sushi for lunch! It was just the 3 of us +Imogen home and i had to have some blood tests so they took over the kitchen.

I have only attempted sushi making on one other occasion and with only moderate success, but i had received a sushi making kit for Christmas and the girls were keen and I was hungry so really a match made in heaven.

I think I will let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think we can say success all round. This little gadget is amazing and it all took less than about 20min from start to finish.

Thanks girls love you.

PS Sewing tomorrow

Finally

Yesterday I decided it was high time that I did something nothing earth shattering just something.... But I felt that it would be wrong to start something new when I had so many unfinished projects, so that is how I spent yesterday. No not finishing them all ( I wish ) but at least making a start.

I had been working on this crocheted blanket since October I think. I have used my favorite bamboo yarn and a 5mm hook. The granny squares are about 4" and there are 4 rounds in each square. I used roughly 6 or 7 collude in total and finished each square in the white. I have used 80 squares in total.

This blanket started from reading Kelly's blog who was learning to crochet and although I am no expert  I have been doing it since I was a child off and on and this post really inspired me to give it a go. Granny squares were the first thing that I learnt to do and I had so much fun doing them again so many years later. There are some great instructions at attic24.typepad.com

 

 

My next finish is going to have to be Immi's Dresden Plate quilt I know, how ashamed am I that I am still not finished and I don't have a great excuse I think I just got waylaid and distracted.

I don't have any photo's as yet as I can't find my camera/phone cord but I will upload them as soon as I find it, it has to be here somewhere under this pile of mess right.

Found it! It wasn't that buried after all.

We also caught up with some friends and this was my contribution to a lovely afternoon drinks. Caramel pavlova.......... Yum

Have a great day from Annie

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