Alphabet Tuesday: O is for Octopus

This little octopus is one of my favourite critters on the whole Dick Bruna alphabet frieze. My little boy loved watching me trace and cut him out this morning and I loved sewing him up today, so I think Mr. Octopus definitely has the cute factor. I love that he is looking away to the side, slightly worried...perhaps a shark is coming?

I'd like to be, under the sea, in an octopus's garden, in the shade...

California dreaming

I mailed a postcard to a complete stranger in California yesterday. No I haven't gone mad, it was my little part in the Great Stitched Postcard Swap.

The theme was "time" and it did take me some time to come up with an idea and get this project in the mail, in fact I went a little bit over time. In the spirit of the World Cup soccer, lets just say that I went into extra time, which of course keeps things exciting.

So, time flew, and I had fun...

Have a great weekend.

My Creative Space: in a flap

This is my kitchen bench today, getting slowly covered in little offcuts of paper and fabric as I try to make a stitched postcard.

I am running a bit late for the deadline for this postcard swap, but trying not to get in a flap about it.

There's enough to get in a flap about over today's political developments.

I think today really calls for a "Keep Calm and Carry On" motto, don't you think?

For more calm and peaceful creative spaces, pop on over to Kootoyoo.

Progressing

I am still making my smock, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about it.

I did say I was going to find some grey wool for this project. I am quite into grey at the moment, must be the short days and cooler weather (otherwise known as winter). My quest for wool fabric was short lived when I discovered it is often mixed with synthetics and as such had "dry clean only" on the tag. Forget that! Unless I can throw it in the wash then its not going in my wardrobe. The feel and look of the fabrics I found were not what I was after at all.

Fate intervened on my trip to Ikea last week when I bought this large piece of pre-cut cotton fabric for only $7. Grey, just as I wanted, and with a fabulous star burst print.

Half the fabric has gone for the smock, and the other half means there's another Ikea skirt in the works.

Alphabet Tuesday: N is for Nest

This nest is so full there is no room for mummy bird to sit on those eggs. Perhaps a pesky cuckoo has been in there and added a few while she wasn't looking...

I have to admit that trying to sew the "sticks" of the nest with my machine very quickly lead to boredom. Surely I am not getting fed up with this alphabet malarky! No, just got a lot on my plate at the moment and sewing sticks on a green nest was not at the top of my list of exciting things to do this week. With twelve letters still to go I am going to save my sense of fussyness for some more detailed pictures soon to come.

Stay tuned.

Drats!

Anatomy of baby blanket project:

• Purchase 1m each of beautiful soft pink flannelette, hot pink floral cotton and 4.5m pink and white spotty binding - check
• Pre-wash fabrics - check
• Cut two exact rectangles with perfect 90 degree corners - check
• Sew together right sides out - check
• Refresh memory on how to make mitred corners using single fold bias binding - check
• Sew binding to baby blanket with beautiful mitred corners - check
• Fold and topstitch binding to catch the underside and finish the corners - mmm, a bit of backtracking and restitching is obviously needed

Well, I have a little time to fix it up, the intended recipient is still quietly gestating through her last week or so.

My Creative Space: a space of ones own

Finally, after a year and a bit of my sewing machine being permanently installed on the dining table, I have moved into the study/spare room.

The move was not without its considerations of the pros and cons. The dining table sits across the glass windows at the back of our house so light wise it really is the most unbeatable spot in the house, but I was basically sewing at the back door, which at our house actually functions as our main entrance.

old space

So you could say I evicted myself to have a little more privacy, I can shut the door on the mess now if I want, but I am now in the darkest room in the house, which I hope won't matter too much as I do a lot of work at night anyway.

new space

Thanks to the Ikea discount corner we picked up a large table top to replace my small study desk (so recycling the table legs). I also now have enough room for dual function - crafting and computering - great!

What you don't see in this picture is that table next to mine is my husbands computer desk, yes, directly next to me. Its a bit office like. A pro, or a con? Jury's out.

For more creative spaces pop on over to Kootoyoo!

Shhh, artist at work

Hope you are having a great Wednesday wherever you are.

Alphabet Tuesday: M is for Mouse

Pussycat, pussycat where have you been?

I've been to London to visit the Queen.

Pussycat, pussycat what did you do there?

I frightened a little mouse under her chair.

Squeek!

Hope you had a great Queen's birthday long weekend if you reside in Australia.

Fiddle, fiddle, fiddle

OK, I successfully made it almost to the end of the smock making instructions. I didn't do the hand basting of the yoke facings or do the hemming because this is just a rough version for fit.

This first version was indeed too small, as I was half expecting it to be. The yoke was very high up on my chest compared to the photo of the completed garment in the Seams to Me book, where it comes down much lower, almost around and under the armpits. The width was also a little small making it tight across my upper chest, the arm holes were too high and the length was shorter than expected.

I decided to make a second yoke by adding 5cm in lenth at the horizontal adjustment line given on the pattern. I didn't increase the width because I wanted to just unpick the first yoke and then attach the new one to the existing body pieces. I like this much better, and it also increases the length of the smock to something more like the photo in the book. However, there is a lot of gape at the yoke front which is just ridiculous.

My bloke came up with the suggestion of putting a slight curve to the lower edge of the yoke to bring in the gape. Lets see how it goes...