Make it Monday: Straight sewing {swaddle blankets}

Simple sewing. When you have a desire to sew but don't have the oomph for anything requiring brain power.
That happens here. More often then not.

As children, when mum started to teach us the basics of sewing, we got to cut up old sheets to approx 30cm square. We had to iron in hems, measured, straight and even, with out burning our fingers. Folded over again, and straight stitched. No overlocker/serger for us.

We made dust rags. And lots of them! Her cupboard was well stocked.

During the past holidays I purchased some flannelette (100% cotton). Buy 2, get 1 free. I like those specials. I made big dust rags baby swaddle blankets or bunny rugs or receiving blankets, as they are also known. This material came at 112cm/42inch wide, so I ordered enough to make square ones. On the larger side, but at least you can swaddle the baby with out it coming undone.

I enjoy making these up, and putting in the cupboard. They make good baby gifts for the celebration of a new birth or babyshowers. 

There are many tutorials online how to make a really easy and quick receiving blankets, that just have the edges overlocked/serged. I like the edges finished, but the corners can get quite bulky when you are folding all the fabric over each other. I found to mitre the corners gave a neat, non-bulky finish to the blanket.

Here is how I made mine. 

Tip: I like to have numerous cut ready to go, and do them all at the same time.

1. Square up the edges

2. Overlock/serge* all the edges esepcially removing the fluff from the selvedge

3. Iron/press your seam allowance. 

Place pins through the top fabric only, where they meet together.

4. Open up your corner and fold backwards, right sides together, matching pins together. 

Place a new pin where the two pins are meeting back to the ironed corner mark. 

5. Stitch where pin is and trim corner.

6. Turn out the right way. Use a pointed object eg knitting needle, to push out the corner if need be. Press.

Repeat steps 3 to 6 for all the corners.

Straight stitch evenly all the way around the blanket.

Another quick iron/press to smarten up the edges and corners and your blanket is done. 

 * Before owning a overlocker/serger I have zigzagged the edges or just double folded the edges.

Next Monday, some more simple straight sewing.

L.

Something beautiful

How pretty are these?

We planted this eucalyptus tree about two and a half years ago after it was a gift to our family. We have watched it grow taller, trimmed the bottom branches off to encourage new growth and watched as it has continued to thrive. Before we went away for holidays at last Christmas, we noticed tiny buds appearing. We hoped that we would not be away when they decided to burst forth their colour.

We got back from holidays and inspected the tree, but still the buds remained closed. It was not until two weeks ago that this tree opened its beautiful flowers for us all to admire. A deep rich pink.

So beautiful, and on our own front lawn. Something I look at and admire every day.

L.

WIP wednesday {stripey blanket}

Yesterday was Wednesday apparently. It kind of slipped by and time didn't allow me to put this post up. But here is my current WIP that I am quite happy to have up and going again. The hook has been dusted and its nice to get some crochet happening. It has just been too warm to work on it during the day, but I try and manage a row or two at night. And so it is slowly growing.

Pattern: As-we-go stripey blanket by 

Web link: Not your average crochet

Tell me you want to see progress. I would love to get this one completed before winter!

L.

Make it Monday: ah, sidetracked

I was going to have some easy sewing for this Monday... But I have been sidetracked in my sewing room...

a sad story with a happy ending

* in no way is this post craft related, but just a snippet of our family life in the past few weeks. craft posts will be coming up.

Meet Aussie, a pink and grey galah.

He joined our family about 4 years ago, after we saw him trying to cross our highway. He could not really fly. He always crash landed after maybe getting a little bit of lift off the ground. After taking him past our local vet they diagnosed him with a old break in his one wing that had healed wrong. They were happy to take him off our hands and give him to a wildlife rescue group. We bought a large cage that afternoon and Aussie became part of the family zoo.

He was young, very young still. Have you heard these birds in the wild especially the young ones? They make a rather interesting noise - especially when they want food.

We were able to handle him and he loved nothing more then a treat of sunflower seeds. He grew up and did some silly acrobats in his cage. He learnt all the kids names. He whistled for the dogs, and told our big dog to get "on your mat" at her meal times. He always asked "Jordan, what you doing?" He called Dad, just liked the kids did with a really drawn out "daaaa-aad". He loved nothing more then a "scratch scratch" behind his neck or a waddle around the front or back yard, chasing the kids toes.
And if we went outside without acknowledging him, we would soon hear "hello Aussie, hello Aussie". Oh yeah, hi Aussie. During our renovations, he even managed to give a few tradesman the odd scare with his talking - when they thought no one was around, he would start up.

He had our rottweiler under control. She avoided Aussie after one close encounter ended up with a peck on her nose. Those beaks have some strength to shred a rubber tyre.

We got a weiro friend and a bigger aviary for them. But he never liked when the weiro would fly in the aviary. He would get a fright and fall off his perch to the ground and make his way back up the tree stump. He really didn't have any control of that damaged wing.

This brings us to the last week of school holidays.

It was quiet time after lunch, but there was this noise. With my oldest we went to investigate the odd noise. It was from the patio. Our rottweiler was pawing at the aviary. We checked the birds and that's when we came across the horrible scene of Aussie on the ground next to a big black dugite snake. Ekk! A snake, here on our property, in suburbia. I think not. 14 years we have lived here and not seen one. The elderly lady next door has lived there for the past 47 years and not seen one either. Just us.

Hubby came home in an instant and managed to locate the snake. Here is his head.

Eek right!? This photo still gives me the goose bumps. He was in a hole created by mice behind the sleeper wall. He kept peering out at hubby and poking his tongue out. He used my zoom lens on this one. He wasn't that close to it. (I was behind the glass sliding door. No way was I going out there to see it again.)

The reptile people came but he slithered away into the rock wall which is full of field mice thanks to the next door neighbours fig tree. There was devastation among the kids and maybe us adults too. I know, only a bird right, but this guy had character. It was a good chance to talk to the kids about the way nature works. As sad as it was.

And where is the snake now? We don't know. It took the kids and myself a while to be comfortable to go outside again. The dogs slept in the laundry for some nights. The weiro got a new home inside by the back door and the aviary was moved and won't be used again.

Even though this isn't a fairy tale, there is a happy ending:

This past week we have welcomed a young, 12 week old, hand reared and spoon fed, and already talking, pink and grey galah. Junior or Charlie. We are still debating this one out during family meal times.

Hopefully it heals the hole where Aussie was! He/she* will have the cage we first bought for Aussie, mounted high up on the patio wall away from any future snakes.  And the weiro? He thinks Aussie is back and could not get close enough.

Sorry, really a post for bird lovers. :) But I am sure he will be popping up in posts now and again.

*sex of bird won't be known for sometime till the eye changes colour. Neutral name needed. :)

L.

WIP Wednesday

One crochet project I have managed to work on over the past months was my version of the Scheepjes CAL 2014 by wink, of Creative Being. I didn't want to order the yarn pack that was suggested from deramores, as I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to complete the six squares a week. I used my 8ply latte cotton from bendigo and was able to work up 9 of the 10 patterns to make a square pram/crib blanket. 

Here it is, just been blocked and laying nice and flat and square. I finished the edges with four rounds of dc followed by a row of crabstitch or reverse sc. 

 

 It is perfect size for a pram or a crib. I am leaning towards finishing this blanket with a backing of sorts, just so little toes don't get caught up in the holey sections. So if we are blessed with a girl, I will be looking forward to using it. If not, it will be packed into the cupboard for another special baby girl.

But to back it with minky, flannel or cotton? I haven't lined a blanket before, but if you have I would love to hear your suggestions.

L.

Teething Necklace {Crochet}

Sometime ago I was asked to crochet over some natural wooden beads by a lovely lass who wanted to make herself a teething necklace. All infants like to reach for necklaces. It's just what they do. This one was going to be safe enough for son to chomp on and gentle enough on his gums. No sharp edges and corners. 

She chose a blue verigated crochet cotton and I got to hang out with a a teenie-tiny crochet hook for a while. I used the pattern from Craft Passion to make them. I sent them off, still with their tails and the left over cotton so she could play around with the design of the necklace. 

She had purchased the smaller beads herself. These are her photos that she has shared back with me.

One of these is headed to my to-do list shortly. Check out pinterest for more teething necklaces. Ideas a-plenty!

L.

so, its 2015

Actually it has ticked over to February already. Summer is well and truly here. Holidays have been enjoyed. We remembered Christ's birth at Christmas. 2014 finished and 2015 started. School is back. Time for routine. Time to start some craft.

Since last post, lots has happened. 

Sadly, not on the craft side of things either - though it is picking up again. 

And the blog has been quiet. 

But there is good reason for that. I have spent the better part of the last four months with lovely side effects that come with pregnancy. Thankfully, things have settled down greatly and we are starting to feel normal again and the house is starting to function to some degree of normality. 

We still managed to sneak away for a week to our favourite holiday destination . It was nice for a change of scenery and to spend some time just with the children, as soon as school finished. I packed one crochet WIP, but not one stitch was done. We were blessed with a week of great weather and enjoyment, till gastro took us home. 

A few photos of our summer.

  Camping bouquet

Writing postcards. As a child, we would love receiving postacards from our travelling grandparents. We have made this a camping holiday activity for our family. They choose who they would like to write too, write a draft, write the card and choose a stamp - then ride to the mail box and drop it in. (you just need to remember to take your address book with you!)

Back at home, there was lots of lego time, book reading, pool games of marco polo and whirlpools. Even sprinkler dodge. Just to keep them cool while we simmered through some warm days. Two weeks of swimming lessons were also conquered along with school shopping. 

This fabric, bought months ago from Ikea and stored in the cupboard, with some Crayola fabric markers, was just perfect for these holidays. It kept them all occupied for amazing amounts of time. It is nearly all coloured in, but has been packed away for next holidays. I even found myself sitting there colouring with them. *blush* Who doesn't enjoy colouring in? Still looking for a bright idea to sew this up. Any suggestions?

And that was basically our 6 weeks of holidays. School has started again - all four are full time at school. The house is quiet - but things have been happening in the craft room and the crochet hook had has been dusted. - stay tuned.

L.

house update {final}

  Here are the photos as promised in the last post. This will be our last house update too. Back to some craft on this blog. 

 The kitchen area overlooking the desk area - something I really like and is important to us, as I can keep on eye on computer homework while doing dinner duties, especially if internet is involved.

My favourite part of the kitchen would be the big island bench, which lets the children sit and help prepare meals, roll meatballs, do their homework, or craft activities while they natter to me.

The odd tall cupboard next to the fridge is a stand-alone broom cupboard which can be easily removed to make room for a double fridge when our current one decides to call it a day. 

Down the passage, first door on the left is my pantry, which was originally the old bathroom. Then the toilet and followed by the under stair storage room.

The stairway with under stair storage. This is a great cupboard that actually swings all the way back around under those carpeted stairs. It houses the kids school bags and shoes, boxes of sorted toys and other stuff. This room isn't quite finished so no photos of it!

   The dinning area and the door to the laundry off the kitchen - the only room that hasn't changed in this renovation - though the ceiling still needs replacing.

The desk area. We have reused my old pantry as the kids activity cupboard. More of the old kitchen cupboards have been used in the sewing room. Part of the benchtop has ended up in my pantry as a workbench.

The entry and lounge. Formally bedrooms, passage and a linen cupboard!

There is a quick-access sliding door from the lounge that opens up to the bottom of the stairway.

Still playing horses. :)

And that completes this post and all house updates. There are still numerous things that need finishing off, outside especially, and the walls are still bare as we decide where to hang what.

We have been richly blessed to be able to expand our home to hopefully cater for the needs of our growing family for years to come. We have thoroughly enjoyed doing majority of it ourselves, even though it has taken some time and we have lived in mess and dust. Would we do it again. Not me in a hurry. I think I will enjoy doing housework that makes a house look clean afterwards!

Special thanks to Arnold from Arnold Schiebaan Building designs, who scrunched up our original hand drawings and designed for us a beautiful and functional family home, just right for our family.

Also to WA Spantruss who built and delivered our pods, the second storey. Even though it was a nerve wracking day, it all went very smoothly.

And Ringma's for my lovely kitchen, especially as it was built in stages.

Thank you for sharing our journey with this project. I look forward to sharing more craft projects as time allows.

L.