coast(er)ing along

sorry for that lame title, but i just love words! i also love Mollie Makes magazine, its stuffed full of projects, inspiring homes and you could almost read it just for the advertising. one such page prompted me to have a look at nook which is a blog mainly about yarncrafting. there are some free patterns available, one of which is for these crocheted jardain coasters.

jardain coasters

i made a set of four because these might become a pressie for an upcoming event (ssshh) and added an extra row to comfortably fit mugs. i love these easy projects that can be made in an afternoon with such good results and just use up scraps of yarn.

petals

i'm thinking this pattern could be used for other things as well, maybe sew lots together to make a matching table runner or some placemats? ready? set? go..........!

thats my boy!

my kids are used to me always making something at all hours of the day and night. although i encourage them to join in, they don't like to sit for very long and lose interest pretty quickly. on the weekend i had left my sewing machine on the table while i did something else and came back to this...

a need for speed

i have taught him the basics of machine sewing and happily they also teach boys and girls in high school how to sew as well. he loves my machine because its computerised so, like most kids his age, its hard-wired into his brain how to use it. he told me what he wanted to make and with a little direction and some handsewing by his auntie he got this softie made.

ipod softie

being a boy means he loves adding a gross sense of humour to his work, but what i am most impressed by is how meticulous he was with adding detail. every button had to be added, the apple cut just so, without a pattern in sight.

where my toons at?

knippie knuffel

my collection of recycled clothing has outgrown its current location in the laundry to the extent that it must be used before i dare hit the op shops again. to make matters worse it seems every local op shop is having a sale, aaargh i can't resist! my sister got a new knippie which is a Dutch sewing magazine, and i saw the perfect pattern to use up old jeans.

denim knuffel

it was fun to choose the areas to cut the dog from and i only needed one denim skirt for this project. a scrap of vintage sheeting made a cute neckerchief and the knuffel was ready to live on the couch.

home at last

i've still got lots of jeans to use up but luckily there a more knuffels to make; a guitar, a cloud, and its even been suggested that a pink pair of jeans could be repurposed as a pig.

single sock blues

i would like to dedicate this song to makers of socks, gloves, sleeves or pairs of anything (with apologies to Bob Dylan)

single sock blues

knit one

purl one

sit here just for fun

dee de dee dee dee de dee hum hum

sew it up

try it on

dont wanna

make another one

(plays harmonica for a few bars)

feel bad

look sad

you had

to get mad

the knit dont work

cause you got no more yarn.

lonely sock

t-shirt makeover

its a bit of a running joke in our family that all of us girls love a grey marle cardigan or t-shirt. we all have one or two of these and its not unusual to be caught out wearing the same kind of look on the same day as another sister! recently i picked up two grey t-shirts on sale for $2 each, but i thought they were a bit boring and needed something extra.

boring grey tshirts

there are quite a few t-shirt makeover tutorials on the net, but my favourites are from tea rose home. not only is her blog pretty and inspiring, but she is very generous with her tutorials and photos. i have been meaning to give this tutorial a go for a while, so holding my breath, i chopped up one t-shirt as instructed. sewing on the ruffles took a bit of time because they have to line up neatly, each hiding the stitching of the last.

new pretty grey tshirt

after making a fabric rose to stitch on the neckline the t-shirt was ready to wear. its amusing to think of a sporty grey marle t-shirt being converted to a pretty ruffly top but i think it works. i love it and i think its just different enough from my sisters grey t-shirts!

owls for hope

last month a little niece was born in Melbourne and mum and i went to Spotlight and saw the perfect quilt panel for her. last week we thought it was time to sew it up before her 21st birthday! mum chose a stripey binding fabric to match and i sewed it on. mum reluctantly put down her crochet hook and stopped making squares for her almost finished afghan (stay tuned for a finish soon) and handstitched it down in front of the tv that night.

owl quilt in the garden

the following day it was posted off to Melbourne and it should be in little Hope's baby hands quite soon.

olive and kashmir

welcome to two little creatures that sneaked into my house today...

birthday suits

sunday best

crafternoon stitching

bedtime story

a pea? what pea?

olive and kashmir tell me that they are made from all recycled and thrifted materials. i hope they stay, they are girls after my own heart!