Two Little Banshees

Cross Over Dress

2009-12-15T09:51:00.004+08:00

A new dress for Eva. I wanted something quick to make, that didn't need a zip or buttons so I drafted a pattern and this is what I made. A simple cross over top dress. A little big, but great for hot days. I used bias binding for the arms which I might rethink when I do another one. Actually I might add some sleeves. I think I might try to add some elastic around the waist instead of gathers too (like these dresses).

Poor Evie has another big lump on her head. She runs so fast and is often so busy looking in the other direction.

Sewing and Cooking

2009-12-14T12:28:00.002+08:00

The last of my wholesale orders are done. Lots of hats including these. Now I have about a week to do all the sewing I had planned for Christmas presents. Once again I have left everything to the last minute.

I have managd to do some Christmas baking with the girls yesterday. Biscotti (the recipe is in Handmade Help recipe book) and some Christmas shaped biscuits. All packaged up ready to give away for all those little thankyou presents you need at this time of the year.
I forgot to take a picture of this skirt, another fisher skirt, when I made it and I seem to be wearing it all the time. So the girls took some pictures this morning (yes not ironed!). It is such a comfortable pattern. I have another one cut out waiting to be sewn.

Cassatta Part 3

2009-12-12T15:09:00.002+08:00

The last layer of the cassatta needs 1 litre of softened ice-cream, a few drops of almond essence and about 2/3 rds of a 100g packet of slivered almonds. Mix them all in and spread on top of the chocolate layer. Sprinkle the rest of the slivered almonds on top and freeze.
When it is frozen you can remove the tin, cut and eat!

Cassatta Part 2

2009-12-11T08:50:00.004+08:00

For the second layer of the cassatta. Leave a litre of vanilla ice-cream out until it is soft but not liquid. Melt about 150g of choc chips or chocolate (I do love the 70% Lindt!) with about 1 tbsp of butter. Fold it through the ice-cream with 1-2 tbsp cocoa and some vanilla essence. Spoon onto the cherry layer and put into the freezer to freeze.

Just finishing a few wholesale orders and then hopefully I can started on the Christmas sewing. These creatures are headed to Retrospections in Cammeray in Sydney.

I found a bit of time yesterday to finish this quilt top using Rouenneries fabric by French General.

Cassatta Part 1

2009-12-10T06:15:00.002+08:00

Cassatta has been a pretty big part of our summer for as long as I remember. I think this recipe (or a similar one) was originally in a Women's Weekly Cookbook nearly 30 years ago. So yes this is a very 1980s dinner party recipe . This version is really so easy to make, the only thing is you have to plan ahead so the layers have time to freeze. The bottom layer is cherry.
You will need a packet or two of glace cherries chopped up. Marinate in 2 (quite large!) tbsp of brandy for 10 minutes.
Whip 300ml of cream and 2 tbsp of sugar.

Fold through the cherries and spoon into a springform tin lined with baking paper. The springform tin is important or you are never going to get the cassatta out at the end.
Next (hopefully tonight) will be the chocolate layer.

Bridgetown Christmas Fair

2009-12-06T10:10:00.002+08:00

My friend Emma, who is always full of amazing ideas, suggested earlier this year that Bridgetown needed a fair full of local products. I'll admit I was a bit skeptical, but she was right. She roped a few of us into helping her realise her vision and yesterday this is what our town hall looked like. Packed full of stalls and people. So packed full of stalls that the night before I had more than a few panicked moments trying to work out how to fit them in.
Quite a few stall olders wanted to be out on the list to get a table next year so I think it might be a possibility that there will be another one next year.

Handbag Pouch Tutorial

2009-12-01T07:06:00.005+08:00

I spent yesterday playing with some Grandmother's Flower Garden Laminate from Quilt Fabric Delights. The bottom of my handbag is a bit of a mess, lots of pens and pencils floating around and I can never find the lip gloss when I need it. The laminate was perfect to make a little pouch to put all those things in.

First of all I ironed it on the wrong side to remove the creases. I ironed it on a medium heat quite gently and the creases disappeared.
I cut a piece 15 inches long and 5 inches wide.
I ironed under about 1 cm (I am not sure why as I don't think it will fray much). I used a rajah cloth so I would not melt the fabric. Grab a zip. It doesn't matter what size as they will all be too big and will need to be shortened. Because pinning wil leave holes in the fabric. I used some hair clips to keep it in place.

Sew on the zip to each end.

Turn inside out and pin the sides. I pinned very close to the edge so any pin marks would end up in the seam and not be seen. Open the zip so you can turn it back the right way at the end. Sew the seams. I sewed over the zip a couple of times.

I used pinking shears to finish the seams and cut off the end of the zip.

Turn in the right way. Poke out the corners carefully. I added some ribbon to the zip to make it easier to open. Now my bag is a little tidier.

This fabric is much easier to sew than I thought. It is lovely and soft and I think I will be getting some more to make little raincoats for next winter.

Dachshunds, Skirts and Christmas

2009-11-28T19:58:00.003+08:00

There has been some dachshund making this week. They were the first thing to go at Upmarket.
So I have put a few up in the shop.

We spent the morning at the local show. Lots of sheep, ducks, ice-cream and face painting. I can hear the fire works now, but the girls are all tucked up in bed after our first Christmas Party outing for the year last night.
How is it Christmas already?? I am among what I think is a very small group of people who are not really in love with Christmas and everything that goes along with it. So I am taking some deep breaths and preparing myself for four weeks of Christmas talk from two very excited four year olds who are in love with it.
Here is a picture of the girls this morning. I finally finished the skirt for Grace (to match Amelia's) out of Rosalie Quinlans gorgeous fabric from Quilt Fabric Delights.

Hats

2009-11-26T13:11:00.002+08:00

The hats I took to Upmarket went pretty quickly. So I am slowly making some more and adding them to my madeit shop. (Which makes much more sense for summer things than putting them on Etsy which is in full winter mode right now).

This and That

2009-11-24T16:54:00.002+08:00

Good mail today - the latest MixTape. Being read by two little friends. There was a third but Milly claimed him for herself and there was a pink hippo but Grace claimed her.

A little knitting. The start of a Boheme for Evie.

Some wonderful fabric. It is Natura by Alexander Henry I bought here. It is a really nice fabric, a different base cloth. I'm not sure what to compare it with, but I think it would be great for skirts. Base cloths is not something I see discussed that much. I see yarn bases discussed a lot but not quilting fabrics which I find a bit strange as they can vary so much in their feel and drape. I would say the Natura is kind of 'rustic'. I am sure there is a better word, but I can't think of it. The base colour is a natural colour, not a white, and it has areally nice feel. I had planned on making toys, but now I have it I am thinking clothes (yes for me - I love it) or maybe bags.

Yarn

2009-11-20T14:06:00.003+08:00

Finally got around to taking some pictures of what I have been dyeing this month. There is some sock, some BFL sock and some 50%silk/50%wool.

All of them will be here soon.

Calendar

2009-11-19T16:52:00.002+08:00

How can you go wrong with some Scandanavian design and Letterpress?
A calendar to hang in my new kitchen from Sycamore Street Press.

Upmarket

2009-11-16T12:28:00.004+08:00

I'm hoping the craziness of the last week has gone and I am hoping this one is a lot calmer. Everything was going according to plan and then on Thursday Rolf the dog disappeared during the thunderstorm. So there has been lots of searching. We had no luck until yesterday when the ranger brought him home.

So all the last minute jobs I had for Upmarket didn't get done, but it didn't seem to matter and I had a great day yesterday. Thanks and hi to everyone who came to have a chat. It was nice to meet you all. In the chaos I didn't pack a camera and have no photos to share some good bits from the weekend:

Driving to Perth and back by myself so I could play my music as loud as I want and sing as loud as I want.

Holding a most gorgeous newborn baby called Eli.

Three little girls quite excited to see me arrive home.

This dress pattern. I have made two for Amelia and Grace this month and I see some more in my future. Maybe one for Eva in some Rouenneries by French General.

Sewing

2009-11-10T13:26:00.002+08:00

Some quick clothes sewing in between the panicking. And I do mean quick. I am a big fan of sewing clothes you can cut out, sew and be finished in an hour or two. I do love to buy beautiful designer Vogue patterns, but I rarely sew from them. I used a pattern from Onion (it is the Fisher Skirt under Specialty Patterns) for this skirt. Love this pattern, which went together perfectly considering it was in Danish and there were no diagrams. Unfortunately my photography does not do it justice. I take my hat off to stylists who can make clothes look nice.
What is the one thing more perfect than spotty cotton fabric? Spotty linen fabric. This bit was perfect for the most simple shift dress for Evie.

Hot and Not

2009-11-09T12:26:00.002+08:00

I know it is meant to be What's hot and Not Wednesdays, but I thought of a few things when I was out walking this morning.
Hot:
The weather at 5.30am - just perfect. Not the time I really want to be up, but all the children are so I may as well walk/jog while they eat breakfast with Chris.
At 5.30am there are not many people around which is good if I am trying to jog.
Banjos and Double Basses
Mumford and Sons - this is in my head today.

Not:
Sultanas - I wish there were more breakfast cereals without them.
The mess in my sewing room. I can't even bring myself to take a picture to show you.

Denim Bags

2009-11-08T18:32:00.002+08:00

I know there has been a lack of blogging, but I have been panicking and sewing for Upmarket next weekend. In between the toy and hat sewing I have been working on some new bags.
Now I must get back to the panicking and sewing.

A-line Skirt

2009-11-04T15:59:00.002+08:00

I can't believe I didn't have a basic A-line skirt pattern that I know fits me. Last night I took the Barcelona Skirt pattern by Amy Butler and a copy of Sew What! Skirts and drafted one.
I used some quilting fabric from Spotlight which I think would be a bit too thick for quilting, but is just perfect for skirts and sewed away. I needed a few darts at the back, changed the shape a bit and added a facing. I traced a copy onto thick non fusible interfacing.

Now I have the perfect for me A-line skirt pattern. Six more to go and I'll have one for every day of the week.

Pink Quilt

2009-10-31T11:07:00.003+08:00

The binding is done on this baby quilt. Made from strips of Daisy Chain by Amy Butler and some plain pink cotton. It measures 31.5 inches x 36 inches (80cm x 91cm). In the shop now.

Alien Giraffes

2009-10-30T09:02:00.002+08:00

I had so much fun making one of these for Softies for Mirabel that I made three more.
And then these little friends appeared.

They will all be here soon. Or if you are in Perth and want to see them in real life I will taking some to Junior Upmarket on November the 15th.

Softies for Mirabel

2009-10-27T21:20:00.002+08:00

It feels like ages since I made one of these little creatures. The original Hector is much loved by Grace and it is always a major catastophe if he is missing at bed time. So I thought I would make one for Softies for Mirabel. A great cause and organised by the wonderful Pip. Thanks Pip!

Half Finished

2009-10-25T10:35:00.002+08:00

It has been the week of the half finished project.
Some more bubble quilting on a quilt which just needs binding.

Some of these little creatures which just need stuffing.

A quilt all cut out using Rouenneries by French General.

Piles of fabric to be made into dresses for the girls.
And in big news it seems we have sold our house and bought a new one!

Books

2009-10-21T18:44:00.003+08:00

I have been trying to sort books. They keep mutiplying. The state of the dollar against the pound and shopping at the Book Depository isn't helping.
In other news this week:

Linda of Craft Apple is putting together a list of Independent Pattern Designers.

I was stung by a wasp twice last night. Will remember to check pyjama pants for wasps after they have been on the line from now on.

Thinking about Christmas and getting nice wooden toys.

Received some new felt from Winterwood.

Using the new felt to work on doll's faces.

Skirts

2009-10-17T12:41:00.003+08:00

These two girls have declared they will only wear skirts and dresses this sumer and have been through all my fabric and have made little piles of their favourites.The one on the left is denim and gathered. The one on the right is Rosalie Quinlans new gorgeous fabric and has a few pleats.

Some new yarns - it hs been great weather for dyeing and drying.

Things to do ..

2009-10-16T17:15:00.002+08:00

I've written a to do list for Evie for tomorrow:
Don't ride the tractor off the verandah.
Don't run flat out into walls.
Have a nap, a long one, it will make me and Mum feel better.
I rediscovered this fabric in my clean up last week. Love, love this fabric. Two new bags - in the shop soon.

Child Health Banner

2009-10-15T07:06:00.003+08:00

A banner for the local Child Health Centre to hang in the office and to hang at fundraisers.
The font I used was Berlin Sans FB Demi and it was quilted with lots of bubbles.