Shopping bags made by daughter and her mama

Before we went to Finland I got Emma to draw two special pictures on a piece of fabric, one for her mummi (grandma) and one for her pappa (grandad). They both had birthdays during the summer so this was going to be a present for them. I sewed the fabric into shopping bags. Good team work I say and we did a HI-5.

Inside of the bag is rather retro and on handles she painted spots. Pretty cute if you ask me, I might want one for myself too.

Foxes are the new owls

As much as I like owl patterns I think they have been way over used in prints and products. So I think it's foxes turn to shine. I found this super cute fox print jersey fabric here in Finland and made quick t-shirts for the kids from them. I don't normally like making matching clothes for them, it's just not my thing, but I thought I don't have to dress them in these at the same time after these pictures were taken. My too little cutie pies.

I made both of the shirts extra long at the back, so that when they are playing other people don't have to see their backs and bottoms and also that they could be more comfortable. Pattern is invented by me, yay. 

Retro bag just for me

My grandmum had these very funky outdoor chairs when I was still living in Finland and I then already told her that when those chairs broke I would want the fabric from them. And now after few years, that fabric was waiting for me there and the chairs had a new coat of more modern material.

I was holding the material in my hands, thinking of what I should make of it. I have so many fabrics at home that I haven't made into anything because they are too precious, I didn't want this to join that pile. Then my dear husband came and said he wanted to sew something of it for me. Can you imagine!

Thanks hubby, I LOVE my new retro bag! And I don't know how he did it, but I love the size of this bag. I want to make more now with these measurements. It's perfect.

I spy with my little eyes

So that all the posts won't be about our trip to Finland, here's a quick project I did just before we left. I wanted to get a few new toys/books for the kids for the long flights so that the travelling could go as smoothly as possible. I had already bought a few colouring books and sticker books, but I didn't have toys as such. Then one time I found these poly pellets (the white stuff inside) in Salvo's for $0.99 and knew I had to make an I spy bag.

I found all these little toys from around the house, and well there's really not that many toys there. Plastic animals, buttons, beads, eyes, ribbons etc. Just use your imagination if you want to make one. I wish I would have had time to find a few more little things from somewhere, but this was all I could find at home.

It's a great little toy to keep your little ones occupied for a little while and so simple to make too.

Groovy bag // the second sewing class

Here's the second school holiday sewing class I did at Victoria's place. I had planned this one for just boys as well and see how many boys got excited about this! Ha, zero, that's right. Oh well the girls didn't mind that the colours I had chosen were a bit boyish, they made the bags look like theirs.

It felt good to be able to teach again and teaching sewing was a lot of fun. The girls learned quickly and I was so impressed with their designs on the bag. I'm thinking more sewing classes, it's so much fun to sew things together and you feel so proud when you've finished something by yourself.

What rain can do to you.

I'm lying in bed under the warm covers not wanting to get up. Then I start to listen, am I hearing what I think I'm hearing? Is that... I get up and run to the window. Yes it's RAIN! Rain is here, my darling friend rain! My muse, the thing that kicks me in the backside and gets me working, rain. My daughter is outside running around in her pyjamas, no shoes. I call her inside and tell her what a good girl she is. We take her soaking wet pyjamas off and put her clothes on and a rain jacket and gumboots and outside she goes. I go with her, in my woolen socks, I'm not a very good example to her. We're using all of our senses, feeling the rain, listening the rain, tasting the rain and smelling the rain. I try to take a few pictures, but it doesn't work. You just can't capture the beauty of rain with an iPhone. I go inside and I smell something else, something burning. It's a horrible smell. It's our breakfast porridge. All burnt and ruined, I was too overwhealmed by the rain that I forgot the whole porridge. Oh well I thought, open the windows, let the bad smell of burnt porridge go out and welcome in the lovely smell of rain. Now bring out the materials I need to make something.

Beanies; little ones, big ones, girly ones and some for boys. Thank you rain. Do come again.

Dinosaur beanie // Sewing class

When I was asked to plan and run a sewing class for boys I jumped out of joy! What a great idea to have a sewing class for boys!! Victoria's place organises school holiday programs for kids in our town. It's a great way to give kids something to do during the holidays as often the parents are still working.

I was all over this challenge and came up with this dinosaur beanie. It's so groovy and cool. My students were amazingly talented even though it was their first time sewing with a sewing machine. I was proud as punch when I saw their beanies in their heads, and so were they.

 I ended up having only three children and yes one of them was a very brave girl, but it was just perfect amount so I was able to help them along all the time. So talented, so talented! I also did another class, but of that I'll post a bit later. And this class will be running next school holiday as well!

Oh happy Moday everyone! May it be a productive week!

Minnie Mouse present

Emma's cousin Mia turned 3 last week. Oh my how time has gone fast. That means that it's less than 4 months and Emma herself will turn 3 (Better start planning her party.. Just kidding, it's almost sorted already). But for Mia, I made a little Minnie Mouse bag and a Minnie Mouse mask. Cuteness. Emma was more than happy to be my model and try on the mask before we wrapped the present up.

 Poor thing would have wanted to keep the Minnie Mouse mask to herself. So it got me excited. I think it's time to make some more masks. The FARM ANIMAL ones have been really popular and now I've been drawing patterns for other sets.

I'm thinking jungle animals: monkey, lion, giraffe, zebra and elephant. Also maybe little garden bugs: butterfly, spider, caterpillar, ladybird. I only have 4 bugs in that list, but I'd want the set to always have 5 different things. So any suggestions of what would be a good bug to that list?

Owl dress, shouldn't have even started...

Sometimes things don't go as we see it in our head. Something that seems like such a great plan, doesn't work when we put it into action. That's what happened with this little owl dress. A very special girl turned one and she had an owl party. I wanted to make her an owl dress and saw this idea on pinterest. Oh the wrinkles, poor owl.

My big bag

Yeah BOY, I finally got some inspiration to sew. I found this fabric on the top shelf in one of the cupboards when we moved in. It had been something, yeah something, I have no idea what. But that instance when I saw it, I fell in love with it and wanted to make a big bag out of it. Almost two years later I have done it! It must be the year of miracles. I LOVE it! I just made the handles too long, so I gotta look into fixing that at some stage, maybe in two years time. I have enough materials to make another one too, so I might just do that.

I have lately been doing bets with myself, and I wanted to see how much things I could fit in it. This is how it works: I bet I can't fit shoes for our whole family in that bag. I bet I can't fit all of my kids dublos in that bag. Etc.

Oh yes I can!

Oh yes I can!

Infinity scarfs

It's Christmas present time. I know I'm ruining the surprise to some of my friends now, as these scarfs are nicely wrapped under their trees waiting to be opened on Christmas, sorry.

I saw this type of  infinity scarf on pinterest and thought I'd have to give it a try. Then I made one and fell in love. Mum and I got so excited. I made heaps for my friends and mum, after returning home, has made these for her friends too. I miss sewing with her and have to post these things that I was able to make while she was here, as at the moment I'm finding it hard to have time to make anything.

After I wrapped and sent these scarfs in to the world, I still had couple left over. So they are on sale on my facebook page, if you are interested.

Christmas excitement

 Emma's first Christmas calendar. I had a clear vision of what it would have looked like, but as it turned out, our fire place is not long enough for my ideas. Now the little pouches are very crowded. But it doesn't take away the joy she had, when she got to open the first little bag today. Neither does it take away the cries when she didn't get to open another one.

Merry, jolly Christmas waiting time to each and everyone of you!