Flea Market Fancy sewing machine cover by Bloom

Another week, another project!

This week I completed this wonderful sewing machine cover called "Beyond Measure" designed by Roslyn Mirrington of Bloom. It was featured in the 10th Birthday Celebration Edition of Australian Homespun magazine (No. 90, Vol 11.11). You can also now buy the pattern here from Roslyn's website.

Roslyn featured Denyse Schmidt's Hope Valley, but I used Denyse's Flea Market Fancy fabrics. (I think I'll have to make a second for a special someone who gifted me some Hope Valley fabric! You know who you are!).



I really like it when I fall in love with a project, and that desire to make it compels me to master new techniques! I LOVED making this project, not only because I adore the design and the fabrics, or because I really needed a cover for my sewing machine - but because I learnt lots of new things. I enjoyed quilt as you go, loved doing the hand embroidery (using cotton that used to belong to my Grandmother, so special) and was thrilled to successfully make piping cord by using my zipper foot for the first time. Satisfaction and beauty!

Selvedge reading glasses case

I made this quick project one afternoon last week, for my dear friend from The Woolly Tree. She has recently started wearing glasses and is studying again. I wanted to give her a present to say good luck and congratulations!

I used the template from Betz White's caterpillar eyeglass case tutorial and foundation pieced the selvedge strips onto interfacing.



I padded it using bamboo batting and chose a happy yellow spot for the lining.



Voila!



I secured it by sewing on a press stud, to stop the glasses sliding out.



I was thrilled to finally make a selvedge project! I have been saving them ever since I read this issue of Down Under Quilts. It featured lots of amazing projects using selvedges, including the work of Karen Griska, author of "Quilts from from the Selvege Edge" (you can check out her Selvage Blog) and Jodie Carleton. Check out Jodie's INCREDIBLE Selvedge Dress that was featured in DUQ. Her blog has more photos of this incredible work of art plus lots of other cute project tutorials.

Busy start to the year

I've finally put aside some time to update my blog. With Lily at school now I have more time to sew but life is also more hectic!

I just did a post on the Christmas projects I completed last year.

I started the year off with this amazing haul of goodies from Hancocks of Paducah. I couldn't resist their limited offer of free postage and 10% off, especially with our exchange rate right now! I got all this for around $100!


My haul included a jelly roll of Punctuation by American Jane. I am in love with these fabrics! I made a quilt for my new baby cousin who will arrive earthside in a month or so. I used the Pandora's Box pattern out of the fantastic book "Jelly Roll Quilts" by Pam Lintott and Nicky Lintott.


I made this skirt for Lily, using the Twirly Girl Skirt Pdf Pattern available on Etsy. I used some of the spare Punctuation fabric I bought for the quilt back and also some vintage Laura Ashley cotton lawn fabrics from my MIL. I am in love with the fine, light texture of these and would love to know where to get more!


I made this wrap for another special man in my life for his first birthday. It uses super-soft double gauze Japanese cotton and satin binding.

Christmas - finally!

Here are the projects I whipped up for Christmas...

Using the super easy Monkeysbug Picnic Dress pattern available on Etsy, I made three cute Christmas dresses - one each for my girls and one for their little cousin:





I made some aprons for some of my friends, using tea towels and lots of ruffles!



I also made an apron for my lovely Mum, from a fabulous book called "The Perfect Apron: 35 Fun and Flirty Designs for You to Make" by Robert Merrett.