Martin is obsessed by dinosaurs. At two he knows more about them than I do!
On the eve of his birthday party (dinosaur themed, of course!) I just knew the t-shirt he needed to wear to celebrate his big day.
Out with the silhouette cutter, some red heat transfer and a plain t-shirt and...
He was very happy to wear it - in fact, he hasn't taken it off!
Happy birthday Marty-mart!
Caroline
Can you guess where Maryanne and I are heading?
Yep... that's right - eight nights in New York! (Should I also mention that we will have NO children with us and maybe, just maybe we may be able t0 finish a conversation for the first time in six years?)
I couldn't resist this print from Spotlight for a zippered travel purse - so cute!
Stop by again if you'd like to learn how to make one (it's essentially a zippered purse with a flap and pockets) We'd love to see you!
Caroline
It seems like the patchwork bug is in the air around here. Mum and Maryanne have been working on their 'Hi Jane' project and they've inspired me to use some charm packs to make a present for a one year old.
I love charm packs and am always buying them, but never seem to do anything with them! (actually, I could say that about a lot of my fabric!) This week, I've been working on a 'charming' toddler lunch kit.
Taking little ones out for a meal involves so much paraphernalia! Bibs, cutlery, sippy cups, wipes and that's before you even pack a piece of fruit!
Using a combination of Sherbert Pips and Hulabaloo ( these two fabric lines work SO well together) I fashioned an over sized lunch bag big enough for all the essential bits and pieces ...
with a matching cutlery roll...
that can also be used as a place mat.
To complete the kit? A matching 3/4 inch square patchwork bib!
I really enjoyed working on this - so much so I think I might make a start on Mart's quilt!
Caroline
I need to start with a confession. For Christmas last year, Maryanne bought me a gorgeous appliqued felt phone case. It was divine and protected my phone perfectly. Prior to the phone case I went through three (yes three) phones in about 8 months. Unfortunately, in the last couple of weeks I've misplaced it. Actually, it's more than misplaced now - I think that it's officially lost...
I bought some gorgeous Heather Bailey felt squares with another project in mind. They've been sitting in my sewing room for a while so I decided to have a go at fashioning my own phone case. It's completely different to the original one and not quite as beautiful, but I do like the finished product!
When the weather was hot, it seemed I couldn't drink enough of these...
I've always loved the shape of these bottles and I seem to have accumulated quite a stash.
I made a quick trip to the hardware store this morning to buy some paint and mini funnels and the result? Some gorgeous, simple vases.
This would have to be the cleanest painting project I have ever done. Why? You paint the inside of the bottle, not the outside!
Using a small funnel, tip some paint into the bottom of the bottle. Swish it around a bit and ...voila! Sweet and simple Sunday vases!
Caroline
I love buying fabric. I do tend to buy with my heart rather than my head though. In my head, I know that I need basics - lots of corduroy and denim for little winter wardrobes. Despite this, my heart constantly draws me to beautiful coordinating prints in bright clear colours. I guess that's why I bought a 16 piece fat quarter pack in Tania Whelan's Delilah range. Now, I'm not a quilter, and though my children are still pretty small, they're not small enough to fit into anything that's made out of a fifty centimetre square! What to do with it?
Last night, I decided that I'd make them up into some double sided serviettes. I've been making a lot of these lately as gifts. There's something very lovely about the weight of double sided serviettes and the best bit? You don't have to miter any corners when you're making them!
It's certainly not rocket science - trim your fat quarters to fit each other, sew them right sides together, pull them though, iron and top stitch. Phew! The only tricky bit is the ironing - you need to make sure that the seams line up nicely, other wise they don't sit flat. I actually got callouses ironing them last night! (and no, that doesn't mean I need to do more ironing, but thanks for suggesting it, Bill!)
It's nice to have a bit of glamour to mop up from those inevitable meal time messes!
Caroline
Right now, I'm loving the look of doilies. I love their pretty charm and the way they remind me of my grandmother's house. What I love most of all, though, is the new ways in which they're being used to adorn clothes and for all sorts of crafting projects.
The Haby Goddess currently has a doily fest on her blog, and
Luvinthemommyhood featured a gorgeous doily craft round up last month.
Unfortunately, I don't have a stash of vintage doilies at my finger tips to use, and even if I did, I'd be a little reluctant to put them on my kids' clothes. Attaching them is tricky and I'm not sure that they'd survive the amount of washing and soaking that the kids' t shirts endure.
Last week, the postman brought me a huge box - inside? A Silhouette SD. I'm loving it, and my favourite creation so far? Some faux doily t shirts for Lizzy. They've got the vintage look, but they're a whole lot more durable.
And guess what? Although it's been the quickest, easiest project I've done in ages, it's been the only thing that Lizzy's been desperate to put on... sigh...
My oh my, Easter is just around the corner. Where are you going to stash all those eggs? Why, in the hippity hop easter clutch, of course!
Click on read more to find out how you can make one all for yourself (or a friend if you're feeling generous!)
What do you get when you take a ready made t-shirt, some hemming tape, a lovely Japanese print fabric and two buttons? The tab tunic tshirt revamp!
There are a lot of fabulous ideas out there for t-shirt decoration at the moment, but I was looking to make something a little different.
This isn't a tutorial in terms of accurate measurements and patterns - it's more of a 'how to' so you can revamp a tshirt in any size that takes your fancy. Just click on 'read more' to find out all about it!
Is that the Easter bunny I hear?
I think he's left a clutch for your littlest friends to store their Easter treasures in!
Caroline
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