my creative space: making

Me oh my have I missed my sewing machine! I don't think I had made anything in, oh, 3 or 4 months... I hate when that happens.

Feeling inspired last week, I set up my little sewing corner at home and started on some simple projects. Over the next couple of days I made up this little beanie, embellished 3 baby singlets AND made a top for myself (coming to the blog soon). It felt so good to sew again, to create something from nothing. 

Last week the beanie & the ampersand singlet made their way over to the precious little one who belongs to him and her. The remaining singlets will head off to other newborns, and the top has been in rotation ever since. Yay for making!

p.s. I'm linking up with 'our creative spaces' here, for the first time in ages. So nice to be back!

p.p.s. Oh my goodness have I loved reading through your comments on my last post! You all have some hysterical terms of endearment for your loved ones. Definitely worth a read through.

x

a cozy scarf

Like I said in my last post, the weather has shifted again and our days have been drizzly and grey. I've been bundling up against the cold, grateful for hand knits and heaters.

This little scarf is one of those super simple hand knits. I used chunky black wool and purled every row. When it was done, I sewed a couple of wooden buttons to one end, buttons that don't need special holes - they fit through gaps in the knitting just fine.

Easy, and much more successful than the last knitted project I shared :)

my creative space: comedy edition

For every project that I successfully complete, there is usually a dud. And that dud is often comedy gold. This is one of those comedic jackpots. It's a bikini that I knitted.

Uh huh. A knitted bikini. When I finished knitting it I was so impressed with myself. I mean, just look at all that shaping! Sadly, as soon as I actually tried it on I was less impressed. It is hilarious, so hilarious that there's no way I was going to put it on for a photo. Let's just say that the bottoms look like a diaper. The top's alright, but hardly water appropriate.

If you have any crafty disasters that you'd like to share/get off your chest, please let me know! I'm dying to hear...

my creative space: wrist warmers

Years ago, I used to make wrist warmers all the time. I fell in love with how fast they were to make (hello instant gratification!) and how cute they looked with a few random stripes thrown in.

Wanting to make something quick and easy this week with wool from my stash, I freestyled this pair of wrist warmers. They're a bit too small, and the stripes aren't quite where I wanted them but that's ok... Just gives me more reason to cast on for another pair today!

my creative space: a knit pillowcase

Remember a few days ago when I said that my fingers were itching to make something out of wool.

And I also said that, for now, I would be sticking to something simple. Well here's what ended up happening...

A pillowcase that I made up in one continuous piece, ribbed on the front, normal on the back. Actually, 'normal' is probably an overstatement. Want to see something funny?

Yeah, this is what happens when you run out of wool, THREE times! Oops. I was intending for the whole pillowcase to be the one colour, but oh well. I like to think of it as charmingly kooky.

Finally, here it is in action. I just love the feeling when you finish making something and you can put it to use!

p.s. I just wanted to say thank you all for your sweet, helpful and inspiring words on my last post!

my creative space: gifts for a baby

It finally happened! After nearly 2 months of being completely ignored, my sewing machine finally saw some action this weekend. My unofficial sewing club friend and I got together in my little sewing room downstairs (I have my fashion design studying roommate to thank for that one!) and made stuff.

I made two bibs and appliquéd one teeny singlet to send off to a very special baby on the other side of the country. Both were inspired by patterns in Kelly Doust's The Crafty Minx. The little birds that I used for appliqué are from some old Ikea fabric and I'm the other fabrics were small pieces from my stash.

I have to say, there's something so satisfying about sewing for a baby. And imagining the little baby boy, who I haven't actually met, with a handmade bib around his neck, well that's even more satisfying.

it's wool time

Every year when autumn rolls around I get the itch to bust out my wool and knit something. But I have to admit that I'm not a great knitter; in fact, my repertoire mostly extends to scarves and the occasional toque and every year I hope to change that. Whenever I see the beautiful sweaters that soulemama makes I wish that I could make one too.

Like this one, sigh... It's so simple and lovely, and I even have the pattern sitting on my desktop. For now though, I think I'll warm up with something simple. A scarf perhaps, or maybe some pillowcases. And then maybe, just maybe, I'll get started on my dream cardigan.

In the meantime, I'll hope that a knitting fairy godmother (i.e. someone who can help me complete said cardigan and fix up my mistakes) will magically appear!

my creative space: a dream catcher necklace

photos by Alanna, again

The moment I saw this tutorial on the blog Sincerely, Kinsey for a dream catcher necklace, I pinned it and patiently waited for the time and supplies needed to give it a go.

As always, I did some improvising and ended up with a necklace that, while I do love it, doesn't look quite as nice as Kinsey's does... Oh well, I'm no jewelry maker so I'll take what I can get.

On the crafting front, I'm sad to say that the sewing machine is still hiding. I'm hoping that it'll make an appearance this weekend. Oh yes, I have high hopes...

my creative space: a handmade top, 2 ways

All photos by my awesome flatmate, thanks a million Alanna!

I whipped up this little cropped top a while back, but only just got around to getting photos of it. I got the inspiration from Minxy Vintage and then kind of improvised. I remember being so frustrated because right as I thought it was working out I realized that I had sewn one right side to one wrong side. Many expletives followed. I did still manage to finish it in one afternoon though, so it could not have been too tricky!

I got both the fabric and the vintage lace applique from a wonderful fabric sale that Katie and I went to last year. Between moving and all of the chaos of my present situation, much of my stash is still in boxes and I am starting to itch to make something. Maybe, just maybe, I'll get organized this week and find my way back to my beloved sewing machine. Fingers crossed...

What have you been making lately?

my creative space: the girliest pillows ever!

It is really hard to take nice, light photos in my house!

A while back I went through a pillow making phase. I think it's because making pillows is really easy, and therefore appeals to the side of my personality that needs instant gratification. Then one day husband was all: "Will you stop making pillows already?!? We're running out of places to sit." This was followed by something to the effect of: "It's nice that you make things for the house, but can you please try to use less pink? It's getting kind of girly in here."

Being the nice wife that I am, I obliged. On both matters. Until this weekend when I was sitting in front of a pile of beautiful fabric that my friend got me in Turkey. Most of it was pink, and I wanted to make something quick! So I whipped up these very pink, very girly pillows. Sorry husband.

A note on the sewing: very basic. I sewed up two pieces for the front. The back is lapped (i.e. two pieces of fabric that overlap each other, thereby creating a gap to put the pillow in) because I'm afraid of zippers.

For more creative spaces, go here

my life in iphone photos: round 11

Thinking I need a haircut. Drinking tea.

Rearranging at home. Cinnamon roll, yum!

Bourke St Bakery with nicole. A lovely building in Newtown.

Homemade noodle rolls for dinner. I made bread (as you know already)!

Catching up with a friend. Looking through our wedding album.

Australia Day. I love Arrested Development, and friends who wear Arrested Development t-shirts.

Making. Being lazy on the weekend.

Out for drinks with friends. On the windowsill.

I'm linking up with Jenni today, to check out other people's iphone shots go here. I hope you all had a great weekend!