my creative space: yet another doll

 Here she is, the other little doll I made last week when I was feeling blue. Her name is Celeste, and I'm going to hang on to her just in case I have a girl after all. You can see the first Black Apple doll I made here, and the second here. I'm linking up here today, and next week I hope to be back with another 'My Creative Space' post NOT involving dolls. We'll see...

Lastly, sorry for the silence this week. It's just been one of those run around like crazy weeks, and yet never seem to accomplish anything. Today, in fact, I put petrol in the car and when I went in to pay I realized I didn't have my wallet. I was terrified I had actually lost it, but I convinced the guy working to let me run home and look for it. Luckily, it was there so I went back to the service station immediately and paid. The guy looked relieved, and then told me I sound like Ryan Gosling. I'm going to take that one as a compliment. I think. Anyway, all's well that ends well.

my creative space: a sweet doll

 In my last post I mentioned that I spent my day sewing up two little dolls. This is doll one, a sweet little girl destined for my friend's brunette baby. I like to think her name should be Mable, or maybe Maple (yet another favourite girl's name my husband hates!). She's the same black apple doll that I made back in December, with slightly tweaked proportions. You can find the pattern for free here.

Sometimes making something completely impractical and whimsical is the best kind of crafting, especially when you're in a funk. Doll two will be blogged next Thursday...

Thanks again for all of your kind and heartfelt comments this week. It's meant so much to me.

more baby booties!

I sure do like my baby booties don't I? I just can't help myself - small and easy to make, baby booties are the perfect instant gratification crafting project. At least this is a new pattern for me; I usually make these ones. This pattern is from the first Meet me at Mike's book. They're not quite as professional looking (I do hate to have unfinished seams!) as the Anna Maria Horner ones I normally sew, but they are a lot easier.

These oh so girly booties are heading to a baby girl named Summer, as soon as I can embroider a onesie to match.

purl bee baby blanket for my babe

Back when I first found I was pregnant, I was feeling a bit anxious and overwhelmed and all I wanted to do was start a project. Something simple and rhythmic using my hands, something that would make me feel like I was indeed growing a baby, even if I didn't look/feel any different. I had seen this pattern for a super easy baby blanket floating around the internet, and it seemed to fit the bill perfectly. I first mentioned it way back in September (I also hinted about it here) as a goal of mine before 2013.

Well, I wasn't in a rush and I didn't finish it until a couple of weeks ago. For the last few months it's wandered from couch to couch, being pulled out whenever I felt like knitting a row. It's so simple that other than keeping track of the number of rows, it required no brain power at all. Just the rhythmic tap tapping of the needles. Now that it's done, it's still in the living room where I can admire the beautiful colours and enjoy the incredible softness of the baby cashmerino whenever I want.

I now have my eye on this rad Hudson's Bay inspired baby blanket, which would be oh so perfect for my Canadian winter baby!

The details: It's the super easy baby blanket from the Purl Bee. Knit in Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino, in 7 colours I chose because they remind of the sea.

my creative space: my go-to baby gift

There was such a long stretch there where I never posted anything crafty. My fabrics were in storage, my sewing machine gathered dust and I never got beyond flipping through my beloved craft books. I'm so happy to be making again - finding pockets of time here and there to make things for myself, my home, my friends, and my tiny squirmy baby.

This post is giving me some major déja vu; I've made these baby booties several times now and posted about them here and here. They're just such a perfect gift for a new baby - pretty simple to make, oh so cute, and who doesn't love baby feet wrapped in flannel?

This time I decided to be super efficient and make one pair for my husband's cousin's new baby (got that?) and one pair for my baby. The pattern is from Anna Maria Horner's book Handmade Beginnings, and all the fabric came from my scrap bin. But my favourite part? Well that was choosing the buttons of course! I love buttons, and since I'm yet to conquer my fear of sewing button holes, any project requiring buttons without the hassle of corresponding holes is right up my alley. I picked up both these pairs last time I popped into All Buttons in Newtown. That place is my favourite.

p.s. linking up here today

my black apple doll and gender predictions

On Tuesday night I all of a sudden had an urge to be productive and make something. So what did I spend the next 2 hours making?

A doll.

Yup. Probably the least useful thing I could've made, and yet, it made me undeniably happy. I've said it before and I'll say it again - starting with a bunch of scraps and ending up with something pretty never ceases to amaze me. I followed this tutorial from Emily Martin of The Black Apple, and then added a cape and a mask based on this doll.

I did, of course, think about the baby growing in my belly and wonder whether this doll could be for him/her. I know you're not supposed to say this, but to be perfectly honest, I would LOVE to have a girl. All the names I like are girls names (and I can't think of any boys names!) and I'm just a pretty girly gal myself. Dolls, dress up, sewing... that's a language I speak! Both husband and I are convinced though, and have been from the start, that it's a boy. And we're not finding out; we I want the surprise :)

my creative space: a lazy beach bag

Writing this post prompted me to go searching through my archives for a beach bag that I made a long time ago - a less lazy beach bag than this - but apparently, I never blogged it. I'll have to rectify that. I did, however, realize that I used to make so many things! A scroll through my first couple of months of blogging turns up project after project. Man, I used to be so productive!

In any case, last week I did manage to rustle up this bag using fabric from my latest trip to Ikea. I simply made a roomy bag, with rounded corners, French seams and a long strap so it can be worn across the shoulder. It perfectly fits a towel, swimsuit, magazine, sunscreen, water and snacks. The essentials. I may even keep it packed and ready to go in the trunk of my car, for those last minute dashes to the beach. Summer is coming...

Linking up with My Creative Space today. Find other people's crafty projects here.

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

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.

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 creative space: yard sale wrap skirt

All photos by husband.

This skirt was one of my pre-Bali frantic sewing projects (still not quite sure why I did that...) that I finished just in the nick of time. It's the yard-sale wrap skirt from Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross made with some Anna Maria Horner fabric from my stash (a whole lot actually - 3 meters to be exact).

I panicked a bit because during my normal pre-sewing google research, I found a lot of people who had ended up with skirts too small. Luckily for me, I have a newer edition of the book where the sizing is right. I made the small/medium and it fits perfectly, although I would make the ties a bit longer if I were to make it again.

It came together nicely with lovely french seams and a hand-sewn rolled hem, which makes it feel more professional than a lot of things I make. But most importantly, this skirt is oh so fun to twirl in!

My creative space: A Japanese inspired laptop case

After I made myself a laptop case from the pattern in One Yard Wonders, I had a few friends request one of their very own. Here's one I made for a friend/fellow yoga teacher, whose laptop is so mini she couldn't buy a case that fit.

It's made from a vintage kimono that I cut up, and the flap piece is a tiny piece of beautiful Japanese silk that my friend picked up for me. I really love how the fabrics are mismatching, but still work together. And there's no better feeling than making something new out of something old, wouldn't you agree?

For more creative spaces, go here.