things to do

Sooner than later:

1. I have to make a better bedding for our maltese called Zizi. **DONE**

I've stumbled on the following on READYMADE blog and just love the idea

but will have to see what I do with her situation :)

2. I have to make two draft snakes/pillows

3. Finish the pillow cover I'm knitting

4. Finish the poncho I'm crocheting

5. Finish the pinafore I'm crocheting

6. Make 2 gifts for two little girls - want to try out the keychains I saw at Vlijtig blog. I have the iron transfer paper for some time now and the clipart I'm drawing/doodling so that would make and awesome combo with my farbenmix ribbon I can't wait to use! ***DONE***

peasant top with peacocks

I really enjoyed making this peasant top!

Fabrics by stenso and pattern by youcanmakethis.com

I've made this pattern before as you can remember

Dress from t-shirt

I've been wanting to try the tutorial out: making a dress from a T-shirt.
I is a very easy to follow tutorial from The Crafty Mama herself: Cinnamum .
It is my first try at sewing a "dress" and one has to start somewhere and quick. I have 3 girls, love being creative, love to buy fabric and am a sahm...so I tried.

Next time I will know that if you sew a t-shirt where you cut it off, it will stretch...yes very logic. Didn't get that one, now I know how to make lettuce edges...lol!
Well in the meantime also got an overlocker so the differencial feed will sort it out for me ;-)
I've used fabric from I think Stenso I bought last year. If someone recognises it as something else please let me know. I've made a double casing to pull ribbon trough but it is not very clear on the photo what I've done there lol. The model is dd8 and it is taken on the Dyke we live on.

Watch out: Gorgeous Model!

and....this is how she pays her boarding and lodging by showing my creations ;-)
I've crocheted a scarf using 2 types of pink and a raspberry crocheting yarn (cotton mix called Paris).
I've added the basic granny square and my favourite daisy squares at the end of the scarf.
I WANT ONE TOO!
I've also tried my hand at making a bib! My first using this tutorial, it is a bit too small (maybe I've printed it too small?) Well it is good for my confidence so I'll make more. I HAVE to make more as this girl eats carrots!

you can see the dutch print pillow I've made for my kitchen chair. I've promised you a photo and you'll have to do with this one ;-)

What to do with Fat Quaters

I've looked up some tutorials in blogging country:

• Marmadaisy: She has FatQuater friday tutorials!folding tray, Chicken bookends,etc
• The Jolly Jabber: Binding tutorial
• Island Mama: Kid's FQ tote bag
• Crazy Lanea: Sock bag
• Focus on finishing: tuck pillow
• Buttonberry: Posh pick and mix bag and Stash buster quilt
• Dulcinea's Windmill: Fat quater knitting needle roll
• Quilter's jewel: FQ book cover
  
  ok ladies so please please add your tutorials to this post because there can a lot more done with our FQ's
  
  
  ps. Folding your FQ's for gifts/swaps:
• folding fabric fat quarter cuts to the proportions
  of playing cards.
• Folding Fat Quarter Stars
• Fat Quater gift cracker

Using your scraps:

• Cut out and keep:fabric ball necklace
• Skip to my Lou: crayon roll
• Needled Mom: fabric postcards
• Molly Chicken: lavender baby softy and fabric house
• Craf pudding: patchwork sewing basket and a fabric card holder and covered buttons(without kit!)
• Kmel's Grocery bag dispenser

sewing flowers

I'm looking for tutorials on sewing flowers for the girls' rooms, I've already found this really nice one:
Sew Blessed: fabric flower tutorial
PortabelloPixie: Rolled roses
Artsy craftsy babe: Fluffy Flower
Blair peter: fabric flower
Pixie blossoms: fabric flower
Spilly Jane: making round petals
Molly Chicken: fabric flower & Raggy flowers
Sew Blessed: fabric flower
Trufflegirls: fabric flower
Chris's creation: fabric flower
sophie stansfield designs: felt flower
I love to create: fabric rose
wiki how: silk,satin,ribbon rose here on a video clip
Kalamity Kim: fabric roses

Do you have other links or your own tutorial on making a fabric flower? Please add.


and then at crafty pod's a bouqet of links to make flowers from fabric, paper, beads & crocheted: let's make flowers

Gift idea?

DD7yrs went to a party of twins. As usual I'd like to make something and it must be personal but what if you don't have time or energy?

Well, I took 2 simple cottons bags from my stash and added some dotted fabric, Japanese fabric, cute buttons (hello kitty buttons bought at CraftyMamas shop!), ribbons and emboided their names on the bags. I've added a schetchbook in each bag for something extra. The photo's did come out a bit dull. Here is the one bag's pics:


close-up

Girls' stuff

ok I've made my 7 today....
(this was 28/6)
This is how I've done it:

At craftymama's this very usefull link (see the tutorial for creating these tutu's)brought me to it:

Per tutu I used:
2m of tule (width 140cm)
Length of tutu 50cm
I used the cheap rough "tule" as they're going to play outside
(If I want to use 3m I'll think it would be best if I make it longer than 50cm)
That worked out at 28knots per tutu
I've
used the thin elastic (I had) and just measured the waist of my girls

the colors as requested by b-day girl dd5yrs, I've used as follow:
2x lilac and pink
1x purple and pink
1x lilac and purple
1x sammon and pink
1x sammon and orange
and te b-day girls got:
3m in total of orange,lilac and pink

I've had enough pink if I get sick now I would throw up in pink I think

I've cut the ends of the strips for my little curl a bit round to create the look of flower petals.

"Button your card" Tutorial

As I was making ready to assemble a package for my mom and baby dotee swap I found I didn't have a cute card to add. My crate with card making stuff was still at our previous home. I went to the one store we have in town and found nothing cute and creative enough with which I could associate lol. I did buy a little card as I had to have one and thought I'd just have to think of something to cuten it up!

When I came home I got a great idea: I turned to my addiction for comfort:
buttons and crocheting yarn
Surely you can think of this too but making this into a tute is fun, colourfull and may bring you a nice idea:

Skill level: absolutely eesy

Get your (or mother's)

1. embroider's thread/yarn (I used crochet cotton)
2. needle (large eye)
3. buttons
4. and a card (pick a size, I used a very small card)
   
   

• The card may be a boring, bought one or
• make your own one and draw something very simple on it. If you're afraid to draw something simple, ask your child to help you!
• I've chosen as many buttons as there were flowers, of course you can have more or less, just what tickles your fancy.
• Then I've ordered the buttons to see what would look best as it is very easy to create a beautifull 3D effect, not only because you're using buttons but because some are flat, thick, large or has an eyelet at the back which make it stand out more.
  
  start sewing girl!

(I started by tying a knot and make the first stitch from the back to the front.

I also ended by tying a knot)

You can cover the thread on the inside by glueing a piece of cute fabric or paper on to it, but I just left it like that.

You may get more ideas to brighten up the picture like I could've added a real satin ribbon or by embroiding the stems too. If you keep it simple it is quickly done and still shows your effort and creativity ;-)

Now you have another excuse to go and buy more buttons!

Making a bean bag animal

A friend has a new born baby girl and I was looking for something to make the elder brother feel special after being the only child for 6 years. As he LOVES dino's my thoughts were directed in this direction.
I thought of crocething one but didn't find a pattern that fancied me, though there are a couple to be found on the internet.

I picked up that he found a swimming dino at a "boot sale" and that was quite a catch, so decided to make him one. I first had to polish up on my dino knowledge as I knew how the swimming ones look like but the name..... so found the one he had on internet: Elasmosaurus.
I drew a pattern and then went in search of dino fabric in my stash. As I have 2 girls it was quite a search. At last I found green and purple checked fab so hope it is boyish and dinoish enough.

As I was cutting the Elasmo I thought it would be nice to stuff it with beans. That would be a little bit less soft for a boy ;-) and more fun.

I've never made a bean animal before so I have no idea what beans to use, does it make a difference. Well, I've found some bean tutorials on may search

• purl frog (she suggests dried mung beans, lentils, or buckwheat...now to find the Dutchversion)
• bean bag buddy (made from a sock and Split peas or dried beans)
• Ginger bread bean man (felt)
• Basic bean bag (knitted)
• Otedama - Japanese bean bag
• Snake bean bag (video, and this one is filled with rice)
• Cat doorstop bean bag
• snoogem (bunny)

of course you can throw the beans into almost anything you'd use fiber fill in I guess, like into this rabbit tutorial

pincushion tutorials

(above the pincushion that I've made after my BIG search)

I don't have a pincushion
so
thought it was time to make myself one
but
first looked for some tutorials
which
I'd like to share with you.
Hopefully
I'll pick one and make myself one soon.

• Pixie blossom's English tea cup pincushion
• AbyQuilt's Lotus square pincushion
• How about Orange's tiny pincushion
• Planet June's offset square wrist pincushion
• PaperStringCloth's easy peasy square with button detail pincushion
• RozzieLand's sunny wrist pincushion
• Monkeyroom's pincushion sewinkit
• MyByrdHouse's carrot pincushion
• MyByrdHouse's year of the mouse pincushion
• UkLassInUs's pear pincushion
• UkLassInUS's apple pincushion
• NeedleNecessities' toadstool pincushion
• SilverThreadsGoldenNeedle's crochet pincushion
• Martha Steward's strawberry pincushion
• BetzWhite's cutie pie pincushion (felt)
• SouthernGirlMusings' pincushion
• NotNigella's fantabulous pincushion
• Bottle cap pincushion
• Homegrown tomatoes
• Julieko: Delicious chocolut donut (felt)
• Doll Make do pincusion (strawberry sunday I'll call it)
• Monkey room's sewing kit pincushion
• Zakka life basket pincushion
• Buttons Galore teacup and saucer
• Double scoop Ice cream
• craft pudding: baby food jar pincushion
• quilt maker's pin blossoms
• Urban debris hedgehog pincushion

Then finally I found pincushion that looked like the tute I was looking for...and fate would have it that here there is a LIST of pincushion tutorials....oh no! Why didn't I find this one first!

TheDomestickDiva's Stick a pin in it pincushion or Tammy times' flower pincushion

at second thought I found this one which is the REAL THING I was looking for

PurlBee's really easy pincushion

and a sweet patchwork pincushion alternative at Creative Kismet