The latest Op Shop haul & my end-weaving-in-needle (which I had to search the entire house for). I've grand plans.
The most exciting thing in my creative space today is this! I've grand plans for her too.
We're going for a little drive today which I'm very excited about... maybe lunch at The Heads Diver Dan's?
Have a fabulously creative day you lot!
Don't forget to add your link if you're playing along this week.
The convent is located at 1 St Helliers Street Abbotsford in Melbourne.
More information about how to get there here.
What better venue to have our quilt stitched by (mainly)women displayed than at the convent?
If you've been following the project & you're available on the 23rd we'd love to see you.
Just RSVP by replying to my RSVP comment on this post or if you're shy you can email.
The Quilt Project site will be launched on this evening also & will be live on the 24th of October.
I've eased myself in slowly.
The style was was limited by my fabric choice (just one flour sack).
The bag is lined for strength. I had a bit of fun with the raw edges and the stray threads & an Op Shopped suede belt was hacked into & fashioned into a bag strap.
Slouchy & casual & fun.
It's actually the party skirt from Pip's book.
I'm calling it my beach skirt. I plan to flog it over summer. I'll sling it on over bathers when we are down the beach or at the pool.
The skirt is a really pretty shape & suits my little waist/big bum shape nicely. I did make a few modifications ... I've added press studs (snaps) instead of the tie up waistband. Perhaps that's what has taken it from party to beach...but I'm pretty chuffed with it regardless.
Absolutely everything used in the making of the pony skirt came from the op shop. Feeling pretty good about that!
It's just one of the many beautifully presented quick & easy projects in Sew La Tea Do.
feet
& fowler
& friend
(& for fraught too).
I had a LOT of issues with this little footstool. In the end I think I overcame them but not without fairly liberal use of that F word I can tell you.
The fabric was crocheted by me in 8ply on a 3mm hook and then cross stitched using organic cotton.
I know ... nice expression.
Snapped in about two seconds on the way out to gift it. So it's the only photographic evidence that the thing existed.
I modified the "design" from the original & still I think one more tweak for the next one.
I used the leftover paintbox for the knitted component and the black hood is made from an Op Shopped scarf.
The recipient is absolutely thrilled so that's a tick in my book.
Another of my perfect bags made for a lovely mate.
I was determined to get the zip right this time. I went super slow, used HEAPS of pins & checked & double checked all the way along.
I'm really chuffed with the wonky outline stitchery. I think it gives the already special vintage fabric just a little lift.
Everything used in the construction of the bag was purchased from op shops/thrift stores along the way.
I promised myself that the next time I made this bag it would be for me. I'm determined but on delay. I have quite a few "must finishes" on the list before I'll get to it.
I had a bit of fun mucking around with some thermal curtain lining & the embroidery floss over the weekend.
I've posted the details over on Feeling Stitchy with a link to the pdf template if you'd like to make your own.
They've been out of the house for fully 3 hours & I'm already noticing how much I miss the rest of the team (& not just because I've had to take these pics myself).
This slouch beanie is totally ripped off a store bought one that was purchased for the big girl yesterday. It's reversible but I think maybe the red side is a bit too "Christmas elf". You be the judge.
Made from entirely thrifted materials. Both the cream & the red fabrics are pure wool. It's lovely & light & incredibly warm.
Noticed elsewhere:
tips on sewing leather
We saw a lovely knitted shrug in Sunspun. Of course, I'm more a fan o' the hook & decided I'd have a crack at my own.
I've been doing a bit of sampling with the hook but before I wasted time on the crochet version I refashioned from an Op Shopped/thrifted Pashmina type thing to make sure I had the measurements right.
Very much in the same vein as the slashed number.
I had planned to use the circles as a neck treatment but it seemed a bit too much.
& of course it can still be worn as intended.
There's a bit of a back story to this one.
My bossy mate Tracey came home from a client meeting & told me I needed to make her a scarf with sleeve holes cut in it. Then she mentioned she'd seen some fabulous vests in Cactus Jam that she also wanted. Should just mention here that she's the recipient of the grey granny shrug too.
Then I saw this at Leonie's & thought it was the perfect two for one. I decided to trial it with the last piece of blanket from the slippers. This rectangle was it...I didn't cut it at all. I just waved the tape measure around my bust & from my shoulder to my hip ... near enough. Positioned the arm holes by eye (lucky that worked out OK).
The slashed vest was supposed to be a 1 hour gig & truthfully the slashing took fully five minutes but I could hardly put a rectangle of blanket up with a few cuts in it & say I made it. The idea behind the slashing was to give the blanket a bit of fluidity.
I threaded the machine with red & the bobbin with white & just roughly rectangled the slashes. I didn't finish in under an hour ... it was more like two but that did include numerous trips to the bathroom mirror to check & check & check that I hadn't completely lost the plot.
I'm quite chuffed with it, so totally unable to decide if it is in fact fabulous or complete cheater craft. Either way it was fun.
PS: The doily top is merino & was a gift from Icebreaker (?) isn't it gorgeous?
PPS: Feeling a bit weird about loading a post with pics of self. More here if you want to see the red.
The red dust was flocking.
I'd had the embroidery finished for a couple of weeks but I just couldn't figure out how to treat the clock hands. I knew I didn't want to leave the black plastic naked but I was worried my other ideas about fabric & stitching would make the whole thing look tacky. When you've spent a couple of hours on hand embroidery you don't want to wreck it with a couple of minutes of glue (yes, speaking from experience).
I've got Changing Rooms (UK) to thank for the flocking thing. I'd seen an episode about three years ago where they flocked all sorts of hard surfaces (including the bannister if I remember).
Anyway, I'm chuffed with the way it's come up. The clock face is an old record, the mechanism & hands from an Opped clock, the fabric is an old sheet & the floss was in the stash.
Half full print by Lisa...Robot by Jodie...Clock by me.
It was hanging in the little guy's room when he went up to bed last night. He was very generous with his admiration & congratulations (he's nice like that). After I'd kissed him good night he called me back & said "Uh oh, I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep with that Tick Tocking in my ear"....
Our house is (hopefully) not going to require much in the way of heating. We're trying not to turn the heating on & have instead been snuggling under blankets in the evenings.
Whilst the granny blankets are excellent, they do make it hard to change the channel on the Teev or play playstation games or hook/stitch/knit (the plot thickens). I've got the little guy & the big girl ahead of me in line but I'm totally making myself one of these!
The first shoulder blanket fashioned for the smallest from the same old blanket used for the slippers & 1/2 a ball of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino which was lounging in the stash. I think it's a left over from when the big girl was granny squaring. I'm feeling pretty good about my $2 outlay at the Op Shop (& there's still enough for 1 more pair of slippers).
I wasn't sure if the yarn was going to make it all the way around the blanket & maths really isn't my strong suit. Luckily my brother in law was at our place, we did a quick calculation & figured I should just scrape it in. Just scrape is right...I think there's about 2 metres left.
Note to self: Figure out a much better, faster, less painful way to make the holes.
Sorry for being a tease. Quite a few people had guessed they were slippers anyway so I don't feel too awful.
I really didn't mean it, they just took so long to make up. Stitched entirely by hand over the Easter break & finished off in haste this afternoon so I could snap a couple of pics in the fading light.
I think that I probably could have achieved a very similar effect by sewing them up on the machine (in around 15 minutes)!
I do feel enormously proud of them though & maybe I wouldn't have if I whipped them up on the Janome?
The embroidered embellishment came about because after I'd stitched the first slipper I noticed the blanket was almost worn through on the soul. I did a bit of decorative darning to buy a bit of time & liked the way it looked so much that I've added it to the top of the slippers as well.
So there you have it... Urchin Mary Jane slippers fashioned from an old blanket.
This shower mitt has evolved from the tea bag soap saver I made a couple of years ago.
Mine has been in constant use since it was made & I love it BUT it annoyed me I had to kind of fold the top of the bag over & wrap the drawstring around it.
So, one day on the run I thought about adapting it to a mitten.
The sampler stitches act as a bit of a loofa & there is a little pocket inside the mitt to hold your endy bits of soap.
This is the very first thing I have ever made for The Date.
Daisy fortunes & apple stalk love interests were all the go when I was in about Year 5.
It wasn't for Valentine's Day or any day really. I think all the hearty stuff that has been popping up around the place during the last couple of weeks certainly had an influence though.
That's what the petal folding was all about & the French Egg too.
I reckon he probably needs the affirmation at the moment because Kirst on a deadline is fairly hard to get along with.
made using juice bottle lids & cotton from an old bed sheet.
...back to the old house for me. x
We all know I'm a huge fan of just about anything "on wood" but I had no idea just how much I was going to love the crochet table cloth hacked & tacked to a couple of pieces of thrifted furniture.
Things are coming together quite nicely in the new house. If you've had a peek inside my place you'd notice that there was only a tiny patch of our bedroom photographed. We've been looking for something nice & skinny for the TV to sit on. It's in an awkward place because it's very close to the ensuite door.
I'd picked up this glass fronted cabinet at the Op Shop (for $5) intending for it to be hidden in The Date's office & reserved for his "straight to the pool room" golf trophies & such. It looked ridiculous & he pitched it out into the hallway earlier in the week. I seconded it for this maybe temporary maybe permanent fixture in the bedroom.
I'm not a huge wrap for the basket shelves (which came out of this unit) I've fashioned below & prefer a more open look. I've got another idea for that (which will hopefully still hide the power cords). I'll keep you updated.
While I had the glue gun out I worked a bit of crochet magic on this sweet chair (also Opped for the princely sum of $5).
Beautiful floaty images by Bricolagelife.
So I think I've managed a pretty nice bedroom makeover for under $20! Unbeatable value & my very favourite ... reused, repurposed, recrafted, upcycled.
If you fancy having a go at this yourself it's just super-easy-thrown-together fun.
You'll need...
double sided tape, spray adhesive, hot glue gun, a thrifted crochet table cloth ($2-$8).
For the cabinet...
Using double sided tape create a frame on the inside of the door (as close to the glass as possible).
Then...
Rough cut the table cloth to size. Keep all the motifs intact at this stage.
Now...
Expose the double sided tape & position your crochet piece.
And...
Use your hot glue gun to more permanently adhere the crochet piece.
Finally...
Trim away excess fabric so that everything looks nice & neat.
Repeat for the other door.
For the chair...
Rough cut the table cloth to size. Keep all the motifs intact at this stage.
Then...
Spray the wrong side of the tablecloth piece with spray adhesive.
Now...
Position on the chair.
And...
Use your hot glue gun to more permanently adhere the crochet piece.
Finally...
Trim away excess fabric so that everything looks nice & neat.
Wow...how fast this Thursday has rolled around!
The Date & I have been very hard at work on the old place this week.
There hasn't been much time for crafting of any sort. I am making sure I get in a bit of instant gratification stuff along the way & this thrifted table cloth is part of a refashion I've got going on for our bedroom in the new place.
You can visit my favourite space from last week right here.
HOUSEKEEPING: Did you notice that I've dropped the blogspot? Can I trouble you to take a moment to update your reader & links please? Thank you.
http://www.kootoyoo.com
Don't forget to pop in and add your link if you're playing along this week.
I fashioned this laptop stand out of bits & pieces I had lying around at home. The only things I had to buy for this project were two small hinges.
It's craft born out of necessity.
When we moved I cut an old table in half lengthways to make a slimline desk. Unfortunately my laptop & keyboard didn't fit properly on the desk so I was typing & reading at a really awkward (& uncomfortable) angle.
My brother has one of those store bought laptop stands so I rang him to find out where to buy one & went to the shop. I was horrified that this little piece of plastic was going to set me back around $80! In addition the sales person was extremely unhelpful so I huffed out of the shop determined to make one for myself.
I think practical things might as well also be beautiful. I've done a bit of embroidery to pretty things up & because I was unsure if my HAC would stand up to holding the laptop I didn't want my efforts to be in vain...
it's also a cookbook stand. Featuring the fabulous Minus the Boombah cookbook as recommended by Aunty Cookie.
I can sniff the finish line on this one & I'm pretty excited about it!
Just hoping that the sucker doesn't collapse overnight.