Whiplash challenge.

The hardest part of this challenge may be me trying to get the whiplash button on here !!!

As part of the Whiplash challenge on Whip up I have made a doll quilt or miniature quilt.

I had so much fun with this that I thought I'd show you how I did it. (Mind you it is so easy I am sure you could just wing it).

Yep.... thats right its all made from selvedge !!! I just love how it turned out !! I am soo excited by this I am planning a bigger project !

1. 
   
   

   Step 1. Cut the selvedged edge off your fabrics leaving 1/4 inch of fabric (this becomes your seam allowance.) Then with right sides together sew two pieces together and press open, showing selvedge.



2. 
   
   

   Step 2. If you have nice thick selvedge you may be able to join one pair to another pair - giving you four (or more) joined togetherwithout losing all the details.




3. 
   
   

   Step 3. When you have pieced a few strips together you can begin to foundation piece them. I cut (ripped) a piece of very light cotton to the size I wanted and then simply began sewing the strips on. Sew as close to the very edge as you can but remember that this is the selvedge so it is not going to fray.



4. 
   

   Step 4. Continue on adding your little pairs of selvedge strips ( or bigger ones) until you have the size you require. I used my walking foot for this part.

5.

Step 5. When you have pieced all your strips , turn over your work and trim the edges, squaring up if you need to.

Step 6. I used cotton batting in this little quilt and I quilted it very simply by running some lines of stitching across the quilt in a "stitch-in-the-ditch style. My finished quilt is almost fat quarter sixe measuring approx 18 x 20 inches. Then of couse a bit of binding and your done !!!

I really love this project and am keen to do a bit more with selvedges. I have been chopping them off every scrap of fabric in the stash.

The added bonus to this project is, when asked about all the fabric in the stash I can honestly say "of course I use them all I have put almost all of them into a quilt !"

Miss Eloise says it is very snuggly !

and the winner is........

The winner of my little Cottage Charm giveaway is Lissa Jane of Fabricologists Anonymous.

Congratulations !!!!

I have really enjoyed this giveaway and can see a whole lot more in my bloggin' future and maybe one day I'll even do a swap. I'll be emailing right away for a postal address Lissa Jane.

Tonight I shall be working on my Whiplash challenge so hopefully a few pics tomorrow.

The LIST !!!!!

I did get some sewing done on the weekend and finished the bag that was giving me some grief. I made one of these for a friend a long time ago but needed to tweak the pattern a little. Well I think I over tweaked and then had to do a bit of unpicking and so forth.

I have been reading Cottage Magpie today and I really loved Angela's post about wanting do so many things. I have this incurable thought that I am far far more capable /organised than I really am. At work I write huge lists and tell myself "If I can just catalogue that whole trolley of books this morning I will be able to whip up a paper mache fish after lunch and then do some labelling and covering in the afternoon. Yeh right !!!. Come 4 O'clock I have catalogued half a trolley of books if I'm lucky so the list moves over to the next day and the next. The list is a work in progress in itself.

And that it just at work - At home I have the List also (not always down on paper, sometime just in my head). There is the we-better-fix-things- list before Granny falls through the floor. There is the weird-grown-up-stuff list that has things on it like find out what superannuation is all about and may be join all my little crappy job contributions into one mega fund of oh....about $600.

There is list of be-a better-parent things like feed your children real food, teach them life skills, help Miss Jem find a job, stop nagging, be more normal .

Of course the list-of-all lists is the craft list. far too large and complex to try and explain .......

but Tick -one less item on the list and one less UFO !

Cottage charm Giveaway Update

Today when the going got tough on a new bag I put it aside and whipped up a couple of ice cream cones to add to my Cottage Charm Giveaway.

If you would like to enter for this ever-growing freebie just comment on the Cottage charm Giveaway post of earlier.

I am really enjoying this giveaway and have found some great new blogs out there **waves to everyone** I could quite easily develop a bit of an addiction for swaps, giveaways and challenges (in all my spare time).

So one mint and one musk ice cream made from vintage chenille to add to the giveaway. How perfect is my scissor holder for ice creams?

Oh and I have to say that the dress fitted Jem perfectly - she twirled and twirled through the house and we talked accessories...we think white gloves and shoes. There was another dress of the same vintage there yesterday and now I can't stop thinking about it........and wondering if it will still be there should I happen to wander past on Monday.

eeeeeeeekkkkkkk!

Now I am not usually and eeeek! kinda girl. (I am more xena warrior princess than actual princess) , But this find had me almost squealing at the local salvo's today.

No styling, no creative photography and you'll see not even any vacuuming - this frock needed to go on Dotty (the mannequin) straight away. I can't wait for Jem to get home from school to see this - it may just fit her too.

I just love it. The weird thing is the inside label reads Stones of Ballarat. Stones building is still here in Ballarat but it now houses a sports store.

Can you imagine a young girl going to a ball in this dress? The weeks of planning and waiting she would have had, the excitement of getting ready, butterflies in her tummy waiting to be asked to dance. Giggling with her girlfriends behind their hands. It just seems so romantic, all that anticipation.

The skirt has four layers with the bottom being a very soft pink. It is in great condition and I think I shall just leave it as it is - not try to clean it at all.

Oh now that Dotty has a dress some of the other "girls" may want one to.

Sewin' shoppin' and swearin'

I have been sewing this week, working on the quilt. For the life of me I cannot get a photo that's decent - how do you take photos of quilts? All of it with no details or just a little section ? GGGRRRR - that's where the swearin' came in.

But I can't stay cross for long because this week I bought the best fabric from Shannon over at Aunty Cookie. She made this fabric - like actually designed and magically created her own - off the bolt fabric. She is one talented woman !!! Go on - go over and have a look................

Isn't it great?

The fabric is spectacular and that "kind of detail impressed me"(LOL) That is what is written on the fabric. The handwriting even had the little arrows on it that's guides children's writing - I just love it.

I am imagining a handbag with a red wool base -or cherry red with the fabric and then red handles - but i did spend some time this morning wrapping it around the existing cushions on the lounge and it look great - I just need a little something red in there............

Her new design with the birdies and trees I am also in love with as well as the fabrics that Lara of Kirin Notebook is working on. Seriously, this is fabric paradise.

Thrifting paradise.

This is why I work part-time........... This morning I was able to pop in to a local op-shop and BINGO !!!! Check this out.

All the buttons from a $5 jar - I opened it and right there on the top was this gorgeous vintage diamante buckle.......as well as all these treasures, little glass buttons and lovely old metal ones......

A separate $2.50 bag revealed these - they are all glass...I love the cameos...I really wish I knew more about buttons. Can anyone recommend a good button book?

the second bag was full of all these pretties.......

and a bag of vintage British snaps for $1 (some of these will go in my Cottage charm Giveaway Pack)

I also grabbed a very soft almost musliny embroidered apron, and some beautiful vintage fabrics ...........

Then, as I went to pay the person serving me asked me if I sewed (I think all the buttons were a dead giveaway). She said they had a bag of sewing stuff out the back I could have if I wanted it. It turned out to be a bag of unfinished Granny squares destined for the bin as they though no-one would want them.

Now, I am sooooo not a knitter or a crocheter so this bag is free to a good home. If you have a use for this and live in Australia, let me know and I will pop it all in a prepaid satchel and send it off to you. I mean, I just couldn't leave it there ready to be tossed away ...could I ?

Cottage Charm Giveaway

ALL DONE!!
I have decided to try and join the blogosphere a little (I know I fluffed up the whole apron thing) by joining in on the "cottage charm giveaway".

I have taken a fairly loose definition of the term cottage I think, but hope that people might like some of what I have to offer.

My cottage charm giveaway is for:

1. Bright yellow and pink BoBo made of vintage chenille




2. card of vintage buttons




3. 1m each of two of my favourite tape measure twill tapes




4. 1 strand of strawberries made of vintage chenille with vintage buttons




5. vintage chenille gingerbread man for the Christmas tree




6. 2 patterns for chenille cakes and cupcakes




7. 10 squares of beautiful vintage chenille measuring six and a half inches each.

If you would like to win this little pack of goodness all you need to do is leave me a comment on this post.

Please please make sure I can contact you via your comment so if you don't have a blog please include your email address in your comment. I will draw the winner on May 26th. I'll cover postage etc. so what have you got to lose? Thats it - No tricks just a little freebie.....

If you go and have a look at Kim's site you will of course be able to see everyone else participating and find some great new blogs in the process. (Thanks Kim- Great idea).

Chenille softie !!!

Hi everyone ,

I had a super time on school camp . It was filled with sleepless nights, vomit, tears, near accidents , lots and lots of laughter and some great kids. Everything a school camp should have !

Now just in case you think I am superwoman - I did not make this frog this morning - I made him before camp along with the others but he had no mouth - so voila ! Now he is done.

I think I am almost over the round ball animals but still lurking in the back of my mind are a hedgehog and a fish - so you never know.

Today I want to whip up a few quick things so I can join the cottage charm giveaway - stay tuned !!!