You guys know that I worship at the altar of KitschyCoo, so when she asked last week for volunteers to test her new pattern for kiddies underpants I was all over that bad boy.

Amanda’s kids are almost exactly the same age as my middle two – Jamie is about 5 months older than Nairn and Maia is only two weeks younger than Erica – and so we have loads in common when it comes to the kids. Amanda commented a while back that underwear in the UK is poorly designed and sized to the extent that she was becoming frustrated with how uncomfortable Jamie & Maia were in pants and I wholeheartedly related to that. I have to say I completely agree and I’d go as far as to say that poor fitting underwear is why Nairn is staying at nursery this year instead of going to school!

Amanda sent over the pattern, I picked up some cute fabric from Mandors in Glasgow and set out to work. The pattern is extremely easy – the body of the pants is one piece with attached waistband & legbands – but my sewing machine didn’t cope terribly well with stretchy knit fabric so I think I’ll rely on my overlocker next time I make these. I ran up a pair in each size:

Erica (they do fit, she’s just a fidget!)

Nairn

I much prefer the style of these over the almost bikini-style girls’ underwear on sale, especially since Erica has a wee pot belly and healthy thighs. These are so much more comfortable for her and are saving her from the dual perils of the builder’s bum and the wedgie. Nairn is currently going through an “I want to be exactly the same as my brother” phase and has steadfastedly refused to wear his new pants since I made them because they’re not like Findlay’s. Ah well. You can’t please them all

Posted under sewing

Yesterday my pincushion swap parcel arrived, and luckily the one I sent to Gemma arrived with her too so I can show you both!

I’m still on this craft neutral bent, so upcycling and recycling was the name of the game. The pincushion base is a (thoroughly cleaned!) little catfood tin which I covered with some giftwrap and coated in a layer of PVA glue. The cushion part is a pair of Nairn’s old jeans which had burst at the leg and which were destined for the bin until they were repurposed.

The pins were made by supergluing some tiny beads which came from a broken necklace of Erica’s. I made a matching needlebook which is actually the item I’m probably most proud of! I’ve had this binding for a while but been too scared to use it because it was so ridiculously gorgeous. I used some more of Nairn’s denims to create the needlebook, some felt for the inside pages and some felt scraps to appliqué the front. I made 12 little pins with the beaded tops and added in a few sewing needles and buttons for Gemma.

The outside, all folded up

The inside

For me, swaps are all about what I can make. I’m not sure why because every swap I’ve participated in has been really overwhelmingly gorgeous but I tend not to have great expectations of them, so when Gemma’s parcel arrived yesterday I nearly cried.

Look how cute this tortoise is! He’s filled with lavender too and smells absolutely gorgeous.

Look at his wee face!

As if that wasn’t cute enough, Gemma also spoiled me rotten with supplies:

A cute box filled with buttons:

And chocolate! This is quite the trompe-l’œil because there’s actually FOUR fingers of fudge and a large Dairy Milk caramel bar in this picture:

So needless to say I was absolutely thrilled with my swap, as were the kids with their fudge bars! Thanks ever so much to Gemma for being a fabulous swap partner and additional thanks to Claire for organising

Gemma has blogged the swap too – go, read!

Posted under Uncategorized

I look back on some of my earliest entries in this blog and cringe to death at my first projects. My writing was abysmal, my crafting even worse and I was proud of this stuff?! You lot should have given me a slap

As I look over my progress – especially last year when I completed the ’50 things in 2009′ challenge – it’s empowering to have visual proof that I’m getting moderately better at the crafts I choose to turn my hand to, which is why I am so proud of this bookmark. Almost as proud as I was with Erica’s sweater, but in a different way. This is the first project I’ve completed following a knitting chart and blocking my work and I’m astonished at the difference this simple process makes. Any of you wondering what ‘blocking’ constitutes should run to Eunny Jang’s guide to blocking, it’s a fab step-by-step guide with lots of idiotproof pictures to guide you.

I wish I’d taken a before photograph of this sad, crumpled lump of knots because watching it become a thing of beauty as the lace opened up was just beyond words. It was like watching a flower bloom.

This is a nice little pattern (free, and available here) which I knocked out in a couple of hours in front of the TV. I did have a bit of confusion at the end of the project due to the chart – I’m not sure if I was reading the chart incorrectly as I thought knitting charts were read right-to-left – but I managed to skirt round it and still come out with a lovely finish. Isn’t it gorgeous?

Needless to say, this little bookmark has given me a boost of confidence in my own abilities especially since the last time I attempted a bookmark I failed dismally. I am truly awestruck at the transformation post-blocking and I feel somewhat embarrassed that I have never blocked before. I’m a convert!

Posted under Uncategorized, knitting

There is nothing worse for me than the last dregs of a project. The sewing in ends when knitting, the trimming and hiding of loose threads in sewing. The TIDYING UP part of any crafting – by the time I get to that stage, I’m just over it. I have very few semi-completed projects because I really hate having things left unfinished and I also have a mad drive once I’ve started something – I must get this finished ASAP!

This is why I’m quite surprised at my latest endeavour. You may have noticed that I’m on a bit of a knitting bent right now and after finishing up a bookmark earlier in the week I decided to try something a little more experimental.

That there is yarn made from plastic bags (also known by the hideously cutesy term “plarn”), a process which I promise to document with a tutorial this week sometime. I don’t know what it’s going to be yet but I’m rather enjoying the novelty of doing something a bit wacky and out there. The orange at the bottom is Sainsbury’s carrier bags and the green at the top is the wrapper from a pack of pampers. To be honest the pampers pack didn’t work so well, it’s very thick and not stretchy so it was difficult to manipulate and has become a far heavier fabric than the orange bags, but this is a learning curve and this knowledge in itself is handy to know.

So tell me – have you crafted with any supplies that are not exactly the norm? And do you enjoy the process of crafting more or the end result?

A reminder too that the sign-ups for the Little and Large swap are still open – it would be great to have some more participants!

Posted under knitting

I know that it’s a mother’s job to see her own children as the most gorgeous children in the world. But seriously, I could just look at this face all day.

Look at those cheeks! And those eyes! Isn’t she just gorgeous? Can you guys believe it’s been nine and a half months since she arrived? It feels like yesterday.

Anyway, I’m not cruel enough to put an orange hat on a ginger child – she’s simply modelling for me! I made this hat for my wonderful friend Jenn who had a lovely little girl in January. Jenn’s elder daughter is Nairn’s Canadian birth twin – they were born on the same day 3000 miles apart – and both celebrate their 4th birthday tomorrow. Isn’t that sweet?

This hat is made from the candy cane pattern in Itty-Bitty Hats by Susan B. Anderson and knitted in a lovely Debbie Bliss DK cotton in a beautiful bright orange. Isn’t it cute? Greer certainly seems to think so.

Does this photo remind you of anyone..?

I defy anyone to say my girls don’t look alike

Posted under knitting

Hello everyone! I hope you’re all well and happy this fabulous Friday. Isn’t it a glorious day? I may or may not have had a little too much sugar this morning. Combine that with GREAT! EXCITEMENT! as Bob & I are getting a night off parenting tonight and perhaps you could forgive the gratuitous use of exclamation marks. Bob’s wonderful parents have volunteered to take the three youngest tonight while Findlay goes to his Dad’s, so we’re actually going to spend some time together that doesn’t involve housework. What a novel idea! Have you got anything fun planned for the weekend?

So – the title of my blog post today is artistically challenged because I really am. It’s not even funny, I am the most cack-handed wannabe artist that I know. I wanted to do art for Standard Grade – which is the Scottish equivalent to GCSE – and the art teacher pretty much laughed me out of the room. I can’t draw to save myself, I don’t have the techniques for painting but I am so keen! I’ve been trying to create faces for the little dolls I’ve been making and I just can’t seem to do it.

These are the new dolls – four girls and a boy (I’m going to put together a tutorial for the boy doll at some point soon, promise!). They’ve been sewn up and finished for almost a week and are sitting on my sewing chair just waiting for their faces. As a reminder, this is the dolly I’d made for Elise:

And I wasn’t thrilled by the face. I ended up repainting the eyes more than once because I felt they just weren’t quite what I’d expected. It sounds like such a simple thing doesn’t it, to draw an eye? But I’m a big believer in the power and mystique of eyes, and I want these dollies to be loved and cherished so it’s important to me that the eyes are enchanting, beautiful and not at all frightening. So I shall plough on with drawing eyes until I think I’ve found an eye that works. Wish me luck!

Posted under for the kids, sewing

I mentioned recently that I’ve lost my crafting mojo and I think these might just snap me out of it. I’ve been making loads of these fabric corsage brooches, initially for my button swap but subsequently as I realised they’re a fabulous way to use up scraps while making something of use. I’ve already made a little one for Erica’s winter coat and I think I’ll have a few up for sale in my Folksy shop over the next few days. What do you think?

Posted under general crafty updates

A few months ago I noticed that Sam of Incy Wincy stitches had organised a button jewellery swap. I hung off joining because things are just MANIC busy for me right now, but when Sam mentioned she was one person short i decided to go for it. I was paired with Laura Figiel of She Draws and I finally got round to posting Laura’s package off yesterday. Only a couple of weeks late – sorry Laura!

Unfortunately, being as far North as we are I’m struggling to get good photographs these days so you’ll have to make do with this. Time to dig out the lightbox again perhaps!

On the left there are two brooches, in the middle there are two hair bobbles, a keyring, a ring and a necklace. I had initially made a bracelet and decided I hated it so had to start afresh. I packaged these up with a FQ of Japanese fabric and a little pouch of Daim sweeties so hopefully Laura is happy.

I will get a photo of what she sent me later in the week Thanks to Sam for hosting this swap!

Posted under jewellery, sewing, swaps

I actually made this over a month ago believe it or not, but I can’t get a photograph of her wearing it because she wears it so often it’s never clean! Using this pattern I made this pinafore-come-smock for Erica as you can see. Now – I had a few problems with this which I’ll share.

1. This is a vintage US pattern. Both vintage and US sized items usually run small for my kids and this pattern was no exception. It fit Alicia’s daughter at almost a 2T size but was so neat on Erica I had to add snaps to the straps to fasten them instead of tying.

2. I thought the smocket looked really cute in the illustrative pictures but when Erica tried it on I didn’t love it. It’s about 3 inches too long in the front, and the back criss-crosses at such a height that she can’t wear it without leggings/tights and a top underneath.

On the plus side, it’s so easy to put together that the things which annoyed me could simply be remedied by raising the hem, lengthening the straps and adding some width. I made it with cream babycord on one side and a polkadot cotton on the other which worked really well. One I’ll definitely attempt again

Posted under sewing

Last week I took the plunge. After seeing work done by two of my friends – Chrissy and Kerry – I’ve been dying to experiment so I took a little trip to this fibreglass specialist and picked up a kilo of clear casting polyester resin. I didn’t want to invest in supplies until I was sure this was something I’d do a lot of so for moulds I used ice cube trays that we had in the house (available from ikea) and some beer bottle tops. Using Kerry’s book called “Create your own resin jewellery” as guidance, I set to work.

Bear in mind that I haven’t done anything to these since they came out of the moulds as they’re still curing! I promise I’ll post more photographs once they’ve been sanded and finished. You can see all my work to date by clicking here to see my flickr set

These ones need topped up

I’m quite excited to do more, now!

Posted under resin