All things quilty... and sewy.

From 'The Yarn Cafe'.

2012-01-27T10:07:00.000+11:00

I placed my first yarn order at The Yarn Cafe in the UK and it came within two weeks! It was really well packed and everything arrived safely. I ordered some rose wood square knitting needles, a circular needle, and enough yarn to knit up a scarf and two tams.

~ Rooster DK yarn in "Custard" ~

~ Rooster DK yarn in Cornish ~

I loved the Custard yearn so much I even arranged for The Yarn Cafe to send a little care package to Mill (two balls of Custard plus a set of circular knitting needles). We are going to do a knit-along of this pattern.

I can't speak highly enough of The Yarn Cafe. The yarn and needles are top quality and the range of products they sell are dreamy. I think this Rico Essentials Soft Marino yarn might be my next purchase...

~ Happy stitching ~

Sam xox

The "As Time Goes By" quilt.

2012-01-25T20:12:00.000+11:00

Have you ever watched the English show "As Time Goes By"? My MIL adores this show, and has always wanted a quilt like the one that Lionel and Jean sleep under...

So she is making one for her own bed...

Pin wheel blocks constructed,

combinations of light, medium and dark,

traditional reds, blues, browns and creams,

come together to bring this quilt to life.

It's going to be stunning!

Sam xox

Knitted baby cardigan complete.

2012-01-23T20:02:00.000+11:00

It's finished!

My first ever baby knit had the final button stitched on yesterday. This cardigan took me two weeks to make. The pattern is called "Fast Baby Cardigan" and is available on Ravelry here for free (you will need to make a Ravelry account to be able to access the pattern).

I am thrilled with the end result and I think it is the perfect size for a baby 3-6 months of age (I knitted the smallest size). As the parents are not finding out what they are having, I used a gender neutral coloured wool (Patons Dreamtime 8ply).

The only adjustment I made to the pattern was to replace the moss stitching with ribbed stitching as I like this look much better.

Next time I will definitely stitch in button holes, as the snaps were a little tricky to sew on.

I am thrilled with this result and I hope the mum-to-be will be too :-)

I think I can now add 'knitting' to my stitching repertoire!

Sam xox

Morpeth.

2012-01-18T08:24:00.002+11:00

A day trip to Morpeth gave us some much needed time together...

~ Those are all turtle heads ~

~ Using the polarizing filter on the camera to capture them all ~

Sam xox

Baby cardigan progress.

2012-01-15T21:05:00.000+11:00

For years I never understood knitting. I know it sounds silly, but I just couldn't get my mind around how two needles and a ball of wool could be woven together to create something. Mill patiently tried to teach me over 6 years ago when we lived together. Full of excitement and enthusiasm I bought some acrylic wool and plastic needles and tried to knit a scarf. A simple stocking stitch scarf. It wasn't too many rows in when it all began to unravel (metaphorically speaking). Somehow I kept getting holes in my knitting. Somehow I managed to knit these holes so they didn't unravel. This was the only thing about my knitting that marvelled Mill. She was a patient teacher, but after a while we both knew it was a hopeless endeavour and we returned to our familiar habits; wool in her hand, and a quilt in mine.

Last weekend I decided to try again. I selected this pattern and gathered supplies. This week, every evening, I have sat quietly after dinner and knitted. And I've enjoyed it. I have learnt a lot from this pattern (with the assistance of a vintage Patons Woolcraft booklet, YouTube and the internet). I now know what PSSO, K2tog, M1and pick up stitch all mean. I have shaped raglan sleeves, used multiple stitch holders, learnt to use a stitch counter, knitted in stockinette stitch and moss stitch. I even did some backwards knitting, after I realised I garter stitched a row I should have been purling... Listen to how 'knitty' I speak now :-)

I ran into a bit of trouble though what I realised I had not stitched in any button holes along the way. The pattern doesn't clearly instruct you to do this, so I had assumed they would be included in the pattern somehow. I made an emergency Skype call to Mill who assured me that it was f'ine, and she suggested I sew on some push studs, and sew the buttons on decoratively instead. Plus, she said we know how wiggly little babies can be, maybe push studs will be easier for the mother?" I hope so, as I don't want to try doing this to get button holes in the cardigan post-knitting!

~ This vintage booklet has been teaching me all the basic stitches ~

Thanks Mill for giving me the trans-continental knitting lesson! Who knows, when we are finally together again we might be knitting fair isle side by side?

Sam xox

Log cabin quilt continues.

2012-01-11T07:36:00.000+11:00

Log cabin quilt,

Oh how I have missed thee...

Please don't think I had forgotten you,

you've been on my mind a long time.

I placed the first stitches in you years ago,

and kind of hid you in a cupboard for a while,

and packed you up and moved you.

But don't think this was how it would end.

I was just waiting for the right time to reconnect with you again,

and oh have we reconnected old friend.

As I promised, this year I will dedicate more time to my quilting as well as my garment sewing. So on New Years Eve I decided to end 2011 as I meant to begin 2012, with more quilt sewing. I dug out my log cabin quilt I began working on in 2009, and sorted out the different fabrics that I had cut into 1" strips and piled into a paper bag for storage. I had forgotten how much I loved the blues, reds and creams. I was also a little shocked to see just how many 1" strips I had actually cut? I must have been in a bit of a cutting frenzy that weekend.

Over the weekend I added 16 blocks to my 14 already sewn up - that's 30 total now! yippy!

My MIL had fun arranging different combinations (oh and that pinwheel quilt? I promise to share more on that soon).

~ A diamond / square arrangement, I really wasn't sure about this ~

~ The more traditional log cabin layout, I like this one ~

These blocks are foundation pieced using the template found here. I simply copied the image to Microsoft word and enlarged it to a size I was happy with. There are many good tutorials online on how to foundation piece. Here is a good video that explains the basics. (Tip: Always use 'foundation paper' to sew with, as normal paper is too thick. Foundation paper can be found on eBay).

A log cabin quilt is the perfect quilt for someone who enjoys the sewing process but is apprehensive about making a quilt because of the quilting involved. A log cabin quilt can be secured using the tradition tie method, which does not involve any quilting. The tying method is a legitimate way of finishing quilts and was employed in the past by women who wanted to make up utility quilts quickly.

Are you inspired to make a log cabin quilt too?

Also, it's been such fun connecting with you all on Ravelry! Who knew there were so many sewer/knitters out there :-)

Sam xox

Beware: Learning in progress.

2012-01-08T15:47:00.000+11:00

I've started knitting. Seriously knitting. Like ordering wool online, purchasing a pattern and proper needles kind of knitting. I'm nervous and excited and so very confused by some of the pattern instructions, but with my Paton's Woolcraft: How to Knit booklet beside me (and the internet) I am working it all out.

It's going well so far. I have begun knitting a baby cardigan for my friend who is due in June, which will be winter for us down here. She is not finding out the gender, so I am playing it safe and knitting in a cream/neutral coloured 100% Merino wool. It's hard to make attractive gender neutral baby gifts, I was originally going to knit something up in a dark navy, but thought better of it. I reasoned girl babies could wear navy, however I wasn't sure my friend would think this was ok, so plain creamy beige it is.

It's been fun to see a number of other bloggers out there also pick up the knitting needles for 2012 (or earlier) and creating some beautiful things.

Some knitting Etsy love...

~ Susan Bates Knitting Needles ~

~ Begin to knit ~

~ 9" Boye Needles ~

~ Vintage English bone handled tools ~

~ Circular Knitting Needle Case ~

~ Bakelite knitting needles ~

Are you on Ravelry? I have finally spent some time on this website and it is seriously amazing - a Burda Style of the knitting world (or is Burda Style a Ravelry of the sewing world?) either way, it is a great online community and has taught me quite a bit thus far. My Ravelry profile is 'hand-quilter' if you want to say hi :-)

Sam xox

Sorbetto top #2.

2012-01-06T19:23:00.000+11:00

I've been meaning to blog this Sorbetto for a few months now. I made this top back in October as a gift for Mill for her birthday. I wanted to post her a handmade item that wouldn't weight too much (postage cost in Australia is exceptionally high), and the Sorbetto fitted the bill nicely.

As this was made for the purpose of 'sleepwear', I used a soft cotton fabric with small blue and white stripes. Some cream bias binding for the neck and arm holes matched the fabric perfectly and added a soft tough. I stayed true to the pattern and had this cut out and sewn up in under an hour.

I intend on making a few more tops from this pattern this year. Thanks again Colette patterns. Click here to print yourself off a copy of this charming pattern for free.

Sam xox

Sewing in 2012 - looking forward.

2012-01-02T14:24:00.000+11:00

~ Jamie and Sophie - both loving Christmas ~

As life calms down after the Christmas/New Years celebrations and begins to return to normal, I wanted to take a few minutes to record my goals for the year ahead. I don't want to assign numbers to the amount of clothes/ quilts/ gifts I will make this year. Instead I want to set goals based on actions and aspirations, without strict time limits.

For the blog
> A series of posts on using your overlocker/serger. I want to share with you some tips I have learn along the way and different features your overlocker/serger may have.
> Quilting!!! I believe I seriously neglected quilting in 2011 on this blog, so I will get more posts up on 'all things quilty'. Who knows, I might even convince a few of you dressmakers out there to give quilting a try :-)
> How-to's. I have a few how-to's in mind for the blog this year.
> Giveaways. Items other than dressmaking patterns!
> Post more projects. I find I neglect to post about my projects until they are finished. I think this takes away a little from those who read this blog and are learning to sew or are interested in the process of sewing up a pattern. I will try and get better at posting along the way.
> More outdoor photography of my finished garments. We now live less than 500 meters from the ocean, so I should be taking advantage of this amazing backdrop.
> Book reviews. I have a number of books I have purchased that I would love to share with you all.
> Some more Etsy favourite posts.

For myself
> I want to organise my sewing room and fabric stash better. This will take time and thought but I really really need a better system.
> Balance my sewing and quilting time. I feel that I have been spending far more time sewing these days than quilting, and this has to change. I have a number of quilting UFO's waiting for some attention, and they simply are not getting it from me. Need to change this.
> I want to make more clothes using Liberty of London fabrics (don't we all?).
> I want to learn how to use my French Curve ruler... anyone have one of these and use them???
> Knit a scarf for winter this year using good quality wool. Does anyone have any tips where to buy good wool online?
> Make a baby quilt for a friend who is due in June.
> More Skype craft days with friends afar.
> I want to expand my 'cooler weather' wardrobe. I find that living in the climate I do in Australia, that winter for us only gets really cold for less than two months of the year. My winter wardrobe basically consists of jeans (4 pairs) and cardigans (10 of these). I only own three long sleeve shirts! I basically get by on very little in winter, and it can often feel unstylish and repetitive (seriously, how many ways can I wear my cardigans and jeans?). So I would love to make a coat this year, and some pencil skirts that can be teamed with tights.

~ Fireworks on the harbour ~

Before I embark on my 2012 sewing adventure, I just want to take a moment to thank you all for your encouraging comments and emails this year. I love the online sewing community that we are all a part of, and cannot thank you all enough for the feedback I receive through my blog and Burdastyle. As someone who does not have many sewers in their life, I find our online community invaluable. I learn so much from reading other peoples blogs (I need to comment more and share the love), learning from my own mistakes and the successes and challenges of other bloggers. All the knowledge, projects, and ideas that are shared online are inspiring and encourage me to continue to sew.

As I am sure sewing is for a lot of you, sewing for me is a form of relaxation, a way to escape from the stresses of my everyday life, to focus my energy and thoughts on something other than the demands of my job, relationships, and life worries. The thrill of creating something from a pile of fabric and some thread, for me, cannot be matched.

I hope that in 2012 I can encourage others to pick up a needle and thread and 'give it a go' or tackle a more difficult project. You might find that you like it. :-)

I can't wait to share 2012 with you all. Happy New Year!

Sam xox

Sewing in 2011 - looking back.

2011-12-28T11:19:00.001+11:00

As the year draws to a close, naturally our minds begin to run wild with sewing goals for the year ahead. I know mine is. Thoughts flashing through my head of scalloped edges, Colette patterns, vintage fabrics and lace detail. I must make an effort this week to write it all done (note-to-self, reread Emma's New Years Resolutions post)! I have already read some inspiring 2011 review posts this week by fellow seamstresses Gina and Lauran. I am sure many more will appear in the blogosphere before this week ends.

Here is my sewing recap for the year past...

Skirts and Dresses

Walk Away Dress - Butterick 6015

One Pattern - Seven Bloggers Dress

Simplicity 4310 Dress

Vogue 8184 Dress

Pillowcase Skirt

Simplicity 2656 Skirt

Tops

Sorbetto Top

Simplicity 1430 Blouse

Pendrell Blouse #1

Pendrell Blouse #2

Undergarments

French Knickers

Madeline Mini Bloomers

Casey's 1920's Chemise

Quilts

Pinwheel baby play mat quilt

Other

Eighteen creations isn't half bad! Considering I went into sewing hibernation for many weeks pre and post house move, and have basically dedicated December to Christmas craft, I am surprised I have sewed this many things.

Highlights for me this year have been:

* Having my Pendrell blouse featured by Tasia on her blog! I was thrilled that the woman who designed the pattern liked my creation!

* Joining a sewing class.

* A new sewing machine and overlocker/serger (Christmas gift).

* Making a number of handmade Christmas gifts this year.

* Learning to machine quilt on my new machine (very basically though).

* Collaborating with Marie, Reana, Kat, Rachel, Jen and Amy on One Pattern - Seven Bloggers.

* Making a cake for my Grandparents 50th wedding anniversary - complete with royal icing!

* Teaching Sarah how to sew.

* Adding to my collection of vintage patterns.

* The new addition to our feline family.

* Moving house and building a veggie garden.

My final goal for 2011 is to get my sewing room in order (does anyone else feel like they are constantly battling their sewing room/space? I do, doesn't seem to matter how big or small it is, somehow it never feels like it is in order).

Sam xox

The earrings all made up.

2011-12-24T10:00:00.004+11:00

Some internet searching for 'vintage Christmas cards' found me a delightful assortment of old vintage Christmas images. I settled upon a snow scene depicting a small village and a handful of residents, dressed in their best surrounding a tree.

I printed the pictures off and laminated them to stabilize, then punched little holes in the now 'presentation cards' using a pin to allow for the earrings to attach.

I really am quite pleased with how these turned out. Like I said, a simple search on Etsy for 'resin flowers' will unearth more choice of colours, sizes and styles than you ever thought possible (well, almost!). Cheap to make compared to the price you would pay for these at most market stalls.

Simply change the image of the presentation card for this to be an any-time-of-year gift!

Sam xox

Handmade Liberty pin cushion.

2011-12-23T18:00:00.001+11:00

Made from Liberty of London 'Wiltshire' fabric.

14 x 1" hexagon cardboard templates.

English paper piecing method.

Hand stitched together.

A little Christmas gift for me.

Sam xox

If you want to learn how to sew with the English paper piecing method, this video demonstrates it well.

Hand embroidered Christmas tree decoration.

2011-12-22T22:38:00.000+11:00

After seeing these hand embroidered Christmas tree decorations on Etsy a few weeks ago, I was tempted to try and make my own. I gathered some calico, stuffing, a scrap of Liberty 'Wiltshire' fabric, and embroidery thread to match. I cut the square just over 3" in size and hand embroidered the pattern. I then hand stitched the two squares together, slipped in a little stuffing, and attached some thread to hang the decoration from a branch of my tree.

Why not have a try yourself?

Sam xox

Betsy McCall.

2011-12-19T18:40:00.000+11:00

Have you seen Betsy McCall - The First Ten Years yet? This makes me want to go and buy cardboard now, print these pages out, and play paper dolls for the rest of the afternoon...

If I had a daughter I would definitely be making her a set of Betsy paper dolls!

Sam xox

Some beautiful wreaths.

2011-12-18T20:00:00.000+11:00

Feel like making your own Christmas wreath? Here are some beautiful wreaths I have found that could be easily recreated...

~ found here ~

Sam xox

Merrens' wreath.

2011-12-17T20:00:00.000+11:00

I wanted to share with you some photos of the Christmas wreath my mother in law Merren made this year, because I think it is beautiful...

She used some dried fruit, cinnamon sticks, and pieces of hessian cloth tied into bows for her decorations. Her tip when working creatively? Work with odd numbers - 3's, 5's, 7's, as this is always most pleasing to the eye.

Tomorrow I'll share with you some other inspiring wreaths I've found.

Sam xox

Handmade earrings.

2011-12-16T20:00:00.000+11:00

These earrings are really easy to make. Here's what you needs:

A bag of earring studs.

Resin flowers (Etsy has lots of different sizes, colours and styles).

Super glue gel.

20 minutes.

> Glue stud pieces to each flower.

> Allow time to dry.

> Arrange pairs of studs on decorated card stock.

> Wrap in brown paper and twine and place under the tree.

Sam xox

Dried fruit and cinnamon wreath.

2011-12-15T20:00:00.000+11:00

This wreath is basically a total copy of a wreath Ally gave my mother-in-law last Christmas. It smells delicious and is relatively simple to put together, however the fruit needs a few days to be prepared.

To make this wreath, you will need to dry some apple, orange, and lemon slices. I dried my lemon and orange slices first outside for a few days, then finished them off in the oven at a low temperature. The apple slices did not need long in the oven (make sure you keep an eye on them!).

You will also need some cinnamon sticks, dried chilies, thick bendable wire, wire snips, and some ribbon.

If you're anything like me, divide your fruits, cinnamon sticks and chilies to form a pleasing pattern (you can also freestyle your wreath and just thread it all on randomly). Bend your wire into a wreath shape, remembering to leave some wire at each end for securing. Thread it all onto your wire, then secure wreath by looping the ends together and snipping the extra wire off. Cover up the ugly loop bit by tying a big red bow around it, then find somewhere nice for it to hang.

~ Allow this wreath to gently fill your home

with the scent of citrus and cinnamon ~

Sam xox

Tomato relish.

2011-12-14T20:00:00.000+11:00

This Christmas I will be filling the stockings of my nearest and dearest with homemade food items. This weekend I whipped up a batch of tomato relish, following an old family recipe. I can't share it with you, but I did find one that is quite similar here.

Having planted eight tomatoes plants a few months ago, I am now flooded with ripe tomatoes ready for picking. This causes a little trouble seeing that my dear hubby hates tomatoes, so there is no way we I am able to eat through them all. That's where tomato relish comes in...

My recipe calls for 3kg of tomatoes. I was able to provide this purely from my veggie garden (and yep this did make me feel kinda good!).

Here's a tip. If you need jars to store this sort of thing, but just don't have enough stockpiled, instead of buying empty jars from the supermarket (these were $2.45 each) try finding a food product sold in jars that you can store another way at home. For example, I purchased spaghetti sauce ($1.89), was able to transfer the sauce into bags and store in the freezer to be used later on. I was then left with six large jars which I washed, then sterilised in the oven. Here's a how to guide for steralising jars.

I transferred the hot mixture into the hot jars, sealed then left them standing on their lids to dry. This creates a seal.

Once cool I covered the lids with scraps of fabric cut into circles with pinking sheers, then secured with twine. I labelled each jar with homemade labels I found here. I simply opened the image in 'paint' and added the text in the space.

Sam xox

How to wrap a Christmas present.

2011-12-13T18:24:00.001+11:00

You will need:

A roll of brown paper

Coloured twine

Sciccors

Sticky tape

Gift labels (I bought mine from here)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Cut your brown paper to a size. I like to wrap my gifts with a double layer of paper.

Tape your paper up.

Tie you package up with a long length of twine.

Tie your twine into a nice big bow.

Write warm wishes on your label and secure to the twine.

Place under the tree so they are ready for Christmas day.

Sam xox

Matryoshka Christmas tree decorations.

2011-12-12T22:08:00.000+11:00

My handmade decorations for 2011 are these matryoshka dolls. After blogging about them in October, I kept thinking about them, so I knew I had to make some. I printed off the free pattern from Sew to Speak and whipped up three little ladies. Three more need to be made before Christmas day arrives as I think a set of six would be a nice amount.

Doll #1 (My favourite)

Doll #2 (I regret this colour combination)

Doll #3 (A matchy matchy doll)

They look lovely hanging on the tree...

The best part about this project was the tiny tiny cost of making these dolls. I would estimate each doll cost me less than $1 to make. And they only require basic needlework skills, so they would be great for kids to make (perhaps enlarge the pattern first though - some of these pieces were tiny).

Sam xox

Christmas banner.

2011-12-11T22:41:00.000+11:00

This week I want to share with you a variety of Christmas craft projects I have made over recent weeks.

First up is this "Merry Christmas" banner...

This craft project was inspired by a banner my mother in law saw recently in Bowral, NSW. These banners are cheap to make and are really quite simple.

The letters were cut out from pages from Princess Anne's equestrian memoirs. This resulted in almost all my cut out letters containing words referencing horses or royalty - quite Christmas chic I think.

~ Princess Anne was quite a stylish rider ~

I used Microsoft Word to make the templates for these letters. Just be careful that the letter templates are not too big for the books' pages, and also make sure you trace them parallel to the lines of writing, otherwise it looks a bit slanted and awkward.

Sam xox

Christmas time.

2011-11-30T16:16:00.000+11:00

Last weekend we decided to put up our Christmas decorations. There was a lot of discussion about where our Christmas tree should stand this year in our new home. It was decided that the tree would be placed in the corner of the lounge room closest to the kitchen so it can be seen from most areas in the house.

We spent the evening arranging the tinsel, lights and decorations 'just right' and were really happy with the result. However, Sophie wasn't at all impressed with our arrangements. The next morning we were to discover most of the decorations on the floor and the tree standing at a crooked angle. Seems our new kitty has a passion for Christmas too...

Hanging our decorations made us quite homesick. Over the past few years we have hosted, and attending, many Christmas parties/dinners/lunches and a habit of mine is to ~~steal~~ take a little something from each gathering (such as a bonbon prize, ribbon from a gift, table decoration) and keep it to hang on our tree. My heart beat a little harder when I unpacked these this year, and it made me sad to think just how much further away these friends and family are this year. Granted, we still live in the same State, and are driving distance away, but it is still a distance and it is just not easy anymore to 'catch up' with those we love.

Some of these decorations include:
* Felt reindeer faces from my parents-in-law's Christmas lunch.
* A metal star mobile phone trinket (not as tacky as it sounds), a prize won from a bonbon during a dinner at Mel and James'.
* White and silver ribbon bow saved from a gift from Michelle.
* A tiny piece of plastic holly taken of the end of one of my Mum's bonbons.
* Felt stars made with love and in the company of Mill.
* A knitted bell that Ally helped me to cast off.
* Christmas baubles purchased from David Jones with Jamie.

This new house has an authentically old fireplace and mantle. It was nice to be able to decorate the mantle place also, although our Christmas decorations don't stretch as far in this house as they did in our tiny apartment.

And my piece de resistance this year is this absolutely beautiful antique Grandmother's Flower Garden quilted stocking. It was made by a lady in America from an old quilt that was quite damaged. I bid for it on eBay and won, and it now hangs waiting to be filled on December 25. It is such a treasure.

Can you imagine what the entire quilt must have looked like?

This week my goals are:
> Weed my veggie garden (as it has seriously become overgrown due to my not being able to bend thanks to knee injury from running too many km's).
> Decide on some Christmas crafts and gather all the supplies necessary.
> Sew sleeves onto my scalloped pick jacket. I have sewn up the main part of the jacket... will be able to show you all soon.
> Finish my handmade Christmas presents. Not prepared to post about these yet as some of the recipients may see them on here.
> Type up instructions for pinwheel quilt.
> Begin soaking my fruit for my Christmas cakes.
> Build a gingerbread house.

Phew. Better get started!

Sam xox

A finished quilt.

2011-11-25T15:02:00.000+11:00

Let me tell you a secret... making a quilt completely by machine is sooooooo much quicker than by hand! Don't worry, I have not completely turned my back on hand quilting (it is such a beautiful method of quilting), I just have a new found appreciation for quilting on my machine.

I have always been a strong 'hand quilting' advocate, but for quilt gifts that need to be made in a reasonable time machine quilting really is a good option. Some benefits of machine quilting:

> You don't need to plan quilt gifts two years in advance (yes I am not the quickest hand quilter around).

> Your stitches will be even.

> There are so many different stitch options - classic stitches, fancy stitches, embroidery stitches.

> The quilt is able to be washed by machine.

> Machine quilting is perfect for summer when it's too hot to have a quilt on your lap when working on it.

> A machined made quilt perfect gift for babies as it can be washed umpteenth times if it gets dirty.

> A machined quilt makes a perfect picnic blanket.

I made this quilt for a friends new baby boy (the one I made those bibs for). I had started this quilt prior to our move, and had not had a chance to finish it until we moved and unpacked all our boxes. These friends visited us recently so I was finally able to give it to them.

The quilt is made up of nine pin wheel blocks (five blue and four yellows) set out with a 3" calico sash separating them. I chose 1930's reproduction fabrics and tried to stick with a 1930's feedsack and cotton theme. I had wanted to bind this quilt in blue, but I was unable to find the 'right' blue, so settled on yellow. My friend said she preferred the yellow binding as it made the quilt a bit more gender neutral.

He appeared to like the quilt! It was always intended to be a floor quilt, something my friend could lie him on and scatter his toys around him. He is such a sweet little boy :-)

And of course, I couldn't leave out some machine quilting photos...

What is it with quilts and cats? When ever you take out some sewing to do, suddenly the cats appear!

Machine quilting is simply a breeze on my new machine. There is enough space to the right of the needle to fit a rolled up quilt, and the IDT system means that there is no bunching of the bottom fabric when stitching.

I didn't stray too far from the familiar - choosing the mock hand quilting stitch.

Babies are wiggly!!!

I will put up a post later this week with some basic instructions on how to make this quilt yourself.

Hope you're all going to have a brilliant weekend!

Sam xox

Machine quilting.

2011-11-10T20:35:00.000+11:00

Following my stressful beginning of this week I decided I need to do a bit of sewing 'therapy' at sewing class. I didn't want to face the tricky scalloped jacket I have been working on. Instead I decided to do some experimental quilting on my new machine and see what I could create...

First I did some "mock hand quilting" on a simple pin wheel block. I will bind this in blue and hang it somewhere in the house. I then decided to test out some of the machine quilting stitches. First I tried all the different straight quilting stitches, both stitched in the ditch and also 1/4 inch from the seams. This is what my practices looked like...

Then I decided to be more adventures and try out some of the "crazy quilting stitches". Some of them are beautifully vintage in style!

I had tried machine quilting in the past on my old Janome My Style but found, even with the walking foot, that the stitches would never be right and the machine would struggle. Because of this I have shied away from machine quilting. Now I have a machine that can handle the job, the sky is the limit.

Any machine quilting tips people?

Sam xox

A tough lesson about nature.

2011-11-08T19:58:00.000+11:00

Jamie and I returned home on Sunday evening to find Lady Sussex and Audrey running free in the backyard. Initially I laughed in surprise that they had somehow escaped. With a quick glance at the chicken coop I realised the situation was far less innocent. The chicken coop was destroyed. One wall had been completely demolished and the floor of the coop had broken and the metal all bent out of shape.

I couldn't see Betty or Maggie anywhere! I called for Jamie and he came to check. We found piles of feathers around the yard and paw prints up the side of the house (I matched these to fox paw print examples online). I was devastated when I realised my chickens had been killed. I stood in the yard crying while Jamie raced to patch up the coop in what daylight was left.

I had spent hours when we first got out chooks blocking every hole along the perimeter of the yard. I chicken wired the gates and secured their coop. It appears the fox has squeezed under the gate and pushed the chicken wire away. We live in a suburban area so I still can't quite believe we even have foxes here! We had only been gone for one night. We looked all through the yard but couldn't see their bodies anywhere.

~ Betty & Maggie ~

Last night we had a big storm, which uncovered their bodies buried shallowly IN the chicken run (so sad!) I cried again. Jamie and I cleaned it all up, and buried them both next to the pond. I have never had a pet killed in this way before, it came as quite a shock, and I am still really upset about it. I know this is 'nature' but I just feel so bad for them :-(

I am really thankful that we still have two chickens alive, and mark my words, we are upgrading this chicken coop set up to be fort knox! Jamie is already drawing up the plans.

Sam xox

The latest Liberty.

2011-11-05T09:47:00.000+11:00

I'm falling in love with...

Emma & Georgina...

~ found here ~

& Dora...

~ found here ~

Sam xox

My new sewing machine!

2011-11-03T22:25:00.000+11:00

I was a super lucky girl this birthday! For my other gift Jamie gave me a brand new sewing machine! Good bye 13 year old machine from the 90's, with your 10 different stitches and very difficult button hole stitch. Hello brand new Pfaff Ambition 1.5.

I am in complete love with it. It has a ridiculous amount of stitches, which I have been testing out on lots of scraps of fabric. It has a touch screen that is used (amongest other things) to select stitches, adjust width and length, and even stitch in words and phrases.

There are lots of other neat gadgets on this machine. Like the button foot which actually sews a button onto fabric. And the button hole foot which automatically sews a button hole, simply by placing the button you are using at the end of the foot, it senses the button diameter and sews a button hole to the perfect matching size! Or the needle down button which makes the needle always finish every stitch in the down position, making it easy to pivot fabric around corners (such as in quilting). Or the automatic beep when it senses your bobbin is running low! Or the securing stitch button, which stitches a couple of securing stitches at the beginning and end of your stitching. No more reverse sewing here.

The machine can also quilt, which is really exciting. I had tried machine quilting on my old machine, but as it only had bottom feeders it would always end in a mess. This machine has top feed dogs too which makes quilting much neater. There are even a few "antique" quilting stitches to choose from which gives the illusion of hand quilting. Love it.

And because I couldn't snap a photo of myself using the machine, here is a photo of a random chick using a Pfaff Ambition 1.5...

Watch those fingers under that needle!

So I am officially in total love with this machine, and have been very tempted to take a day off work just to play with it. But I haven't. I've been good. Can't promise the housework will get done tomorrow though...

This makes turning 27 just a little bit easier ;-)

Sam xox

Sophie.

2011-11-01T22:47:00.002+11:00

For my birthday this year my lovely husband gave me two very generous and wonderful gifts (the sewing-related one I will get to later this week).

My first gift was Sophie, a kitten we rescued from the RSPCA on Sunday. She was previously named Meow and had been through a lot in her short 10 month life. She began life as a kitten at the RSPCA, and found a new home quickly with a family. However, after scratching one of the children (you know what children do to cats) she was quickly returned to the RSPCA as 'unacceptable'. She was in a cage with a sign saying "no children", and no one was even considering her for adoption.

We saw her photo online a week ago, and finally met her in 'person' on Sunday. We spent over half an hour in her cage playing with her and cuddling her, trying to assess her personality (which is very hard to do mind you, when the poor thing is surrounded by other cats in their cages, the sounds of barking dogs close by, and three massive roosters walking just outside her enclosure!).

It was agreed that she would become part of our family. We paid the money, put on a brand spanking new pink diamante collar, and brought her home to meet Prada.

So far things are going brilliantly. She is a super loving cat who wants to snuggle up to us where ever we are. Prada has accepted her quickly and day by day they are getting to know each other. We are still keeping them in separate parts of the house during the day when we are at work, but hopefully this can stop sometime next week.

Thanks again Jamie, she is simply delightful!

Sam xox

Is it too early to plan handmade Christmas tree decorations?

2011-10-31T22:34:00.000+11:00

I know it is the last day of October, but my mind can't help clicking over, thinking about all the fun crafting/cooking/decorating activities that lay ahead over the next two months.

Purchasing the ingredients needed for my fruit cakes.

Dusting off the Christmas decorations and tree.

Visiting the QVB Christmas tree.

Purchasing a Christmas decoration for 2011.

A mad rush to finish handmade presents.

Hanging our Christmas stockings.

Deciding which handmade decoration to make for Christmas 2011...

~ found here ~

I am definitely going to make a set of these dollies!

~ found here ~

~ both found here ~

~ found here ~

I hope some of these inspire you to make your own Christmas tree decoration this year. Mill and I are going to have a hard time deciding which decoration we will both make this year :-)

Sam xox

My latest patterns.

2011-10-18T00:20:00.000+11:00

I hope these inspire you!

~ McCalls 4097 ~

~ Hollywood Pattern 1014, 1698, 1799, 1609 ~

Sam xox

Simplicity 5034 wrap dress in progress.

2011-10-15T00:20:00.000+11:00

~ I am sewing view 4 ~

Do you ever embark on sewing projects that end up causing you more trouble than you anticipated???

I purchased this fabric with the intention of 'whipping up' this wrap dress. Boy was I wrong. This dress has now taken more that two weeks of intermittent sewing to get to this point...

Problems I have had thus far:
* I could not get the pleats and darts on the skirt right. I swear I followed the pattern correctly but the skirt ended up being much wider than the bodice. Also, when worn, all the pleats added a lot of weight to the hips, so I removed most of them.
* I lowered the neckline, because it was seriously choking me.
* It turns out my shoulder to waist measurement is quite short, or I have a high waist, and this is a problem when sewing a dress that wraps at the back. When first made up the back gaped terribly! I threw the dress in a ball in the corner of my sewing room for a week, then my mother-in-law suggested I raise the waist - duh of course! I raised the waist a couple of inches and good bye gaping back!

Simultaneous to this project I am making some summer pyjama shorts (or pajama if your in the US)... a quick project that is guaranteed to work.

All I have left to do on my dress is sew on the bias binding, attach the ties, and then hem. Hopefully I will get this done by the end of the weekend.

Sam xox

The teacher becomes the student.

2011-10-11T22:21:00.000+11:00

Last weekend we had my sister-in-law Sarah and her partner to visit. Sarah and I spent Sunday afternoon sitting in the sun, drinking bubbles, and reading magazines as my chickens 'free-ranged' around our feet. About twenty minutes in Sarah asked me the magic question - "Could you teach me to sew?". A conversation rapidly followed that uncovered her plan to replicate a beautiful quilt she had found in an antique shop (the photos of said quilt were stunning!).

My brain clicked over as I thought of what sewing project she could embark on right there and then. I showed her the bikini I had made myself at the beginning of this year, and she was keen! We set ourselves up in the sewing room, and an evening and a morning later Sarah had her very own bikini. She did a seriously amazing job. There would not be many people who can sit at a sewing machine for the first time and manage to sew an elasticised garment using four way stretch fabric. She was thrilled to bits and I hope she has now been bitten by the sewing bug.

~ And sew it begins ~

~ Sewing elastic onto four way stretch fabric perfectly - and this was her first time sewing?!? ~

Monday evening I quickly changed from teacher to student as I began my 12 week sewing course at a local community centre. The course promised help with any sewing project I brought along. I decided on taking my scalloped jacket/skirt project as this little beauty has been taunting me for some time. I just have not had the confidence to tackle it yet.

~ Light pink fabric is for the skirt lining, Liberty fabric is for the jacket lining, dark pink is the main fabric ~

~ The cutting tables were so roomy ~

During the class I was able to sew up a muslin of the skirt and have it checked by the teacher. The fit was perfect so I cut out my fabric. I was taught how to sew tailors tacks to mark the dart placement instead of using chalk. I have the skirt now all cut out and my homework this week is to sew it up to the point where the zipper is inserted, as I will do this in class next week.

Sam xox

Meet my ladies.

2011-10-02T22:33:00.004+11:00

Let me introduce to you the latest additions to our household...

I arrived home Friday afternoon to find that my chicken coop had been delivered and Jamie had spent three hours putting it together (thanks honey!). It is fantastic. The perfect size for the space I had picked out for it in the yard. There is plenty of room inside the coop to provide shelter and comfort for the girls during the night, and with the addition of the chicken run I added to the end, there is plenty of roaming room for all.

I piled up my car with large cardboard boxes and drove over an hour yesterday to a very small country town where a man named Garry was selling chicken. I had found Garry on the internet, and after a few text messages back and forth (while I googled the breads of chickens he had, just so I knew they looked nice) we had struck up a deal.

~ The Ancona breed is close to the Leghorn breed, identified by the floppy red comb on its head. Sometimes the comb flops over and covers half her face. It's a wonder she can see where she's walking. So cute! ~

I brought them home and introduced them to their new quarters as the rain poured down. They didn't seem to be bothered by the miserable weather, and quickly made themselves at home; scratching at the mulch and feeding on seed and lettuce leaves.

~ This here is Lady Sussex. She is a 'show quality' hen, but according to the seller "She won't win you a show"... mysterious ~

(Breed: Light Sussex. 2 years old)

~ This here is Betty. She is our smallest girl and loves strawberries ~

(Breed: Rhode Island Red. 16 weeks old)

~ On the left we have Maggie, on the right Audrey ~

(Breed: Ancona. 1 year old. Breed: Australorp. 16 weeks old)

I was warned by my father-in-law that the hens may not lay for a few days after arriving as they will likely be stressed. But in less than 24 hours at our home, look what I found in the nesting box...

Success! It must have been the strawberries that made them feel relaxed.

I am going to be posting all my gardening/vegetable growing/chicken raising stuff on a new blog, seeing as I am spending so many hours in my garden. Click here to visit it if you are interested in the dirty nails side of things.

Sam xox

A Sunday afternoon picnic.

2011-09-25T17:18:00.003+10:00

Sam xox

Pot holders.

2011-09-17T22:29:00.003+10:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about trying my hand at making a pot holder.

This booklet has a number of different patterns that I have been playing with the idea of making. The booklet contains patterns for a number of different styled pot holders, plus a variety of embroidery options. The instructions are a little tricky to decipher in some of the patterns though. The (apparent) complexity of some of the patterns has put me off a little, as I just worry that my crochet skills are not good enough (I am a total beginner).

This is where EmmaLamb comes in...

~ from here ~

Aren't they the most beautiful things you've ever seen?!? The detail is brilliant and the colour combinations are perfect. I wish I had skills like this. I also love how they can be used as a decorative feature on a wall.

My favourite would definitely be Bessie...

~ from here ~

Emma has a beautiful Etsy store and also an inspiring blog.

A lovely discovery...

Sam xox

Etsy eye candy.

2011-09-16T21:16:00.001+10:00

Sharing some images of patterns I am loving on Etsy at the moment.

~ From here ~

Hope you found these as inspiring as I did. Roll on summer I say!

Sam xox

Sorbetto top #1.

2011-09-14T22:29:00.005+10:00

I am now on the Sorbetto bandwagon! I have been wanting to sew this pattern for months now, but somehow during the move we managed to lose the cord that connected the printer to the computer. During a clean out of some boxes that had fish tank equipment in it, we found the cord (go figure). Which meant that I was finally able to print out this pattern. It is available for free from Colette Patterns here.

As we are quickly heading into the warmer months here, I wanted to start sewing summer clothes. Another motivating factor is that I desperately need new clothes for work. I have a combination of 8 tops and 5 bottoms that I have been mixing and matching for work for the past year. This means they are always in the weekly washing cycle and thus have really started to wear out. I want to make as much of my work wardrobe as I can, but as my work outfits need to be more on the practical side, I have been hesitant to sew clothes that require too much in the way of complicated technique - translation - I need clothes made quickly and cheaply so that when they get ruined I won't be too heart broken (my work can sometimes get messy!).

The Sorbetto fit the bill perfectly! For this top I used some of the fabric I purchased on the weekend. It is a simple cotton fabric, that I think is an imitation of Liberty of London prints. The pattern really didn't use a lot of fabric, and was a breeze to make. Seriously. Anyone could make this top. So if you've been thinking about beginning sewing, why not give this top a try?

~ In 'real life' the left side of the hem does not stick out like it does in the photo.

Perhaps my angle was skewed? ~

I only made a few small changes to this pattern. I added almost 2" to the length of the top, as I found that my muslin hem sat a bit to high for my liking! I also enlarged the arm holes slightly to make the top more comfortable in the hotter months.

I have a funny feeling this will be the first top of many from this pattern.

Have any of you given this pattern a try yet? What did you think of it?

Sam xox

Thrifty finds.

2011-09-14T03:34:00.000+10:00

I wanted to share a few of my thrifty finds with you. These were all found in a tiny Presbyterian charity shop up the street from where I work.

~ Cuff bangle and red beads sitting on 2 meters of vintage fabric ~

~ Over-sized blue and white polka dot vintage blouse ~

~ White pencil skirt ~

I was thrilled that I actually managed to find an entire outfit in one thrift store! The blouse looks great tucked in to the skirt, and the red beads and cuff bangle are the perfect accessories. Best part? The entire outfit cost under $9!

What do you think I should make with the fabric?

Sam xox

Un personne, un weekend.

2011-09-11T14:26:00.007+10:00

My weekend was lovely. I had the house to myself and had absolutely no plans. Here's what I did with all my free time...

~ The housework got done ~

~ The washing was put out to dry ~

* I did not make this quilt.

~ Some magazines were borrowed from the library ~

~ An old woolen picnic blanket found a new home ~

~ The most amazing vintage store was discovered ~

~ Some vintage items may have been brought home from said store ~

~ Spring sewing preparations were made ~

~ Spring sewing began ~

* * * * * * *

I also did an 11km walk and a spot of gardening. I am now feeling very refreshed and don't want to go back to work tomorrow.

How was your weekend?

Sam xox

French knickers.

2011-09-09T14:48:00.003+10:00

Remember this book I wrote about a few weeks ago?

Here is my first creation from the book, these french knickers...

I had purchased this lace some time ago on Etsy, and it finally arrived. The lace is a cream and light green 6.5" wide stretch lace. I used the french knickers pattern supplied in the book and the result was great. The only change I am going to make is to adjust the shape of the crotch piece, but other than that the pattern was perfect!

And I think they go splendidly with the 1920's chemise-inspired top I made a while back using this tutorial.

Sam xox

The first signs of spring.

2011-09-07T19:09:00.003+10:00

As the weather continues to get warmer here,

blossoms and new life begin to appear...

~ The last of my winter bulbs ~

~ Tiny lemons beginning to grow on my tree ~

~ Lots of colourful faces ~

~ A nesting dove in our backyard ~

~ The doves first attempt at making a nest ~

Sam xox

And the winner is.

2011-09-04T21:06:00.003+10:00

Comment number 5! Katy Cameron congratulations on winning this beautiful slip. I will have the pattern in the post to you this week.

Sam xox

Thrifty finds and a giveaway reminder.

2011-09-03T15:54:00.003+10:00

This week during my lunch breaks I have been exploring the local op shops. It has been a nice surprise to find that these op shops are a lot cheaper than the ones in Sydney. You can find many more sheets and pillow cases which have the potential to be upcycled (I have already began planning my Christmas craft projects).

Here are my goodies from this weeks visits...

~ A set of cream and mustard striped pillow cases for our spare bed ~

$1 for the pair.

~ An extra large mens grey hand-knitted jumper. Too big for Jamie.

Am considering making some cushion covers from it. ~

$1.

~ Gorgeous pink petticoat ~

50c.

~ Pair of vintage champagne glasses ~

$2 for the pair.

Have any of you ever cut up a knitted jumper and made cushions from it? What is the best way to do it to ensure the wool doesn't unravel?

Don't forget the giveaway ends soon!

Sam xox

Vintage pattern giveaway.

2011-08-27T20:42:00.002+10:00

~ Simplicity 2154 ladies slip dress ~

I recently purchased a few vintage patterns on ebay (more on that later). One of the sellers was selling two of these vintage slip patterns in the one auction. The item description did not say whether the pattern had all the pieces, so I took the chance and bid hoping that with the two combined I would end up with a complete pattern.

Arriving home after work yesterday I found the package waiting for me on the door step. After tea I opened all the patterns to check all the pieces were there, and found that both the slip patterns were complete! I know that I have no need for two of the same pattern, so I am giving one away to a lucky reader!

The photo above shows an example of what the pattern looks like because I haven't yet found the cord to connect my scanner up yet. I have modified the pattern sizes to the correct size in the picture to prevent confusion (36B 39W). The pattern envelop is pretty tatty, or you could say well loved, but the instruction sheet and pattern pieces are in perfect condition.

I think this sized pattern is a good giveaway choice, because it could be easily scaled up or down depending on your size. Due to my 'pear shape' the bust is a little large for me, but it will fit my hips. This pattern would be perfect for underwear or even a summer dress.

Anyone anywhere can enter this giveaway simply by leaving a comment on this blog post.

The winner will be drawn at 8pm 4th September 2011 Sydney time.

Good luck!

Sam xox

One thing I miss about Sydney is...

2011-08-26T21:23:00.000+10:00

my favourite beach...

I miss this beach so much.

I used to be able to walk it on the weekend, walk it with clients, stop by and sit for 5 minutes in between visits at work, collect glass from it.

I am yet to find a beach its equal.

Sam xox

Sweet nothings.

2011-08-24T20:33:00.004+10:00

~ A very nice lingerie & unmentionables sewing pattern book ~

Hi friends,

Life has finally settled down and I am getting my sewing mojo back. It's amazing ins't it how when you're life becomes hectic and chaotic, things slip away? I let my sewing slip away for too long, and it has made me sad :-(

My machines spent one month packed in a box, another month trying to find their place in the great mess that was our spare room, and admittedly the last few weeks being mostly ignored. Last weekend we were reunited, and I think I have been forgiven.

On Friday I had the day off work and made a point of tidying up and putting away the last few bits and pieces in my sewing room. It is now organised and ready for sewing projects which will just mess it up again. I placed all my patterns on my shelves, and fabrics in their piles. It was a good reminder of all the projects that have been patiently waiting to be made for these past three months.

In the afternoon I went to the Newcastle Craft and Sewing Show. The tag line for this even was "it's sew you"... but it just wasn't! None of the stalls in the 8 aisles inspired me. To be honest about 15 seconds after entering I wanted to run, as it all really wasn't my taste. However, a little voice in my head grumbled "you've just paid $7 parking and $14 entry to be here. You ain't leavin' yet!".

Most of the stalls were focused on either scrap booking or pre-packed quilt kits. Not that there is anything wrong with these crafts, but there really wasn't any stalls that catered to the dressmaking sewer.

Thanks to the little voice though I didn't turn and run. Hiding up the back of the room sat a book stand that was selling more craft/sewing books than I have ever seen in one space, and they were really reasonably priced. I browsed a number of pattern/dressmaking books and decided upon this one...

"Sweet Nothings" by Valerie Van Arsdale Shrader. A book about sewing unmentionables, complete with patterns galore. It was the first time I have found a sewing book dedicated to sewing unmentionable items that include patterns too! I am planning on making some French knickers and have purchased some wide stretch lace from Etsy which will hopefully arrive next week. I guess it is a little too early for me to be giving a book review as I have not yet sewn anything from it, but I have read it through word-for-word...

So this can be considered a pre-book review. And as any good book review (pre or not) wouldn't be complete without some sneak peaks inside the book, here are a couple of shots of whats under the cover (wow cheesy pun, I know)...

~ Some templates need to be enlarged using a photocopier ~

~ Pattern instructions come with detailed illustrations ~

~ Pyjama's made some a vintage sheet ~

~ Double sided paper patterns are supplied too.

You simply trace them onto paper to use ~

You can check it out here on Amazon too.

Sam xox

How great is bunting.

2011-08-23T09:46:00.000+10:00

~ The Maitland Aroma Festival ~

Sam xox

The Kanangra.

2011-08-20T09:32:00.004+10:00

Before I left Sydney I did a few days working on restoring a boat in Pyrmont. The boat, "The Kanangra", is actually part of the Sydney Heritage Fleet. A group of people are working together voluntarily to restore the old ferry back to her former glory. She was originally built in 1912 (you can read more about her here).

I was able to go along a couple of times and do some work on the ship. The men there were all really nice and their woodworking and craftsmanship skills was superb! The boat is located on James Craig drive and is currently next to the John Oxley (which is on dry dock at the moment). They are hoping in two years the top level of the Kanangra will be complete and they can then move the ferry up onto dry dock to complete the bottom level.

At the moment they are working on re-glassing the entire top level window. It is quite fascinating because due to the curve in the ship, every window is a different shape! So they have had to make sure they have clear markings on each glass panel before they remove it.

When I went I was given the job of removing old paint from the wooden bench seats. This involved using a 600oC air gun and a paint scraper and just melting away the paint then scraping it off. I had to wear a mask for safety. It was pretty cool.

It is encouraging to know that there are people in Sydney who are working (for free) to restore and maintain part of our heritage in this way. It is no doubt going to be a project that will take years to complete, but I am very much looking forward to seeing it in its restored glory. Hopefully one day I can have a trip on it.

Oh and by the way, the Fleet Committee have decided on restoring it inline with the colours and style of the 1950's!

Sam xox

Maitland aroma festival part 1.

2011-08-14T17:56:00.007+10:00

Today was the annual Maitland Aroma Festival, and since we are now Novocastrians (and Jamie is addicted to caffeine) we figured we should attend.

The weather was kind to us as we walked to High Street sampling coffee, wine, chocolates, jams, oils and spreads. We are actually really lucky where we live now, as we are so close to the most amazing wineries, cheese makers, and condiment makers in New South Wales. We were quite good and only purchased some little jars of jam.

There was a great turn out of people considering the weather threatened rain most of the day. Jamie and I had a most enjoyable afternoon together!

I have broken the blogging of festival into parts for two reasons. Firstly we are still running out laptop off iPhone internet which is very slow and painful. Secondly there would be too many photos for one blog post it would be a bit much really :-)

Here is your own little tour of my favourite parts of the Aroma Festival...

For medical reasons I can't have caffeine... but I can pose with a coffee though!

The most beautiful store selling handmade half aprons. The fabrics were mostly vintage, or vintage inspired, and the finishing of them looked very professional.

A Turkish food stall. It smelt amazing.

This guys crocheted beanie was super cute!

I never realised how old Maitland actually is.

That's right, an 1836 building by our standards is old.

This guy knew his coffee!

Newcastle is beginning to feel like home for us now. We are truly spoilt up here with the beautiful beaches, countryside and towns we have to discover. I am enjoying sharing these little places with you all, and I hope if you do live in, or ever come to, New South Wales you take some time to come and visit this area, as it is just beautiful.

Sam xox

Nested bibs.

2011-08-07T16:37:00.005+10:00

This week I was lucky enough to meet my friends newborn baby boy. He is super cute and super tiny! I decided to give a handmade baby gift, and settled on making the Nested bib pattern. I really like Nested patterns, I have used them a few times now for baby gifts and they work really well and have a nice finish. This bib pattern is free and can be downloaded as a PDF. The printable size is best suited to a new born baby, but you can enlarge it on a photocopier for a larger bib.

For these bibs I used some blue and white striped fabric that I thrifted from a men's shirt. I like business shirt fabric from the thrift store as it is so much softer that shirt fabric purchased new. I am even making an entire quilt from vintage men's shirts. Click here to check it out.

I decided to sew the front and back fabric wrong sides together. I trimmed the edge to within 1/8" of the stitching line, then sewed some bias tape around the sides (the corners were a touch tricky). I decided to use buttons as a fastening rather than snaps as I think they give a nice touch.

I backed the bib with some plain muslin.

* * * * * * *

Life has finally settled down for us. After six weeks of living in two different cities, and only seeing each other on weekends, I have now finally moved into our new place in Newcastle and begin my new job tomorrow. I interviewed for two positions a couple of weeks ago. One with the organisation I am currently working in, another with a similar community services organisation. My organisations position was the same as what I work now, as a support worker working with people living with mental illness. The other organisation role was as an early intervention worker working with people who are, or are at risk of, homelessness. I was totally shocked when I was offered both jobs and felt really chuffed. It gave me a confidence boost knowing that I am doing well in this field, as it was only this time last year that I jumped into community services work from previously working as a primary school teacher! Although the early intervention role was a tempting one, I decided to stay with my organisation and accept the role within their Hunter Region. I am excited to start tomorrow and meet the new staff and consumers I will be working with.

This weekend has been lovely. We are in the middle of winter here in Australia, but you wouldn't guess it, as it's been so warm lately. Yesterday Jamie and I packed a picnic lunch and headed north to a beautiful secluded beach. We ate lunch on our towels in the sand, and I even managed to have a quick swim (the water was a little cool though!). I think I am going to get use to this beach lifestyle.

Now my sewing machine is (finally) unpacked, I will get back into my regular blogging.

Glad to be back!

Sam xox

Chicken, grape and champagne pie.

2011-07-24T09:37:00.004+10:00

It has been so cold here! We have been having a bucket load of rain. Which is not very common for us in Australia. It has literally been raining non-stop for the past week. This sort of weather cries out for warm, hearty, comfort food...

Recently I joined our local library. As we live in a (very) small town now, the local library is one of only half a dozen facilities here. I found a number of cookbooks and gardening books though, and have spent many nights curled under a blanket reading through them.

My favourite book discovery has by far been Maggie Beer's "Maggie's Kitchen". Seriously, where has this cookbook been all my life? Her recipes are brilliant, slightly complex but very achievable, and after cooking this incredibly delicious pie, and am having a difficult time deciding what to cook next.

So I thought I should share this recipe with you. However, be warned, it is amazing. You will end up with a pie that people would swear came from a gourmet pie shop. The combination of flavours and the sour cream pastry really is that good!

Chicken, Grape and Champagne Pie

Ingredients

40g butter
extra virgin olive oil, for cooking
3-4 large chicken thigh fillets with skin-on (about 770 g), cut into 3/4" square pieces
sea salt
2 leeks, white parts only, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup Champagne or sparkling white wine
1/4 cup plain flour
1&1/2 cups chicken stock
1&1/2 tablespoons finely chopped French tarragon
1&1/2 tablespoons finely chopped thyme
225g seedless green grapes (to yield 1 cup picked grapes)
1/2 preserved lemon, flesh removed and rind rinsed and finely chopped
2 tablespoons verjuice
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil spray, for greasing
1 egg, lightly beaten

Sour Cream Pastry
250g plain flour
200g unsalted & chilled butter
120ml sour cream (approx)

Method

Heat butter in a large frying pan over high heat until nut-brown, then add a splash of olive oil. Season chicken with salt, then sauté in batches until lightly coloured. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add leeks and garlic to the pan and cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until soft. Increase heat to high, then deglaze pan with Champagne or sparkling white wine and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes or until wine has reduced by half. Sprinkle in flour and whisk in well to combine, then add stock and bring to the simmer. Add chicken, and thyme, stirring gently to combine, and then cook for 4-5 minutes. Add verjuice and simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Add Tarragon and preserved lemon, season with pepper and add salt if needed. Remove chicken from heat and when cooler add grapes and then pop into the fridge to chill.

Meanwhile, make sour-cream pastry. To do this chop all the butter into small cubes. Weigh flour and put into mixer. Blend flour and butter until it resembles a large breadcrumb consistency. Add 2/3 of the sour cream. Then continue adding slowly until dough forms a ball. Turn onto a floured bench and pull together with your hands into a rectangle shape. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 20 minutes before rolling out and lining your tin.

Preheat fan-forced oven to 220 deg C. Now grease either one large pie tin or four individual ones, depending on how you want to make this pie up. Roll out pastry, line the bottom of the tin, but remember to keep enough pastry to cover the top of the pie too! I like to brush the tops of my pies with some egg, and then sprinkle over some herbs. Don’t forget to make little slits in the tops of your pies with a sharp knife too. Bake for 25-35 minutes (until top is golden).

If you would like to learn more about this amazing cook, you can visit her website here.

Let me know how you go,

Sam xox

Cherished collections.

2011-07-20T19:23:00.003+10:00

Casey from Elegant Musings is running a blog tour, and I am lucky to be part of it. The theme Casey chose was "cherished collections" and bloggers were asked to show collections that are precious to them - whatever the items might be!

I thought this would be a good way to get myself back into the blogging grove after our move. Today I am only able to show you one of my collections, as I am currently using my laptop through the internet on my iphone - not a lot of data and a pretty weak signal :-(

Once we have internet (and I am able to upload lots more pics) I will show you the others.

This is my Royal Doulton Tea Trio's collection. Most of these I have purchased through eBay, both Australia and internationally. I adore tea trios. I think they are soooo feminine and I love the vintage designs.

c.1933

c.1927

c.1980's

c.1936

'Royalty' c.1942

'Showers' c.1935

c.1936

Sam xox

We have settled.

2011-07-17T09:28:00.004+10:00

Hi Everyone,

I feel like it has been ages since I last put up a post. It has been. We haven't had internet at our new place, so I have been using my iphone, which means I have been able to read all your blog posts but commenting is a little tricky.

In the last three weeks Jamie and I have moved house and have been trying to settle into our new routine. That being, we live in Newcastle on the weekends, then Monday to Friday I live off the kindness of friends and family, on a continual rotation of people's spare beds and floors while I finish off my position at work in Sydney.

I feel like I haven't really moved to Newcastle yet. I only spend two out of seven days here with Jamie. I have a couple of job interviews lined up, so fingers crossed that will yield some employment for me up here :-)

Now, on to more important things... like sewing.

I have not done any! I am having massive withdrawal symptoms from not being able to stitch when I want to. Currently my new sewing room is still a pile of half opened boxes and stacks of sewing magazines. I haven't had the chance to really get in there and sort it yet, but as today's weather here is looking dicey, I might be able to begin the sorting this afternoon.

Here are some photos of what the room looks like (before all the boxes and furniture filled it)...

It's the smallest of the three bedrooms, and I would call it a single room, as it is only like a half sized bedroom. The windows are my favourite feature, as the one on the left is where my table sits below, and it looks out onto our garden and veggie patch. I think this will be a lovely spot to sew. You can't see in the photo but there is also a wardrobe (out of sight to the left of the shot) which came with the house. It has a lot of shelving storage space in it which I think is going to be great for storing most of my sewing stuff concealed from sight!

Talking about storage, we have moved from an apartment with a huge lock up garage to a house with not even a car port. We desperately needed a shed, so that was our first homemaking project...

Jamie selecting sand for leveling the shed.

A shed we bought on eBay. We lost the instructions.

We were lucky enough to have two friends visit the day after we moved in.

We had our very own 'shed raising'.

The final result (Jamie has since installed the sliding doors).

The veggie plot in need of some serious work.

Last weekend I did some work in the garden. I have weeded completely the main part of the veggie garden, turned all the soil, and filled our compost bin to the brim with different bits and pieces.

At this time of year there is not a lot I am able to plant which means I have a lot of time to be able to spend on the planning of the garden. Deciding on the layout of the plants, what to plant, and when to plant them. I am going to keep some sort of gardening diary to help me with this. I am very excited to finally have the space to build a veggie garden that will hopefully provide us for most of our veggie needs. In my apartment in Sydney I was pretty limited to what I could grow. Now the possibilities seem endless...

Glad to be back!

Sam xox

Possibly the best landlord in the world.

2011-06-23T23:41:00.003+10:00

Ok, so we went to pick up the keys to our new home earlier this week, and guess what was waiting for us on our kitchen bench...

A bottle of local wine, a hand written card, tin of fancy cat food and the local paper. Could this be the best landlord ever?!?

The big move is less than 8 hours away, with the removalists arriving at 7am - I better get to bed and get some sleep!

See you on the other side :-)

Sam xox

We're moving.

2011-06-19T21:55:00.003+10:00

You may (or may not) have been wondering why on earth I have been so quiet on this blog lately, and more importantly why I haven't been getting any sewing done! Here's why...

Yep. That is my sewing room. Full of packed moving boxes!

Jamie has a new job in Newcastle and we will be moving house on Friday. This has all happened really fast for us. It is a change neither of us was expecting, but we are embracing it as a chance to begin a new chapter in our lives. Newcastle really isn't that big a move. It's not like we are moving interstate or overseas, but it is sad all the same. It is only 2 hours drive from Sydney so we will hopefully still be able to come back regularly and visit friends and family. But it is still far enough away to mean that all our casual catch ups with friends that we do during the week just won't be happening anymore :-(

I will need to find a job, which I am feeling pretty nervous about, and really have no idea what I will do up there.

This week will be a whirlwind of packing, finalising details, and saying goodbye to friends.

However, it won't all be doom and gloom and stress. There are two exciting things for me about this move!

1) The place that we are renting has a backyard and a veggie patch already set up!!! No longer will my veggie plot be a tiny piece of dirt three flights of stairs below my floor, with only half a days worth of sunlight. I am super excited about weeding the space, fixing it up, and getting a home garden growing.

2) I will have the chance to set up a new sewing room. Our place will have three rooms, so that we have a spare room for when friends come up and visit us (please come up and visit us). The sewing room will be the smallest room at the back of the house. I can only vaguely remember what this room looks like, but it does have a cool old wooden door. Just like in our current apartment, it will be called the sewing room but it will have parts of it used for storing other things too.

So, here's where you all come in. I am asking you all how you have your sewing space set up? Do you have any tips for how I should be setting my sewing space up? Have you/will you do a blog post about your sewing space? Do you have any links to websites that document cool sewing spaces?

I am in need of inspiration! The quicker I have the space set up, the quicker I can get back to stitching...

Sam xox

Sea glass.

2011-06-15T21:46:00.000+10:00

This week I discovered a little beach, tucked away in the tail-end of the Eastern suburbs. It is not one of the 'popular' beaches, it is not patrolled by lifeguards, and it is hidden behind some very steep cliffs. Standing on the sand, against the towering cliff walls, you are surrounded by an almost untouched piece of coastline.

Instead of the noise of city traffic, you hear waves crashing against rocks.

Instead of the smell of smog, you breath in the salty sea air.

Instead of walking on pavement, your feet sink into sand with every step.

This beach was perfect.

Along the shoreline I found some beautiful sea glass hidden under small piles of seaweed, broken shells and drift wood. I took it home, gave it a wash, and am letting thoughts run through my head with what to do with it...

For now it is home in a jam jar on my kitchen window sill. A daily reminder of a perfect walk along the beach.

Sam xox

French onion soup.

2011-06-12T21:23:00.003+10:00

Jamie and I have both been struck down by nasty bugs recently, Jamie more so than I. He has been suffering badly from a flue that doesn't appear to want to leave his body. There seems to be a few nasty bugs floating around Sydney at the moment, and I think it might have something to do with the cold weather and rain we are having at the moment. For the past week I have left for work while Jamie makes his way from bed to couch where he curls up under a blanket. It is here that I find him, still lying, upon my return some 9 hours later :-(

By day 5 I decided to resort to a hearty home cooked soup that would warm his belly and hopefully encourage his body to finally kick that bug.

I made Donna Hay's French Onion Soup, and it turned out to be delicious! Her recipes never seem to fail me.

~ This soup made me cry - a lot! All those onions! ~

~ Donna recommends this soup should be served

with toasted cheese sandwiches ~

The verdict? Jamie is back to 100% health (though the jury is still out on whether this soup fixed him).

You can find the recipe here.

Hope you're all having a brilliant weekend!

Sam xox

One pattern seven bloggers - the big reveal.

2011-06-01T21:57:00.005+10:00

It feels like only yesterday, when I sent an email out to a few fellow bloggers and proposed to them that we join together and do a sewing project - One Pattern, Seven Bloggers... and now seven finished dresses!

Today is the big reveal! I apologies for the bad quality photos (and in my kitchen of all places!) but you see, we are having some terrible weather here in Sydney.

So, without further ado, here is my version of the dress...

This was a very interesting sewing experience for me. Firstly, the pattern only includes the pieces for the bodice, which allows the sewer to make the skirt how they wish. I liked this idea, but felt a bit uneasy about doing anything too tricky due to my pear shaped body and lack of pattern-drafting skills. I decided as the fabric was light I would make a simple gathered skirt.

The most interesting thing for me however, was that I actually got the dress finished! No, not because I might have procrastinated slightly, but because almost to the very last stitch I just did not like it. If this had been a project I was making on my own, there is a very good chance it would never have been completed. About 1 hour into the sewing I decided I hated the fabric pattern. About 1 hour and 30 minutes into the sewing I decided I hated the pattern. What I had in front of me looked like a pinky-red, funny shaped pile of yuck.

But I persevered and when I put it on I thought "that actually doesn't look too bad". Granted it is not a dress I would wear out to dinner, but in the warmer weather later this year it might get a few trips to the beach or park. I am yet to decide if I want to make a belt for this dress, if I do decide to I will post a tutorial.

Pluses:

* Did not use a lot of paper to print on the home printer.

* The bodice was very easy to construct.

* I like that the skirt is not included.

* The bodice is simple and I didn't need instructions.

Minuses:

* The neckline is low - so would not suit everyone.

* I changed my zipper to a centre back one.

* * * * * * *

I cannot tell you how great it has been to be part of this project. It has been fun getting to know the other girls and seeing their emails pop up in my inbox as we all share our trials and successes as we made our dresses.

And don't forget to visit their blogs to see the dresses they have made:

Marie from A Sewing Odyssey

Reana Louise from Curves, Patterns and Pins

Kat from Petticoats & Peplums

Rachel from My Messings

Jen from Pretty Little Pictures

Amy from Sewing Through the Motions

Sam xox

Melbourne through my iPhone.

2011-05-27T23:03:00.000+10:00

My third and final post about my trip.

Here is Melbourne through the tiny lens of my iPhone.

Love that city.

Sam xox

Edible Melbourne.

2011-05-26T22:49:00.000+10:00

Melbourne is a revelation for the taste buds! Today's post is completely dedicated to (some) of the food we sampled during our three day stay.

Some of the places we tried and I recommend if you are visiting Melbourne:

Sam xox

Melbourne in May.

2011-05-25T22:13:00.008+10:00

So... life has thrown Jamie and I a couple of curve balls this week!

As a result I will have to postpone my One Pattern Seven Bloggers self-fabric belt tutorial post until Saturday. In the meantime I wanted to share with you some photos of my recent trip to Melbourne. Michelle and I were very lucky with the weather, as it only rained on the last day of our trip. We had a wonderful time, and it was a much needed break for me. We walked a lot and ate much too much yummy food (more photos of this to come!). Time went far too quickly, and I already have a list as long as my arm of the things I want to do if I was to visit Melbourne again.

Melbourne truly is a beautiful city.

Don't forget to check out the other girls posts this week!

Marie from A Sewing Odyssey

Reana Louise from Curves, Patterns and Pins

Kat from Petticoats & Peplums

Rachel from My Messings

Jen from Pretty Little Pictures

Amy from Sewing Through the Motions

Sam xox

Scalloped jacket and skirt progress.

2011-05-21T08:00:00.001+10:00

I realised the other day that I haven't given much of an update on the progress of this pattern being sewn together...

I was planning on having this outfit sewn up ready to wear during my trip to Melbourne this weekend. Unfortunately, I procrastinated too long on the lining and it will just not be ready in time.

A month ago I made a muslin of both the jacket and skirt. The skirt fit perfectly, even though the pattern size was smaller than my measurements (does this ever happen to you when using vintage patterns?). The jacket muslin worked well, but I still need to perfect the scalloped edges (does anyone know of any good websites that give tutorials on sewing scallops neatly? Mine are just not sitting right).

This is the gabardine fabric I purchased to make View 1:

It is so luxuriously soft that I am sure it will break my heart a little to cut into it!

I have been waiting patiently for the perfect lining fabric to find me. As you know I love Liberty of London's Tana Lawn, and really preferred this for the lining. But after almost two months spent searching ebay I couldn't find the perfect fabric. That is, until I found this pink Betsy...

I was instantly in love, and just had to bide my time for the right amount to be listed on ebay for a reasonable price. I watched 4 auctions end before I finally won this fabric. My heart was set on it but I just wasn't prepared to pay too much for it, because it was lining after all.

Pink Betsy arrived in the post yesterday and it is perfect. I am hoping that there will be enough left over after lining the jacket to make a simple top to make the suit complete.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Sam xox

One pattern seven bloggers #3

2011-05-19T21:12:00.003+10:00

I am only 1 hour and 24 minutes (on Honolulu time) behind posting my next Wednesday update on the sew along. I apologize for not having photos of my muslin. It is dark here and the photos I did take of it were terrible!

So my muslin turned out pretty well. I have only sewn up the bodice pieces, as I am still undecided on how I will make up the skirt. If I will gather or pleat? I decided on moving the zipper from the side to the back, as that is where I prefer my dress zippers to be. I will need to buy an invisible zip during the coming week.

As I am a 32" bust I cut out the smallest size, but left the neckline on the largest size. I then cut out one muslin with the largest size neckline, then cut another muslin with the smaller size neckline. I am undecided as to which I prefer, but both did turn out ok.

The darts were ok, but I am not 100% happy with the shoulders. I am considering sewing a small cap sleeve of some sort, what do you all think?

I am planning on making a self fabric belt for the dress, and possibly the neck piping that Casey posted about, and a few of my fellow sewers have mentioned (perfect timing from Casey I'd say!).

Speaking of my fellow sewing ladies, remember to visit their blogs and see what they're up to:

Marie from A Sewing Odyssey

Reana Louise from Curves, Patterns and Pins

Kat from Petticoats & Peplums

Rachel from My Messings

Jen from Pretty Little Pictures

Amy from Sewing Through the Motions

And just because I lacked any photos of interest in this post, here is a shot of some beautiful roses Michelle gave me last week.... 'just because'. She is a sweet friend!

I will be a whirlwind of packing over the next 24 hours, as come Saturday 7am Michelle and I are flying to Melbourne for a 3 day mini-break filled of lots of girly activities; shopping, dinning, and a few cocktails!

Bliss.

Sam xox

My Walk Away dress - Butterick 6015.

2011-05-15T17:37:00.006+10:00

As promised here are some photos I took this weekend of my Walk Away dress!

I whipped this dress up in a couple of hours last weekend, but had to wait for a sunny day to take some photos. This dress was very easy to make. I have the reproduction pattern so it has the various sizes on the pattern pieces, which was useful for me, as I have a pear-shaped body. I was able to cut the bust to one size, and then the waist and hips in a larger size.

There has been a lot of hating towards this pattern, the general consensus online seems to be that it has no shape and looks like a large apron/hospital gown. I totally disagree. I think (for my shape at least) that it turned out to be super cute and is a perfect dress for our warm Australian summers. I do think though that the success of the dress relies on good fabric pattern choice, and the correct contrast bias binding - otherwise I do see how it could end up looking like the wearer was disappearing beneath 4 meters of fabric!

I wore this dress out today, visiting a cafe and doing a bit of shopping, and three people complimented me on the dress! That never happens when I wear the clothes I make - so for me this dress was a success :-)

I teamed the dress with Casey's latest romantic Edwardian updo. This was my first attempt at the hairstyle and I think its a cute look.

Positives for this pattern:

* The pattern fitted my body perfectly and required no altering.

* The bias binding was very easy to do and finished off the sides nicely.

* Sewing in snaps and button fastenings was a nice change from the usual zipper insertion.

Negatives for this pattern:

* It requires 4 meters of fabric, so this is probably a pattern I will only make again if I find some fabric on sale.

Have any of you ever made this pattern? Would love a link to see your version :-)

Sam xox

Things that have caught my eye #2.

2011-05-14T09:31:00.000+10:00

~ Image from here ~

Things that have caught my eye #2:

* I nearly died when I saw Calico and Ivy's latest blog post - the are now selling Liberty of London bias binding! This is a must have for any Liberty fan who needs that special something to finish off a piece of sewing.

* Rachel, from My Messings, made some embroidered map cushions for her mum for her birthday. If you are wanting to make a gift for a loved one that has a deeper meaning, this is a very cool idea!

* I am loving this breakfast recipe.

* Tilly wrote up her results from her Sewing Productivity Project.

* I think this baby quilt is just beautiful.

* I had no idea you could make rhubarb wine?

Thanks for all you nice comments yesterday about me making the skirt and dress in a day. I am a bit obsessive when I begin sewing something, and can't really stop until I get it finished :-) Will post photos on the weekend!

Sam xox

One pattern seven bloggers #2

2011-05-11T07:00:00.001+10:00

In this weeks post I will be introducing my fabric choice to you all. Drum roll please...

I found this 'autumny' cotton during a fabric shopping trip last weekend when Jamie and I spent a night in Canberra. The shop was called Addicted to Fabric, and supplied the typical amount of quilting and dressmaking fabric to local sewers. Most of the fabric I had seen in the chain stores in the city, but their book collection was pretty good. I was able to flip through a number of sewing books I had not seen before (although they were full price so I didn't buy any).

Like I said, most of the fabric was the standard fabrics available in most fabric stores in Australia. It does make me wonder if Australia just doesn't import enough variety into the country, if the demand just isn't there, or if the importers themselves don't have much of a variety of taste?

Anyhow, I was lucky to find a fabric that was a bit different to the rest, 100% cotton, and on sale!

Don't forget to check in with the other girls and see how they are doing,

Sam xox

Oh, and remember the fabric I purchased for the dress and skirt pattern on Saturday... I have already sewn up both patterns! Can't wait to show you all - the dress is fab!

Lemon tart.

2011-05-09T18:00:00.001+10:00

I made this lemon tart recipe over the Easter weekend when we had my family visit. It is dead simple to make but looks impressive when removed from the tin and served.

Ingredients:

- 185g biscuits, processed to fine crumbs

- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

- 90g butter, melted

pure icing sugar, to serve

Lemon Curd

- 3 lemons

- 4 eggs

- 1 cup caster sugar

- 125g butter, chopped

Method:

1) Lightly grease a 2cm deep, 24cm (case) loose-based round flan pan. Combine biscuit crumbs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter in a bowl. Press into base and sides of prepared pan. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

2) Make lemon curd: Finely grate rind of 1 lemon. Juice all lemons. Whisk eggs and sugar together in heatproof bowl until well combined. Add lemon rind and 2/3 cup lemon juice, whisking constantly until well combined. Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bare to touch water). Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 20 to 25 minutes or until thick and custard-like. Do not allow to boil. Remove from heat and whisk in butter.

3) Pour lemon curd into chilled tart case. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

~ Trying my best Julia Child impression ~

Sam xox

Projects in the works.

2011-05-08T16:54:00.000+10:00

Yesterday morning I had brunch at my house and invited Michelle and Mill over to eat it. I made a recipe from my new gluten free cookbook (given to me by my father-in-law, who has totally embraced my new dietary requirements by the way! He is finding all sorts of awesome gluten-free products for me!). I made baked eggs on a bed of leeks, spinach leaves and ham, accompanied with grilled tomato and mushrooms. It tasted so good that it was gobbled up too fast to get a photo.

After breakfast we sat on the couch and soaked up the autumn sunshine that was filtering through the windows, and talked craft of course. We helped Mill brainstorm a knitted wedding gift for a close friend of hers. She decided on a knitting project from a magazine I had. We then planned our next craft day and the three of us agreed to do a skills trade (an idea we have seen a few times on the net) at the next craft day.

The girls left, and I was so pumped from all the crafty talk, I headed down to my reliable Remnants Warehouse and picked myself up some fabric. Silly me never realised that all the rolls of fabric in the bins out the front of the shop were actually priced for the entire length on the roll, and not per meter.

Here is what I got:

The classic Walk Away dress pattern in my size requires around 4 meters of fabric, which is quite a lot when most of the nicer fabrics in Sydney will cost you between $10-$20 per meter. I managed to find this burnt pink and black spotted cotton for under $5 per meter. I teamed it with some sweet little rounded black buttons. I didn't have the pattern with me so will need to buy the bias binding later in the week. I desperately want to sew this dress up in time for my mini break to Melbourne later this month.

I wear jeans all week at work during winter, so I am desperate to have a bunch of skirts I can team with tights to wear on the weekends. This fabric has a very classic print (the tag called it the "David Jones" print - any Australian will know what I am talking about). I will line the skirt with the black fabric. This pattern looks promising as it is only two pattern pieces, and my size requires only 1 meter of fabric, which makes these skirts cheap to make.

This fabric is not appropriate for winter, but I thought it could go in my stash for maybe a summer skirt or dress? It has a silky feel to it and a nice shine. I picked up 2 meters of it.

I thought this fabric was just so beautiful. I have been thinking of making a white dress for a while, but had neither the perfect pattern or fabric. Now I have the fabric. It is a lovely weight and has a beautiful lined detail.

I'm going to be a busy girl!

Sam xox

P.S Also wanted to say "Happy Mothers Day" to my fabulous Mum. Love you heaps!

Tilly's questions and my answers.

2011-05-07T18:23:00.005+10:00

~ Just because I didn't have a photo for this post ~

Tilly put up a very interesting post titled "Are Sewing Bloggers Cultural Leaders" and asked for her readers to answer a few questions for her. Here are my answers:

What does the online sewing community mean to you? Why do you participate?

This is such an exciting question to answer for me, because I answer it every time I tell someone I write a blog. Most often I feel the person doesn't really 'get' why I do this. They either don't understand how I can write a blog sewing as a hobby, or are surprised people actually read it (or both)!

As I am sure I have told you all before, I don't have any friends who sew, and the only quilter I know is my mother in law (she is an awesome quilter by the way). Initially I began blogging at My Quilt Blog, an intimate web community made up of only 20 or so regular quilting bloggers. We really did form a tight-knit group, and due to this we would often share bits of our lives with each other, as well as the latest quilt block we were working on.

We would sometimes share fabric and hold giveaways. They even made me a quilt as a wedding present (I will show you photos of this another day)! You see, this is where I began, as a 21 year old who knew no-one her own age who quilted.

After a few site crashes, we all packed our web bags and moved to blogger, and this opened up a whole new world for me.

I participate now in the blogosphere because it allows me the chance to meet so many more like-minded sewers/quilters, all are people I would never have had the chance to meet in 'real life'. I love showing off my creations and receiving encouragement, it motivates me to sew more. I also love seeing what others make and learning from their successes and set backs.

What are your favourite examples of projects initiated by sewing bloggers that capture this spirit of collaboration, creativity and innovation?

I have only recently seen this sort of thing happening. I love how Casey often shares her tutorials so that others can try their hand at making something vintage. Collete Patterns did a Palette Challenge which I saw quite a lot written about around the blogging community. A few of us are also doing a challenge at the moment, utilising the online patterns available on Burda Style website. I am excited to see the results when we finish our dresses in just under a months time, as we each put our own creative spin on an otherwise basic pattern.

Who are the "leaders" in the sewing blogosphere? Is everyone / can anyone be a leader?

This is a really interesting question! I think it depends on what you think a leader is? Is it someone who has a high number of 'followers'? Is it someone who has a high number of page views? Is it someone who sells patterns/fabric? Is it someone who sews as a career? Is it someone who holds down a full-time job or has children and sews only as a hobby?

To me, a leader is someone I read regularly, regardless of their page views or follower status. Yes I read Casey and Tilly's blogs, but I also spend a lot of time reading blogs by people new to blogging, or who have not yet hit the triple digit follower mark. Sometimes I find these people become my leaders, as they have their own style and are often new to blogging, so write by their own rules.

I think everyone can be anyones leader :-)

Are you involved in any other network of makers, whether online or offline? What makes sewing blogs unique?

I have tried my hand at a Sydney quilting group before, but to be honest groups are not for me. I do not like booking in a group once a fortnight, and feeling pressured to go when I am "just not feeling it" that evening. I fluctuate greatly with my sewing, and it can often be unpredictable. This is why sewing blogs are so valuable to me. I can get my sewing fix at whatever time suits me, on my home computer or on my iphone (yes, I read your blogs on my phone when I am out)! I sew to my own timetable and can share my finished garments whenever I have time.

* * * * * * *

I love the idea Tilly has for her paper, and will be watching/reading with interest to see where she goes with this topic!

Sam xox

Loving these.

2011-05-06T20:16:00.003+10:00

Some of my favourite patterns for sale on Etsy at the moment (if only I had the time, fabric and money!).

~ Click Here ~

A girl can dream right?

Sam xox

One pattern seven bloggers #1

2011-05-04T09:55:00.004+10:00

Something has been brewing for the past few weeks! I contacted a group of sewing bloggers who I find very inspiring and invited them to join me in a sewing project. The idea is simple. One pattern, seven bloggers, infinite possibilities.

And so the "One Pattern Seven Bloggers" project was formed.

~ A big thank you to Rachel who designed this cool badge for our project! ~

Everyone said yes to the project, and we have since been emailing with questions and ideas!

So, who's on board?

Marie from A Sewing Odyssey

Reana Louise from Curves, Patterns and Pins

Kat from Petticoats & Peplums

Rachel from My Messings

Jen from Pretty Little Pictures

Amy from Sewing Through the Motions

and Me!

Here is the pattern we decided on...

~ Click here for pattern ~

Today marks 'day one' of the project, and our first blog post. Every Wednesday we will be posting about our progress until the big reveal on the 1st of June!

For the dress... I have been giving some thought to modifying the skirt to create a more '50's look by gathering the skirt significantly, and perhaps making a petticoat to add extra volume under the skirt. Our landscape here is quickly changing to autumn hues of burnt oranges and reds, so I am going to use autumn colours as my inspiration for the fabric.

Image from here.

I love the bodice of this dress so I cannot see myself changing it much. I am also thinking of making a fabric belt to match the dress. I will probably stick to a cotton fabric for this dress, as I like sewing with natural fibers.

Now, off to find some fabric...!

Good luck ladies!

Sam xox

Blog love.

2011-04-26T21:56:00.009+10:00

~ Source ~

In the past two weeks I have been chuffed to find out I have received two sweet awards from fellow bloggers. Reana Louise from Curves, Patterns and Pins gave me with an "I am All That" award, and Amy from Sewing Through the Motions gave me a "Stylish Blogger Award".

I am super excited that these sewers, who I find so inspiring, are reading my blog too!

So here goes for the first one...

The recipients of this award are asked to answer the following questions, link to whoever awarded them and then pass it on to five, no six people (who they think will actually be willing to answer these totally intrusive and possibly inappropriate questions). Feel free to snag the badge too, right?

Questions:

1) What size shoe do you wear? If you wear a size 7, can I borrow your shoes?
2) 30's or 60's?
3) Have you ever kissed someone you shouldn't have?
4) Have you ever been poisoned? Was it by the girlfriend of the person you kissed?? That isawesomely "Knot's Landing".
5) Who's on your "Celebrity Free Pass" list (top 5)?

So here are my answers...

1) I am an Aussie size 7, but no you cannot borrow my shoes (sorry).

~ My wedding shoes ~

2) 30's definitely, because my pear shaped body does not suit many 60's style outfits.

3) Yes, but I was young and stupid!

4) I have recently been experiencing poisoning via gluten! The horrid stuff that it is...

5) Don't think I will share it today :-)

The Stylish Blogger Award asks for 7 things about yourself...

1) I spend my week working as a Community Rehabilitation and Support Worker within the context of mental health. It is a totally awesome job that I find rewarding, challenging, and ever-changing (all ticks in my book).

2) I love camping, but it has to be on the condition that I get to bring with me my sheets, floral pillows, and bed quilt!

3) Wool makes me itchy. As a child I detested wearing the knitted jumpers my English grandparents would send me (sorry Nan!).

4) Speaking of grandparents, I love mine to bits and totally like the fact that there is only a 44 year age gap between my Nan and me.

5) I secretly like fishing. I am even considering buying my own beach fishing gear to use as a hobby. Although, I do wonder what an earth I will do with a fish the day I catch my first one. Could be a potential fad...

6) I am moderately introverted. When I reach my limit of social contact I retreat to my sewing room and spend hours sewing. I like to be quiet and alone sometimes.

7) I give in to my cats demand for high quality food... on a daily basis. Sorry dear Jamie if you read this post, yes I did feed Prada 'Kitty Gourmet' this morning!

Ok, so here are my awards:

The "I am All That" award goes to

Kim from Path to Living Simply

Jen from Pretty Little Pictures

Sarah from Ohhh Lulu...

Portia from Miss P

Sarah from Looking In

And my "Stylish Blogger" awards go out to my old quilt blog pals!

Angela from Country Scrap Quilts

Cheryl from My Creative Side

Erin from My Patchwork Life

Lane from That Man Quilts?

Hazel from Sew Crazy

Molly from Crocheting my best with my worst

Hope you all enjoy browsing this fantastic assortment of blogs.

Sam xox

Things that have caught my eye.

2011-04-25T10:58:00.000+10:00

I have seen this done on a few other blogs,

and as a reader I really like it because,

I am able to discover blogs/websites,

that I haven't come across before.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Things that have caught my eye:

* Natasha from Samster Mommy made a DIY dress form using duct tape. I think this is a very neat idea, and a great option for any sewer on a budget!

* Claire posted her version of the Walk Away dress. I purchased this pattern last month and have been trying hard to figure out what fabric to use. I am very much liking Claire's choice of white.

* Caitlin blogged about a challenge all of us face when trying on clothes. Very funny and so true!

* I thought Shannon's Easter Bunnies were just the cutest thing, kinda makes me wish I had kiddies to make these for.

* Amy from Sewing Through the Motions discussed pattern inflation. Amy calculated that sewers have experiences a 2750% increase in pattern costs!

* Grosgrain is holding an entire month of free patterns on her blog - head over and check it out.

Sam xox

Happy Easter.

2011-04-24T10:25:00.003+10:00

~ Wishing you all a very Happy Easter for those of you who celebrate it ~

Jamie and I have had my little brother to stay for the past few days. Today I was out of bed early in an effort to hide a bunch of tiny chocolate eggs around my apartment before my little brother woke. It was nice to be able to have an Easter Egg Hunt this year, as normally Jamie and I do not hide eggs for each other.

My little brother found the golden eggs in no time at all...

This year I am hosting Easter lunch at my place, and soon my mother and grandparents will be arriving. The beef bourguignon I have made for lunch is simmering away nicely in the oven (and filling our tiny apartment with the smell of warm red wine - yum!). I have a lemon tart chilled in the fridge ready for dessert. The table is laid with my best china and silver...

Now all I need are the guests!

Hope you all get the chance to spend today doing something special with loved ones,

Sam xox

My new vintage sewing machine.

2011-04-22T18:56:00.003+10:00

Two weeks ago I won this vintage Pinnock sewing machine on eBay, for a whole $1.04!!!

The seller said she wasn't a sewer, so could not guarantee that the machine sewed, although she did say that when plugged in the needle moved up and down - which is a start! I haven't yet plugged it in to give it a go, but fingers crossed it stitches. I have found a website that offers the manual for sale, so that will be next on my list to buy, as I have no idea how to thread this thing!

The machine is in great condition, and comes complete with its original cabinet. The cabinet lid folds down and the machine rises up from inside. Once up, the sewer is able to open the cabinet door (which has cute shelves and a bobbin holder), and sit in it to sew.

From online reading this machine dates to the 50's or 60's. If anyone knows anything about these machines feel free to give me advise. My best $1.04 buy on eBay ever!

Sam xox

My vintage Simplicity 1430 blouse.

2011-04-19T08:34:00.003+10:00

I have been feeling in a bit of a sewing slump recently. As fellow blogger Amy put it, I think I lost my sew-jo. I was beginning to get a bit worried, as I really wasn't feeling in the mood to sew much at all. On Sunday morning I sat cross legged in the middle of my sewing room and laid out all my patterns on the floor. I stared blankly at them, trying to select one that I could make in a day and that wouldn't be too much in cost for the fabric.

I really feel like sometimes I am my own barrier, like I build up some of my patterns in my mind to be harder than what they actually are. I know I do it, and am thinking of taking up Tilly's challenge and journaling my sewing productivity.

I think that might give me a little insight into my sewing routine. You see, Sunday morning I was sitting deflated on my sewing room floor, and by that evening I had one blouse completed and three other projects lined up ready to sew. I think I definitely need a happy medium between apathetic and obsessive :-)

As promised, here are the photos of the blouse I made. I used the Simplicity 1430 pattern I purchased from Etsy a number of months ago. Why did I wait so long to sew it? Well, I purchased this pattern early on in my 'discovering vintage' stage and did not understand what "unprinted pattern" actually meant. You can guess my surprise when I opened the envelope to find a bunch of shaped tissue papers with nothing on them but holes of various sizes. It was like sewing Morse code! I was scared half to death and placed the envelope at the beck of the shelf.

After a few months, and much vintage sewing blog reading, I finally understood how to use an unprinted pattern. On Sunday morning I went to Spotlight and bought this black fabric plus a cute floral print for Tasia's Crescent Skirt pattern (more about this later this week).

Sunday afternoon was spent sewing and watching the Formula One Grand Prix. This pattern was an absolute breeze to sew! Seriously, the pattern has very clear instructions and the finished garment has a very polished look to it. The pattern suggested fastening the sleeves with snaps, but instead I made use of self cover buttons for the fastenings.

I also made a few other small changes.

- I removed one of the waist darts so that it better fit my pear-shaped body.

- I didn't include bias tape around the neck as the fabric was so sheer.

- I used buttons on the wrist of the sleeve instead of snaps.

This blouse took me around 4-5 hours from cutting to finish. Like I said, it was a very straight forward pattern, and my size only used 1.2 meters of fabric, which made it a very cost effective sewing project.

~ I am so happy with how this turned out ~

~ Side view - you can see how the waist darts give a more 'fitted' look ~

~ Button up at the wrist ~

~ Bow ~

I have this Liberty of London fabric on my shelf, and I think I will use it to make View 1 from next...

Thanks also everyone who left me comments on my last post. It was really nice to hear your good wishes, and thanks heaps to everyone who pointed me in the direction of gluten free help! You're all gems :-) I will let you know how I go.

Sam xox

A change.

2011-04-18T22:09:00.004+10:00

I have not been feeling 100% in my tummy these last few months. Last week I (finally) went and saw a doctor. The recommendation was that I try an elimination diet, and seeing that I already exclude dairy from my diet due to a lactose intolerance, gluten was the next on the doctors list.

I began my lactose/gluten free diet a week ago, and boy do I feel a zillion times better! My pain and... um... 'discomfort' disappeared literally overnight, and I think I had forgotten what it was like to have a normal feeling tummy! I went back for a review yesterday and the doctor was happy with the change and has recommended I maintain a gluten-free diet long term. He also said that apparently lactose intolerance is a symptom of gluten intolerance. It would have been helpful to know that last year! :-P

Ok, so that is probably too much personal body information for one blog post! But it does have relevance. Now I am gluten-free my love of baking, and carbohydrates in general, are under close review... anyone who knows of any great gluten-free recipes or websites?

And in case I was to forget that this is a swewing blog after all, here is a sneak peak to see what I was up to on the weekend...

I made View 2 from a sheer printed black fabric, and it turned out very nicely!

I will take photos tomorrow.

Sam xox