Gotta love those scraps.

Have you ever found that your suitcases weigh half of your baggage allowance before you even start filling them? Ridiculous! (;-) thinks me, so :
I decide that my DD2 needs a carry on airline bag when she goes to New Zealand next week. It couldn't be heavy or expensive. This is what I came up with. It is exactly the maximum size allowed by the airline she is travelling on. Asides of the browns which were left over from the giraffe nappy bag all the other fabrics come from a scrap roll I bought at our local patchwork shop for peanuts. The fabric was sewn onto coated curtain fabric from my stash and some tape was added using decorative stitching from the sewing machine. I didn't line the bag in order to keep the weight down or else because I was lazy. It was finished off with a zip already in my collection. The lady at http://www.justpatchwork.com/ is incredibly lovely, helpful and cheerful - she never makes you feel like a nuisance. Thankyou sew much to Just Patchwork in Tuncurry on the NSW Mid North Coast!

Giraffe nappy bag

To all the lovely ladies who begged for a photo of my latest bag here it is. Your wonderful comments have added to my joy in making this but nothing can surpass the appreciation shown by the recipient. I would make her something everyday just to get such love for my work. She's the best! Just like you guys!

Sorry for the poor quality of photos - I'm in the middle of working and rushing everything.

The label celebrates the mum and her family to be.

Details of the side pocket.

Thanks again for your kindnesses.

On the way to a bag

I bought these fabrics for a specific purpose - a nappy bag for a sweet girls baby shower. In the end I didn't use the green or the giraffe fabric. My original plan went out the window as the design progressed which is just as well because it might have been a little to kiddyish. The brown with black Jinny Beyer Palette fabric looks lovely on the outside highlighted with the swirly fabric and a little girraffe. I used the spotty 'Bubbles' from Holly Holderman for the lining including two loose pockets and one large zippered one. On the outside there are two milk bottle pockets - one on either end. My own nappy bags were a lot longer and lower because they were only designed to go under the pram. I love how young Mums want bags that can pass for ordinary shoulder bags but also fit over the pram handles and how a bag doesn't have to be gender specific.

I literally spent hours and hours more than I should have but still totally enjoyed the process. The only problem is that I ran out of time( I was late for the shower) and forgot to take photos of the finished bag. Suffice to say that I was rewarded with the biggest 'oohs' and 'aahs' and the recipient excitedly told me that 'it's the best'. So I am happy.

I need to have another look at the finished product so I can take the measurements (couldn't interrupt the creative process to write them down, could I?) as I have another order to fill and this lass wants the same fit. So maybe there will be some photos in the future!

My sewing room

North

SouthEastWest
What a mess!!

My frangipanis!

Frangipanis have been my favourite flower since I was a child living in Papua New Guinea - a long time before they became the fashionable flower that they are at the moment. Since those long ago days I have never been able to have a plant of my own because I have always live in the cooler southern parts of Australia where they never seem to progress past two sticks. Last year a kind friend gave me a cutting with instructions not to stick it into the ground until the cut end was completely dry and hardened. Apparently they rot if planted whilst still moist. Also, once planted they should not be moved - they are a bit fussy that way. Well I did what I was told but did the dogs? Of course not. After repotting the stick twice I decided to plant it outside the chicken wire fence on our rental property. Did it stay there? No. Little paws and teeth can even reach that far.

So my poor stick was pulled out regularily and mauled on it's growing end and then when it was finally taking off I moved. Proud of the couple of leaves it had finally acquired I potted it up and moved it too. I again thought it had died during the winter yet it is still here with us and I am now the proud owner of these glorious flowers.

Enjoy!!

Just a little sewing.

I have been wanting (needing!) to make these folders for a long time but foolishly have been put off because of thinking they would be too hard. Well they are not, especially if you use fabric that doesn't fray quickly. They are just simple sleeves with an opening in the middle of the inside to slide some cardboard in for stability and ease of handling. The fabric I used is a fake suede at 20cents a sample from the curtain shop.

My folder is very plain because I wanted it to look like a book. The fact that the spine is of a different colour is only from the necessity of adding more material because the samples aren't big enough to cover both front and back.

DD2 on the other hand wanted bright colours. I was dreading what she would come up with because I don't always find it easy to create to her specifications. However, she picked a good combination and the finished product looks a little Indian in style. She even let me do some machine embroidery - a first for me. I can't wait to do it again.