The Blog Posts That Got Away

"Our life is frittered away by detail...simplify, simplify." - Henry David Thoreau

Recently my mind has been awash with creative intentions. Sometimes I wish I could switch my design mind off and just look at a piece of fabric and see a nice composition of colours, a vintage sheet and see an out dated piece of linen, a collection of jars and see a collection of jars, an old book and see a book. But these items just have a way of setting my design mind adrift and the compulsion to create and upcycle sets in. I can barely take breath between the waves of inspiration that seem to crash one on top of another and I end up lost in this ocean of intended projects. Recently I have been craving the solid, grounding feeling that comes from simply completing something.

Take this blog for example. In my mind I have written dozens of blog posts since I last actually posted.

There was the one about the joys of creating and receiving home made gifts.

Such as these cushions I made for my Mum for Christmas using iron on transfers and applique...

And my delight upon receiving these curtains she had made me in return...

There was the blog post about how to make your own luggage tags...

There was the 'How To Applique' blog post.

There was the posters I made blog post...

 

 

There was the hanging pictures and washi tape (read cheap electrical tape) hack blog post.

There was the post describing the vulnerability of trying to sell your hobby creations, there was the blog post outlining my new system for meal planning involving fun names to add structure to the week (Mince meat Monday, Tight Tuesday, Wok on Wednesday, Three Veg Thursday, Free-grain Friday, Stock up Saturday, Sort it out Sunday), there was the blog post about opportunity shopping, when I thought "she'll be right" and ended up with poo smeared all down the front of my white top, there was the blog post about how to turn a Little Golden Book into a decorative banner...

But have I written any of these blog posts? No. Rather than blogging I have been watching Munchkin Features learn to walk, saving her life a couple of times a week, launching my Facebook business, making new local friends, wiping sticky fingers, battling to get out the door on time, beginning to run a play group, learning how to share a car with Justice Boy (did I mention battling to get out the door on time?), op shopping, putting my name down for relief teaching at the local high school, and beginning a whole raft of creative projects.

Too many projects. Too many almost completed projects. And the problem with almost completed projects is that they kind of haunt me until they are done. And there are enough unfinished things around here to make my studio a pretty scary old room.

One solution might be to give up on the blogging and just focus on finishing things. The problem is I actually kind of love writing. So much so that when I got the opportunity this morning to drop off the Munchkin with her Babushka I thought I want to go to a cafe and WRITE! So here I am sitting in a café and I am writing. And I am sitting. And I am writing. And I am still sitting. And I haven't been interrupted. And I am still sitting. And I am still writing. And I have still not been interrupted. There is a certain joy at the simplicity of just doing this one thing at the one time rather than attempt to talk on the phone, pick up toys, find food for the child, and do pelvic floor exercises all at the same time.

And now I am going to sit here and do this...

I plan to blog again next Tuesday but hope to squeeze in another post on the above earrings before then. I couldn't stop myself making a whole bunch of these they are so simple.

Is there a blog post from the list of potential blog posts you would like to read?

Getting back on the horse...well donkey actually

Well today was a good day.  I made some more party decorations, rendezvoused with Justice Boy at the park for lunch, hit up a few op shops, organised a birthday present for my nephew (January is bumper to bumper birthdays in our family), finished Gordon the donkey and Iished Munchkin Feature's party dress!

First up are these hot air balloons for our Somewhere Over the Rainbow party. They came together so quickly. Just cut four hot air balloon shapes, fold each in half (right sides together) and then glue the wrong sides together. If you had double sided paper you would only need two shapes and then you could just sew up the middle then fold them out. I'm going to hang these over the table

 Next up is my gift for my nephew, whose birthday is three days after Munchkin's. He loves cooking so I went loking or a nice big jar I could use to create a cookie kit for him. The Helicopter Rescue Op Shop in Ballina was my starting point and it didn't fail to deliver, two lovely big jars and two great board books for my Munchkin, which she proceeded to read aloud while I browsed. I also ducked into the kids store and found a great book full of ideas for drawing, designing and creative play. I think it will make a great gift because my nephew is an only child. To complete his gift I put together a 'Pet Rock' kit with some rocks, google eys, pom poms and pipe cleaners. All he needs is some glue! Here's how his present turned out...

It wasn't until I'd left the op shops that I remembered I was meant to be looking for a jumper for Gordon. But I also had a brainwave and also remembered a little striped baby vest I'd got at the op shop while I was pregnant. Munchkin wore it a couple of times but it was one of those things that always seemed too hot or too cold, so when I got home I dug it out of the "too small" clothes and Gordon got some clothes.

When Munchkin Features woke after a long nap she was in a great mood. Both of these things meant that I actually got to complete her party dress. I think I'll call it the Fairy Bread dress. I'm so happy with the way it turned out. It's my own vintage inspired pattern. The stroke of genius was making the tie back rather than buttons (got the idea from Can Can Sew's vintage romper). My machine has no button hole setting so buttons just seem to hold up everything. Anyway, here's my model.

 Yay for productive days!

Day 2: Gordon the Donkey and Paint Chip Garland

I had so much fun making Archie yesterday that today I couldn't resist making another beautiful toy from Hop Skip Jump. I'm glad I did because I like Gordon (the donkey) even better than Archie.

He's not quite finished. I need to go on the scout for a V-neck jumper to create his clothes.

And while I had the sewing machine out I took the opportunity to whip up this garland made from paint chips. I love paint chips, and always have to stop myself grabbing chips just because the colour is so vibrant, or pretty, or serene. The colours speak of countless transformations, even if they are only ever realised in someone's imagination. So when I saw paint chip projects on pinterest I knew I had to get in on the craze somehow. So here are some freehand cut clouds, sewn into a garland as decorations for Munchkin's rainbow themed party this weekend.

    

Day 1: Arnold the Penguin

As Munchkin Feature's birthday approaches so does my desire to create something as a special gift for her. Something that might become sentimental I suppose. Originally I was thinking of making a teepee, but as I began to realise how big the project might be I thought it would be wiser to leave that project to a time when she might actually appreciate having a teepee!

Then I came across a toy pattern book my mum bought called Hop Skip Jump (read Fiona's blog here). The book is full of adorable toys crafted out of woolen jumpers, linen and scraps of feature fabrics. Fiona's toys are so sweet you feel you could almost just take her book to bed with you for a snuggle.

So yesterday I pinched the book and armed with supplies from my stash I have succeeded today in creating not one, but TWO huggable little penguins called Arnold.

 

They were surprisingly simple! Seemed just as easy to make two at once, so I'll try and sell my spare in my Facebook shop when I finally build up enough of a nerve to launch it.

The body is constructed from a cardigan I bought years ago, that I never wore, but couldn't bring myself to part with because the fabric was so nice. I used scraps for the belly and the legs/beaks, quilting fabric for the wings, and old cuffs for the beanies.

The good news is if Munchkin Features doesn't want to play with Arnold, it just means more cuddles for me!

Ron's shirt refashion

So this is Ron's seersucker shirt I found at the op-shop (I know it's Ron's because his name is stitched inside the collar) and this oversized old shirt has just become a summery new skirt.







Firstly I cut the shirt in under the armpits and shaped it slightly with two darts at the back and four at the front (two small darts either side of the pockets that I wanted to keep). I also unpicked the pocket flaps.It ended up looking like this....

 

I then cut a waistband and waist ties from one of the sleeves. My waistband was 8cm wide. I sewed the waistband on like I would bias binding, inserting the ties...

And the result!