animation

I bought a new webcam yesterday.  It's so much better than my ye olde thing that cost me $20.  It's one of these.  So, what to do on a 40°C (plus) day?? Well obviously, you sit in a really hot room, with the computer running and you make an animation :)

So, now you get to sit in what ever hot room you are sitting in, with a computer running, and watch it.

Baby craft

Here is some baby craft

Christmas Animation

I made this animation for my/Neil's nephews. I had gotten them some vouchers which are for a cool thing, but the vouchers themselves are ugly and don't explain what they are for very well.

Anyway, I made a nice card for the boys to open on Boxing Day with the url written on it. After a tiny argument about the best method to access said url, they both watched it. I must admit the reaction was not as ecstatic as I would have liked, but they are only 10 and 8, so it's a little hard to compete with slim at that age (that was definitely the favored present of the day) Anyway, I'm sure they will love the session once they go, and I'm looking forward to seeing the film they make. Their mum says were will be a premier!! Will be fun :)

Stored for two years, sewn in an afternoon

Yes this is a fuzzy iPhone photo

Candles

Today I had the day off work to make candles with the nephews. It was very successful, the boys had a great time and made quite a few candles each before we ran out of wicks and the temperature got a bit much for us all. Here are some photos

the finished products

The nephews

Action Shot

Long time no sew

So all you regular readers (hello all 3 or so of you!) It's been a long time since I actually sewed anything sensible. I've been slack and uninspired, I can handle that, too bad if you can't.
The other day at work, I saw a girl in a really simple a-line skirt. I decided I should make one. I made a pattern this morning. No worries there. I looked through my extensive material collection and there was nothing that did it for me, that I hadn't already penciled in to be something else, so oh dear, I'd have to go to Spotlight. What a shame. :( but really ;) he he he
I roped Fiona in for the trip, partly cos I thought she'd like to go, partly cos I hate shopping by myself. Then I realised my money was in the car.... with Neil..... at the steam club.... 30 min car trip away. Bugger. I was going to cancel the trip, until Fiona remember she owed me some money any way! Yay :) Off we went.
I would a nice material, I have a feeling it is upholstery, even though I found it in the dress making section.
Half way through making it, I thought "I have a wedding to go to next week and this would be perfect, if only I could come up with something to wear on top".
By the time I finished sewing it up, I had the whole outfit in mind, here's a test run:Some how, not sure how, I have managed to make the thing a little large in the waist, I guess I can run up the edges a bit, but not for the moment. The rest of the outfit is an Intimo top with a scarf I've had for ages. Nice hey? (just don't say if you think it's awful)

Creative

I haven't made anything for a while, but recently I decided it would be cool to make the geocaching badges you can earn in electronic form, into REAL badges! Here they are:Yes, that's right, I am a total nerd ;)

Recent Craftey-ness

Quite some time ago, a very good friend of mine had a baby. I started making some little presents for him/her well before she was born. She is now 3 months old. Still haven't met her, but at least I have passed her little pressies on to her mum, who loved them, and lets face it, thats the main thing!
(hat kindly modeled by my teddy from the UK)

Clever me

I started the first of these booties well before the baby they are for was due. I only just finished them today, when we were due at a party where the baby will be present.... 2hrs ago! Oh well, they are cute and I'm sure the Mum will like them.

Long time no puppy

No we haven't all died or anything! I have been back at work (bummer) and sew (he he he, joke there, notice?) busy with my sewing. It's all due TOMORROW! I'm not sure if it's all going to get done, which is of course why I am making a blog post and not sewing. hmmm
Anyway, the puppies are going really well. We are going to move them into the lounge room tonight. Which means for the first time in nearly two months, we will be able to sleep in the same bed, you know, at the same time. Wow. This afternoon I discovered an amazing thing about the puppies. You can put them on the rug, and they more or less stay there! They don't like walking on the shiny floor. So I don't really need to have the fence around them, at least while I'm home anyway. I'm sure this will only last a day or so, till their confidence gets up.
I promise some pictures and updated weights after my final sewing class tomorrow.

The polls have now closed

Thanks for the advice everyone, you all chose what I was leaning towards. The D rings are now installed. For those of you who haven't been keeping up with my sewing projects (cos you know, like I haven't actually told you or anything), here is a photo of the coat so far: (You try taking a photo of your own back!) In this picture I am wearing a black t-shirt under the coat (with no sleeves) and you can almost see (if you squint and close one eye) that the coat is actually very dark navy, not black. Also, in real life, when you aren't viewing the coat with a flash, the ribbon matches very well, and isn't 3 shades lighter like in looks in this picture.

Which do you think?

I have pretty much decided that the first one is way too thick. The second one is with only one layer of material, and I'm concerned that this might eventually fray (it's worsted 80% wool, 20% poly) The last one is with the ribbon that will be used as lacing in the finished product. Also, please note the colors in this are awful. Really the material and the ribbon are both very navy. So dark, most people think it's black. Decisions decisions! Let me know what you think.

Today

Today was very hot, at least it was until a few minutes ago (Yay the change is here). I have been hiding inside trying to keep the family cool. I have also been sewing.
I wanted to tell you about a plant that is just outside my front door. It an Australian native of some sort, but it is know to me as 'the clicky plant'.In the photo you can see the little seed pods. When they are ripe and on it's a hot day, they open. Then the seed shoots out. The seed pods open with the heat and they make a little clicky sound (hence why I have named the plant.) When I hear it, I know it's hot.
I mentioned the sewing a few posts ago, it's going really well. I have near finished 2 of my 4 assessment garments. Ok, so they are the easy ones, but that's not the point. Only waist bands and hems to go. Here are the hard parts:Kick pleat feature on skirt.The 'proper' zip and pockets (which are sew shut at the moment as the pants are still under construction)
I'm quite happy with both so far, so only shirt (ahhh $97 worth of silk!) and coat to go.

Craft fair

Today I went to the craft fair, the new craft fair, not the old crap craft fair. It was in the Exhibition Buildings, not crappy old Jeff's Shed.

To be honest, it was just a craft fair. I did like the way many of the compertion entries were dispalyed in amongst the stall. I'm not sure how I'd feel about it if it was one of my peices, but it did mean more people saw them. It have the usual issue for a craft show for me:

• too much scrap booking
• too much patchwork
• not enough everything else

But I do think this one had less patch working than the other craft fair. It was big, but I don't think as big as the other one. Anyway, I have not been to the exhibition buildings very a very long time. I have a vague memory of seeming a car show there about 4000 years ago, and that's about it, for the inside at least. I see the outside every day at work. I was very impressed with the restoration job that was done... not sure when (very informative this blog isn't it?) Here is a photoClearly, it dosn't do it justice, but you get the idea.

Took ages

OK I admit it, these booties took far too long to finish. Truly they took months. But you have to admit they are really cute!

Sewing - things I have made

Here are some pics of two things I forgot to put on the long post on things I have made:


I made this advent Calendar a few years ago and took it to work, cos I figured I didn't want to eat all the chocolates, it would only make me fat. I got lots of different people to pick out days. It was fun, except for some pooh head stole the number 8. Now I have to make another one!

Such Exciting News - tragedy resolved

One of the most clever people, who are motioned in the post below, was kind enough to forward me the pattern for the Cloak for me to add to me winter lady. I'm soooo happy!!! Now all I need to do is all the work sewing her up! Better get on to Summer and finish here first!

There has been a tragedy!!!

I have been sewing away on my celtic summer cross stitch for a while. There are a number of pictures on here of her. She is loverly. Then today, by some random chance, I found that some people have made changes to the original Winter Celtic lady! I love them, they are soooo much better than the original one. Now I can't possible sew the Winter one as is, I have to do this amended one. I have no idea how I'm going to get the pattern, and I'm just miserable :(
P.S. Here is the Original for comparison

beads

I have been making my summer princess, she's coming along nicely don't you think?

She has a lot of beads to go, but I have been reluctant to start the beads until I have all of them. I have been missing a packet. I went to Box Hill Spotlight today to find beads, I go quite a few, then rang the Malvern Spotlight, the nice lady even went and looked on the shelf for my (they didn't have the one packet I need for Summer)

I have given up, and I am buying them off the web. They are even a bit cheeper, even if I have to wait for ages :(

I'm not creative.......

I sew and do craft. Many people think that because of this I am creative. I'm not. I simply follow the instructions (mostly any way). I notice today, that I haven't done a sewing post since September. I go through phases with my craft and sewing, you just can 't do it all the time (well I can't any way.)
To make up for this, I have decided to take some photos of some of my completed crafty projects to show you. (You: all the millions of people who look at my site. ie, practically no one...... sigh..... no one loves me :( .......)
Any way:
This is a wizard, I made him many moons ago, then discovered when I finished him that although he is great and had a lot of work go into him, I don't really want a shiny wizard on my wall that he taught me to put more thought into choosing patterns to sew up

I started these parrots in primary school, they are so old that I believe Santa might have given them to me. I finished them some time in uni, it might have even been uni the second time (start: 1988ish, finish circa 2000)

Calico Cats. I have a half dozen or so patterns from this lady, I love them. I have only sewn these two up though


For a while I was regularly getting the Jill Oxten's Cross Stitch and Beading Mag (I stopped in the end cos there was too much beading in it) In it, she regularly had patterns I have dubbed "long things". I love them, cos I think they look really quite classy. I plan in sewing up the sea side and a pond/mountain like one, then it's like the desert (ie this one) to the sea. I'm not holding my breath either, given this one took ~2 years and I have started the 'princess project', see below.....

This one was a present from a lovely lady I work with. Isn't he cute!

Mum got this for me in France, eventually it will become the pin cushion is is meant to be

These patterns come from a fantastic NZ Lady. My plan for these most lovely postcard sized thing-ies is to have 3 portrait and 3 landscape and mount them together (two frames, one in portrait one in landscape) It looks ace in my head, just take my word for it



Of the 5 or 6 cross stitch I bought in the UK (most of which had Scotties on them) this is the only one I have finished ;) I wonder why???

I made this a few years ago for my sister. I like it.... She better too, or if not, she better not tell me..... It was fun to make, especially the custom pages in the little book.

This is my current project. She is one of 4 'princess' I plan on making. This one is Summer. You can't tell yet, but she is covered in Gold thread (an absolute pain in the bot bot to sew with) and she will have tiny little beads all over her. She is sooooo lovely, you just wait till she has a face!

(this photo is a bit crap, she want very flat when I took it.........)