Wednesday 7 October 2015

Birthing necklace

The birthing necklace was finished just in time.





These photos were taken by "Reflections Of Us" the night before labour inducement day, 2 days before baby Sampson was born.




Feeling the love, energy and spirit of my circle of women as I wore the beads they had chosen.



These photos show how precious this finished piece is to me. I wore it in the early stages of labour, surrounded by my Womenfolk.












Tuesday 29 September 2015

My best creation yet....

And here he is. A son, Sampson.

Never had I imagined I could create something so beautiful. 
And here he is passing his hearing test with flying colours. Welcome little man.

Wednesday 23 September 2015

A new hand project

The tee-pee is now finished (insert photo here when it's set up).


I'm at the hospital at least twice a week for checkups now - anywhere between 3 and 5 hours each time. So I've started to crochet this shawl. 

The shawl will be for breast feeding, maybe too hot for Far North Queensland.... but useful for visiting Victoria I expect.


Monday 21 September 2015

Birthing necklace in progress

I asked women friends and family from near and afar to post me a bead so that I could craft a necklace to wear while birthing. 

My intention is to wear the necklace during labour so that I can feel the energy and spirit of my circle of women at this time.

 I decided to knit it on wire in two strands (I have so many beads and medallions!).  It's started.

Saturday 19 September 2015

I've finished my baby's quilt!

I am feeling quite relieved at having finished my baby's quilt. It's kind of like frantic home-made nesting - finishing projects.
It feels like it's ok if the baby comes early now. I am ready. 
 Here is the baby hospital bag packed and ready to go.
I think I'll shoot a better photo when Bub is lying on the quilt.

Thursday 10 September 2015

Tee-pee

I've been working on making this tee-pee from a free pattern in the Spotlight magazine. Well, actually, the magazine costs $1. Totally worth paying for the pattern. I bought a stack of fabric for $2 per metre and I've had help cutting out the pieces. (For some reason, my huge baby bump wouldn't allow me to get down on the floor to measure and cut the pieces!). 
It's started at least. I am trying to work on in while 5yo boy is at school so that he doesn't see it. It's a gift from the baby for him. I bought a second hand fairy mushroom cubby for 4yo girl. They are both indoor cubbies that will give them their own space, and I will be able to make cushions and other accessories next year when the sewing machine comes out again (I think it will be next year).

Wednesday 26 August 2015

Getting ready

Hand quilting my baby's quilt in preparation for his/her arrival. It hasn't worked out perfectly, it's not exactly flat. But babies don't notice these things do they?

I quite like the vintage look of the crinkled effect.

 Here we are getting ready for the baby shower!!

 I've been blessed with a good many useful gifts: clothes, baby bouncer, creams, powders, nappies, breastfeeding cushion, electric breast pump, quilts (I must share photos), and hand made blankets. Everything in gender neutral colours - mostly lemon, mint and white. It's getting exciting. Baby will soon be here.














Monday 24 August 2015

More baby wardrobe essentials

And this completes our wardrobe of nappy pants - 11 pairs to fit up to 3 months of age. I wonder how long they will fit?
I am certain it will be more comfortable to hold and cuddle a baby wearing a singlet and cotton nappy pants than to sweat holding a baby in a plastic nappy.

Right! Onto the next project! Only a few weeks before the sewing machine is packed away for quite some time. Eep! But who is panicking?

Friday 21 August 2015

Twelve red robins revival

Here is a blast from the past... I finished this stitchery (and a pink one too), probably a year or so ago. Now I've found some wonderful fabric for the squares, and as you can see my cutting mat and rulers are here with me (didn't have space for them in a caravan).


Next step: add borders, baste, quilt and bind ready for Christmas (the machine will probably be away until after Christmas).

Tuesday 18 August 2015

Summer wardrobe essentials

Introducing the first glimpse of Baby's exclusive Summer wardrobe.. Singlets teemed with nappy pants are sure to be the winner this Summer.

I've figured out how to make a pair of these pants from a fat quarter. I bought 10 fat quarters for $10 at Spotlight earlier in the year, and kept cutting. These (plus 5 more pairs) were cut out a couple of weeks ago. Then I had a go at putting them together using this pattern and tutorial. I put them aside for a while. There had to be an easier way! I tweaked the instructions, and now I have six pairs. Just need to buy more elastic for the next ones!

Feeling more and more tired as we come closer to meeting our Baby, and of course more busy, with more Dr and specialist appointments. However, the sewing mustn't slow down too much! We are on a deadline here!

Sunday 16 August 2015

Quilts in use

I love to have photos of gifts I've made being used. This is my new nephew Miles trying out his baby quilt for the first time. Ooh, a bit chilly outside in Victoria.

Have you ever been disappointed that you've spent all this time and money making a quilt (or knitted item etc) for someone and they haven't sent you a photo of it in use? It breaks my heart. I know that once I've given a quilt away, it's not mine anymore, and they can do whatever they like with it (even line the dog bed)... but I will be sure to send people photos of any home made gifts in use when our Bub comes along in .

I look forward to seeing many more photos of Miles with his baby quilt. Thank you Libby for sending me lots of photos. xoxo

Friday 7 August 2015

The Pointy End

Closer and closer our due date looms, and I am still working on the baby quilt. All hexagons are now pieced and joined. 
Then I "floated" the centre over one large piece of fabric and appliqued the already-turned-under edge onto the red check.
Then I flipped it to the back and cut away the checked fabric leaving a 1/4 inch between the applique edge and the raw edge underneath. Now, the checker is not showing through the vanilla hexies, and I have a beautiful big piece of Flower Milk Sugar fabric to go with the leftover jelly roll pieces. (What to make? Who knows?)

Okay. Now to spray baste, and hand quilt with DMC perle.

We are getting to the Pointy End of this pregnancy, and I want to make sure our Bub has a quilt ready to go (32 weeks now.... oh my!)...

Monday 27 July 2015

More Baby sewing

It feels so good to be behind the wheel of the sewing machine again.... I am dreaming of a sewing studio for next year... ooh! How wonderful! I won't have to pack everything up all the time!

Quite excitedly I anticipate a design wall and plenty of storage and display space as well as natural light, and air conditioning (a necessary here in Far North Queensland).

I have a wish list of sewing to-dos before baby arrives and the sewing machine and all that goes with it go away... I wonder just how much will be finished in time....

I made 12 very absorbent baby bibs from one towel, with ribbing and binding on the edges... such a joy to prepare bright and colourful wearables for my little one on the way!

It gives me great joy to make something useful and decorative.

Next year I will be decorating my studio and our new home.... I hope to have lots of finishes to show and tell.

For now, I shall have a rummage to see what I feel like making next.

Friday 24 July 2015

Feeling content

Woohoo! It's a very exciting place to be in with two finished items posted today. *sigh*

All I needed was an hour or so on the sewing machine (which is now home again, with a newly inserted "bobbin stopper", whatever that is) to finish two projects!
 Front of the embroidered cushion
 Back of the embroidered cushion - a special yoga festival gift of gratitude

It's traditional to send flowers, but I think this kind will last longer.


The Swedish Baby Quilt which I named "Swedish Baby Garden". It is an absolute joy to complete a project that has made your heart sing!
 I know my sister is going to love it. It is her colours all over. I am sure she will send photos of the quilt in the nursery and with her Bub which is now 37 weeks cooked - this means Bub could be born at any time.
 The back is just as fun. Little mushroom fabrics surrounded by a red spot binding reminds me of Amanita mushrooms (toadstools). I love the contrast and the garden feel.
Congratulations Feupie, I am so excited for you.

And that's two parcels by registered post today. Oh! Feeling so content with these finishes.

Monday 20 July 2015

Meanwhile

In the meantime, I am back to working on my own Baby quilt....
Still working out exactly how many flowers and half flowers to make. This should keep me busy at all those long hospital clinic appointments (last time I was there for 5 hours seeing 4 specialists).

Saturday 18 July 2015

When your sewing machine gets sick...

I was so excited to be finishing the Swedish Baby Quilt for my sister. She is due in only a few weeks, and so her baby could come at any time!! I finally finished all the applique, spray basted and prepared to quilt.

Alas! My sewing machine decided to have a melt-down mid-quilting.

Some of the quilting around the outer edge remains, and the binding must be stitched on.

My poor machine needs a service, and hopefully I can pick it up as soon as possible. Not only am I trying to finish her gift in time, but I want to finish the tapestry cushion, and I have been nesting like crazy by sewing away. I've added lots more leaves and flowers in the quilting - hence the quilt will be called Swedish Baby Garden.

Sigh.


Here is a little snippet of handwork I have been carrying around in my bag for Dr and Hospital waiting rooms. It's going to be a gift for our friend Laura. I wonder if she will use it as a wallhanging or on a table. She will Know what to do with it.

It must be the Right time to catch up on my blogging, do some reading, and exercises to prepare for a relaxed and calm birth.

Monday 13 July 2015

Nesting: sewing or cleaning?

Some people use cloth nappies or old towels for burp cloths. Others use store bought items. I am in the mood to sew for Bub. I cut four hand towels in half (vertically) to give 8 pieces of towel. Then I stitched a colourful piece of fabric onto the back with right sides together, turned through, and top stitched. Ta-da!

These feel like traditional Bar Mats one would find in a pub. 


8 Burp Cloths

I think they will be just right for my Bub's personal Milk Bar when it opens for business. Heh heh.

I've also been sewing some bibs inspired by Jo. She showed me how to make them a few years ago.

At this stage I will put them away to work on two impending gifts - my sister's baby quilt and the cushion cover.

I feel like I'm nesting frantically by sewing sewing sewing! I wonder if that happens with other quilters and sewers. Who would clean if you could sew?

Thursday 9 July 2015

Rugging up

It's the middle of winter, and I am so happy in sunny Queensland where the days are mid 20s. We rarely wear jumpers or jeans. This means our baby born in October (mid Spring) won't need lots of knitted items, and will need few layers of clothes and bunny rugs.
Muslin Wraps - the Queensland bunny rug

Babies still like to be swaddled to feel secure and enclosed. So I've made these muslin wraps. Pictured are 9, and with 3 others gives a total of 12. 

That should be enough, to lose the occasional one if it blows off a pram when being used for shade, or to have spares in case of nappy blow outs.

It feels time to be preparing for Bub well and truly. 

All I had to do was buy metre lengths of muslin, trim the outside, and zigzag the raw edge.

Monday 29 June 2015

I was diddled!

This week I've been diligently stitching the cross-stich for this cushion cover. I wanted to give it as a gift this coming weekend. I hoped to finish it last night, then post it today.
 But noooo..... the kit did not supply enough yarn... and darned it if it's acrylic not wool. I feel diddled!
 Can you see the "bald patches"?

I thought I'd cut it down smaller. But my Sweetheart has been watching me stitch, and he says "No flipping way are you cutting half of it off. You've spent hours on that. Just go and buy some matching wool."

Ah. That's an idea. Spotlight had no tapestry wool skeins (oh my, it must be really out of fashion these days).
I found some 100% wool that is only 8 ply (needs to be about 12 ply), and is kind of the same colour. I am hoping that if I double the wool, it won't be very noticeable as it's on the outer edge.

This fabric was in the furnishings remnants, and I think will be smashing for the back, with a zipper closure. Shopping today also included the cushion insert.

It's sooo close to being finished my fingers are itching! Alas, at night time, I am better off hand sewing, and this evening I worked on the Swedish Baby Quilt once again, (another "deadline"). Oh dear. How do we create such deadlines for ourselves?

Wednesday 24 June 2015

Bump! Bump!

Bump! Bump!

I've finished making the cot bumper, measured to fit onto our cot. I designed it to come up a little higher than that in the pattern. My idea is to keep out "little gifts" of food and toys from Miss 4 and Master 5 that might be dangerous for a little baby.

I love the fresh sherbet lemon. Zinger!!

I originally saw cot bumpers in a huge baby department store, and I loved them. So I bought a pattern earlier this year, and the fabric. Then I fluffed about for a while without making them.

I really felt like finishing something for our baby. I cannot wait to design a beautiful nursery for our baby! I am in the decorating-nesting zone (as opposed to the cleaning one). And yet, our new home won't be ready until our new bub is at least 3 months old. In the meantime I am D
REAMing of decorating our home while I have space for the sewing machine. Once our baby is born, there will be no space (and perhaps no time either) for the sewing machine until we move into our new environs. Anticipating the sewing I will want to have completed, I am in a surge of creativity for our little bub.

I've also made 3 muslin wraps (it's a bit too hot for flannel wraps here in Far North Queensland), and expect I will need to make more.

I'm also thinking about making burp cloths, a portable change mat, bibs and rompers.

I wanted to make a hanging nappy stacker too, but Sweetheart said "Darling, after you have made curtains, cushions, wallpaper and whatever else you want to make, then make the nappy stacker. This is a nappy stacker. *points to disposable nappies in original packaging* Swapping them into another bag is double handling you won't have time for."

Hmm... heh heh... he is a sensible man... x

Sunday 21 June 2015

Introducing.... the Love Bird Quilt

It's a great feeling to finish a quilt, and give it to a loved one. All I had to do was trim it and stitch the binding - I did that in the last few days.

Colour Me Happy is finished, and has been named "The Love Bird Quilt". Mum quilted an allover love bird design on it for me.

I chose cotton batting to suit the Far North Queensland climate. We (Gail and I) had a nap under it this afternoon, and it was the perfect weight to provide that satisfying feeling of cosiness, but not too hot and heavy.



Don't worry Sweetheart, you won't be tripping over it as it won't stick out from under our bed anymore. xo

Tuesday 16 June 2015

It's been such a leisurely week working on the quilt for my baby. I haven't felt the need to rush. There have been no deadlines. Ahhh.

Then I came to the point where I wondered quite how to complete the corners. Will I do half flowers? Will there be half hexies? Will I applique the edge to strips of straight fabric?

And I kind of slowed down.... did some knitting on my baby's cardigan.

Then I thought to myself: "Hey, Lorraine. Your sister's baby shower is only a few weeks away, and you were going to finish the cross-stitch cushion for a gift in early July. And what about the cot bumpers you've started on the sewing machine? The sewing machine will go away for a few months in a short while." Then my Sweetheart started tripping on the handles of the quilt bag under our bed that contains the Colour Me Happy quilt for the new MIL. Hmm... I need to trim the quilt and add the binding.

And so I will need to shelf my baby quilt for a little while... *sigh*

Tuesday 9 June 2015

Sew much to show and tell

What a fab weekend we had at Magnetic Island. How wonderful to have uninterrupted sewing time!
Two frames were added to "My Love Horsies". The yellow chain extends beyond the blocks now, and is much more effective.
The Nature side of "My Love Horsies" was pieced. The blue frames allow the panel pieces to float. I am very happy with the way the fabrics have combined, even though they could have been a jumbled mess. I think the large pieces were the key.
It's not really the Reverse side, or the Back, as the quilt is designed to be double sided. Shelley can choose whether she wants the whimsical side or the Nature side up on her bed. I think she may have to wait a year or so before the quilt goes on her bed, as she was colouring in her sheets with texta colours last week. I am not so sure I want her to be colouring in a specially made quilt!
The holiday house at Magnetic Island.
This was the $5 optional project - chicken in a tutu. I've fused it on to stitch later. I think I'll use it as a cover for a project folder. The suprise theme for the weekend was chickens!
And an update on my Baby Quilt. 8 blocks completed. Next I need to start joining them, as I might only need some half blocks to obtain the desired size. I hope to have my Baby Quilt finished in the next 2 weeks, then finish the Swedish Baby Quilt for my sister. Her shower is about a month away.

Wednesday 3 June 2015

The Vanilla Pathway

Loving the hexagon progress. Currently packing projects to take away for the long weekend for a retreat on Maggie Island, and decided to take the vanilla as a pathway between the flowers.

I wonder how much I'll get finished! Quite exciting really, it's been years since I've been on a quilting retreat. I hope to have lots of Show and Tell.


It's so fabulous having the mini-stash that Mum brought interstate for me. A real source of inspiration, and I will be able to finish off some applique blocks that have needed tweaking for quite some time.

Monday 1 June 2015

Fun with hexagons

Oh! I am LOVING hand piecing hexagons.....
 Four flowers have been stitched. I love the blend of soft and bold colours and prints.
So bright and fresh for a baby quilt.

Going on retreat this Long Weekend I am preparing more hexies to sew. I plan to take knitting too (baby cardigan), and a Civil War Bride applique block. We are getting there by ferry, and I don't fancy this pregnant woman will be easily able to lug along a big sewing machine. And so, handwork we have. I am quite tempted to take some superhero fat quarters along and make a fat quarter quilt... but really.. hmm... that will require more thinking....

Also thinking ahead, I am wondering about hand sewing after Baby is born. There will be no space to machine sew until our new home is finished (months later). I'd like to prepare lots of handwork for a time when I imagine I will enjoy quiet relaxing time just for Mummy. Applique and stitchery will be ideal. I am currently researching and found this smashing book Quilt A New Christmas.


 I particularly love the Christmas stockings.....
 And the bird table runner or wallhanging...

These projects would be wonderful from fat quarter packs or 5 inch squares.
Anyway, I think I'll have to get the book.... It's Love.