Tambourine Tangerine

You guessed it! There's a hole in my finger! All this hand stitching on bellydance costumes!



This was a pink bra. Er.... well, it still is... But, it was a pink bra, and an orange belt. The belt was about a size 8... and I am about size 12-14... what to do with it? Aha! The belt has been stitched onto the bra, extra sequins added, and it's ready to go with the 25 yard full skirt in pink and orange ready for the tambourine dance.

Okay... now I have decided to start another new costume instead of wearing something I had... Eek! This really does sound like me... hahahahaha.... nothing like an outfit at the last minute!

Making the new costume consists of rustling up bits and pieces that I have already, including a $1 scarf from ebay, a dream catcher, a $7 bra from kmart, a hand me down necklace and some gorgeous bronze fabric.... I think I will make up a belt too.




For this one I have chosen a more tribal theme.. adding the turquoise feathers and fabric to brighten up the bronze/brown.

My dear Mother In Law just stitched me a bronze/brown satin skirt (she has made about 100 of them, and they are very fast for her... bless her!!)... Ok... I have only a few days.... Cheer me on!

Oh! And I made this patchworked teddy/doll sleeping bag....

Ouch! Hand stitching binding! My fingers!! We ARE suckers for our craft!

Two disco balls

I really have no idea where the weekend went... I think that's life when you are celebrating being a Family!

there at dawn... the first ones there...

warning!! gratituous shots of the warm weather at our local beach

Not much stitching to show after intensive family time... but I do have these to show you which have been progressing for a few days..

little 30s hexies

Little hexagons made with fabric leftover from the quilt I made for my expected bub while pregnant (He is almost two!!)... I have a few ideas for what do make with these little sweethearts... Any suggestions?

And from Friday Night With Friends stitch-in at home, I finished sewing the sequined fabric onto this bra ready for the bellydance concert in a few weeks.

the black velvet was already covered in stitched sequins, this was an easy one!

Some bellydance bras get a lot of embellishment... but this one is like a disco ball already... well... when I wear it, it's kind of like 2 disco balls. Hahahahahahahah! Oh! I think I'm funny... it's lovely to be in a bellydance troupe... It's my time to be a woman. I am grateful for my friends, the exercise, and the inspiration to work on more costumes!

Hmm.... I think this week will be dedicated to working on costumes. The dress rehearsal is on Sunday, and we need to be in all our costumes by then. Eek!

Celebrating Nineteen! ... And Nine!

Whoop! Whoop!

Celebrating the finish of 19 projects (even if some of them are small zippy pouches!) this year so far.

Scroll down on the right side bar, underneath all the little pictures of other people's blogs, and you will see a link to a blog post with every finished project in 9 years....

Wait.... I think my bloggerversary is this month! Whoop! Whoop! 9 years blogging!

And so, just what have I made to bring the total so far up to 19? Well, you'll never guess that making the traveller's pouches is slightly addictive!

Hee. Hee.

Alpaca My Bags travellers pouches set #2.



That's the last of this fabric. It's a light drill, and I just love the colours. Fun and playful. And I am pretty into puns too. Ipad and headphones bag, and passport/tickets or ipod or phone bag.

Forget The Siesta, It's Time to Fiesta.



Another set of travellers pouches. Also in a light drill. I feel the excitement of going on holiday just looking at these pouches!

A few years ago I made some of these as gifts, and the recipients just raved about them. It's wonderful feedback. I bought a stack of zips on ebay, so that instead of paying $1.53 per zip, I paid 10 cents each. I have over 100 zips. And I am feeling zippy!

I've got my eye on a couple of bellydance bras next, and almost finished the wedding quilt Time For Love...

Linking up to Whoop Whoop Friday, and settling into Friday Night With Friends...

My Pieceful Space

Even though it's not strictly "Christmas in July" month anymore, I am still kind of working on something! Hahaha! I wonder when I can make another block of time dedicated to Christmas.... or if I will "reward" myself for reaching my personal quilting goals...

My brain is just overflowing with great ideas. I keep waking up in the night with (of course!) sensational ideas... hehahehehahehehe... but first, they need to be made.. before that they are my intellectual secret!

What's been going on in My Pieceful Space? (That's my new name for the sewing part of the kitchen).

I finished two stitcheries for the Bronwyn Hayes "Wish Quilt". The angel is now part of this new block, that just needs a bit of applique stitched down.



The cat was a dog to stitch. I FORCED myself to finish it, by taking ONLY that stitchery to social sewing group. After I had oohed and aahed over all the show and tell, and taken mine too, there was nothing else for it. I gritted my teeth and it's over. Phew!



What didn't I like about stitching the cat picture? It was the satin stitch leaves in the border. I loathed stitching it, and therefore did not do a spectacular job. There was no patience left for a necessary job. I could have left out the satin stitch, but I know that from a distance it will add balance to the quilt. A necessary addition, in the end!

And so, there are ALMOST 4 of the 6 blocks finished, and the very last stitchery has been started. Hurrah! I think the project will end here soon, as it's less than 4 weeks until the bellydance concert, and I may need to decorate a new bra. *wink wink* I just don't think one I already have will do!

And here is a set of bags "Alpaca My Bags!" I made for a gf on her way to Malaysia next week.



An ipad bag, and a passport and tickets bag. The other side has her name free motion quilted. I love these bags... I think there may be some more on the way....

More!

But wait, there's more... today I finished the binding on the Superhero Comics quilt.

And here is the Violette Fields skirt set modelled by Miss 6! She love, love, loves it. The tshirt is her favourite colour. I chose the skirt fabrics with that in mind.

I also made some more travel bags today, and will photograph those for display tomorrow.

And that marks the end of my Christmas in July present and Christmas-themed sewing fest, according to the calender.

However, I do feel the urge to reward myself with other sewing if at least something of my main projects (Two quilts by Esther Aliu - Diamond Hill and Secret Garden) are completed every day. I am still definitely in the mood to machine stitch.

If you saw my sewing space now, and how crowded it looks, you would know I have lots and lots of projects to go on with, and just keep enjoying.

Something will catch my eye tomorrow, to be sure!

Bet you can't see for dust...

Well... I bet you can't see me for dust (that's an Aussie thing... driving so fast the car kicks up dust preventing the car behind from following or driving safely, especially in the Sticks (AKA country) where the roads may be narrow or made only of dirt)... I've been speeding along so fast, that I haven't had time to blog!

It's been a week since my last post, and with my sewing machine station (and cutting and ironing areas) permanently set up, everything has been rolling!

The over and underskirt set for Miss Six is finished. I am in love with these Violette Fields Patterns.

The blue part is the ruffled underskirt. The idea is to make a few of the overskirts, to mix and match with the one underskirt, to create different looks without as much sewing. Oh! The ruffles were definitely an act of love! I don't want to look at one again without shirring elastic. Oh darn it! That's what I forgot to buy today!

I made two travellers bags - a matching set.



"Let's be adventurers" for passports, tickets etc. Quilted with the words "Paris" and "France".



and "It's On My List".



 - a bag just the right size for taking your kindle on the plane.



Another pleated skirt is finished (green with roses) - no picture yet, haven't had a chance to put it on!

And yet another pleated skirt ... this one is made from 70s inspired Prints Charming fabrics on the front (designed and made in Sydney, Australia), but I didn't have enough fabric, so it's teemed with a 30s feedsack inspired print. I've had both of them for ages, and it feels wonderful to use fabrics (and wear them!).



The binding is machined onto the first Superhero comics quilt. I am looking forward to some hand stitching with my sweetheart on the couch tonight.



Only 2 nights left for my Christmas in July projects! I wonder if I will give myself an extension or if I will reward myself with consistent work on my two main projects this year! It's been such a productive time!

I am very happy.

I hope you are too. Thank you for dropping by.

Feeling Skirty

I am so proud of myself.

Partway through making this skirt I realised it was going to be too small (After the last one needed 4 darts, I thought I'd make it smaller)....

Erm.. no! It's still easier to put darts in than to make it bigger once it's cut out!

It's finished. It doesn't fit. It is not for me. (the zipper at the back is not done up).

Ah well, lucky I haven't cut up my fav Christmas fabric yet!

However... before I realised this was going to be too small, I bought more fabric. Oh yes. I am definitely going on one of those benders where I make a lot of things the same, but different. (surely, you've read the finished projects list down the side of my blog!!)

Mum is back for a few days, and I just realised I haven't even finished the quilt top I planned to give her to quilt for me. Goodness! What a busy Christmas in July!

At a LQS today I bought fabric on clearance to make another skirt for myself, and some non-clearance fabric that I felt I just HAD to have! Eek! KFC fabrics!!

And then before I left the shop, I spotted this precious pattern. Ohhh myyyy Goodness!!! I am so addicted to this look.

I bought clearance fabric to make matching underskirt and overskirt for Miss 6 and myself. Yep. We are going to match at a 7yo girls birthday party in a fortnight. Hee hee.

This is the finished over-skirt for Miss 6. Next: the pettiskirt with hand gathered frills.

This is going to be fun!

I wonder when I will get back to my two big quilt projects? Hee hee.

Okay, so in no particular order... I am going to finish the borders on the 12 Days of Christmas Birds quilt; finish Miss 6's skirt set; make a matching skirt set for me; machine the binding onto the Superheroes quilt; make some journal covers; and some Christmas stockings; make some table runners; make another 3 pleated skirts for myself.... and that's just off the top of my head! Yippee! Busy happy times here in my new sewing machine area!