Ohhhh, a new layout!

So, I was googling and thought I'd see if I could find a different look for my blog as it was boring me....
Found some ol' site and was going through pages and pages of templates that really didn't do it for me. Then I came across this little birdie one and thought "yeah, that's it!" I'm loving the brown, the vintage style print on the brown background and think the little birdie is kinda cute too :)
There you do, new blog look for Sarah! (I will admit it took a while to figure out how to actually put the template on my blog, but that's all in the past now!! hahaha!)

Got the Softies Book!!!

So my library finally got the Softies book in and it's in my hot little hand!
I think the librarian found my excitement strange, but then she had a look at the book and I think she was secretly excited too!

There are so many cute little softies in there and I'm going to try one out very very soon.

Watch this space....

My cross stitch

Thought I should add some pics of my cross stitch. It's a birth announcement that I started sewing when I was still pregnant with Jack... who is now 15 months old! It's soooo close to being done, that I'm getting excited and have been trying to sew some most evenings after dinner.






There's still a bit more to do on the bear part - the angel's hair and some outlines, but it's so close...... Then under the moon I'm going to add Jack's name and birthdate. The moon needs a face and then it'll be ready to frame and pop on the wall in Jack's room. Yay!

Finished Amy Butler Frenchy bag

I just realised I didn't add the final pics of my Amy Butler Frenchy bag when I finished it months ago. I have still only made the one, even though I have fabric to make another!






Inside... yes, that's right, I DID use lining!

Army pants!!!

Oh!!! How could I forget to add this! I made myself a pair of pants. I used army print fabric from Spotlight and made 3/4 pants. They need some improving, but I'm happy with my first attempt.

I haven't got a pic. Will have to take one the next time I wear them.

I wear them around the house and have worn them to Coles, but they aren't really worthy of going out to a "proper" public place yet :)

Yeah, that's right, I made furnishings!

The "naked" door.......

The door with my curtain on it!!!! I LOVE this fabric and went to 3 Spotlight stores trying to find it!! I saw it one day and didn't buy it and then was kicking myself. Thank goodness we managed to eventually find it.

Here's a long shot of the loungeroom showing the (fabulous) curtain and the matching cushion cover on the lounge. The cushion cover definitely needs some work, but it was my first one and I'm pretty happy with it :)

Piggies and Trains

I made 2 AIO nappies using a Honeyboy pattern. They ended up pretty good!! I need to improve on the tabs at the front, but I'm still happy with them.

The pink one is plain pink micro fleece and the inside is pigs flannel. I made it for my niece Norah, who went about christening it the first time she wore it!! haha.

The blue one is navy spotty minky on the outside and train flannel on the inside. It's a great fit on my little model :)

I've got some more fabric to make more nappies, including some cool blue army print fleece for the outside of a nappy. How cool Jack will look in that!

Wow, it actually looks GOOD!!!

I'm impressed! I started my Amy Butler Frenchy shoulder bag and it is looking GREAT! I bought the pattern online from America and it came as a pack with some fabric as well. I also bought some other fabric from the same site (http://fatquartershop.com/) as it was on sale. I used the cheaper fabric first to see how I would go and then I'm going to use the good fabric.

Totally inspired!

I googled the pattern number that I'm waiting on (Simplicity 4589) and there were heaps of pics of finished tops on various flicker accounts. They all look so great and I can't wait to do mine!

I have ordered the pattern from a UK site and it has been shipped. Couldn't be bothered waiting longer for Spotlight to order it in.

Combat!

I went to Spotlight on New Year's Eve and guess what??? I got one of my patterns! It's the one with the pants as well as the tops and little jacket. So, thought to myself that I would give making some pants a go.....

I bought myself some funky combat / army cotton print and was ready to go! Since I'm quite a novice sewer (quite? I AM a novice!!!) I asked my mum to come around and help out. As we cut out the pattern pieces I could feel my excitement growing!!!!! We then cut out the material and started to SEW.....

We managed to get the legs all done and still have to do the elastic waist and the hem.

The were pretty simple, so I can see myself making pyjamas, house pants and going out pants.

Will post pics later once they are finished.

Waiting for patterns

I have in my hot little hand some lovely fabrics to make tops and I'm itching to make something! I ordered 2 patterns from Spotlight over 6 weeks ago and they STILL don't have them in!!
Sick of waiting, I phoned a different Spotlight and found they have one of the patterns there! I'm off to that store tomorrow to pick it up.
I have found the other pattern online. True, it's in the UK, but what the hell, I want that pattern.

I did some searching on flicker and found some great tops others had made with these patterns, so now I'm even MORE motivated to try them out.

Kinda a bag

I used my funky red lips fabric to try a bag... I found a free, simple tote bag on the 'net and attempted my first bag. I did find it ok to do, but have hit a stump in the road... My sewing machine can't sew the last parts of my bag because the fabric is too thick!!! I added interfacing and probably didn't need to as it made it really thick.

So, will attempt it again without the interfacing.

Solar system!

Loving this cute little nappy I made. It's green with planets and aliens and is super cute!

First thing's first

My first attempt at sewing was a nappy.....

When I was pregnant with my 10 month old son, I decided I wanted to use cloth nappies. My main motivations were to save money, and to have softer fabrics against his skin.

Once he turned a few months old, I was ready to start him in cloth. I started with fitted terry towelling nappies and then discovered modern cloth nappies. Oh My!!! I love these nappies!! My favourites are AIOs (all in ones). I purchased a few second hand ones and then I had my mother buy me some new ones for my 30th birthday (gee, how priorities change once kids come along!).

The only problem was the upfront expense. I thought that I could make them for myself for a fraction of the cost. I'm a member on a few forums and one of them was having a nappy making day near by. I jumped at the chance. Remembering I was / am a CRAP sewer, I didn't really know what to expect.

Imagine my surprise when I watched and learned and realised, "hey, I CAN do this!" I made one that day and have since made 4 more. Each time they are getting better. My son wears a combination of bought ones and home made ones and they all do a damn good job!

Spotlight SALE!!!

20% off storewide...... yeeeha!!!!!! I went to a different Spotlight and purchased some lovely fabrics.
The top 3 are quilting fabrics, but I intend to make them into bags. The one on the right is hard to see, but it is red lips. I thought it was pretty funky and a great fabric to practise on.
The bottom 2 are to be used for tops. I'm not sure what the fabric is, but it's like silky boxer shorts. Maybe similar to satin?? It will flow nicely over my post-baby tummy!

Starting my blog!

Welly well well! I'm here, I'm queer, let's have some beer!! hahahaha... ok, so I'm not queer and I don't drink beer, but I'm here.

I am a newbie sewer. I don't include the crappy sewing in high school. I wasn't paying attention and I definitely didn't have the patience to really learn anything. A crappy jumper and a pair of boxer shorts later, I didn't really know any more about a sewing machine.

Fast forward to 2007. I'm now 30, mature (*cough, cough*) and ready to create and make things. My mother in law had an old sewing machine she was no longer using, so it's been passed down the generation to me. I'm very excited to have it!

I'm ready to create stuff and want to keep track of it all here on my blog. Hopefully it gets better and better as I go along!!! That's the plan anyway......