rain rain rain

it's too depressing to take pictures of, so here some photos from last week, when it was lovely and warm!

my nephew's cousin had this cool gadget for observing little critters

like this fat caterpillar!
you can't see it in this photo, but it's pretending to be a one eyed lizzard! no idea what it's called!



the older kids were delighted to get a ride on the combine harvester

i used the rain to do some sewing though, with fabric i got in IKEA (bedlinen).
A purl frog, I drew the pattern on an a4 sheet of paper (printer no work), I think he's quite similar to the original!
doesn't he look so at home in the rainsoaked greenery?

and a little turtle, from this book i think (i only brought the pattern, not the book!)


oh, i forgot to mention the most exciting and scary thing, I applied for a career break, and i got it!! 3 years off! I'm delighted to get the chance to spend so much time with my little one, i feel so privileged! we won't have much money to spare but i think we'll be OK, and time with the babe will be worth so much more than money ever could be!

I really should be sleeping... I better go to bed!

some sewing...

preparations for another 'grab ball', one segment done, 11 to go... i made the template using a small plate to get the curve right, of course a compass would work too. this site has a good tutorial on how to make one of these: http://sewing.about.com/od/babyshowergiftsewing/ss/babyball.htm


the finished product... this one's for my next door neighbour's daughter. i used 6 different fabrics, mostly in shades of red, white and chocolate brown. i think the amount of colours and patterns is a bit too much, but i believe babies like contrasts and different patterns. i know my nephew was mad for patterns for a while! i handsewed this in the evenings. it's only lightly stuffed as it is for tiny hands. i made one before which i mostly machine sewed, it looks a bit more even but it was quite annoying work sewing all the tiny pieces by machine, very fiddly, especially at the corners!

and here the first of 6 chair seat coverings. the old ones are really manky, we only bought the chairs and table because they were on special offer, and slender enough to look right in our small dining area. i always meant to replace or cover the impractical, not removable beige check seats (i now, horrid, you can just about see one in the 2nd photo) but were in the house 2 years and i am only getting to it now... i am not going to take pictures of the stained original cushions!



i traced around the existing seat cushion to make a pattern, then cut 3" wide strips, one to go around the sides and front, the other to go at the back, leaving gaps for the back support 'beams'(whats the word for them??), around which the overhanging ends of the strips tie. i 'hemmed' all along the bottom edge and around the ties, then i folded the ties in half lengthwise (at an angle) to make the them a little thinner, and also so i wouldnt need to line them.
i seem to have a little bit too much material at the back. i might add little bits of elastic at the corners, depending on how well the covers stay on. or maybe some kind of draw string?
the fabric is heather bailey fresh cut. i love how the greens make the light wood seem so much more alive! i definitely want to get rid of the awful yellow walls, itll either be white, or magnolia or some kind of green (or a combination thereof for the kitchen/dining area!
and yes, i really should learn how to take proper photographs, but i'm just too impatient and wanted to show this as soon as i can!
I made the first on sunday night, and i got the other 5 cut and ready to sew tonight, i might do one every night, we'll see.
I've had the idea for these in my head for ages, i wanted something that would completely cover the original upholstery, something that wouldn't just lie on top but surround the cushion, and something that i could easily take off and throw in the wash. i have some fabric left over and might make a table runner or do plain curtains with an edge in the green fabric. hm or that great apron from lotta jansdotters book

a monkey for my nephew

This little monkey is made from those soft fluffy socks that you can get in Penneys, Dunnes, anywhere. I used children's socks, i prefer these monkeys in a smaller size. They are easily made in an evening, I handsew them because my sewing machine doesn't seem to like the thick stretchy fluffy material, and it also means i can watch TV with my fiance at the same time.

things i've made lately

This is my latest creation, a pincushion for an aspiring designer friend who was getting a lot of hassle - from a ginger person...


A soft and cuddly elephant, made from westphalian fabrics (Westfalenstoffe) that I bought in Germany. The traditional cotton fabrics from this area are mostly blue or navy with white printed patterns, or woven stripes and squares with white, red and green. In the seventies and eighties my sister and I had matching dresses made with their printed fabrics, white with red or blue, must dig up some photos! My granny's aprons were mostly made of their weaves. These days they do most of the traditional and many new prints and weaves, and I think they ship abroad as well.


These two are for P's niece, the clothes are made from 'recycled clothes'.


This 'grab ball' was a lot of fiddly work, 36 separate parts to make into 12 segments, and then those are stuffed, sewn closed and finally all sewn together (very very securely, because it's for a baby). The fabrics are 8 different Westfalen prints and some plain cotton.


This was my first patchwork project, it was supposed to be a cushion cover at first, but then i realised babies don't need cushions, and bought more fabric and made it into a small light blanket (a little on the small side), using flannel for batting and thrifted pillowcases in the softest 1000times washed checked cotton for the back.