Calling All Men

Don't forget it is Mothers Day this Sunday and the Made With Love Bazaar is sending out a special invitation to all men! Come along and let our lovely stall holders help you pick a special handmade gift for the mums in your life. Just how you like it: last minute and easy, dash in, dash out, done.

The Made With Love Bazaar is held every second Saturday at Artscape, 45 Jackson Street, Wynyard between 9am - 1pm.

As well as these cards, I have made some very cute lavender bags for keeping undies smelling sweet and some very posh purses. We also have an exciting new jewellery maker, goats milk soaps, home grown organic herbal teas, truly scrumptious candles, beautiful glass ware, vintage inspired fashion, handmade stationary, unique prints and some yummy yummy big fat bummy sweet treats. What more could any lady wish for?

more...Sewing Clothes Kids Love

More from Maggie's new winter wardrobe, using the Sewing Clothes Kids Love patterns.

I trimmed the sleeve length a little too much, maybe not such a great decision for winter! So today she wore another top underneath as we were going for a picnic at a waterfall with her bestie Felix.

I topstitched the side seams and maybe on the next pair i'll use a heavier contrast coloured stitching.

I think i'll also use some braiding on the back pockets next time.

Unfortunately you can't really see it but i used lampshade trim on the front pockets.

I'm so lucky that Maggie loves the clothes I make her, she's always so excited to wear them. Well I guess that's what it says 'on the tin' hey?

Sewing Clothes Kids Love

I’m wearing a very satisfied smile at the moment and Maggie-May is wearing a very smart new wardrobe for winter.

Once again my favourite patterns from the Sewing Clothes Kids Love book have just proved themselves as possibly THE BEST for everyday trousers and tops. The Dortje trousers are such a cool style, more like jeans. Nicely fitted around the tummy/bottom/thigh area, a kick flare at the bottom and a fake fly. High enough to ensure vests stay tucked in yet not so high that your little one ends up looking like Simon Cowel.

The best thing about this pattern is that it’s so easy to put your own personal design touches to make your creation unique. Use contrasting threads, oversized stitching, knee patches, add buttons, ruffles, braids and ric-rac. I love to make these with needle cord and jumbo cord. The next pair I plan to make will be with velvet, ou la la!

I use the basic Inka top pattern as a block and play around with it a little depending on the fabric I’m using. The basic pattern as it is works great as a basic jersey cotton top (choose either long or short sleeves or both), but with some easy alterations you can use non-stretch fabrics, or a combination of the two. And once again you can never over embellish these tops. They look great with a big appliqué design on the front too, or a hood. When I made Maggie’s pyjama tops with this pattern, I appliqué a big M on the front. M for mischief that is! I use the ‘Cooper’ font for letter appliqués. It has that retro high school footie sweater style.

I have to say that for me both the top and the trousers pattern have abit too much flare at the bottom so I trim this a little, but that’s just a personal thing.

So, inspired? I promise you will not go wrong with these patterns. They are so straight forward, with easy to follow instructions. And the best thing is there are no zips or buttons holes. The most difficult part is probably the neck, but this just takes practice. Trust me if I can do it, so can you.

Postcards - Tasmania

I love making these postcards, but it's certainly no easy feat trying to design a typical Tasmanian scene that will be easily recognised but is simplistic enough to be able to be appliqued. Contemporay is definately the go. I hope my 'contemporary' trees are acceptable to you, I had a few issues with these. I use the word comtemporary very cautiously as I know sometimes this can be another way of saying it's 'shit'. The first person to recognise the scene, gets one for their very ownsome for free.

These will be available at the next Made with Love Market Bazaar this Saturday 9am-1pm at Artscape, 45 Jackson Street, Wynyard, Tasmania. But snap them up quick as I only have limited stock for now. Cost $7.50.

Am I bovvered?

When I revisited my blog last month after a fairly long period of absence and discovered that another blogger had 'taken it over' it made me question 'Am I bovvered? Am I really bovered though? Do I look bovvrered?

I guess it made me reassess why I blog. My immediate thought was holy crap my blog has gone, all those posts and pictures gone! And while blogging hasn't been high on my list of priorities of late, it made me realise that I do actually like the idea of journaling my creations, inspirations and amusements.

So the reason for this post is to thank everyone who has contacted me about this and let you know that I have sorted it out but unfortunately I have a new convaluted blog adddress www.baby-boudoir.blogspot.com.au. So if you are an existing follower you may need to amend my web address on your reader/feed. Hopefully there won't be too many little snags but if you have any problems it would be really helpful if you could let me know. Thank you.

Pickling

I just love this time of year when you can smell autumn in the air. It's a time to start preparing for the long cold winter. Wood is stacked, woolie cardi's come out, throws quilts and blankets are laundered and aired and the last of the harvest is dug out of the garden and preserved. We've had a glut of tomatoes this year and so have our friends so even though I'm generally not a condiment kinda girl, I decided to try and make some chutneys that I would like. I thought about spices and flavours that I like and banished any notions of vinegary, runny concoctions made with some stuff called 'ezi sauce'.

I looked at several recipes for quantities and methods but then adapted them. And I have been so pleased with the result. So for anyone who prefers a thick, sweet, spicy chutney flavoured with honey and all spice, I've put my recipe for Green Tomato and Greengage Chutney and Sweet Tomato Chutney on my recipes page, click the tab at the top.

It's very yummy with cheeses and cold meats. I'll share the beetroot marmalade recipe when I can find where I wrote it down! It's taken me several attempts to get this right, but it's absolutely flippin gorgeous. Even Maggie asks for "some of that red stuff". Happy pickling peeps.

Naughty Dolls

Ok so enough of the summer, camping, surfing and general dossing around in the sun, it's probably about time I slipped back into my sewing room hey? Not that I'm sad about that, i'm pretty excited actually. I have several new projects i'm keen to get going on. And it's not that I've been sat around doing bugger all, it's just that my sewing has mainly been for our dear little caravan or ourselves. Giving sewing for the market abit of a break has kinda been nice. But I have to say the old brain cells have been working overtime storing all those day dreamy ideas for future projects and these little dolls were first on the cutting table.

But oh dear, now I have a problem. I had a photocopy of the pattern from a fund raiser book. The pattern was attributed to Joanna Monte. That name sounded familiar and I always like to credit designers so I did a quick google search and I have now discovered that this is one of One Red Robin's patterns. No wonder I liked it so much, such a talented designer. So now I feel I can't sell these.

Hmmm what a shame. Maybe these will have to be one-offs, and I promise not to do it again! Naughty dolls.

Postcards - Wynyard

At last, I can happily announce that I will have some more postcards available at the next Made with Love Market Bazaar on Saturday 14th April. I love making these as much as you love having them. Thanks so much to all those who have bought them and for all your kind supportive comments at the market. It's so encouraging when a product is successfull. And they'll be more designs to come soon.

The Made with Love Market Bazaar is a buzzy little community market influenced by vintage style with a modern approach to craft. We aim to offer enviornmenatlly friendly products, locally grown produce and unique gifts while still retaining the lovely nanna style traditions associated with a country market. Markets are held every second Saturday of the month between 9am - 1pm at Artscape, 45 Jackson Street, Wynyard on the North West coast in Tasmania. Cost $7.50.

Glamping

Sorry for the absense, but I'm sure you'll understand........this is what consumes us in the summer.

I look forward to a return when the sun stops coming out to play.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year peeps. New Year brings new projects, fresh starts and clean-ups. This weekend I started on some new childen's clothes using a pretty pink cheesecloth and asweet little floral jersey knit. I used my favourite Sabine Pollehn pattern for the top (from the book 'Sewing Clothes Kids Love') which never fails to leave me satisfied. For the bottoms I wanted to use a pattern for bloomer type pants I used many times when Maggie was a baby but I'm buggered if I could find the damm thing now so I had to adapt another pattern.

This is where the problem lies. Silly billy pattern sizing. Does anyone else have problems with pattern sizes? I intended to make size 18 months and I thought they looked abit on the large size when I started to cut, but I'm trying to train myself to do as I'm told, to follow patterns and instructions properly. Well flippin nora, I should have trusted my judgement as now that they are finished I would say they'd be size 4-5!

I always seem to have this problem with patterns! They are always larger than they say. I even checked the measurement charts and seam allowances and still everything I make is larger than it says it should be.

Maybe this year I should resolve not to do as I'm told and trust my judgement more. Sounds way more fun anyway. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out though despite the size issue and it's nice to use the trimming I bought from a garage sale in Marrawah. Marrawah of all places, a remote surfy village on the rugged wild west coast of Tasmania where we spend most of our weekends in the summer. It's a gorgeous place, abit like a second home for us. I'll have to remember to show you some pics from our New Years trip.

I hope you all had a jolly Christmas and are full of New Year enthusiasm. What new projects are on your table?

Memories from Home - Good Sensible Shoes

My dad had this little ritual when me and my brother were young when it came to time for new shoes. My dad is abit of (well actually a lot of ) a 'Made in England' man. He would only ever drive Triumph cars, wear Marks and Spencers clothes (when they were still made in blighty) and wear Clarks shoes. Clarks Shoes is and always has been based in Somerset, England, although the shoes are now manufactured elsewhere. Famed for designing the iconic desert boot and the wallabee. Their shoes have always had a reputation for quality and good ergonomic design. And this is what my dad liked about them. He considered them to be 'good sensible shoes'.

Although these are now considered pretty darn cool, at the time they certainly were not. Fashion did not sit high on my dads list of priorities when it came to selecting 'good sensible shoes'. I remember sitting with my legs crossed in assembly trying to hide my shoes underneath my skirt so that the cool kids with their cool shoes didn't take the mickey.

I remember the sales assistants seemed very stern and important as they approached with their special machine to measure every contour of the foot which was a pretty scary prospect to a seven year old who has ridiculously ticklish feet. Although dad always saw the funny side of my nervous giggles.

After buying the shoes we'd go and buy a pasty for lunch which we'd eat out of the bag and then he'd take us to the swimming baths in Street. It became abit of a ritual for us so when dad said that he wanted to take Maggie to buy her a 'good sensible pair of shoes' whilst we were visiting home this year, I felt an overwhelming love for him and the little ritual that we enjoyed together. It was just as I remembered it. Thank you Clarks for years of happy feet in happy shoes.

Fair Isle

So back to the Isabel Green wardrobe and a Fair Isle tank top to wear over the 1940's dresses. Fair Isle is one of the small islands off Scotland that make up the Shetlands and is where the 'Fair Isle' knitting technique originated. Yes that's right, not only are they responsible for the very cute little ponies, but also the gorgeous geometric knitting pattern. Imagine what a quaint little place it must be, everyone running around in cosy cardies on miniature ponies!

 

I sense that there has been abit of a Fair Isle comeback in the fashion stakes (we often miss these in Tasmania) and I have to say I want to jump right on that band wagon. I'm really loving the whole 1940's wartime look thanks to the Nanny McPhee inspiration.

 

So when Mum said that she wanted to knit something, I was just a little bit thrilled about the prospect of picking my very own Fair Isle cardy or tank top pattern and then she found this amazing website called The Vintage Knitting Lady where you can buy copies of old knitting patterns in pdf format. Mum currently has one on the go for Maggie (the 1st picture) and I can't wait for my turn.

Mum also joked that maybe Kim would like one too. But that really would be way too Sullivans!!!!

Beautiful Braids

My mum (aka Dora the explorer) travels the world and is very interested in textiles, art and design and from time to time brings me back some amazing little gifts. She has recently arrived in Tasmania to spend Christmas with us after travelling around Borneo, the Phillipines, Vietnam and Malaysia. In Vietnam she bought some beautiful braiding which I think is my favourite gift yet. They were bought from a woman in a mountain village in Northern Vietnam. Mum explained how the ladies wore beautifully embroidered bright couloured clothes and would sit at the roadside stitching away passing time. Mum bought me two lengths of just under a metre each. They are actually very old ones which would have been cut off old clothes to sell. Gosh I really treasure things like this. And is it me, or are they abit 'gypsy'?

When she gave them to me I had so many uses in mind; curtain edging, embellishment on a peasant style dress, stick onto the edge of a table which I'm planning to decoupage, but I decided to put them on Maggie's Christmas stocking as I hope this will see out many years. As Christmas decorations often do, only being enjoyed once a year.

I bought the purple velvet a while ago. It was a little a-line skirt I bought in Vinnie's but it was the fabric that caught my eye, such a lush purple velvet. And just enough for a stocking. The braid on the top was from Rajasthan in India (where she went last year) and is made from sequins and little beads sewn on to create the little flowers.

It's all been getting abit jolly in the Gale household. Last weekend we scrumped our Christmas tree which is now standing tall, proud and rather tastefully decorated in our lounge. And when I say tall I mean TALL, it's just a squeeny bit over three metres! I also managed to get hold of some of those lovely tacky consatina style metallic decorations that every home in the 1970's adorned over the festive period. I'm finding them quite nostalgic actually.

I've also been really trying hard to embrace Australian Christmas traditions instead of trying to recreate an English Christmas which just never works here and leaves me feeling so disappointed. So I enjoyed making some kiss biscuits and was very happy indeed with my first ever batch. Sorry I can't share them with you but I'm afraid they've all gone already as we mostly gave them away as little gifts for friends.

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas. Happy preparations peeps xxx