Divided Organiser Bucket by Busy Bean

Well I have as a good mornings work today.

As I was waiting for Miss Fishes taxi this morning I was going through my Facebook and found this how to.

So I popped over and had a look. I new I had some loose fat quarters floating around and new it would be perfect to store Little Miss Sweet Pea's play mat & toys in, instead of the broken box that it came in.

So this morning in under 1 1/2 hours it is all sewn up and filled with her things. I did alter the pattern a little , I didn't make the garbage box as I didn't need it. Also instead of unpicking some of the bottom seam and sewing the outer and liner together then turning it inside out then re sewing the bottom. I turned the tops of the inner & outer over a generous 1/2" then top stitched in a fancy pattern. A much easier way of finishing it off.

 

If you would like the pattern here is the link.

http://artgalleryfabrics.typepad.com/weblog/2013/02/fat-quarter-gang-divided-organizer-bucket-by-the-busy-bean.html

 

 

Easy Street Mystery Quilt Steps 2 & 2 + Some Christmas Sewing

 

Here are after 2 days of serious sewing I have now completed all 3 steps of the Easy Street Mystery Quilt, phew !

Now all I have left to do is iron the squares flat, that is a job I can do when I am less busy.

Also while I was waiting for the cotton to quilt Miss Le Coiffures quilt I got busy making 2 Santa Stockings for my little Sweet Pea.

One for her house and one for Nanas - my - house.

I used a pre printed panel from Spotlight and primped it.

I got our my collection of beautiful ribbons, not only do I collect fabric I have trouble passing by a lovely ribbon.

I made crazy patchwork backs for the stockings. Don't you love this Santa , perfect for Australia.

Then I really pimped them with bells , Santas going to have to be extra quiet when he fills these and pom poms for the hats.

Both of them are now under there respective trees filled with little presents for a very special sweet pea.

 

What I have Been Up To ...

Well it has been seriously busy in the CLI household for the last few days.

I have made vinyl backed baby change mats number 3 & 4. That's the end of that job.

Mr CLI , Miss Fish & I did some serious gardening, well i sometimes did a bit of pruning the watching because this blipping shoulder restricts what I can do, the back garden bed is now weed free and heavily mulched with geraniums that I grew from cuttings, planted.

The front garden bed around our bedroom window and across part of the front verandah where I have my standard roses and lavender , is all now weeded and mulched.

On Saturday afternoon I did some serious cooking I made sausage rolls, pasties and with the 1 sheet of pastry left over I made 6 little apple turnovers which I served hot with ice cream and the leftover sauce from cooking the apples drizzled over it. Yum !

Yesterday I got to do my first ever Layla minding for the afternoon. Yippee

What better way to spend an afternoon that to cuddle your Grandaughter for the afternoon. As our house has very high ceiling 3 1/2 meters it was lovely and cool and she slept well. Oh joy :-)

So till next enjoy your day with whatever your doing.

Oh and yesterday this came in the post, my ISpy fabric swap parcel. Nothing makes a fabricholics heart beat faster than more fabric.

 

Another Portable Change Mat ... but in Pink !

Well another change mat as been produced, not that there was anything wrong with the first vinyl backed one I made last week. Except without thinking I used a fabric for the front with cute little duckies on it, but the background was blue !

So a request Was put in by Miss Le Coiffure with a smile and oh so nicely could I please use the leftover vinyl and make another one using the pink fabric I had bought but forgot to use on the last one.

When I have made it she could then give the "boys" one to her friend that has a baby boy but she doesn't have a change mat. I don't know about it being a "boys" one because if you look at the backing it is all pink green lemon and aqua not what I would have called boyish.

Well what is a good Mum/Nana to do but make another mat. Which was this mornings job and is all done and dusted.

 

Very pretty in pink !

Portable Baby Change Mats

The two new mats

Well little Miss Layla thinks that when you are removing the dirty nappy and puting the new one underneath her, it is a good time to do a big wee. Lol

So as a consequence I got an SOS from Miss Le Coiffure that I needed to sew another change mat, so that there is always a clean one.

Also Miss Le Coiffure wanted a really thick one with the vinyl fabric on the back for her to put down onto public change tables.

the vinyl backed one

So Nana to the rescue, yesterday I made the one with fabric on both sides but I did use a piece of flannelette for the top half for the little head treader on, and this morning I wrestled with the very slippery vinyl fabric and created the other change mat.

Now these are very easy to make as they are basically 2 pieces of fabric sandwiched with batting in the middle that you quilt together then put binding on. These are best all sewn using a sewing machine as little Layla has shown they will be going through the washing machine quite often.

You don't even have to do free motion quilting. Just straight lines at different angles using a longer than normal stitch will suffice. This is what I did on yesterday mat and today's being so thick I sewed down the centre lengthwise then in the middle of the distance either side to divide the mat not roughly 4 equal lengths. Then I stitched in the middle width wise then halfway before the edge then near the edge to create a doona effect.

The free motion quilting on the first met

As I used 1cm (1/2") thick polyester batting it couldn't be quilted more closely , but what I have done is sufficient enough to create a soft and thick mat.

Note if you do use the vinyl fabric, it is called rain coating here in Australia at Spotlight. Have it facing down onto your sewing machine table with the cotton fabric facing upwards towards you. Also you will need to lengthen your stitch length, I made mine 3.5, and you will need to pull the mat through the machine a little to keep it moving.

Now you can make these as fancy or as simple as you want. The first one I created the bulk of the top of the mat using leftover baby charm squares with a piece of flannelette at the top for the head to be laid. Then I free motion quilted it following the curves of the backing fabric.

The second mat with flannelette at the head.

As for size you can make them what ever size that suits you, the first one I made was quite wide and I made it so it would roll up then be secured using a strap with Velcro attached, it actually is to wide to sit in the nappy bag. So yesterday's one I made narrower and attached velcro so it could be folded into a little square much easier to fit into the nappy bag.

The fat vinyl one I also folded into a square and put on a strap to secure it with Velcro.

The basic measurement I used was the top 22" x 36" (56cm x 92cm) with the backing and batting 25" x 38" (65cm x 98cm). For the binding I measured the total edge add 12" (30cm) and cut it at 2 1/2" (7cm) wide.

I used a wavy stitch which I lengthened when I sewed the binding down after I had folded it over.

Fancy stitching on the first mat.

For the binding on the vinyl backed mat I sewed it onto the top side, then cut of the excess making sure I trimmed the batting away quite close to the stitching line so to have less bulk in the binding, then folded it over and sewed it down.

 

Up With the Rooster

Yes I did get up early and there is a rooster nearby, when you go to our bathroom which is in the back of the house you can hear him of a morning. Sometimes you hear him in the middle of the night, I don't know what he is crowing about unless he is pleased with himself ;-)

Well I finished the stroller bag yesterday and dropped it off to Miss Le Coiffures house, so when her friend visits she can give it to her.

I have also started a nappy bag for Miss Le Coiffures friend, that is today's project, as well as the load of washing to be hung out.

As Miss Fish is in respite, booked in months ago because there would be a little baby this week and it would be easy for me if i didn't need to run around after Miss Fish.

But sadly still no baby and to rub salt into her wounds Miss Le Coiffure found out yesterday that a friend of hers gave birth to her baby yesterday 2 weeks early ! Mind you the baby was 8 lb 12 ozs = just over 4 kgs, so that baby didn't need to cook any longer.

She gave her large bump a serious talking to about showing herself, and what was the cheeky monkeys reply - a bad case of the hiccups lol

 

So our little cheeky monkey is due tomorrow and if she hasn't shown herself I will got to Miss Le Coiffure's house to spend the day, as she doesn't want to travel far.

So I must be off to finish the nappy bag so I can take it with me tomorrow.

 

I'm Back, More Interesting Mail & Sewing

Well I am back after last weeks impromptu trip to Sydney. More on that another day.

Miss Le Coiffures friend who has an 11 week old baby boy ! Who is the most gorgeous thing, was commenting on the chic baby stroller that I made for Miss Le Coiffures pusher, so I offered , as I has plenty of " boy" fabric leftover that I would make her one also for her pusher.

She accepted so that was what I was busy doing yesterday. I would be finished but I hadn't realized that I needed more Velcro . So back to the shops this morning to get more so I can finish it.

 

A we are still waiting for our Grandaughter to appear, she is due til Thursday but Miss Le Coiffure has been having labour pains but they haven't eventuated into anything yet. This little one seems to be like her Mummy and causes pain but doesn't appears for days.

The Daddy to be - The Fisherman - is very concerned that she will decide to come on Grand Final day ! Lol

Now exciting mail. I received a little package while I was away and this is what was in it, 2 charm packs , these are bundles of 5" squares, of Coquette by Chez Moi for Moda.

 

I have picked out a pattern, but need some larger pieces of matching fabric for borders ! So darn it I will have to get some more fabric, what a shame lol

Well I better keep moving just in case there is a call for transporting Mummy & Daddy to be to the hospital, because surely this baby will come soon. Heres hoping.

 

Fun Mail ...

I must admit that I grimace when I see Miss Fish coming up the driveway with a handfull of mail because I know that most are going to be bills :-( she of course loves it because it is more mail for her to open .

 

But when the postie delivers parcels that is something to smile about :-)

Now of late most the parcels have contained very little clothes or items for the very little person soon to be here, so soon that I had a phone call at midnight last night from Miss Le Coiffure letting me know that she had just got back from hospital because she thought her waters had broke !

Now this wouldn't be a problem except she is 3 hours away from the hospital that she is meant to be having her baby at !

So as a consequence I am very tired because I couldn't go back to sleep as I was waiting for another phone call, then I was awake very early this morning worrying about it. I think a nap this afternoon maybe needed lol.

Now below is the contents of one of the exciting parcels I received and there still one on its way !

These fabrics are from Pink Door Fabrics.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PinkDoorFabrics

 

There is a jelly roll called Dainty Blossoms by Carina Gardner of Riley Blake Designs. Also a 1/2 yard bundle Tea Garden by Dena Designs, I am being very daring buying such large pieces I only buy fat quarters or 30 cm strips normally.

I also bought a fat quarter bundle of 6 prints of Trade Winds by Lily Ashbury from Moda in Malabar green, isn't that an exotic sounding color !

Just to fill the envelope lol I got 1 yard the main pattern from the Trade Winds collection so I have enough when I make a quilt.

What quit you are asking yourself , I really don't know, but when I finish my current quilt I will sit down with the fabrics to see what they " tell me " .

Now it is nearly time to fit the osteo for another fun filled session of trying to relieve my pain. Definatly a nap will be needed this afternoon.

Not A Lot Going On ....

Not a lot happening, just some final baby sewing. This is the nappy holder I made for the cloth nappies I bought for the soon to be here Grandaughter .

Can you tell I am anxious and very excited for the little one to be born. I hope she isn't like her Mummy and decides to some late.

I also finished on the weekend a bag that hangs off the pusher. I haven't taken a photo but here is the link to the pattern. It was another Moda Bake Shop pattern.

http://www.modabakeshop.com/2012/08/chic-mama-stroller-organizer.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+modabakeshop%2FJkDQ+%28Moda+Bake+Shop%29

 

Here is a sneak preview of the portable change mat that I made. I am keeping it to give to Miss Le Coiffure when she has the baby.

Well back to the sewing room to continue with te sat cot quilt, this one is special because it will have all of us on their.

Very Little Clothes & Portable Baby Changing Mat

Aaaaaaaah that's the sound that came from mouth on Friday afternoon. What had I been doing, well for the previous 3 days I had wrangled my over locker thread so it actually over locked. Then I had finished over locking around the seams on the " new cloth nappies" that I had been making for our soon to be here little treasure.

Hard to believe that her feet are going to be so little, so as to fit into these !

 

To my disgust on Thursday I ran out of elastic, so into town I went and got more elastic then I spent the rest of the day pining little bits of elastic into the waists of the nappies.

Some of the clothes I just got off lay by.

So first thing Friday with some mumbling under my breath because it is an actual bugger of a job, I sewed all the nappies. Each finished one, with a smile on my face :-) , I dropped it into a cane sewing basket that was given to Miss Le Coiffure as a child , which I was returning full of nappies.

 

The only job left was all the snaps to be put on, this is a job the Mummy to be is going to do.

 

Well that got rid of nearly the last of the baby sewing. What I did sew today was a portable baby changing map, a design of my own. This I will keep to give Miss Le Coiffure when the little one is born.

I will post full instructions this week.

Now I only have to make the nappy holder to keep at my house for when the little bottom needs changing, that's tomorrow's job.

Poor old Miss Fish was very confused when I was trying to explain tht when the baby is born I will become a Nana. With a frown on her forehead she went to work, trying understand how I can be a Nana when she has a Nana ! This is something she will have to think through before she understands.

I will see you on the flip side.

My Sewing Room

Well I have finally finished tidying my sewing room. What originally started out as an office for Mr CLI, became my sewing room a couple of years ago when I decided that I wanted to try and make a business out of my quilt making.

 

So after completed quilt tops became like quicksand in the Sahara desert, they first took over a table then a chair then ever so slowly slipped to the floor. I sort of ignored them.

 

Then along came baby sewing. Well that took over the spare kitchen chair that is kept in the sewing room, then the remainder of the floor. So I only had a path to the desk, then my fabric cabinet.

 

Why did I let it get this way well for one every time I would think about doing something I was frozen in indecision, why ?

 

Because when we bought this house 6+ years ago the front room that is now my sewing room had a whopping big plastic pipe coming down from the ducted heating duct in the ceiling through the floor to the cellar, no not a basement as in American homes but a damp cellar. Why would you do that we have our suspicions of the previous owners Son, but nothing other than suspicions.

The inside of a wardrobe we found at an op shop, that already had these shelves. Mr CLI painted it in my favorite cream and put on new handles. All the fabric is sorted into colors, something I did on a previous tidy up.

 

This room also needed the plaster to be fixed it was the only room in the house. I had thought by now it would be done, then I could hang shelves and shift furniture and get more purpose built furniture. As this hasn't happened I had let the room get the better of me, but after looking at some of the ladies sewing rooms in the Moda Bake Shop sewing room hop. I knew I couldn't post photos of the room as it was so I got my backside into gear and tidied.

 

The actual desk where I do my sewing.

 

Now Miss Le Coiffure had get a set of shelves from Cheap as Chips for only $15 and I had seen baskets that would fit in perfectly. So of I went and got a set of shelves and 4 baskets 3 for the shelves and 1 for my scrap booking stickers, that was another area that needed a tidy up.

 

After trying to put the shelves together by hand, stupid idea. I ventured into Mr CLI's garage and borrowed his cordless drill, after one screw the battery ran out, so back to his garage swapping the flat battery for a charged one. I now know how the swap batteries, screw forwards and backwards.

My scrap booking things, these shelves will go elsewhere, along with the bill stuff and I will get a larger corner unit to hold more things.

My new ironing area the piles are fabrics I have bought for future quilts!

After filling the first one and having an every increasing pile of completed quilt tops and large pieces of fabrics I went back and bought another one with baskets on Saturday, this time I asked Mr CLI to put it together , thinking he would be heaps quicker than me. Not so his set of shelves didn't have any instructions and I walked out to find him putting it together all wrong, but I left him to it and he got them together.

Yes some of it has oozed into the hallway, but it is about 2 meters wide and I have a buffet and display cabinet in it the hat boxes aren't out of place.

There is still more to do in the room in the future once the pipe is removed and the walls have been plastered then painted but till then it is heaps better and I know where just about everything is! Lol

 

Quilted Nappy Bag

Well here it is finally finished the second nappy baby bag.

When I went into my sewing room yesterday I was going to stack things from the floor more neatly and have a ruthless throw out of scrap fabric and rubbish, but when I sat down on my chair to survey the mess my eyes landed on this nappy bag that was nearly completed.

So what did I do, I decided that I really need to get it finished which I did. It only took a little over an hour so I don't know why I had been putting off finishing it, but it is done now.

Now this bag wasn't very hard to make but you had to create the "fabric" from which to cut out the pieces. This would have been easy if we used a piece of fabric for the front and another for the back but we didn't and between Miss Le Coiffure and myself we spent nearly a day sewing together the strips for the fabric then I quilted it, with much swearing as the cotton I was using wasn't very strong and it kept breaking.

Once it was finally done, Miss Le Coiffure cut out the pieces. After that we left it for another day.

The problem was that when you folded over the pocket pieces to make a hem it became very bulky and hard to sew, there was much swearing as I sewed these hems.

When I made the long strap yesterday I used thin pellon instead of batting and this made it much thinner and easier to sew.

The original pattern was from the Moda Bake Shop

http://www.modabakeshop.com/2010/09/baby-on-go-diaper-bag.html

Another photo as I am so happy to have it finished.


Miss Le coiffure was very happy for it to be finished.








So while I was on my sewing binge I finished binding 4 baby blankets, another tick on my list, but when tidying I found 3 more blankets that need binding. They can keep for another day as I believe Miss Le coiffure already has over a dozen blankets.

Also another dread job was completed we are making some of the new nappies, by some I mean over 2 dozen, they look a bit like a disposable nappy but you have a cloth insert and they are rewashable.

One of the fabrics used is called PUL (Polyurethane Laminate) which is a stretchy fabric that has had polyurethane stuck to one side to keep the moisture in the nappy.

Now don't think this goes against the babies delicate little bottom, oh no we then have special microfleece that is so soft. Also being very green the insert fabric is bamboo, very very soft and delicate for the little bottom.

So I spent yesterday sewing the 2 pieces together, once I get my overlocker to thread properly I will be over locking the edges before inserting elastic, but that is for another day.

Then I sorted through bags of scraps Miss Le Coiffure had kept, in the bin they went.

So after a very long day I have found most of my sewing room floor, have thrown out or sorted piles of fabric from the floor and stacked very neatly the 3 blankets waiting to be bound and the 2 pieces of fabric to be turned into cot sheets. These can wait till Miss Le Coiffure comes because she knows what size she wants her sheets.

So today is a rest and recuperate day.

Cleaning up My Sewing Room ...

My plan for today was to tidy my sewing room, which looks like a fabric breathing dragon had hit it.

Since we found out about about our Grandaughter my sewing room has been taken over by pieces of fabric and cut out waiting to be sewn nappies and bunny rugs.

Trying to work or even find anything has become impossible. So this morning I made the decision that I needed to have a good tidy up.

So I have finished binding 3 baby blankets and finished - with a great big sigh I admit - the number 2 nappy bag.

So my rest time is over and I need to get back to my tidying otherwise if I sit for too long I won't start again.

So till tomorrow , may the force be with you.

More sewing

Well I didn't get any sewing done yesterday as I vacuumed. Now I normally don't do this job because of my bad back.

My friend Miss Peru used to do it for me, then she shifted to qld last year, then Miss Le Coiffure took over, but of late she hasn't been able to do it. So it has been on me, after yesterday I remember why I can't do it. I ended up with a migraine and in so much pain, so I had to ret for the afternoon to recover.

Once Miss Fish heads of to work I will get stuck into my sewing, todays job cutting 9 very large squares and lots of strips.

I will report on progress tomorrow.

Well its Friday and Apple Tea Cake

Well another week has gone and where did it go, in my case in a blur of trips into town and sitting in different Doctors rooms waiting to be seen.

Also more baby things I thought I might have a bit of show and tell on what Miss Le Coiffure and I have been sewing, she is my ironing and cutting girl.

The first cot quilt now finished with aqua binding.

The reason I bought this one was because it had owls and frogs to things that are in the theme of baby things.

This was bought before we knew what sex the baby was.

A selection of the bibs we have made.

Nappy Bag Number 1 !

Number 2 is still being made.

Link to the instructions

http://www.sew4home.com/projects/storage-solutions/baby-gifts-pretty-bird-quick-trip-diaper-bag

One of the baby blankets.

This was made before we knew bubby is a girl, but who is to say that she won't like cute little elephants and penguins.







Now to the apple cake. My girls when they went to school and even now for Miss Fishes "work", they always take a cake with them on the day of their birthday.

Now this year Miss Fish wanted a pool cake which had lots of elements so to make it easy for myself and also make something a bit healthy lol  that wasn't covered in icing I used a packet mix and turned it into an apple tea cake.

Now you can add the apple topping to any butter cake mix packet or hand made, it will still give you a lovely cake to eat warm for afternoon tea.

 This is the packet mix I used.

Apple Tea Cake
1 packet cake mix or 1 amount of cake mixture for a basic butter cake, 2 - 4 apples sliced thinly I used a mandolin and also left the skin on because the slices were so thin, 2 tbsps caster sugar mixed together with 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 180.c or temperature on packet. Grease and flour one 22 cm springform tin.

Make cake as per packet/recipe instructions. Place into cake tin and smooth the surface even.

Place apple slices onto top forming a pretty pattern and ensuring that the cake is covered.

Sprinkle sugar/cinnamon mix over the top.

Bake as per instructions or until a wooden skewer comes out clean.

Remove from the oven, sit on a cake rake, unclip and release sleeve of the cake tin.

Once cooled remove base carefully. Eat and enjoy.

Well till next week ...

Little Things are Happening

What little things well, baby sized little things. I have finished the first cot quilt using a bought panel featuring a frog, owl, little birds. I bought it before we knew that Miss Le Coiffure was having a girl, but it is the colors that she likes.

Miss Le Coiffure and I spent Monday cutting out nappies yes you sew nappies nowadays. So I have bought a very large cane basket to store our sewing til it is completed and Miss Le Coiffure can take them home.

Sewing up a Storm, all for a good Cause ...

Well I hope the photo gives you a hint as to what good reason Miss Le Coiffure and I spent all yesterday making babies bibs and a nappy bag.

Miss Le Coiffure was the cut ironing and simple sewing girl and I was the one that wrestled with the nappy bag. At one stage I had sewn the bottom of the bag to the top by mistake. Lol

So we are going to be grandparents by the end of September. It's all very exciting.

I have had the knitting needles going for the last few weeks making little cardigans and bootees, but I have stopped because all the baby wools seem to be orientated towards pink or blue and as our little bundle hasn't arrived yet I can't buy a specific color. So most of my knitting has been cream or various shades of pale green, it will look like a little frog.

Now that isn't to bad as Mr CLI has a motorbike the color of kermit the frog and he calls Miss Le Coiffure a little tadpole when she is on her motorbike, but now everyone will have to be upgraded so our newest member of the family will be the little tadpole.



This is actually the theme for one of the little baby quilts I am making it is going to have big Pa frog, then Mummy frog then little baby frog on it. When these quilts are finished I will post pictures.

Well I must fly because my sewing partner is on her way to help me to sew more bibs and maybe even some baby blankets. :)

I am having an apron of a time ...

Well here is Miss Fish all dressed to go to the gym, modelling one of the aprons that I have been busy making.

I am going to put them on the internet to sell.

They are quite easy to make the main body of the apron is a teatowel and I add to rather large pockets.

I do love an apron with a pocket, when I was a child is was for your hankie. Nowadays you would probably put your iphone in it. lol 

I have also been sewing hundreds of 2 1/2 " squares cut from my scrap basket, together. This is for another quilt top. For a pattern called Nana's garden.

Miss Fish keeps looking at the little squares and admiring them even though she has 2 quilt already, made for her by her Nana, my Mum.

When this quilt is finished I might see if she would like. it.

Well back to the sewing machine while I am captured in the house today - no car it is around at the mechanics because somehow all the brake lights have failed, and as I was injured in last years big bang I don't wish another bang by someone not paying attention while driving and hitting me up the rear.

So till tomorrow happy sewing or cooking or eating or resting or whatever you are doing.