Crafty Christmas

The garage/playroom is the centre of all things Christmassy at Studio You SEW Girl.  Right in the middle (right where everyone can trip over it) is a fine, tall, cardboard xmas tree. 

The wee girl and I seem to have developed our own little tradition with this particular part of the Christmas crafting season.

 

These little hands have been very busy this last week, crafting up a Christmas bonanza of handmade love ....and warming the cockles of this old sewing-obsessed heart. 

(Eeep!  Those confident little crafting hands.... gets me every time....)

There has been a bit of a shift in the young one's approach to sewing, which includes looking for design ideas and occasionally accepting help (if it means that the job will get done faster or better).  Books have been consulted.

And yet - designs are interpreted, not followed.  She made lavender-filled softies for the teachers.

This owl is made from felted jumpers, not the proscribed fabrics, and the scale was tiny.  We used fusible pattern pieces, fabric glue sticks, fusible webbing and basting spray  in the process (anything to make things stay put until they were stitched down). 

I machined the blanket stitch around the eyes and tummy, but only after the girleen had given it a red-hot go, herself.  She managed the outer blanket stitch, and with the help of my new button foot and fancy-schmantzy button-stitch, machined the buttons into place (with helicopter-style supervision on my part).

The "Square Bear" was not so square, because there was a bit of an oversight in reading the "enlarge 200%" bit for the body pieces.  We thought that the curved limbs gave the bear a bit more character, anyway. 

Since we realised that the Christmas stocking was at her Dad's house, and that Santa would be visiting while she was with me (and mostly because it was a scorching hot day and I was scratching around, looking for indoor/air-conditioned activities), we whipped up a new one from a bit of cotton sheeting.

And then she designed a dress. 

 

All on her own, she sketched an idea and presented it to me.  "I want to make this".

 

So we did.  (Go on....ask her what that arrow on centre-front means...).

Again, she was happy to delegate the tricky bits (setting in sleeves and putting the binding on), but she happily sewed up the straight seams on the overlocker (serger) and wondered why "some grown-up ladies are scared to do overlocking."

Such a sombre, understated design for a 7-year-old, but this is exactly what she wanted. I think it was designed around the shoes... as you do. 

 

We had to go out to buy white knit fabric for the binding yesterday - no other colour would do. (I had just about every other colour in the stash and did my diplomatic best to inspire a change of design).  The hemline had to be "wavy", and I don't have a rolled-hem or babylock on my very basic overlocker, so we went even more basic (small zigzag stitch).  

 

She wore it all day yesterday and is wearing it today.

 

She's already showing signs of a creative career (although I think that Corporate Law or Politics would be a better use for her finest talents). 

 

At a xmas gathering of my friends, she held court, and then started drawing portraits of those sitting around the table.  (Warning: evening light and iPod-quality  photos follow.)

Someone gave her money, and then others started comissioning portraits.

I loved the details... (That's a jug and a glass of beer, below.  Others had bowls of nuts in front of them or sunglasses on top of their heads.)  

 

As we walked home, she was excited and a bit incredulous about the $5 she held in her little hand. 

"People thought they were worth MONEY... but I just thought they were worth bits of paper."  She would have given them away.

 

And yes - the fruit hasn't fallen far from the tree.

 

Wishing you a safe and happy Christmas with the people you love.

 

xxx

 

 

 

Home again, home again...

Had a fab time at Stitches and Craft in Sydney, in the wonderful Living Creatively garden...

I'm REALLY looking forward to seeing their gorgeous style overhaul the Stitches and Craft Show next year. They've just taken ownership of the show, and I think that is a FANTASTIC thing for contemporary crafters, who (until Living Creatively came along) were somewhat overlooked by Stitches and Craft in favour of traditional crafts.

This is my little "picnic table" (which was a little crowded, because I ...ummm... brought too much stuff).

It was lovely to be right near Justine with the small but mighty MixTape.

Also fab to see the adorable Audrey and Maude softies and catch up again with the adorable Cathy and Louise. I bought the patterns for Poppy and her Puppies and Robot Boy and Robot Girl to make up with my wee girl.

And Fi's table was BURSTING with gorgeous colour and loveliness. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to photograph it in it's full glory. These pics were snapped before we'd set up properly.

Great to also meet Claire and her fantastically detailed and individual softies. The colours on her table were so sweet I wanted to eat them (...had I not scoffed record-breaking amounts of chocolate over the three days I was there).

Kristen kept me alive with chocolate, good humour and the delightful cuteness of these little bunnies. I'm lovin' that birdy-twiggy print panel of hers. I meant to buy one but was distracted once people started coming in the door... must amend that oversight in the near future.
Also great to meet Belinda (somehow I didn't get a pic, but you can see her beautiful table here). I was thrilled to meet lots of loyal customers, fellow bloggers and LOADS of new people, and I talked NON-STOP!!!

The winner of the $50 voucher I had as a prize draw at the show is Margi Sisson. She tells me she "never wins anything" and had had an upsetting start to the day, so I'm glad it sparkled up the day a bit for her today. Thanks to all who participated.

I'm all talked out, utterly exhausted and surviving only on high doses of dark chocolate. I haven't managed a day off to recouperate and have yet to get around to lurking, commenting or responding on other blogs... I think I'm going to have an early one tonight and steal a few hours out of tomorrow to take the small one swimming. A bit of a slow day is in order, methinks.

Northcote Artisan's Market

We went to the Northcote Artisan's Market today. We saw Carla's lovely bags, bought a beautiful crochet flower headband for the wee girl, and one of these scrumptious knitted softies for a friend's new baby.

Also great to catch up with this crafty girl and her gorgeous creations.

We enjoyed the live music, we drank coffee, we ate sausages and thought it a grand day out, altogether.

...but the question on everyone's lips is, of course, "Did the wee girl keep her clothes on this time???" Answer: Clothes, yes. Boots, no.

More Escapees from the Archives

softies and dollies
Originally uploaded by nicolembags

Had a busy weekend of teaching (and Lara's birthday celebration!!)... so no time for much more than pulling something from the archives....

I made this doll and dog (and a weird CWA-style covered soap thing) when I was 12. I took the photo then, too.