A Crafty Morning.

Yesterday for some crazy reason, I could not get back to sleep after the baby's 4am feed.
I had spent most of the day before looking at free sewing patterns on the internet, so at about 6am I decided to get productive and start creating.
Inspired by this Toddler Tshirt dress pattern, I made the cute dress modelled above!


I used a onesie instead of a Tshirt, it was a cute brand new one that probably never would have been worn as a onesie (she rarely wears them). And instead of just one fabric down the bottom, naturally I had to patchwork it! I think the range of different fabrics (all from my scrap box) is pretty cute.



I put her in the dress for the rest for the rest of the day. I learnt that it's a tiny bit too long - she pulls on the bottom of the skirt as she stands, and that also means the front seam between the skirt and onesie was practically destroyed by the end of the day. I think a more confident walker (the munchkin only just turned 10 months) wouldn't have this problem.

Of course now I am inspired to make her many more, and I have a pile of onesies on the craft table. Can't wait to pefect the design!


Last night I also gave this one a go. It's unhemmed so looks a little rough down the bottom. This is a gypsy style gathered skirt, using the most amazing vintage fabric swatches I inherited from my Mum's friend. If I get this style looking good, I think I'll make myself one!

Awesome stuff I've bought on Etsy. Part II

Handmade forms a big part of my life.
Not just from Etsy, but from Local Markets, family and friends, plus things we make for ourselves.

Of course, Etsy continually comes up with the goods when it comes to hunting for gorgeous things.
Here are a few more purchases I have made that have enriched my life.

I own a lot of earrings. I would say "too many" if I even believed in such a thing!
There is a dazzling array of talented Jewellery artists on Etsy. I found elsiee through a trade and ended up with these amazing earrings. They are definately one of my favourite pairs, I wear them at least once a week.

Honestly, if you have never used handmade soap, I want you to go out and get some at the first opportunity! It is so much better than store-bought soap. It has a richness and texture that is just beautiful.
We have a dish of Handmade soap in the bathroom. I've bought soap from a few different Etsian Sellers. My favourites are without a doubt fellow Aussie Sellers, Inner Earth Soaps and Patti Flynn. Both have a constantly changing array of soaps.
The plate, by the way, is also handmade. Picked up at the Coober Pedy Underground Pottery on my travels around Australia in 2005. These two gorgeous prints adorn the wall of the Munchkin's room. We bought a bunch of fantastic bright frames from Ikea and are filling them with art that she can appreciate now for the colours, but also grow into as she gets older.
These prints are both by talented Aussie artists (see a theme here?). The one in the left is from Serpent Mandalas and the gorgeous Bee is from Sweet Witchetty.

Keep buying Handmade!

If I go missing for a while.

It's because I am here:

Yep. That's my favourite room in the house. Every time I go in there to clean it up I see something - a scarf I am knitting, a pile of fabric that looks fantastic together - a scrap book page I am working on ... and that's it, I'm gone for hours. The wookie comes looking for me, often accompanied by a hungry baby.
Right now, in addition to the pile of mending and projects I want to complete - my Tax papers are hidden in there somewhere. And I want my money! So, I guess, today, if I go missing for a while, that's where I'll be. Not patchworking or pasting or sewing buttons onto anything. But actually tidying up, actually cleaning the space that has been in a state of "creative chaos" since we moved in here 5 months ago.

I will post pics when it is clean again.
*If, it gets clean again.