Make it.... Or not!

I got a bit behind with my makes after we decided to extend Make it March into April and beyond! Easter stumped me. 

I had all the pieces cut to make little hanging decorations for my twigs. Too fiddly, so just never bothered!

Then we had nursery rhymes and butterflies. I don't really 'do' butterflies so wasn't bothered about that one. But I have some nice nursery rhyme-style fabric (I think!) that I've got a plan for. For the theme of 'sweeties' I just drew a blank. It wasn't going too well!

Plus, there's now the new monthly challenge, which is to revamp a piece of my own old clothing. Oh, well, I always have ideas for things like this but upcycling is a real struggle for me, I find. 

So while I'm pondering all that, I did a little project of my own, that I'd been meaning to do for ages. Re-upholster my footstool to match the chair. And finally, after painstakingly removing all the [very well inserted] staples (with my dad's old penknife!) and backing felt, I managed to remove the old cover, use it as a pattern, cut my fabric and start to reapply. And then I realised the staples weren't going in. The gun didn't seem to be working. So I left it a while and had a nice, long think. Ah, I could hammer the staples in. So I very noisily did that for about four staples before running out of them anyway! So then it was another good couple of weeks before Dan bought me some more staples!

And so finally, here we are today, and I've managed to finish it! Woohoo! 

It makes a perfect drum!

And, of course, matches the chair! 

Right, now onto the many, many other challenges! Oh dear...

Week 4 challenge

Week 4 of Make it March and the theme was 'Mum'. Simple. Something for me or my mum! So I went with making something for my mum. It's not her main present - that's inside - so this doesn't spoil anything. Just teases her! 

The lining fabric is called 'Forget-me-not' which is poignant to mum and I, and our whole family really. Plus it's beautiful! 

A really easy tutorial to follow from Elm Street Life - Click here!

Week 3 challenge

So the theme for week 3 was '1985'. Tricky! But in 1985 I was 5 years old and very much into Rainbow Brite. She was one of the highest grossing toys that year too! As well as all that, I had already bought Caleigh a Rainbow Brite vest because she is our rainbow baby! 

So I knew I wanted to do Rainbow Brite - I searched for fabrics and patches and other RB paraphernalia. Then I found iron-on transfers. Perfect! But what to put them on? It was actually my sister who suggested making a bag - something Caleigh could take to nursery or swimming even. 

So, even though I was 2 days late completing them, thanks to a busy week and a teething baby, here they are -

When Caleigh has outgrown her RB vest, I'm going to appliqué the design onto the smallest bag. I'm quite pleased with them really. For now, they hang in her nursery as little storage bags! 

Next/this week's challenge is all about MUMS! A bit easier, but need to get my thinking hat on ASAP! 

Week 2 of March challenge!

Well I nearly had no project to post at all but got there in the end!

I knew I wanted to make an apron for a friend's daughter, from some owl oilcloth. I knew it wouldn't take too long once I'd cut out all the bits n bobs. What I didn't know was that Caleigh would fall and cut her lip and what I didn't remember was that I was going away for 5 days and would miss the challenge deadline! 

So there I was, crying because Caleigh was crying in pain but also wondering how I would ever get this apron made. In the end, I brought the pieces up to mum's and found a spare half hour on deadline day to get it finished. 

I did not take step by step photos but here is the final piece ~

Onwards and upwards to week 3 - and the theme this week is '1985' - make of that what we will I guess!! Any ideas?! 

Post número 2 for today!

I'm taking part in a March craft challenge which a friend on Facebook has organised. It's called 'Make It March'

Challenge one is:

I actually had loads of ideas, but I'm hoping to be able to use some of them in other challenges, so I won't share them yet!

I decided to make bibs from Caleigh's old sleepsuits. Easy and sensible! But then I came across a newborn Jasper Conran sleepsuit that Dan had bought her at the time. And inspiration struck! 

I had already removed one of the pockets for a Christmas project, so wasn't too worried about taking it to pieces. So I did! 

I tried it on Caleigh to see if it would fit over her head and arms...

It did!

So my grand plan could begin. I found some coordinating fabric and measured for a skirt - 1" longer than the length I wanted (more of a tunic length than a dress) and 4x the width of the front of the cut sleepsuit. 

Then I hemmed the bottom, joined the side seam to make a tube and finally gathered the raw edge until it was the same width as the sleepsuit. 

I put the skirt over the sleepsuit, raw edges and right side together and pinned - lots!! 

I used a stretch zigzag stitch to join the two, turned right way out and understitched the seam down towards the skirt. 

Then I used the cuffs of the old sleepsuit to make coordinating pockets. 

And hemmed the sleeves- very badly!

So I tried that part on my model, Caleigh:

It fits!

The last piece of useful sleepsuit was used to make a bandana bib:

The matching outfit:

And some more modelling -

So, project one done. Can't wait for next week's challenge! Bring it on! 

Post número uno of today...

Can't believe I'm posting on average maybe twice a year - but today, two posts! To be fair, I've had a fairly busy time since the last post I wrote. 

I have had a baby - Caleigh - who rocks my world. She is now 7 months old!!

And I've been.... Well... Doing not much else other than being a mummy! How cool is that?!

But then came Christmas. And, as a family, we had decided to do upcycled, charity shop or homemade gifts. Which Dan loved because it meant I would be doing them all while he got to spend time with Caleigh. 

So the sewn goodies were pyjama bottoms for everybody! Dan got pockets, step dad got elastic ages waist, brother got leg extensions when I cut them too short, sister got an 'alternate' drawstring when I cocked that up. And Caleigh got an upcycled cardy turned into a romper! I also made a mini pair for a friend's baby!

The other bits I did were cookie mix jars for friends and other family members, and also some painted canvas bags and scarves as extra bits. I loved painting these bits - so therapeutic using a paintbrush again!

Printing a scarf -

MORE PHOTOS HOPEFULLY TO COME!!

Big update...

Goodness, I was reminded today how long it had been since I last posted! SO much has been going on!

We've moved house, we've bought a new car, we've grown a baby, I've done some more sewing.... but only recently really, since going on maternity leave!

So these are my latest makes:

Not a sewing project, but a crafty one none-the-less. A rainbow picture for the baby's nursery. How therapeutic was this?!

Then I signed up for a stall at the Race for Life on Plymouth Hoe. Didn't have much more to make, just top up a bit of stock. Also dabbled in hair slides and lavender bags!

 

 

 

 

 

 This was my plan for the table...

 And on the day it was blowing a hooly, everything had to be weighted down or taped down, the table collapsed once and I made one sale - an £8 chalkboard! I took it all into work the next week and made almost £100 for the charities, and didn't have to stand in the rain and wind at 8 months pregnant with SPD and agonising back pain!

 Then maternity leave started and I could get on with the changing bag. It's the same pattern I used a while ago as posted on here, except I added stroller straps, a shoulder strap for Dan and laminated some cotton to make it wipeable. Quite pleased with it really!

 

 

 

 

 I didn't have enough of the fabric left to make the travel changing mat, so used some owl oilcloth and white towelling to do so! I HATE BIAS BINDING though! I just can't seem to grasp how to do it properly and the way I end up doing it is just such a faff!

 However, it came up ok!

I've also made the curtain for the nursery which is lined with a ready-made blackout curtain - so cute!

And I think that's it! I want to make one more changing mat for keeping downstairs in the lounge and then maybe some storage baskets for bits and bobs to match too. But otherwise, everything I need is done! Woohoo!