Hello Little Birdie

Book Bag

2012-01-17T13:15:00.005+11:00

Our youngest nephew is turning 1 in a couple of weeks. For his birthday we have brought him some books and I have made him a book bag. Happy birthday little man.

Blogaversery # 3

2011-12-31T20:24:00.004+11:00

It's that time of year again and as the year comes to a close, I am left scratching my head, where has the year gone? 2011 has been a productive year for me professionally, personally and for craft. I have finished some UFO's, created more to finish next year and tackled a few new craft projects. This year I learnt how to spin, tried my hand at Fair Isle knitting, attended the Bendigo Wool Show and the Craft Fair, sent 10 beanies to the Alice Springs Beanie Festival and made 6 bambinos.
Here are six of my favourite projects for 2011.
Craft: Knitting:And patchwork: I hope that your 2011 was a productive craft year too. Thank-you for reading my blog this year. Wishing you all a safe and happy new year. Happy crafting in 2012!

Completed Christmas Banner

2011-12-18T20:35:00.005+11:00

This afternoon in between some gardening and cleaning, I stitched on the last of the binding and sewed on the star buttons to complete the Christmas banner from the Sew Happy Me Christmas sew along (SAL).
I have hung the banner up on our fire place and I am very happy with the results. This was a great sew along to participate in.

Green and Rainbow Knitting

2011-12-18T13:39:00.006+11:00

Recently I completed some baby knitting with some of the most beautiful yarn I have worked with yet. I knitted 3 baby items, a jacket, booties and a beanie from some Maple coloured, Luxury 8 ply DK Pure Wool by Jo Sharp. I had this in my stash and it was originally destined for a top for me. But after starting the top 4 or 5 years ago I decided that it was no longer to my taste and pulled it out. I think that the yarn came up well as baby knits. The hat and jacket are patterns from the book 'Baby Knits for Beginners' by Debbie Bliss and the booties pattern is a Pattons' one.
The other yarn I have recently had the pleasure of working with is this lovely rainbow I purchased from Kathy's Fibres at the Bendigo Wool and Sheep Show. I loved working with this, it was exciting seeing how the rainbow colours came together as I knitted this beanie. I now need to decided what to knit with the rest of this yarn. The pattern for this hat is the same as for the green above with a curl instead of a pom pom. After using these beautiful yarns and loving the results, I think that I need to make an effort to work only with quality yarn and to avoid being seduced by the price of lesser quality yarn.

Wrist Warmers and Fair Isle Knitting

2011-12-17T18:03:00.018+11:00

Over winter this year I made several pairs of wrist warmers.
A pair for a friend of mine.
Some for my mum. And a pair for me from some beautiful hand spun alpaca yarn I got at last years Alice Springs beanie festival. This winter I also experimented with some fair isle knitting. I love this yellow beanie, but I need to make it again. It is too small for my head because I didn't follow the pattern. I did not change the needle size during the fair isle stage. I will defiantly make it again, but follow the pattern properly next time.
The other fair isle knitting I did was this heart beanie and wrist warmers. I made up set to enter the spotlight knitting competition. I must write up the pattern properly so I can make another one.

Christmas Sew Along

2011-11-20T15:10:00.005+11:00

I have been participating in Sew Happy Me's Christmas sew along (SAL) of a Christmas stitchery banner. It's a lovely design and I managed to mostly keep up with the weekly block. I loved logging onto the computer each Saturday to see what that weeks block was. I have chosen a Christmas stripe to finish the banner in and hope to have it completed soon. A big thank-you to Sew Happy Me for being so generous in sharing this project. (If you missed out on participating I understand that the pattern is for sale on her blog.)

3 Bambino's

2011-11-14T09:44:00.005+11:00

On the weekend I completed my last bambino pack. Late last year I brought 5 packs of material to make them from Gail B. I have given most of them away as presents to friends and family. The pattern is from Melly and Me. They are very cute when they are made up.

Vibrant Can Can

2011-11-01T17:29:00.005+11:00

At the craft fair this year I brought a ball of Can Can yarn. It was a 200 gram ball and when I brought it the lady told me it would make 2 scarves (one for me and one for mum). She was right and this afternoon I finished the second scarf. They were a little bit fiddly at times, but quick to knit up once I got started. I think the results are vibrant!

Hand Made Wedding Keepsake

2011-10-08T11:53:00.004+11:00

My cousin is getting married today. Congratulations Stuart and Kristin. I can wait to see you guys later and to celebrate with you on your special day. Love and best wishes to you both.

Beanie for Husband

2011-09-25T10:32:00.003+10:00

Here is the beanie I made for my husband. I have made many beanies for other people and I thought it was about time I made one for him.

Stash Busting: 4 ply Wool

2011-09-18T12:21:00.011+10:00

This post has been a long time in the making! At least 18 months and at least 14 balls of wool.
When we lived on the coast, there was a small craft store in the local town that sold all sorts of craft supplies and wool. When the owner had 1 or a few balls of wool left over from a dye lot she would sell them at a discount. Being a lover of wool, especially 4ply, I had collected quite a few of these odd balls. There was never enough wool to make a large garment, usually only enough to make a hat or other small accessory. In my stash I also had a few 4ply balls of wool that my mum had from when my brothers and I were little and a few cheep ones I had picked up from spotlight.
I decided that I needed to stash bust and use up all these odd balls of wool before I could get stuck into some bigger knitting projects. We have a small house with limited storage and I am always trying to be conscious of using what I have. I do not want my craft stash to get out of control as it currently already takes up 1 room.
What you are seeing here is some of the completed projects from my 4ply stash busting. I now hope to tackle some larger knitted garments, maybe even a few for me. Happy knitting!

Gift for a Baby Boy

2011-08-21T15:30:00.004+10:00

Friends of ours recently welcomed a baby boy into the world. Here is the hand made gift I made for him.

Craft Fair 2011

2011-08-05T09:00:00.007+10:00

Last Friday mum and I went to our 7th craft fair. Its our annual event. I bring lunch and drive into the city and mum gets the tickets. It's something that we look forward to all year. Its a fantastic event. Mum and I come away from the fair inspired and with new supplies for the craft stash and for current projects. Its also a great opportunity to see the current trends in craft and the new and exciting products available. I managed to stick to my budget on the day (however, the next day at spotlight). I purchased some day light lamps from the scissor man. He had a great deal on a floor lamp and a portable lamp. I also purchased some fabric, needles for felting, the cutest bunny soft toy pattern ever and other bits and pieces. I also purchased this amazing yarn. It's called 'Can Can.' One ball of wool will make 2 scarves. I loved the bunny pattern so much, I made a bunny the next day. He is so cute. I think I will be making may more. farewell craft fair, we will see you again next year.

Dress Up Party

2011-07-22T15:55:00.008+10:00

My family and I are going to a 1950s dress up party for one of my uncles birthday. We have been busy getting our outfits ready. When I was home last, I helped my mum and one of my sister in laws prepare their outfits by making some petticoats. One is plain silky material the other has silky material and bridal netting added to give it some volume. I was having trouble finding something to wear for myself. My other sister in law gave me a dress from to modify. It originally had awful selves and was impossible to get on. I changed the top by removing the sleeves and adding straps. I also added a zip in the side. It has been a successful modification and I am looking forward to the party.

More Dog Pyjamas

2011-07-17T18:00:00.006+10:00

We are currently looking after my husband's parent's dog, Junior, while they are caravaning around Australia sampling the grey nomadic lifestyle. When my brother and his partner were recently over for lunch my sister in law commented that Junior had "the poor cousins pyjamas" compared to Buck. I agreed, his old pairs were looking a bit shabby. So I made some new ones and put the old ones in the bin.

The Australian Sheep and Wool Show

2011-07-17T15:56:00.008+10:00

On Friday my husband and I went to The Australian Sheep and Wool Show in Bendigo. It was fantastic. I loved looking at all the different breeds of sheep and watching the dog trails. Here are some the sheep we looked at.
There were also a small number of goats. There was a great inspiring display of the hand crafts people had made for exhibiting in the competition. I also loved the fantastic variety of craft supply stalls filled with fleece, wool tops, other various fibers, bats, wool skeins, balls of wool, felt, knitting needles, crochet hooks, kits and souvenirs. The quality of the products available was unbelievable. I managed to be very restrained. I only purchased 3 skeins of wool and a few other bits and pieces. I could have gone mad!I am really looking forward to finding the perfect project for this skein of wool and the 2 of 50/50 wool and silk. For now, I am content with leaving them on the dressing table for display and stroking them occasionally as I walk past. I don't know if this is a show I would attend every year. But I am defiantly keen to go back some time.

Buck's Pyjamas

2011-07-01T17:37:00.011+10:00

My brothers dog gets cold overnight because he only has short fur. I made him some pyjamas. He looks so cute in them and apparently he loves to wear them. With the left over material I made my brother and sister in law some wrist warmers. The wrist warmers were super easy to make. They are a tube with a thumb hole and some ribbing on either end.

My Brother's Tea Cosy Beanie

2011-06-25T16:46:00.018+10:00

A few years back, my brother asked me if I would knit him a beanie that looked like a tea cosy. A friend of his liked it so much that she wanted one too. My brother recently asked me if I would knit her one, yesterday I finished it. (My brother's original beanie is the navy, green and red one.) If you would like to make one I have attempted to write a pattern. If you make one let me know how it works out. My Brother's Tea Cosy Beanie

To make one man sized beanie you will need:
:: 4 mm needles (a set of double pointed if you want to knit on the round or a regular set).
:: 3 balls of 50g 8 ply 100% wool yarn (1 main colour (mc), 1 contrast colour 1 (cc1) and 1 contrast colour 2 (cc2)).

Pattern:
:: Cast on 120 stitches in main colour (mc).
:: Knit 1 inch in rib pattern (Knit 2, purl 2).
:: Knit 3 rows in stocking stitch with mc.
:: Start pattern (All rows in stocking stitch).
3 rows cc1, 3 rows cc2, 1 row mc, 3 rows cc2, 3 rows cc1 and 3 rows mc, complete pattern 3 times.
:: Next to create the pattern and holes for the draw string continue in garter stitch. Knit 3 rows garter stitch, next row knit 2, yarn forward, knit to together, continue this pattern to the end. Then knit a further 3 rows of garter stitch before casting off.
:: Sew up the seam and sew in the ends.
:: Make a twisted drawstring to weave through the holes in the top of the hat. Weave in, pull tight and tie in a bow. Happy knitting.

Two Everything Totes

2011-05-28T20:06:00.009+10:00

For Christmas I was given some craft books by my husband. One was 'Weekend Sewing' by Heather Ross. It is a beautiful book and I finally got around to making one of the projects, the everything tote. I enjoyed making it so much that I made another for my friend as a thank-you present for helping me out with something. The denim fabric I used for the outer I got at the Camberwell market on a roll. I can't remember how much I paid for it, but it was not much (note to self, I must write down the cost of my thrifty finds) and there was a lot on the roll. The lining fabrics are a couple I have had in my stash for a while. I purchased one meter of each because I love the patterns and I was not sure what I would use them for. The instructions for making these bags was clear and I am very happy with the results.

50 Calico Bags

2011-05-08T15:46:00.003+10:00

I was asked if I would make some calico bags for school to store their head phones in to prevent them from becoming tangled. I said that I would be happy to make these and 50 calico bags later this is the results. Not a very exciting project, but a very worthwhile one.

A Finished UFO - Purple Butterfly Quilt

2011-04-26T15:44:00.009+10:00

I have had the top to this quilt completed for about 4 years. I also have had all the materials to complete it sitting there. Oh the conundrum of the UFO, why are they so hard to complete? I finally got around to finishing it this weekend. I don't know why I didn't do it sooner, because once I got started it only took an afternoon to complete and I am pleased with the results.

The Alice Springs Beanie Festival 2011

2011-04-21T21:07:00.006+10:00

After attending the Alice Springs Beanie Festival in 2010 I was inspired and decided that I would make some beanies to send to sell at the 2011 Festival.
I posted the 10 Beanies this week. Some of these beanies you may have seen from other posts. I made all the beanies with wool from my stash.

Learning to Spin

2011-04-03T13:05:00.038+10:00

I have just completed an 8 week Introduction to Spinning class at the local Hand Weavers and Spinners Guild. It was fantastic! Learning to spin is something I have wanted to do for a while and I am glad that I now have the skills to keep practicing and to make a usable yarn.

Over the 8 weeks I learnt how to...

:: Identify a good fleece for beginning spinning

:: Prepare a fleece for spinning

:: Flick a fleece

:: Wash a fleece

:: Use a drop spindle

:: Care for a spinning wheel

:: Use hand carders and make a rolag

:: Use a drum carder to make a bat

:: Spin a worsted and woollen yarn

:: Ply a yarn and identify 'S' and 'Z' plyed yarns

:: Dye fleece, tops and yarn using Landscape dyes and heat set dye

:: Spin alternative fibers such as alpaca

Here are some photos of what I achieved during the course. These are my first attempts at spinning. There is greasy fleece that has been flicked, washed flicked fleece spun worsted, washed flicked fleece spun woollen, wool tops and the black is alpaca. The white skein is my fist attempt. It is spun worsted style. The green skein is spun woollen and has some silk and angora added using the drum carder. It was dyed green in the skein. This is the wool that was dyed, drying. A skein and 2 wool tops. This is the skein spun up from the dyed wool tops and a sample of the spun wool knitted.This is fleece that I dyed red and blue. This is the fleece flick carded and ready to spin. This is the skein and a sample of the spun wool knitted up from the dyed fleece. The people I completed the class with were lovely and our teacher was amazing. I was a sad to give back my loaned wheel, but have been lucky enough to borrow a wheel from my friend's mum so I can keep practicing.

A 30th Birthday Quilt

2011-03-15T21:02:00.032+11:00

My beautiful friend is turning 30. I wanted to give her a special gift. I could not decide on anything. I was looking in Gail B and I saw a beautiful pack of charm squares and had a light bulb moment, "I will make her a quilt!"
Here are the results.
The fabric range is 'Its a Hoot' by Mo Mo for Moda. This is the first quilt I have had professionally quilted. I had it quilted by Anita at Hillside Quilting and I am 100% satisfied with the results. I would highly recommend Anita.
I gave the quilt to my girlfriend this weekend. There were tears, she loved it!

Learning...

2011-03-06T16:32:00.004+11:00

Baby Shower Gift

2011-02-27T12:29:00.024+11:00

I few weeks ago I attended my first baby shower. It was for a work colleague and it was loads of fun. I decided to make hand made gifts for the baby. I made a green bambino. These are great to make. The pattern is a Melly and Me and I purchased a pack of fabric made up for this specific project from Gail B. It takes the pain out of choosing matching fabric.
I also made a small pram sized quilt or mat. Its my first attempt at a square in a square patten. I am pleased with the results, however some of my blocks are not as crisp as I would like them to be.
Here are the individual squares.
The green,
The blue,
The red. And here is the whole quilt, ta da.
It was lovely to see my colleague and friend open this hand made gift. As she did, she mouthed at me "did you make this?" To which a nodded shyly as my heart swelled with pride. I will miss this lovely lady at work as she begins her new journey as a mother. I wish her and her family all the very best and hope to see her soon.

Notice Board

2011-02-27T12:01:00.007+11:00

I brought this sewing themed fabric from funky fabrix about 3 years ago. I just love it. I always planed to turn it into a fabric and ribbon notice board. Perfect for putting business cards, invitations and special paper keepsakes in. I have finally got around to making it and these are the results.
I am pleased with the results.

Baby Quilt

2011-02-07T18:42:00.008+11:00

We have a new nephew.
I have made him a special present, a beautiful bright quilt.
3 years ago (before I was a blogger) I made his big brother one when he arrived. This quilt was the second one I had ever made. I think that it was beautiful too.
Happy, sunny, patchwork, just lovely!

Say Hello to my Little friend...

2011-01-07T15:34:00.004+11:00

Hello there little friend,I brought a new book showing me the basics of how to make these little dolls. They are so cute and I am hooked.

Here is my new wool blended felt to make many more clothes for many more little dolls.

It's so beautiful and cuddly.

Blogaversery # 2

2010-12-31T13:39:00.012+11:00

Another year of blogging has come to an end already. I can't believe how fast the year has gone and how much has happened this year not only in my life, but also in the world. Its been a big one.
In terms of craft this year, I went to the Alice springs beanie festival, went to my favourite craft show and I gained some new craft skills. Learning how to crochet was exciting and now I am addicted. It's another great way to use my favourite craft medium of pure wool. Thank-you sheep and alpacas. Next to my dogs, you are my favourite animals.

Here are some of the skills I mastered in 2010. Crocheted granny squares, ruffle edged flowers, felted beads and buttons and crocheted beanies.

Here are 4 of my favourite projects from 2010.The crochet blanket because I am so proud of it and that I finally worked out how to do the granny square. Also because I brought the wool when I took my cousin to my favourite hippy market.

The Knitted cat because she is so bright and inviting to play with.

The green beanie I knitted for my sister in law because I mastered a tricky pattern and it was made with much love and was made at a time when I needed to keep my hands and mind busy.

The bambino, because it's beautiful!

Thanks for reading my blog in 2010, have a happy and safe new year. See you in 2011, Amy xxx.

The Last Big Sew of 2010

2010-12-31T13:04:00.009+11:00

I have been on holidays from work for one week and 2 days. I am not the type of person who can sit still very well (if at all). Following Christmas day I started sewing. I was given some beautiful craft book for Christmas and they are very inspirational.
This is what I have completed so far...
A dress,
A top,
A baby dress and matching bloomers out of the scraps from the dress,
And book bag for the nephew for his birthday made out of an old pair of pants,
Also here is a sneak peak of a very special quilt project. Stay tuned.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T16:18:00.004+11:00

Merry Christmas everyone. Hope you had a lovely day. I have come up for breath following the festivities on both Christmas and boxing day.
We celebrated Christmas at our house this year with the immediate family as it was our first Christmas in our own house. I now feel truly grown up.
It was a great day. A big thank-you to all the lovelies that assisted us to put on the Aussie spread and with the running of the day. You guys made the day a breeze. It was such a pleasure to have Christmas at our house.
Here are the Ginger Bread Houses of 2010.

Christmas Time

2010-12-18T13:59:00.004+11:00

I am beginning to get into the festive mood. I have been so busy recently and have had limited craft time. I am suffering from severe withdrawal from my craft addiction.
Yesterday I spent the whole day with a very special friend and we decorated our 2010 gingerbread houses. Mine is in the Hansel and Gretel style and hers is a 4 building masterpiece.
I have yet to take photos of these.
I was looking back through my old photos and found pictures of the 2008 gingerbread house that my friend and I made together. This was before I started my blog so I thought I would share the photos of that gingerbread house with you today.
For our first attempt at a gingerbread house I think we did a mighty fine job.
I hope to share photos of our 2010 gingerbread houses soon.
If you are looking for gingerbread house inspiration the website gingerbread house heaven is great!

Im so Proud...

2010-11-07T18:21:00.010+11:00

Hi there, since cracking the crochet code I started to make a granny square rug and it's finished! I am very pleased with the result. I feel that the colours go really well together. The rug is only small. It measures approximately 80 x 80cm.
And I of course, I used the left over wool to make a beanie. I am still trying to find the perfect way to photograph a beanie. This time I used a tall vase.

Too Busy...

2010-10-08T15:28:00.007+11:00

Recently I have been so busy. It has meant that there has been little to no time to blog about my completed projects.
So here's a big one of completed projects!
Jewelry made...
Sewing completed... And, knitting finished...
Ah, that fells so much better.

Aww, How Cute...

2010-08-13T14:08:00.004+10:00

Bambino, The Blankee, completed today. A lovely Melly and Me pattern. A toy to put away for the future.

More Beanies!

2010-08-13T12:08:00.005+10:00

Here are two beanies for my bro. I hope he likes them.

Crocheted Beanies

2010-07-16T15:54:00.007+10:00

After attending the Alice Springs Beanie Festival and learning more about crochet. I have recently made these 4 crocheted beanies.
The purple one is made from 4 ply baby wool and was surprisingly quick to make. The flowers are ones I learnt how to make at the beanie festival. The grey and white one was a practice I have made it out of some home spun wool.
The next 2 were made from patterns from this book using Patons Inca wool.They were both quick to make. The red one I made as a practice for the blue one which I have made as a request for a special person. I hope she likes it.

The Alice Springs Beanie Festival

2010-07-16T14:59:00.012+10:00

A few weeks ago I went on holiday with one of my favourite people to Alice Springs. We went particularly for the Beanie Festival. It was wonderful. We also saw a few of the local and not so local sites.
On the Friday we flew to Alice Springs. I had no sleep the night before. I was too worried about not getting up in time to catch the plane. Flying over central Australia was amazing. The colours were like nothing else I have ever seen. It was red and dry with no vegetation and there was not a house in sight. As we flew into Alice Springs we started to see small settlements and amazing rock formations. As we were driving through Alice Springs I was amazed by the colours and the rocks. After yummy home made soup for lunch we headed out to the Beanie festival. In beanie central where you could purchase beanies there were so many weird, wacky and wonderful beanies. We tried on many and purchased a few. They also had a good old fashioned cake stall and I ate 2 yummy honey joys. That night was the official opening with some great music. On the Saturday we went into the centre of Alice Springs and looked through the shops and gallery's and purchased our souvenirs. We also went to an excellent textile exhibition called "Rocks in my Head" by Melbourne artist Julie Langford. In the afternoon we went back to the beanie festival and saw the official exhibition. I was amazed by the competition beanies. Their artists were amazing and so creative. Truly inspirational. I also completed a drop in class in the foyer and learnt how to make felted buttons and beads. We also went to the play reading of "A Head Full of Love." It was read by Colette Mann and Roxanne McDonald and it was awesome. There were some real home truths in this play for me. They talked about how worries are crocheted or knitted away as we create.
On Sunday we went to the Todd Mall Market and I purchased some craft supplies. Then we went back to the beanie festival. That afternoon I completed 2 drop in classes. I learnt how to make a needle felted butterfly broach and ruffled edge crochet flowers. We also saw the beanie Olympics where one contestant made a crochet beanie in about 10 minutes. Wow. The beanie festival was a great experience. I would definitely recommend that you go or at least look at the website here for a taste. Going to central Australia was also an experience I will never forget. It's a fantastic place to see. Finally a very big thank-you to our hostess and host. Thank-you for having us to stay and being our guide and taxi service. We had a fantastic time.

Stash Busting: Wool # 1

2010-05-28T10:13:00.005+10:00

Over the past few months I have felt that my wool stash was in need of a declutter.

There are so many knitting projects I want to complete and I feel guilty if I purchase new wool when I have so much at home.

I have started many knitting projects, such as baby clothes. But these are taking a little time and I felt I needed to complete some projects to maintain my motivation. Here are the projects I have completed so far during my wool stash busting.

Three Adult beanies.

One 12 month old jacket.

Two toddler beanies.

One special beanie for the nephew.

Better get back to it, happy stash busting!

A Quick Project

2010-05-16T20:09:00.006+10:00

This morning I whipped up this pair of earrings. They came as a kit with the June issue of Better Homes and Gardens. I occasionally purchase a copy when something on the cover entices me. Such as the lovely bright crochet you can see in the picture.

I have been a bit absent on the blogging front recently. I am stash busting and when I next post I want to have a lot of projects to show off at once.

Drum Roll Please ... Ta Da!

2010-04-11T17:01:00.012+10:00

Last night I had a Ta Da moment. Twelve months practice and the penny finally dropped. Crochet wise that is.
During blog exploring two years ago, I came across this talented lady and have been so inspired by her crochet work. The beautiful vibrant colours and lovely wool she uses drew me in, I wanted to learn. Not knowing anyone who can crochet I set out to teach myself. How hard could it be? In my early twenties I taught myself to knit so I though in my early thirties I could teach myself to crochet too. I was wrong. Piles of tangled yarn, difficulty interpreting and reading instructions, many cups of tea and much frustration, I was defeated, I couldn't do it.
At last years craft fair I attended a workshop to learn how to crochet. By the end of the hour and a half session, I could roughly double crochet. I have been practicing this. Last weekend, I set out with the help of these books (see below) to teach my self some other crochet stitches.
Last night I sat down with the books again and attempted the granny square. Success, I mastered it and this was the result.
I picked up the wool at a local hippy market. I am supposed to be stash busting at the moment, but I found the colours irresistible. The wool is soft, lovely and a bit rustic.
I am so proud I cracked the crochet code. I now don't understand why I found it so difficult.

Thank-you

2010-03-12T12:58:00.006+11:00

A big thank-you and all my love to my wonderful partner, friends and family. You know who you are and you know why.
Thank-you xxx

Fabric Buckets

2010-03-09T21:01:00.005+11:00

Hello Little Birdie,
Earlier this month I completed a quick project of 4 fabric buckets. The material is from spotlight, from their flat fats range. They are so useful for storing all kinds of bits and pieces. I have used them to brighten up my creative space.

Jo Sharp Reversible Beanie

2010-02-12T10:13:00.004+11:00

Hello little birdie,

I went to one of the local markets with my friend that sell bric a brac and new and used good. I found 2 slightly used balls of 12 ply wool for $5. One in greens and one in pinks. My friend commented that she really loved the colour of the green ball. So I made her a beanie out of it. I used a Jo Sharp pattern that makes a reversible beanie. I gave it too my friend last weekend and she loved it. The beanie is so think and warm.

One side...

Reversed side...

January Projects

2010-01-31T11:28:00.004+11:00

Hello little birdie,

Like most crafters, I have a large pile of projects that have been started or cut out in preparation for starting. They never get started or finished because there is always another project in my head or materials in my stash that I want to try. I think it is because I dabble in and enjoy so many different crafts.
I decided to discipline myself in January and not start any new projects. The month was dedicated to completing some projects that had already been started or cut out. I found it difficult and and bent the rules slightly toward the end of the month. Here are the projects I completed this month.

Baby bloomers that were cut out some time around the middle of 2009 but never assembled.

Toddler pants and matching Velcro pockets, cut out in October 2009.

A baby blue windcheater, that was started around 15 years ago, but never finished. Embarrassing!

A knitted lace pattern hat from "Knit issue 2" by Jo Sharp. Its the most difficult knitting pattern I have attempted to date. I am very proud of the results. The hat was started in December 2009 and it is a birthday present for one of my sisters in law. Her favourite colour is green.

The final project of the month is where the lines of my discipline became blurred. I decided to use up the yarn left over from the above hat. I started a new project, booties. The issue with this was I only had enough yarn for one. I then brought another ball to make the second bootee and decided that I would use the left over yarn from this to make a matching hat. While knitting the hat and watching the tennis last night I realised that I was going to run out of yarn again. I decided to use I little contrast yarn I had in my stash, but I ran out of that also. So now I face the issue of a beanie that is half done. Which I am not going to be undoing. I think I will have to purchase another ball of wool. This defeats the purpose of trying to use the left over yarn up.

Does anyone else have these issues and what do you do?

Blogaversery

2009-12-31T23:04:00.018+11:00

Hello little birdie,

Today is my blogaversery. It's been 12 months since I started my blog and what an exciting 12 months it has been for me.

I started my blog as a new years resolution last year so I could show my friends and family what craft projects I had completed without carrying them all over the country side.

This year I completed a total of 50 projects, at least one each month. I am proud of my crafting efforts for 2009 . I am looking forward to many more crafting adventures in 2010.

Here are few of my favourite completed projects for 2009.

Knitting,

Sewing,

Crafting,

My crafting new years resolution is to start a regular 'Stitch 'n' Bitch' group with my closest crafty friends.

Happy new year everyone, may it be a safe and crafty one.
Cheers to may more completed craft projects,
Best wishes, Amy.

December Crafting

2009-12-31T22:48:00.007+11:00

Hello little birdie,

I have finished several projects this month. With the festive season preparations I have had no time to post the pictures.
I completed my first crotchet project ever. I am only able to do one stitch, but it's a start. I learnt at a workshop with my mum at this years craft show. It's our annual mother / daughter outing.
I made the plain piece of crotchet into a mat with a bound edge (this covers any mistakes i may or may not have made).

I also completed 2 pram rugs with scraps I had left over from previous projects. They turned out pretty cute. Note to self, quilting with corduroy is not fun!

Special Project

2009-12-18T18:40:00.005+11:00

Hello Little Birdie,
Please see bellow a special project I completed for this very lovely and talented lady!

Before...
After...It's an earring stand for use at markets. I think it now pops.

Finished Knitted Projects

2009-10-24T08:47:00.007+11:00

Hello Little Birdie,

I have recently finished these two knitted projects.

The white jacket is a pattern from this book. The wool was purchased especially for the project and I am currently making a larger one in an orange colour.

The blue vest I adapted from the same pattern as the white jacket. It has no sleeves because I did not have enough of the blue wool left over.

Happy knitting.

Holiday Crafting

2009-10-10T13:40:00.006+11:00

Hello Little Birdie,

I was lucky enough to have the second week of the school holidays off.
I spent a lot of my time crafting, my favourite way to relax. I probably should have been catching up on odd jobs around the house. My guilt about this is only fleeting.

I managed to start and finish some projects and complete others that have been in the to do basket for who knows how long.

My projects to show you are...
This hat and booties. Made from beautiful wool left over from previous projects.

This gorgeous little dress with a pocket friend.

And this pair of funky animal pants.
The dress and pants were made from patterns from this book.

I love this book. I am currently recommending it to anyone who will listen to me. The instructions are so clear that I have been able to follow them to the letter instead of improvising as I usually do. The projects are also all so cute and practical. I am looking forward to trying more projects.

Baby Bloomers and More

2009-09-20T11:32:00.006+10:00

Hello Little Birdie,

This weekend while I have had a little time I have been indulging in a little sewing from a new addition to my sewing book collection.
This book is fantastic. The projects are cute and the instructions are easy to understand.

A made 2 pairs of baby bloomers out of an old pillow case that was ripped. I also made a pair of the toddler pants out of an old pair of men's pants. They ended up as shorts because the amount of usable material in the pants was minimal. I hope these fit the nephew. I am very happy with the results of both, especially the bloomers. The great thing about using preloved material such as the pillow case and pants is that because they have been washed and washed the fabric is so soft. I will defiantly be tackling more projects from this book. I love it!

Yo Yo Bibs

2009-09-20T11:27:00.003+10:00

Hello Little Birdie,

Here is an idea for the use of fabric yo yo's.
Decorate some cheep bibs from the supermarket to make them look very funky.

Long Time, No post!

2009-09-11T12:21:00.005+10:00

Hello Little Birdie,

Long time, no post. But not through lack of completed craft projects. Just busy in my life at the moment.

I am still managing to keep up my goal of at least one project per month and have also have got back into knitting and projects are taking longer to complete.

I finished the red stripey jumper and are very happy with the result.

I have also made some kinder art smocks. These are great for painting! The plastic material is very soft and moves easily when the child moves.

Lastly I also completed a cork screw scarf. This was a bit of a challenge as it required wrap and turn in the pattern. I think the colour of this wool is just beautiful.

My aim now is to be a better blogger and post more regularly. I hope everyone has a lovely crafty weekend.

Dog Coat

2009-07-18T18:05:00.002+10:00

Hello Little Birdie,

This weekend I made a coat for the old boy.

He is sick, on medication and getting very skinny despite eating like an elephant.
I hope this keeps him a bit warmer.

Weekend Knitting

2009-07-06T09:57:00.005+10:00

Hello Little Birdie,

This weekend I finished some knitting projects.

I am always surprised how long it takes to finish off a knitted garment after the knitting has finished.

I completed this 12 month old stripey jumper.

This pattern was quite quick and it is from this book.
I like this jumper so much I have started another one.
I also completed another small vest designed by thrifty knitter.

I started this to use up some wool (the green) from the stash of leftovers and I ran out before the vest was completed. I used a contrasting wool from my stash leftovers to complete it and wove some in to the body to link the two colours. It turned out ok, however I would have preferred it to be all the same colour.

Happy knitting.

Retro Basket

2009-06-21T17:58:00.003+10:00

Hello Little Birdie,

As you know I am a lover of all things cane, especially baskets.

Today I completed a new top for a lovely round basket with a lid. I have had this basket for as long as I can remember, I think that it was my mum's. It had some old plastic embroidered flowers on top that were falling to pieces. I took these off, used the existing orange trim and added a padded fabric top.

I am quite pleased with the results. Now I just have to decide what to store in it.

Dolls Clothes

2009-06-21T11:48:00.004+10:00

Hello Little Birdie,

Last weekend I completed some dolls clothes. I did not make all the clothes in the bellow picture only the pink hat, pink scarf and pink pants. These are the most beautiful dolls for children. They are from Windmill. I was most pleased with how the pants turned out. I made them by making two rectangles and then sewing them up like pants with some elastic woven into the waist to keep them on.

Thank-you for the advice about taking photos for the blog, I am now going to attempt to take the photos in natural light.

Debbi Bliss Cardie

2009-05-29T11:00:00.004+10:00

Hello little birdie,

I have been so busy this month, so alas not much time for crafting or blogging.

My poor neglected blog!

I have kept my one project a month quota. Just! I was not sure that I was going to be able to. I have completed a Debbi Bliss knitted cardie from "Very Special Knits." Its hard to see the colour, but it is a light green.

I don't seem to be able to take very good photos of my work. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I could improve this?

Teenie, Weenie, Tiny Shoes!

2009-04-12T22:07:00.004+10:00

Hello Little Birdie,

I am the proud owner of a new and fabulous book, "Meet Me At Mikes."

Today I had a go at my first project from the book. Tiny shoes!
For a sewer who has a lot of difficulty following patterns and instructions I found the instructions for these tiny shoes easy to follow and I am quite proud of the results.

I would be interested to know what you think of the fabric, its baby faces.

I like how it looks on the shoes, but when I opened up the pack of fabric squares that it came in I was not so sure and I thought it was weird.

I highly recommend this book and I am looking forward to making more projects from it.

Pink Size One Overalls

2009-04-08T09:58:00.006+10:00

Hello Little Birdie,

Yesterday I finished a bright pink pair or cord overalls. They are a little rough but have come together fairly well. My mum requested these for a little girl she met last Christmas. I was worried that I would not get any projects finished this month as we are moving house and I have had to pack up all my sewing stuff. I should not have worried.

I also had a helper with this project. Funny how Miss Fluffy always places herself right where I am working. (I would not change this).

Happy sewing!

Hand Made Gift

2009-04-05T15:31:00.002+10:00

Hello Little Birdie,

I am moving Jobs after 4 years. For one of my colleagues/friends I made the below hand made gifts as a thank-you. A quilters hold all bag, a coin purse, a yo yo badge and some fabric covered button hair ties. The bag and coin purse fabric is some I found at spotlight recently. I love the fabrics vintage look. I had a lovely lunch and afternoon tea organised for me as my going away function. My colleagues also gave me a very generous going away present of a spotlight and a lincraft voucher. I am looking forward to spending them!

Pin Cushion Obsession!

2009-03-29T16:42:00.005+11:00

Hello Little Birdie,

The pin cushion obsession continues.

I will let the picture tell the tale!

A Pink and Red Theme

2009-03-29T16:18:00.014+11:00

Hello Little Birdie,
I don't know why but I seem to have a bit of a pink and red theme going on at the moment.
I brought some lovely new fabric for my stash. My stash is starting to build up so much now I really must ration my purchases until a have finished a few projects.
I have just finished a coin purse and a strawberry skirt for a friends daughter as a thank-you. I am really getting in to making my gifts for people instead of buying something. I think the presents are more personal and nicer this way.

I have also completed a present for a new baby girl due to be born to friends at the end of next month. I made a pink and red knitted hat. I did this on double pointed needles. I am loving this method as there is no purling for a stocking stitch look and no seam.

I also made a owl softy for the baby. I used a pattern (slightly modified with my own twist) from the book "More Softies."
I hope to that you to had a productive crafting weekend!

Pin Cushions With A Twist!

2009-03-18T19:57:00.002+11:00

Hello Little Birdie,

I have been making a lot of pin cushions recently. I find them a quick and rewarding small project. I also love having a basket full of them so I can give them away to my guests. I let them choose their favourite. I like to guess which one I think they will chose, I am usually wrong. I made these three small pin cushions into Christmas decorations. I think that they look really cute.

A Tiny Knitted Vest

2009-03-18T19:14:00.005+11:00

Hello Little Birdie,

I also completed a tiny knitted vest this month. It took one 50g ball of wool. I think it is too small for a baby, but it might look nice on a teddy or a doll some time. The pattern I found on this blog soelmamma, one of my favourites. The link to the pattern is here.

A beautiful birthday gift

2009-03-18T14:12:00.010+11:00

Hello little birdie,

I wanted to share with you what one of my beautiful crafting friends gave me for my birthday earlier this month.

I was a beautiful coffee/tea mug with a knitting and wool theme and some lovely wool that she had spun. She is so clever and talented. I just adore the wool. The rainbow colours are beautiful. I knitted a toddler hat with it. The wool is sheep and alpaca. Thank-you my beautiful crafting friend xxx.

February!

2009-02-27T20:55:00.008+11:00

Hello Little Birdie,

I have neglected my blog this month.

It does not mean I have not been creative and finishing craft projects, starting new ones or becoming inspired by what fellow blogers are creating. I have so far completed 14 projects this year. Bellow is my February handy work.

A lined basket. I only made the lining, not the basket, the basked was found at my favourite second hand store.

Some parch work and quilted pencil cases. This is a great way to use up scraps.
Patch work and quilted pencil cases in progress. I need to go and purchase some zips.And last of all, more pin cushions. I just love making them. I want to give one to all of my friends because I think that they are so fun and cute!
I will try to post more often next month. I must become a more committed blogger!

Skirt For Me!

2009-01-31T18:52:00.005+11:00

Hello Little Birdie,

Today I finished a skirt that I have had cut our for about 6 months. Its a little rough around the edges, but wearable. I have such difficulty following the instructions that I usually end up making them up. The pattern is Simplicity 4883. I have made another one of these in the past and find it very comfortable, especially in this hot weather. I love this fabric.

Fabric Swap Update

2009-01-30T15:55:00.008+11:00

Hello Little Birdie,

I recently participated in I'm a Ginger Monkey's fat quarter swap organised by Katy.

It was so much fun choosing, sending and receiving beautiful fabric.

I would definitely participate in another one.

This is what I sent to Anna. Bright orange fabric, as she said that orange and yellow were her favourite colours. The Koala is for her little girl, some beautiful buttons and of course a couple of little birdies.

This is what I received from Anna. Beautiful blue check and yellow star fabrics and some wonderful buttons, ribbon and beads. They all came in the cutest plastic bags! I am not sure what I will make with these, but my mind is ticking over!

Pin Cushion Cups

2009-01-26T09:54:00.006+11:00

Hello Little Birdie,

I have finished another project!

These are pin cushion cups. I had already completed most of this project last year, they just needed decorating.

I am pleased with how they turned out. They are bright, fun and useful.
I am finding that having a blog is really motivating me to complete projects as I want to post the pictures of the completed projects.

Fill your life with craft, its wonderful!

A Productive Weekend!

2009-01-25T16:30:00.021+11:00

Hello Little Birdie,

I have had a very productive crafty weekend.

I was lucky enough to have the house to my self as my other half was busy and I did not have too much housework to do.

I completed a small quilt top.

I finished a knitted bag that I have to admit I had already knitted last year but it needed to be finished. I love the big wooden button.
I made another pin cushion. This one worked out a bit better than the first ones I made. I put a lot more stuffing in it, I think this may be the key.

I also made 2 skirts, size 1. These were made from a pattern I purchased from funkyfabrix. They were quite easy to make and they came up really cute. I will defiantly be making more of these.

Overall not a bad weekends crafting. Maybe I will get something else finished tomorrow.

Buttons, buttons and more buttons

2009-01-11T16:22:00.004+11:00

Hello Little Birdie,

I was recently complaining to my mum that I did not have any more nice buttons to put on the pin cushions I had been making.

This weekend my mum and I went to a second hand shop that has lots and lots of individual stalls. Some stalls have junk, some have antiques and some just have interesting items.

We found a few little treasures. I was particularly looking for buttons.

I found some. A large glass vase full (see picture bellow). Mum and I sorted them out. I can no longer complain that I have no buttons!

Green PJs

2009-01-11T15:24:00.009+11:00

Hello Little Birdie,

Today I finished some green PJs for my nephew. Green because that is his mum's favourite colour.

I got the patterns from a Burda baby magazine that I purchased in 1994. I modified them slightly as they were not PJs but a pair of cords and a shirt.

I had a bit of trouble following the patterns, but I think they worked out OK.

I added my own twist to them, the car pockets are felt.

I hope he likes them.

Fabric Swap

2009-01-07T17:47:00.007+11:00

Hello Little Birdie,
I have signed up for a fabric swap and I am very excited about it.
If you would like to sign up as well please see click on the link here. Thanks to Katy for organising it.

Pin Cushions

2009-01-03T20:16:00.002+11:00

Hello Little Birdie,

Today I completed some pin cushions.

They were made with some scraps from my fabric stash and some buttons I had.
I am happy with how they turned out and were surprised that no matter which fabric and buttons I used, even if I wasn't crazy about it them, it still worked out well.

The pattern is one I found created by dearfii, one of my favourite blogs.

The link to the pattern is here. I am going to give these pin cushions to my family and keep one for myself. Not sure which one I will keep yet. Maybe the blue and red one.

Lavender Pillow Cross Stitch

2009-01-03T17:57:00.004+11:00

Hello little birdie,

I also completed a second project on the first day of the year.

I was given two lovely cross stitch kits for Christmas by my mother in law and being the craft tragic that I am I started them straight away.

I decided to make them into lavender pillows for draws and will give one to my mother in law and one to my mum when i see them next. I think they came up really lovely and the lavender I used I picked and dried from my mothers garden.

Size One Overalls

2009-01-03T17:38:00.004+11:00

Hello little birdie,
I have completed my first project for 2009.
I actually completed this project on the first day of the year (I did have it cut out for about six months).
It is a pair of size one overalls, made from brown cord and lined with a cute cotton car fabric I found at spotlight. The pattern is one my mum gave to me, one size only and that she used to make overalls for my siblings.

Welcome to my Blog

2008-12-31T17:10:00.004+11:00

Hello Little Bridie,
My new years resolution is to start a blog.
What better day to start it than the last day of 2008. Happy and safe new year to everyone!
This year I stumbled upon some craft/life blogs. I was surprised and inspired by them.
I enjoyed checking them often and they are the reason I have decided to start my own blog.
There are so many clever crafty people out there.
I myself love all things craft and always have done since my mum introduced me to cross stitch at the age of 10. Thanks mum.
My new years resolution two years ago was to finish one craft project a month, which I achieved. This year I continued this and have found it a great way to get projects finished. So great in fact I have completed 42 projects this year.
I have a written record of them but wish I had taken photos of them all.
I hope that by posting my ideas and finished projects this year I will have a record of then and others will be inspired as I have been.
Happy new year.