Frazzy Dazzles

Well as I sit here listening to the rain come down outside I’m hesitant to say that Spring is on the horizon.

There are only a few weeks ‘officially’ left of winter. That doesn’t mean winter’s gotten the memo. I’m not complaining though. While ever that rain is coming down our water reserves are building up.

Freya needed a new coat this winter. The last one was a thrifted coat that she wore and wore and wore and wore. It owed us nothing and it was sad to see the sleeves slowly becoming shorter. It couldn’t have been her arms getting longer.

For some strange reason I tend to become more ‘emotional’ about the children outgrowing favourite winter items. I’ve come to understand it’s because these garments have kept them warm while the wind whips by. They’ve helped us fend off illness and therefore help make my mothering job that little bit easier in a season where nothing seems to come easy.

I can’t bring myself to pass on the little old coat. It might be too small but I still feel like I owe it a debt. It can have it’s spot in the cupboard for a bit longer. I think it earnt it.

So it was time for a new coat. I bought the fabric without having a pattern…because I was going to design and draft one myself. However…like a lot of these things, my plans come thick and fast but the action tends to have to play catch up.

If the girl was going to have warm wrists and the little old coat was going to have a rest then I was going to have to ditch the plan to draw up a design, buy a pattern and get stitching.

The fabric was a favourite Kaffe design. Freya chose it. We went for the upholstery weight for extra warmth.

 The pattern we chose is a kind of a pseudo cape. Buttons up the front (I even had a little dabble at covering some buttons! Tres chic!) with a wide hood at the back. The pattern as I read it didn’t seem like it was going to be warm enough. To counteract that I made a second coat out of polar fleece and fitted it as a lining. Sadly I hadn’t bought enough of the polar fleece to line the hood and when I went back there wasn’t any left in the red….bah….so I substituted it with red homespun. The end result is a really warm, snuggly, quilt like coat that’s been keeping the cold out brilliantly.

 As usual I made it too big. I did it for a reason. I thought that the lining would pad it out and mean that it would need to be bigger to compensate for the additions I’d made. This was true, however I could have gone one size smaller. It seemed like a tragedy when I first saw it finished. However, once she wore it for a bit and we both fell in love with it I was grateful I’d over estimated. This little coat can be trotted out next year and maybe even the year after that if I’m lucky.

 It can keep out little girl happy, snug and warm. Safe in the knowledge that there’ll be a little spot in the cupboard for it when all the hard work is over. It will be in good company.

Monday morning sees me packing up my little basket and trotting along to do a bit of stitching. It’s always nice to play show and tell when you get together with a group of like minded people. For this reason I took along this little frock. Made for the sole purpose of flashing this gorgeous fabric about. I’m thinking that the little pinny at the front needs a pocket. The Little Bush Princess loves a skirt with a pocket. There’s always so many little things that need to be taken from one place to another isn’t there?

I liked the skirt fabric so much that I think it needs to be the border on the ‘dance with a dolly’ quilt. It’s just so pretty.

 If you own a fabric store and you see me coming you might want to reign me in when I start pulling fabric off the shelves. I was only in the place for ten minutes and this was the mess that I’d made! It’s fun to be able to pull bolts off the shelves and arrange them in ways that make you happy. If you’re visiting a good fabric store they should let you juggle your options before you buy.

Fabric and the inspiration for how to use it comes from so many places. Fabric is a medium for so many senses. It’s a tactile creature as well as a visual delight. It can even appeal on an audible level. I love the sound of a pair of strong metal scissors cutting fabric on a hard surface. I even like the satisfying sound of fabric being ripped…except when it’s the knees of The Golden Childs jeans!

Not so satisfying then….

I think of fabric as a very feminine thing. Designed, manipulated and shaped by women throughout the centuries. Purposed and repurposed until it could be useful no more. I know it’s not entirely the relm of women…but for me it holds that connection. I think of women through the years who have used it to solve their problems, dressed and warmed their families with it. Tucked their children up beneath it. Kept the warmth within their homes and add colour to the furnishings within them.

It’s a powerful thing.

 I’m rambling now…again!

My next quilt will be one using these funky little Japanese prints and some gingham, spots and stripes. A baby quilt that remains largely gender neutral…I hope! We’ll see I guess.

 p.s….don’t worry I’m leaving the orange out of the baby quilt. It just didn’t work for me…you have to leave something behind for the others don’t you?

I’ve made no secret lately that I’ve struggled with what ‘to do’, how to ‘do it’ and if I even want to keep ‘doing it’.

‘It’ being follow my creative thoughts or let them flow away.

Then I went to sewing on Monday my friend offered me these little beauties to take home and make some eye candy for her store.

Free reign. Do what you like. See what you can come up with….

Penny drops and I start to feel the threads of thoughts start to disentangle themselves and rise to the surface.

Doing ’something’ seems not only do-able but probable!

In one day there was a really simple ribbon or strip quilt (above) hung over a chair. Fabulous for the first time quilter or the stitcher who needs quick results to feed their sewing desires. A pattern that almost writes itself and will be easy to follow. Keeping it company was a bright, girly frock and a fun little skirt.

The quilt top isn’t bordered or even quilted yet (I’ll post some photo’s when it’s finished) but I’m loving the bright rays of colour it’s bringing to our family room. Made all the sweeter that I got put it together while my lovely friend and I chatted and drank tea!

The fabrics are from Michael Miller and Patty Young’s ‘Play Date’ range. There’s also a splash of that gorgeous blue spot of Michael Miller’s that has my heart! Love it!

The quilt top left more than enough for a bonus little spin skirt. No point in wasting fabric when it can be used!

How wonderful it is to be doing ’something’ again!

One for The Little Bush Princess.

One for Tullulah!

Easter did happen around here, at the usual time and when everyone else celebrated it. I only just realised that I never put up a ‘Happy Easter!’ post.

I’m getting pretty forgetful of late.

About three days before Easter The Little Bush Princess sat with a pondering look on her face. When I asked her what she was contemplating she sparked up with,

“I’m just wondering what kind of Easter toys we’ll get this year.’

Easter toys…..Easter toys…..I had no plans for Easter toys.

Of course I should because every year they get an Easter toy each. This year just seemed to sneak up on me and I had nothing planned.

Luckily The Golden Child had been asking for a Bilby for a little while now so his Easter treat was in the bag. As for TLBP….well there was this pattern that I’d be itching to try but had found other jobs to do that seemed ‘more important’.

Now I look back what could have been more important?!
She’s made from the very talented Fiona Dalton from Hop Skip Jump’s ‘Jack Rabbit’ pattern.

I’ve never really embroidered a face before. Well I have. I just haven’t really tried to embroider neat little circles for a while.

I was a bit nervouse about taking on the task. It’s a simple enough face but I think that the neat clean lines of Fiona’s designs need a practiced hand. Luckily for me Melly came to the rescue and a few days before the embroidery started she posted this. Thanks Melly!

I don’t think I got the effect I truly wanted. It was hard. I had to sew ‘on the quiet’ at night when the children were in bed and the light was not the best when I tackled the eyes. Neither was the hour.

I know that my bunny isn’t exactly like one of Fiona’s elegant creatures…but I’m pretty happy with her and more to the point TLBP is too.

That’s all that matters!