Frazzy Dazzles

Do the washing up.

Do the ironing.

Do the folding.

Read to the children.

Help with the homework.

Play with the children.

Maintain friendships.

Sew something.

Answer emails.

Do something other than draw little things!

Put the pencil down and walk away!

Sometimes you don’t get all the things you want in the world.

Especially when you’re a little girl.

And all you want in the world is to be a duck and have a pair of those fabulous webbed ducky feet!.

When you put your mind to it though. There’s nothing that can’t be crafted right?

Right!

There are days when my mind overflows with things that I think are ‘great ideas’.

Things that I just can’t wait to try.

T-shirt transfers have been floating around in recesses of my grey matter for weeks, maybe even months now. The problem is that I’m a tad on the shy side when it comes to new things that no one can really teach me and stand a high chance of proving me to be a failure at making my visions come true.

T-shirt transfers sounds like fun, however they also have all the ingredients for failure.

I’ve been dabbling with this image of a little girl reading. Thinking about using her on a library bag. Problem is how to get her there? Can’t bring myself to hand stitch her over and over again. So transfers started to pop into my mind.

So I had a bit of a play. An experiment.

It was fun.

There was a learning curve and I don’t think that I’ve reached the summit yet.

Turns out that my over zealous ironing might need a bit or reigning in.

Turns out I somewhat ‘cooked’ the transfer! I’ll do better next time!

Yes there will be a next time. It’s a bit addictive.

Instant results are always desirable!

More and more I realise how much the  mixing of old and new means to me.

How much bringing little ingredients of the past into our everyday life makes me happy and even soothes me.

It makes me feel more able to step away from the ‘I want’ elements of my nature and move more towards embracing the ‘How can I utilise that?’ that makes me so very happy.

Like sewing.

Generations of women in my family have sewn. I’ve been to the unveling of so many little projects. Heard the ‘oohs and aahs’ of those who are seeing fresh handiwork for the first time. I think as a little girl I wanted to be the recipient of those oohs and aahs and if I was shallow and honest I would probably admit that it’s probably one of the major factors that drive me to create new things.

Validation.

Sewing is great. Sewing for my family is satisfying, enriching and rewarding. Sewing for friends is equally so.

I have a lovely, simple little pattern for a dress. I’ve made so many of these for The Little Bush Princess. I’ve now run out of pattern to fit her. They’ve stopped being dresses and have started being long tops! Mind you, It’s only a matter of adding a little bit to the bottom and they’ll fit as dresses again.

I thought I would show you just how versatile a simple pattern can be. How many seasons and personalities a design can take on just with simple, easy embelishments or choices of fabrics.

I bought a whole bolt of this fabric from the opp shop. It’s almost a upholstery weight but not quite. It reminds me of the 70’s, of wallpapered walls and velour lounges, of carpet in the bathroom.

I only ran this one up yesterday and I’m not sure whether TLBP will wear it…because it’s not pink!

But I like it.

This little one was to wear to her best friends birthday party. Happy, light and whimsical.

Pretty and soft.

I love these little vintage buttons.

From soft to bold. No embellishments. Just letting the fabric do the talking. A party frock non the less.

Another bold fabric that benefits from the broad line of the pattern. Allowing the fabric to be seen and not cut into.

This fabric was another op shop find. It used to be a cafe curtain.

As you can see…it was a very desireable piece. Evident as it flapped on the line.

At the time I half wished I had found it’s pair. Then there would have been enough for a nice little autumn weight coat…but that wasn’t to be. So another little frock it was.

So…. I guess the moral of the story is everything old can be new again.

There is more than one way to interpret a design (that sounded a lot nicer than ‘there’s more than one way to skin a cat’).

I’m only a simple stitcher and would never claim to be anything but.

Straight stitch, a spot of zig zag and a button hole here and there just about extinguishes my knowledge. However….even with this limited pot of skills I can still get some wonderful oohs and aahs.

You can too!

So go and sew!

I made a dog!

I’d never made a dog before and now I have!

What’s more I drafted the pattern and cut it out without too much thought and it all came together perfectly first go! I didn’t have to juggle, jiggle or adjust anything from my first draft.

He’s a happy mix of old and new.

Vintage and found bits combined with almost forgotten teddy bear making skills.

I’m howlingly (it’s a word!) happy. I love it when a plan comes together.

Very satisfying!