Projects for 2012

So, to keep me on track here is the list that was to be done in 2011

Cushions for the new house - ideally I would like a new couch for these to go on...
Dress for Lucy - needs to be in Paris by the 5 July
Quilt for Nathan - for his birthday needs to be done by July 1, Xmas gives me a bit more timeQuilt for Jarod - I'm thinking Xmas...
Blossom Creek - BOM 2,3,4 and the log cabining for blocks 1-4 and then the rest of it
Library bag for Amelia (okay so it was a music bag but I am going with it okay?!!)
Summer skirts for Amelia (hmm not photographed or blogged...)
Summer dresses for Amelia
Christmas placemats (that won't fall apart when you wash them) as gifts
Teachers Xmas gifts
Class mates Xmas gifts
Close friends hand made Xmassy something
Mermaid Doll Amelia bought at the quilt fair
Applique Xmas table piece - for Julie V in Paris

Considering everything that happened last year I am impressed with what I got through...

And a list of the projects to complete for 2012...

Finish the Polar Fleece jackets I cut out in 2004 (*embarrassed much!!)
Blossom Creek complete block 2 (oh so close), then 3, 4 and do the log cabining
Make the Toofies up to sell in my store Belles Familles
Make some fabric table runners to sell in the 'shop' too
Placemats or cushions for Coral's b'day
Saving pouches for squirreling money for stuff like a holiday
2x winter night dresses for Amelia
2 skirts for sisters - Rachel and Sarah
Blouse for me (fabric and pattern on their way)
Raincoat for Amelia (fabric on its way)
Over skirt for my sari skirt so I will wear the skirt and it won't sit in the wardrobe...
Another skirt like this one  for me (fabric on its way)
Cushion for my Goddaughters brother at the request of his mum
Fabric placemats for us for outside
Fabric napkins in a pretty floral for afternoon tea parties - no idea why...
Apron for Katie

I am sure there is more, I know there is more! Hopefully with the help of the monthly projects in the 52 weeks New Year sewalution I will be able to knock some of the things off the list!

Project #5

Is the same as the night dress for Alethea but in a pink doggie fabric for Amelia. I don't think we have a picture of it yet and it has a few loose threads and one seam that needs a restitch but it is done... will post pics when I have some to publish!

Project #4

My 14 y/o neice has discovered Dashunds or sausage dogs. We bought her some PJ's from Peter Alexander for Christmas and she was in raptures, rather a sweet little sausage dog pattern on them. Happy girl. Then Amelia and I went scouting in Spotlight for no particular reason and found the cutest fabric but only available in the one colour way, orange and blue. Not to worry we added a metre to our trolley and I started to think about what I could make for Gen. Initially I thought of a bag but then I Googled patterns for softies and decided I would give one a go. I am not a fan of buying patterns with no intention of using them so I asked around and a lady in a group I belong to on facebook dropped the pattern off to me whcih was so nice of her!

Introducing Miss Daisy Dog... 2 hours I think from cutting to stuffing...

Going to drop her off to Gen tomorrow on our way to the airport. Hope she likes her! If she doesn't, Amelia will have her in a heaartbeat!!!!!

Project #3

And... Alethea's last request was for a night dress. Using the same pattern I used here (and if I didn't have the cat on my lap I would get up and tell you what it is - I think it is a discontinued McCalls ones) but in a soft cotton, I made a summer nighdress... The fabric is very pretty and voile like in softness. The hardest part was whether the pink owls or the orange owls should be the right way up...

I made a size 8 and shaved some off the bottom and it will be too big but do her for at least 3 summers! The short sleeved version of the pattern suggested elastic in the sleeves but we chose to leave it out.

Project #2

As I mentioned here this was in part payment for music lessons and here are payments 2 and 3 plus something extra to use up the fabric!

One fully lined music bag with a pocket on the front. Alethea is very musical and this is for her violin music books.

Satchel style, long strap like Amelia's and Max's. So very easy to make and I am sure one day I will make the bag and lining seperate and fill the bag with the lining but I am telling myself my rather barbarick approach will give the bag longevity!

2012 - on FIRE!

Wow, I am on fire this year so far! 14 days in and I have completed no less than 5 projects! So very happy with myself...

I joined a Facebook page called 52 week New Year sewalution. You can join here.

Basically the idea is once a week you sew a project and once a month there is a theme you have to sew, well, you don't have to but... January's theme was 'party' and there were a lot of Buntings and party frocks being made but I wanted to do something a bit different...

I bought this book ages ago and 'hid' it till the right time came about. Not hiding it from Stef, no point, he pays more attention to the credit card statement than I do! Desperate for a shower in peace I gave the book to Amelia and said 'I'd like to make some thing from this book that is to do with a party, have a look and pick something' and she did. Took several interruptions to choose and no real suprise she chose the calendar on the front cover! Once dry and decent we proceeded to talk about colours and attack the scraps bag. I am please to say I purchased nothing for this project, I had the lot! Pretty happy about that and it came together quite quickly once I got passed the hand stitching numbers and trying to understand the instructions!

It is far form perfect and still needs a bit of finishing but it's alright. It will do!

 Cut out, ready to go...

We chose to make a colourful 3 layer cake using our favourite colours to represent each layer. I really like the brightness of this! Sort of wish I had paid a but better attention and did things a bit straighter but I didn't and I aint redoing it!


The pattern was lots and lots of tiny cuts of fabric and not a lot of room for seam variation or 'beginner - intermediate' sewing experience. I would rewrite this pattern should I decide to do another (which is unlikely). There didn't seem to be any backing/ lining for the pockets and the bottom of it seemed to miss a whole row. It also didn't suggest you might like to use an alternate colour fabric to the ones in the pattern... it wasn't friendly!