200 BUTTON GIVEAWAY!

To celebrate  200 posts I am giving away 200 buttons! To win them, all you need to do is post a comment letting me know how you would use the buttons or maybe share a button crafting link.  If you need ideas, I have some sweet ideas on Pinterest.

 I will be working on some buttony projects myself this week that I hope to share. Meanwhile, feast your eyes on these little beauties that could soon be yours! They are mostly vintage with a few newbies and a selection of large and small in all sorts of colours - not too many whites.

Don't forget to let me have a way to contact you if you are the lucky winner! entries will close Monday next week.

My Place and Yours - Where I sleep

This is the second My Place and Yours meme I have played along with (from Punky and Me). It's a funny thing to share really as I think it is a place where we are most vulnerable. It is  our refuge from the world. It is my hidey hole and escape from all the worries of the world.
Ok, although it doesn't look like it, I DID spend half a minute straightening things a little. You only get this one little corner as any more would be a whole day effort. haha
As a girl I always wanted to be a princess with a four poster bed. Always. One of my favourite fairy tales was the princess and the pea. Mine has no drapes, but I can still be Queen of the Castle or at least of the King-sized bed. With my vintage pillow slips and jumble sale pink Scottish mohair blanket. It doesn't match anything but it is just so light and fluffly and warm. I love it.

Between mine and DH pillows is a small cushion covered in a vintage bear pillow slip. That is the domain of m 4yo DD and my concession to her nearly nightly ritual of joining us in the bed somewhere between the hours of midnight and 3am.

And finally, hanging down from the top of the post is a wrap top I took off and flung onto the drawers. Yeah, my aim is that bad. lol It went flying over the corner and whenever I see it I think, I wonder how long I will leave it hanging there? Put it this way.. I have lost at least 3 dress sizes since then. I guess one day I will have to deal with it. In the meantime it amuses me.

Trunk or Treat

Tonighr our church put on a trunk or treat along with lots of fantastic fun activities inside. The kids had a blast and overloaded on candy and cupcakes. I was busy  at my activity table so didn't get heaps of pics. I ran the fishing table. The kids were impressed when I put the dry ice in and it roiled and bubbled with the mist rolling off the water table.
Here are a few pics:

Heads UP My 200 post button giveaway! very soon! + Jody Pearl's Op-Shop Swap!

I am just 5 posts away from my 200th blog post! Quite a while ago (nearly 2 years), when I hit 101 posts, I gave away 101 BUTTONS from my collection.

I'm thinking 200 BUTTONS would be even better don't you? So keep an eye out for the giveaway post and be ready to comment to win :)

Just thought I would throw this out in case you haven't yet seen it. Jody Pearl is hosting an Op-Shop Swap in November. entries close this week so if you want to join in the Op-Swapping fun, check out Jody's REinventing fashion by DEconstructing it blog HERE or click the picture link below!

Pretty bluebirds and Doily overload

Just sharing some pics of my growing doily collection. I had them out to choose a few for a project I hope to share in the next day or so. Nothing too exciting.

I recently added a couple more embroidered bluebirds to my collection. These are some of my favourites.

My very favourite is the Blue Fairy Wren. We have them wild here in Adelaide. My sister goes walking around the Field creek (named after my Father's family so we say) and has seen them flitting through the bush.

The suitcase is bursting at the seams. After taking the embroidered doilies out it still seems full of the crocheted variety.

I love the crochet variety but I can't go past embroidered ones. One day I will make something that will display them all and not have them jammed into a suitcase out of sight. this pile includes a few tablecloths and "supper cloths" as one old dear in an Op-shop told me. Doesn't that sound ever so civilised and genteel?

It's getting harder to close that case!

Half a denim handbag tute from half a denim leg

This is half a tute as it will give you a concept but won't get you all the way to the end. You can figure the rest out can't you?

But seriously, I started taking pics of the process, but they sort of petered out about halfway. When I make another, I'll finish the tute off with more details. Meanwhile, you probably CAN figure it out if you are clever or an experienced bag maker.
Last week I made a Keyka Lou curvy clutch from one of the legs of a pair of jeans my DD  butchered upcycled into a pair of shorts. One of the reasons they were trimmed was she needed something for the warmer weather. The other reason was they apparently were too "flarey". So if you have an old pair of bell-bottoms, they will work a treat for this little project.

Step one, hack the lower leg off a pair of flares or boot-legs and trim off the hem (I figured out to do this later).

Step two, cut down the sides to make a top flap for your bag. Leave enough depth for the size bag you would like to make.

Step 3, trim one side of the two flap pieces off.
Step 4, fold the flap down (I trimmed mine to make it a bit shorter to a length I liked) Then use it as a template to cut a piece of lining fabric.

Step 5, Open the flap out and use the opened shape as a template for the other lining piece.(here are the two lining pieces right sides together).

Step 6, (this is where the pics stop) With lining pieces right side together, stitch around the three sides.

Step 7, Turn your denim right sides together and stitch across the bottom to close it.

Step 8, If you wanted a flat satchel type, you could now sew the lining and denim together, but I wanted a boxier shape. You need to open out the bag so that the bottom seam and side seam are on top of each other. Then stitch across the triangle point you formed at the corner. Whatever depth you decide to sew it will depend on how wide the base of the bag will be. mine was about 8cm from the corner point. Do the same for each corner on the denim and lining.

Step 9, Make 4 short strips from the denim scraps, fold right sides together, then turn. Fold in half and slip on a D ring (or old curtain ring like I did) to attach your handle to.

Step 10, Attach the handle loops on the right side, close to the edges of the bag flap. Raw edges pointing up the same as the bags raw edges.

Step 11,  Place your denim and lining pieces right sides together matching the shape. Start in the middle of the short side, leaving a large gap in the middle to turn it all inside out. Be careful of your needle going over the bulky sides where the loops and old denim seams are!

Step 12, Trim off an bulky bits if needed and snip diagonally into the corner seam allowance where the flap and bag meet.

Step 13, Turn the denim and lining around the right way and tuck the lining inside. Press the opening seams flat.

Step14, Topstitch the opening closed and continue around the edges. I didn't go over the loops as the machine I was using did not like the concept at all. It would be good if you could for extra reinforcement. My topstitching is a bit dodgy, I was using the treadle and the old foot was slippery and the foot pressure a bit loose and would not go over bumps. Next time I will swap the foot for one that will swivel and hopefully I will get all the way around and neatly.

If you wanted to put on magnetic clasps then do it before topstitching the opening. If you want a button loop, then put the loop in at the same stage as the handle loops in the same manner. If you wanted a pocket inside, attach it to the back lining piece before sewing the lining pieces together.


Here's the (nearly) finished product! Just awaiting the handle. I am contemplating a plaited denim handle perhaps? something fairly stiff or structured. Maybe some kind of embellishment. We'll see..  I will update the tute another time but in the interest of Blogtober, I'll put this up as it is.

Hopefully those instructions made sense. Pictures would go a long way helping that out. Please do share if you manage to make one of these. Please don't copy my pictures or instructions. I am happy for you to  gift or sell as many as you can make personally.

My Pyrex collection - a very humble beginning

When I saw Yvette Adams beautiful blue pyrex collection on her blog, I fell in love with it and wanted some for myself. Today I spied these two tiny Agee/Pyrex dishes, one in the lovely blue and both were just .20c each. I couldn't leave the yellow one there all alone though it is a bit more worse for wear than the blue one.

A very small and humble start to the collection that I hope will grow! - and not cost me too much in the process ;)

Goodwood Alive Christmas Festival - See you there!

On Saturday November 26 10am-2pm the streets of Goodwood will come alive for the Goodwood Alive 2011 Christmas Festival.

I had an invitation to apply a while ago and was waiting with bated breath to see if I got in again. The day of notification came and went and there was no reply, so I sadly thought I was out of luck. To my surprise, this evening, 10 days later, my email of acceptance turned up in my inbox! 

"Congratulations! You and your stall have been chosen to join Goodwood for the 2011 Goodwood Alive Christmas Festival. We are excited to have you on-board this year for what is expected to be a wonderful community event."

 I am very excited to be able to have a stall on the day, so if you're a South Aussie and will be in town,  make sure you drop in and say hello! The next 4 weeks I will be very busy stitching up a storm (besides all sorts of other big events and everyday life to contend with). The last Goodwood festival I did had a wonderful variety of stalls and it will be a fun day.

MPAY Pincushions

Just thought that today I would play along with Vic's little meme. My Place and Yours. This week the theme is pincushions. I have a few I use which include the popular little men around the blue globe and classic tomato but I thought I would share a couple of interest.
This saucer one is made from my tute you can find on this blog.

This kitschy shell pincushion actually came to me inside a little old vintage treadle machine cupboard. It certainly makes me smile and the eyes are googly! I'd like to say I'd never buy anything like this but last week I did buy a different kitschy shell. I swear I'm not really into shell craft though!

Tell the truth, would you buy this if you found it in an Op shop somewhere?

Op-shopping with my sister.

Always lots of fun but she got the prize of the day with this amazing real silver deer brooch complete with turquoise and marquisite dots. $40 and worth every penny don't you think?

The coral eyes on the right hand deer are a little spooky. Still I think I could live with it.

How does my garden grow?

OK this just looks like a gigantic hole in the ground, but it is really part 2 of the veggie garden. We are creating huge reservoirs which have ag pipe running through sand for irrigation.  Although many people actually line their soaker pits with plastic we decided against it. Last year we had a big backyard flood that and because of the heavy cay soil, it just wouldnt' soak away. We had to dig a trench to the drain to be abe to drain the back yard. So we made a decision that the plasticy clay would suffice and be more natural.
The bricks start at ground level and soil is then added along with manure and compost and straw and all sorts. It's a lot of work. The first bed was started over a year ago and is finally planted. This bed has only taken a couple of weeks thanks to my eldest DS.
The Besser blocks were a lucky freecycle pickup. In the foreground is bird netting which runs around the veggie zone to keep the chooks out.
Speaking of chooks, they seem to have FINALLY figured out how to use the fancy chicken feeder with the standing platform that raises and lowers the lid to their food. It's been nearly a year! The wire dangling nearby has been holding it partially up for months and months.

I am SO excited that the poor neglected fruit trees that have survived a few stinking hot summers without much growth have been madly sprouting and blossoming and fruiting. It is wonderful to finally see everything coming to fruition. Literally.
The pear tree is loaded with teenie pears:

The peacherine tree has tiny peacherines:

My apricot FINALLY has more than half a dozen apricots on it:

And maybe the 3rd lemon tree we have planted is not only surviving, but thriving and has teensy little lemons"

 Apple bossoms:

Choko vine:

 Fig tree in it's chicken cage. I think it has doubled in size since I took this pic a couple of days ago:

My veggie seedlings I grew from seed (that's a pretty satisfying feeling) waiting for a new bed:

And pots of herbs and veg on the deck. Actually most of them belong to my eldest DS who is MOVING OUT (again) next week!

I actually did this post last night but when I went to post, the internet curfew had set in. Yes, we have an internet curfew. It starts at 10.30pm on week nights. We figured none of the teen kids need to be up surfing and facebooking on a school night and although most nights I like to go to bed at 9.30 to function well the next day, sometimes I need the not so subtle reminder to GO TO BED ! lol No curfew on a Friday night! ;)

Quick and dirty Upcycled Keyka-Lou Curvy Clutch!

2nd post of the day (playing catchup again ;) ). I never lack in topics, I just run out of time or out of steam sometimes!
So yes, I have actually managed to sew a couple of things and yet let the first Curvy Clutch wristlet leave the house before taking pics, DOH! I have made this pattern quite a few times now and yet don't own one myself yet. It seems it is my Go To pattern for gifts. So I wandered into my sewing room this afternoon with the intention of duplicating it (for the 2nd 12th birthday party gift in a week) when I spotted the legs of the jeans which DD17 cut off her opshop jeans/now shorts this morning.

So off I went, slice, dice and stitch into the denim and star print drill. I used the side welt seam for the strap and decided to forego the metal buckle loop thingy and stitched it straight into the side.

I did put a magnetic clasp on the front and in hindsight it would have been more authentically upcycled if I had used a button and welt loop closure and even recycled lining, but never mind, I have another leg waiting! I used the hem as the top of the inner pocket and decided to put the stars facing outward on the flap to brighten it up.
I forgot to put the pocket in before I stitched the lining pieces together so it isnt' quite centered/straight.

.... I had a bit of bother...

Next time I will at least put some interfacing in the flap. I figured with the denim and drill it was a bit of overkill but it would have held the flap a bit steadier going round the curves being stretch denim.

But like I said, quick and dirty and I didn't even break a needle in the denim!

It got the thumbs up from 12yo DD for her friends gift. We will put a few other bits and bobs inside. and it might end up with some kind of denim removable brooch trim on the flap.. we'll see. TFL!