My Preparing For Baby Project

The countdown is on! One month today until our due date. Of course, in reality, that  means that baby could come in two weeks, or not for another 6 weeks...The former sounds exciting while the latter sounds torturous at present. 

With baby #2, it seems that there is a lot less to prepare. Since our baby is going to be sharing a room with our two-year-old, we don't even have a nursery to prep. So my main 'prepare for baby' project was to restore a rocking chair. 

I should have taken 'before' photos, but I forgot. We were given this rocking chair by my uncle and aunt, who had used it out on their deck in West End, close to the river. Being somewhat exposed to the weather meant that the varnish had come off and some mould grown on the arm rests, and various other bits of the timber. I sanded back the mould and used oil of cloves to try to kill it off before re-varnishing (which my darling hubby did for me). 

The foam of the cushions had turned to dust almost, so I cut new cushions from an old mattress we had been meaning to throw out. The foam was still good, so that was not an issue. Then I whipped up some rather rough cushion covers from some fabric I had lying around. It was one of those projects where there was only JUST enough fabric to make it, and this impacted on my design for sewing the covers. However, they do the job, and I love the fact that we spent absolutely no money on this project - we were able to use all materials that we already had lying around.

I now have one very comfy rocking chair that promises to be a treat to breastfeed in. So then baby...don't wait too long before coming, ok?

Wedding Guest Book Cover

So we have a wedding in our family in a week and a half. The happy couple had difficulty finding a guest book that suited their needs. They eventually found one that ticked their boxes, except for one little detail...THE COVER. On a high from some journal covers I have thoroughly enjoyed making recently, I offered to make a cover for their guest book...

The bride immediately knew what she wanted - a book cover to match their wedding invitations. A lovely idea. So we shopped for fabric together, found some that matched to her liking, and talked through all the details. 

The wedding invitation - the paper has a sheen to it, sorry for the bad pic.

Then came the part where I actually had to MAKE it. Hmmm. Not as simple as I had anticipated. However, I thankfully had the foresight to make sure that we bought enough fabric for me to do a trial run, and let's just say that my second attempt was much better than my first. 

The finished product

Back view

Inside cover

Close-up of the embroidery

Thankfully I managed to complete it with plenty of time to spare. It's certainly not perfect, and I am trying hard to be happy with the end result and not just see all the imperfections. Now I just hope the bridal couple like it!

Sweet Headbands For Baby Girls

 Yes, I am pregnant...34 weeks pregnant in fact. No, I don't know whether the baby is a boy or a girl. But perhaps it is the cluckiness, the memories of Eliza as a newborn, or the fact that several friends have had baby girls recently, but I am just so excited about making cute little girl things at the moment. 
  
Just some simple little yo-yo headbands on shiny elastic. I put a little strip of felt on the back side where the elastic was joined, to cover the stitching so it won't be itchy for the little princess who wears it. 

I couldn't resist trying one of my newly made NEWBORN headbands on my own little model. Now I shall pay the price, as the elastic stretched and I shall have to remake the headband with fresh elastic. Oh well, she looks cute in it. Maybe I should just keep this one for her as it is already stretched. Girls are so fun to make for!

Fabric Portfolio for Father's Day

A few months ago, when I was attending weekly craft nights and making an abundance of bits and pieces, hubby mentioned in passing that he 'wouldn't mind' if I made him a fabric portfolio-style folder. I tucked that helpful and blatant hint away in the back of my mind...

With Father's Day approaching, I started desperately attempting to think of a present idea a few weeks ago...when it hit me! The fabric folio! Hurray! Something he actually wants, and custom made just for him. So I sat down and worked on a few preliminary sketches, with the idea that I would design it and make it in secret.

Secret - HUH! I am rather pathetic at keeping secrets from my beloved hubby, and held it in about 15 minutes after he got home. Lame effort, right? Anyway, I have no one but myself to blame that he then got all excited about the possibilities, and though he loved my initial design, wanted to 'think about it' for awhile, especially the embroidery design, and maybe sketch up some other ideas for what to have embroidered on it.

Hmmm...a few weeks passed, in which he did a few sketches, but when I hounded him, it apparently was not complete and he didn't really know yet. Which brings us to Wednesday of this week - 4 days before Father's Day and still no answers! So I just did it my own way. And then of course, had to show him my work at every stage. (I really need to work on my sneakiness!)

I finished off the last few details this morning. Here it is:

I used olive green linen (I love linen!), and stitched with three strands of white embroidery cotton, sashiko embroidery for the cross and stem stitch for his initials, for which I used his design.

Pockets for his pint-sized diary, phone, short scale rule and a few pens.

Husband's idea that I attach two clips, one for when there is nothing in the pockets, and one for when they are full.

The right hand side is a pocket for A4-sized paper, and I glued a brushed metal clipboard to the centre. There is firm cardboard in each of the three sections also, for added support.

It is a little rough, but as my Mum would say - 'It's the lilt of handmade!'

Journal Cover Gone Wrong...Made Right

Recently I decided I needed a nice new journal cover to inspire me. I had a pattern in mind that I've been wanting to try, but when I gave it a shot, it turned out terribly! The pattern and instructions were from a book that will not be named, and the pic of the finished product had looked so cute and inspiring. Unfortunately, the instructions were conflicting, contradictory, poorly-written, incomplete and just plain didn't work.

Once I'd realised that, I got to work on figuring out how I could alter it to make it work for my purposes. I am pretty happy with the finished product.

Sometimes the projects I like the best are ones that start out as one big mistake, and then morph into something else.  :)

How Fun Is This - An Envelope Needle Book??

So Pinterest is apparently causing inspiration that actually results in making! I recently found this gorgeous tutorial on Pinterest. Wow! I found it so irresistible that I just had to make one for my crafty friend Hannah's birthday. I had actually gone searching for needle book ideas, as she has been storing hers in the awkward, hard-to-use turn-then-try-to-shake-the-needle-you-want-out case that the needles had come in. This tutorial looked perfect!

The tute is well-written, with a downloadable pdf pattern and instructions, as well as lots of lovely pics all available from the website. I tweaked a few things, like sewing the stamp and address lines on by hand with embroidery thread, and adding a name in embroidery also. Here's the finished product:

I enjoyed making it so much that I had to go on and make one for myself as well.

 So there you have it. Now I know you're itching to go try one for yourself so off you go. Have fun!

First items for sale on Etsy

I'm finally taking the plunge and listing some items on Etsy. You can find them here.

It's a bit exciting!

:)

Childcraft Make and Do

I am currently reminiscing about my childhood. We had a set of Childcraft Encyclopedias at home, which we loved very much.

One of my favourite volumes was 'Make and Do'. How I loved to pour over the bright, colourful pages full of promise and inspiration. The idea of creating things from simple everyday boxes, toilet rolls, paper plates, and wool would create a sense of excitement and anticipation.

Last time I was home, I had to drag hubby to the encyclopedia collection and locate the much-loved 'Make and Do' volume to share my childhood excitement with a fellow project-lover. Flicking through the book, I realised that I cannot actually remember which projects I actually made. But I guess that was not the point. The fun was in the inspiration and the creating process, the outcome was only a bonus that probably got thrown out when I had forgotten about it a few weeks later.

I am finding the same sense of excitement and inspiration with Pinterest at present. The photos, the concepts, the possibility of 'I could make that!'. What remains to be seen is if I will actually make and cherish any of the projects I am pinning...

You can see my Pinterest board here: http://pinterest.com/candykins

To Sell Or Not To Sell

I've been thinking a lot lately about the pros and cons of selling the crafts that I have made. I can't believe how much I am deliberating over this.

On the one hand, the idea of getting a little something back to pay for the craft supplies I buy is so appealing.

But on the other hand...I do craft because I enjoy doing it - without the pressure of having to have it 'good enough' to sell or having to put a price on it. I make stuff to give as gifts because I like putting thought and effort into presents, and I know how special it is to receive a gift that was made especially for me. I do craft for relaxation and enjoyment, for self-expression and a sense of personal satisfaction. I am a little concerned that trying to market and sell my handmade stuff will detract from that element of fun, freedom and relaxation.

Also, I don't really enjoy mass-producing things. It's one thing if it's for a small Christmas gift I'm giving to lots of friends, like the Christmas tree ornament I made last Christmas. But it's different if I'm making in order to sell. To me, that is a whole different mindset. I tend to get sick of making the same things over and over. Once I've mastered one thing, I want to try something new. Otherwise it just does not feel satisfying.

Another thing that trips me up with the idea of selling my stuff - ego. If my stuff does not sell, I am concerned that I will feel hurt, that my sense of self-satisfaction may be diminished, and that in turn will steal some of my motivation to keep making.

So my current stance is this: I will continue make for enjoyment, relaxation, pleasure, self-expression, and gifts for other people. If I get excess stock lying around, I can put it up on my Etsy store, and see if any of it sells. If it does not sell, I will be ok with that. I will use it myself, or keep it for gifts in the future - but not in a 'this is a reject no one wanted so here you go, you can have it' kind of way. As it is, I only make stuff I like, so if I like it, hopefully I can think of a friend who would also like it. :)

Craft Books That Inspire Me

Here are a few of the books that I have found inspiration from in my crafting recently.

• 'Kanzashi in Bloom' by Diane Gilleland
• 'Zakka Sewing: 25 Japanese Projects for the Household (Stc Craft)' by Therese Laskey, Chika Mori and Yoko Inoue
• 'Crafty Minx' by Kelly Doust
• 'Fun-to-Wear Fabric Flowers' by Elizabeth Helene Searle
• 'Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures' by Amanda Blake Soule
•  'Sew Darn Cute: 30 Sweet & Simple Projects to Sew & Embellish' by Jenny Ryan