Would you believe...

...blogger won't let me upload photos on the last day of Blogtoberfest? I've been trying all day...

Congratulations to everyone who made it through, and thanks to Big Cat for hosting!

Pay It Forward

I forgot to mention much earlier that the following talented bloggers have joined my Pay It Forward:

Ellieboo

Two Pink Possums

Going Green

Check out their blogs if you'd like to join in - although I believe Linda at 2 Pink Possums already has three takers.

'Is that for Ollie for jumping on?'

This was the response when Ollie opened up his birthday quilt on Monday morning. It's turned out quite long - maybe a king single size? I have visions of seeing a tall gangly 17 year old tucked up beneath it on the couch! (just in case anyone asks - that vision would be of Ollie as a 17 year old - not some random who walks in off the street!).

Veg About

Bellgirl is hosting a Veg About - encouraging bloggers to post regularly about their herb and veggie patches.

Mine's not much of a patch - more an assortment of plastic tubs.
They appear to be doing well since I last posted about them here. The lettuce is growing quickly, keeping us well supplied with young succulent leaves. I planted too many, thinking they wouldn't do well, so have started giving it away.
I have two tomato plants, one red and one yellow. The yellow is flowering beautifully, but not a single bloom has appeared on the red. Time will tell.

The Big Day

Thanks to all the people who sent birthday wishes to Ollie yesterday (and today) - it's lovely that you were all thinking of him :)

He loved his Igglepiggle birthday cake. I decided to just go with the head after seeing Hoppo Bumpo's Elmo cake. Of course, I didn't have any fancy gel colouring to ice it with (on my wish list), so improvised with the watermelon hair and melted chocolate for the eyes and mouth.
He had a fabulous day out at the zoo, catching up with some friends, including a few furry ones...
...and collapsed in bed at the end of a full day!

Happy Birthday my sweet little man!

Sunday Stash

This is a sheet I bought from an op shop for $2.00. I love the strawberries :)

Thanks to Tamara for hosting!

And the winner is......

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

9 

Timestamp: 2008-10-25 02:49:41 UTC

Comment number 9 was Sarah-Jo from Ideyspidey

This is what she had to say:

Sarah-Jo said...

Sydney Gal here!

great giveaway good luck to all the entrants :)

22 OCTOBER, 2008 08:32 

Congratulations Sarah-Jo! 

Traffic Jam Hat

Everyone seems to be making hats at the moment - but I guess we are heading towards summer. I've made plenty for myself and for my friends, but thought I'd branch out into kids hats.

After a bit of tinkering with the pattern, I'm pretty happy with how this has turned out. It's reversible, which I love in a kids hat, and will hopefully fit Ollie, as I'm giving him this one for his birthday!
He won't mind that the band on the Traffic Jam fabric is upside down!!

Pay it forward for crafty bloggers

(I keep misreading that title as crafty buggers! Crafty buggers are free to join in as well)

I've jumped on the band wagon and joined in to Katie from May The Cloth Be With You's Pay it Forward.

The rules are simple:
I will send the first three people to leave a comment on this post a handmade gift within the next 365 days (that's my kind of time frame!)

I am willing to post anywhere in the world, so don't let that stop you commenting.

The catch is that you have to have a blog and be willing to do the same thing.... 

So if you'd like to participate, then leave me a comment and make sure to leave me a valid email address/link to your blog so that I can contact you for your address. 

quick link

If you haven't see these before - I highly recommend them! I bought mine from Howards Storage World - a little pricey but well worth it. 

Feeling fresh!

Sorry for the unscheduled mini-blog break yesterday. I decided I needed 24 hours off the computer, and an 11 hour sleep :) Feeling oh-so-much brighter today!

The quilt is coming along so nicely - I've really enjoyed doing the hand-stitching (binding, and some hand-stitched shapes throughout the quilt). That's been the part that put me off finishing this many months ago!

Thank you to all the people who have left a comment on my 100th post giveaway! I have loved reading all of the comments, and finding out where you are all from. I will try to get to all of your blogs for a visit over the next couple of days. Don't forget to comment before midday on Sat 25th October to be in the draw!

Now, off to bloglines to see how much I've missed since Tuesday night....

100th Post Giveaway!

100 posts! Who knew I had so many in me??

In honour of this momentous occasion I have put together a bit of a giveaway. The booty is shown in the above photo: a turquoise apron with a large pocket that has been machine embroidered; a set of four vintage rose buttons; some yellow vintage ric-rac braid; and a set of four cards that I gocco'd a while ago. I'm using these cards as my xmas cards this year - they are blank inside.

**A winner has been drawn! Congratulation to Sarah Jo from Ideyspidey**

If you'd like to enter the draw for my giveaway, just leave me a comment letting me know where you are from by Saturday 25th October at 12 noon AEST. I'll probably do the random integer generator thing for the draw.

Best of luck to you all!

Losing my bloggy mojo...

The pressure of blogtoberfest is getting to me. I'm not used to blogging everyday, and I'm think that I'm struggling to keep the pace. I feel myself giving a weary sigh when I realise it's 10pm and I've yet to blog for the day.

I've just realised that tomorrow will be my 100th post! Stay tuned for giveaway details!

Fishing hedgehog prints purchased here about 2 years ago. Only recently found at the bottom of a box.

Sunday Stash

Vintage cotton twill, selvedge reads "Potpourri Jungle designed by Helen D'oyly Long".

Check out Tamara's blog to see who else is playing along.

Iron-on Transfer Pencil Tutorial

I've wanted to do embroidery for a while now, but was always baffled as to how I put my own image or text on to the fabric. Then I came across an iron-on transfer pencil on someone's blog (sorry, have no idea which one it was - I subscribe to way too many!). I'm sure people have been using them for years, but for those of us who haven't - or who haven't even heard of them - this tutorial is for you.

I have used a red Clover iron-on transfer pencil. Presumably there are other brands of transfer pencils on the market - please follow the instructions on the packet, as I have only used the Clover pencil.

1. I drew the original image myself (copying and enlarging an image I found on some fabric). I first drew it in lead pencil, then traced over the top with a black fine liner pen to give a clear outline.
2. I wanted the image to come out as I initially drew it, so I flipped the paper over and traced over the back of the image, to give me a reverse of the original image. If you are using text, you will need to do this, too. If you don't mind which way your scooter faces, then you can skip this step.
3. I then placed some baking paper (which is all I had on hand) over the new image and traced over it using the iron-on transfer pencil. I pressed quite firmly to ensure good coverage of the image.

4. The next step is to iron the image onto your fabric. Lay your fabric down and work out where you want your image placed. Place the baking/tracing paper pencil side down on the fabric. Set the iron to the temperature required for your particular fabric (eg hot iron for cotton or linen). Press a dry iron firmly over the image for 10-20 seconds, taking care not to glide the iron, as this may distort your image.
5. And hey presto! You have an image ready for embroidery. (Don't be distracted by the TV, as I was, and burn your fabric!!)
6. Choose your floss, and start embroidering.

The transfer can be used several times. This was my third time using this particular transfer, and I was surprised at how bright it came out.

The transfer works better on lighter coloured fabrics, as you probably won't be able to see it on darker fabrics.

The transfer is permanent. Make sure you position the transfer correctly before ironing. Have a sharp point on your pencil so you get a thin line transferred onto your fabric. Don't skip any steps if you're using text - otherwise you will transfer a mirror image of the text!

And, as always with new toys and gadgets, test on a scrap piece of fabric first!

PS: feel free to link to this tutorial on your blog. just let me know in my comments so I can check it out!

New WIP

Knowing that I have less than 10 days to finish Ollie's birthday quilt has lead to some serious procrastination - namely, a new work in progress.

The pictures I've used for the embroidery have come straight from my new favourite fabric (below). I also got to use my new (to me) iron-on transfer pencil from Clover. Love it! I'm really starting to have a love affair with Clover - so many gadgets!

(Traffic Jam - Alexander Henry)

Anyhoo, when I have finished all the machine work on the quilt, I'll finish the WIP (If I don't stick to my own self-imposed rules, I'll never get the quilt done!). Then, of course, back to the quilt binding...

Wet washing...

Can't wait to cut into some of these!

Time's a-tickin'

With 12 days til the boy-child's birthday, I figure I'd better get crackin' on his birthday quilt. My sister gave me some sage advice on Sunday - if I did an hours work on it on Sunday, that would be one hour less I'd be working on it the night before his birthday. Wise words. She knows me well.

Being the super organised crafter that I am, I spent Sunday night on the couch thinking about doing some work on the darned thing. On Monday I got it out, and realised I hadn't done quite as much as I had thought. After a solid 3 hours* working on it, I got it to the stage I thought I was previously at.

I've just spent the last 45 mins sticking all the layers together with quilt basting spray (feeling just a little light headed despite having all the doors and windows open). Now it's time to read up on what to do next.

* 3 hours in which I hung out some washing, made myself a cup of tea, read a couple of blogs, and generally wasted valuable time!

Fishy goodness

Today I received a sweet hand-delivered packaged from local blogger and fellow Etsian Annabel (and her very gorgeous son) - this charming pendant.

Beautifully packaged, it also came with a lovely card and a herbalicious bunch of greenery from her garden. I love how much effort people put into packaging and presentation!

I'm not sure whether I'll be keeping it for myself, or gifting it to someone special.....

(image taken from Bellgirl's Etsy store)

Stonnington Gardening Fete

It was a busy day for a small boy.

Feeding bunnies...

and chooks.

Sorting rocks...

and sliding.

We missed the Jack Russell Racing, but you can see some funny pictures here. Many thanks to Bellgirl for letting me know about the fete - we had a lovely day out.

Sunday Stash

I found this funky decorator weight screen printed fabric in an op shop about 12 months ago.

Thanks to Tamara for hosting the Sunday Stash.

Pink Ribbon Breakfast

Ollie and I attended a very pink Pink Ribbon Breakfast in St Kilda this morning. So much sickly sweet pink (I could hardly bear to look at it all)! Not much in the way of savoury foods, so I'm feeling the need for some salt to balance out all that sugar. All for a good cause, though.

After much persuading on my part, Ollie finally agreed to go on a pony ride in the park across the road from the breakfast.

I could only get him on the horse after telling him he'd be a cowboy like Woody from Toy Story. He loves that movie.

Yes, Ollie is wearing a pink t-shirt. I had joked about making him a pink hat or something to wear to the Pink Ribbon Breakfast, then went to hang out the wet washing. Most of it was pink :( In my haste to shove everything in the machine, I put a brand new red t-shirt into the wash!

Spring planting

Daisies

Mini Red Capsicums and Mixed Lettuce

Mini Tomatoes and more Lettuce

Rhubarb

As I'm sure I've mentioned before, my backyard is small and mostly concrete. What little garden we have out there is growing in pots. So far it has mostly been fruit, veggies and herbs, but I hope to slowly add some flowers to the mix just to make it look a bit less like a.... concrete backyard. 

All of the above, except the rhubarb, was planted today whilst Ollie slept. My hope is that Ollie, Miss J and I can pluck some strawberries/tomatoes/capsicums etc straight from the plant to eat then and there. I'm pretty excited about the tomatoes plants - they don't need to be staked, they will apparently drape over the pot. They'll probably take over the lettuce, but I've got heaps growing.

Bedroom Revamp: Stage 1

Ollie's 3rd birthday is coming up very soon, so I'm hoping to revamp his bedroom as part of my gift to him. I bought a low line Ikea TV unit on eBay many months ago with the intention of it becoming a window seat for his room. He has a corner window with excellent natural light, so it's the perfect spot for a seat. 

::Before

 The TV unit had glass sliding doors, which I removed as soon as I got it home. I also removed the shelves so the storage area is big enough to hold some larger toys and a large box of his trains.

::After stage #1

I had some dense foam cut at Clark Rubber to fit the top, then made up a cushion cover using some decorating weight fabric from Spotlight. I used a super easy pattern from a book I found in an op shop a few weeks ago - Pure Fabrication. It has some really over-the-top decorating advice from 1985, but also has some good basic home decorating patterns.

Ollie is really enjoying sitting there and reading - I think I've read his favourite book to him at least 8 times since yesterday (Harry the Dirty Dog - a great story for little boys who think they are dogs!).

Make your own labels - hot tip!

I came across this tutorial for making your own product labels a while ago, and immediately set out to make some SGK labels. I gathered all of the supplies I needed, and quickly stumbled at the first hurdle - I couldn't work out how to reverse the text so that it print in reverse on the t-shirt transfer paper.

After hours of research, I still couldn't find a solution that didn't involve buying an image software program like Photoshop. Convinced that that was the end of it, I put the project aside.

Last week I accidently came across the answer! So easy! When printing something entirely different, I used a drop down menu on the print window to change the type of paper I was using, and there it was - a little box labeled "Mirror Image". I can't believe it was something so simple!

I figured I'd share the tip as surely I'm not the only one not using an image manipulation program like photoshop. Hope it helps someone!

Make your own sewing label links:

Silly Gilly, 

Sew Take a Hike, 

Burda Style, 

ehow, 

essortment

Now off to bed (for me, that is!).

New Header

I received a friendly kick in the pants to update my header the other day. I've delayed it for ages as I kind of know what I want, but would have to make the effort to create it. 

So, to give you all something to look at, I've drawn up a quick alternative to fill in the space in the meantime. I know I could have been cheekier, given my blog title, but this will be fine for now. At least when people google things like "long green knickers" or "photos knickers", they'll be able to check out my green frilly knickers hanging on the line!

Puff Purse

After coveting this pattern for a while, I finally bit the bullet, so to speak, and ordered a puff purse pattern from Melbourne girl Nicole Mallalieu. It very swiftly arrived the next day, but I have only just found time today to whip one up.

I've used some Japanese Kimono fabric offcuts, given to me as a (months early) birthday present from a friend. Really, the hardest part of this whole process was choosing the fabric! The pattern is well written, with handy tips and suggestions thrown in along the way. 

The purse is blog-ready, but not yet complete. I've just finished gluing the fabric to the frame, when it dries I'll get on to the hand sewing. 

I'm not sure who'll get this particular one, but I'll definitely be making more for Christmas!

Strawberry Flowers

Ollie and I are eagerly watching the progress of these little flowers - who will get the strawberries? The birds? The bugs? Or the boy?

Confessions of a procrastinating crafter.

So, I've committed to being a festie and blogging every day this month. Problem is, I've been so busy the last couple of days, but forgotten to take my camera with me, so i can't do a quick and easy post with photo showing what I've been doing (eg quick photo of Ollie eating hot chips at the beach). 

Instead, I've been forced to delve into the deepest corners of my crafty world and confess things I'm not ready to confess. I've been forced to admit that I have quilts on the go. 

I say quilts (plural), because some of you with unforgivably good memories might recall this other quilt* I began some time ago. 

So, we'll leave it at that, shall we? Just two quilts on the go? Yes. For now we shall just say two.

And I'm sure some of you will shudder to think that the quilt shown above is a wedding gift for some lovely friends who got married earlier this year. In March. That's right, March. 

And did I hear someone ask "Was it a shotgun wedding? Did you have no time to prepare this gift, Sparkly?". I have to confess that no, it was not a shotgun wedding. I knew well in advance that this lovely couple were getting married, and that some form of gift would be required on my part. A token of my appreciation for these lovely folks for letting me share in their special day, and in their lives.

So there. My secret is out. But seeing that only my good friends read this blog (that means you, my dearest, sweetest reader), I'm sure your memory of this post will be hazy at best.

*Oh my, I posted about this quilt in March! March, peoples! What a disgrace....

Surprise finds

I bought a vintage (1970) wedding dress pattern from an op shop today, just because it looked super sweet (no upcoming nuptials!). When I got it home, I opened the pattern envelope to check that all the pattern pieces were there, and found this tucked up inside!

(I've blurred the surname and street address for privacy reasons)

I wonder if Debbie D ever ended up at the Bambi Smith Model College* (although she probably didn't if I now have her account record!)?

*Thanks to Hoppo Bumpo for the link!

Tomato Relish

I struggle to find gifts that I can make myself to give to men. The one thing I always fall back on is food.

A friend mentioned a few months ago that her husband loves relish and chutney. After coming across a couple of kilos of ripe tomatoes at a great price, I decided to whip some up for the men folk I know. I googled 'tomato relish' and found this easy recipe. I've got 7 good sized jars of it, so that's them sorted!

Have you joined Blogtoberfest? If not, head on over to Big Cat's Emporium.