Costumes, costumes and more costumes...

Over the last couple of weeks I seem to have been making nothing but costumes (and I'm a bit over it I must say). First a clown costume for school assembly - I made some rainbow pants and a star t-shirt to match.

 
Then a late night Frankenstein costume for a school monster disco.

I was lacking inspiration so a felt covered box for a head with some toy nuts and bolts stitched to an elastic strap for the neck bolt and lots of green face paint. This photo was taken after the even so half of the face paint is missing but you get the idea.

Finally a Halloween themed birthday party (which should have been easy except I had opted out on Halloween and sent the boys trick or treating in their superhero costume). A quick trip to the party store for a Wizards hat and a simple hooded cape (made from my lovely Growing up Sew Liberated book) along with a pumpkin bag and improvised wand and we are done!

Please no more dress ups for a week or two!

Last minute trick or treat bags

Like everything in our house lately our Halloween preparations are a bit last minute. After a busy morning on school duty I quickly nipped to the supermarket to stock up on some treats and then zipped up some felt goody bags for the boys using scraps of felt.I roughly followed this Purl Bee Easter Egg bag tutorial.  I would have like to make orange bags with black bats on them but I didn't have enough orange felt so they ended up with black bags and orange pumpkins (a bit wobbly because they were cut free hand and sewn in a hurry before school pick up. Hopefully they will do the job for a bit of trick or treating this evening. 

 

Enjoy your Halloween but don't eat too much candy!

Making gift bags

I like to make re-usable bags to wrap childrens birthday presents but I'm not so good at keeping a store of them ready for last minute gifts. I'm also not the worlds fastest sewer so I have been looking for a quick method of making simple gift bags. I think gift bags look much nicer with French seams but I still haven't worked out a quick way of doing this when I make draw string bags (which I usually use for gifts). Recently I tried out a new style of gift bag.

Last Christmas I saw Soul Mamma's design for Christmas bags and went out and bought a whole pile of Christmas fabric in the January sales with the intention of making these simple bags this Christmas. Last week when I was finishing off a birthday crown as part of a little girls birthday present I thought I would try out that bag design and it proved to be very quick and simple.

To make this simple gift bag;

1. Press and cut the fabric to the required size adding a couple of inches for seams.

2. Fold fabric in half right sides out and press

3. Sew French seams down the sides of the bag (ie sew a 1/4" seam down either side, fold bag inside out, press and sew a 1/2" seam).

4. Fold top edge over 1/2" and then fold again, press, tuck two lengths of ribbon into this seam (for  securing the bag) then sew seam around top edge of bag.

5. Turn right side out, press, put present in, fold over top edge and secure with ribbon at the front.

Super simple and neat! Now I just have to get cracking on my Christmas bags!

1st Birthday Present

Yesterday Puggles' little friend turned one so it was time to dust off the sewing machine and whip up a little birthday crown and bib in double quick time.

I started the birthday crown last week but I also started back at work this week so I had not finished it. With an hour to spare after taking Junior to sport this morning I quickly finished it off and then made a dribble bib to match. I still had a draw string bag left over from making Nappy Bags last year so I popped in the crown and bib along with a book and a hand made card by Junior. 

Such a cute last minute present.

This moment - work in progress

{this moment}: A Friday tradition with Soulemama. One moment from this week, one that you want to hang onto and not forget. No words.

In the bag

On the weekend I finally got around to doing a little bit of sewing. I have been planning this project forever and once I started it really took no time at all - in between the meals, nappy changes and refereeing squabbles between three little boys.
I made this as a lego sack using this tutorial but it really is a bit small for the volume of lego we have in our house. This one is being used for Puggles blocks and I will make a bigger one for the lego.
Hope you found a little time for your own projects this weekend.

Bunny Making

This weekends little "making" project was a Mooshy Belly Bunny using this simple tutorial which I found via Keep Cate Busy.
Again this was a very quick and easy project leading to almost instant gratification - my kind of sewing. It also used up some old out of shape baby clothes I had been hording for ages because I knew I should be able to use the fabric for something but I hadn't quite worked out what!
The prototype (which Puggle has been road testing for me) isn't perfect but I have two more little bunnies to finish so hopefully they will improve. Wish me luck.

More Making

A couple of years ago a good friend of mine, who had managed to get her youngest child past the toddler years, decided that rather than making a new years resolution or list of resolutions she just made a pledge to make that year the "year of the body". Her aim was to loose some weight, gain some fitness and reclaim her body after a few years of pregnancy and breast feeding.
With a 5 month old and a two year old I think the "year of the body" is a little way off for me, but I do like the idea of having a theme or goal for the year. I have decided 2011 for me will be "the year of making".
I always have lots of craft or sewing ideas on my wish list but I very rarely get a chance to complete them. This year I hope to gain some motivation and actually get them done. I have already made one little bag, and last week I made this six pocket bag which was also very quick, simple and satisfying. Hopefully I will have another project to show you all soon. Fingers crossed.

Making

After spending more of my Christmas break than I ort to looking a beautiful crafty blogs, I have found a little sewing inspiration. This weekend I made myself a Tiny Happy bag using this easy to follow tutorial.

It was super easy to make - the hardest part trying to decide what fabric to choose. I opted for a simple black drill cotton and a quirky red bird print for the lining - although Junior prefers the lining fabric so I made if reversible by adding another button. Which do you prefer?

Being so quick to make I may have to make a few more of these.

Super Birthday Boy

With Rascals birthday rapidly approaching I finally got around to making that superman cape I have been planning to forever!
Once I actually started it took no time at all (one nap time to be precise) and I'm quite pleased with it. I used this tutorial which I found via Heldin im Chaos and it was super easy.
I was going to make it reversible with Batman on one side and Superman on the other but I have decided to save Batman for Junior instead or they will be forever fighting over it.
So nice to actually get one project finished - now to tackle the rest of the pile. Wish me luck.

On-the-go Nappy Bags

Earlier this week the boys and I went to Spotlight looking for some curtain fabric (yes I know I'm insane taking three young boys shopping but as a mum I sometimes have to do these things). Anyway, with two of my nieces expecting babies next week, I couldn't resist buying a little of this cute fabric to make some "On-the-go Nappy Bags".
I saw these at Lovely Designs recently so when I saw the fabric I knew what I would make with it. I had planned to start making my Christmas bags this week but they have been put on hold for a week or two.
I used Sharilyn's tutorial but made the bags slightly bigger and filled them with a washable changenmat, wipes, nappies and a little one piece suit.
Junior helped me with threading the ribbon for the bag ties so of course he wants a little bag of his own too - might be good for filling with pencils, note books and stickers to keep him entertained when we are out and about.

Weekend sewing

This weekend Aussie Dad took the boys to the pool on Saturday and the beach on Sunday so I was finally able to get a couple of sewing projects off my desk and finished.
The first wasn't very exciting, curtains for the bedroom. I had cut these out ages ago but with three small boys I just haven't been able to find the time to finish them off. Once that project was out of the way I was able to tackle something much more fun - a simple reversible bucket bag for Aussie Mums beach gear.
With all these boys around me I think I needed something a bit girly so I made it with pink flora and candy stripes - not me at all but nice for a change. Hope you had a nice weekend and found a little time for a project of your own.

Another lap quilt

With Puggle's arrival only a week or so away I have managed to finish Rascals lap quilt. It was a bit of a rush and I'm not quite sure about some of the fabric combinations but it is done now and I do love the cute little robots, cars and doggies on this one.
Aussie Dad - who has been very busy stripping and painting - has finally finished the renovations on the front bedrooms so this weekend the boys moved into there new bedroom - complete with a new bed for each of them. Perhaps not the best time to move them, just before the arrival of another sibbling, but sometimes renovations don't go quite to plan.
Junior has been wanting a bunk bed for so long and he has been very keen to share with his brother. Fingers crossed it all goes well and they manage to share their space without too many disputes (we will wait and see!).

Some new Pyjamas

On the way home from work yesterday I finally got around to picking up some flanelette fabric to make Juniors pyjamas. I found some fabric with cute little dinosaurs on it which I thought would be perfect for my dinosaur mad boy. Last night I whipped up some pants using an Oliver + S pattern for Bedtime Story Pyjamas which I borrowed from my friend and neighbour.
I didn't make the top because Junior is a little fussy about having comfy clothes, instead I appliqued a green flannelette dinosaur onto a long sleeve cotton t-shirt to match the pants. I think they are very cute - I just hope he likes them.

Junior's Quilt

Well Junior's quilt is finished! I think it was definitely worth my while doing a beginners quilting course because it made me do my "homework" each week to keep up with the class. 6 weeks later I have finished the quilt.
There are a few fudgy bits but on the whole I'm happy with it and now have the confidence to finish my "other quit" I started years ago but then put in the too hard basket!
I have even been looking at fabric to make a similar quilt for Bub - Oh those Kokka Novelty fabrics are so cute for little boys and girls!