fred&cissy

Paring back

2011-02-17T17:35:00.000+11:00

I started Fred and Cissy as a fun way of labelling some of the things that I made for my family for Christmas. From there the idea of making things for sale under the label quickly grew. I reasoned that it would be a good way of using up my stash, dreamt up a product range based on crafty items I'd made previously and found to be fun / useful / attractive, and enjoyed the thought that others might like some of my creations as much as I do. I even bought a few supplies, registered the business name and started work on a website.

But the truth is I'm already way too busy, and when I look at my stash I want to go out and by more fabric to 'fill in the gaps' to make the products I have in mind. So I've put it on the backburner. Bummer really. I'd just about finished my first monogramed notebook cover. But in the end my sanity and my family are more important than my ego and 'using up' my stash.

I might get back to it, or I might not, but for now if you want to know what I'm up to you can look me up at Craft on my mind.

Thanks for visiting,

Jackie

Gathering inspiration for a new project

2011-02-03T10:01:00.000+11:00

Right now I'm gathering inspiration for some new projects, so watch this space!

Here's some tasters of projects from the past which are influencing my thoughts...

Raffle winners!

2011-01-27T15:26:00.000+11:00

Thank you to Baukje and Alison for entering my raffles - the fairy skirts will be on their way to you shortly (I just need your address Alison). I can't believe that one of my skirts is heading its way to France! I hope that the little people in your lives have lots of fun dressing up (my younger son has a pink skirt and wand, and he loves being a 'pink fairy', much to his brother's amusement!!). I have one lone fairy skirt left, and will hold it open for anyone wanting to make the same $10 donation to the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal - just leave me a comment with your receipt number.

Be the first to enter my raffles!

2011-01-18T18:54:00.001+11:00

I have three fairy skirts on offer by raffle for the Queensland Flood Relief Appeal.

Each has three layers of tulle/soft net, with the top layer being sparkly (the 2nd one has metallic silver stars). They're adjustable and would suit a pre-school / primary school aged child. You can enter with a $10 donation to the appeal - see full details on the post below.

SO FAR NO ONE'S ENTERED MY RAFFLES, SO IF YOU DO YOU'LL BE FIRST IN THE RUNNING TO WIN!

Flood Relief Giveaway of sorts #3: Pink Fairy Skirt

2011-01-12T20:10:00.002+11:00

This pink fairy skirt has a fully adjustable and elasticised waist, and would suit a pre-school or primary school aged child. It has a couple of layers of pink net and a pink tulle layer with sparkly silver dots on top. It's soft and wafty with a maximum length of around 40cm.

How this giveaway works:

This giveaway is open to everyone and postage is FREE.
To enter you must donate $10 to the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal and add a comment on this post including your receipt number.
You can enter as many times as you like but each entry must have a separate receipt number.
This is an honour based system, so please don't use the same receipt number for more than one giveaway/auction - the idea is to raise as much money as possible for people affected by the floods.
The giveaway ends at midnight Queensland time on Wednesday 26 January 2011, and a winner will be drawn at random on January 27.
Thankyou for participating and good luck!

Flood Relief Giveaway of sorts #2: Mauve & Blue Fairy Skirt

2011-01-12T20:07:00.003+11:00

This blue and mauve fairy skirt has a fully adjustable and elasticised waist, and would suit a pre-school or primary school aged child. It has a layer of blue net and one of mauve (soft, not scratchy) and a white tulle layer with sparkly silver stars on top. It's soft and wafty with a maximum length of around 45cm.

How this giveaway works:

This giveaway is open to everyone and postage is FREE.
To enter you must donate $10 to the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal and add a comment on this post including your receipt number.
You can enter as many times as you like but each entry must have a separate receipt number.
This is an honour based system, so please don't use the same receipt number for more than one giveaway/auction - the idea is to raise as much money as possible for people affected by the floods.
The giveaway ends at midnight Queensland time on Wednesday 26 January 2011, and a winner will be drawn at random on January 27.
Thankyou for participating and good luck!

Flood Relief Giveaway of sorts #1: Two-tone Blue Fairy Skirt

2011-01-12T20:04:00.002+11:00

This blue fairy skirt has a fully adjustable and elasticised waist, and would suit a pre-school or primary school aged child. It has a couple of layers of blue net (soft, not scratchy) and a pale blue sparkly tulle layer on top. It's soft and wafty with a maximum length of around 40cm.

How this giveaway works:

This giveaway is open to everyone and postage is FREE.
To enter you must donate $10 to the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal and add a comment on this post including your receipt number.
You can enter as many times as you like but each entry must have a separate receipt number.
This is an honour based system, so please don't use the same receipt number for more than one giveaway/auction - the idea is to raise as much money as possible for people affected by the floods.
The giveaway ends at midnight Queensland time on Wednesday 26 January 2011, and a winner will be drawn at random on January 27.
Thankyou for participating and good luck!

Flood Relief Appeal

2011-01-11T00:05:00.000+11:00

We've been watching ABC News 24 for much of this afternoon, and feeling a combination of relief that we left Ipswich for Melbourne last night, and concern about the Man's family who are still there. They're safe for now, although we've been harrassing them about moving to higher ground. Was just closing down the computer when I saw the above link on Samelia's Mum's site and thought I'd put the word out there now. Click on the picture above for more details, but essentially the idea is that as an on-line community we auction off and/or buy crafty items with the proceeds going to the flood appeal. Will be adding a post later with details of what I'm auctioning...

Duo of dotty dresses

2010-12-22T16:22:00.000+11:00

This morning I finished a pair of dresses for my nieces - their mum informed me that they like to dress the same, so here's hoping! Anyway girls, I hope that you like them. My boys chose the spotty material for you and the schoolboy loves the feel of the ribbon.

The Threadbare Trouser Project

2010-12-16T15:05:00.001+11:00

I have a handbag that I love - just the right size (well nearly, if it were a smidge bigger I could get an A5 notepad into it and that'd be great), right number of pockets, the strap goes diagonally over my shoulder so it doesn't fall off and I can use both my hands - I have vowed to keep it forever. The problem is that my 'made in china' bag wasn't made to be kept forever. The lining has fallen apart, and doesn't seem to be fixable - oh the tragedy!

Strangely enough the answer came in a work expo and a pair of threadbare trousers...

At the expo I was given a bag of handouts. The handouts were so-so (most went straight in the recycling), and the bag's handle was annoyingly short, but the design was bliss! One pattern piece, cut it out twice, sew it together, and you a nifty handbag that you could resize a little and use for the beach / a nappy bag. Make it out of a pair of suit trousers and you have the makings of the world's best bag - slightly bigger than my old bag, button up pockets inside for things you need to keep safe, a zipper across the top, and even a separate pocket to keep the mobile/car keys within easy reach.

I added the dragonflies along the way (the material has a red line through it), CR didn't make them that way as standard!

I was so impressed by the way the bag worked out that I made one for the female relative I have in this year's Kris Kringle (here's hoping she likes it). I've finished it, and am very happy with the finished product! (I've another pair of threadbare pants now though, so the project may make a reappearance).

First cab off the rank

2010-12-16T14:56:00.001+11:00

The first item to bear the 'Fred & Cissy' tag was a mug-rug for my son's teacher. Our prep class have watched caterpillars hatch, grow, form a chrysalis and finally transform into Orchard Butterflies. I think that the teacher's been at least as excited by the process as the kids, particularly with the first butterfly coming out of its chrysalis on Friday, so I thought that a 'very hungry caterpillar' would make a suitable end of year present - I hope you enjoy it Mrs K, and don't forget it's machine washable!

Fred & Cissy

2010-12-16T14:52:00.001+11:00

Fred and Cissy (actually Alfred & Gertrude) were my dad's maternal grandparents. To the best of my knowledge they died before I was born, but I have the letters that Fred wrote to his sweetheart on the boat across from England in 1912-13. He came to Australia ahead of her to find work and get settled before she made the trip and then they were married. Dad also has a poem that his grandfather wrote (or appropriated) for their golden wedding anniversary so many years later and he was evidently as smitten then as he was on the boat across. Since I inherited the letters from my Grandma I've been fascinated with them, charmed by their love for one another and aware of the sense of humour they must have had (one of the few photos dad has of them has Cissy and another lady on either side of Fred. They're holding flowers and he's holding a vegetable (cabbage I think - need to dig the photo out) with a grin on his face!

Anyway, I decided that I'd label some of my craft stuff, and I've decided to honour them in the process. I hope that if you receive anything with a Fred & Cissy label it'll give you a smile to match Fred's in that photo!