Ten things

I had some rare quiet time over breakfast this morning and took the opportunity to take myself on a crafty blog tour.  I'm sure I've visited Foxs Lane before, but its been a long time.  Kate is sharing '10 random things', and she and her commenters got me thinking.  So here's my 10 things:

1.  Four months ago we undertook our own 'tree change'.  Literally, we moved house and swapped a large Manna Gum for a large Box Elder.  We laugh about that fact, but in truth we've moved to an older house in a neighbouring suburb, swapping swanky neighbours (Ed. swanky housing, the neighbours were and are lovely!) for proximity to parkland and schools, and ditching the mortgage in the meantime.  The result is the sort of downshift that you usually associate with a tree-/sea-change (including drop in work hours - the Cyclist's at home with the kids whilst I work two part time jobs), except that we're still cycling distance to the city, walking distance to the Yarra Trail, and in the same circle of friends and businesses.  No downside from our point of view.


2.  We felt more at home in one week at our 'new' 1950s house than in one year at our 'old' (and at the time brand new built-for-us) noughties house.  It was lovely, and the setting was fantastic, but somehow the 'fit' wasn't quite right.

3.  There's nothing better than a bit of demolition.  We're not exactly serial renovators, but we've done our share, and there's nothing like knocking out a bathroom/kitchen/etc. to make you feel like you're making progress.  This afternoon it was the eldest's built in bed, which had been in place since 1974 and contained the dust, lint, and lost paraphernalia to prove it.  As you can see, the anticipation of demolition's nearly as much fun as the actually carrying it out.

4.  When I think of my maternal Grandma I always picture her wearing a particular teal dress and jacket suit with 3/4 sleeves.  I think it must be the outfit she wore to my mum and dad's wedding, as I can't find a picture of her the particular dress and jacket combo I can so clearly picture, and it was definitely a special occasion outfit.  Grandma Ede was the one who first taught me to sew, and the source of my ancient Singer.

Anyway, I was at Lincraft yesterday looking for some stretch fabric for some pants to go with this top when I came across this fabric which just fits the bill.  There is just enough for the pants I'm planning.  I love it, and as an added bonus I know I'm going to think of her every time I wear them.  Just better do a good job on the making and fitting front!

5.  The Cyclist and I call hot air balloons holograms.  We had tickets once.  We booked a total of fifteen times in 18 months, and fifteen times the weather was too 'iffy' and all balloon flights were grounded.  That's fifteen times of having the parents/in-laws stay the night so that they'd be around for the kids on the morning of the anticipated flight.  In the end we decided that we simply weren't meant to go, and gave the tickets away.  One morning during the week I saw eight holograms over our house when I got up to walk the dog.  I still like looking at them, but the longing I had to go for a flight has passed, for the time being at least.

6.  I'm hanging out to do some gardening.  Its been so hot this summer, and I haven't gotten to planning what I want to do in the garden yet, so I haven't made the effort to turn even one sod of soil.  It's nearly driving me batty though, and this morning's rain has me thinking that maybe the ground will soften up a little soon...

7.  I can't keep my eyes of hard rubbish piles.  The Cyclist says that pilfering off the piles is against the law.  My law-abiding self isn't as strong as my thrifting-self though (blame it on Grandma Ede's Scottish influence), and I'm always on the look out for the perfect thing on the side of the road for my next project.

8.  I'll try my hand at anything.  Over summer the eldest and I made a cargo net to hang in the tree instead of hammering into it to make a cubby house.

 9.  A big part of why I blog is just to be part of a crafting community.  I loved My Creative Space, over at kootoyoo and the friendly, supportive nature of the people who contributed.  I've run out of steam a bit in the last 12 months.  Packing and selling and moving and working full time plus and still parenting and partnering will do that to you I guess.  I'm not sure that there's anyone out there reading, but if I can contribute to the community that I've found so supportive, and if in doing so I happen to notice that I do manage to fit some creativity in amongst all that, then I guess blogging is worth it.

10.  I take all my photos on my phone.  I know that I'd get better shots if I got out the camera and charged it, and that I'd get even better ones if I bought a new camera and took some time to set things up right.   It also means that there's not likely to be any photos of me on the blog for some time to come, so you'll never get to see if anything I've made actually does look any good on.  Sorry about that.

So that's me.  How about you?

Necessity is the mother of invention

That's it.  That's my secret to staying creative.  This picture symbolises this truth for me, because you're actually looking at my peg bag.  When I moved into my first house 16 years ago I had no spare cash at all.  I bought pegs, but didn't have a peg bag.  I did have this old doctor's style handbag that I wasn't using.  It turned out to be an excellent peg bag - I hang it across my body, with the bag at the front, and it sits open with the pegs within perfect reach.  My mother in law felt sorry for me once, and bought me a new peg bag.  It was very attractive, but made its way to the op shop without so much as being used (sorry A!), as I'm totally sold on what I already have.

For me, sometimes necessity is a financial imperative like this.  Other times its not wanting to see something go to waste (such as the bookcases I inverted here, or any of my fantastic finds), the endless optimism of my children ("of COURSE you can make a Flash / dragon / Trash Gordon costume mum"), or a self-imposed challenge (eg. Pillowcases 6 ways).

If necessity fosters my creativity, for me its hampered by disorganisation.  I'm all for taking time to ponder things, but taking time out of the creative process to search for things is just frustrating.  I'm getting better at this, and my craft cupboard is now neatly boxed and labelled (the boxes and labels are 75% actual and 25% aspirational at this point in time).  That didn't stop me from spending over an hour last Friday morning looking for the curtain wire I needed to attach the fabric to the desk screen I was finally finishing 8+ months on from moving office, but it has helped.  If nothing else it has introduced a new necessity - the need to use up my stash and stop buying fabric, so that everything will actually fit in the boxes!

I have a love-hate relationship with Pinterest too - great for organising ideas, and stopping myself from endlessly trying to find 'that' picture I saw on 'that' blog 'somewhere', but also a time waster in itself.

I'm off to do 1/2 hour of actual crafting (the Cyclist is on the school run as its a blue moon), but later I'll be back to see what everyone else places as their top tips.  See you soon!

Vogue 2651 Wall Art

As I mentioned, I was inspired by the Schoolboy's Big Ben poster, and immediately pulled out one of my vintage Vogue patterns.  I enlarged the envelope illustration, and made a start.  It didn't take too long to work out that the texta that the Schoolboy used was way too thick for my purposes.  Fast forward a week, and after spending way too much time faffing around with my Rotring pens, I finally came to the conclusion that leaving them sit for 20 years and then expecting to resurrect them was asking a bit much!

I ended up using a 0.5mm 'Pentel for Film' marker that I thought I'd lost.  The actual drawing was quite quick, and here's my drawing after stage 1:

I'm finding it harder to find time to keep going than to actually do the construction, so here's where I'm up to now:

Here's a peek at how it looks underneath the top tracing paper layer.  The process's quite simple, but I plan to show you more of a 'how to' once I'm finished...

I'm off to sign up and check out the new 'creative spaces' over here and here.  I know, I know, if I did less of that I might be finished the picture by now, but I do love seeing what everyone else is up to!

Inspired by the Schoolboy

The Schoolboy's doing a 'show and teach' on Big Ben to his class tomorrow.  He was determined to draw a picture of it himself.  His control freak of a mother was a bit worried about what that'd look like (he's brilliant, but most of what he draws is about 5cm tall and full of minute detail - not really visible in a classroom setting).  This is what we came up with:

The drawing isn't actually 'his' - its a tracing of an enlarged version of this colouring page.  He's done a brilliant job though, and using architectural tracing paper allowed him to add colour to the drawing from behind, rather than having to colour it in / trace using coloured paper.

I'm so impressed I think I'm going to have a shot using this vintage pattern, which you'll have seen before. (although now that I'm looking at it I'm torn between this one, Vogue 2678, and Vogue 2650).   I have a million things to do first, but I'm 'home alone' with the kids tonight, so I can see the priorities being shifted a little, provided of course that I can decide which pattern to use...

The White Rabbit

We have an Easter Sunday tradition of an Easter egg hunt in our yard with the boys.  Each year the Easter Bunny leaves not only eggs, but one Lindt bunny for each person who is present.  The bunnies are labelled, and the Easter Bunny is clued on enough to know that most of the family likes milk chocolate, but mum is happiest with dark!

I recently saw this bunny, and knew that I needed to make the Newbie a white rabbit (from some faux fur I had in my stash) for her first Easter.  Here she is:

I have to confess that she's been manufactured quickly whilst the small male members of the household are out, so that the Easter bunny's true identity remains a secret.  As a result, these photos have been taken before her belly's been sewn up!  I used this tutorial, which is for a faux chenille bunny.

Knitted baby cloche

I have to confess to spending way too much time gazing at Pinterest.  A while ago I pinned this lovely hat:

Source: pickles.no via Jackie on Pinterest

You can download the pattern for the hat and matching cardigan from the link (the 3-6 month size is free, and you can pay for 1yo and 2yo sizes).  I was a bit confused about the stated tension when compared with the size of the hat and the number of stitches, and wanted to knit it on straight needles using 8 ply (DK yarn if you're in the US), so I modified it accordingly.

Here's my version, which should fit a 3-6 month old (its a bit roomy on my 3.5 month old Newbie's largish head).  I used less than one ball from my stash of leftovers - I think it might be Patons Alpaca Classique from the late 1980s:

Using 4mm needles, cast on 89 stitches

Knit 7 rows, then Purl 1 row (this forms the basic stripe pattern, I've separated the pattern below into this grouping to make it easier to read)

Knit 7 rows
Purl 1 row

Knit 5 rows

Knit 45 stitches, then wrap your wool around the knitting between the needles about 10 times.  You should wrap it firmly enough to gather up the knitting you've already done (see photographs of finished hat).  Knit to the end of the row.

Knit 1 row

Purl 1 row

Knit 7 rows

P5, *P2tog, P5, repeat from * to end of row (77 sts)

Knit 7 rows

P4, *P2tog, P4, repeat from * to last stitch, P1 (65 sts)

Knit 4 rows

K3, *K2tog, K3, repeat from * to last two stitches, K2tog (52 sts)

Knit 2 rows

Purl 1 row

K2, *K2tog, K2, repeat from * to last two stitches, K2tog (39 sts)

Knit 3 rows

K1, *K2 tog, repeat from * to end (20 sts)

Knit 2 rows

Purl 1 row

K2 rows

*K2tog, repeat from * to end,  (10 sts)

Knit 1 row

*K2tog, repeat from * to end,  (5 sts)

Fasten off

Sew up centre back seam.

Feeding chair [tick]

This afternoon I've completed a long-standing project.  Here it is:

Years ago I salvaged this chair from a rubbish skip down the road:

It didn't look so bad back then - it had a lovely golden glow, but we ended up with too many chairs, it needed repair (the seat started to fall out of the bottom of it), and it ended up in the back yard for a couple of years.  I cut a fresh seat for it from some timber salvaged from another roadside find and kidded myself that placing it under the eaves would protect it until I could get to re-finishing it with exterior varnish.  Well, both the chair and its supplementary seat had seen better days, but I still loved the shape.  In between time I'd also sold off a number of the chairs we had inside, so it was time for the 'captains chair' to be reinvigorated as a feeding chair for the baby's room.

Firstly I reinforced under the original seat:

Then I coated it with several layers of paint (I used interior/exterior primer first, just in case it ends up outside again).

I painted the supplementary seat too.  I left it in two pieces because its such a tight fit that it needs to be in two pieces to fit it into the chair.  I confess to being too lazy to fix the split that had developed on the left though.

I then left it for ages because I didn't know how to proceed next made a cushion for the seat from a combination of a foam cushion insert, a cut up scatter cushion (to fill out the curves), three layers of dacron (to try and make the lot look uniform) and some calico (to hold it all together).  Today, having been inspired by this pin, I made a cushion cover from a men's jumper from the op shop.  The cable knit hides the imperfections in the cushion underneath better than a more traditional cover (I had originally been envisaging something with piped edges).

You can still see the gaps in the timber seat, and I didn't fill all of the holes in the chair itself, but all up I'm pretty happy with the result considering where I started.

Inspired by...

I have to confess that until recently I hadn't made any clothes for my kids.  I'd made some dresses for my nieces last Christmas, but nothing for the boys.  I remember making the girls dresses, and losing the piece of paper that I had their measurements written down on several times during the process.  I recently measured up the Schoolboy with a view to making him some pyjama pants, but once again I've lost the measurements.  I came across this idea on the Owly Baby blog, and decided that it was fantastic.  The only issue is that the picture is rather too girly for my household (and particularly for the Kinderboy who currently declares to all and sundry that Nanna is the only girl he likes!).

This morning I've come up with my own version, the starting point being the diagram in the back of a Burda Kids pattern book I have:

I've added some extra measurements that I thought would be useful, printed them onto A5 paper, trimmed them, then mounted them on card.  I covered the lot with Contact, but you could laminate them.  This'll mean that rather than reprinting them all the time (and potentially losing them), I'm going to hang them inside my craft cupboard and write on them with overhead projector pen (I've found it to be a bit more permanent than whiteboard marker, but still able to be erased) so I can update the measurements as I need to.  Now I just have to find the Schoolboy's measurements...

If you're interested, feel free to download my template, which also has a girl version.  Please only use for your own personal purposes however.

A brilliant idea...

My fabric stash is made up of a mixture of fabrics I've bought for clothes that I've never made, patchwork fabric I've deliberately bought as a stash, and then leftovers from completed projects.  These leftovers are often too big to throw away but not big enough to do much with.  I tend not to throw them out 'just in case', and because they've cost me money.  They often stay in the cupboard for years though, taking up space before I either ditch them or find a project for them (hence the 20 year old satin lining this bag).  

I saw a great idea on someone's blog, and have modified it slightly for my own purposes.

I purchased 3m of 137cm single pass curtain lining (the original used vinyl which the author kept rolled up, however I thought that lining would be lighter and therefore easier to deal with.  I also plan to fold it rather than roll it up).  I then 'borrowed' some textas off the Schoolboy and marked the length of the fabric with:

• The centreline (using a dotted line)
• A 114cm wide section (using a solid line and different colour), plus its centreline (using a dotted line)
• A 75cm wide section (ie. half of a 150cm wide section)

I then folded the fabric at just over 80cm from the end, marked this line, thereby getting a line which was perpendicular to the selvedges.  Finally, I measured in each direction, marking every 10cm (I haven't bothered with a 10cm or 30cm line at this point, if it becomes an issue I'll mark it in later).

The idea is that, because I usually buy a pattern separately to (ok, years before) the fabric I'm going to use it with, I will lay out my pattern pieces on the relevant section of the lining and work out how much fabric I actually need to make up a garment, rather than relying on the metreage shown on the pattern.  Once I'm happy with the layout, I'll take a photo and save/print it for future reference, and then go shopping.  Marking the centreline for each pattern width allows you to take account of a fold in the fabric.  Hopefully this will reduce the amount of miscellaneous scraps in my stash, and the additional cost associated with over-purchasing.

I spent a fair bit of time over the long weekend scouring the net for the original post, but to no avail - if this was your idea please let me know and I'll link to you and give you the credit!

Now I've finished it, and after looking at way too many pictures of projects from Japanese sewing books today, I really want to break out the patterns and start a new project.  Better finish a couple of things first though I guess (sigh).  Off to check out other creative spaces instead.

Thanks everyone for your comments on my previous post!  In the light of a new day I thought I'd give you the run-down on the how and why for the changes I made to the top half of the 'ruffle-less Spring Ruffle Top'.

From the outset, can I say that these changes in no way reflect a deficiency in Rae's original design.  I really liked the look of this top from the tutorial, but I'm not much into ruffles, and did like the 'ruffle-less' versions better than the original.  The changes were really as a result of this preference.

I planned from the outset to make two tops, and I cut the rectangles for the top of the bodice as per the instructions as a first step.  I sewed the top band, ironed the straps as instructed and pinned on the front of the straps.  I then had the Cyclist pin the back straps for me, with the instruction to cover my bra straps with the straps of the top (I hate having them show).  What I noticed was that:

• Even though they looked right to the naked eye (as far as I could tell looking over my shoulder in the mirror any way!), they weren't lined up properly.  You can see this on the photo below.
• The straps weren't wide enough to cover up the structure of my maternity bra unless I added the ruffle,
• The horizontal strap gaped a bit at the underarm seam, and would fit better if it was a little narrower at the top than the bottom.

I also decided that I'd like to add a bit of a curve to the neckline, because I plan to make both of the tops with a white top half, and thought that some difference between them would be nice.  The result was that I used the straps to draft myself a 'bodice top' pattern.  Here's how I did it:

I traced the outline of the front onto tracing paper.  I also traced the back, but instead of only tracing the back half of the straps, I traced around both the front and back straps, so that the strap section was wider at the bottom - I figured that this and the curve I was adding at the underarm would cover my bra sufficiently.  I took care to mark where the original fabric was folded, as I would need to add seam allowance to these pieces.

Back pattern piece

I then folded the front in half, and made sure that the pattern piece was symmetrical.  Where it wasn't I adjusted it to the mid-point between each side, and thickened up the lines.

I then added in the curves.

I did the same to the back, also making sure that the straps for the front and back were the same distance apart at the shoulder.

Back pattern piece on top of front pattern piece (both folded)

I cut two of each piece, so that the bodice was fully lined, adding a 1.5cm seam allowance where I'd marked the need to do so on the pattern.

I didn't worry about sloping the side seams on the pattern, I just stitched them on an angle (my seam allowance was 1.5cm at the underarm and 1.0cm at the bottom of the bodice piece).

To sew, I sewed along the necklines and underarm/outside strap seams (pinned on the photo below).  Next I joined the side seams.  Lastly, I folded the seam allowance on the back straps inside at the shoulder, slotted the front straps into the back straps, and topstitched in place.

In hindsight, an added bonus of this approach is that I'll be able to use some of Grandma's ric-rac on the neck and armhole edges of the second top (strange that I've not used any of the trim in the 20+ years I've had it, and now I'm thinking of using two different colours within a week!).

Easy appliance labels (a how-to)

Today I'm running around labelling appliance cords!  Here's the background:

In our paid jobs, the Cyclist and I both work helping people to save energy (gas and electricity, not the human kind!).  About a year ago, after hearing about the difference switching your appliances off at the power point can make, we started turning off our TVs, DVD players (two of each) and computer equipment at the power point each night, and only turning them on when they're in use.  I can honestly say that we saw an instant 10% drop in our electricity bills.

Having to have the cords accessible though resulted in the need for more power boards (so we can actually get to the plugs), and often we're trying to work out which plug is which, so that we turn off the TV not the hard drive when its recording something.  I have resorted to writing on the power board in the study, but have since rearranged things, and at least once have found that my mobile's flat because I have turned on the stereo rather than the phone charger, etc.

All of this is why I was attracted to this idea:

Source: unplggd.com via Jackie on Pinterest

I'm not sure that bread tags would fit around most of our power cords though, and the bread we usually buy comes with twist ties instead.  What I needed was some sort of fabric that wouldn't fray and I could write on.

Well, the Cyclist came home on the weekend with a new pair of shoes and yet another polypropylene bag, and now I have the answer (my apologies for the lack of progress shots - I have managed to blur the lot!):

1. Cut strips of a polypropylene bag (I cut mine about 1/2" x 4" using quilting tools, but you could use scissors or adjust the size).  You'll need a bag that's reasonably light in colour.
2. Write on the labels with a laundry marker, making sure you leave around 3/4" blank at one end
3. Fold over the blank end, and cut a slit around 1/4" long down the centre of the strip (when you open it up the slit will be about 1/2" long
4. Wrap the label around the relevant power cord, thread the long end through the slit and pull tight.
5. You're done!
   
   

I finished something!

I've been working and crafting away, but with not much to show, so this project from yesterday was a welcome change!

About the same time as I upcycled the 'let's fly' top for the Kinderboy, I bought the Schoolboy a plain navy top from Target.  Comfy, but a little boring was the declaration.  "I want you to decorate it for me before I wear it".  "No problems" say I, putting it in the 'fix it' drawer while I work out what an appropriate motif might be.  "What's this?" say I several months later when rummaging through the drawer for something else.  Oops.  Luckily he loves it, and the delay's already forgiven.

My apologies for the headless photo - its the only one that's in focus, but has him scowling because I made him stop for photos before letting him watch ABC kids!

In the end the inspiration came from a Lego owl he made yesterday morning.  Here's a close-up - easy peasy use of a couple of spare bits of Japanese print quilting fabrics.

A productive morning

I started this morning's crafty endeavours with a follow-up trip to the Watsonia Wool Shop (no Kinderboy for company this time).  Scored some cotton which will find its way into baby wear, and also this blue yarn.  I've ditched the French Knitting idea, and instead drew inspriration from Kirsty's coat hangers to create this:

At last we're going public this weekend that we're due to have our third baby in December (that makes three December kids - thinking that I need to change my blog to 'December's mother' or something!!).  Each time I'm pregnant my fingers swell  I end up not being able to wear my rings, and I'm at that point already, so I've been trying to work out a safe way of having them with me (the Cyclist wore through the gold chain he was wearing his ring on when out on the bike, so I decided something a bit more durable was warranted). I like the texture and subtle colour variations yarn, and therefore the necklace, so I think this'll be my 'mode of transport' of choice for the rings for a while.  Wasn't quite game to sew them on just in case though...

Oh, and I followed Rebecca's tutorial, and basted the layers of my Christmas quilt together (minus a few pins here, as I went through all the new curvy safety pins I'd bought, all my ordinary straight ones, then had to resort to ordinary sewing pins for now):

Hope you're having a good crafty weekend!

Inspired by... the Schoolboy

My Schoolboy loves to draw.  He tries to finish his work quickly at school so that he has 'free time' to draw in, and has been known to protest loudly if I arrive at After School Care "too early" and interrupt his drawing time.  His drawings are usually very complex, detailed creations involving sinister looking robots or Lego characters, but last week he come up with this simple beauty.  I'm told that the alien is standing on the moon, and the sun is a long way away and that's why it is so small!

Its simplicity inspired me to create a more cuddly duplicate:

I've asked the Schoolboy what his 'green alien's' name should be.  He came up with Aylee, but then said "just call him Alien".  Hmmm nicknames are not our strong suit around here.  What would you call him?

After more creative spaces or inspiration?  Lets head over to kootoyoo together!

Variations on a theme

I've been following Pascale's coin purses here, here and here.  The last one brought back memories of a bag I bought in Warrandyte years ago.

The long cord/shoulder strap gets around my concern that the hand-held versions might be too fiddly to open and close when you're out and about (although I'd like to make one with elastic through the holes to see how that worked).  I liked the bag so much that I made an upsized one that I used either as a bag over one shoulder, or as a back pack by adjusting the length of the cord and looping it under the buckle strap.  I thought I'd share them with you.

Unfortunately, the leather version's a bit squashed from being under too many books in my bedside table, but what I'm trying to show is that the design has the same principles as Pascale's, but is a semicircle (or thereabouts) attached to a flat back panel which folds over to make the flap.  Both versions are quite easy to construct and definitely worth a shot.

On another front, I made a 'standard' Pascale coin purse out of lined curtain fabric with a 4 year old on the weekend, and it was definitely an achievable project for someone of that age with a little assistance.  I broke my hole punch trying to make holes in the fabric though, and found that cutting slits with scissors was a much better option!

A posse of bandoliers

The Old Girl is alive and kicking!  Singer tell me that she was manufactured on 12 July 1932.  How's that for detail!  They also have the manuals available for free download.

Anyway, after a bit of a slow start, and a few 'aha' moments from me as I remembered her quirks, she's going great guns.  Together we've manufactured a posse of bandoliers (more Matchbox than Snack though), loosely based on Deborah's Snack Bandolier.

In my bulk manufacture I did a few things differently:

• My boys are 3 and 6, and their friends are just turning 4 and 7, so I made my bandoliers longer - I measured my boys to get a size which fitted reasonably well.  I also lengthened the elastic casing, but found that I had more than enough length and trimmed it off.

• My old girl only does straight stitch, so I didn't do the zig zag topstitching.  I managed to give my Bernina a siezure trying to do a contrast honeycomb stitch on the original I cut for the Kinderboy, and it was looking quite effective and would be worth considering (just don't do as I did and try and do it at 100kmh!!)

• I widened the fabric casing for the elastic to 3", and did away with it entirely for the Schoolboy.  I had some tartan elastic which he loved, so I let it shine (I used around 45cm).  It had the advantage of speed as well as allowing me to fit more cars onto his bandolier.  I'd use this method if I was teaching someone with little/no sewing experience how to do the project.

• On two of my bandoliers I cut one main fabric section 5" wide, rather than two at 3".  I also ironed it as Deborah recommends for the elastic casing - much quicker because you don't have to turn the whole lot through.
• I made the pocket bigger - 4" x 6" - so that it ended up being around 3" tall and the full width of the bandolier.  I think that this was probably a bit of an overkill in terms of width though, and on reflection it could have been 4" square or 4" x 5".

On the whole, I'd highly recommend it as a quick project for anyone with even limited sewing experience.

Inspired by...

Photo taken by Jim Smith - Down Under Quilts Issue 140, 2010

I often borrow magazines from our local library, and an issue of Downunder Quilts (Issue 140, 2010) that I borrowed last week has instructions for the perfect quilt to make from my layer cake!  It's called Scrappy Leaves, and was designed by Lorraine Downey (Patchwork Plus in Miranda NSW).  I've never followed a pattern to the letter, and this may or may not be the same, but by my calculations I should be able to make two of these quilts from my Gypsy Rose layer cake plus the background and border fabrics, perfect for my nieces.  Excellent!  I want to make a start straight away, but as usual there are other things in the queue...

... I showed the Schoolboy Deborah's Snack Bandolier, and he's put in an order for himself and for a mate who's birthday party's next Saturday.  Hmm - must remember never to show an idea to Schoolboy unless I'm ready and able to follow through.

Gathering inspiration for a new project

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...