Flowering Snowball

I'm so addicted to the Southern Fabric Instagram feed. Recently there have been a number of Cotton and Steel mini swaps coming through and my favourite was actually available on Etsy as a kit. 

Unfortunately, and inevitably, they'd sold out but with many blog entries on these projects I was able to determine how to diy! 

I got myself a small selection of C&S fat quarters from The Quilters Store and followed the tutorial at http://mollyflanders.blogspot.com/2011/06/flowering-snowball_20.html?m=1

A big thank you to Lisa at In the Boondocks for her tip on fabric quantities.

So here it is! My first foray into curves and, I have to say, it wasn't as hard as I thought. 

The background fabric has many different baking recipes which tickled my fancy. I love this modern fashion at the mo of using an obvious pattern in the background/sashing of one's quilts.

For the back (which won't be seen being on a door!) I used a chunk of Fluro chevron my cousin gave me and just navy Kona.

My sashiko stitching needs practice and I confess hand stitching in cream on those random patterns on the background gave me a stinking headache!

I made it with the idea that it would look lovely on the back of the door in our guest toilet. It's funny; I've spent much time, $$ and thought on the decor for every room in the house except the room almost everyone who visits visits! Take one devilishly boring room and huzzah, colour!

Needles + needles

Disaster today! Before I'd even begunmy project, I broke my needle case. Just a plastic standard spotlight one. 

So, an emergency project... a new needle case. Thank you Pinterest for the inspiration and tutorial! And as ever thank heavens for scraps.

Embracing Natural Beauty

Taking a break from sewing this week as my Mum's friend gave our girls a collection of hand-me-down Bratz dolls. 'Twas very kind of her but I loathe these dolls. They look drugged out and sexed up and I don't want to send that message to my daughters.

But I remembered seeing a Facebook post about Tree Change Dolls and the lovely Tassie artist Sonia has done some tutorials (http://treechangedolls.tumblr.com/diy) on how to DIY with just nail polish remover, eucalyptus oil (add a few drops together on a cotton ball) and Jo Sonja paint from Bunnings. A quick Pinterest search helped with how to untangle their hair (a few drops of fabric softener in a cup of water. It works sooo much better than conditioner!) it felt a bit like an episode of Snog Marry Avoid in the end lol!

Even without ANY face on they look 100x better!

I bit the bullet and bought a little pattern from Etsy as our girls arrived sans clothes. They were super fiddly to make but look lovely once finished.

So, meet the lassies:

The very first one I did is actually my favourite. We called her Gaia after Mother Nature in Captain Planet (seemed appropriate!).

 (I was having so much fun I actually forgot to do before shots for some of them).

Hayles

Raquel

Sol (short for Soldier inspired by my daughter's interpretation of the outfit I made)

Tran

Molly

We'll only keep Sol & Gaia and give the rest of the lasses to a children's charity. Bug & Dash certainly don't need this many! That was always the plan but I did not want to give the originals to any other child either!