Extreme Patchworking Tutorial

Okay... Turns out it's not called "Extreme Patchworking". It's called "Cathedral Windows". There's a fabulous tutorial here . Thanks very much to Louise for sharing that. This is the way I did it, I'm making a little make-up bag. Feel free to give it a go and share your finished products!

1. Start by cutting 24 8cm squares. Fold square in half and sew up the sides as pictured.

2. Bring the ends of the sewn seams together and sew the opposite sides together, leaving a small opening so you can turn it out.

3. Turn it right side out and fold the opening in so that it can't be seen. Don't worry about sewing it back up, it will be turned under later on. I would suggest not doing your opening in either of the corners or in the centre-those bits are quite important geometrically...

4. Iron your squares down. Your iron is your friend with this project.

5. This is where it gets quite fun and foldy. Take your newly ironed squares and bring the corners to the centre, making a new, smaller square.

6. Sew the corners down to the centre with a couple of tiny stitches.

7. Sew your squares together, using tiny slip stitches . Each side of the make-up case comprises of 3 rows of 4 squares.

8. Make the "Windows" by folding back the edges of the cross-folds and carefully stitching down. They naturally make that lovely curved shape with hardly any coaxing.

9. Sew in your zip and there you have it! The pros of the project so far are-great for using up small pieces of fabric, it's fun folding and manipulating the fabric and the result is very textural and interesting, and you don't need any lining. Cons are-very very fiddly, and you have to keep your stitches so neat and tiny, but still very enjoyable and worthwhile and definitely much simpler than it looks! Happy stitching xx

Something Different

Merry Christmas for yesterday everyone. I hope your day was, like mine, filled with smiley children, wonderful food, surprises and a little bit of magic.

Over the last few days I've been watching my Mum as she makes progress with her holiday project. (Like myself and so many of us crafty types, she needs something to keep her fingers busy in every possible quiet moment.)This technique is quite fascinating-sort of a patchworky fabric foldy type process. We've named it "Extreme Patchworking".

Here Mum's using a sturdy canvas type fabric. I think it's going to be a bag when it's finished. But you could use it for anything really-I'm thinking scarves, wall hangings, purses, cushions...

It looks like it would use a lot of fabric but the beauty is that no lining is required, the technique is such that there are no raw edges exposed. I just had to give it a go- I've done three squares so far and if I can produce anything worthwhile I will definitely do a tutorial. Extreme Patchworking... My Mum is cool.

Lemon Curd

My absolute favourite thing to spread on toast, in the whole world, is Lemon Curd. I made some today, to give as Christmas presents.

I used the last of the lemons from my tree. I think the best Lemon Curd uses fresh lemon juice. Isn't it the most wonderful colour?

Lemon Curd Recipe

Ingredients

9 large eggs

360ml fresh lemon juice

450grams white sugar

165grams butter

3 tablespoons lemon zest

Method

In a stainless steel bowl, placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar and lemon juice until blended.

Cook, stirring constantly to prevent curdling.

Cook until thick, and pale coloured.

Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, cubed. Add lemon zest, pour into jars and cool.

This Year's Swap.

What do you call them? Jandals? Flipflops? Thongs? Depends on where abouts you are in the world I guess...

These are my contribution to the Kiwi Christmas Ornament Swap 2009. You can check out the pictures from the swap here.

Last year I made my Speckled Angels, but this year I was feeling a bit more Kiwiana inspired.

And, unknown to me, I was creating something almost impossible to photograph!

But there you have it.

So much more fun than drying dishes...

Instead, why not cut up your tea towel to make an iconic softie? This is a commission project that I'm proud to say I completed in a week. If you're not familiar with Kiwi birds, they are a flightless and somewhat strange looking but nonetheless very sweet native New Zealand bird. The brief was to create a kiwi from a New Zealand map, ensuring that the Whakatane was in a prominent place. You may remember the NZ Map train from a while ago?

Right-I'm off to finish my decorations for the great swap! Looking great so far everyone! I just lOVE those colourful birds. Mine are going to be less traditional, but very New Zealandy-I think the Kiwi above has reignited my love for Aotearoa xx

Giddy Up!

I've been flat out, flat out, making horses! No less than 5 in the last week. Here are two- going to my lovely colleagues' children-as Christmas presents I think so sssshhhhhhh...

And the other thing taking up my crafting time is below. Yes folks, it's time once again for the town's Christmas Float Parade, and I've been busy crafting 25 or so Superhero costumes. It's been fun, colourful, sparkly, all those things that make me smile. The parade is next weekend and I can't wait!

In other news, I'd like to wish a huge (albeit rather late) CONGRATULATIONS! To the beautiful Janelle of Heart Felt, on the birth of her lovely little son Oscar.

The annual Kiwi Christmas Ornament Swap is on again! Check it out at 2o Cent Mixture

And here are two things I can now definitely say for sure... Firstly, Summer picnics are gorgeous, even if they're only in the back garden.

And, after last night's power cut, I can promise you that candlelight really does make things look more magical.

Stitch Therapy

I've become obsessed with sewing little squares together. By hand of course 'cos that's how I roll! I've been travelling a bit lately, and while my fingers still had the itch to stitch, I needed something portable. But more importantly, something therapeutic, rhythmical and soothing.

So I pack it all into my Queen Elizabeth 1953 Coronation tin (love that tin) and off I go. Because sometimes I think that's how you have to approach life too-just one little bit at a time.

Still Here

It's not that nothing's been happening. On the contrary, I feel as though this is the first time I've sat down since my last post! This made me very sad, and at the same time, love, appreciate and value my children's safety even more, if possible, and for that I will always be grateful to little Aisling. My heart goes out to her family at this time.
Then there's been work, stockings, work, housework, the flu and all those other general miscellaneous things during which time seems to be sucked down a huge vortex and leaves you wondering where it went so quickly.
So, this is my 100th post, and that is the only real news I have to share, but I still wanted to stop in and let you know that I'm still here.

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years"

Abraham Lincoln

The Blocks That Weren't

A few months ago, I decided to make some baby blocks, similar to these, but using calico pieces with simple embroidered images on them, instead of patterned fabric. Good idea in theory, and I was happy with the embroidery, but when I put the blocks together and stuffed them, they didn't quite "work"-altogether too large and squishy and not blocky looking at all...

So I took them apart and decided to make little coin purses instead, which will be heading off to the shop
Last night I did the tree/sun one, and tonight I'll do the rainbow/raincloud one.

A while ago, the lovely Hanna, of Craftykin, sent me a fabulous parcel and one of the goodies within was a little purse which is the perfect size to hold my ipod, headphones, itrip and cord. It has been so handy, keeping all those things together in my handbag, so I've made these wee purses the same size.

Pretty much sums up the weather of the last few days. Sun one minute, rain the next, tsunami warning the following...

Wishing you sunshine wherever you may be xx

Comedy of Errors

Well I'm still here. Me and my broken sewing machine. Yes that's right. All these babies you see below are lovingly stitched by hand. I haven't heard back from the fix-it man at the sewing shop as to how the machine is doing. Perhaps she just got worn out. It's been a bit of a comedy of errors around here recently, but I don't mind hand stitching actually. I do a running stitch as small as I can along the seam, then turn the item out and restitch the seam using a backstitch, and the effect is quite tidy, as well as sturdy, albeit very time consuming!

This horse was a commission project for a friend. I've made it in return for some puppy sitting in October, while I go to Swan Lake (I can't wait!).

And a few stockings. This one is calico, some stripes, some spots and a bit of vintage floral that I rescued from an old dress I found in an op shop. Oh and sequins of course!

For this one, I used some of the bird print fabric gifted to me by the lovely Rachel, of The Two Windmills, and some vintage children's nursery rhyme print fabric which I blogged about way back here. Sometimes fabrics just have to sit until the right project comes up, you know?

It's also covered with small clear glass beads, but it didn't really show up too well in the photo. Oh digital SLR, one day you will come home with me but for now I will just ogle you through the shop window xx

This one's my favourite. A rainbow sequined calico number with tie dye detail and some more of that wonderful bird print.

I've got two more that I'm hoping to finish this weekend. I'm so enjoying making the stockings, and daydreaming about the Christmas approaching...

This year my family are all travelling from Auckland to spend Christmas here at the beach. Very exciting, and very Grown-Up feeling for me to host the Big Day at my house for the first time. So I'm busy planning and dreaming of surprises and little touches to make Christmas extra special. I can't wait!

What are your plans for Christmas?

I Love...

Making strange looking softies even though I should be making Christmas Stockings (what is it about me and deadlines? It's like an allergy?)

Her thinking face...

My sweet puppy...

That it's looking more and more Summery all the time...

Cakes with almonds on the top.

Gorgeous days like today xx