All the best dressed ....

bottles are wearing outfits in my house from now on !!!



The reason being that I am sick of the drops and rings being left behind on placemats and other surfaces. I saw this fabric a couple of months ago and knew that it would have a purpose one day and the day was yesterday. I did a quick google to search for a pattern but only came up with ones that had ties and I knew that the cellar master is not into tying up bibs on bottles so I drew up a pattern and I am pleased with the result. The covers just slip over the top of the bottle and catch any drips and spills before they reach the tablecloth or placemats.

Necessity is the mother of invention and I have to agree.

Here's cheers girls!!

Come in and welcome

The challenge was put out there to put pictures of our sewing rooms on our blogs so the following are photos of mine - overflowing rubbish bin and all. Firstly let me explain my room to you.

I was lucky enough about 18 years ago to have this area purposely built for me and when my son was about 15 he asked if he could move out of the main house and into the cabin and in a weak moment I said yes thinking that the novelty would last about a month or two and he would move out - not so - I gained my room back 8 years later when he married and left home. So here we go






Sewing machine table with overflowing rubbish bin close by



Bits and pieces cupboard which holds patterns, old sewing machine, magazines, laces, buttons, rulers, buttons and all other oddities. You can see the ironing board just on the side.



No lounging around here you cannot even get close to sit down and even if you did you have to share with fabric.



Half finished top for me.



You can see my star shaped quilt starting to happen



Crates of fabric stacked up and under the cutting table. If you look carefully you can also see some more pot holders in progress.



Thank you for taking the time to join me in my sewing room. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed having you here.

Stash building

When I was looking through my stash a couple of weeks ago I found that there was a lack of "blenders" so I went off to Aussie Patches sale on the weekend and bought the fabrics below as well as cutting blades which I use quite a few of.



Finally to make it to the cutting table is fabric that I have had for quite a while. It is a pattern that I am more or less winging it as I go. I saw a picture of something similar on the internet and tried to work it out. Hopefully it will end up like what I envisage! By the way that is my new cutting mat that I bought a couple of weeks ago.



The final photo is a couple of towel toppers with matching pot holders. I thought I would go back and make matching pot holders for the towel toppers that I have already made for my "giftie box".



I am taking up the challenge to post piccies of my sewing room on my blog. I will do that within a day or two when I get some spare time after work. Stay tuned.

...To this

Well I did it. Here is the bag I was working on last night during Friday night sew-in. I had another order for a baby bag for a girl and I found it was just the right thing to do for night sewing - even though my sewing room is well lit I find it hard to sew dark colours of a night.

It was very peaceful sewing late into the night - no phones ringing, no stopping to get meals or coffee - just me and my machine. I am hoping that will be on again next month.

I am looking forward to seeing what others have achieved during their Friday night sew-in.

From this .....

Tonight is my first Friday night sew-in and I will be ready in about 2 hours to start. I see that about 180 have put their name down to take part tonight and I have been doing some blog hopping over the past couple of days and I think that most of those involved are in the northern hemisphere which makes me being a "downunder" one of the first to make a start.

After dinner, which is a "heat & eat" in other words left-overs and the kitchen is tidy, I will get into something more comfy and cool as it is another warm night here - not like what I have been seeing on many blogs - SNOW - and lots of it!!!

Anyway the photo of the fabric above is what I am using tonight. I have already made a start - the cutting out - so I will see how far I go getting it finished.
Pop back sometime tomorrow and I will have a piccie of the result - hopefully.

I had better go and get organised and to all those taking part tonight enjoy and have fun. You will most probably be sewing when I am sleeping. I look forward to seeing what everyone is doing. There is some lovely work on those blogs.

Friday sew in

I have just joined in "Friday sew-in" on 19th February which entails getting everything organised and me in my "jammies" sewing along with other like minded people in their "jammies" each in our own sewing rooms.

What a great way to keep on top of projects and at some point on Saturday we put up piccies on our blogs of our effort/s. I do not belong to a quilting group but this will feel like I do. Now all I have to do is forget the "braindead" Friday night feeling I usually suffer from after working all week and get stuck straight into it after dinner. Note to self - no wine on Friday night - it can be my AFD or perhaps I should and I would be game to try stippling when I am feeling relaxed. The mere mention of the word I break into a "sweat".

I am looking forward to my first Friday night sew-in and have just the project in mind. I have another order for a baby bag. I will post piccies on Saturday 20th.

What's in the box?

Firstly let me wish you all a very happy, safe and creative 2010.

I usually do not make New Year's resolutions simply because I break each and every one of them by the end of the first week but I did read a good suggestion on the craft forum about getting ahead with some "gifties" and thought that this is a goer. I think I can uphold this resolution for more than a week - hopefully. Hence the box.

Ready to peak inside



Let me give you a closer look



I find that these items make great "extra" gifts to add in, they are quick to make up and use some of those ever increasing scraps lying around my sewing room.

I know that the box is looking rather empty but if I can keep up this new resolution I hope to have it full by Christmas 2010 provided I do not raid it too much during the year.

I will let you know when the next lot of "gifties" is ready for public display.

In the meantime happy sewing.