Coffee filter garlands

While trawling the web for paper garland inspiration for Christmas I came across these pretty images by Pam Garrison of garlands made from coffee filters, music paper, tissue paper and crepe.

Love them!
 

Vintage playsuit

I finally got to do some sewing over the long weekend and look what I whipped up.It is from a vintage pattern mum picked up from an op shop and a vintage Sheridan tablecloth from my collection of vintage linens. At first I wasn't sure if I liked the style but now I am thinking it is pretty cute for a toddling tots summer outfit!

Little Wise Owl

Aren't they just too cute? - made by Becky from Little Wise Owl (love the name!) on madeit.com here.

I want want want that gorgeous bag made from vintage noahs ark fabric. I can so picture my mazie carrying her books in it or wearing it flung over her shoulder teamed with her new apple green smock dress and funky coloured fabric necklace or fabric broach...

Becky's items really have me inspired to get stuck into my stash of vintage sheets, pillowcases and fabrics and get some sewing happening around here!

all images via little wise owl on madeit.com

Tutu-liscious

Here's a few pics of Addison in her party outfit...awww- gotta love a tutu!

I will post more pics and details of what I made for her party when I sort through her party photos, so stay tuned!

And yes, this tutu is "inspired" by the adorable Teapony rocker tutus. I am sure Ms Teapony won't mind as its only for personal use and after all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery! Truly!!!

Its Tuesday and I can't wait...

... to get stuck in to some fresh crafting projects.

I have just found my new favourite sewing/crafting blog, V and Co. She has fantastic tutorials and beautiful crafting inspirations.

My favourite are these 2 pillows...Love the Ruffled cushion to the right but the ruched cushion with the blue flowers- OMG STUNNING! This is for her daughters room and she is also doing a new quilt which I can't wait to see.

image via V and Co.

And this tutorial for beautiful fabric flowers (especially great if you are like me and have used yoyo flowers to death and are after something a little different).


On another crafting note, I also came across the

The Moda Bakeshop has a fabulous range of online "recipes" in their "bakeshop"- LOVE IT!

oooh, I have so many ideas to add to my growing list of things to make now!

Little Tee Pee for Miss L & Miss E

So this Tee Pee I made last week was actually for a girlfriends daughters' for their birthdays (I didn't want to give the surprise away last week as she reads my blog). Hope the girls enjoy it G! (and more importantly, hope you can get it up on your own!)

Making this Tee Pee was not as easy as it first appeared. It was all going suspiciously way to smoothly and then I got to finishing the pockets for the dowel poles - bom bom. I could not for the life of me work out to finish the seams so I could fit the poles through so they would fan out properly, a little readjusting and I managed to finish it as well as could be considering. A simple coordinating drawstring bag to store the Tee Pee and rods finished the gift off nicely.

I need to make another one out of calico so I can fiddle with the measurements until I sort the pattern out just right so I can make some for my girls and nieces.

It turned out pretty cute I think besides the all the technical dramas.

Can't you just imagine little girls having tea parties, reading books and playing dolls in this little hideaway?

Tee-pee cute

all images via tinypeople blog

I recently re-discovered these absolutely divine images that I have had saved in my "to do" file for so long now and they have inspired me to have a go at making a cute and cozy tee-pee. A lovely little space for precious little ones to hideaway and play and make believe.

I just love how this tee-pee is haphazardly sewn together with different patches and strips of fabric, raw edges and strands of threads.

Ooh, what to do, what to do...too many ideas and fabrics to choose...make a decision Brooke!

A Happy little Happy Stacker

Someone looks happy with her Happy Stacker!

I finally finished Addison's Happy Stacker on the weekend- Yeh!!!

It took a while longer than I had anticipated...a lot longer actually...

Hand stitching is not my thing and that sort of turned me off for a while.

Its a little lumpy and bumpy and misshapen but I think it still looks cute and Addison seems to enjoy it.

Who would think stuffing some rings would be such a pain! I thought I could just stuff it in and it would turn out even and perfect like Heather Baileys...hmmm not so.

I even googled how to stuff correctly but I am thinking I just sewed the circles a bit crookedly, oh well.

I also inserted some little jingle bells when stuffing the rings so they have a nice little tingle when shaken- cute!

What do you think?

1 Superhero cape- completed!

Well, at last, a completed project!

Of course it took me longer than it should have because I could not decide on what to applique, whether to do stars or hearts, what fabric combo to use, where to use the trims etc. I even sewed the broderie anglaise around the edge of the cape but unpicked it as it looked a bit fussy and more like a tablecloth!

I thought "less is more" and it turned out pretty cute don't you think?

And of course a very Happy Birthday to my gorgeous Mazie - 3 years old today!

Mwah XXX

oh, I forgot to mention- let me know if you would like to know how I made the cape and I will send you intructions.

Stitches and Craft Show cont...

goodies from the day

too cute- Melly and Me Mrs Perkins giraffe softie pattern

my lovely handsewn pincusion from the craftbar, business card from 2 cheese please and some fabric picked up from spotlight

love love love the "flower pin cushions" display at the craft bar

my lovely bundle of fat quarter purchases

Tweet Tweet- so sweet!!! I want to make one of these!

OK, so truth be told, the Stitches and Craft show left us a just a teeny bit disappointed...

If it wasn't for the craft bar, fabric and softie pattern purchases from Peppermint Stitches stall and our little visit to Black & Spiro in New farm afterwards, we would have been quite sad...

There just didn't seem to be many booths with new and interesting stuff (to may tastes that is) save for maybe 2 or 3 booths- it was a lot of the same old same old but maybe this was because I went to Craffest not long ago?

Some of the classes we wanted to go to were not on even though I am positive the website said they were on that day (but now that I have checked it doesn't - oops did i read it wrong??!) and the classes that interested us and that we could go to seemed to clash at the same time...humph. I wonder if different stall holders attend different days and whether the weekend would have more booths???

Anyway, enough of the Negative Nancy and on to the good stuff.

• The latest Real Living magazine for $3.50- bargain!
• Peppermint Stitches booth- I purchased 6 fat quarters in some gorgeous coordinating vintage style fabrics and 1 funky zig zag stripe (not sure if it is Heather Bailey or not???) and another that looks a bit like strings of fruit loops. I also picked up a too cute Mrs Perkins giraffe softie pattern (my sister got the elephant softie pattern which I will borrow and make too). I have no projects in mind for the fabrics of course - just loved them and thought they would make a lovely addition to my fabric stash!
• Craft bar- here you could sit down and make 1 of 4 free cute little projects made from the always fabulous Liberty of London fabrics. We made the pincushion with contrasting covered buttons.
• Round "flower" pincushions at the craft bar- in love love love with these!!! They had a multitude in various sizes and colours and they just looked absolutely divine. A definite project to add to the ever growing list!
• Sweet little bird house display (not sure who made these or where they were from???)
• Some other small display booths that I loved were ... Two Cheese Please (loving their felt doughnuts), Red Seed Studio and Ink & Spindle
• to top off the day we visited the always inspiring Black & Spiro - the window displays were absolutely stunning and lets not even talk about the pink and white candy striped couch!!!! swoon. We were happily browsing through the multitudes of fabric swatches when in walked Anna Spiro herself (side note: my sister has a stalking issue with Anna Spiro which I am sure she will mention in her Stitches and Craft blog post!) - quite exciting for us Absolutely Beautiful Things blog stalkers!

All in all a fun but exhausting day...

Still Loving Scissor Variations...

Pretty Apothecary tutorial

Origami Couture tutorial

Paper Flowers tutorial

Pretty Recycling tutorial

Cotton Drawstring Bags tutorial

Buttons Without shirts tutorial

Security Envelope Rosettes tutorial

I have been stalking Scissor Variations again and thought I would post some pics of Janice's fabulous items in use and links to her fabulous tutorials.

I will definitely be making the paper flowers (stunning and so simple), the buttons (when I purchase a button/badge making machine), pretty recycling (I now have a use for my collection of tin cans I have been hoarding) and pretty apothecary (I need to source some glass jars- I am thinking for in the bathroom...)