Fabric Friday

Laura Gunn for Michael Miller Fabrics - Tile Mosaic Wine


Laura Gunn for Michael Miller Fabrics - Climbing Lantern Pods Green


Amy Butler - Honeycomb Rust


Garland Rose - Santorini

Squirrel Pillow 1/2

Fabric Friday

Manakineko White - Medetai


Ikea Hippo Fabric (Found it on the childrens department)


Alexander Henry Skull-finity


Alexander Henry Senor Burrito

Birthday Dress....

... I guess she will fit in it this summer...so must figure out a cool new birthday outfit for her SOON!!

BIG NOTE TO SELF:
MUST DO SOME FITTING SESSIONS BEFORE SEWING EVERYTHING

Christmas Dress

..but not only wearable during Christmas



INGREDIENTS

Pattern: Farbenmix Xenia
Fabric: Michael Miller Pet Deer Brown
Gingham squares pink/brown
Gingham squares green/brown

His time had come....

In November 1970... a long, long time ago... my sister was born and somebody made her a fabric clown which she treasured until now.
Now that she was expecting a baby herself she wanted to wash it, but unfortunately threw it in to the washing machine... bad bad idea...
Modern technology and old fibers don't go together as you can see here:



Since she was all in tears (must be the pregnancy hormones) I promised to make her a new one.. so I got out my stash...




and forgot to make a picture of the result.
Ha! that means I will have to make another blogpost to show you.
I just might get to 30 blogposts this year...pffff

Fabric Friday

To get back into the groove of regular blogging I'd thought a returning blogpost on Friday would definitely help. So from now on I will share some pictures every friday of my ever growing fabric stash....
Enjoy!


Merry Mushroom Collection - Windham Fabrics


Merry Mushroom Collection - Windham Fabrics


Mendocino Series by Heather Ross


Mendocino Series by Heather Ross

Secret Santa Ornament Swap 09/10

Once again Nat has hosted the Secret Santa ornament swap

At the last moment (typically me ahem...)I made this:



Simple but cute...very cute
It was posted yesterday to Germany :-)

You can't imagine....

....how relaxing it is NOT to blog for a while, although I must admit that 4 months is a bit long. It is just that when you haven't posted for a while, you get a little lazy and don't really care about another day without blogging.... and before you know it people start thinking that something is seriously wrong with you.
Relax... I am perfectly okay!

To start where I left off (the end of May...)...
We spend a magnificent 2 weeks in Dahab, Egypt in the beginning of June although when you look at this picture some of you might ask yourself how you can spend a great holiday in an environment like this..
Well.. that is quite easy; all you do is eat, sleep, do some snorkling, eat some more, read a book and stay out of the sun (around 37 degrees Celsius most of the days, dropping just a few degrees at night).
I really spend the most relaxing holiday EVER here, not just because of the heat but especially because of the friendly atmosphere of the village and the people. Getting in touch with locals is no problem at all, especially not when you have a little one with you, because they adore kids!

The only "activity" was snorkling... when you walk into the water, you immediately step onto the reef (forbidden of course, but hard to avoid) where you can see the most beautiful fish you've ever seen!




(Saudi Arabia is just across the water, only 17 km)
These camels really walk around on the streets and on the beaches, just like herds of goats and stray cats. And although poverty is all around you, people approach you as being equal, you don't feel like the "white rich man" there (unlike as in certain parts of Asia for example :-(....).

No matter how I loved to stay there I have never ever enjoyed coming home so much as this time and the reason for that is this: GREEN GRASS, GREEN TREES.... oh my god!!! How beautiful they look after spending two weeks in the Sinai!!




The rest of our summer was dominated by family. Michiel (and his brother) had to take care of their parents 24/7 after them having health problems, which meant that I was sort of a single mom most of the days. NO FUN AT ALL.... It meant no energy for me, just lying on the couch all night after work, cooking and bathing B.
We (B and I) did however spend some wonderful days outside which meant a little relaxation for me.



I have done some creating as well, but can't show it to you yet because it will still take a while before it is finished. Will share pictures soon (haha.. kind of funny that I dare to use "soon" after not having blogged for 4 months...).
Please don't trust me...hehe..

Talking with birds - Style Advice

Does my new yellow top goes well with my hair?

Unfinished Projects.... Babette update 3

It's been a long long time since I worked on my Babette Blanket.
My last update post about it was in August 2008!
I now feel really inspired to work on it again, since I started crocheting for Miss Poppy.. and I must say... I don't know why I stopped working on it...
Oh yeah.. I remember.. I started sewing!
Be on the look out for a sewing post later this week :-)

Fearless!

With her I don't have the fear to mess up a self designed crochet/knitted/sewed project because it is sooo tiny! So when I screw up I just try again or take it apart. This is not my favorite thing when I make something for myself so I am totally enjoying design freedom with this doll because it doesn't cost as much time nor money... which is a good thing, because I spend enough already on the doll itself haha :-)

Meet Poppy :-)

Thanks everybody for helping me find a name for her :-)

Mothersday present

so if you thought that scrapbooking was already a bottomless pit for spending your money... please don't make sewing your new hobby!
I recently discoverd this great webshop with only japanese import fabrics and patternbooks... well...what can I say, take a look for yourself on
www.superbuzzy.com for some of the cutest fabric prints in the whole wide world!

I expect to receive this cool mother/daughter patternbook any day now, isn't this the cutest (corniest) mothersday gift you can think of? I know it will make daddy really happy to see his wife and daughter in a matching outfit....

4 years of marriage...

and time flies when you're having fun :-)

It's finished schatzie!!

Ingredients:
Alexander Henry - fabric "Jewel Mobile"
Ikea - green canvas
Market - Purple Linnen for the lining of the bag
Pattern - "Alles Dabei" from Farbenmix

I hope you enjoy it dear Nat, it has got my and your favorite colour combined.
A great combination I must say!

She's arrived :-)

Now let's think of a name for her... any ideas?
I have a strong feeling that her name has to start with a "P".. don't ask my why!



I ordered her at Miss Blythe's store, THE european Blythe shop, based in Portugal.
Very kind and fast service!
Please don't laugh at me, but this doll is making me smile everytime I look at her... :-D!

I play with dolls too

She is coming my way :-)

Are you hungry?

You will be after looking at this gorgeous kimono dress (Farbenmix Pattern Pearl).




My personal model wasn't too happy about the design though and refused to stand up for mommy so she could make a proper picture of the dress....



When she finally got up she did everything she could to hide the dress from the camera....



Fabric by Robert Kaufman, ordered HERE.

Is this cute or is it cute?

One thing....

... leads to another. It is only logical that I am now experimenting with stamping on fabric :-). I finally found someone in the Netherlands actually selling Versacraft. Even specialized stamping shops like Art Journey or Stampingback don't sell it. So I am really happy with this craft shop that does sell it, and a lot of different colours as well
First results:




First lesson learned: make absolutely sure your piece of fabric is ironed/steamed very very well. Unless of course you love a crackled stamped image on your dress ;-).

For me

I make stuff for me too... and lately I am in love with black and white combinations :-)



Pattern is by Farbenmix (Frida). Click HERE for more "designbeispiele" :-).
I like my version best...obviously.

Fabric is by Alexander Henry called "Roboskulls" & "Paseo de los Muertos"

The solution...

... for having enough time to cut, paint, glue, tare any piece of paper or fabric is winning the lottery and quiting your job....
At the moment, this is my favorite fantasy :-).
My current frustration is that with the time I have left between mothering and working I have to choose between paper and fabric. Because I am still learning it's logical to choose fabric, because practice makes perfect. In the meanwhile my head is overflowing with ideas for scrapping, atc's etcetera... but then... how can I resist those prints? NEED MORE TIME....NOW!



Fabric rules.... Check out www.fabricparadise.com for example, I guarantee you will start to make up all kinds of excuses, so that you can order just a few yards of cool fabric. Come on... you know you want it!

Still alive....

... very much alive indeed. I was just bloghopping and read the following:

i need to start posting more often. i think i get caught up in all the things i could or should be sharing and get overwhelmed.

It so stupid that I simply don't take the time to blog once in a while, because I do love it. It is very comforting though that there are (a lot!) of people who have the same "problem".

What I have been doing the last month? What do you think?


For this dress I used the same pattern as for Bincke's birthday dress and the Duckie dress. The fabric with the print is (again!) from Alexander Henry called "The Perfect Pattern".

This cutie dress was sewn as a present for a little baby girl, born on the first day of Christmas...


Sooo...I have been enjoying myself, have been sick for almost a week too.
Have booked a great vacation: we will be staying in a house in Dahab, Egypt for 2 weeks in June :-)...yay! No mass tourism here, which is good, very good!!
Besides snorkeling...I won't be doing anything here :-), except petting the occasional camel or goat that comes by our house haha...
Googling Dahab I found someone saying:

"Dahab - Tourist trap at the Red Sea. It took us 30 days to escape."

:-))))))
I soooo can't wait until its June!
Did you already book your holiday?

Another birthday girl...

This photo was taken exactly 1 year ago on the "babyshow" from the pregnancy yoga class



Last month little Frieda celebrated her first birthday. And to help her celebrate I made her this dress. It is the same pattern as I used for Bincke's birthday dress. I must say Frieda's piece is more beautiful than Bincke's; practice makes perfect :-)



.

Fabric is by Alexander Henry, called Rub-A-Dub Ducky.
So...if you are looking for a cool birthday present for a baby girl...you know where to find me ;-).

Typical

This law is what we in Europe call a typical example of good old fashioned American overreacting.... pfff...
Please take your time to read the whole article under the provided link.

13 months....

already! Her first birthday was not as much fun as I hoped and I won't discuss details here, but sometimes family can be such a pain the ass!
Luckily for her she too young to realize what a stupid birthday it was and
her first year here on earth will be remembered forever with this dress I made her. I am sure she will treasure it when she's old and grey :-) and I will lie to her about her wonderful 1st birthday party :-).