Those photos I promised

Decided it would probably be easier to add pics in a new post than to update the other one. So, here are pics of what I've been working on. Minus a couple, like the little purse I sewed from a recent "Handmade" magazine but can't find right now and the doll I was happily crocheting until I snapped the plastic crochet hook I was using and unsure where in my stash is another 5mm one. I've never broken a hook before and actually attempted to continue crocheting with the 1.5" stub but it hurt my fingers. Was possible though, I finished off some of the dolls dress with that stub!! Crazy I know. Yay for the life of a bored person. Anyway, the pics.....

A little doll dress I started. As you can see, it's far from finished! I used hemming tape for the hem. My sewing machine is really touchy about tension. I have to finish the neck and back, including the buttons or some other closure. Not sure if I will finish it. Just isn't working for me right now. I planned to do some applique or embroidery on the front, not to mention the matching bloomers. Maybe one day!

I used a pattern to make this little sun suit for Kristina. The pattern was actually for swimmers but hey.. It's a little too wide at the hips and wasn't quite tall enough for the baby bjorn doll. I fixed the height by hand sewing on the purple lace, which I then added to the legs as well for some continuity. I'm really pleased with it! I chose purple and green to work with some of the items I crocheted.

A little halter and some shorts. Of course, my own designs. One leg of the shorts seems a tad smaller, and take no notice of that little gape in the crotch.. It's just not there, ok?! *lol* I like the halter, though it seemed to drag on forever! Such a little doll too. This is why I am no good at wearables for people.. far too impatient. You can't really see the little flower but it has a yellowy-pearlesque button in the middle. Again, these are my own designs.


A little skirt (teamed up with the halter from above) and some shoes. The skirt is still waiting on a green belt and a top to match. I can't find either of those yarns at the moment, buried under a pile of books I think. The shoes were interesting to make. I wrote down what I did but not sure if it really "works" as a pattern. Might have to ask LeAnna to test it for me. All my own designs. You should expect no less ;)

I love, love, LOVE the little hat I made!! Just a basic round with fpdc and bpdc details. It just looks so cute!! Probably not the bext photo. The little ribbon flower worked better than I expected. The mittens look huge, these dolls have their hands in bizzare poses so to make it fit they had to be biggish. I just tied them with ribbons to match the hat, but sewed one end to the mittens so the ribbons wont fall out and get lost etc. The blanket is some polar fleece and a panel cut from this really cute Sunbonnet Sue type fabric I bought in Perth earlier in the year, for 50c a metre!! The place was relocating so they sold everything totally cheap rather than move it. How lucky to be there at the right time *happy dance* I got something like 24m of fabric, or maybe it was 48m, I don't recall... Anyway, the diagram had little yellow "stitches" around the girl, the dog, and the inside of the patchwork border, so I hand sewed on those lines around the doll. It's given it a nice, raised, quilted effect so I think I will do the same around the dog then perhaps machine sew the rest, possibly in a bold pink or something. Might add some ribbons. Who knows. It's only for the baby bjorn doll afterall!! Hope Kristina loves all this :)

I sewed this yesterday and I really quite like it!! It was intended as a pencil case for Shania as part of her xmas present. I'm not sure yet. Maybe a 10yr old will think school supplies is the suckiest present ever. I tried to make it have some width in the bottom and had no idea what I was doing. Of course, today, I find out how easy it should have been so I will likely fix it. The flower is 5 ribbons cut to about 2" and sewn with a few stitches once folded, then the button to cover all the mess. I couldn't get one length of ribbon to fold how I needed it to do it all in one piece. Random blue buttons just for some more depth. The pink ribbon was also used as a little tab/pull on the zipper. It just works. The pink really brightens the whole thing. If I did it again I think I'd use a wider ribbon for a bigger flower. Otherwise, I am happy!

A double scrapbook layout that just ISN'T working for me. I think that it's far too busy. But, seeing the photo, I might actually like it. The righthand photo is a collection of other pics I want to include, hence the huge frog tag which is destined to become a little album to stash all these pics. And to think, the eldest girl (left) is 13 this year!! Sharyn's (elder girl) photo is so much darker than Amanda's which is making it a little frustrating to make this layout work. I am a bit stumped by it for the moment so have walked away. Will return in a few days and see how I feel. Have already drawn out some scallops on a plain blue paper to use somewhere on this layout.

A vintage pattern for a dress I am crocheting for Jessica. I FINALLY got some Bendigo Woollen Mills cotton and I am loving it!! Perfect for wearables, so soft and slightly fluffy. Not at all tough and rough. The colour is "light teal". Jess likes it so far which is fabulous! This is front/back (both are identical) and maybe 1/3 of the length it needs to be. Fast to crochet just tedious as it's just repeating and counting (5dc, 1dc, 5dc, 1dc etc). I do like it a lot and will finish it up soon. It may be too warm for her to wear in summer.

A scarf for Kristina's younger brother Deegan. Still in the works. No pattern just random rows of knit and purl. I like that the thick/thin yarn is giving it a textrure it would otherwise be without. I originally bought this yarn to make Deegan a comfort blanket but his mum (Nichola) bought one before I had the chance. After I told her I had the yarn! I also used this yarn to make a hat for her new baby Nate. I gifted that before getting a pic as she was heading off to have him. I'll try get a pic of him in it when they come home. The book is from the library and probably overdue...

Back in March was our local race day (horses) and for whatever reason I was bit with the sewing bug the day before, sometime around 2pm. I sewed this in record time and Jessica loved it!! I used some cheap earrings on the ends of the ribbon tie for fun, bought a hair clip to go with it (would have made that too but was threading the ribbon just before walking out the door! She got blue fairy floss (cotton candy to my USA friends) on it. It probably wont hold up, the seams are finished and such. It was just so sweet! Has matching bloomers underneath from the print fabric. It was from a 1970's sewing pattern. I had to fold the neck and tack open as it was just too high for her. She looks so sweet and got a ton of compliments on the day.