Sewing for Baby #1

I think I've been waiting for at least 10 years for the excuse to sew baby items! For some reason it didn't feel quite 'right' to me to be sewing clothes or nursery knick knacks when I wasn't even married. It felt like I might be getting a bit too ahead of myself.

But now - I am free to let my creativity run when it comes to all things 'baby'! So I thought I would share with you my creations along the way, and include a few tutorials for some things.

Firstly our nursery. Since we are having a surprise, and will only find out the gender once our baby makes their grand entrance, I decided a neutral colour scheme was a must. At first I thought mint green and grey, but I have now added some more colour to that, with the addition of apricot, aqua, teal, lemon and white. It's gorgeous. It's neither boy or girl. And I love it!

We have painted our nursery walls the classic Dulux Antique White USA. We wanted something smart and simple, and I particularly like white, or near white, walls. I find blogs like Dreamy Whites, and Meadowbrook Farm, particularly lovely. And it's because of their gorgeous white walls, and colourfully country decorating pieces they include. I've realised I admire and like the Modern Farmhouse style of home very much. Thankfully our little cottage lends itself to this style quite nicely!

Whilst the painting is complete, the nursery itself is still a work in progress. I have a feeling it will always be tweaked and adjusted, even well after the baby arrives! Our lovely cot was a gift from my parents and my Omi and Opa, whilst the change table I scored for $60 off Ebay. One cannot describe how thrilled I am with it. We still have plans for shelving, a new door, some more colourful artwork, curtains, a rug and other bits, like a light fitting. But, you know, one can't do all these things in a rush.

One of my creations that I'm just so happy with is my nappy or diaper stacker. I had been thinking about it for months, and finally the day of inspiration struck and it was complete within a few hours. I made the pattern myself, and it also includes a sturdy base, so it doesn't flop when half empty. It's not a particularly large stacker, as I wanted something a bit more compact and neat.
It's now proudly hanging off the change table, full of nappies and ready for some use!

I also now sell them as custom made items in my Etsy Shop. Head on over and have a look, even if you  aren't interested in the nappy stacker, I have lots of other bits and pieces, including some fabric.

Baby countdown? Currently 37 weeks and 4 days. 
Am I over it? Not just yet. Still am enjoying being pregnant, but we are getting more eager to meet our little baby!

Getting ready for a baby...

Well, with only 4 and a bit weeks to go, we are sneaking ever so closer to having a baby in our house! I still can't believe it's actually really happening. Simon and I are going to be parents! Eek! I know Simon is going to be a great and wonderful father, but I'm sure it's only natural to have doubts about our own abilities, isn't it? I just hope I measure up to the task! If I can be half as good a mum as my own mother - I'll be very content and happy!

A small baby blessing was held at our home a few weeks ago to celebrate out little possum. A few close friends and family members came to eat and drink, and then pray over Simon, myself and our baby. It was a wonderful and happy little occasion, and a delight to have possum blessed.
I had a fabulous time decorating the house in our "Cute as a Button" theme, and styling the food to match. It was a lot of work, but oh, so worth it!

My lovely and talented sister in law also induldged us with some baby bump photos to mark our pregnancy. As you can tell - we are so not 'model/posing' people! But it was great fun, and we now have some lovely photos to remember our baby journey.

And isn't it so nice to be able to wash baby clothes!? The best kind of washing, by far!

Enjoying the journey

Life certainly does get a bit more hectic when you're pregnant.

There are appointments to go to, bloods to have taken from you, doctors to see, a nursery to create, and things to buy. Mind you - the whole nursery creating and buying things has been super fun! I cannot even begin to describe how much fun it has been to set up our nursery and daydream about our little possum sleeping there. More on that later though - as I'm really keen to share some photos with you of Possums nursery so far. 

Pregnant, and loving it!

A small snapshot of the nursery.

And I know what most of you are thinking - if I think I'm busy now, just wait till a baby enters the household!! Yes, I'm well aware that my delusions of being busy at the moment will be a far cry from the constant need and attention that a baby demands. But at least that will be my sole job and object - and I won't have to concern myself with other responsibilities, like work, just yet!

French Provincial Quilt, on Etsy.

Love the softness.

My Etsy shop is growing steadily, and I am really enjoying making and selling my handmade wares. I love that all around the world, there are little nurseries or couches adorned with my owl bunting, or a cushion cover, or a patchwork quilt. There is something so timeless and personal about a handmade item, made with love and attention. And I really enjoy sharing that with likeminded people who appreciate it. 

We are nearly about to have our 50th sale on Etsy, which is so awfully exciting! I still remember my first sale and how I screamed and yelled and raced outside to share the news with Simon. And each sale I make now, I still get incredibly excited! 

So, do you remember the above pile of prettiness I shared a while ago? This lovely collection is a custom order for a young mum and her two daughters - one chevron quilt, and one circle quilt. The chevron quilt top is nearly complete, and looking so soft and pretty. It has been a joy and pleasure to work with this mum and these gorgeous fabrics. We are both looking forward to seeing the two quilts finished - hopefully before Christmas! 

A dash of Navy, with a slice of Lime

I quite adore this quilt. I really do.
It's a colour scheme I'd never have normally picked, but I'm so glad I did. There is something so fresh, and so clean about Navy and Lime, with a lot of white.
Almost makes me want to change the colour scheme for our nursery. Almost. 

This little quilt is perfect for a cot, and has been made using half square triangles just placed about randomly. I do quite like the random, messy, craziness of it all. 'Tis fun!
It's currently up for sale in my Etsy Shop. Hopefully it will go to a great home.

Thank you for helping me to celebrate the release of my first pattern, and for entering my little giveaway. For those interested, the winner is Michell! Congratulations Michell! I hope you enjoy your prize.

Happy Sewing!

Chevron Quilt Pattern and a Giveaway!

Giveaway closed!

Thank you for entering!

It's been awhile since I've written a quilt pattern for a magazine, so I admit to feeling a bit of nervous apprehension with this post. You know how it is. You put so much energy and time and effort into something, then to release it to the world, at the risk of rejection and correction - it's quite scary!
I only hope that the reading, and the re-reading, and the checking and double checking have found any and all necessary corrections!

So, whilst it is with a bit of nerves, it's also with great excitement that I officially release my first Missy Mack pattern to the general public! *deliriously imagines cherry applause*

The pattern is called Summertime Chevron, and includes instructions for the pictured Cot quilt. But it also includes further instructions for a Single/Twin variation, and a Queen size quilt.
It is a striking and pretty quilt, and one I am quite proud of.

The pattern is available in either a PDF form, or a paper hardcopy version, and both can be found in my Etsy shop here.

So to celebrate, I will be giving away one Paper Hardcopy version of Summertime Chevron, plus a Moda Odds and Ends Charm Pack to the winner.

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post for one entry. For another bonus entry, blog about this giveaway, (please let me know if you blog about it, so I can add your entry!)
Giveaway will close in one week from today, so that is Wednesday the 12th of September at 7pm AEST.

Good luck!

Pretty Florals with a Vintage Feel

Well, that's how I would describe this lovely pile of fabric.

This nice stack is currently sitting on my sewing table, patiently waiting to be made into two single bed quilts for a client.

I can't begin to tell you how much I'm looking forward to working with these delightful prints. We have some gorgeous Art Gallery Fabrics in here, amongst some Moda favourites.

These two quilts will be going to two lovely little sisters whom I had the pleasure of meeting this week, along with their mummy.

'Till I can get started, at least the lovely prints will adorn my sewing table!

Black and Yellow Chevron Love

Literally any day now, a little baby boy will be born, who will get to sleep under this Black, Yellow, Grey and White Chevron Quilt. A local Melbourne girl contacted me, wanting to complete her nursery style with a funky and modern quilt in this colour scheme. Particularly in a Chevron design (see, I told you Chevrons were popular!)

So, after numerous conversations and chats about fabric choices, this was our result. A super funky, and super modern quilt for her new little boy. I am particularly pleased with the technical aspects of this little quilt, and how it turned out. 

It required a bit of thinking to achieve the directional fabric prints to run in the correct way, and that was fun. It was great for my pregnant brain to have to think a bit more! 

The backing is, of course, pieced from left over scraps.

Good news? Caseii absolutely loves her quilt! Which makes me one very happy designer and crafter! 

Caseii, I hope you and your family enjoy it for many years to come! Good luck with your new little boy!

Modern Circle Quilt

I actually made and finished this quilt top some time ago, but as often is the way, it sat waiting to be quilted and finished for a whole year. Being a quilt that is designed to ruffle and fray with love and wear, I just couldn't decide how best to quilt it. I had thoughts of quilting multiple circles all over it; of doing shadow quilting in the fabric circles; endless ideas.

In the end I stuck with what I know, and randomly stipple quilted the whole thing. Love.it.

Sometimes I think it's best to stick with what I know, and what's familiar. My lovely Pfaff Quilt Expression 4.0 is fantabulous at stipple quilting, as it allows me to adjust the pivot height and the tension to make it just perfect. Every day I use my lovely big sewing machine, and every day she's a pleasure to work with!

So, on to the circle quilt! The range of fabric is "Ginger Blossom" by Sandi Henderson for Michael Miller. I simply cut a larger circle from a template, then folded that circle into quarters to cut out a smaller inner circle. Then it was just a matter of laying out the circles on some plain white homespun and sewing them down. Very easy and a lot of fun.

The quilt measures about 50" square, and has been washed already to give it that lovely crinkly, fluffy look. The backing was made up with a lovely plain green, mixed in with some scarps from the front.
So a year later, but worth the wait.