Then and now...

I thought it would be a good idea to take a walk down memory lane and be reminded of that moment when you first completed that first piece of sewing item you did. It doesn't matter how long ago it was but if you have a picture of it, let's see it! And after that, the latest piece of work you've done to see how far you've come along on this crafty journey.

While I don't have a pix of that apron I first sewed in home ed class back when I was in highschool some 15 years ago, I do have a pix of the first piece of sewing I did when I moved here. :)

This is a baby sling I sewed for Arianna when she was about 1 yr old. I know it took me ages to actually get started sewing although dh had bought me one of those tiny sewing machines for my first Chrismas out here. But when I finally did sew something, it was this. :)

The pattern is a free one and the fabric used is flannel for the inside and on the outside is a batik sarung. From 1 sarung, I got 2 of these slings so if you're attempting to make one of these, you can give one away as a gift. :)

This is my absolute newest completed projects. Dresses from knit fabric for New Year. I'm on a break now trying to figure out what to sew next! :P

Now, come show off your first sewing item. If you have any online photo album, just pick the first piece of sewing that you've done. That's what I've done here anyway. Looking forward to see what you've done and how far you've since come. :) And once you're done, don't forget to link back and leave me a comment so I can come drop by and take a peek!

Merry Christmas

From me to you I wish you and your families a wonderful, safe and happy Christmas and New Year period. Please take care on the roads if you are traveling.

Thankyou for reading this blog and I hope you stay tuned next year as I have some other little things planned :)

xxx Gilly

Getting to Know You..A CM in Profile

Some light reading for you on this wonderful Christmas Eve!

Getting to Know You - Carla.



1.What is your name (first only is fine if you prefer) and what do we call you at Crafty Mamas?

Carla although I’m know as Possum123 which is an abbreviation of my hotmail address. It’s a username I use just about everywhere so if you come across a possum123 elsewhere there is a good chance that it is me.

2. How long have you been around Crafty Mama and how did you find us?

I actually joined in Aug 2008 but didn’t really start contributing until recently. It took a little while to jump in the deep end so to speak.

3. What makes you a Crafty Mama – ie what is your activity(s) of choice?

I mostly sew but I can also embroider, crochet and knit (albeit the latter two very, very slowly). Embroidery was the very first thing that my mum showed me how to do crafty-wise.


4. Some people collect fabrics, others patterns…what’s you addiction in the crafting sense.

Fabric definitely although I’m starting to get a nice little pattern stash happening. I’m slowly cleaning out our “junk room” to make into my room and so far I’ve got 3 packing cartons and two suitcases choc-a-bloc full of fabric.


5. What’s your creative space like?

At the moment non-existent!! As I said I’m currently in the “junk room” but I’m slowly making into a little retreat just for me. The kids have the toy room, DH has the study so I feel its only fair that I have my room too. I do have my machines out all the time thought which makes such a difference.


6. What’s your favourite crafty tool ?..ie your machines and why?

I definitely love my machines especially my overlocker, would never be able to live without an overlocker again. But my current especially favourite tools are my massive Olfa cutting mat and Olfa rotary cutter with guide arm. They have substantially cut down on tracing/cutting time.


7. Tell us about the most dedicated act of crafting you have performed ie sewed all night, drove 2 days for a craft show…something bordering on silly!

Funnily enough the silliest thing crafty-wise in this house wasn’t something I did but something my hubby did. Whilst in Malaysia for work, he stopped in at a souvenirs type shop for some gifts and while there noticed some “material”. So he called me, did I want some and let’s be honest, who would say no to a question like that?

So when he gets home he gives me my “fabric” (price still on it mind you) and it turns out that he has bought me a pure silk, hand dyed sari which cost RM500 (that’s approximately $160). I nearly died but when I think about it there is a lot of fabric there so maybe it was a good buy afterall. And its totally divine to touch!!!

So far its made some rather lovely PJ pants, just finding the right thing to make with the rest of it.


8. Do you have a blog/website/business/etsy you would like to plug?

Just my little blog http://thefabricaddict.blogspot.com/ which is no more than a spot to show off what I’ve been up to.


9. If you were stuck on a desert island and had the choice of three things to take what would you take (doesn’t have to be crafty)?

Well I couldn’t go anywhere without my loincloth-clad serving men, I’d probably have to drag along my bookcases and I’d definitely need a laptop


10.OK – some one word answers to wrap up:

Diamonds or Pearls? Diamonds, although I don’t often wear jewellery, I do love bling!!!
Coffee or tea? Coffee unless its Earl Grey Tea
Sweet or savoury? Sweet
Night owl or early bird? Strangely enough both
Left or right handed? Ambidextrous but right dominant, you have no idea how incredibly difficult that makes playing zills while bellydancing... but that’s another story.

December Giveaway Winner!

is Liz (lizarddesigns)..... YYIIPPPPEEEEEE

Well done Liz and what a brilliant Christmas present thanks to Lisa!

Well done mamas and thank you for your support - many more amazing giveaways next year.

:)

Getting to Know You..A CM in Profile

Here is installment three in our series.

Getting to Know You - Natalie



(Im pretty sure shes the one in pink LOL)


1. What is your name (first only is fine if you prefer) and what do we call you at Crafty Mamas?
My 'real name' is Natalie Hennekam, but at Crafty Mamas I'm generally known as "Henny Penny".

2. How long have you been around Crafty Mama and how did you find us?
I joined in March 2009. I was actually on another parenting forum, and Crafty Mamas kept coming up, so I came over to see what all the fuss was about. I've been here ever since!

3. What makes you a Crafty Mama – ie what is your activity(s) of choice?
My main activity is sewing, but I also do some knitting, and have tried a bit of needle felting. My husband also bought me a spinning wheel this year, but I haven't yet had the chance to sit down and play.

4. Some people collect fabrics, others patterns…what’s your addiction in the crafting sense.
Well, definitely fabric. I only wish I could sew fast enough to keep up with it all!
I also love gadgets... all those cool little tools that you know you could do without, but they just make life so much easier. My favourite would have to be the jean-a-magig. Although I've also recently discovered the Clover Fabric Folding Pen. Magic!


5. What’s your creative space like?
Overflowing! I am lucky enough to have a really big space, but I keep finding more and more to fill it with. And when I go on a sewing binge, I get really messy, and end up with threads, and scraps everywhere.

6. What’s your favourite crafty tool ?..ie your machines and why?

Aside from my gadgets? It's tricky.
My machines are amazing, however they are both new, and so we're still getting to know each other. So I probably wouldn't say they're my favourite just yet.
But my iron... oh yes ... that is right up there. It is probably the one item that makes the most difference in terms of how my work turns out.

7. Tell us about the most dedicated act of crafting you have performed ie sewed all night, drove 2 days for a craft show…something bordering on silly!

I recently sewed 7 new projects in 7 days. I'd been accumulating new patterns for some time, but hadn't kept up with them all. So I decided I'd spend a week sewing as much as I could - with the stipulation that all pieces had to be from patterns that I owned but hadn't used.

Not surprisingly, there were a few disasters (mainly from later in the week when I started to get very very tired!). However I also found some patterns I really love, and have used a lot since then. So well worth doing.

8. Do you have a blog/website/business/etsy you would like to plug?

Our business is MoederKip, which is Dutch for 'Mother Hen'. Why? Because a Mother Hen is nurturing, yet tough - and we felt this suited our aim to produce children's products which are both beautiful and practical.

Currently we're focussing on clothing and accessories, although we're also planning to expand with a range of wooden toys and decorations (which my Crafty Husband will create). Our blog is http:moederkip.blogspot.com, and we are also in the process of setting up www.moederkip.com.au (to be launched early 2010).

9. If you were stuck on a desert island and had the choice of three things to take what would you take (doesn’t have to be crafty)?
My husband.
My son.
My i-phone.


10. OK – some one word answers to wrap up:


Diamonds or Pearls?
Pearls.
Coffee or tea?
Coffee.
Unless I'm feeling a little precious. Then tea.
Sweet or savoury?
Sweet.
Night owl or early bird?
At the moment, trying to run a business and keep up with a two year old, I'd have to say both - a night owl (when I get things done), and an early bird (when my son wakes me up).
Left or right handed?
Right handed.

Getting to Know You..A CM in Profile

Wow this profile segment was so well received I decided to do it weekly instead of monthly! Thanks for all the support!

Getting to Know You....Yvy



1. What is your name and what do we call you at Crafty Mamas?

Yvylyn Shaan-Lu and before you get your tongues in a twist, that’s pronounced ‘Evelyn’, but you can call me Yvy. I’m known as mistyeiz in the forum and that name is actually partly from my middle name ‘Shaan-Lu’. Being of mixed parentage [Indian and Eurasian] and incidentally, from Malaysia, ‘Shaan-Lu’ means mountain mist in Mandarin hence, misty and ‘eiz’ = eyes. Not that I have misty eyes!

2. How long have you been around Crafty Mama and how did you find us?

From memory, I’d say since March 09 and I was actually referred to the site through a friend who also happened to be the one who inspired me as well. It was my first time in a sewing forum and I wasn’t sure how I’d be since I would be the green horn amongst sewing gurus but am so glad to find such a wonderful lot of mamas!

3. What makes you a Crafty Mama – ie what is your activity(s) of choice?

I think the only thing I can do is sewing! I’m hopeless in the kitchen and cook to survive, plants hate me and die on me all the time, really. *lol* I have actually tried my hand at loads of other crafty things like crochet, knitting, cross stitch and the lot but none of those really lasted this long and I have loads of UFOs around! I dare say that I have finally found something that I truly believe will last the longest!

4. Some people collect fabrics, others patterns…what’s you addiction in the crafting sense.

Gosh, this is a toughie...being new to the passion, my current ‘addiction’ is definitely fabric as I am still getting to know the texture of fabrics out there. So I tend to get a bit of this and that when I can. It’s a crazy fabric world I tells ya! O, and one just can’t have too many Otto mags! My collection is slowly building up. *eekkss...*

5. What’s your creative space like?

Due to space constraint, I actually have both my OL and sewing machine on our dining table! And I store my fabrics in a cabinet DH generously offered me. The funny thing is he let me have like 3 shelves but as most of you know, fabrics ‘breed’ like rabbits and before he knew it, I took over another shelf. You should have seen his face when he finally noticed it. It was priceless! Not to mention that I have a box nearby as well filled with fabric and other tiny tins which contain thread, ribbons and stuff like that. I hope that when/if we do get a bigger place, one day, I’ll have a room to myself. That would be just AWESOME!

6. What’s your favourite crafty tool ?..ie your machines and why?

My overlocker!!! I seriously cannot remember what or how I ever survived pre-serger. *lol* I mean, I love my sewing machine too but man, having an OL really does make sewing so much easy especially with woven stuff. I used to avoid them but now, not so much any more.

7. Tell us about the most dedicated act of crafting you have performed ie sewed all night, drove 2 days for a craft show…something bordering on silly!

I don’t think I’ve done anything that radical just yet. I’m still sewing for the family but I can remember this one time where I was sewing an Otto pattern and it was already quite late and I was then preggers with DD2, close to my due date too! It was maybe after midnight and I told myself, just one more seam. And then when that was done, I thought, might as well do the other side and it just went on and on, and I was left with just the hem and I couldn’t just leave like that, could I?? So I finished the whole thing and went to bed at 3am. I was really knackered but so happy that I completed it! I don’t think I ever pulled that stunt again....at least not while I was still preggers.

8. Do you have a blog/website/business/etsy you would like to plug?

Yes! I blog here I mainly write about what I’ve sewn and make notes for myself so that I can remember what to do and what not to do in the future.

9. If you were stuck on a desert island and had the choice of three things to take what would you take?

I’m so not good with questions like these. So let’s just say the radio, my mum and a pantry that never runs out of food!

10. OK – some one word answers to wrap up:

• Diamonds or pearls – pearls because diamonds have a sad story behind them.
• Coffee or tea? Definitely a tea person
• Sweet or savoury? Savoury
• Night owl or early bird? Mostly a night owl
• Left or right handed? Right handed

The Jolly Man in the Red Suit

We took the kids to the Christmas Pageant here in Perth this morning. As is the custom every year the jolly man in the red suit..aka Santa...aka Father Christmas finished the parade - led of course by his reindeer. I can believe its only 19 sleeps till Christmas...

Getting to Know You..A CM in Profile

Im starting a new little series here on the blog so we can all get to know a bit more about each other.



Getting To Know You....Romi-Jade




1.What is your name (first only is fine if you prefer) and what do we call you at Crafty Mamas?

My name is Romi and my alias at Crafty Mamas is Muse – I was given that nickname by a friend who said I inspired him to turn his life around and get back on his feet again, plus being a creative little soul it seemed fitting.

2.How long have you been around Crafty Mama and how did you find us?

I’ve been at Crafty Mamas for about 6 months. I was a regular on another forum and was linked – it took me a few tries to get used to the layout difference, but then I just jumped in. I love that it’s a small community – it means I don’t feel as lost as I did in other forums. Everyone is so friendly and nice, so I’ve stayed :)

3.What makes you a Crafty Mama – ie what is your activity(s) of choice?

I love to sew, that’s my main hobby. I love to try lots of other crafty things like cooking, gardening, painting, scrap booking, digital art (in photoshop) and I’m learning to crochet. I’m a hopeless knitter though. Also, I don’t know if it counts, but I make video games for a living, so that’s pretty creative too :)

4. Some people collect fabrics, others patterns…what’s you addiction in the crafting sense.

I’ve just started getting addicted to buying both fabric and patterns. I used to be quite frugal about my sewing, but now I’m realising how rewarding it is so sew with beautiful fabrics and to use good patterns. My current addiction is to Japanese sewing books and fabrics – I think they’re simply gorgeous.

5. What’s your creative space like?

I’m lucky enough to have my own sewing room. I have my PC and painting supplies on one table and my overlocker and sewing machine on the other. My small, but steadily growing fabric stash is stored in a set of wire baskets while all my wooden letters and scrapbook supplies are either on display or safely stored away in containers in the wardrobe. I also have two big windows which are really nice; one even has a pretty view of the hills. I’ve yet to decorate my room, but it’s been on my to-do list for a while.

6. What’s your favourite crafty tool ?..ie your machines and why?

I love my sewing machine, even though it’s really basic and simple – I just have a fond attachment to it because it’s what I used to learn to sew. I also really love my new overlocker though, it’s nothing fancy, but it’s very fun to sew with. I’d LOVE to get an embroidery machine as I think it would be so fun to adorn simple fabrics with pretty designs… but that’s a little while away

7. Tell us about the most dedicated act of crafting you have performed ie sewed all night, drove 2 days for a craft show…something bordering on silly!

Haha – I don’t think I’m quite as dedicated as some when it comes to doing exhaustive overnight stunts, but one of the craziest things I’ve done was for a kids clothing swap. I had only just bought my sewing machine and barely knew how to use it, but I signed up for the swap thinking I’d end up making something like a simple skirt or dress – easy enough?

Well, I ended up being paired with a toddler boy and I didn’t want to do something boring, so I chose a cool pair of overalls. However, I didn’t know how to read patterns.. and I didn’t realise that it was comprised of 18 or so different pieces… plus a LOT of top-stitching with a twin needle.. which I did with a single needle.

It was a lot of sewing and it took me absolute hours to make, plus I felt like it was a bit ‘empty’ sending it by itself, so I made a scoodie and an iron-on-transfer for a shirt to go with it. It turned out really well for a beginner and I’m proud that I pushed myself, but I’m sure there are tons of faults from inexperience.

Anyway, here’s a link to my old blog and the post with all the photos for anyone that’s curious to see how they turned out – there’s also a link in the post to my swap partners blog, so you can see the clothes being worn by her adorable little boy.

8. Do you have a blog/website/business/etsy you would like to plug?

Sure! My craft blog is here...- I also have an Etsy shop called Omigosh where I was selling handmade kids clothes etc, but I’m currently letting my items expire so I can give the whole shop a nice makeover and so I can focus on sewing for fun and gifts for a while.

9. If you were stuck on a desert island and had the choice of three things to take what would you take (doesn’t have to be crafty)?

This is always a hard question because I always think ‘survival’ and practical as my first instinct, but that wouldn’t make a very interesting answer so for the sake of the question, I’d probably say my baby girl (I couldn’t live without her) and a heap of chocolate (all a girl really needs) and a pile of books to keep me entertained.

10. OK – some one word answers to wrap up:

•Team Edward or Team Jacob? Jacob all the way
•Coffee or tea? Hard choice, but I’d pick tea
•Sweet or savoury? Definitely sweet!
•Night owl or early bird? Night owl mostly
•Left or right handed? Right handed

Decembers CM Blog Giveaway

Well.....we are in for a MASSIVE treat this month with our giveaway...The Craftiest Mama of them all - Lisa - has generously donated $100 worth of goodies from the Crafty Mamas store. Patterns, fabric, ribbon and other goodies will adorn your doorstep this December should you be the luckiest Crafty Mama in the whole world!!

Leave a comment...and this month I am going to draw the winner on Christmas Eve!!!!!

Good luck!!!!!!

November Giveaway Winner

Congratulations Suzanne (Pobie) - you have won the wonderful giveaway that Peta created last month :)

Well done!

Stay tuned for Decembers giveaway....