Gossamer Dreams

It's been quite some time since I've sewn anything for sale but the lure of being part of a Gossamer Dreams stocking was enough to tempt me to dust off the machines.  Well, they weren't actually dusty as I have been sewing these last few weeks .... and they do both have dust covers to live under.

With the theme being Ocean Delights, a few sneak peaks from some talented ladies told me mermaids were the order of the day.. so I decided to go for something equally girly but a bit different, and it has been so long since I've done a pinnie.  I decided to go for a seahorse, as they are by far my favourite sea creatures.  I used to have a tank of them in our lounge room and loved watching them dance and swim and cavort. Yep, seahorses do cavort.  I'd been sewing Lily a dress with the Patty Young 'mezzanine' range and it seemed just perfect for capturing seahorse hide and seastar skin.

A bit of bias binding making and the perfectly matching green buttons and it was complete!

I'm pretty pleased with it. As I was taking these photos Toby wandered outside, saw the dress in the tree, said "ooooh!!!" and proceeded to try and take his clothes off. Obviously, he wanted it on. I'm  a nice mum, so I obliged (secretly thinking, hmm, it's been a while since I sold one of these so I modeled photo won't go astray).  The headband, I must admit, was my idea at an attempt to make him look a little girlier. He liked, and was a really really obliging model. Much better than the five year old. He didn't flash his knickers for starters.

 
He doesn't look too much like a boy does he?

Andy actually saw this second photo and thought it was an old one of Lily!!!

Also for the stocking, I made a pair of fleece longies complete with a little boat applique.

You can find these goodies and plenty of other awesome goodies from some very talented WAHMs (including some rare painted tees from pint!! )over at Gossamer Dreams 8pm AEST tonight!!!

creative space

because it's simply not true that I don't sew anymore, here are some WIP photos....

Jasmine is sporting an almost complete mini kyoto .  Almost complete. as I have a couple of steps to go:
1. Bind the hem with the same bias binding as sleeves and bodice.
2. Finish back opening with velcro.

So for those who've wondered, if the mod kid patterns fit the Australian girl doll, yes, they certainly do!

The lack of bias binding is also responsible for this:

the unfinished matching version for the doll's owner, Lily.
(they're constructed slightly differently which meant I could add the skirt to Jasmine's dress but not Lily's...

must buy more bias binding


more creative spaces over at kootoyoo

creative space

rather late in the day, but nevertheless here I am, joining in...

It has been a busy day here with, I must confess, not much creating going on. I finally sat down a little while ago with a hot chai and some knitting, but alas Toby came to climb up on me with a rather unmistakable aroma. *sigh*

I have, however, managed to get dinner organised early, which is pretty amazing given my slackness if late. Gently bubbling away in the slow cover is sundried tomato and chicken pilaf. Smells delicious and is one incredibly easy and quick slow cooker meals. Let's hope the fussy five year old likes it. I just need to steam some green beans and carrots to serve.

So in my afternoon leisure I'm planning a bit more knitting, small boy permitting. I'm desperately knitting to get my second test knit of cassia done. I'm using WOOLganics kundalini for this one, and it is seriously divine!! It's looking a little like this:

Hopefully the dress will be pretty close to finished this evening, then just the pockets and the most perfect buttons for it are yet to be added.

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prototypes

a couple of posts ago, which was really quite some time ago, I had a couple of photos of some prototypes in the works. Both are finished, with one pattern written and off to the testers in a week's time. The other is partially written as a pattern.

today I thought I might share some photos of the one that I'm about to start testing.  I just need to finish knitting the dress version of this, which I'm knitting in WOOLganics kundalini, an awesome purpley colour! yummo.  WOOLganics is the BEST yarn ever!!!

anyhoo, this is the first one knit in Heirloom Bliss.
Lovely soft yarn and gorgeous colour but I do not like it very much at all. To be honest, it is very splitty which doesn't really lend itself to being a great yarn for knitting in the round. Hellish to join with. I would only knit this yarn flat where you join at the start or end of a round.

I love the little button details on this, it really only needs two buttons, but the third gives it a balance I think.  You know, like one of the rules of flower arranging (bizarre I even know that!) odd numbers always work best if there's just a few.

I think this is probably one of my easiest patterns to knit, it looks quite difficult but believe me it is deceptively simple!!  

if you're on Ravelry you can find more pictures and details here .

Pattern should be ready for release sometime in September.

oh, and if you frequent that facebook place I've avoided for sooo very long, pop over to my new page  and say hello!

gosh....

it seems so long since I posted I don't know where to start.  hmm, how about I share some kiddie photos, and then think about catching up on some crafting stuff. is that ok?  cool. or even better the kiddies with some crafty goodness, just not mine.

so.. the story goes, we went to visit the pint household for a long long weekend, always an absolute ball. I love how much the kiddies get along, it is so delightful to see the little cousins throw their arms around each other and tell each other they love them.  The cuddles. The kisses. The giggles. And then the little ones.  Cute cute moment, with the two little toddlers snuggled up to each other on the kiddie couch reading books. nawwww.

As well as a beautiful time and some special memories, my kiddies came away with a new pint product.  *eek* How lucky are they!!! If you've been reading Megsie's blog, you'll see she's expanding her range,and while we didn't manage to score an alien (yet) or a babushka (yet) the kiddies did get an awesome brooch each. We love love love brooches here, and brooches for kiddies are extra cool.  I actually think I might nick Toby's to wear.

Lily's has been worn constantly and is also uber cute cute cute!!!

and I love this photo of them checking each others' brooches out!!

Happy Birthday Milo!

YAY!!! hip hip hooray! Milo is one!

That's milo the pattern, by the way. not the original milo boy, Toby. He's 18 months.

But milo the pattern is one, it's been just over one year since I sent him out into knitting world as a paid pattern. My first paid pattern!  What a very daunting moment that was I can tell you. I remember discussing it with Andy and telling him optimistically that I would be absolutely stoked if it sold 50 copies!! 

So how has the big step into selling patterns been for me? I must say, it was a daunting step. It is quite different than offering a free pattern, I think there is a whole new level of expectation, both from myself and the consumer.

The past year has certainly bought me a long way from the sewing side of my business, and to be honest, the knitting side is far more successful and at the moment more enjoyable and more doable.  Sewing kids clothes to sell is really only something that you can maintain for any length of time if you really enjoy and love it. I've been doing it since 2006. It's something I feel you need to come to with a passion for sewing, a love of it. Pretty much like any area of design and handcraft  really. The passion and pure enjoyment of creating is what makes the repetitiveness of handcraft business bearable. Even with passion and love for sewing, the repetitiveness does get to you after awhile. As does the reality that you really don't make much from it, really only enough to buy more supplies. I'd hate to think how many pairs of kids' pants I've made, but you know what, it was one of the first things I tackled as I'm now finding more time for sewing! And I really am enjoying sewing again for just my kiddies. Will I sell my sewn stuff again? Probably, just not this week ;)

But I digress, back to milo's first birthday...

If I were to do it all again though, I wouldn't change a thing.  I would still follow the same route I have. Getting some of my patterns out there as freebies before taking the selling route  I think was hugely beneficial. I really don't know if milo would be quite as popular as it is if it weren't for those patterns that had come before him. I truly believe that  free patterns are a great way for knitters to become familiar with your style and I do so love love love the way it really feels like I'm giving a gift back to the knitting/crafting community as a whole. I think I will always offer free patterns. In fact, I'm working on one at the moment, but it's super secret.

So how did I celebrate milo's birthday?  Well, in true knitter form I knitted a new milo for Toby, my fourteenth!

I knit this in Noro Silk Garden Lite.  While this yarn has a gorgeous texture and lovely colour changes, I am suspicious that the people at noro and kauni have some conspiracy thing going on. I'm sure they're having a big laugh about the fact that they've created such visually beautiful yarns that knitters are so will ing to desperately knit with despite the fact that they aren't actually very soft to knit with. Noro does soften with washing, but sheesh, when you're used to knitting with WOOLganics, it's a bit rude.

Far out, this little dude must surely be the cutest boy in the world!

ooh, and how cool was it that the week milo turned one (ok, I admit this birthday wish is a little belated, this post has been half written in draft form since the 6th) it also hit 1000 projects on Ravelry!!! wooo hooot!!!!! 

my creative space ...

just the usual stuff...

a bit of secret knitting... shhh, don't tell anyone you looked!

some not so secret prototype test-knitting...

and more prototype test knitting in development.

*phew!* nothing like starting a million new things all at once.

more creative spaces to be found over at kootoyoo