Get Ready for Christmas - yes, it's only 9 weeks away!!

I have been very slack on my blog, but here I am! I have been busy sewing little outfits. Take a look at my Christmas items for your little ones. The ruffle skirt is available in size 6 months to size 4 (please note Christmas fabric will vary according to what is available). I have appliqued a matching t-shirt for the skirt pictured. Appliqued t-shirts can be done on any size t-shirt. I buy the t-shirts from Target as they are good quality for an affordable price. If you have a baby girl or toddler, how about a ruffle pants and singlet set? These ones in the red and white have been very popular, many ordering them for Christmas, but they are not limited to Christmas. There are little elastic waisted skirts available in size 0-7 (the one pictured has stars appliqued on) They can be made from any fabric. Or if you would like just a little Christmas something, why not choose a reversible Christmas headband? These are available in sizes 6months up to adult. If you would like to purchase an item already in stock or place a custom order, please go to www.madeit.com.au/kathrynscreations

Soccer Shorts

On a recent trip to Spotlight, a rare one with my boys in tow, they spotted a gorgeous boys fabric and said 'Mummy, can you make some soccer shorts please?' - and how could I resist that!

So, here they are. Jack chose red, because it's his favourite colour. Mason chose the blue, which also helps my husband differentiate between their clothes, since they are the same size.

The shorts took me about 20 minutes each to make, as I found such a simple pattern. They just have elastic waists, great for little boys and toileting. I have since made a pair of denim ones for Mason, who has decided to skip size 3 pants and therefore doesn't fit any of Jack's shorts from last Summer.

If you would like me to make some shorts for your boys, or girls, ready for summer, please let me know. This pattern is from size 3 - 8 and I'm sure I have smaller shorts patterns too. 

I have found that shorts are getting so expensive at the shops, plus you can only buy boring plain prints. A pair of elastic waist shorts at BigW the other day was nearly $10 - these soccer ones cost about $5, depending on the size you make.

I have also just bought a cheap white t-shirt (I'm not good at t-shirts yet) and bought a soccer ball iron on patch at Spotlight and made matching shirts for them. Jack is very excited by this and asked if he could wear them to preschool this week and show his teacher and friends - how sweet!

Summer Baby Sets and Cute Shoes

I have been stuck at home a lot lately with my boys having chicken pox and now each has a cold, so that has given me plenty of sewing time. Plus, in our new house, I don't have a dedicated sewing room, so I can sew and see what they are doing all the time.

I have been sewing little summer outfits for babies the last week, so if you are having a summer baby or have a friend/family member who is, why not buy one of these? They come in a variety of sizes, and I can custom make one to the size you require, for $10 a set.

I have also perfected these little baby shoes. These ones are the 2nd set of each I attempted, as the first 2 times there was one spot in the pattern that wasn't clear, but after those errors, it helped me realise what I had done wrong, and now I know. I think they are just gorgeous! Again, they are available made to order. Please note these are only fabric shoes, and are only one size, to fit up to about 6 months.

I also made this gorgeous little girl's summer set using a pattern from my Mother in law, that you can still buy in the shops so it must be a timeless pattern. Again, it is available to be made to order and sells for $15. 

If you are not busy on this Saturday, 7th August, why not pop into see me at the Craft Markets at Stafford Heights Baptist Church from 8am-12pm. I would love to see you :)

Getting Back into Sewing

Well we are all settled into our new house and I have pulled out the sewing machines. It feels so good to be sewing again after 2 weeks of no craft :)  
I have been busy making baby clothes the last 2 days. I will have photos on my page soon, it's been raining and our lighting is not good for taking good pictures. I have made a cute boys' outfit - a nappy cover and matching singlet with electric guitars on them.
Also look out for a gorgeous mauve/white spots cross over top with matching frilly pants for a little bubby girl.
I am about to cut a new pattern to make beautiful baby/toddler dresses with applique on the front.
I have also discovered a wonderful website called Ivy Designs. They sell children's clothes, but also applique templates and patterns. I made a purchase there yesterday, and am keen to try them out - I bought mostly boy designs including a train; dinosaur; shark etc. I hope to have some creations made soon.
Another exciting thing is that I have just opened up a store on http://www.madeit.com.au - look for Kathryn's Creations.
I hope to be more regular at updating my blog now that we are settled, so I will hopefully be back soon :)

Anyone like shoes? This is for you!

Do you like shoes? Well, here is a design just for you! I am a shoe lover, and if I could stretch our budget to be able to buy shoes every week I would. One of my cousin's turned 21 last month and knowing that she too loves shoes (must be a family thing!) I found this cross stitch chart and designed a name for a towel. She loves it and I had a lot of positive comments on it as I worked on it during the markets last month. When we are settled in our new house, I plan to make some towels with just the shoes on without the letters. If you would like me to design a towel or something else for you with this chart, please let me know - I would love to!

Rocket Wall Art

I did these about a year or more ago, but haven't shared them on my blog.
These rockets and stars are what brighten my older boy's room. I wanted to brighten their room, especially as in our old house we had a big blank wall, and since we rent, we of course couldn't just paint it or do anything drastic, so I chose to be arty :)
I found, on ebay, the MDF shapes of the rockets and stars. (I have since found a new website where I can get all sorts of MDF shapes, words and even puzzles to paint)
I then painted the stars and added glitter and varnish.
For the rockets, I used their quilt covers as inspiration (they are covered in rocket ships) and designed the rockets to match. Next time though, I won't put as many circles on - they are hard to paint!
I then did the outlines of shapes in black nikko pen (much easier and neater than painting) and gave them a coat of spray varnish.
The boys love them and it does brighten their room. They are held on the wall by blu tac, since they are so light.
If you would like something done for your children's wall, please let me know.

Craft Markets on Saturday

Hi everyone,
Don't forget to come and see me at the Stafford Baptist Church craft markets tomorrow, Saturday 5th June from 8am - 12pm. I'll have all of my items there, plus some that haven't made it onto the computer yet. There are lots of other lovely stalls there also, as well as a cheap but yummy cafe and an op shop.

Dress Up Skirt & Scarf & Girls Pyjamas

How cute is this little skirt and scarf? The photo really doesn't do it justice though. I found this rainbow sequened fabric at the fabric shop the other day and just couldn't resist! I have 2 of these sets available for sale for $6 each set. And if they sell or you would like a plain colour, please let me know and I am happy to make more for you.
I have also made some more pyjamas. I just wish I had a little girl to dress her in these! I have made them a size 1 and the pants have some broderie anglaise lace at the bottom which looks so cute! The top has a matching heart appliqued on. They are made from pink with white spots flannellette. They are selling for $10 a set and I can make another set the same if you like as I still have heaps of this flannellette left. I also have the same white spots on aqua flannellette too.

Buttlerfly Bag

I must admit that I am very proud of my achievement in making this bag. I bought the pattern 2 years ago while on holidays and every so often I get it out of my pattern drawer and think ' I really should get some nice fabric to make that' then something else comes up and I put it away for a while longer. So when we went to the coast for a few days early in May, I decided to take my Mum with me to find some fabric and all the bits and bobs to make it. This, is the outcome. It was fiddly, with quite a few small bits to sew, like the loops for the bow etc, but suprisingly easy. I only had to unpick one lot of sewing, when I was sewing the base to the bag, I got a little bit caught up, but was impressed that it was only one lot of unpicking :) The bag is supposed to have stiff handles, but I don't like hard handles on my bony shoulders, so I just put interfacing in them instead. The lining of the bag is the same as the bow and also has a good sized pocket. The bag I have done is the big size, but there is also a smaller size. If you are interested in ordering a bag, in your choice or my choice of fabric, please let me know. Prices will be from $50 for the smaller bag, and from $65 for the large one.

How to Make a Drawer String Bag

After my last post showing you my drawer string bags, I had a request to show how to make them, so here you are :) I appologise for some of the photos, I hope they help you though.

Firstly, I find a piece of fabric about the size I want the bag. You can make them any size you wish. Some of my bags are long pieces folded in half, so the fold is at the base of the bag. This one is made from 2 pieces of fabric, so you will need to sew the base and sides. I use about 1cm - 1.5cm seams and then either overlock or zigzag stitch the seams.

The photo to the left is the cut fabric, face them right sides together to sew. The photo to the right (with my son's hand) shows the sewn seams. I also snip the corners at the base if you are sewing the base so the corners sit nicely. No need to do this if it is folded.

I also overlock/zigzag around the top raw edge. Then fold over about 2-3cm to the inside and iron as shown on the left. Sew about 1/2cm away from the raw edge of fabric, leaving about 2-3cm gap between the start and end of stitching. I have tried to show this in the photo on the right. This is to allow the cord/ribbon to be threaded through.

Lay the bag flat and measure the cord/ribbon/rope along the top twice (to do the circumference) and add about 3-4 cm extra for the knot.
Loop one end over if using cord and attach a saftey pin. This helps you guide the cord through the fabric. When the cord is through, take the pin out and tie a knot in the end and trim the ends evenly. Turn the bag inside out, iren seams and there you go :)
I hope this is easy to follow, if you have any problems or questions please let me know :)
You can use pretty much any fabric you choose for these. If you want a bag for wet/damp items, you could use that backed fabric used for curtains, or a coated fabric. I saw some fabric at Spotlight the other day that was like what spray jackets are made out of, so you could even use that. This bag is just cotton. You can use plains or patterns. On my boy's bags I have made them out of flannellette that was left over from some pj's I made them, then I sewed a patch of plain fabric on and used fabric paint to put their names on. For my son's kindy sheet bag, I used some plain flannellette and cut out the letters of his name in a matching patterned flannellette that I had used to trim his kindy sheet with and attached them with flisofix (like double sided iron on interfacing) and fabric painted around the edges. The options are endless. Enjoy!

Craft Markets

Hi all, just a reminder that I have all my items for sale at Stafford Baptist Church Craft Markets tomorrow (Saturday 1st May) between 8am - 12pm. Come along for great bargains for Mother's Day! Stay and enjoy a cuppa at the cafe - very reasonably priced.

Fellow Blogger Giveaways

I have just been directed to Michelle Dennis Evans' blog and there is a wonderful variety of topic and as a bonus she is having a great giveaway. So pop over to her page to check her out :)
http://michelledevans.blogspot.com

Drawer String Bags

I have been making some drawer string bags over the last few days. These are great if you have kids or to give as a gift. I made some for my boys last year and the size is great for when you need to just chuck a few books or toys in a bag if you are going somewhere and need to keep them occupied. I took a bag each filled with little quiet toys and books when my cousin got married last year as my boys were only 17 months and 2 1/2 years and it was fabulous. They are also great for long car trips. I pack a little snack box, drink bottle, books and small toys when we have to travel more than 1/2 hour if they need it. Also, I send my oldest son's sheet and blanket in one this size to Preschool. Having worked in childcare for 10 years before having my own children, I have seen many bags (some with no bags) for sheets and the big ones are a pain to store and unnecessary, so these are a great size. I have more fabric that I will be doing more in coming days and weeks.

Mother's Day Gifts - Have you got your's yet?

Mother's Day is fast approaching - have you got a gift or know what to give to that special lady in your life? Here is a sample of handtowels that I have made. More are to come. These ones are for sale at www.ozhandmade.com - just go to Kathryn's Craft Creations in the store list. If you email me, I can make a personalised one for you with Mum, Grandma, Mother, Nanna, Nan, or their name on it. Just allow me about 4-5 days to do the personalised ones. At the moment I have cream, pink and blue/purple handtowels available, but I can find a certain colour if you like. Also, I am in the process of making some Mother's Day Cards, so put your order in now, or keep a check in my store or come to the Stafford Baptist Church craft markets the week before Mother's Day where all my items will be.
I've also added some gorgeous newborn girl's long pants, ready for the cooler weather.

My Mum's Yummy Slice Recipe

The boys and I made this slice today, one of my favourites from my childhood. I don't know the actual name of the slice, I just call it 'Mum's Yummy Slice' It's so easy to make and really yummy and moreish!

4oz butter
1 cup sultanas
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 packet arrowroot biscuits

Process biscuits until they are crumbs.
Heat butter, sultanas and brown sugar in a saucepan until melted.
Add egg when cooled slightly.
Add biscuit crumbs and mix together well.
Push into a slice tin and refridgerate until set.
Ice with lemon icing - for a real zing, I use fresh lemon juice

Happy Easter!

Well, I hope you've all had a wonderful and blessed Easter weekend and not eaten too many eggs :)
On Saturday while I was home with my boys and Andy was at work, we made marshmallow bunnies, and had enough left over to make marshmallow ice creams - a very big hit with the boys!
I love homemade marshmallow, I think it's so much yummier than the bought stuff. And it's so easy to make. The recipe I use for marshmallow is:
2 cups sugar
1 cup boiling water
2 dessert spoons gelatine
Melt gelatine in boiling water. Put sugar into bowl and pour gelatine and water over it. Beat till thick and white. Add colouring and flavouring. Turn into greased tin and allow to set. Cut into squares.

Girls Size 3 Pyjamas

These are the first of my collection of kids pj's that will soon be up for sale on www.ozhandmade.com
These are size 3 and are gorgeous little butterflies all over the pants that are made from flannellette and I have added the same butterfly design onto the top. These will be selling for $12, so go to the website and look up Kathryn's Craft Creations to buy them, or email me through this blog.

My Little Pirates

Just thought I'd share a photo of my 2 oldest boys ready to go to a friend's pirate birthday party on Sunday. I made them cardboard swords and painted them, so that I didn't have to worry about keeping a track of them amongst possible other pirate swords. I found some scrap fabric that I knew I'd kept for a reason and cut out a triangle and attached a piece of elastic and made them a pirate bandana. Then I found some black eye liner and eye shadow in my  make up draw that I never use, and made eye patches for them. There were tears when they had to be washed off in the bath that night! They look so cute and had so much fun :)

Girls Day Out

Well, us girls had a fabulous day in the city today. The morning and early afternoon was spent drooling over the gorgeous things at the craft expo. The work that goes into some of those crafts like quilting is unreal. I would like to try quilting, but I think that will have to wait until my children are older and perhaps all at school through the day! I bought some lovely ribbons and lace for my crafty things and frilly panties. My mother in law bought a handbag kit that we are all looking forward to seeing. I got some great ideas and still wish I had more money to spend! I will have to start saving up for the next one in October and hopefully be able to get some more things - that means you all need to start buying my things :) 
After the craft show we all decided it was too early to return home yet, so we had a wander around the Myer centre and a lovely look through Lincraft that has so many pretty things too. My mother in law is going to take up the challenge this year to teach me to knit. Many have tried before, but I just don't get it, although I would love too, especially after seeing the gorgeous scarves, jumpers and baby items. She says if she can teach her two girls and my 10 year old niece to knit, surely she can teach me who already has the crafty talents. So I will keep you posted on my progress.

Craft Show

Well, today I am looking forward to a day out with my Mother in law and two sister in laws exploring the craft show. I am hoping to pick up some new ideas for my blog & store, and also find some pretty lace and things for my frilly panties I'm making for little girls. I just wish there was no budget to stick to! Oh, to have the freedom to spend what I wanted buying all the pretty things. At least I can collect ideas and business cards and source out items when I can afford them bit by bit.
I have also opened an online store at www.ozhandmade.com where I am selling all my little crafty items so go and check it out! All the items listed are what I have currently in stock and I will be adding to them as I complete new projects. They are also the same items I will have at my craft stall at Stafford Baptist Church craft markets in May (there are no markets next weekend due to Easter) which will be full of gifts for Mother's Day, so if you want to buy a gift for your Mum, Grandma, or special lady in your life, either order online or come to the markets.
Well, I'd better keep going! Nearly time to head into the wonderful hall of crafts!
www.ozhandmade.com

Dancing Skirts & Pyjamas

Well, hemming the wedding dress went okay, although with how nervous I was, I think it will be a one off event! I'll stick to things I am comfortable with. Just like these things I made during the week. I found kids PJ's are quite expensive when you have to buy for 2 children who have outgrown their PJ's from last year! So, I found some flannellette and made pants, which are really quick and easy. The other good thing is that the pattern is way too long for my boys legs, but we all know kids legs grow quicker than their waist, so I will just roll them up and they will last a while! I'm not too good at collared shirts, I'll admit, so I bought a plain long sleeved t-shirt for a few dollars and glued/sewed a patch of matching fabric on.  What do you think? If you would like to order a pair let me know. I can do plain, patterned, licenced fabrics (Dora etc) or a mix of both (like the checked pair - I didn't have enough of each to make a pair, so I did one leg of each) Licenced fabrics will be more, naturally. PJ's will be $12 for plain/patterned fabrics. Price will depend on the cost of Licenced prints and I will give you a quote.

The 'Dancing Skirt' - as named by my middle son Mason (pictured below as my model) and scarf are a popular item in the dress up box in our house, despite having all boys. Sadly, the last 2 skirts were loved so much by my boys & their cousins before them, that they did not survive the last wash. Yesterday, I found a treasure trove of fabrics at a local shop. These sequened fabrics were one of them at a bargain price. If you would like to order some dancing skirts & scarves, please let me know. I can do small sequened fabric for $5 a set or larger sequened fabric for $7 a set. Great gift idea for a little girl too.

My Biggest Sewing Challenge

Well, I am about to embark on my biggest sewing challenge to date - adjusting the hem of a friend's wedding dress. I'm really nervous, so am procrastinating by posting on my blog! The thing I'm most nervous about is making a mistake when I'm cutting! I've done all the measuring. It was a bit challenging in that regard because when I pinned it up the same amount, it was way shorter in the back than the front, so I've had to just taper it to the right length, rather than having it even all the way around. I will definately be waiting until my husband comes home so I can lock myself away in my sewing room while he makes sure the boys don't do anything or get into anything they are not supposed to! Wish me luck!

Mother's Day

Don't forget that Mother's Day is not very far away! If you would like me to make a card or something special for your Mum, Wife, Grandma, Mother in Law or just a special lady in your life, let me know. I am getting ready for my craft stall at the Stafford Baptist Church markets on the first Saturday in May (there are no markets in April as it falls on Easter Saturday). I am planning to make little lavender sachets; cards; gift tags; bookmarks and a few other little things. Any ideas are more than welcome also!

Dolly Mama's

I have fallen in love with these cross stitch designs. This is the first one I have done, but I have another one in the drawer waiting to be stitched - after I finish my current project. They have a variety of designs with funny sayings. This one says 'Domestically Challenged'. Others in the series are 'Pull up your big girl panties and get over it'. This one is for sale for $20 mounted on a painted canvas. Any takers?

Pretty Toddler Girls' Dress

Using the same pattern that I made my son's cute overalls out of, I made this little girl's dress. It's so cute with the little ruffle around the bottom. This can be worn with a t-shirt underneath, or in summer - just as it is so they are nice and cool. It's made out of a lovely cotton fabric. This dress is sized to fit a child about 18 months. If you would like this one please let me know, or I can make them to order. This dress is the largest size, but they start from newborn which fits about 5kg. I can also make a matching hat if you'd like. Or you can order the boys style, which I have also pictured. I have one blue & white checked pair for sale in size Medium, about 8kg. The ones pictured are my son's and for demonstration purposes.

Small Canvas Art

I made these up for my stall at the markets yesterday, mainly as a sample of what I can do. Unfortunately, due to the wet weather, the markets were really quiet, so I still have lots of stuff for sale. If you would like any of these plaques, or a custom made one, let me know. They are $5 each.

  

 

Frilly Nappy Covers

I think these are so cute! This was the first attempt and they are gorgeous! I'm planning to make some white ones with lace ruffles and I can also make them without ruffles (for boys) and am planning to make some with matching little singlet patches for next summer. What do you think?