Coffee Sacks

In the October edition of Real Living magazine they made a wall of vintage coffee sacks. I was in love.

 
Real Living Magazine October

The coffee sacks are from Bev's Remnant House, a small studio in East Redfern with such a variety of fabric, I could have spent hours pottering around. But with two kids in tow you do what you have to do right? Here's mine.

I love the pop of blue in the room, and at $20, I think these are great value wall art. While I was there I couldn't resist the cushion either...

Vintage Trunk

In the 1960's my Mum came home to Sydney from the UK, ready to pack up her remaining belongings and return to marry the man of her dreams. She'd been working in the university her brother / my uncle was studying in, and fell in love with one of his friends. To make the return trip she bought this trunk, second-hand, and packed all those things that were precious to her, ready to start married life in London.

The day before she was to leave Australia it all fell apart. Her fiancee called and broke off their relationship, leaving Mum broken hearted... even to this day I know she carries it with her. She kept the trunk, often stowed away dusty and dirty in the garage; from its start in our family as a glory box of sorts (who knows what adventures it had before she bought it), the trunk has also been blanket storage and our childhood dress-up box. I can't tell you how many times my sister or I took everything out and just hid inside it. And now it's sitting in my family room...

I've always loved it... even with it's past. It makes me think of traveling the world, or taking opportunities, even love.

I spent ages thinking about what to do with it. Should I paint it? Re-cover it? In the end I decided that less is more, and I gave it a good clean and then painted it with shellac. The polish brings out the colours - I love the honey tone of the 'bones', and the canvas has a greeny-blue undertone that shows its age. It's beaten up and I like it.

I have the perfect setting in mind for this. A vintage globe, maybe an atlas...

I'm doing my first ever link at Primitive and Proper!

Vintage Pillow Case Smock

A few weeks ago Mum passed on some old linen she had sitting in one of her cupboards. There were lots of old fitted single bed sheets, which will be great for when we get to night time toilet training, and thinking that was all that was in the bag, I shoved it in the cupboard for another day. Luckily ( that's what i tell myself ;) ) Emma pulled everything out of that cupboard and I found a few pillowcases in the bottom of the bag that were just calling out to be re-purposed.

I started off making this Raggedy Ann and Andy pillowcase into a dress, but decided it would be even cuter as a top / smock. It's so soft, and the print is so cute; I think this first one is just gorgeous.

 

I'm thinking about whether to secure the ribbon at the front and back so it doesn't slide around on the ribbon. Not sure... we'll see. I kind of like that I can move the bow to the front of the top or more on the shoulder, which I couldn't do if I secured it. Will have to see what it's like after a trial run wearing it.

So there's another spring project ticked off the list. Now we just need better weather!

Getting Ready for Spring

I finally finished Harry's Oliver & S collared shirt, just in time for Spring. He looks like such a little boy in it, I can't believe it's already been six months!

(look at those chubba legs!!)

I do love the pattern, though it did challenge me in a couple of areas. The collar - I could have strangled myself with it several times, but it does look good now it's done.

And then there were the curved edges. I wasn't sure about these for a boy, and given they were fiddly I wouldn't do it that way again. But again, now its finished, it looks good. I can just see Harry in this and jeans, or some dark grey shorts. And I'm thinking I'll use the pattern for Emma too, in the right fabric I'm sure it would look girly.

I have two other spring sewing items to finish off, hopefully tonight. And then I need to get on with something for me!!!

Library Bag for Emma

Every Monday fortnight we've been heading to our local library. Emma spends half an hour or so picking out books and DVDs to borrow, which I'm hoping will be the start of a life long love of reading. It's also a free activity that's been great during winter. So far she's been really excited to go, and there haven't been any tantrums about giving the books back at the end of the fortnight (touch wood).

To add to the excitement, I decided to make her a little library bag. It's a messenger style bag, and while there are heaps of tutorials on the net I decided I would just give it a go myself!

I lined the bag in purple polka dots, and put a small pocket inside for our library card and the receipt that reminds me when I need to take the books back.

I attached the strap on the outside, thinking that as she gets bigger I can just take that one off and put on another, longer one, if I want to.

Love the Ikea material again, it will probably be making one more appearance in a yet to be decided project (I have just a little left!).

Catherine

Memory Mirror

Something I'm starting to develop a bit of an interest in is home decorating. Maybe it's living in a new house, getting sick of blank walls, or feeling like I want a grown up home, I've been itching to make our house feel like 'ours'.

And I've found some amazing people doing some very creative things. Right now my favourite is Centsational Girl, who shows her gorgeous Op Shop finds and how she renovates them.

So it's with this in mind that I finally made a start on this mirror.

The mirror is one of the very few things I have from Dad's family home. His family had a fibro holiday house by the beach and when he married Mum they moved in. The house was filled with odds and ends furniture, including a wardrobe with this mirror in the centre. I couldn't keep the whole thing, but decided the mirror would one day make a nice momento. Underneath that terrible mint green was an interesting teal colour that almost caused me to give up (you can see it on the edge of the mirror in the pic below). And to the relative who painted on the actual glass... ARGH!!

And here it is now...

I'm really happy with the outcome, especially for my first project (looking at the photos I am reminded again about getting a good camera, maybe one day). It's not on the wall yet - I think Danny is a bit scared to touch it given the sentimental value. I let a little of the old paint colour and wood show through, 'distressed' I think it's called. Can't wait to have it on the wall, I think it's a project for the school holidays.

Fathers Day - Freezer Paper Tees

This year for Father's Day we were on a tight budget. I mean really tight (I am also harboring a tiny grudge from Mothers Day, but that's another story ;) ).

So for Father's Day, I made Emma and Harry some Dad love t-shirts and photographed them wearing them. The photo-shoot was hilarious (read : insanely difficult) - when one smiled the other frowned (or worse still cried), so they got individual photos instead. I framed the photos for Danny to put on his desk at work.

Freezer paper t-shirts are so easy! I followed this tut, though there are a million around.

  It was so cute seeing them in their t-shirts on Sunday morning. I have two more cut and ready for 'painting', I just need five minutes!

My other project for Father's Day was something I salvaged that relates to my Dad. I have a post about it in draft, I'm just waiting to get the perfect 'after' photo. It's taken up most of my time - I've never done anything like it before, but I have to admit that I have caught the bug and there are other projects like it just waiting for me in the garage!