My Creative Space.... Dolly's Fashion Parade

In my creative space today... the leftover remnants from the making of my cloth doll.

Cardboard patterns and calico toiles.

 

Cloth Dolly has ended up with a couple of different outfits for her journey to her new home

There's the Halter Neck Apron Dress.....

With Lacy Underskirt for modesty...

...and when it's time to party, she can change into her little red pinny.

Bon Voyage Dear Dolly!

The home of our creative spaces...

Featured Hottie Number 20

Today's super gorgeous hottie by Jacqui from Lost In The Moment is a perfect burst of colour to brighten a grey day!

Of course, as soon as I saw that pink and orange collar peeking through when I opened the envelope, I fell in love...

You may remember Jacqui's heartwarming story about her daugher Imogen. Please pop back and read it if you missed it.

 I'm so overjoyed that Jacqui and her girls joined in with the challenge. It's just amazing the way that people with something in common can connect through craft, and all for a good cause.

Thankyou so much Jacqui!

The homepage of The Hottie Challenge - lots more in the Flickr Group

Making Lists

There are lots of things happening at the moment. Maybe too many? But, I'm writing everything down and ticking them off day by day. I don't seem to be able to remember things like I used to.......

Have I promised you something? Are you waiting on a custom order? I'm sorry but I've probably forgotten (except for you Susie - yours is next on the list). But seriously, please send me an email if I have.

The rest of this week is filled with hospital with hospital / medical appointments, but then of course, I have an exciting Friday night planned at the Hottie Exhibition Opening.

The week after is now full too..... I promised my two eldest nephews that I'd take them on a skate park tour on the first day of the holidays (which means that I taxi them around suburbia to check out skate parks, and they ride around on their scooters to test them out). We'll probably have a lovely lunch at Maccas too no doubt!

Then Tuesday I'll pack my bags and head into hospital for three whole days of pre-transplant testing. I'm still waiting for the timetable to be sent out to work out exactly what I have to get done..... hopefully nothing too icky!

** Corduroy skirt - part of a pressie for a 3 year old birthday party that Moo went to on the weekend...

Featured Hottie Number 19

We're nearly one third of the way through the lovely hotties now, and this featured Hottie came all the way from the home of Crafty Ady in the UK!

So while we're all freezing here in Melbourne and in desperate need of a Hottie..... Ady is probably sweltering in 30 degree temperatures.

 If only we had a lovely quilted ray of sunshine today...brrrrr

Thankyou so much Ady for being our International challenger!

The homepage of The Hottie Challenge - lots more in the Flickr Group

Featured Hottie Number 18

I know I've gushed about this before....... but the ideas and creativity have just blown me away throughout the Hottie Challenge.  

This is Caroline's fantastic Hottie - Los 33, which tells the tale of the trapped Chilean miners.

Caroline tells the tale so eloquently here - please pop on over and read the story of her hottie

Thankyou so much Caroline!

The homepage of The Hottie Challenge - lots more in the Flickr Group

An Accidental Self Portrait

A few weeks ago, a friend asked me to make a handmade doll to give as a baby gift.
I'm always up for a sewing challenge so of course I agreed to give it a go!

Fast forward a couple of weeks..... and I'd completely forgotten (whoops).

I put my skates on (amongst the ladies lunch, and nephews first communion) over the weekend and made a beginning.

I started off with thinking about making the Emily Martin - Black Apple Doll from Martha Stewart, but that's not the sort of design she was looking for.

So, using my own very unscientific method, I took it upon myself to sketch a doll, and then make my own cardboard pattern from the sketch.

That was the easy bit..... working out how you're going to sew it so that it's strong enough not to tear, deciding where to leave an effective turning gap, turning those pesky long skinny limbs out, and then stuffing it is much more difficult!

Those pesky long legs are my favourite bit....

Here she is all crinkly and unstuffed. I was so happy when she was finally turned out without a tear or a rip... phew.

This is where she ended up yesterday arvo before I rushed off to church for the first communion (it's ok, I made sure that I de-fluffed my dress before I left the house).

Looking at her on the bench lastnight has got me thinking though..... I've managed to create a doll that has my actual body shape - really narrow shoulders, skinny limbs, a fat belly and no bum! Hilarious!

Featured Hottie Number 17

Todays featured hottie is a lovely ray of sunshine from Vireya

Being a non-quilter, I'm always fascinated by those little triangles.... and how on earth you can stitch them on a curve!

Needless to say - I asked many questions, and Vireya explained how it's done - fascinating!

This one has a very nifty press stud opening at the top, and would be perfectly soft and snuggly on a cold night.

Thanks so much Vireya!

The homepage of The Hottie Challenge - lots more in the Flickr Group

Featured Hottie Number 16

It's a lazy Saturday afternoon here in Melbourne....... and so it's perfect timing to check out this super cool Hottie made by Lynne from Sister Outlaws.

Do you remember back in the olden days when tv channels used to switch off at a certain time and revert to a test pattern?

 Oh the memories of my childhood come flooding back!

Lynne needs lots and lots and lots of good positive crafty healing vibes sent her way at the moment....

....and if anyone wants to buy this Hottie then I have to let you know that Betty Jo will be waiting at Open Drawer with a red dot at 6PM Friday night and has already baggsed it!

The homepage of The Hottie Challenge - lots more in the Flickr Group

PS - check out the other side of this hottie on Flickr in B&W
PPS - Make sure to visit this post over at Sister Outlaws for the meaning behind the hottie......

The Hottie Challenge Exhibition

I had a lovely morning today, dropping off our humungous load of Hotties to Open Drawer.... and then having coffee and cake with some lovely ladies too.

Our group ended up with approximately sixty super gorgeous Hotties!

There's only one week to go before the Grand Opening of the Exhibition on Friday July 1st from 6-8PM.

Each and every Hottie will be available for sale for $50 (with all of the proceeds going directly to The Margaret Pratt Foundation).

Each Hottie will also have a dedicated money box where visitors can make a donation for the Hottie that they love the most.... when everything is tallied at the end of the exhibition, that Hottie will win the grand trophy!

I would love it if everyone could try to come along to the grand opening..... I may have been talked into saying a few words (and just for the record, I'm apologising in advance as I am the worst public speaker ever).

It would also be wonderful if you could spread the word far and wide. You can save the photo above, download a jpeg from Flickr, or download a pdf from my site here.

The exhibition also runs over the school holidays, so why not take an outing to check it out. There's a lovely cafe two doors down with great coffee and cake too.

A super huge ginormous thankyou has to go out to each and every Hottie maker - you've warmed the cockles more than you could ever imagine!

The Flowerpress Brooch Swap - In Technicolour

To tell you the truth, I was a little bit nervous when I signed up for Susie's fantastic Flowerpress Brooch Swap.

You see, I really only make one type of brooch at the moment.... and I've made lots and lots and lots of them over the last two years since that very first accidental felty one.

I was a bit worried that my partner would have seen all of the flower brooches that I've made, and not wanted one, and then I was puzzled as to what on earth else I could make?

But then I breathed a sigh of relief when I received my swap partner....

I'm about 99.9% sure that she doesn't read my blog, and won't see this before her brooch arrives.


But to top things off, she also made a flower brooch for her partner (which of course, I've now concluded to mean that she would also love a flower brooch).... oh, and it also doubles as a hair clip as it has a brooch finding and a clip on the back (double duty accessory).

I was having trouble choosing a colour scheme, so I went with technicolour....


I think it's the perfect thing to brighten up these cold grey days at the moment.


I posted it on Monday, but I'm pretty sure it's probably stuck in some sort of ash cloud delay somewhere on it's way to NZ.

I really hope she likes it.

Thanks so much for organising such a super fun swap Susie!

What do 53 Hotties look like on my dining table?

Just like this...

The postie has been around three times today. Despite the ash cloud, most of the express post (overnight) parcels have finally made it!

My Creative Space - Hottie Central

It's Hottie Central in my creative space today!

I'm making sure that each and every hottie is labelled with the lovely maker's name, and I'm ticking them off my big hottie list....

Once the postie arrives today with the final delivery, I'll package them all up to take to Open Drawer tomorrow. I'm so excited to be able to show Prue and Robyn the results of all YOUR amazing creativity and hard work!

But for now, I get to swoon over the ones that are already here...

The home of Our Creative Spaces

Crazy like a Golf Ball

I promise that I did actually iron it... even though it doesn't look like it.

This secret little project has been in the pipeline for a little while now...

Jess's Dad is approaching a milestone birthday this year. She wanted to organise a totally custom and totally unique pressie for him, and so she hatched a little plan.

We were both on the lookout for the perfect vintage teatowel. If either of us could find one with a golf theme, then we knew that we'd hit Op Shop GOLD!

Unfortunately, I'd had zero time available for decent op shopping, but luckily Jess found this absolute gem. Vintage 100% Irish Linen.

The next part of the mission belonged to me..... just what sort of fabric would you team with a Golf themed tea towel?

Huh? What was your answer? Why, it's crazy golf balls of course!

Surprisingly, there wasn't much time spent trawling the internet before I chanced upon this one.
Those cheeky quilters - they have a fabric for every single theme you could ever dream of!

But seriously folks. What would you make with golf ball fabric? I still have some offcuts left so I'd love to know!

Featured Hottie Number 15

Brrrrr..... it's freezing outside, but this one is sure to keep you TOASTY!

I can't even explain how funny Tania from Myrtle and Eunice is...... so I just have to direct you straight over to read about dear TOASTY here.

Can someone please remind me to buy her a packet of band-aids?

Thankyou Tania!

The homepage of The Hottie Challenge - lots more in the Flickr Group

PS - The postie delivered Hotties twice today - seven hotties in total!

My Brooch Swap is Here

I was so excited when I arrived home yesterday afternoon to a letterbox bursting with hotties.

I brought all the packages inside and plonked them on the kitchen bench, and spotted one from NZ.
I wasn't expecting a hottie..... from NZ was I?

I quickly grabbed the scissors and cut it open..... where all was revealed.

Check out the gorgeousness!

Clare from Green Valley Crafts has matched the swap to my taste perfectly. She also included a lovely little floral needle book (which will be perfect to organise my hand stitching needles to take along for NCB this week).

Thankyou so much Clare - I love it!

PS - Thanks so much to Susie from Flowerpress for a swap well done
PPS - Pop on over and visit Clare - her photos are stunning!

Featured Hottie Number 14

What perfect timing for todays Hottie Feature.

This super gorgeous recycled wool jumper hottie is from the Hottie Queen herself - Cintia from My Poppet.

Cintia's Hottie's are hot sellers online and at lots of lovely handmade retail shops, so I was chuffed when she joined in the challenge.

This one has lots of soft and snuggly felted wool scraps and needle felted puffs...... lovely

Thanks so much Cintia

The homepage of The Hottie Challenge - lots more in the Flickr Group

PS - I'm guest blogging over at My Poppet today (how super exciting) while Miss Cinti is off in Japan shopping and having a lovely time.... wish I was there too! 

What's the opposite of belated?

I'm usually totally tardy when it comes to giving birthday pressies to friends.... so this is quite unbelievable but true (insert spooky music).

Beryl was ready an entire month early.

Beryl is a completely custom large size (115mm frame instead of 90mm frame) Sunnies Pouch

Perfect to fit a giant pair of sunnies (like all the cool kids wear).

PS - I'm guest blogging over at My Poppet today (how super exciting) while Miss Cinti is off in Japan shopping and having a lovely time.... wish I was there too!

Featured Hottie Number 13

This lovely Hottie is sort of like a double feature....

If you remember back to when I featured the gorgeous Hottie brooch by Liz from Betty Jo.... well, that was only half the story.

On Thursday night, she bought along her finished Hottie for me to bring home.

It's a Hottie Electric Blanket - and it's ingenious my dear Liz!

The homepage of The Hottie Challenge - lots more in the Flickr Group

Featured Hottie Number 12

It's such a glorious sunny morning here in Melbourne - perfect to show off a bit of Hottie Art!

This stunning piece is by Jennie from A Little Vintage. I don't know whether you can tell from the photo, but it's all been created by thread sketching. There's probably millions of teeny tiny little stitches.

She's also used my favourite colour combo to create those gorgeous flowers.

I've wanted to try thread sketching for the longest time..... so I'm sure you can guess what's on my list for a lazy Sunday?

Thanks so much Jennie!

The homepage of The Hottie Challenge - lots more in the Flickr Group

Featured Hottie Number 11

I'm keeping with todays Flowerpress theme (brooch swap post below), and introducing Susie's HOT HOT HOT Hottie!

How amazing is that piecing?

Susie even wrote a little tutorial in case anyone would like to know how to piece fabric together to create her HOT HOT HOT.

Thankyou so much Susie!

The homepage of The Hottie Challenge - lots more in the Flickr Group

A Swapsies Dilemma

Today I need to make a very important decision.....

.... on just what to make for my brooch swap partner?

Hmmmm but first I need coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.