Dad's Mug Rug

Dad's Mug Rug, originally uploaded by MandyMade.

I'm still here, I haven't totally disappeared!! Just part of my brain seems to have turned to mush. So I haven't been in the mood to write anything. But I have been doing some crafting. Gifts mainly so I can't post pics. I do have some to show though. But I wont do it all at once.

This is my latest. Mug rugs seem to have exploded in blog land and on flickr, so I thought I'd have a go. My Dad had a birthday on the weekend so I thought it a perfect time to make one, or two as it turns out!! I couldn't think of any designs and I've had this fabric for ages, only a small piece, he's into wood, so I thought i'd just have two plain pieces, no piecing to worry about, then quilt so it kinda looks like wood. So this is what I came up with. I made one with a spiral of circles and the other with a spiral of squares, he can use either side. He always puts his mug on a speaker next to the couch with a biscuit or two, now Mum wont have to wipe up after him, just chuck the mug rug into the wash.

So there you have it.

On the baby front, I'm now 26 weeks, 3rd trimester, yay. I had a scan on friday and it's around the 80 percentile so it looks like i'll have another tall one, Little A is currently in the 97th percentile!! Can't really keep calling him Little A. All is going well and I only have 4 weeks of work left, yay, then i'll have lots of time for crafting!!

Until next time

TTFN

PS. For more pics of the mug rug go to my flickr page.

Made a yoda I did

I recently made this little guy for a friends 40th, star wars fan, can you tell? I've got plans for her kids birthday's this year, shh. I got the pattern from a crochet tutorial by Oh so happy together. Go check her other stuff out.

My mum's been busy again. Another tea cosy, more to come, she's not stopping here.

My Creative Space

You may be under the impression that I have actually made something this week, or in fact month. But alas no. Not of the crafting variety at any rate. But I have been making something, of the human variety. Yes that's right, I'm 3 months preggers, and I've lost my crafty mojo, please tell me I'll get it back.

I did finish the man scarf I started for the hairy bloke. Sitting still and knitting or crocheting is all I can stomach at the moment, feeling better now though.

For more, crafty, creative spaces head over to kootoyoo

My Creative Space

Lately my creative space has been all about knitting. I'm making a scarf for the hubby out of a book he gave me for our anniversary, just a small hint I think!! It's the "Men's patchwork scarf" from the book "knitting" by Hikaru Noguchi. I've ended up having to buy heaps more wool than it said in the pattern, and I chose two different types of wool which has kinda worked, it adds to the patchwork appeal! my excuse is I'm still only learning.

My sewing machine has been on the blink. The top thread doesn't seem to be grabbing the bottom thread at even intervals so you get big stitches in between the right size stitches, very annoying. I've more or less taken the whole thing apart and given it a good clean, it's helped a little bit but not perfect. So unless anyone has any more suggestions as to how to fix it, it's going to be off to the doctor with it!!

It didn't help that I went to the craft show on the weekend and goggled over some very lovely machines, can't afford a new one at the mo :-(.

I'm having a weekend away with the girls this weekend so hopefully i'll have more to show next week. I did make a purse a couple of weeks ago but I forgot to take a photo before I gifted it so it'll have to wait.

For more creative spaces pop over to kootoyoo.

Boo

I'm off to the Melbourne Modern Quilt Guild today. Hopefully I will get some sewing done and be able to show something for a change. Until then....

TTFN

My Creative Space

Queen Anne Lace Scarf, originally uploaded by MandyMade.

This week....

Queen Anne Lace Scarf free pattern found via Ravelry, but I was inspired by a friend who also made a few. I used Patons Shadow Tweed which I bought a bag of really cheap, and crotchet hook 4.5mm. It's really chunky so I thought this size scarf was best. Whipped it up in an evening. I could add to it if I feel inclined though. I think I'm going to make a rug out of the rest of the wool. We'll see.

More creative spaces over at kootoyoo.

Showcase - My Mum

There hasn't been too much making going on around of late. I've had deadlines at work and that kinda drains you. So I decided to show some of what my mum has been up to, she's been busy!!

A jacket for my niece made from the pattern Uptown Girl by make it perfect.

Elephants for new baby niece from pattern Parsley and Beet by Ric Rac

I gave mum the book Really Wild Tea Cosies for mothers day and this is what she has made so far from it

and a close up

Well you can now see who I learned from! She's made another elephant since this photo, looks like a herd is gathering.

Lately I've been doing a bit of knitting and crocheting, I need to get the camera out and takes some pics in progress. Hopefully in the school holidays after all the deadlines are finished I might actually get onto the machine again. I hope to have more progress done on my quilts before the next melb modern quilt guild meet.

TTFN

Wordless weekend - a childhood memory

My childhood memories, originally uploaded by MandyMade.

A bit AWOL

And I'm not apologising for it, had life stuff to do!!

I did finally finish this though...

I gave it to my neice for her 4th birthday to decorate her new bedroom. There wasn't really any instructions for attaching the material to the frame, like how to fold it so it's nice and neat, so I just folded as best I could and was lucky enough to borrow a staple gun from this lovely lady. You were a life saver. It was lovely to stitch, I'd forgotten how relaxing hand sewing can be.


TTFN

Edit -  Kokeshi Friends Stitchery from the book Kaleidoscope by Melanie Hurlston. Handmade by MandyMade

Sew It Together 2010 - The next bit

The Saturday part of Sew It Together consisted of a whole day of sewing and a dinner. What a hard life hay? Sheridan did a wonderful job organising everything, thank you so much. It all appeared to come together so smoothly, I hope in the background it did too.

It was an early start for me catching the train into the city with my crafty sidekick. We stayed in the city that night so had all our crafty gear with us plus the overnight stuff.

We were greated at the door by lovely Donna with our Saturday goody bag.

Except for the fabric in the middle there that snuck into this photo instead of the friday one, all this stuff was given to all of us, like Christmas really, without the small one climbing all over me. For the full list of sponsors please checkout the SIT website, I don't want to miss anyone.

In the door prize I one a boys pant pattern, which is really cute, but in German, which I can't read. So I may need someones help out there, there may even be a pair of boys pants in it for you.

I had a great time, I didn't talk to as many people as I probably should but listened and watched in a bit of a star stuck moment.

This is what I sewed, yes there was sewing involved!!

I finished off the stitching part of the Kokeshi dolls by Melly and Me, and then started on Melly and Me's block of the month.  There were all sorts of crafting going on, and even some of Jodie's softies came out to play.

After all of the excitement of the sewing day most of us headed out to a lovely dinner, where we got to chat to different bloggers and catch up on other things other than sewing!! Imagine that, other stuff happens other than sewing!!

After a very rewarding but exhausting day we headed back to the hotel and collapsed until morning, and a sleep in, yay. Brunch at South Bank and a spot of craft market shopping then headed back home on the train.

I've spent the last week, other than dealing with a cold, trying to take in all that went on that weekend. I can't put it into words, guess you had to be there!! Check out my flickr page (link on my side bar) if you want to see more pics of the day.

TTFN