Days 7-15. Taking form

Handmade Christmas Progress

Check out those shoes!! Well you can't really tell they are shoes yet, but they are cute. Yes I am making Ballerina Mice for my nieces. Both dancing obsessed at the moment. I have visions of them taking their Ballerina dolls to concerts for years to come, fingers crossed that will be a reality. 

They are really taking form now. I'm getting some very inquisitive looks on the train but more and more people are starting to ask what I'm making. I used to just stick with easy projects for the train, but I'm now getting very adventurous. Haven't pulled out the stuffing yet though ;-). If you are ever on a Hurstbridge train in Melbourne and see me crocheting away, stop and say hi :-).

The pattern I am using for this project is by lilleliis and can be found on etsy. I want to try so many of her other projects too. I'm checking out her free bunny pattern so I can use up all that pink i'll have left over!!

Have you found a great pattern lately? Please share.

Days 4-6 Progress

Progress days 4-6

Check out that pink!!!! Not a colour I am used crocheting with, so bright. I'm not a pink girl, but my niece is. Both of my boys have gone through a pink phase, but not bright pink.

I'm going to have heaps of it left over, now I need to work out what I can make with it! Pink dinosaurs maybe?

Day 3 progress

Day 3 Progress

I'm not used to such a large project!! These 100g balls are causing a bit of a storage problem. Hopefully they will minimise considerably. I've got more colours to add though ;-).

Christmas gift progress

Day 2 working on Christmas Gifts

I'm really enjoying making on the train again, and these girls are coming along really quickly. I'm a bit behind in writing about them, but that's ok. If you want to skip ahead check out my Instagram (look for dittocrafts) or flickr (click on the picture above).

Dino Family

My Little Dino Family

It's a dino family!! I made most of these ages ago, you can see the little brown one in my banner, that was the first and is Little O. But AJ was bugging me to make his too. Don't know why it took so long for me to get around to it. They are quick to make, so he finally picked a colour and the yellow one was born. So now we have all 4 of us, in dino.

Too cute to handle

 

So cute!

Pattern by Planet June

Handmade Christmas 2014

work in progress

Hello totally neglected blog! It appears having two blogs doesn't increase blog writing, it just makes you ignore both ;-). Well I'm hoping that will change! This blog is after all meant for my personal craft making, not making for Ditto Crafts. So here is what I'm making at the moment. Gifts for my neices for Christmas. Can you guess what it will be?

Grab a pattern or two

I love following someone's career. Especially when they pave their own way, uncertain where their venture may take them. It's even more exciting when your career is your passion. I'm very excited for Michelle of Michelle Patterns reaching her 6 year anniversary of making her little biz a full time career. She has written so many patterns, most of which I, hmm, own ;-) and each and everyone one always has a function or purpose, love that.

In honour of her 6th anniversary Michelle is having a $5 sale. 

Michelle's Anniversary Sale

Most of her current patterns are only $5, yay.

Here are a few items I've made from her patterns, you've seen them all before but here is a very small round up.

Items I've made using Michelle Patterns

Michelle's patterns a very easy to follow and most can be finished in an afternoon. Very handy when you need a gift quickly, like this owl purse, too cute.

Owl Purse

I've had my eye on her new pot holder pattern, I think I might be snapping that up, my kitchen needs a bit of sprucing up.

Michelle's Pot Holder pattern

So if you are in need of a few extra patterns in your stash, and who isn't ;-) then pop over before April 8 for a bargain and help Michelle celebrate. If you do, let me know what you've made.

(Note: This is a sponsored post and has affiliate links)

Super Space Alien

I know it's been a while, and it's not that I haven't been making, there has been heaps of that going on.

Like this Super Alien I made for Little O for his 3rd birthday.

Here he is in the making. I enlarged the pattern, i think by 150%. He looked like he was going to be too small to cuddle.

And here he is finished. Very easy to sew. I splurged and got real wool felt for the cape. I'm sick of the cheap stuff pilling.

He's a bit shy. I have to be honest. I didn't get the reaction from Little O that I expected. I think I should have made another robot or under the sea creature, he's not shy telling me what he thinks!!

Maybe I should just keep him for myself ;-)

Pattern by Melly & Me

A new craft for me

My Mum has introduced me to a new craft. It's not that I needed a new one, but thought it might be easier on my hands than crochet when they are sore. Needle felting. She gave me some wool roving a couple of years ago for welt felting, but that didn't really interest me. Well that has now come in useful. The orange eye is me playing around with my first go. Think I'm in love, you will see a lot more needle felting from me. This book is Woolbuddies by Jackie Huang. Soooo cute.

Needle Felting Love

Messenger Bags for my Nieces

I love a handmade Christmas. I think this year has been one of the biggest handmade Christmas's we have had in a long time, not just me giving handmade but others too. Understanding it doesn't have to be them making something either, just as long as someone has handmade the item.

One of the handmade times were these messenger bags I made for my Nieces. I knew they were getting a hand held tablet thingy, so I made cases for them. Not knowing exactly what they were and going by the dimensions only, I was a bit worried they weren't going to fit. But they fitted perfectly.

Messenger Bags

I wanted them to be really padded to protect the tablet. If I was to make these again with a lot of padding, I would make the inside slightly smaller or use a larger seam allowance. It ended up being slightly bulky at the base and hard to push the corners out. It worked out fine in the end. The added padding also made the flap shorter.

With the flap up

I love this front pocket, there is also one inside to put extra games or toys into.

View from the back

The back is super cute too

 

The back with the flap open

The flap opens all the way back so it's really easy for them to put everything in the bag.

Ready to be gifted

If you would like to make one of these bags head over to Michelle Patterns. You will need the Messenger Bag pattern and also the Just Pattern Pieces, for the extra smaller sizes. Happy sewing, if you do make one please let me know. I love to see all the different varieties people make.

How was your handmade Christmas?

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