4th blogiversary

I've made it to 4 years! I have never been able to keep any type of diary. I always have the best intentions and eagerness but they never last more than a month or so. So to be blogging for 4 years has just amazed me no end. There has been times when I haven't written a post for months but I've always gone back to it.  Having a blog has enabled me to meet some amazing people in person and online, and I would never have met one of my best friends if it wasn't for this blog. I've been able to connect with like minded and crafty people that I would never have met and grown my sewing ability and range. It has though encouraged me to spend a bit on fabric and the like but that may have happened anyway!

Looking back at the past 4 years I've changed and grown. I first got back into sewing by making softies but I haven't made one for ages. I wanted to get into quilting at one stage and have every intention to go back to it. At the moment it's all about making accessories for either friends family myself or to sell through Ditto Crafts. I find so much satisfaction in finishing an item then being able to share it with the world, doesn't matter if nobody reads it, but it's great if someone else is inspired to make their own. I think that is the biggest thrill. For me it's not about showing off but sharing and inspiring.

I want to have a giveaway to celebrate, but what to give away? I've explored so many things in the past 4 years. Any ideas? After all I will be giving something away to one of you.

Last of all, thank you so much to those who read and comment. It means so much to me.

Here are a few things in April I've made in the past 4 years.

April 2008 - first softie

April 2009 - first bag

April 2010 - library bag

April 2011 - Melly & Me Stitchery

April 2012 - Zip Pouches

New name

Small Zip Pouch

Keyka Lou is changing her name did you know? I did but I'm only getting around to posting about it. She is now called Michelle Patterns. Same look same patterns different name. She's having an anniversary sale on her patterns at the moment. If you are quick you might still be able to get some great patterns for $5. What with the US time difference and all. Just click the link on my side bar, I'll be updating it to the new name soon. So I'll start going on about Michelle not Keyka Lou from now on, pop over to her blog if you would like to know more. I'm not going to update past posts though! She has also brought some of her old patterns out of retirement for only $3, you can find them on her blog. Happy sewing, perfect weather for it here in Melbourne!

Another Jane Green pouch

Another Jane Green pouch, originally uploaded by MandyMade.

My Aunt bought a camera, and naturally needed a pouch for it to go in. Jane Green again but this time with flowers on it. That's her kitchen table in the background!

Pattern by Keyka Lou - Pleated Pouches
Handmade by MandyMade

Another successful sewing week

I didn't post about it but this weeks goal, following Keyka Lou's weekly goal challenge, was to make up some passport covers for our next market. And I did it, I finished them. Now I want to make more!

Finished already

I finished my weekly goal already. Nothing like Little O sleeping for 3 hours, I got some sewing done!

Zip Pouches

You can see here I'm playing along with Keyka Lou's goal of the week challenge and that I wanted to make her zip pouches in all 3 sizes. I've had the pattern a little while and have been hanging out to make them. I cut the fabric out last week then sewed them up yesterday.

Inside the small Zip Pouch

I was hoping the medium one would be big enough to fit the families prescriptions in so they wouldn't be floating around in my bag, but it's not quite tall enough. I think I'll try making another with the width of the medium but the height of the tall, I can do that, surely. The small one is perfect for excess cards so my purse isn't so fat. The tall one doesn't quite fit my phone but I think it would fall out too easily when its opened up anyway. I'd like to make some for our next market. I think the small would be the best seller, what do you think?

Now onto a different topic. You may have noticed a difference in the 2 photos, or not. I'm very grumpy with flickr and picnic at the moment. Picnic for closing and flickr for picking such a bad replacement. I did my best with aviary, the replacement, but it doesn't have the 2 tools I rely on for my "look", rounded edges and the text I used for my watermark. You can only do rounded edges if you also use a filter, the there is only 1 font for text, so I'm grumpy. The bottom photo I tried using a free download on the iPad, pixlromatic. It does the rounded edges, but not much else. Maybe I'll try combining the two or actually start using photoshop!

Have you finished your weekly goal?

TTFN

Weekly Goal

This week I have decided to participate in Keyka Lou's Weekly Goal challange so I can get something finished! This week I plan on completing her Zip Pocket Pouches in all 3 sizes. Do you have a weekly goal?

Dobby the house elf

..has come to live at our house.

Dobby's close up

I made Dobby for AJ for his 7th birthday. He was fun to make, I loved how he came together and his character was there almost straight away.

Dobby

I bought the pattern here from Lucy Ravenscar. I love her patterns. You may recall the Ewoks I made a couple of years ago also from a pattern she designed. Her patterns are very easy to follow with handy hints also. I decided not to crochet Dobby's clothes but used an old tea towel instead.

AJ with Dobby

AJ also had a Harry Potter themed birthday. Here he is in his quidditch robes. All of his friends dressed up, they all looked fantastic. They watched the first movie, well kinda, they were all a bit excited to sit down and watch. They all had a good time, boy the first movie is long!

Hogwarts Castle

We made a Hogwarts Castle cake for the party too. I say we cos the hairy bloke made the cake and I decorated it.

It's been a big couple of weeks leading up to this party, I'm exhausted now. Might be re-thinking the whole party thing next year. I don't mind the organising and planning, it's the very excited naughty boy that appears in our house before hand that I don't like!!

TTFN

Lots of making

I do feel I have been making a few things of late, unlike last month, still not getting as much made as I would like though.

Camera Lens Cap Pouches

I made a few more camera lens cap pouches on request for Ditto Crafts. This time making them slightly larger to fit bigger lens caps. I think this larger size came out a lot better. The green one at the top has a snap at the back to clip over the camera strap instead of having to take the strap off the camera to fit it on. The friend I made it for requested this and I think I'll be sticking with it if I make more. Still making it based on this tutorial but slowly coming up with my own way of making them.

Baby Doll bibs and nappies with a little bag to put them in

It was my nieces 2nd birthday last week and on request from my sister I made her doll some nappies and bibs. I used the bib pattern I made up and shrank it. I was worried that it was going to be too small but turned out just right. I had a cloth nappy for my cabbage patch kid back in the 80's. Thats him in the pic, looking ok for a 27 year old!! So I used that as a base for the pattern. I had made a promise to myself, and others, that I wouldn't buy fabric from spotlight for the foreseeable future, not that its bad or anything, just that I have so much fabric I need to use and its just too easy to buy more when spotty is just up the road! But I couldn't resist, look at those adorable owls, and that dolls clothesline fabric, can you blame me?

iPhone cozy

I've also been mucking around with some iPhone cosies to sell, inspired by others I have seen. My felt isn't quite thick enough so I'm going to have to pad it a bit more, what do you think?

I have another show and tell but that one deserves it's own post, until then....

TTFN

Just a bit of advertising

Large Pleated Kindle Pouch - by DittoCrafts on madeit

I sell stuff I make, did you know? Along with another ace crafty chick we sell under Ditto Crafts. Pop over and have a look. Lots of different things in the store at the moment, and with mothers day coming, I'm sure you'll find something :-).

TTFN

New Keyka Lou Pattern

Super Padded Pouch, originally uploaded by keykalou.

Have you seen? Keyka Lou has a new pattern out. It's a new Padded Camera Pouch and comes in 4 sizes. I'm hoping the extra large one will fit a dslr. Use the keyka lou button on the top right side bar or click here to pop over and have a look at the pattern yourself. I'm sure you would like to buy one, I do.