Thursday 30 August 2012

Inches or centimetres...

Here in Australia, I grew up using the imperial system for measurement. I began my Teacher training still using the imperial system for measuring length (inches, feet, yards) and left three years later, having to teach children measurement using the metric system (millimetres, centimetres, metres).

To this day, I still prefer the imperial system. When a baby is born and I'm told the weight in grams, I always have to ask, What's that in pounds? I have difficulty converting mass. And, although I can convert inches and centimetres when I need to, I have to think about it.

The only exception has been miles per hour and kilometres per hour. With a speedometer in miles per hour and road signs in kilimetres per hour, I learnt to convert very quickly!!!

On my blog, I use the imperial system for two reasons:-
  1. It's the one I naturally think in.
  2. I see it used a lot online.
My question to you is, which system would you prefer me to use? Are you happy with me just using imperial (inches), or would you prefer me to add cms as well... using my trusty tape measure?

... Pam

Wednesday 29 August 2012

Leather iPhone Case ~ Prototype...


My eldest son wanted a leather and felt case for his iPhone and asked if I'd be interested in helping him to make one. Without hesitation, I said, YES!!!

After researching sewing with leather, we purchased a Teflon foot and leather needles for my machine, leather, felt and different threads.

Monday 27 August 2012

Alice in Wonderland...

Make an apron for an Alice in Wonderland outfit ~ tutorial by Threading My Way

My latest project has been to make an Alice in Wonderland outfit for a Mad Hatter's Garden Party. First up was to check exactly what Alice should be wearing to the Garden Party. A quick search online showed I needed a blue, short sleeved dress, teamed with a white apron.

Saturday 25 August 2012

Threading Your Way ~ Features

Our features for this week...

A fabulous tutorial, showing how to make these cute shirred overalls, linked to the Pants, Shorts, Trousers for Children link party...

The Lani Overalls by Mira, from Sewing the Littleheart Collection

Mud Puddle Splashers...


I needed to cross something off my ever growing To Do list, yesterday, so, even though I wasn't feeling 100%, I whipped up three pairs of shorts using the Mud Puddle Splashers pattern, by Bonnie, from Fishsticks Designs.

Monday 20 August 2012

Just For a Laugh...


You may remember my Petal Pocket Pillow that I made and posted about at the end of July. In that post I referred to the ryhme, Ten in the Bed...

There were ten in the bed and the little one said,
Roll over, roll over.
So they all rolled over and one fell out.

There were nine in the bed and the little one said,
Roll over, roll over.
So they all rolled over and one fell out.

and so on until there are none in the bed.

Saturday 18 August 2012

Ten Fabulous Totes...

Our Bags and Totes Link Party has been the most popular of our ongoing link parties by a long stretch, so for this week's features, I'm going to show you the ten totes that have been the most viewed since Threading YOUR Way with Threading My Way began at the beginning of this year.

The most popular bag, which has been viewed 173 times via the Bags and Totes Link Party, is Kristin's awesome Goldfish Tote.


Kristin, from Pritty Tings, made the Goldfish Tote as her entry in the Solids Only Tote Challenge and has written a comprehensive, step by step tutorial on how she made it.

Sunday 12 August 2012

Appliquéd Singlet...


Sewing an appliqué onto a singlet is such a quick and easy little project. I just love the soccer fabric. I have no idea where I purchased it, but it's the very last scrap I have.

Saturday 11 August 2012

Threading Your Way ~ Features

Our features for this week...



Some very helpful tips linked to the Blog Tips Link Party:
Love these gift tags linked to the Gift Wrapping Link Party.
Two awesome outfits to make for your little princesses, linked to the Pretend Dress Up Clothes Link Party:
I'm on the lookout for good sun hat patterns and I think I've found just the one linked to the Hats, Bonnets, Beanies and Scarves Link Party:
And two fantastic bags linked to the Bags and Totes Link Party:

    Head on over and visit these talented ladies. 

    Each week, I will place a blog button, belonging to the blog which was most viewed, in my sidebar. This week the most viewed link is the How to Prevent Your Photos from being Pinned on Pinterest. Jessi, look out for your blog button in my sidebar.

    Feel free to grab a button if you've been featured...


    You can find the Master list of ongoing link parties at Threading YOUR Way with Threading My Way 

    Don't forget, all of our link parties are ONGOING and will remain open all year. You can add links to any party at any time.
    I look forward to seeing more of your creativity...


    ... Pam

    Quilt Block Challenge...

    I was so pleased with my first quilt, that I knew it wouldn't be long before I started my second. As I was finishing my first quilt, I had lots of ideas swimming around in my head, but I also had lots of other projects I wanted to sew. There was no rush to begin right away.

    Fast forward a few weeks and along came Adrianne's Quilt Block Challenge, over at Happy Hour Projects. Of course I wanted to enter, so I had to narrow down my ideas to just one. I've decided on a quilt that will feature much loved, but outgrown clothes and belongings from a little one in my family.


    Here's my first block, using fabric from a well worn, little dress and a much used wall hanging. It's not a traditional quilting block, as I haven't pieced anything. The flowers are appliquéd to the background with double sided fusible webbing. You can see tutorials and tips I've written showing how to appliqué here, here and here.

    Although the flowers are the same basic shape as on two previous projects: the Retro Flower Power Pillow and my Solids Only Tote, the finished effects on all three projects are totally different.

    After being so pleased with the fabric painting on my t-shirt dress, I'd thought I'd give it a go on this quilt block and have a bit of fun.

    I was a little hesitant to begin with, as, unlike with sewing, my trusty seam ripper wasn't going to help with any mistakes. Quite surprisingly, I really enjoyed doing this little bit of painting.

    I'm not totally sure what the finished quilt will look like. My first thoughts were to make a rag quilt, then I could have shown you how this block will be quilted. I'm aiming to follow the lines of the petals, as I did in my Petal Pocket Pillow. One day I will make a rag quilt, but not this time, as I think the blocks would be too large (12" x 12") and the design is wrong. So you'll just have to imagine the quilted lines.

    I've already bought the backing fabric; a beautiful design in mauves and purples with dragonflies. Now to sort through bags of clothes and decide on how the blocks will look. I'm not totally sure where I'm headed, but I do know there will be at least one dresden plate.

    Head on over to the link up to see the other quilt blocks entered in the challenge.




    ... Pam

    Wednesday 8 August 2012

    Painted T-shirt Dress Tutorial...


    Take a plain white t-shirt, add some fabric painted flowers, attach a skirt with lace and you have a one of a kind, pretty little t-shirt dress that no one else will be wearing.

    Sunday 5 August 2012

    2 in 1 Challenge...

    2-in-1 Challenge Homepage

    Last week I showed you my Petal Pocket Pillow; one of my all time favourite projects.


    You can read more about my cushion here. I know I keep swapping between the terms cushion and pillow. To me, a pillow is something I put my head on at night to go to sleep, whereas a cushion is something I put behind my back for comfort while sitting on a lounge. 

    To me, what I have made is a cushion. I know, in many parts of the world, you would this call a pillow. What term would you use in your corner of the world?

    So, why am I swapping between the two terms and calling it a pillow, when I see it as a cushion
    • Way back in September last year, I signed up for the Retro Pillow Challenge, where I made my Retro Flower Power Pillow. Online I called it a pillow, at home I called it a cushion. I see the term pillow used so much in my travels through Blogland, that I am tending to use that more myself, especially if I am talking to someone who calls it a pillow
    • Fellow Aussie, Nova, from A Cuppa and a Catch Up, who created the pattern, has called it the Petal Pocket Pillow.
    • Petal Pocket Cushion doesn't have the same ring to it, as Petal Pocket Pillow.
    Language is evolving all the time. We certainly don't spell or speak the way William Shakespeare did. With ready access to the Internet, I wonder whether all English speaking countries will end up with the same spellings, colloquialisms, terms and expressions.

    Here's a couple of ways Australians and Americans use language differently. Can you add to the list or give different variations for other English speaking countries? I find it fascinating to see all the differences.


    Aussie U.S.A.
    overlocker serger
    cushion pillow
    mobile phone cell phone
    thongs flip flops
    Source
    It appears that the majority of the English speaking world calls the above picture flip flops. It was much easier to to find the picture I wanted when I searched with the term  flip flops... LOL!!!

    I am in awe of those of you who speak English as a second (or third, or fourth) language. For a couple of years, I studied French and Latin at High School. I didn't mind the written component and used to get good marks, but when it came to actually speaking French, I was hopeless. Mr TMW and my sister used to tease me by speaking in French. I just couldn't keep up.

    Thank goodness for Google Translate, which enables me to read blogs written in any language. Many languages give a good translation, whilst for some I just get the gist of the post. But that's OK, because a picture is worth a thousand words.


    Whatever you call it in your corner of the world, I've entered my Petal Pocket Pillow into the 2 in 1 Challenge. Voting has begun, so head on over and vote for your favourite project.

    Vote: 2-in-1 Challenge

    Thanks, Rikka, for hosting another fabulous challenge. I'm looking forward to the next one...

    ... Pam

    Saturday 4 August 2012

    Threading Your Way ~ Features

    We now have 31 ongoing, themed link parties. You can add projects to any party at any time. A new ongoing party begins each Sunday. Features, which are usually done each Saturday, can be chosen from any of the parties. There's a list at the bottom of the post.

    Our features for this week...


    A beautiful, yet very practical project linked to the Electronic Gadget Covers and Cases Link Party:
    A fabulous, easy to follow tutorial linked to the Embroidery, Stitching and Appliqué Link Party.
    An ever so cute project linked to the Baby Clothes and Accessories Link Party:
    A fantastic apron and tutorial linked to the Aprons and Art Smocks Link Party:
    Some very pretty flowers linked to the Hair Accessories Link Party:
    Two stunning dresses linked to the Dresses for Girls Link Party:
    And an awesome bag linked to the Bags and Totes Link Party:
    Head on over and visit these talented ladies. 

    Each week, I will place a blog button, belonging to the blog which was most viewed, in my sidebar. This week the most viewed link is the Deer iPad Cover. Ros, look out for your blog button in my sidebar.

    Feel free to grab a button if you've been featured...


    You can find the Master list of ongoing link parties at Threading YOUR Way with Threading My Way 

    Don't forget, all of our link parties are ONGOING and will remain open all year. You can add links to any party at any time.
    I look forward to seeing more of your creativity...


    ... Pam

    Friday 3 August 2012

    Fabric Basket...


    Here's a small fabric basket I made a little while ago. It's the third fabric basket I have made using this tutorial and it won't be the last.

    Don't you just love the pink fabric? Knitting needles, wool, thread, sewing machines, buttons, pins, scissors, needles, embroidery hoops.....

    And here's the other side.

    This gorgeous crafty fabric travelled half way around the world to reach me and now, some of it has travelled back again in the shape of this little basket.

    ... Pam

    Thursday 2 August 2012

    Culottes and Shorts Refashion...


    A few years ago, my daughter and I both bought the same pants on sale. From memory, they were only $10. They are 100% cotton and loose fitting, so they are the perfect Summer cover up for my fair skin. They are not particularly flattering because they are so baggy, but this makes them cool and SO comfortable. (Cool as in not hot, as opposed to cool being trendy.)

    When the kids were little, we won an all expenses paid holiday to beautiful Port Douglas. It was a fabulous holiday, visiting both the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest We always vowed we would visit again, and three years ago we did. A week in the sun meant protecting my skin and my pants bought on sale were worn a lot.

    I still have my pants, but my daughter decided she no longer wanted hers. As you can see, there's a lot of fabric in those pants.

    I knew I'd easily be able to make a pair of boy's shorts from the bottom of the legs.

    I simply used the bottom of the legs as fabric. Once again, I've used the Mud Puddle Splashers pattern, from Fishsticks Designs. I love this pattern, which is so quick and easy to make.

    That left me with the shirred waist and legs to about the knees. Considering the old pants were for an adult,  the shirred waist seemed quite small. Shirring stretches a long way, which is why it is often used on pants that are one size fits all. When I compared the shirred waist, to the waist on the new shorts, it looked like the old adult's pants would fit a child. 

    Sure enough, they did fit. This was the easiest refashion. Cut the legs to the right length, use bias binding as a hem for the legs, add a bow and a pair of culottes was finished.

    The brown fabric by itself is just right for boy's shorts, but I felt it needed something else for a girl. I found the pink polka dot, store bought bias in my stash. I'm quite surprised at how much this little addition has lifted the brown.

    So far I'm keeping my pants, but maybe at some time in the future they'll become a pair of shorts and culottes the same as my daughter's pants have...

    I'm adding these culottes and shorts to our ONGOING Pants, Shorts, Trousers for Children Link Party.

    ... Pam