Apron & Sheets

My sewing machine has had a workout over the last few weeks, here are some of the pieces I have made ...... a pretty country themed apron for a sister's birthday, used new material for this one but cut the lace from the hem of an old dress.
 Floral dresses & matching frilly  pants with pom pom trim for newest addition to the family.
 All materials & trims found at  the op shop.
(raylee).

Coffee Bag Footstool/ Seat

Lucky for me my family like most of the things I make for them.
Hand stitched this footstool for my eldest grandson's birthday.
The best thank you is when the recipient says: "I love it"!
(raylee).

Monkey Fashion

Pretty in pink soft monkey hand & machine stitched from wool & cotton jumpers. Embroidered face , safe for baby to play with.
(raylee).

Alphabet Cushion Cover

A very retro alphabet fabric passed on to me from Simonne. Now a pretty cushion cover with ric-rac trim.
Bedside table, a kerbside throwaway.
White lace doily, op shop find.
(raylee).

New animals...

 

these new creations...

went for a photo shoot..

with the photographer...

hippo first...

 

 

a new lizard...

 

a fat zebra...

his legs can hardly hold his tummy off the floor...

 

 kitten has become a lion...

 

and the giraffe...

new theme with the black and white...

attempting to get more realistic colour range...

 

Creativity (Blog Hop)

 little girls trousers made out of a pretty skirt that didn't fit anyone...

 mat for the loo made out of old towels...

 starting a "quiet book" for Mr one

 not anywhere finished though...

trying to get inspiration with shapes...

we have been tagged by Katie randomnest to play a game of tag.

#1)- what have been the doings/makings/scribblings at your desk over the past week or so?
like Katie we both have a computer desk, but create all over the house, inside & out.
sewing & collage , kids craft gluing etc. on the dining table.(not on the same table, we live approximately 250 k from each other).
crochet usually in the lounge room while watching television. there are bags of yarn hanging on the door handles, & sometimes large pieces of completed  crochet  spread out on the dining table along with books & magazines, usually art related. all of which has to be moved when we actually sit at this table for meals ( when it is too much we eat outside).
my eldest grandson helped my husband extend our carport to give me more space to set up easels for painting, so most artwork happens outside. i have shelves & two cupboards for art supplies in the carport but still have an array of art related materials  inside, (books, journals, papers, fabric, glue etc.) Simonne has similar stashes, but she tries to keep it all in one room (i think).
when i asked Simonne if she would like to play this game her response was: "OK..... sounds like fun", but she has decided to post her *bloopers*, which i thought was very brave of her, things that she would not normally post.
this is a good idea as not everything turns out how we expect it to. all the photos are *Simonne's creative doings*, i don't see anything wrong with any of these.
as for me i have been painting ,which in my case takes a lot of time to do. i have taken some photos but haven't taken the time to actually post on the blog, yet.

#2)-Where are you currently finding your inspiration?
my family - a very creative lot, all in their own ways.
art class - my tutor Lyn Fraser-Roberts, class members
internet , television, books, movies,
garden, birds, animals
Seth Apter the altered page

#3) - how important is being creative to you & how do you blend this with your work/life/family balance?
being creative is very important to me - if i didn't create i would go nuts!
some people probably think i am nuts anyway.
one of the best questions i have been asked was: "you're not left brained at all , are you?"
my family are used to me by now. i do the things that are at the top of the list & have to be done.
i have found it's all about what is really necessary at this particular point in time & what can wait for another day.
 spend time with the kids & family, they won't remember if your floor was swept, but they will remember that you taught them to draw, knit, sew, crochet, paint, hammer, drill, plant seeds or whatever it is you do!
now i am going to invite lay hoon from mescrap.blogspot.com, a very creative, busy & talented artist i have enjoyed reading her blog for a few years &
also a fairly new blogger who has caught my eye: Andrea from amoresbohemios.blogspot.com. to participate in this *blog hop*.
their addreses again if you would like to check them out
lay hoon: mescrap .blogspot.com.au &
andrea: amoresbohemios.blogspot.com.au
thanks Katie!
(simonne & raylee).

Blanket Jazz

 

I found this old blanket in the cupboard...

don't know where it came from...

had it floating around for many years...

nearly went to the shed for use as whatever the shed may have needed it for...

 

as you can see here it was very moth eaten...

so not very pretty to use on the bed...

and mine always complained of the scratchy wool...

so..

 

 

I got out an old doily tablecloth which was too small for my table...

and an old doona cover for the backing...

sewed them about a bit...

and ta-da!!...holes hidden...

From the Lake to the Garden.....

 we live close to a lake where a lot of leisure time is spent.

 we go out in an old boat that husband has restored.

 he likes to go fishing, i just like being on the water.

 sometimes he brings home fish or mud crabs.......
but this one time he brought home a chair that he found in the lake almost submerged. being the inquisitive type he had to investigate what was sticking up out of the water!
it was muddy & yukky, but after a good scrubbing & some new cushions made from fabrics that i had unpicked from a couch cover, a piece of floral curtain fabric(found in my art tutor's rag box for cleaning oily paint brushes) much too pretty for that!, & trimmed with some piping i found at the op shop.

 the chair now  looks quite comfortable in the garden.

 i had to save this floral piece from being destroyed by oil paint. it just happened to be the right size for the chair seat cushion.

(raylee).

How Do You Like Your Eggs?.........In Cross Stitch???

 in an  old rusty frying pan?

 how about some roses on that old rusty bucket?, or tin?, or that old watering can?

 wow everyone with a daisy door, car door that is!

another library book with lots of arty people & their creations: "the new artisans" by olivier dupon.
always something to catch the eye at the local library.
some links to just a few of the artists included in this book, well worth a look!


marichristophe.com : wire sculpture
clairecolesdesign.co.uk  : wallpaper & stitches
manon -gignoux.com : recycled fabric
suziestanford.com : recycled materials/ chair covers
severija.it  : cross stitch
puddinhead.com.au : printing , cover image on the book.

thanks for stopping by.......have a happy weekend!
(raylee).

Stitches in progress

when I should be working on finishing this...

it only needs the backing to be sewn on...

 

I have been still working on the little bits of scraps...

remembering that I can work quietly...

with bits on my lap...

and just cutting or hand sewing...

 

and all that stuff I don't want to throw away...

can be used for something else...

hexagon shapes that I found in a tin...

have been joined by some more scraps...

and colours...

hope it will be a cover of flowers when finished...

then yesterday I found this photocopy...

given to me by my Mum many years ago...

she said that she always wanted to do something like it...

and wondered where it had got to...

 

so I had a bit of a play with my scraps...

and this is what I'm now working on...

Cool Summer Dresses For Little Girls......

........machine stitched from embroidered table napkins & a doona cover, bought from the op shop.

 a pocket on the front.....the napkins came with the green border trim & the embroidered flowers.

 .....this green  pocket was a hankie....a lace trim stitched around the hem.....

.......the back of the dress.....

......& the back again.
this is my version of the pillow case dress, a very quick & easy dress to make for little girls.
 a sheet could be used to make the same style dress  for older girls.
(raylee).

Fabric Collage & Stitch & Collage Mix - 365 Creative Challenge 2013

i have counted!.......i am up to date as of friday 15/11/2013 with the 365 creative challenge.
this mix of collage, watercolour & embroidery brings me to day 319.
so after almost 11 months i am getting some sort of order happening, not really just keeping  on with it every day.
the idea for the watercolour fish is from the book "freestyle quilts" by susan carlson.
 her website if you like quilting or also if you like collage. her fabric collage is stunning. go on have a look!!
(raylee).