DIY Party or Wedding Favors

I wanted something non edible and fun to make/do for Millie's first birthday favors.  Since her birthday is at the beginning of spring, I thought, what better way to celebrate spring than planting something!  These would also be great for wedding favors, pretty inexpensive too.

 Here are a few basic supplies to make the tags:

                                          -Scotch tape

                                          -Felt stickers (I got mine from Michaels)

                                          -BBQ skewers, cut to desired length

                                          -Card stock for tags

                                          -Tag hole punch (optional)

punch out tags

tape BBQ skewers to the back of the tag

peel the sticker off only where you want it to stick

to the paper, leave the rest on so the back dosn't

stick to everything else.

write something on it!  

(wedding date for wedding favors)

Some other things you will need for you planting table will be:

                                                    -pots, peat or clay pots will do

                                                    -some seeds to plant

                                                    -directions on planting

                                                    -dirt

                                                    -a shovel

                                                    -pens (for writing names on tags)

here was our planting table!  

2 tables side by side, one table with supplies 

the other for planting

With Hope and Much Love

I love making soft toys, I've only made them for happy occasions, like babies being born, or birthdays!  Or my favorite... "just  because I love you" soft toys.  This little boy monkey is going to go keep someone company in the hospital.  I have not met this special little someone yet because he lives far away, but I hope to meet him someday!

For now I send Elliot his way.

Meet Elliot the Monkey

He likes to play and have fun,

He swings through the forest collecting 

insects and plants

 

Sometimes he falls down, this time he hurt himself 

enough to visit the hospital

He had to wait a long time, until the doctors 

knew what was wrong with him

Here he is with a bandage on, he is 

getting better, slowly but surely 

At the hospital you have to wear funny clothes sometimes

Elliot is making the most of the visit by 

collecting other things in his bag, things

from the hospital...he likes bandaids!

Elliot is made from the combined patterns of Molly Monkey and Kaley Kitty  by Larissa Holland of mmmcrafts.

Drink More Tea and Re-upholster

My Granna is a tea-lover tea-drinker to the max.  I remember as a little girl visiting my Granna sitting on this step stool in her tiny kitchen watching her make tea for me and my 5 siblings.  Very watered down tea, so as to not get us addicted to caffeine too early on, lots of milk, and lukewarm.  It was delicious none the less. 

That stool is now in my Mum's possession, and was in rough shape (until yesterday).   I scrubbed it down and promptly took what was left of the old vinyl and foam off.  Using fabric that my friend Erica gave me I re-covered it!

Purple is the Colour of Spring

I just love spring, especially seeing visible signs of new growth in the form of flowers and colour finally returning after a long winter.  I got to work in my garden for 2 sunny afternoons.  My husband made me some garden boxes to grow veggies.  I filled the boxes up with dirt, edged some grass, planted some shrubs, mowed my lawn, and did some general spring cleaning.  It feels nice to get things ready to plant, at this rate I'll be finding less time for sewing.....I hope not!


Here is a blast of spring purple for you to look at!  I was up in the Okanagan and snapped a few nature pictures while my sister was childminding.

An outfit for Millie

Clothing is not something I make much of anymore.  I used to make clothing all of the time, for myself, for my friends, for my family.  That's why I went to fashion school, to get better at making clothing!  But for some reason I have strayed away from dressmaking/clothing making.  But when I delve back into it, I remember why I enjoy it.  It's so satisfying to have a flat piece of fabric in your hands, and at the end, with the help of some thread and a sewing machine you turn it into a 3-dimensional thing you can wear! Pure magic sometimes.

Millie was gifted a cute little shirt from England which I based this cat shirt pattern from.  This pattern would make a cute dress too, just lengthen it a little.  I found some adorable polka dot knit fabric that I had to make into baby tights!  I have a very active girl, so getting non-blurry pictures is a challenge!

A Monkey for Dom

I wanted to make something cute for my new nephew so decide to make this!  The last time I made a sock monkey was at least 10 years ago, so I had to google how to make one!  I picked these colorful socks up at superstore, and the thread and felt were from my stash.

posing on a rainbow xylophone!

Next Saturday

I'm teaching a workshop on the basics of re-upholstery next Saturday! I will go over a few basics about how to select a chair that's right for you, what fabric to pick, what tools to use and a few other things.  This would be the perfect introductory course for redoing dining room chairs. If you are interested in attending this hands on workshop call Spruce Collective at 604-855-0506!  My class isn't up on the website but its on their facebook page.