Surprise Project Update

Do you remember this minkie fabric that I picked up while I was in Australia?  I crafted it into something last night.  It was AONW.  Sorry, you only get partial pics at this point because it turned into a gift for a someone and I don't want to ruin the surprise.  I had to post something so that you don't think that I'm totally slacking off with respect to my crafting!  

I will be away for a few days.  I'm off to climb Mount St. Helens and then to tour Portland, OR with the Crafting Widower and my parents. 

Admissions from a delinquent crafter…

I’ve been very delinquent in my crafting posts (my crafty sis has been on holidays for 2 weeks and just gave me a kick in the butt). 

I’ve hardly done any crafting in the past few weeks, with the exception of a little bit of knitting on my secret knitting project.  I don’t have the results to show though, since I had to rip out about 3+ hours of knitting the other day once I noticed a mistake that was done 3+ hours before.  I don’t think I will ever learn.  

I am really bad about not checking my knitting regularly.  This is how it goes.  I knit happily along and sometimes I try to multi task (e.g. knit while I’m watching a movie) and then every once in a while I’ll spread out my knitting and see if I can spot a mistake.  Inevitably I do and it’s usually several inches down in my work.  G-r-r-r-r!  (Grandma Elsie used to make the cutest G-r-r-r-r sound, rolling her r’s, when she was frustrated about something.  I’m pretty sure she’d use a G-r-r-r-r sound for a knitting mistake.)  At this point, I rip down my knitting to fix the mistake.     

So, progress is slow.  Here’s a cryptic photo of my secret knitting project.  

I’m not showing too much because the project still has to be a secret.  And it’ll probably be a secret for a few more weeks at the rate that I’m knitting.  I’ve got to find ways to fit more knitting in. 

Spit the Dummy

My "secret project" revealed...it's a soother holder (or dummy holder)...tah dah!  Apparently "dummy" is another term for soother or pacifier.  

It is an accessory for my new niece.  You clip the soother to one end and the birdie can be clipped to my niece (there's a clip on the other side of the bird)!  

Grandma has suggested that it be modified slightly - to cut off the red snap at the bottom and instead sew the pacifier on the blue ribbon.  This is to minimize the chance of the snap falling off and chocking the baby.  I didn't get around to doing that for my crafty sister...so I guess I have left her with an unfinished gift.  Maybe my crafty sis find a few moments to do the modification herself.  Great suggestion by Grandma.  Oh, the challenges of a childless person makes baby accessories.  

Speaking of soothers or dummies.  I learned a new expression this weekend from the Crafting Widower and my brother-in-law - "Spit the Dummy".  It's an Australian/Irish term meaning to lose one's temper or a sudden display of anger.  It's a childish outburst...like a kid spitting out the "dummy" in a tantrum and refusing to be soothed.    

Snack Bags + a secret project

I finished my snack bags last night – 4 snack/sandwich sets and an extra sandwich bag for me.  There are a few stitching errors here and there, but overall, I’m quite pleased with them. 

I’ve been using my little snack sized pouch to take my veggies to work – it seems to work well.  I like the idea that I’m not using as many Ziploc bags and I also like how they don’t take up any room in my purse when they are empty (as opposed to Tupperware).  I have another pattern for a sandwich wrapper, from my Sewing Green book, that I might try out as well. 

I am also working on another project.  Here’s a ‘sneak peak’ of the prototype...the ‘reveal’ will take place later this week.   

Crafty Inspiration

So, I just got back from a whirl-wind 10-day trip to Oz for my sis-in-laws wedding.  


While were were there, I managed to convince the 'Crafting Widower' to check out some crafty shops.  Oh, so many nice fabrics, softies, and other fun stuff.  I managed to exercise A LOT of restraint and only purchased one bit of fuzzy chenille fabric.  It is a light mauve colour.  Isn't it lovely?!?   

I have a project in mind...but it will remain a secret project for now...


Ballarat Patchwork was a great shop.  So many fun fabrics, quilts, patterns and even samples of some of the patterns.  There were some very cute samples made up from Melly & Me , Make it Perfect and Heather Bailey...plus others.  It was really great see samples of the patterns.  I could have spent hours in the place!  (Luckily we went in  1/2 hour before closing!)  


I also came across some cute softies mad by an Australian designer Alimrose when visiting some other shops. They make dolls, but also some cute hand squeakers for little ones.  Here's a shop selling some of their products. Cute.  


Lots of crafty inspiration!