Roxy Creations

Owl applique cushion

2012-02-19T07:44:00.002+11:00

I made this cute cushion yesterday. I love owls and have been wanting to do something like this for a while now. The background of the cushion is antique linen hemp. Then I machine appliqued the owl using a mix of new and vintage fabric.

New patchwork cushions

2012-02-18T10:16:00.003+11:00

I made some extra cushions for my shop. I really liked the colours I made for my customer order so decided to make a similar one. I used mostly vintage fabrics for these cushions.

Easter Basket vintage fabric

2012-02-16T16:45:00.002+11:00

This cute Easter basket was inspired by the cushion I made in the post below. I loved the colours so much I made the bag with the same fabrics, many of which are vintage. Now available in my shop.

Patchwork cushion lialc and blue

2012-02-14T22:51:00.003+11:00

I made this for a customer order. She wanted lilac, blue and coral so I hope she likes it! I liked the colour combination so much I'm making an Easter bag in these colours.

Rabbits for the girls

2012-02-14T17:31:00.002+11:00

I finsihed a couple of bunnys yesterday just for the girls! One I sold as a set with a bag very sweet Easter present.

Heart lavender sachets

2012-02-12T20:19:00.004+11:00

I've been working on these lovely lavender heart sachets the last few days. I used many different pieces of antique hemp linens I have. I appliqued, embroidered and beaded to my hearts content. I also used vintage and antique trims I have, some French and some Italian. On a couple I also used a little hand dyed felted wool. They are filled with beautiful French lavender I bought at a fair.

Inspiration for these sachets has come from Jude Hill . I bought her hearts tutorial which was a lot of fun. Her work is amazing so interesting. I love this method of combining and layering different fabrics and material to obtain wonderful texture.

More goodies I've been working on

2012-02-11T18:03:00.006+11:00

I have been quite productive lately - I'll be honest it's been snowing here for nearly 2 weeks (unbelievable!) so school has been closed and I've been at home!!! Poor Lulu if she doesn't see a friend soon I think she'll loose it!

My sister Sas found the link on our blog to make houses for Japan so I thought I'd make one. So this is what I came up with. I used pretty soft colours, some vintage fabric and appliqued flowers. I hope they have room for one more house!

I also have many baby rattles and softies half prepared so here's one finished a cute dog.I also made a pretty lavender sachet in the shape of a heart. I used gorgeous vintage fabric and embellished it with a simple layered flower. So much fun to make! I have more goodies in the works so will be back blogging soon!

Easter is on it's way!

2012-02-10T21:22:00.003+11:00

Slowly, slowly I'm making a few things in preparation for Eater. Here are my first bags and bunnies!

Lulu's scarf

2012-02-10T01:07:00.003+11:00

I know after nearly a month of not putting very much on the blog I'm here every 5 seconds posting something!

This is a scarf I made for Lulu towards the end of October (before I got busy!). Lucy loves to sit with me when I'm sewing. SHe tells me she will draw me some patterns to inspire me. Boy does she inspire me at times! I loved her drawing of this rabbit so much I just had to put it somewhere. What better place than a scarf!!! I embroidered it exactly as per her drawing and she wares it with pride! The scarf itself is made with a mix of linen and cotton fabrics.

Who know maybe she will pass it on to her daughter or grand daughter!

Special order

2012-02-09T17:23:00.004+11:00

I made all these goodies for a lovely customer. She lives in a hot, beachie, sunny place, hence she requested hibiscus flowers, turtles and whales on the bags. I think they turned out very sweet and are quite sunny! The bags are made with lovely cotton fabrics and are embellished with applique and embroidery.

I also made necklaces for the girls and some cushion slips too. Hope she likes them all! More images on flickr
The necklaces are made mostly with wooden beads and are completed with a felt embroidered flower.
I made the cushions on beautiful antique hemp linen with wool felt applique and hand embroidery.

Easter Baskets

2012-02-08T06:46:00.004+11:00

I designed and made these a while ago and just didn't get around to posting about them. They are cute little baskets which could be used in and Easter egg hunt or even better to decorate the house or easter table. They would look great with little Easter eggs in them, flowers or even make for sweet gift baskets.

i made them with lovely felt and decorated them with applique, embroidery and trim. They are completely hand sewn no machine!

Little Houses for Japan

2012-02-05T19:48:00.003+11:00

This is a really worthwhile project and something I would love to be apart of. Jo from the blog 'A Bit of This and A Bit of That' has come up with the idea to get people to make 100 fabric houses and letters to send to Japan. You can read all about the story behind this idea and get the pattern here. I hope that she reaches her target and I am sure she will. Now I need to start sewing some houses.

Easter Tutorials and Patterns

2012-02-05T10:26:00.012+11:00

Want to make something really cute for Easter?? I though that I would share some of my favourite patterns that you can buy and some free tutorials.

The following are great patterns that you can buy from Etsy.

Bunny Embroidery pattern by Bumpkin.

Easter treat bags from Winter Peach.

How cute are these Easter Finger Puppets?? I would love to make them. The pattern is from FloralBlossom.

This is a very large pattern for a Bunny Rabbit from Dolls and Day Dreams. It's almost 50cm tall.

This pattern is called Peekaboo Bunny. Its quite a large softy available from The Little Tiny.

How adorable is this bunny?? The colour combination is very Easter! I love it and want to make some. The pattern comes from GandGPatterns on Etsy. All her patterns are adorable.... I want so many!

Here are some of my favourite FREE tutorials. I would like to make them all!!!
I want to make one of these in pretty Easter colours- Doorstop Bunny by Wee Folk Art.

Such a cute Rabbit Bag by Zakka Inspired.

Easter Bunny Basket by Disdressed.

Chickummy from Whip Up.

Fabric Easter Eggs from Retro Mama.

I want to make heaps of these!!! Love Birds from Molly Chicken.

Easter Birdy from Molly Chicken.

This adorable little bunny from My Little Mochi.

Jamie's Library Bag

2012-02-03T17:00:00.004+11:00

I have been making Jamie a new library bag for school. I tried to think of something that wasn't too babyish as he is a big Year 1 boy now. So he picked monsters. I did a whole lot of drawings and he picked six that he liked. I have almost finished the other three for the other side of the bag. I am hoping to finish it this weekend.

Lulu's Befana stocking

2012-02-03T08:31:00.003+11:00

Here in Italy 6th January is a public holiday. It's called 'La Befana' and celebrates the Epiphany. The figure of the befana is represented by an old woman (bit of a hag) who flies around on a broom, visiting children during the night and filling their stockings with gifts and sweets if they are good and coal if they are bad.

Children here appear to be more excited about this than Christmas, I can't seem to get my head around it. Thank goodness my italian mother in law takes care of it for me as I'm likely to forget about it!

Anyway she asked me to make Lucy a 'Befana' stocking so this is what I came up with. I was inspired by something I saw for Halloween in an old Marie Claire Idee I have. I can't remember which one but if anyone is interested I can let you know.

Mum's Stuff

2012-01-26T13:02:00.001+11:00

A couple more things that mum is working on.

Mum's Crazy Wool Quilt

2012-01-26T12:51:00.004+11:00

Mum has been working on this quilt for a while. There are four large blocks- one for each season. She is not finished yet but I thought that Rach would like to see her progress so far. The whole quilt is made up of wool fabrics. There are more images on Flicr.

Finally finished!

2012-01-26T03:36:00.002+11:00

Oh my goodness, I have finally finished a very large order! I only received the order the 9th January with requirements to ship by this week. I have been stitching like a mad person in between looking after my daughter and doing English workshop everyday at middle school. I'm so pleased to be done as I have been neglecting everything including my house and especially our blog! Hopefully I'll be able to make some new goodies soon.

So what have I been making ? 54 Easter bags and 26 bunnies to be precise and I haven't even started on those for my shop yet!!! Maybe I'll have a little break from them for a week before starting on stock for my shop!

Quilt Inspiration

2012-01-23T18:44:00.001+11:00

Quilt Inspiration, originally uploaded by Roxy Creations.

Pretty pink Hedgehog messenger bag

2012-01-09T07:10:00.003+11:00

I enjoyed making the first hedgehog messenger bag I had to make another. I'll admit it's been made for about a week now, I'm a little slow at blogging things! I love these bags they're so useful I really would love to find the time to create some more!

Placemats!

2012-01-06T17:34:00.003+11:00

I made these personalised placemats for a lovely customer. I think they turned out really well although I did have to enlist the help of my husband to to draw me a racing car! The placemats are made with a mix of fabrics, appliqued and hand embroidered. Individual photos are on flickr.

Sweet totes

2012-01-06T17:06:00.003+11:00

It's hard to believe that Valentine's Day is near! I made a couple of sweet gift bags from beautiful wool fabric. I finished them off with appliqued pretty wool felt hearts and did some embroidery on them.

More matryoshka totes

2012-01-04T08:15:00.002+11:00

I liked the totes I made a few weeks ago so much I decided to make more. Here are another two made in a similar way to the previous ones.

Christmas presents

2012-01-02T22:00:00.004+11:00

Happy New Year to you all!

I made these gift baskets as part of some of our presents to friends. We filled them with all kinds of yummy goodies incluging sun dried tomatoes made with my mother in laws recipe, nougat, wine, special jams/mustards for cheese and sugar coated almonds.

The red stripe basket in made with antique fabric from Bulgaria. The white baskets are made with antique Italian linen. They can really be used for anything from the bathroom to the kitchen. I especially like the small long ones which could be used on the table to serve grissini, biscuits, chocolates, crackers and so on.

Hedgehog messenger bag

2011-12-29T19:04:00.003+11:00

This messenger bag is so cute. It's made with antique Italian hemp linen and cotton fabrics. It's large enough to carry around books or even to use as a nappy bag, gym bag and so on. It is hand appliqued and hand embroidered. Inside there are 3 pockets in a contrasting fabric to the dusky pink linen lining.

Christmas 2012

2011-12-28T17:44:00.003+11:00

Christmas 2012, originally uploaded by Roxy Creations.

I Love Hexi's- They are addictive!!!!

2011-12-28T17:09:00.002+11:00

I Love Hexi's- They are addictive!!!!, originally uploaded by Roxy Creations.

Here are a few of my favourite shots of Hexi's on Flickr. I love making them. They are simple and fun!

Hand embroidered cushions

2011-12-27T18:52:00.003+11:00

First of Merry Christmas to everyone, I hope all had a great day!

Even though it was Christmas I have contonued to sew. I made these cushions for my mother in law as she needed new ones for her couch. They are very special as I used her antique cotton sheets which were hand woven by her grandmother! I appliqued some fabric from the gorgeous new Moda 'Etchings' range. I placed a vintage doilie over the top and then embroidered two simple designs. I think she was very happy with them!

New matryoshka bags

2011-12-23T07:32:00.003+11:00

Lucy went to a few birthdays last weekend so I decided to make the girls bags to go with their present. I thought it was a good idea to make another 2 for my shop. The bags are made with cotton and linen fabrics. They are appliqued with fabric and felt embellishment.

Christmas Bunting

2011-12-20T19:52:00.003+11:00

Here are a couple of photos of our finished bunting for Christmas. It is now hanging across my living room window. There are more photos of each flag on Flickr.

Sewing for Christmas

2011-12-20T13:14:00.010+11:00

I am on holidays so spent a little time changing the look of our blog. I hope Rach likes it. It's nice to have a change every now and then!

I made this Santa Stocking for a friend's little boy. She is collecting it tomorrow so I hope that she likes it!!

Mum and I have also been making some Christmas bunting inspired by some that we saw at the shop Material Obsession. We each made five flags and you can really tell who did which one as we have very different styles. The photo below is a sneak peak of my favourite one that I made. I really like the colours. I will blog the whole thing once I have finished making it up.

A few things I've been making!

2011-12-19T16:46:00.006+11:00

I made 3 pouches for my friend to give as gifts and a new Christmas decoration which I gave to her as well. She has a very large tree which has many empty spaces!!

I aslo finished off this sewing pouch. I made it with antique linen and trim. Inside I stitched in a pin cushion and a few pockets to carry things around, like a small hoop, trims, scissors, and so on. I sent this to my mum as an extra gift because I know she loves that kind of thing.

Christmas gift bags

2011-12-10T17:59:00.003+11:00

Here a few Christmas gift bags I made the other day. I still can't get my head around who I need to give gifts to! Oh well at least I've started to make a few things so it may not be such a rush.

These bags are entirely hand sewn in wool felt. I'm wondering what I'll put in them!!!

I also made these storage baskets from antique hand woven cotton fabric. They are very simple and could make for great gift for Lulu's teachers. I may put chocolates and other goodies in them. They are also great to use on the table with nuts in them, or bread , danish and so on.

Published in 'Modern Blocks'

2011-12-08T19:40:00.005+11:00

I know today is my 'published in' day!! Modern Blocks is now available in bookstores and on Amazon. I have 2 blocks featured in the book which I wanted to share with you. So exciting to be in print I really can't quite believe it.

These are some of my favourites in the books:

'Selvedge Strings' by Bari J. Ackerman

'Checkers' by Monika Wintermantel

There are certainly more I love in the book but you'll just have to purchase it to see!!!!!

Published in 'Zakka Style'

2011-12-08T17:31:00.002+11:00

I know I mentioned earlier that I've been published in this wonderful book, but I just had to say it will be out next month! I can't wait to see the book and start sewing some of the gorgeous projects in it. Many of my most favourite creative bloggers are in it!

Stash books is having a give away so pop on over and enter here.

Applique pouches/pencil cases

2011-12-05T07:33:00.004+11:00

I made these pretty pouches yesterday. I love making these they're so much fun. Each time I make one I do something different. I have used a mix of cotton fabrics with linen and antique linen. They have been hand embroidered and appliqued. These pouches can be used for anything, pencil case, cosmetics, jewellery, hair accessories and so on.

Some new goodies made!

2011-12-02T09:18:00.002+11:00

I managed to finish off some things I started some time ago. It's always a great feeling to finish things off! I made some pin cushions, cushion and a softie yesterday so I 'm very pleased!

Super pre Christmas busy!

2011-11-26T09:09:00.004+11:00

November is always such a busy time. I've been sewing like a mad person and I love it! I have some more stocking designs which I never got round to making. Yesterday i mailed off a whole lot of orders (previously blogged) so I allowed myself to make up some of my new designs. I still have more but I won't get them all done for Christmas this year.

New softie designs

2011-11-26T03:41:00.003+11:00

I made these new softies the other day for a client. Of course I made some extras for my shop! New designs are the owl and birdie.

Madly making stockings

2011-11-24T16:16:00.004+11:00

Wow I finally caught up with my Christmas stocking orders. This week has been a whirlwind! Here are some of the orders I made. One client ordered some very big stockings for her kids - Santa will have to work very hard to fill those!!!

No Chintz Christmas Shop Window in Woollahra Sydney

2011-11-19T19:42:00.005+11:00

These are some photos of the No Chintz Shop Window that the set up this week for Christmas. They always create such fantastic displays. I love the huge advent calendar. It looks great!!

Christmassy stocking

2011-11-16T02:57:00.004+11:00

The last few days I have been working on these lovely stocking. The themes are based on my client's requests so I hope I interpreted them correctly! It's always great working on something someone has requested as it opens up new possibilities and designs you hadn't thought of.

Christmas cones

2011-11-10T02:37:00.005+11:00

I took some time out of the order I'm working on to complete these two sweet Christmas cones. One is a red embroidery on antique linen and the other a sweet reindeer applique on felt similar to my Christmas decoration I made. These are great to hang on the tree (or around the house) with nuts or candy cane in them, or even with a small gift.

New Christmas angels

2011-11-07T05:41:00.003+11:00

I started these poor girls about 2 months ago. They've sitting around waiting for a hair do since September. Finally I bit the bullet and finished them! I used linen, antique linen and vintage trims on these lovely Christmas angels.

Christmas friends

2011-11-04T16:14:00.003+11:00

Hello Christmas friends! Well my favourite time is nearly here and of course I've gone into delirium
trying to get things done! I thought these cute little guys would be great stocking fillers or just cute sitting on the window sill, on the mantel or on the table!

They all have antique linen faces combined with lovely cotton fabrics. The dog is new I wanted to try him out and think he's really cute! I made him in my favourite coulours red and linen!

2011-11-01T17:22:00.003+11:00

Some new sweet lavender rattles. These little guys will be participating in great gift bags put together by a photographer in the States. I agreed to make 4 rattles for boys and 4 for girls to go in her gift bags. Christina puts together great baskets so pop over and have a look. Oh and of course I took the opportunity to make some extra for my shop!

Green check patchwork Christmas stocking

2011-11-01T07:41:00.002+11:00

I finished another stocking yesterday. It's similar to what I made last year but there is more hand embroidery on this one.

Sewing case antique linen hemp hand embroidered with internal needlecase

2011-10-25T07:52:00.002+11:00

I made this lovely sewing case a while ago and forgot to blog it! It's made with beautiful antique linens, vintage trims and lovely French linen mix fabrics. I embellished it with both cross stitch and embroidery.

New stockings

2011-10-21T04:24:00.003+11:00

I have finished off some more stockings, getting ready for the festive season! I love making these! Two I made from designs I did last year and the one with the snowman is a new design. It's so cute I really can't tell which is my favourite they all have such a different look. I love combining different fabrics, I have used cottons, Japanese linen mixes and some antique linen/hemp. Then the applique and embroidery are equally as fun! All available in my shop!

Matryoskas placemat no.2

2011-10-19T15:30:00.002+11:00

Here is the second Matryoska placemat. I again used a mix of cottons and linens, applique and embroidery to complete this placemat.

Ava's stocking

2011-10-18T08:15:00.002+11:00

I made this cute stocking for a customer. She asked for a winter cottage with a snowman or tree. This is what I came up with so I hope she likes it!

More christmas decorations

2011-10-16T03:09:00.004+11:00

I finished another set of Christmas decorations. Love the way these turned out! Lulu and my favourite may be the reindeer but I do really love all of them! They are again made with wool felt and beautiful hand dyed felted wool (so lovely to work with). These will be going on Etsy.

Matryoskas placemat

2011-10-12T19:56:00.005+11:00

Babushka or Matryoska? This is the million dollar question! In fact, my sister and I often call them Babushka but I believe that is wrong. My friend Tatiana from Russia tells me a Babushka is an old hag. I think it's best we call these girls 'Matryoska' not old hags!!!!

Anyway back on track, I have designed 3 Christmassy placemats with 'Matryoska' and have finished one! Bit of a vagabond lately, doing a lot of procrastinating! Here I used linen and cotton fabrics, hand appliqued, hand quilted and embroidered the whole placemat. It was really fun to make. I was thinking a matching bread/danish/nut/candy basket might work out well too (if I ever stop procrastinating)!

Christmas decorations

2011-10-11T16:00:00.004+11:00

I did a whole lot of designs the other day for Christmas decorations. I started straight away even though I have so many things on the go which need to be finished! A while ago I bought whole lot of hand dyed felted wool. The colours are beautiful and I've been itching to use it! These decorations are made with a thick wool felt and then most of the applique is felted wool. It's such a lovely material to use. I cut out a whole lot more so stay tuned. These will be going on Etsy.

Heart Christmas ornaments

2011-10-09T16:28:00.002+11:00

My first Christmas tree decorations are complete. These hearts are made with a mix of antique linen and regular linen. Parts are appliqued and embroidered and then I place a thing batting on the back and hand quilted them. I really enjoyed making these hearts!

WIP- And another!

2011-10-09T09:15:00.002+11:00

Last day of holidays for me so I hope to get a few more finished today. Rach is probably in shock that I have been putting up a few pictures! I will also get onto the softies for her.

WIP- More pictures

2011-10-08T17:46:00.002+11:00

Here are a couple more images of my work in progress to tickle the taste buds of Rachel. Have you guessed yet??

WIP

2011-10-06T17:30:00.006+11:00

I have had some ideas of things that I want to make and sell on Etsy. I think that there is a gap for this kind of thing as I can't find any of these that I really like. I am being a bit vague as they are not finished yet and I want them to be a surprise for Rach! I hope she likes them. I have about 12 cut out at the moment ready to be made up and about 30 different designs ready to go. They are mostly designed for kids but I have some adult ones in mind as well. It's all a bit mysterious but will become clear when I get some more done. I hope that people like them!!!

Christmas stocking pink linen stripe

2011-10-06T16:26:00.002+11:00

Another new stocking! This one is a little more girlie than the last and I did different embroideries on it. I used a lot of my new fabrics which I just love, so inspirational!

Christmas stocking embroidered blue spot top

2011-10-05T05:23:00.003+11:00

Finished another stocking for Christmas. It's really lovely, with a combination of patchwork and embroidery. I used a lot of my new fabrics, some of which are Japanese linen/cotton blends.

New 'Noel' Christmas wreath

2011-10-03T07:19:00.002+11:00

I made this new Christmas wreath yesterday. I didn't have time to make any last year so this year I would like to try out a few ideas, let's hope there's time!

I wrapped the wreath with new and antique linens in natural colours. Then I embellished with flowers I made, little Christmas trees and wrote Noel with wool felt cord. In the center is a Christmasie house I made which I just thought completed the wreath.

Antique linen stash

2011-10-03T02:01:00.003+11:00

I just found a few more linens and hemps today. I just love them so much and use them as the starting point for almost everything I make. Some are available in my shop, some are going in my shop and some I just have to use! Actually I usually end up use some of all of them, just can't help myself! Most of these fabrics are 80-100 years old. They are handwoven with natural fibers (linen, cotton and hemp). They are traditionally used for sheets, bedspreads, towels, tea towels and curtains but I love them for bags, containers, softies, decorations, cushions, quilts (when light weight) and so on. I just love the textures.

Storage basket cross stitch B for broderie

2011-09-30T21:05:00.004+10:00

I made this basket/storage container about a week ago. Bit slow at blogging things at times!!. I used a few different types of antique linen and then lined the basket with a natural linen. I did a lovely red cross stitch monogram 'B' for broderie. I was thinking this basket would make for a great sewing container. It would also be lovely in the kitchen, bedroom or living room.

Cute softie rattles for an order

2011-09-30T17:09:00.002+10:00

I made these cute softie rattles for an order the other day. They have a little lavender in them so they smell good too. My client asked for 2 owls as well so this is what I came up with!

More Christmas stockings

2011-09-29T05:29:00.003+10:00

Christmas is my favourite time of the year. It's all so exciting and pretty with decorations and lights, I have such fond memories of Christmas as a child.

I'm already getting into the Christmas spirit with lots of ideas flying around in my head for stoackings, decorations, wall hangings, advent calenders. Goodness knows when I'll find the time for all of this!

Christmas stocking Santa is here

2011-09-27T05:49:00.003+10:00

My first stocking of the year is finished! One down and many to go, I have so many different one's I want to make. Four others are in the works.

Whilst I was in the process of making this one I wasn't really convinced about the design. Now it's all together and complete I'm very happy with it. The santa is appliqued on antique Italian hemp linen. I used a miss of cotton and felt for the applique.

I bought quite a lot of fabrics recently to use for Christmas. Many are not Christmas fabrics but I like the colour combinations. I didn't find many Chrissy fabrics which grab me this year!

Drawstring bag antique linen hemp crown cross stitch

2011-09-24T15:50:00.003+10:00

I made this lovely drawstring bag the other day. It's made with some beautiful antique hemp I have and is lined with a lovely French toile fabric. I completed it with a sweet cross stitch done on antique linen. It could make a lovely gift set with the previous sewing case I made. Great to carry around sewing projects or even just a great gift with beautiful soap in it!

Molly bunny

2011-09-23T06:53:00.003+10:00

I made this bunny the other day, it was a lot of fun. Lulu loves her! I made her based on Tilda's pattern which is very similar to the bunnies I made with mum and my sister before I could sew(blogged very early on).

I made Molly a few outfits - she has 2 dresses (one made from antique linen), a bag, pants, and a hat. I think I'd like to attempt other clothing as well.

Cute storage containers

2011-09-20T05:06:00.004+10:00

I made these storage containers the other day. They are quite large and great for keeping things tidy like toys, nappies, baby wraps, creams and so on.

I made them with my lovely new antique linen/hemp and Japanese fabrics. I did a little embellishment with embroidery. The dog basket has a little embroidery all the way round.

Sewing case/Trousse 'Paris'

2011-09-17T21:57:00.007+10:00

I have so many projects on the go at the moment! I'm just trying to methodically finish each one off before I move to the next one. It's great because we've really had a stinky hot, humid summer here in Italy. I find it so difficult to work in hot sticky weather so it's been incredibly frustating. We're having our last days of boiling hot weather and then hopefully Monday the temp will drop to the norm! Oh and Lucy starts Elementary school so I'll extra creative time!! Maybe I should out my 2 quilts I have to finish!

Back to my 'Paris' trousse. I've designed a few different ones of these I just love them (others not complete yet). Rather than making just a needlecase this one has a decent sized pocket which can fit a small hoop, trim, scissors and so on. I used some beautiful linen/hemp blend fabric I bought at the antique market. I was going to sell the fabric in my shop but I love the weight and texture so much I decided to use some of it. I do have a three yard piece which is similar which I am selling though. The trim is handmade and antique as well. The other fabrics on the front I bought from this great seller on Etsy 'Homestead treasures', love, love, love her stuff! Inside I used a beautiful wool felt I buy here in Italy for needles and pins, the pocket is a wonderful Japanese linen. Then I embellished with some lovely cross stitch.

Cushion patchwork bird butterfly and flowers

2011-09-17T06:50:00.002+10:00

Another new cushion complete! The center is a very old handwoven cotton which has been embellished with applique and hand embroidery.

Hand embroidered patchwork bags

2011-09-15T04:37:00.006+10:00

Pretty little girlie patchwork bags completed! The pussycat bag is made with a mix of fabrics whilst I used vintage ones for the fairy bag. Going on Etsy

Family of snowmen

2011-09-13T14:41:00.004+10:00

Well I can't believe we are already at the Christmas end of the year my brain automatically starts thinking about Santa, snowmen, angels and snow!! It feels like yesterday I was preparing to go home to Oz for Christmas. As I was very busy last year with orders I decided to play around with my ideas early this year otherwise they just don't happen!

I made this sweet family of snowmen. They are made with a mix of techniques and fabrics. The large snowman is made with a mix of antique hemp/linens, linen and cotton fabrics. I also appliqued hand dyed felted wool hearts on him. The middle snowman has a patchwork pocket , felted wool holly and a heart. The little guy is made with antique linen, an applique patch and holly.

I think they're so sweet together, they'll have to remain a set!

Another Block

2011-09-11T11:34:00.005+10:00

I tried to make some Japanese x and + blocks from the tutorial by Badskirt Amy. It didn't turn out too bad but don't look too closely as not everything is lined up perfectly. I am still a quilting novice and need more practice. This will be another block for the sampler quilt that I am making for my bed. It's quite fun as I can use lots of my fabrics- some that I have had for years, and I can also use scraps. I have a huge container of scraps.

Tote patchwork with hedgehog embroidery

2011-09-10T20:34:00.004+10:00

I haven't been blogging as frequently as usual but I have been busy! In the last 2 weeks I've started so many diffrent projects! I hope to slowly finish them off over the next week or so.

I've designed some new totes which I think will turn out really well. I'm totally inspired by my new fabrics and I'm pleased to say I have more on the way!! So I finished the first tote this morning and just love it. Talk about Japanesi! I've used Japanese linen cotton fabrics and my embroidered hedgehog is definitely inspired by Japanese applique, embroidery and fabric.

Stay tuned for the next tote which will be ready soon. Oh and I'm getting ready for Chistmas and have other cute surpises on their way (begun but not finished!).

Viola's Birthday present

2011-09-05T21:20:00.003+10:00

Yesterday we went to Viola's birthday, she turned 5. Of I decided at the last minute to make her birthday present so it was a mad rush. I make pretty felt cakes and donuts for her to play with in her toy kitchen. On Saturday I went to the antique market in Gambettola and this gorgous old 'chinoiserie' tin. Perfect for the rest of her gift. I cleaned it up and lined it with pretty check paper. Sunday morning of course I decide she need 2 play placemats so in a mad rush I whipped them up! In the end I was happy with the result! Hope Viola is too!

The Second Block of My Sampler Quilt

2011-09-04T01:24:00.003+10:00

I bought the templates for a Dresden Star a while ago and have been wanting to make one for a while. I though it would fit perfectly into my sampler quilt. It was a very simple block to make! I am enjoying using some of my new Japanese Fabrics that I bought recently. I especially like the French cheese label in the centre. It comes from some Japanese Yuwa Fabric.

Quilted vintage embroidered cushion

2011-09-01T23:22:00.003+10:00

This cushion is so pretty. Inspiration came from some of my Japanese craft books and the book my sister gave me for Christmas 'Embroidery Craft : Stitching through the seasons' by Vicki Haninger. It's a great book with lots of vintage inspired embroideries to do. For this cushion I found many vintage embroideries on the internet which I found to be so cute I just had to start stitching some. Two squares are hand embroidered and two are patchwork. To finish it off I hand quilted it. I used a mix of cotton and Japanese linen blend fabrics and just love the way the colours turned out.

A Sampler Quilt for Myself

2011-08-29T21:39:00.002+10:00

I have decided to make a quilt for my bed. It will be based on the idea of a sampler quilt so that my teacher, Grace from Material Obsession, can help me with some of the different techniques. She always has great ideas and hints for short cuts. I am going to get ideas from some of my Japanese Quilt books. I want to do some of the tiny blocks and piece them together at the end so I am sort of designing my own original quilt. This is my first block- 3/4 inch hexes. I love them and couldn't stop making them as they are so fun. The idea is to use the many fabrics in this first block in the others, along with lots of linen. I love linen and colour!!

Sweet home tote

2011-08-27T20:54:00.003+10:00

I designed this cute little girlie tote the other day. I used many of my favourite vintage fabrics which I bought from Little Tea Wagon on Etsy (her shop is lovely). I patchworked the base of the the house and then appliqued the roof windows and door. I finished it off with some hand embroidery.

A6 Notebook

2011-08-26T15:01:00.002+10:00

I prepared the base for this lovely notebook cover whilst I was away. It is made on linen with appliqued antique trims and embroidery. It's the perfect size to carry aqround in ones bag for those moment when a moment of inspiration hits!

Cushion bird house applique embroidery

2011-08-20T16:16:00.002+10:00

I made this sweet cushion this week. The base is cotton combined with antique linen/hemp. I have appliqued parts of the design and then embroidered the rest of it. It's very pretty and will brighten up any little girl's room!

New creations

2011-08-15T15:52:00.005+10:00

The other day I had a burst of inspiration and made a few designs to make patterns from. I'm starting to think about Christmas as I'd like to be a little more organised this year and offer some different things.

I made this bunny for Lulu, she was very excited it's not for my shop but for her. She named the bunny 'Caramel'! The head, arms and legs are made with felt. The body/dress is made with fabric with a little patchwork, applique and embroidery.

The angel is made with fabric with a little patchwork, appliqued trim and embroidery. The wings are hand quilted and her hair is wool which I have sewn into place. I think I will be making more of these for Christmas but this one could really be used at any time of the year. I was thinking it would be lovely hanging on a door knob, used as a toy and so on.

Hand embroidered antique linen pouches

2011-08-12T07:32:00.003+10:00

Whilst I was away last week I did do a little embroidery, so yesterday I made two of them up into these pouches. On one I did a vintage style cross stitch by Niky's Creations and the other I embroidered with some primitive looking flowers. Both are made on antique Italian linen.

Cute softie rattles

2011-08-11T00:37:00.003+10:00

Finally I'm able to post something new. It's been really hot here so I've been less inclined to sit by the sewing machine and more inclined to swimming! Funny that!! Fortunately it has cooled a little and my creative spirit has returned, thank goodness. As I had an order for a softie come rattle come lavender sachet I decided to make 6 instead of 1, as you do! I'm waiting for my client to choose which she likes best and then the other little fellows will go into my shop.

Notebooks

2011-07-28T07:41:00.003+10:00

I've had fun the last few days making these notebook covers. I've combined all kinds of fabrics and materials, appliqued and embroidered. These are great journals, ideas books or even for recipes. I know I have a lot of pieces of paper flying around with recipes which need to be written in a book! Maybe I should make one for myself!

Cute kitty cat softie

2011-07-27T14:41:00.003+10:00

Whilst I was making the rabbits for my order I decided to make a cat as well. He's really cute and I love the Kaffe Fassett fabrics I used, really pretty. I have also used antique linen for his face and appliqued a vintage doily.

Fun birthday gift!

2011-07-24T19:53:00.002+10:00

We're off to a birthday party this afternoon. The little boy is turning 2 so of course at the last minute I decided to make a gift. I made a little playmat and toy bag to keep it in. I had the vision of little wooden cars and houses being used on it. I went to the toy store and found a wooden toy set with houses and cars so my vision is complete! The toys in the photograph are Lucy's, she has a girl version of the boy set I bought.

The playmat has been made with a linen base. For the roads I used beautiful Japanese textural fabrics. Then I used a mix of linen and cotton fabrics, many Japanese, for the applique. I also made a draw string bag to keep the whole set in. it was great fun to make so I hope I have the occassion to make more!

Tooth fairy pillows

2011-07-23T08:11:00.001+10:00

How important and exciting is that first tooth coming out! These cute and original tooth fairy pillows make it all the more special and make for a great gift too. Lulu loves hers and it's ready for her next tooth.

These pillows are made with antique linen and embellished with aplique and embroidery. On the back I have appliqued a felt tooth pocket ready to receive the tooth fairy on that special day. The pilllow also has ribbon attached ready to hang on the wall or door.

WIP- Pam Garrison Stitchery

2011-07-22T21:59:00.006+10:00

Rach and I both bought this stitchery from Pam Garrison on Etsy. Here is Pam's original. I started by sewing a whole heap of my favourite fabrics around the edges then started the embroidery. I did the tree first which took ages because of the leaves but I am happy with how it turned out. All the embroidery stitches are pretty simple ones like satin stitch, back stitch and french knots. When I am done it will be a cushion for the couch. Can't wait to see what Rach does with hers! If you are doing one as well let us know as we would love to have a look. Here is another one on Flickr.

Creative Wednesday!

2011-07-21T17:07:00.003+10:00

Whilst I was busy stitching away Lulu (she's 5) decided she wanted to do something creative. I had bought a few little canvases a while ago and asked if she would like to do some painting. Of course she did!! She chose all of her own colours and subject matter. The top piece is a garden with butterflies, snail, bee and ant. Bottom right is a lady in a shop buying a dress and to the left a picnic! Love this one as on the white plates are potatoes, zucchini, bread with chicken and pears! I love the way Lucy always has grand descriptions for her drawings and paintings! Keep up the good work Lulu!

Set of bibs

2011-07-21T16:58:00.002+10:00

These bibs are the last part of my order. I still have to sew the velcro tabs on! I made 3 for girls and 3 unisex/boy bibs. I used a mix of cotton and linen fabrics and love the way the colours turned out.

Very busy

2011-07-19T15:48:00.005+10:00

I haven't posted for a really long time but I have been busy! I've been working on an order and still have to make 6 bibs and then I'm done! With some items I made a few extra for my shop. So here are some the goodies I have completed. It was quite difficult as we have had a heat wave here in Italy and i go bananas when it's humid!!!

20 broaches made as pretty flowers. I love these on dresses, bags hair clips, head bands, hair elastics and so on.

Star wangs, I made 6 of these in different colours.

Necklaces for little girls.
8 headbands all different

10 felt hairclips
10 hair elastics

6 bunnies, love the way these colours turned out.

New Softies

2011-07-09T21:21:00.005+10:00

I have been working on some new softies designs with the ultimate aim to put some on Etsy and sell them. I have 17 different designs ready to sew. These are the first two which will both go to my son. I need to tweak my pattern a little bit before I can start selling. I am happy with 'Charlie the Crocodile' but 'Fletch the Cat' needs some alterations. I have about 19 cut out so far and just need to sew them up. I hope that look as good as I have pictured in my head!! Let's see! I am hoping to have some in my Etsy shop next week. I will post on our blog when they are there. There are a couple more pictures on Flickr.

Pouch antique linen heart

2011-07-08T05:42:00.004+10:00

Another pouch, I made a series of 3. I seem to like making things in 3s!!! As usual the base is antique linen with applied trim of which some are dipped in tea. I applied a heart using antique sari and did some rows of embroidery stitches. I learnt this method from Jude Hill and just love applying to my own ideas. The button on the pouch is a vintage mother of pearl one, just lovely!

Pouch antique linen embroidered rose

2011-07-05T07:16:00.004+10:00

Embroidered antique linen pouch. I used some wonderful tea/coffee dyed trims on this. I then embroidered the rose by first couching on some thick cotton thread and then embroidering around it. I was inspired for this rose by a wonderful Japanese embroidery book called 'Embroidery Design Notes'. I absolutely could not understand how they do the rose so I had to make up my own. The end result worked out the way I wanted so I am pleased with it.

Magnolia Quilt Block 4

2011-07-02T15:16:00.003+10:00

This is my fourth block in my Magnolia Quilt. It takes a bit of time to complete each block due to the embroidery. Whilst it is simple stitching, it does take time to decide what to do and also decide when to stop. You need to be a bit controlled or you can probably take it a little too far. I really enjoy using a variety of threads. My collection is building and range from cotton, perle, silk, wool, chenille e.t.c. I have a lot of plain colours as well as an increasing range of variegated and hand-dyed threads. I can't believe that I recently went to the Quilt and Craft fair and did not buy one piece of cotton fabric.... instead I bought felted wools and threads.
The crossed pattern on the flowers are silk threads that are hand-dyed. I might add some beading later. I have some beads but need to increase my range for this type of quilt.

Here is the full block (un-ironed). I am excited to start block 5. I will do that tonight. I have also started a Flickr group for work inspired by Sue Spargo. If you do make some of her work or are inspired by her, add some photos.

I also wanted to let people know a few great places to source wool as it can be hard to find especially in Australia. A recent website that I bought from and found very cheap was Ram in the Thicket. Wool can be very expensive and her prices are great. She also have a huge range of colours to select from which can be a little overwhelming at first but will you will probably find just what you need. We also buy from a couple of different people on Etsy- Quilting Acres here colours are fantastic and she has come great textured/patterned wools. Three Sheep Studio also has some great colours and textures/patterns. Finally an Australian artist who has some nice wools is Anni from Hatched and Patched.

2011-07-02T15:12:00.002+10:00

New antique linen pouch with appliqued antique French linen, trims and hand embroidered. Available in my shop.

Antique linen pouch cross stitch monogram

2011-07-01T04:53:00.004+10:00

Well summer is in full swing here in Italy, hot and humid! The air doesn't move the slightest bit so there's no escape. How much do I love my fan at this time of the year! As a result my creations come in dribs and drabs. I'm not nearly as productive in summer as I am in winter!

I did manage to finish off this little pouch today. It's made with antique linen and trims, and is finished off with a lovely cross stitch monogram and vintage button.

Cushion Flower fairy

2011-06-30T05:50:00.003+10:00

I finished off this sweet fairy cushion today. It's made with linen and a mix of cotton and vintage fabrics. It's decorated with applique and hand embroidery.