Country Girl

Spring is appearing and my daughter K and I have started spending more time outside with the animals and garden.

K has two pet lambs this year - a ewe (female) lamb called Blinky (above) and a wether (boy) lamb called Ned (below).  She is busy training Blinky up to take to the local show/school pet day - but both lamb and child are not having as much fun as hoped!

I had task to finish indoors - another 'Sew Together Bag'.  I started this one a couple of months ago and used a linen mixed with fabric from Tasha Noel's 'Country Girls' range.

The inside is simple, with no extra bits.  But I got a bit excited with the outside!

The quilting was done by hand using perle cotton after I had lots of fun fussy cutting the shapes.

The linen was difficult to work with and I'm not completely happy with my workmanship, but it's finished and can now be enjoyed.

While out taking photos I had some helpers...

Here's our lovely cat, "Gypsy" who turned up at our doorstop on 'Gypsy Day' in late May.  A local dairy worker was shifting and left their kitten behind.  When don't know where she came from but she's a treasure!

I'm linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts 'Finish it Up Friday'.

Cushions for Two

I had started making both my mother and my father-in-law cushions (pillows) for Christmas.  For both I had found a block that I really liked - and from that decided to make them into cushions.

Despite good progress I did not get either of them completely finished in time for Christmas - but they are now...

I made the tractor cushion for my father-in-law because he has a vintage Farmall Cub from the 1950s tucked away.  It doesn't come out very much but I know he treasures it.  I saw this tractor block tutorial by Lori Holt of 'Bee in my Bonnet' - but it was made in green - so I had to play around with colour placement to get it to match the Farmall (as well as our Case/Internationals).  Lori gives great instructions... I must try another one some day!

The cushion measures approx 22" by 18".  I did get the whole outer finished in time for Christmas (it has a grey cotton duck backing with my favourite zip technique) and all I had to do today was make an inner.

As a cushion it was hard to photograph - it kept appearing to have flat tyre - it looks much better in real life!

The second cushion was made for my mum because she loves her chooks too.  The block is one I have adapted from other hen blocks I have seen on the web.  I used leftover fabric from this quilt I made for her last year using French General's 'Petite Odile' range.  I had managed to only get the top of this finished done for Christmas so my mum will be pleased to see it backed and filled - ready to lounge on her bed!

I quilted the front using a grey thread in an attempt to make it look like chicken wire - but am not that pleased with the effect that it created.  I quilted the back using more of the same French General fabric - so it is a very cuddly cushion.

I'm linking up with 'Finish it up Friday' on Crazy Mom Quilts.  See you there!

Two Dresses

I had a day sewing dresses for K and have two to share for the effort.  So what do two farm girls do.. but go and into the wheat paddock and take lots of photos..

First up... a simple version of Oliver + S's Ice Cream Dress - minus the pockets and bottom band, but plus piping and a facing hem.

I only had a limited amount of fabric (Lisette's ice creams of course!) so cut the inner yoke, hem facing and piping in white homespun.

I LOVE the colour of this dress and it is really popular with K - just right for summer days of play.  I've made this pattern six times already so know how well it comes together.

And a close up to show some of the detailing.  I like how adding piping means you can use the main fabric throughout the dress and pick a colour to blend just that little bit.

 

But this is my favourite photo - I am considering making it into a canvas for our wall...?

Then I kept going and made a Oliver + S Popover Sundress using Lisette fabric again.

If you haven't used this pattern before and have a girl aged 2 to 8 years that you sew for - I'd urge you to check it out.  Super simple, great to wear - and it's a free download!  The pattern also includes a dress for a doll.

Again I used white homespun as the contrast - to simplify the process I started by making some bias binding in a scrap of contrasting colour to the main - then make sure I have enough to cut out the wider top binding (not bias).  This means that any binding I have left over can be stored for another project.

The wheat paddock in the background is our only one of that cereal and it is irrigated by a lateral/linear irrigator.  I've checked with my husband and the wheat is 'Einstein'.  Just in case you were interested.  :-)

And another favorite photo to finish...

These are O+S items number 73 and 74 in my great count.

Found Fairy

I went through some photos from last summer recently and found this one of K being a helper on the farm.  Excuse the delay in posting but I thought it was too good of a photo to ignore.  Where else would you see a fairy dress and gumboots!  We were shifting an auger and it was hot.

Poor K wanted to stay in her 'Oliver + S Fairy Tale Dress' that I made prior to Xmas from some 60 year old crepe my grandmother had given me.  I adapted the pattern only to lower the neckline and it meant I had no collar to worry about.  I made a muslin in the polycotton I used for the lining and as that fitted K fine I kept going.  The dress has a large bow at the back and three layers of tulle.

Woolly Cuddles

I've switched my sewing machines over to ball point needles so am busy churning out knit garments.  I've found that if I use four threads on my overlocker for most of my seaming I get a good result.  For topstitching I use my sewing machine with a twin ball-point needle - it gives a finish like a coverstitch machine when worked over the overlocked edge.

I made these PJs from a merino blend - K has problems taking them off in the morning - so they must be good.  The top is Oliver + S 'Field Trip' raglan tee.  Super easy to make - much easier than having a shoulder seam and fitted sleeves.  The pants are from 'Growing Up Sew Liberated' by Meg McElwee - they are the 'Sleeping Johns'.  I made both in size 5, so a bit big yet.

 Yes - she really does love her teddy bear - but he's not for sale!

To continue the woolly theme we both went out to help H the other day sorting sheep and I took my camera to snap a pick of K with her homespun jersey's original owner.  In case it is not obvious - the jersey came from the black sheep poking her head up behind K.

The jersey has been made from a heavily adapted Debbie Bliss pattern - I'm still new enough to spinning that I can't spin to a required wpi (wraps per inch) yet.  I have to swatch and work out stitch numbers from there.  This jersey was made a year ago - but you can see that I'm going to have to start thinking about the next size up.  Luckily I've got one and a bit black fleeces from this ewe in my possession.