Big Little

Little Red Riding Hood Cape

2012-03-14T11:39:00.002-07:00

Well although it has taken a wee while - my Little Red Riding Hood Cape is finally completed!

Today the cape was posted to it's new little owner, and I have to admit I did have a pang of sorrow to see it go!

You can read my original blog post here which features the preliminary sketches... I did make a few little changes and additions, but it is pretty close to the original sketch which is rare!

"Little Red" who is picking wildflowers on her way to Grandma's house, meets "Wolf' near the silvery grey tree.

The scene is cut from felt and entirely hand stitched on with hundreds of tiny stitches and lots of patience. The finer details are embroidered, such as the facial features and basket detailing. The wildflower meadow is fashioned from green felt with little coloured french knots stitched on for the flowers.

I think when you spend so many hours (months in this case!) working on one garment, you bond with it in a way that is a little hard to describe.

I start to imagine a wee person wearing it - visiting the grandparents, adventuring in the park, shopping trips, feeding the ducks, etc. It makes the garment feel like it is coming alive, if that makes any sense!

Despite all the challenges, what I really love about this cape is that I know it will never be forgotten. There is a little girl out there who will be enchanted by this cape and have some amazing childhood memories in it.

To me, this is what handmade is all about :)

Linking up with more creatives here.

First Birthday

2012-03-11T03:06:00.000-07:00

Poppet celebrated her first birthday recently and I would love to share some pics of her special day with you.

We didn't have a theme for her party, I just wanted a relaxed gathering with some friends and family... my only requisite was to have some pink :)

Here she is trying on her dress and taking a look at herself in the mirror. As soon as we put it on her she got all excited.

Her little party dress was a birthday gift from her aunty. Pink, frilly and girly, oh my she just looked so gorgeous, but of course I am biased.

She just loves being fussed over and combined with compliments from Grandma, she strutted about in her dress like a little princess.

We gathered with family and friends in the lovely Cornwall Park for her birthday picnic lunch.

Despite a "Weather Bomb" hitting the country the day before, with power outages, floods and even roofs lifted off, the day was as perfect as could be - warm, sunny and calm.

Friends came and went during the day and it was so enjoyable to catch up with everyone, including all the "little people" whom poppet has become friends with over the last year.

There was lots of fun and giggles to be had, and plenty of cuddles with adoring relatives.

Poppet was passed around like an old fashioned pass the parcel and she loved every minute of it.

There was delicious food including her beautiful pink first birthday cake (which I wrote about here) along with the most amazing cupcakes, all of which her Daddy lovingly made.

The four different cupcake flavours were lavender, pink velvet, marshmallow and blueberry all topped with the requisite pinkness and sprinkles!

and of course there was present opening...

She had a pretty solid attempt at opening her presents herself, and Daddy was on hand to help out with the tricky bits :)

When we got back home there was even more present opening!

Note the change of outfit? The lovely kilt was from her relatives in Scotland.

Seriously cute!

People say the first birthday is really for the parents, but I think I disagree.

Watching Poppet strut around that day - particularly back home after the picnic with her grandparents providing the perfect audience, there was no doubt in my mind she knew the day was all about her. Just look at that little face...

Many thanks to everyone who joined us to share in her special day. You really made it a day to remember!

Embroidered Botanical Coat

2012-03-07T12:20:00.002-08:00

You saw a glimpse of this coat in my Handmade Wooden Button Tutorial, and I loved making this wee coat so much. Let me tell you the tale behind it - as it is made from entirely recycled materials!

Firstly the fabrics: The main body of the coat is made from a lovely cream woolen blanket which I found in a thrift shop in Whangamata with my cousin over the summer. Although the lining isn't photographed, it is a combination of a soft pink cotton and a pink and purple floral print which coordinate nicely.

Embroidering botanicals is one of my favourite things to do, but this is the first time I have stitched imaginary blooms. I wanted something pretty and feminine but still rather bold.

I bought a knotted up bag of tapestry wool over the Christmas break during an op shopping trip with my honey. Over time, bit by bit, I untangled all the threads which was quite a labour of love!

There was rather a good selection of colours in the bag, but only a few strands of each, so I needed to use a combination to embroider my design.

If you look closely at the flowers you will see I have embroidered each one with a little smiley face :) French knots made the eyes and the remainder of the embroidery is worked in a simple chain stitch.

Lastly came the buttons. I knew I wanted something organic looking, and had my eye out for some nice wooden ones for a while, but didn't find anything just right. Eventually I made my own - I wrote about how I made them here. The wood came from our old orange tree and I love they way they finish it off.

This lovely little coat was started in December, with lots of love and time has been stitched into it. If you know a little girl aged 2-4 who would love a warm handmade winter coat, then you will find it in my shop shortly or you can email me thebiglittleshop@gmail.com for details.

Now that it is starting to get a little chilly here in New Zealand, I am enjoying working with the texture of wool again. It is such a comforting fabric isn't it.

I hope to make some more little coats over the next month ready for winter.

Any ideas?

Linking up with more creatives here.

Birthday Baking

2012-03-05T22:46:00.000-08:00

Saturday was the day for making Poppet's birthday cake and we had so much fun choosing and deciding what to make.

We picked out this cake on pinterest as our favourite for the beautiful girly pink colours. You can see pictures of the original cake and the recipe here.

My honey spent all day in the kitchen working his culinary magic and here is the result. Although we deviated from the original, I think he created something simply beautiful.

Four lovely graduating pink layers completely covered in tiny rose-like pink swirls.

I am so in love with it - totally girly, delightful and so so so perfect for our little girl's first birthday :)

Thanks honey for making my birthday cake dreams for her come true.

Finding Treasure

2012-02-28T13:18:00.002-08:00

Searching for buried treasure was the stuff of dreams when I was a kid. I remember my little friend and I burying a small tin containing some goodies in our back garden with the thought of digging it up later as "buried treasure". We never did find it again despite numerous attempts!

Inspired by my recent pirate jackets, I wanted to create a series of fun pirate accessories for imaginative play and Treasure Maps seemed a great place to start...

Children can navigate past cannibal villages and volcanoes, through jungles and swamps, even rest in "Jack's cave" and watch mermaids frolic amongst the rocky shoreline before finding the treasure.

This was a joint effort with my honey - I loaded him up with all the elements I wished for the first map and his finished result is exactly what I had pictured. (He is so amazing!)

We distressed the paper to make it look like it had been folded up in a pirate's pocket for a while and had changed hands during a few battles...

Luckily you don't need to battle a pirate to get your hands on one. We have made a wee stash of them - each is individually made and hand coloured so no two are exactly alike! Great for play and also as a decoration on children's walls etc.

You can pick up one up at one of my market stalls or email me on thebiglittleshop@gmail.com.

I'm overflowing with ideas at the moment - so stay tuned as in the coming weeks there will be some more pirate goodies and I can't wait to share them with you!

Outdoor Bath

2012-02-26T10:49:00.000-08:00

Poppet's Grandparents bought her a paddling pool for Christmas and to be honest she has always been a bit shy about going in.

She will sit on the outside of the pool and play with her water toys within, but actually getting in herself was another story...

What we discovered over time was that adding warm water and bubble bath made it far more appealing to her taste! Now we can barely get her out...

Poppet just loves to be in the bath, so an outdoor one in the garden with Daddy made it even more special.

This was such a lovely way to spend a summer Sunday evening together, we might have to make this a Sunday night ritual for the remainder of these balmy evenings.

Hope you had a lovely weekend.

Handmade Wooden Button Tutorial

2012-02-22T11:27:00.002-08:00

The removal of a rather old mandarin tree during the summer at my parent's place inspired me to make my own wooden buttons. I had such a great time making them and the process was quite simple so I thought I would share it with you, in case you might like to have a go - I totally recommend it!

Firstly search for a branch of a good thickness and as straight as possible. This is especially important if you are needing a bunch of buttons all the same size.

Using a hack saw, or an electric saw if you have one which is much faster, simply saw off rounds. About 1/8 inch thick is perfect, any thinner and they risk snapping.

Next step is to drill the holes. Using a a very fine drill bit, drill two or four holes, whichever you prefer. I used an old button as a guide and simply drilled straight through it's holes.

The lovely outside edges will come off eventually anyway, so you might as well knock them off now. Gently buff off any rough edges with some sandpaper, to avoid them snagging on anything.

As indicated by the pic, I like to use a few different grades of sandpaper starting with a rougher one, and graduating to a fine one. Just like buffing your nails!

Lastly treat the wood by rubbing in some natural beeswax, furniture wax or polish. In the pic you can see I have treated half of the button to show you the difference it makes. It really brings out the natural grain and personality of the wood.

And here they are finished - your own handmade buttons!

I couldn't help myself and simply had to sew some onto a garment...

This sweet embroidered wool coat which I have been working on for some time, needed some natural looking buttons to go with the botanical theme so my new buttons worked out perfectly :)

I'm really pleased with them, and they are such fun to make, albeit quite time consuming.

I would love to hear if you make some - and what you use them for :)

Linking up with more creatives here.

Cute Lemon Muffins

2012-02-20T23:29:00.000-08:00

Butterflies, dragonflies, ladybirds and bees. What better way to eat muffins!

My honey bought me this beautiful cupcake tin last year featuring all my favourite garden critters.

Up until now it had remained unused, then the perfect opportunity arose to try it out - the delivery of a bag of fresh lemons from our neighbour.

I used a recipe for lemon muffins which I found here. The recipe was really easy with a lovely citrus zing - perfect to use up all those last lemons hanging on the tree.

There was some curiosity as to whether all the detail would show up by using muffin mixture, but I was pleasantly surprised - also by how easily they popped out of the tin. Yay!

We are planning our little girl's first birthday party and I think a pink version of these might need to be on the menu - they are just so much fun to make.

xx

Little Red Riding Hood

2012-02-16T10:25:00.000-08:00

A Little Red Riding Hood Cape has been a long time coming :) So many requests, so many beautiful thrifted red garments in gorgeous fabrics in my stash and so many ideas about to come together!

This particular cape is a custom order for a little girl in Australia ready for the winter.

Vintage red velvet with a silvery grey tree, a grey and black wolf and of course "Little Red" and her basket.

Will keep you posted over the next month with some updates as it comes together. I'm really excited about working on this one and have ideas for some Little Red Riding Hood shoes and bags to co-ordinate too. How cute will that be!

Linking up with more creatives here. xx

Fruit Cake

2012-02-14T00:05:00.000-08:00

To be honest I didn't like fruit cake for the longest of time. It has only been in the last handful of years that I have succumbed to it's dense satisfying texture.

Saying that, I feel like I am becoming somewhat of a fruit cake connoisseur of late. My Mum makes a gorgeous fruit cake (she is famous for it) and we were lucky enough to have received more than one from her during the year. Yum!

My Honey's Mum also baked us one just last week which also stood out for all the right reasons. Rich, dense, and lusciously crumbly - just perfect.

Oh yes - this particular cake satisfied all the criteria. It was actually so good I begged her for the recipe to share with you.

She happily obliged so here is the recipe:

Amount for 23cm tin

500g butter
500g brown sugar
8 eggs
670g flour
830g sultanas
830g currants
330g raisins
1½ tsp mixed spice
3 tblsp golden syrup
150ml rum/brandy
150g slivered almonds (optional)

Prepare cake tin by lining with 2 layers of brown paper, then 2 layers of greaseproof paper, lining bottom and sides of tin.

Set oven to 110˚C

* Cream butter and sugar. Beat in golden syrup.
* Add each egg separately and beat well after each addition until mixture is stiff and firm.
* Stir in flour, spice, fruit, rum or brandy. Mix until all ingredients are well combined.
* Spoon carefully into prepared tin. Bake in a slow oven for approximately 7 hours.

If oven seems too hot, turn oven down to 105˚C. (I usually put a folded newspaper on the oven tray underneath the tin). Leave the cake in the tin to cool. A little extra rum, or brandy, spooned over the cake when it is almost cool wouldn’t go amiss!

Spread top and sides lightly with warmed apricot jam, cover with almond paste (if using), then ice with preferred icing.

Happy baking xx

Bird of Paradise

2012-02-08T12:56:00.000-08:00

I embroidered this Bird of Paradise during the festive break at my parents place.

The "birds" look so majestic I think, perched above the bush looking out over the harbour.

I embroidered my bird of paradise onto some cream linen which was once a skirt with a rather large hole in it. I found it in the bargain bin at our local thrift shop and couldn't leave it there - with it's lovely soft, yet thick texture.

I made this embroidery into a little zippered purse.

Linking up with more creatives here. xx

Make your own Pirate Jacket!

2012-02-01T11:08:00.000-08:00

Firstly I would like to say thanks so much for all your lovely comments on my Dandelion Coat. It was lovely to hear from you all.

This week I have some very exciting news... My "creative space" has involved putting together a pattern for my Pirate Jacket!

I was so proud of my very first pirate jacket which I wrote about here. It seems hard to believe it was only a year ago that I designed and constructed the original, but since then I have made them in a bunch of sizes, colours and fabrics and I just love each and every one.

The new pirate jacket pattern is an EASY SEW and will be available for sale in my shop as soon as the testing phase is finished. Anyone with a basic sewing knowledge and some patience for hand stitching will be able to make a special jacket for the little pirates in their life!

I am looking for THREE people to test the pattern FREE prior to release. If you would like to be a pattern tester please read the requirements below. If this sounds like something you would like to do (you will receive a FREE copy!) please leave a comment here on my blog, or my facebook page or email me at thebiglittleshop@gmail.com.

Basically you will need a metre of fabric for the jacket and the same for lining. Lots of scraps of felt, fabric etc for the treasure map, dagger, pirate flag, loot bag, patches and so on.

Many crafty people would have the majority of what is needed without needing to buy anything. No fancy tools required either, just a sewing machine, scissors, measuring tape, hand sewing needles and the enthusiasm to make an awesome jacket!

The basic jacket pattern is an EASY SEW pattern - I promise! A little bit of time is taken to hand stitch the embellishments, however, they are not difficult either - just need a little love :)
The pattern includes sizes 12 months - 4T

The requirements for being a pattern tester are:
• Be able to complete the project within 3 weeks of receiving the pattern.
• Advise any errors and/or give suggestions for improvement where needed
• Email photos of your finished product.

I would love to hear from you if you are interested.

Making more fun garments for boys is on my list for 2012 so if you have any ideas I would also love to hear them!

Have an enjoyable Thursday and for those of you in NZ - I hope you have a lovely long Waitangi weekend.

Lisa x

Purple

2012-01-27T19:22:00.000-08:00

Some lovely friends called around with a bunch of

purple flowers from their garden.

Another lilac embroidery on cream linen I have been working on

which I'll be using to make a lingerie bag with.

Lastly, a second pair of purple wildflower shoes

to go with a special summer dress for my daughter.

I seem to be really enjoying purple lately. xx

Dandelion Coat

2012-01-25T12:57:00.000-08:00

I just loved the pink shade of this beautiful old wool blanket and just couldn't go past it. It did have a rather large hole in the middle, but other than that was in perfect condition - I thought if I cut my pieces from the good bits it would make a lovely winter coat.

I based my pattern on the one I made for my Pirate Jacket as it is a long line style, to keep little bodies nice and toasty.

My embroidered dandelions were inspired by an odds and ends bag of wool I found at the thrift shop, including tapestry wools and other bits and pieces. The colours were all rather pastel and looked quite sweet together.

I wanted a flower that looked soft against the pink so Dandelions were the perfect thing. Luckily there were lots of them in the garden so I could have a really good look at them too!

After spending considerable time hand embroidering this garment I opted out of making button holes (eeek - what if I mess them up and the entire jacket is ruined!) Instead went for button and loop closures with some lovely oversized, thrifted, pearly buttons.

So pleased with the end result! I think my next little coat with have hand embroidered flowers too - perhaps some poppies. I am loving embroidering botanicals in wool at the moment.

UPDATE: I now have two of these coats in my shop! Click here to have a peek :)

Linking up with others at Our Creative Space here.

xx

Oak Babies

2012-01-23T10:48:00.000-08:00

We returned from our holidays to a wilderness in our little garden. To be honest the lawns needed mowing before we left, and after several weeks away it now looks more like a meadow!

The overgrown look has a certain charm though. Amongst the long grass are daisies, dandelions, little purple flowers and a host of others swaying gently and looking rather pretty.

My favourite discovery nestled amongst all the growth were lots and lots of little Oak babies! Our big old Oak tree has given birth to quite a large family. I guess they would normally be topped by the mower and never noticed.

I spent some time this morning potting up a few of these little Oaks. Hopefully we will have found our dream lifestyle property to plant them in before they get too big.

I guess I have plenty of time :)

5 Minute Homemade Ciabatta

2012-01-19T02:08:00.000-08:00

Trying more bread recipes from my "bread book" is on my list for 2012 so yesterday was the day. It had been a while since I made ciabatta bread and I had abit of a hankering for it, so I whipped up a batch of mixture readyto be baked today. It is the same recipe I wrote about here.

The beauty of this particular bread recipe is that you make up a batch and putit in the fridge overnight, then you just tear a piece off and throw it in theoven whenever you wish to bake some. The mixture keeps well in fridge for about 2 weeks. The flavour actually improves I think.

The recipe I use comes from the book “Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day” and you can click here to view the complete recipe and full instructions on their website.

To give you an idea of how simple it is, here are the ingredients:

3 cups lukewarm water

1.5 tablespoons granulated yeast

1.5 tablespoons salt (you can reduce or eliminate)

6.5 cups flour

...then you basically just combine everything in a container and wait!

My honey bought me this book for my birthday last year, and anotherone (also by them) called “Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day”. If you like the idea of baking your ownbread it is really well worth a read.

Today’s loaf was sliced, toasted and grilled with lashing ofcheese until melted, bubbling and dribbling over the sides.

So good enjoyed with a lovely hot cup of tea and 15 minutesof quiet time while the poppet slept.

First Christmas

2012-01-15T00:02:00.000-08:00

We just arrived back from our Christmas break yesterday.

I have loved looking back through these pictures and re-living all the sparkles, lights, food, smiles and anticipation - I even just loved all the red!

What a lovely time with family and friends.

Our little Poppet was gifted a very special red dress for her first Christmas and she did a great job of laying on the charm with all her relatives.

There was time for dancing. Poppet just loves dancing (and galloping) and anything that involves being jostled about...

Time for eating.

Beautiful South Island cherries, fresh local asparagus, delicious glazed ham,

and some of my Mum's double chocolate brownie. Yum!

Time for present opening...

And time for some special moments with family.

We couldn't have wished for a more perfect first Christmas day.

To all our family who made this day so special for us all - Thanks.

Garden to plate

2011-12-19T00:51:00.000-08:00

Our little poppet has been chewing on pods fresh from the garden for some time now, but last night she actually ate the peas and loved them! Considerable time was spent chasing them around the plate before she picked them up ever so delicately with thumb and forefinger for consumption!

She even managed to make herself a "pea charm" for her teething necklace.

So cute.

Feeling Christmassy

2011-12-17T00:30:00.000-08:00

It is starting to feel a little like Christmas around our home. I thought I would share some pics of our cosy little lounge with you taken this evening as the light started to fade.

We trimmed our tiny tree with lights, simple gold baubles and snowflakes.

Put up a Christmas cross-stitch I made a very long time ago, perhaps when I was still at school (tree lights reflecting on the glass),

Displayed some little Santa's bought from Alaska, and a wibbly wobbly Santa russian doll which I purchased in Russia.

But the most beautiful thing of all was to to be able to hang three stockings this year. We are so happy to have our little girl with us for her first Christmas.

Merry Christmas everyone. xx

Christmas Gingerbread Kits

2011-12-13T17:08:00.000-08:00

One of my favourite Christmas traditions is baking gingerbread cookies and gifting them to friends and neighbours. We made gingerbread families last year (you can read about them here) with different sized cutters that my dad helped me make.

This kind of baking really is such a fun and enjoyable thing to do at this time of year, and let's face it gingerbread cookies are a lovely gift of festive love to give to anyone!

This year I have put together some sweet little kits which contain three different sized cutters together with a tried and true gingerbread cookie recipe! The kit is contained in a reusable linen gift bag with a little gingerbread applique on the front.

These make inexpensive stocking stuffers for the kids and I love presents like this which encourage new skills and lets them go crazy with their creativity. Limited Gingerbread Kits are available in blue, pink and green in my Felt shop here.

We plan on making our Gingerbread Cookies tonight, so maybe tomorrow I'll have a pic to show you! You will find the recipe I use here if you would like to try it :)

Happy baking!

Relaxing

2011-12-12T12:27:00.000-08:00

Some little flowers from my walk.

Leafing through a lovely book from last Easters annual bookfair.

Enjoying a hot cup of tea.

Baby sleeping.

Lots of lovely things to enjoy today J

Nature's Chandelier

2011-12-07T23:33:00.000-08:00

Strings of tiny flowers hanging from branches caught the light so beautifully this morning, transforming our old oak tree into a chandelier.

Christmas parcels

2011-12-05T23:56:00.000-08:00

A bunch of Christmas orders ready to be addressed and sent out.

I love seeing the brown paper packages tied up with string.

Yes I think they are one of my favourite things :)

Christmas shipping to Australia closes on December 9th. Within New Zealand it is December 20th.

If you have purchased a Christmas Pixie I should let you know they are a little cheeky and like to unwrap themselves... I think I have rewrapped all the mischievous ones though and they will be heading your way today!

xx

Front Page Pirate

2011-12-05T10:18:00.001-08:00

Yay! My pirate Jacket made it to the front page on Etsy. So excited:)
There it is on the bottom left.

Work Like a Captain, Play ...
Monorail
$15.76 NZD
Pirate Ship Wheel
rizOHcolle...
$65.68 NZD
checker set - pirates vs. ...
goosegrea...
$229.87 NZD
Peter Pan Pirate Ship Phot...
jpgphotogr...
$17.08 NZD
Cotton Batting Pirate Mous...
Hummingbir...
$59.11 NZD
Children's Felt Pirate...
HopewellC...
$120.85 NZD
Full body Pirate LEGO silv...
crimsonkin...
$23.64 NZD
Jack Sparrow GOTH DOLL Pir...
MeDoll
$181.82 NZD
Custom girls Minnie Dot Pr...
FromNanasC...
$78.81 NZD
Pirate Lock and Key Cartil...
DragonRose
$15.57 NZD
Pirate Jacket - A classic ...
BigLittle
$144.49 NZD
Brady Boy Girl treasure br...
BradyBoyac...
$41.97 NZ

Christmas Pixies

2011-12-04T22:39:00.000-08:00

Pixies are famous for bringing good luck into your home, and what better time than at Christmas!

If you have never seen a Christmas Pixie let me tell you a little more about them;

Pixies are generally found in and around wildflower gardens where spend time collecting precious "wishing dust" from the flowers which they bottle and wear around their necks. Pixies are very proud of their appearance and although they are simple woodland folk, they often embellish their clothes with silver thread and shiny buttons.

Pixies love to party, so at this time of year they tend to sneak inside to enjoy the Christmas festivities.

Simple things keep them entertained for hours - playing amongst the presents under the tree and trying to guess what is inside, and turning all the Christmas cards upside down are some favourite games.

If you wake to find a few bulbs blown on your string of Christmas lights, it is entirely possible the pixies were having fun swinging on them the night before...

Gingerbread cookies with milk are their favourite Christmas treats, so if you wish to keep these delightful creatures close, be sure to have some around just for them. It is amazing how many they can consume when you are not watching!

They are a little mischievous, somewhat cheeky and manage to get away with all sorts of things.

When treated with love and care, they sometimes gift a bottle of their special "wishing dust" to their host family. Sprinkled sparingly this can bring good luck until they return the following season.

My 2011 collection of Christmas Pixies are made using 100% recycled, donated or repurposed materials so are earth, budget and conscience friendly. These pixies are 45cm tall.

Bring some good luck into your home this holiday season by inviting some in - or gift one to a friend! You will find them hiding here and here ($29).

Each and every pixie is different and entirely handmade by me - no two are ever the same so you can be sure you have an original "Big Little" Pixie!

Spending Time

2011-12-03T00:16:00.001-08:00

I didn't really mean to be away from my blog for so long so I hope some of you are still here!

Lots of things have happened in the last month or so - some happy things, some sad things and lots of just everyday things. We enjoyed a lovely sunny day in the garden last weekend and this pretty dress was a present from her lovely Aunty K in Seattle. I think she looks so pretty but I am biased of course!

Our wee poppet is growing so quickly - she is 9 months already and this special time with her is so short I want to make sure I spend every possible minute enjoying her.

This year will be her first Christmas and we are all so looking forward to it. We aim to keep it really simple yet special, and soak up the smiles.

Happy weekend to you, lovely readers (those of you who are still here!) and I hope you are enjoying the beginnings of the Christmas festivities.

xx

Halloween Skeleton Jacket

2011-10-29T23:46:00.000-07:00

With Halloween just around the corner, pirate jackets forcostumes have been going out the door as fast as I can make them. A few weeks ago I received an email from a lovely customer who ordered a pirate jacket and she wanted a second outfit for his younger brother!

Her request was for a skeleton outfit, so I put my thinkingcap on and the new Big Little “Skeleton Jacket” was born.

My honey helped me with the proportions of the skeleton (heis so clever with these things) and although we were minus a few ribs, the restof the skeleton is anatomically quite good!

It comes complete with a little drawstring "loot bag" to stash the lad's candy in too!

Obviously I couldn’t have a skull on the jacket, so I fashioned a wee skull from felt and attached it to a string inside the pocket so the little guy wouldn’t lose it (he is only 1 year old– bless!)

Then I embroidered a little message on the back...

The entire skeleton was painstakingly hand cut from felt and stitched on with literally hundreds of tiny hand stitches. It was also positioned on the jacket to line up with the little guy’s body underneath – clever J

The jacket is a long-line style, so I made the sleeves alittle longer also so they can be rolled up to start with and let down as he grows. This way he may get two seasons out ofit. Even better.

I love the final result. A fun costume that will transition well into a super cool,denim jacket - perfect for autumn/winter wearing. It is well constructed and should take all the knocks a oneyear old will give it.

I haven’t time to make any more skeleton jackets ready forthis Halloween (I am rather overloaded with orders at the moment) but I do hopefor it to become a regular listing in my shop next year.

Here's hoping your Halloween preparations are in full swing. Our little poppet is still too young, but I am looking forward to when she is old enough to have some fun... :)

Oak Leaf Pixie Hat Pattern

2011-10-26T18:08:00.000-07:00

Many of you in the northern hemisphere who are enjoying autumn have requested a pattern for my Autumn Leaf Pixie Hat - so here it is!

The first hat I made was for our wee poppet which I crafted from one of my late Poppa's sweaters. It had a lot of meaning for me and it made me smile each time I put it on her.

So find yourself a lovely old sweater, which is at least 80%natural fibre such as wool, alpaca, cashmere, angora etc. It needs to have this percentage otherwise it won't felt nicely.

Then simply pop it into the washing machine on hot,followed by the dryer on hot. Whendone it should have “felted” up so it won’t fray when you cut it.

Once you have this done, simply cut out the pattern and sew it up to make your very own snugly oak leaf pixie hat!

The ties are made by braiding up lengths of yarn - and the templates for the oak leaf and acorn are simple to trace, cut and stitch on for a warm, cute hat for both little boys and girls.

This little hat somehow made me feel like I was going to enjoy Autumn, and enjoy it I did!

This sweet little pattern is now available in my shop or if you don't fancy sewing and would like to purchase a ready made hat, you can order one here.

Thanks!

Tiny All Blacks Fan

2011-10-23T12:22:00.000-07:00

Poppet cheers on the All Blacks!

Good to be back

2011-10-19T16:21:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been a tad stressful in ourhousehold.

Firstly our wee poppet came up in a sudden non-blanchingrash (those are the scary ones), so we rushed her to the doctor, who then transferredher to Starship hospital for a full checkup. After 7 hours and lots of tests they ruled it out as being acase of meningicoccol as first feared.

Then I managed to pick up a nasty bug, which left me barelyfunctional and has taken me three weeks to get over. Thanks must go out to myfriends and family who did an amazing job helping out when I was feeling solow.

So this is why I have been absent for a while.

Of course during this time the mountain of orders keptgrowing… so much so that I made the decision last night to remove pirate jackets and capes from my shop until I catch up. But don't worry, they will be back again once I get myself sorted :)

It is good to be back. xx

Elven-wear

2011-10-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

Woodland elves are my favorite of the Tolkien folk. When Elven cloaks were gifted to the hobbits for their journey I thought they were so magical and I dearly wished I had one!

The Elven cloaks famously fasten at the neck with a leaf and whilst out walking the other day I found myself admiring a wall covered in ivy leaves These reminded me so much of the leaves of Lothlorien that an idea started to form...

I surreptitiously plucked a leaf from the wall and took it home to study the shape and detailing of the veins so I could make a replica for my cloak.

Forest green wool felt seemed a good choice for the base of the leaf clasp to which I hand stitched the details on with a fine silver thread.

I was lucky enough to have found a good length of an absolutely gorgeous woven, wool blend in a lovely grey a month or two back. I have been itching to make something lovely from it ever since.

The fabric is fine yet warm, drapes just beautifully and is soft to the touch. Perfect for a special cloak.

For fastening there is a loop and a vintage button which the leaf fits over for a seamless look.

The finished result is just what I had imagined.

A functional, warm, sweet cloak, with a magical hint of the woodland elves.

Pumpkin

2011-09-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

Our little poppet is 6 months!

Pumpkin is one of her favourite foods. She loves to grab the spoon and you really have to wrestle it off her to try and get anything in.

She has her two bottom teeth, and is sitting up all by herself.

Rolling is her mode of transport. One minute you look and she is right in front of you and the next she is on the other side of the room. Although for some reason she can never quite reach a toy that is just an inch in front of her?

Giggling is standard when you tickle her tummy and by late afternoon she just seems to giggle at anything.

Splashing in the bath bubbles with her daddy is one of her favourite things.

We just love her to pieces.

♥

Pixie Toadstools

2011-09-12T00:45:00.000-07:00

I am having a bit of a "thing" at the moment for classic red and white toadstools. Over the weekend I busied myself recycling sweaters into some sweet little pixie hats for my market stall and Etsy shop.

Of course I also had to make one for the poppet - who decided she would like to try it on. It is a smidgen big for her at the moment, but she had fun putting it on and pulling it off and I managed to snap a pic at just the right time.

So cute!

It was fun deciding which of the lovely woolen sweaters to use. (You may remember this post from a few weeks ago).

I went for the gorgeous natural brown pure wool, hand knitted one to make the toadstool pixie hats, which I lined with cheery red and white stripes.

The toadstools I made from felt and hand-stitched on with lots of tiny little stitches and patience - especially all those little spots! I nestled the toadstools into a little grassy knoll so they look right at home...

I hope to make some sweet little newborn "knot hats" from a soft angora and cashmere sweater soon. They will likely sport some toadstools too. Can't wait!

Hungry Caterpillar

2011-09-08T13:58:00.000-07:00

I think this must be a favourite early book for a lot of children in New Zealand and around the world. My honey bought the "finger puppet" version of this for our little poppet recently and she just loves it.

Today she had her first meal of pear (which she devoured - well she devoured the bits that didn't end up in her hair, hands and clothes) so we chose this book for her pre-nap read.

Caterpillars are so iconic. I just love them, especially when they are not munching on our much loved vegetables. They are friendly, don't move too fast, and leave really interesting holes in leaves.

I particularly like those caterpillars which have a gap in the middle and they move their back legs up to their front legs with a loop in the middle. So fun to watch.

Perhaps I have been inspired to make something featuring caterpillars...

Mini Baby Cape

2011-09-06T17:09:00.000-07:00

This afternoon was spent putting the finishing touches on this lovely custom made reversible baby cape for a lucky little girl who lives in the opposite hemisphere.
Her mum wanted a really warm cape to go camping with her little girl in the fall.

As I make my garments from mostly vintage, reclaimed or thrifted fabrics, it really depends on what I have on hand at the time as to what I can use.

She liked the look of this beautiful fine wool houndstooth and the gorgeous purple paisley cotton for a splash of winter colour.

The purple fabric was one L found for me at Fabric-a-brac in Wellington a few months ago. The combination of fabrics needed to be a bit warmer, but these were the preferred colours and textures.

Sandwiching a layer of padding in between was the perfect solution for extra warmth and snugliness.

I appliqued a wee flower on the front using the lovely grey woolen yarn I found a few weeks ago which I wrote about here.

I could just make these lovely little capes every day. Creating these teeny tiny baby ones is even more fun.

Father's Day & Giveaway Winner

2011-09-06T01:09:00.000-07:00

My honey's first Father's Day was a simple and lovely day for us.

The poppet helped me decorate Daddy's crown (her addition was a pink squiggle on the back. She held the crayon and I moved the crown!)

Then the two of us went for a walk together to pick up some yummy goodies from the bakery while Daddy had a much deserved sleep in.

We filled in this sweet card for Daddy, (which we purchased at Crafternoon Tea Market, made by the talented Emma from The Little Card Factory...)

and picked some violets and nasturtiums from the garden to make our Father's Day table look pretty. Luckily they are edible as some of them didn't make it to the vase...

When Daddy's sleep-in drew to a close, we all went out and enjoyed the sunshine and the man of the day had a lovely time with his little girl - after all, she is the reason why he is celebrating Father's Day!

Thanks to everyone who entered my one year anniversary giveaway. I was blown away by all the entries and wish to thank you so much for your compliments. Your childhood memories have inspired some entries into my sketchbook too!

I am delighted to announce the winner of one of my handmade capes or jackets is Melissa Owens-Patterson. Melissa, please if you can get in contact by emailing me at thebiglittleshop@gmail.com.

If I haven't heard from the winner by Friday night, I will post an alternate winner, so stay tuned on my facebook page just in case!

I hope you all had a lovely weekend. xx

Brief Intermission...

2011-09-05T01:30:00.000-07:00

The winner of my giveaway will be announced tomorrow - sorry for the delay!

xx

Doll Making - Clothes

2011-08-31T13:53:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my doll making journey.

If you are just joining, my goal is to create a classic 1930's-40's style cloth doll, giving her a slightly more modern look while keeping those lovely vintage elements. You can ready previous posts on her eyes here and colouring them here, lips here, limbs here and hair here!

I have never made any doll's clothes before - so I thought I would familiarize myself with the proportions by making the dress from the original doll pattern I am basing my doll on.

It was a relatively simple pattern, with a bodice and little sleeves joined onto a ruffled skirt.

The original pattern actually had three tiers of layered ruffles on the skirt, but I changed it to a simple single layer of gathering. The back joins together with ribbons and I added some antique lace around the neckline which I salvaged from an old doily which was in disrepair.

I forgot to take a pic of her petticoat, but you can see the bottom of it, to which I also added the lace, poking out from under her dress.

Her little shoes are very cute, although I have lots of ideas for new shoes...

So here she is in her entirety so far!

I love the red and gold fabric of which a lovely length was gifted to me from P. I hope she likes what I have made from it ;)

As I mentioned earlier - these clothes are just a trial to get me familiar with the sizing etc, and over the next few weeks I hope to make her more clothes with an entirely "Big Little" feel to them from recycled fabrics and maybe a spot of embroidery too.

See you then. xx

PS: If you haven't entered my giveaway to win a child's cape or jacket yet, there is still time!
Click here for details!

GIVEAWAY! - One Year Anniversary

2011-08-29T08:10:00.000-07:00

Today marks one year since my first blog post and I would love you to join my giveaway for the chance to win a jacket or cape for your little girl or boy valued at $100!

My sewing journey has come a long way in a year... Of course at school we learnt the basics of how to thread the machine but I only remember making a pillowcase so there was plenty of room for improvement!

Over the last year I have learned all sorts of bit and pieces from the internet, tutorials, friends and books, but mostly just from simply having a go. Everything from embroidery to creating patterns has been a learning curve for me and I'm so pleased I persevered!

My favorite item of clothing when I was a child was a cape that my Nanna knitted for me for my birthday. She didn't have a pattern but I told her what I wanted and away she went. It was so gorgeous - a rich burgundy colour with little white flowers embroidered over the chest. It had a secret pocket on the inside for storing my treasures (how cool) and I felt like the most special girl alive when I was wearing it.

No surprise when I wanted to design some special capes for little girls! It seems like no time at all since my first cape was conceived (Mouse and his toadstool house pictured at top) followed by my first pirate jacket and since then I have never looked back and enjoyed every minute of designing and dreaming up new ideas.

To celebrate my one year anniversary I would like to offer a very special giveaway to one lucky follower...

A cape or jacket for your little one (or a friend's little one) suitable for a boy or a girl and the cape or jacket is available in size 1, 2, 3 or 4.
These are valued at $100 so a very special prize indeed!

To enter all you have to do is...
Leave a comment on this post or a comment over on the giveaway post on my Big Little Facebook page. If you have a favourite childhood item of clothing I would love to read about it, otherwise any comment is fine!

For extra entries ...if you like you can
-follow my blog
-'like' my Big Little Facebook page
-put my giveaway button on your blog
Just let me know in the comments section if you already do or have done any of the above- each one above gets you an extra entry :)

Entries close Sunday the 4th September, anyone can enter (non bloggers just leave your email address ) and international entries welcome.

Giveaway will be announced on Monday (my Facebook page needs to reach 100 followers by then), so be sure to tell all your friends!

Thanks and look forward to hearing from you all,

xx

Doll Making - Hair

2011-08-25T15:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all the comments on my doll making journey so far!
You can read about her eyes here, and her lips here.

I have been quite excited about her hair since finding a few balls of Alpaca and Merino blended yarn with a beautiful natural twist. I was hoping it would give her hair body and a natural springy bounce (and which girl wouldn't want that...) and it really did!

The instructions from the original 1940's pattern from which I am basing my doll were somewhat brief although the illustrations gave a good indication.

I started with a center part as per the instructions, but she looked kind of 70's hippy or rag-doll or something, so unpicked it (eek... this takes about 3 times as long as stitching it in the first place) and moved it to the side which gave her a softer and perhaps more sophisticated look. Once she had the side part, the bangs from the pattern just didn't happen!

So here she is pictured before and after...

The simple version of the process is:

* Her hair is stitched onto her head at the parting

* Then tied into bunches with some tiny rubber bands

* A few strands wrapped around to disguise bands

* Lastly the bunches are stitched onto her head.

There were a few things along the way I would do differently as the individual strands of hair are all slightly different lengths etc. but I'm sure I can get that under control with a bit of tweaking!

Once I have mastered the hair basics - I am hoping to build on my hair repertoire so to speak, with a classic bun, french twist and perhaps even some Princess Leia style buns :)

Stay tuned for the next update which will be her clothes. xx

Snugly Goodness

2011-08-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

Gorgeous sweaters ready for recycling into pixie hats, woolen dresses and some boys jackets.

Oh how much I love wool!
Snugy, soft, warm and the lovely feeling of "home" when you wear a wooly jumper. Just such a good thing to be working on when the weather is chilly as it is at the moment.

I am planning on doing some botanical embroideries on the garments I will be making from these. Perhaps some lovely woodland toadstools, flowers, acorns, pine-cones etc. The poppet's grandparents are visiting this week so a nice opportunity to do a little bit of hand stitching while enjoying their company.

Will keep you posted on the results!

Pirates

2011-08-22T16:01:00.000-07:00

More "Piratey" fun heading out... I love making all the little details for these child's pirate jackets and imagining the boys searching for treasure with their maps, staging duels with their pirate blades and storing "finds" in the pint sized loot bags etc. Too much fun!

This week I sent out:

A denim pirate jacket for a gorgeous man here in New Zealand.

A warm wool pinstripe pirate jacket for a lad in Los Angeles.

Lastly...

A soft drapey grey plaid pirate jacket with black cuffs for someone to find in my shop.

Boys stuff can be cool...

Love

2011-08-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

I love waking up and spending time with the owner of this gorgeous wee smile every day. Such a delight and a privilege.

Crafternoon Tea!

2011-08-18T19:58:00.000-07:00

This weekend I'll have a wee stall at Crafternoon Tea with some of my wares.
Looks like it will be a beautiful day - I hope to see you there!

Wooly Finds

2011-08-17T12:34:00.000-07:00

I was like a kid in a candy stall when I found these awesome spools of wooly thread in the doorway of a local thrift shop the other day.

So many gorgeous colours I wasn't sure where to begin choosing. I asked the lady how much they were, she said grab the ones you want and I'll give you a good deal... She was very generous as I ended up with 15 large spools for just $5. Thank you kind lady!

I simply cannot wait to begin using these, I have so many ideas for capes which feature embroidery, like this one here. On occasion I use wool which I sometimes find a little too thick, and other times use embroidery thread, which on the other hand sometimes doesn't have the "body" I would like.

These spools are in between and just so perfect, I was dreaming and debating my first project with them before I fell asleep last night.

Yay, for great finds which make you smile :)

Jasmine Pink & Snugly

2011-08-15T15:47:00.000-07:00

Jasmine is blooming it's heart out in our garden at the moment. Simply couldn't help but pick a few bunches to grace my work table, and yet another for the lounge.

The smell inside is intoxicating and according to aromatherapy, Jasmine is a very calming oil. I can believe it as our little poppet (who slept amongst the blooms last night) had one of the best sleeps she has ever had!

This snugly set is about to be sent off to the USA for a little girl to be born in October. The colour of the recycled sweater I used is such a pretty "jasmine pink" the remnants are calling my name to make something else in celebration of the gorgeous jasmine everywhere at the moment.

Perhaps another little dress for the poppet?

Snow Day

2011-08-15T00:44:00.000-07:00

When I woke this morning and heard the forecast of snow falling in Auckland,

I was a little surprised, however, we had snow here today - for the first time since 1939!

Later in the day it got really cold, then the white stuff starting falling...

So exciting!

Although I must say that it did look rather more like hail than snow at our place :)

Doll Making - Colouring the Eyes

2011-08-09T14:14:00.000-07:00

In case you are just joining in on my doll-making journey, my goal is to create a classic 1930-40's style cloth doll, giving her a slightly more modern look while keeping those lovely vintage elements and clothing.

So far I am up to embroidering the eyes. After deciding on the style of the eye I wanted for my doll here, I then needed the colour.

Aiming for as realistic as possible, I decided to photograph my daughters eye and use that as a guide. Alas she was asleep (for an unusually long period) so my eye had to suffice. Bit humbling seeing your own eye up close - I didn't realise I had that many wrinkles!

After studying the colours in the photo, I chose thirteen shades to make up the green, grey, brown and golden hues. Working with a single strand of thread, I started with the darker ring around the outside then adding lighter more golden colours towards the center.

Proportions of the pupil were made a bit larger than mine, as I figured I was looking into the light when I took the picture. Lastly the light/highlight in the eye was added for the finishing touch.

I am sure more experimentation and practice will see some improvements - like how the iris started off perfectly round but was a bit wonky by the end... but for my first attempt I am really happy:) Yay!

Woodland Butterflies

2011-08-04T12:39:00.000-07:00

A lovely afternoon for a ride on Daddy's shoulders...

gazing at the trees ...

pulling Daddy's hair...

Not to mention being a super cute model for this woodland butterfly baby cape

which is about to be listed in my shop!

Mostly though, a wonderful afternoon of having a happy wee poppet. Yay!

Doll Making - The Eyes have it

2011-08-02T20:10:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited about making my vintage-style cloth doll - she is turning into a real little lady! You can read previous posts on my doll making journey here.

Today's discovery is when making something with a "soul" the facial features really do make or break the overall "feeling" of the person or creature.

I wanted my doll to have very striking eyes and tasked my honey with helping me come up with some ideas. He draw a number of very different eyes including square ones and ones that might look in place on a Jim Henson creation, but I wanted something a little more realistic.

We sat together on the couch whilst I explained I wanted her to look sophisticated, happy yet serene, pretty and friendly. (Not much to ask from a pair of eyes is it?!)

I liked the realistic version in the first photo, and really wanted her to have luscious eyelashes, so stitched five lashes. They looked great, but when I did the second eye they started to look a bit much. Rather like a stick insect had crawled onto her eyelid...

It was unpicked and replaced with something halfway between the original and the slightly pared down version below - She did retain half the line underneath and ended up with four lashes!

Yes - There was a lot of stitching and unpicking going on today!

Will report back shortly with a pic of the result (when the air erasable marker has disappeared).
Update: Click here to see her eyes finished :)

Doll Making: Lips

2011-08-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

My vintage style, doll making journey continues... I am starting on the fun part, working on her facial features. She is really starting to come to life and it really is so thrilling! Posts on making her limbs and body can be found here and here.

Her lips are the first feature I am to embroider, so once again the sketchbook came out...

I wanted lush lips, but not too pouty. Smiling but not cheesy. Happy yet serene.

With a sketchpad full of lips and armed with an air erasable pen I marked on her little smile. When I came to stitch, however, I did learn a few things.

I found out that a single stitch on the edge of the lips can completely change the feeling of the smile. After a bit of stitching and unpicking I discovered two more things.

Lips look a lot more natural if they are not completely even from one side to the other. Best to have one side of the lips neutral - as in quite straight and the other with a little upturn. When I say little I mean just a single upwards stitch.

Although when drawing the lips on paper the line where the lips meet is in the middle but when stitching it seems to look better slightly higher.

Next up will be her eyes - stay tuned!

Winter Gardening

2011-07-31T15:24:00.000-07:00

I dream of having a beautiful potager with all sorts of vegetables and flowers growing side by side, with pebbled pathways leading into our home orchard of heritage trees where we can pick nutritious goodies for our family... however, in reality our tiny wee garden has only allowed us a few pots of herbs and tomatoes.

This year we decided to put in a little raised bed where I can grow some summer crops and my honey can take over all the pots for his herbs. He does most of the cooking at our place and herbs do feature rather strongly so growing more of our own does sound like a good idea.

I am so excited about having a garden. Even though it is only two metres long you would think I had won the lottery :)

We spent Saturday morning constructing and filling our bed with garden mix and by Sunday the sun was out, so enjoyed a family outing to the garden shop for some seeds and herbs.

So far my honey has some pineapple sage, a few varieties of parsley and thyme, watercress, valerian, and mint.

I'm looking forward to planting my vegetables when the weather gets a little warmer. In the meantime I'll be digging in some compost so everything will be ready. I hope to share some more pics when the seedlings go in.

Hope you had a lovely weekend.

Clue Answered - Doll Making!

2011-07-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to make some dolls for the longest of time, and finally have started along the journey. I'm taking it very slowly, doing little bits and pieces here and there while the poppet is asleep, and am just loving the process.

After searching for quite some time for a pattern to purchase, I still couldn't really find exactly what I was looking for. A vintage looking doll, with the classic full cheeks and life-like contours.

Eventually a month or so ago, I purchased an old 1940's pattern and have spent time readjusting it somewhat to give the proportions and contours which I had in mind. After quite a bit of sewing, unpicking, re-drafting etc. I am now really happy with how the head and body are looking.

In time I wouldn't mind changing the hands and giving them actual fingers, but for now her little "lobsters" are still very sweet!

Next up I'll be working on her little facial features. As everything is done during the poppet's "sleeping hours" it could take a wee while - but stay tuned for how they turn out!

Magnolia

2011-07-26T13:02:00.000-07:00

Lately on my walks I often seem to find myself saying "I wish I bought my camera with me". Now, along with my phone, house key and mandarin (for my obligatory rest and admire spot) my camera is part of my walk.

Today's stroll encompassed the Magnolia grove in Cornwall Park. The few bursts of pink against the clear blue sky were so pretty I stopped and enjoyed my mandarin while viewing them.

I take lots of pics of flowers while walking, frequently rather little ones, which have beautiful detail or colour. My plan is usually to embroider them when I get home. Sometimes it happens, but more often than not my time is more importantly spent with our new baby.

So for now I simply take the time to admire, sometimes photograph and hopefully when time allows again, I'll return to some relaxing embroidery and handwork inspired by them once more.

Seems a little strange to be enjoying a day like this, while some of country is frolicking in snow!

Xx.

Bambi Cape: Finished!

2011-07-25T17:08:00.000-07:00

My little Bambi cape has taken shape over a period of time, (you can read how I made Flower the Skunk here and Bambi himself here). It took longer than anticipated, but I am so pleased I put the time in, as the finished result is just so gorgeous - well I think so anyway!

Now the two friends sit within a brightly coloured wildflower meadow by a cute red toadstool and joined by a fluttering butterfly.

Loving that this cape will be so versatile - she can wear it over a sweater in winter, and with the soft colouring of the velvet it will also be great over a dress on a summer evening. As it is fully reversible the lining is important, so the cute "strawberry patch" print ensures it's just as cute when reversed too!

I can't wait to see pics of her wearing this little number! Hopefully it will become a favourite item in her wardrobe.

xx

All Sorts

2011-07-18T16:21:00.000-07:00

Mum and Dad visited us last week and this yummy slice was whipped up by Mum. It is kind of like lolly cake but with licorice all-sorts instead. Sooo good.

I polished off the last few pieces today and enjoyed it so much I thought I should share. The recipe was clipped from a newspaper a few months ago.

250g (one packet) malt biscuits

125g butter, melted

1/2 can (150g) sweetened condensed milk

280g licorice all-sorts, chopped

2 cups icing sugar

1 tablespoon cocoa

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Boiling water

Place biscuits in food processor and process to fine crumbs. Add butter and condensed milk and pulse until well mixed. Transfer to bowl and mix in all-sorts.

Press mixture into a 30x20cm slice pan and refrigerate until firm. Combine icing sugar and cocoa in enough boiling water to make a spreadable icing. Ice slice and allow to set before cutting into pieces.

Enjoy!

Winter Sunshine

2011-07-17T22:58:00.000-07:00

A weekend of winter sunshine tempted us into our first family outing to Cornwall Park. My honey has been wanting to explore the park with our poppet for a while so this was the perfect opportunity.

Blue skies, crisp air with a touch of sun warmth, the smell of trees and the unmistakable ambience of people enjoying every drop of the fine weekend. Just lovely.

We wandered along (what I have nicknamed) "Daffodil Promenade" and to my surprise there was already a smattering of daffodils, jonquils and snowdrops starting to emerge. No doubt we will be back again in the next little while to check on their progress.

I hope you enjoyed your weekend as much as I did :)

Clue 2

2011-07-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

Lots of trial and error with the sewing to get some nice contours and lovely chunkiness.

Have you guessed what I am making yet?

Berries

2011-07-13T20:33:00.000-07:00

A walk around the neighborhood yesterday saw many beautiful berries. Reds, oranges and green. Autumn is such a lovely time of year isn't it?

Clue

2011-07-11T12:45:00.000-07:00

Have been working on something for a wee while, which is now starting to come to life. I'm so excited to share it with you soon!

Flowering Birth Tree

2011-07-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

Our poppet was lucky enough to receive a "birth tree" from each set of her grandparents. One a flowering tree and one an edible tree. The idea was that she can experience them growing and have a connection to the garden which is entirely hers.

Her flowering tree is a camelia, chosen especially for it's pretty pink feminine colour and highly fragrant blooms. I didn't realise that camelias had fragrance, but indeed this one does. It smells divine as you walk out the front door, almost like the fragrance of an old fashioned rose.

We have it in a pot outside our kitchen window and I have been watching the buds form over the last few weeks. Whilst making my morning cup of tea yesterday I discovered an explosion of blooms!

It really is very pretty. I was hoping to capture its essence in embroidery but after looking at a bloom for a while I was perplexed by how best to do so. In the end I decided that I would simply admire it just how it is on tree.

Thanks to her grandparents (my honey's side) for this special gift.

Bambi Cape: Part 2

2011-07-04T14:08:00.000-07:00

My Bambi themed hooded cape which I shared the beginnings of with you last week has a new addition! So far Flower the Skunk is finished (featured here), and although I was planning on doing Thumper next - this weeks effort involved stitching Bambi himself.

Starting off with the body I added the darker brown areas on his head and back, then pink for his ears. A lighter patch on his chest and belly to add a little definition, then of course the classic spots on his back.

I was a smidgen perplexed about the colour of Bambi, as the background fabric of the cape is a pinky apricot shade. Bambi in his true colour seemed to blend into the background. I ended up trying him in three different colours before finally deciding on this one!

The facial features always take the longest and often involve me doing them quite a few times to get them just how I want them.

His face took me the entire afternoon to complete, and I am so happy with the finished result. He looks happy and friendly at the same time I think.

Bambi eventually will be standing in a glade of wildflowers with two of his closest friends. The reason why you don't see any detailing on his hooves - they will be beneath the blooms. Yay!

Hopefully next week I will be able to share Thumper with you :)

2011

2011-06-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

I love our little poppet so much. Spending time with her is so rewarding and such a valuable way to spend my time. Sometimes, however, it seems that I haven't achieved much in a day.

With feeding, changing, burping, settling, expressing, laundry, washing up and squeezing in a shower occasionally (oh and did I mention laundry), there seems to be so little time left over for much else.

A wander through my Flickr page today was a wonderful way to remember what I have achieved, some of which I had forgotten even making!

Here is a little selection of the goodies made so far this year

Immunisations

2011-06-28T02:13:00.000-07:00

I even had a tear in my eye when she got her injections last week. The idea of me being such a softie surprised me!

5 days later, however, I didn't expect our poor little poppet to still be suffering.
She has literally been screaming hour after hour for days . You know that cry of pain which is just so heartbreaking to hear as a mum (the step up in pitch, volume and intensity from the hungry or tired one).

We are all exhausted. Mentally and physically.

A trip to the doc yesterday confirmed nothing untoward, probably just the immunisations making her feel miserable. Apparently it has been known for the symptoms to last longer than a week! I really feel for her as she is normally she is such a happy, smiling wee thing.

Her prescription is still plenty of cuddles, fluids and pamol when needed.
Here's for a happier poppet starting tomorrow.

Lamingtons

2011-06-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist posting pics of these wonderful 100% merino, New Zealand made socks which our poppet received as a gift recently. They are called Lamingtons and I just love them - they are so quirky and sweet. They have got to be my absolute favourite pair of socks for her.

They are really long, almost up to her nappy so keep her little legs really warm - kind of a nice change from wearing tights and they stay on (and up too) all day long.

I am told young babies enjoy the contrast of black and white and judging by how long she spent staring at her legs today it would make sense.

Thanks S for a lovely present. x

Friday Fabric Finds - Ginkgo

2011-06-24T11:52:00.000-07:00

My walks around the neighbourhood over the last few weeks have seen the Ginkgo leaves turn from bright green to yellow, carpeting the ground below. I have been admiring how their leaves have the most beautiful shape. Almost like a whale's tail, they are so unique.

Amongst a box of fabric remnants I was lucky enough to be gifted recently, was this gorgeous piece featuring ginkgo leaves. Now seems the perfect time to make something from it. One side is striped with gold and the other a rich brown. The colour in real life is much prettier than in the pics too :)

What to make?

Zippered Purse Tutorial

2011-06-22T18:54:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to start making some tutorials for you for a while now, so here is my first! For the PDF download of this tutorial click here.

Here is what you will need:

Zip - 8 inch

Lining – 2 pieces measuring 8” x 5.5”

Exterior fabric – 2 pieces measuring 8” x 5.5”

Iron on interfacing – 2 pieces measuring 8” x 5.5”

(This little bag will end up measuring approx 7.5 inches x 5 inches, but you can make whatever size you like).

The interfacing is optional, however, if you are embroidering something on your outer fabric it makes it look and feel a lot more substantial and durable.

Start with the front of your purse – if you are embroidering a design do so first, and then this is the piece to use.

I like to think of this process as a zip sandwich.

1 Put your outer/embroidered fabric face UP

2 Place your zip on top of this face DOWN

3 Place your lining on top of this face DOWN

4 Pin all together

5 Pull zipper half way open

Feel for the teeth of the zipper and line your zipper foot alongside them and sew along the length of the zip. When you reach the zipper pull, you may need to lift the foot to get past it. Just leave your needle in the fabric and gently work it through then put the foot back down and carry on.

When done, flip the fabric so it is the right way round (wrong sides touching).

Next is to attach the other pieces of fabric. What I find useful is to pretend the first sandwich isn’t there. Just lay down the fabrics in exactly the same 5 step process as before (the only difference is the other side of the zip is already attached).

I like to top stitch along the zip to avoid the zipper teeth getting caught in the fabric. Press first then go for it.

Now it is time to sew it all together. Pull your zip open half way. If you forget this you might be looking for some choice words later. Have the two exterior fabrics with right sides together, line up nicely and pin. Do the same with the lining pieces.

The picture shows which way the zip ends should go. Outer fabric sits flat and the lining has the zip ends. If you wish to add a tag, now is the time to add it, remember it needs to be pointing inwards.

Using a ¼ inch seam allowance, sew around the perimeter leaving a 2 “ turning gap in the lining.

Clip the corners to remove the bulk. Turn right way out through the gap you left in lining. Gently push out the corners.

Press, and smile at your lovely new zippered purse.

Bambi Cape: Part 1

2011-06-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

A sweet Bambi themed pixie hood cape for a 3 year old is the brief for my latest creation. As it will be quite detailed I thought I would share my creative process with you as I finish each little character.

My plan is to have Bambi, Thumper and Flower the skunk frolicking amongst a field of wildflowers. The exterior of the cape will be a gorgeous soft pinky apricot velvet fabric and the lining in a strawberry print.

Today's effort involved Flower the skunk. I fashioned him from black and white felt and I hand embroidered his eye, limb, and paw details with embroidery floss.

I am quietly pleased with how well the eye detailing looks. The eyes are always the trickiest to get perfect.

Looking forward to sharing Thumper with you soon.

Just Because

2011-06-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago a massive bunch of flowers, so big that I could barely see the delivery guy, arrived at our house. I was so excited until I realized he had the wrong address and alas they weren't for me....

But look what had my name on them today!
I so love getting flowers for no particular reason other than "just because".
It makes me feel so special.

Autumn

2011-06-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

Some autumn woodland themed purses I hand embroidered for my shop update this week.

Raking up piles and piles of leaves each weekend is drawing to a close as our beautiful old Oak tree is now almost bare - a sure sign of autumn.

More Pirate Craftiness

2011-06-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

This has been a week of pirate jackets with three custom orders in an array of sizes and fabrics. One in a grey wool tweed for a little boy in Australia,

Another in a gorgeous green velvet for a lad in Seattle, Washington...

and yet another in a lovely dark rough-and-tumble denim for a boy right here in New Zealand which is almost finished but not ready for photos yet...

A little girl's pirate jacket is coming along nicely too, with some slightly more "pink" elements to it!

Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

5 Minute Bread

2011-06-11T11:31:00.000-07:00

When I was a child, my parents business was next door to a wonderful bakery, owned by an amazing Irish man. Each day I would call into the bakery after school and gradually over the years he taught me how to bake bread, ice cakes, make chelsea buns, doughnuts, custards squares, lamingtons and cream horns among many, many others.

I guess that is where my love of baking started, however, a lovely large baking stone my Mum and Dad bought me for Christmas combined with this wonderful Recipe for 5 minute Ciabatta Bread from the book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day has re-inspired me.

The mixture lasts in the fridge for up to two weeks and you simply tear a piece off when you want to bake a loaf. Shape it and bake it - no kneading. I totally recommend it. This recipe is posted here on their blog, and their book seems to have a whole host of other delicious breads to try too.

Sunday is a great day for baking bread.

x

Hand Knits

2011-06-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

Today was a red letter day as I found not one but two parcels hand addressed to me in my post box! What a delight to find both parcels contained some handmade goodness for our little poppet.

The first was a wee dusky pink cardi from her aunty who has been hand knitting it for some time. The gorgeous clear blue striped sweater came from her great aunty. She has beautiful blue eyes at the moment so will look lovely in this.

What a lucky little girl to have family making these goodies. I thought hand knits from my family would have finished with my Nanna and Gran, so it is very special to know that the two generations following are still knitting. Thanks so much J and S.

New Dress

2011-05-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

A very successful trip to the second hand shop last week saw an amazing selection of beautiful angora, lambswool, cashmere and merino sweaters added to my stash to recycle into little clothes. One particular pink one was destined to be made into a dress for our little poppet.

To make the dress, I firstly felted the sweater by washing it in really hot water and drying it on hot. This bonds the fibres together and makes it really warm. Secondly it makes it shrink. This means I can throw the finished garment into the washing machine and not worry about it shrinking any more - great with a newborn as hand washing anything is just too much work.

I kept the original neckline, and just put a few gathers in both front and back to remove the extra width. A rose for the front was fashioned from leftover pieces of the wool fabric.

I used fabric from the sleeve of a lovely pink paisley shirt - also thrifted, to make the bodice band and girly ruffle at the bottom.

A baby sized yet functional pocket with a little hand embroidered flower finishes it off.

It fits her really well at the moment as a dress and can be worn as a top when she grows. At the moment she is wearing a long sleeved onesie underneath, but in warmer weather could be worn bare.

I might make a few for my shop soon too, as I just love this garment. A very sweet way to recycle some of the lovely sweaters in my collection.

Friday Fabric Finds - Wellington's fabric-a-brac

2011-05-27T18:35:00.000-07:00

Beautiful embroidered black wool blend fabric, red velvet, vintage trims and more. All found at Wellington's fabric-a-brac market last weekend.

I heard about this amazing market on the lovely Stitchbird blog. You can read about her own fabric finds here. Thanks so much L, for finding these lovelies for me.

I can see a little red riding hood cape coming up - made in this gorgeous velvet.

Have a lovely weekend all. x

Rainy Day

2011-05-26T12:51:00.000-07:00

Rainy days just seem to call for hot chocolate and cake. I enjoyed mine while looking at the piles of leaves still falling from our Oak tree.

Mum made this fruit cake - she is famous for it. She has made it since I can remember as Christmas cake, but now it seems to be made all year round with the addition of delicious citrus icing. Generally baked for celebrations or consolations, however in this case it was just some lovely home baking which they delivered on Mother's Day weekend.

My honey thought he had eaten the last piece a few days ago. Little did he know I had squirreled away a slab of it just for me :)

Woodland Picnic Part 2

2011-05-24T02:14:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I wrote here about an embroidery I was working on featuring a gathering of woodland friends attending a picnic birthday lunch. My honey and I collaborated with the design before I stitched it onto one of my linen pixie capes for a little friend's birthday present.

It took me almost a month to make (we have a newborn in the house!) and I ran out of time to photograph the finished result before wrapping it. Luckily her lovely Mum sent me these pics yesterday.

With her fondness for apples, the tree became an apple tree (with a face of course) and it wouldn't be special without her finding her name on it somewhere too. The birthday girl is such a cutie and I love that she will get lots of wear from this sweet cape.

Happy second birthday F.

Friday Fabric Finds - Roses

2011-05-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

All of these hand hand-stitched roses were found on items that were either stained, torn or simply worn through. Destined for landfill, it makes me happy to rescue and revive these into something new and gorgeous.

At the moment I am working on quite a few custom orders which are taking up my spare minutes. Perhaps when they are finished, some inspiration will strike me for transforming these lovelies.

Have a lovely weekend all.

Leaves

2011-05-18T10:51:00.000-07:00

Oak leaves are piling up around our place, a sure sign the autumn is here. Spent an enjoyable hour raking up the leaves into piles. When finished I must admit I was tempted to go running through them...

Better judgement prevailed, however, they did inspire me to finish this wee pixie hat I had been working on for ages, and also a little spot of embroidery.

Old Friends

2011-05-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

My parents stayed with us last weekend while they attended a concert. With them arrived a very old friend of mine. Golli!

My amazing Nanna knitted Golli for my eldest brother when he was a baby, although a few years later he befriended me too. Nanna was a prolific knitter and all her items came with so much love - Golli was no exception. Complete with bow-tie, tails and little yellow shoes he is such a cutie.

Golli surely has seen a few generations now and although the top of his head is a bit worse for wear, the rest of him is still going strong.

Now Golli and our little poppet seems to have become fast friends. How sweet!

Long live old friends.

Fabric Finds Friday - Cottage Gardens

2011-05-13T11:55:00.000-07:00

This weeks fabric finds are beautiful country cottage garden embroideries. Some of these lovely embroideries were gifted to me - thanks friends.

The idea of a country cottage garden appeals to me, however where we live at the moment doesn't really lend itself to that style. I have planted some spring bulbs and maybe I could sprinkle some wildflower mix amongst the vegetable garden? (That would be the one crawling with cabbage white caterpillars at the moment because I feel bad spraying them, and just can't bring myself to squash them either!)

The little bluebells appeal to me with their simplicity, I might even have a go at embroidering some myself on my linen purses, that way I can use these lovelies for something else.