Mini Monster Matchbox-houses

I remember making little matchbox houses with mini dolls in them with my best friend when I was a kid. I had so much fun making some with my kids recently, and was amazed at how much they liked playing with them!

I used the slightly larger size matchbox to base the house on, and got my kids to colour in the outsides for the house. My daughter went one step further and decorated the wrong side of her elder brothers paper (much to his dismay!), while it was lying around waiting to be photographed. I thought it was so cute I didn't want to glue it down and lose it so I used it to decorate the inside of her mini house:).

I also made some mini monsters to live in them out of felt, in their favourite colours of course! They are a bit fiddly due to their size and blanket stiching around their shape but so cute and worth it.

Ssshh my faourite is my daughter Alisha's, are we mum's allowed to have favourites? I just love her little pictures and the way she'll draw on any paper lying around the place, it used to be annoying now it's a sweet surprise.

Have fun:) Jenni xx

A super bathmat

When I saw this and this homemade bathmat on Melissa Goodsell's blog 'One Crafty Mumma', it reminded me of the same type of bathmat my Granny used to have in her bathroom when I was a little girl, funny the things we remember! And I was dying to make one.

 
I've made one of these before and it turned out lovely and soft (It's a bit grubby and worn now so I won't treat you to a view of that one!). This one I made out of a recycled towel and 'meadowsweet' fabric. It looks so bright and fresh and ready for spring, pity winter's really kicking in here:(

Thanks for stopping by, Jenni xx

Scenes from our week

Some scenes from our week that's been. With the cold of winter setting in, some comfort food was in order so I made a batch of beef and vege soup, a yummy way to use left overs, and scones for after.

Enjoying the the changing colours of the season.

Love the look of these pears in my new bowl!

Found a great place for the best tea towel in my kitchen to live, it's now a cover for my toaster :)

 Hope you've had a great week and keeping warm! Jen x

Two little birdies, sitting in a tree....

I made an applique tea towel just like this one last year as part of a birthday present for my sister in law Tracy, and it was really hard to give it away! (You can check her blog 'The Pickled Owl' out here). So I have finally got around to making one for myself and a spare, because if you're making one you might as well make two.  It was so easy using the iron on visoline and blanket stich on my sewing machine.

 

I got the tea towels from Freedom, they always have a big bin of tea towels for only $2 each and there's heaps to choose from too. The fabric I used in the applique was out of my stash.

And while I was at it I thought I'ld try an owly pot holder too, which turned out looking cute but a bit psychedelic due to all the different patterned fabrics put together.

Cheers, hope it's been a good weekend Jenni xx

Dribs and Drabs

You may recall a couple of posts ago I was swooning over this quilt and so wanted to make one, after buying the pattern (which just called for a jellyroll) and the 'Bliss' charm square pack; I decided what I really liked about the quilt was the colour combo "A Spoonful of Sugar" had used in theirs. Big mistake, big, big, big mistake! It has been an absolute mission identifing and ordering the fabric to make this quilt since this range has so many fabric designs in it.

I have heard of people getting sick of the fabric they're working with through the making of a quilt, but I tell ya I really felt over it just through the process of ordering it for this one!  It was impossible to order all the different designs I wanted from one shop, so I had to buy what I could here there and everywhere; and in the process I fear I have bought way too much fabric and it's probably cost me three times as much as a jellyroll. Lesson learnt there:(  I think I'll just go the jellyroll next time! Also I have had parcels of fabric coming in dribs and drabs.

Enter plan B. I probably have enough fabric to back the quilt and more to boot.  I'm making this quilt for my daughter's bed, and I do really like this fabric range, so I'll have to put that little charm square pack and any leftovers to good use too and have found the perfect shabby edge quilt to try here on Bloom.  It is a full raw-edge layer cake quilt toutorial. Ironicaly it happens to be made from the same 'Bliss' fabric!  Jen xx

Right Now

Right now I am working on two lap quilts for birthday presents.  These are the second and third quilts I have made, and I have kept to the same pattern, simple blocks. This is an ideal pattern to start quilting and so easy to make for a gift; and perfectly suited for lap quilts.  I just need to buy some fabric for the sashing and the backs and then I'll be back with some more progress pics.

This is the first quilt I made. It is a lap quilt with bamboo fibre wadding, which is surprisingly warm! The fabric and pattern are both from Spotlight, last year's winter season - very owly.

Anyway have a good weekend! Jenni xx

Learning Crochet

Over Easter I learnt to crochet from my awesome Aunty Annie. It was just basic crochet but it wasn't as hard as I imagined; and I don't know why I'd put so many road blocks in the way. Before you read any further I have to warn you I'm a Blythe doll tragic! And my bank account is looking rather tragic due to these cute little dolls!  I actually made a doll hat (for my Blythe of course!), which I was most happy with for my first project.

Still I'd love to be able to make something like this. Such nice stiching and look at all those delicious colours. I think I'll have to work my way up to that one day! However the lovely Lucy of Attic24 has provided a very detailed tutorial for anyone interested in making this georgeous hexie creation.....

 I so heart this! Jenni xx