Another challenge!

To be honest, I’m not sure who to blame for this one. I think it was Bec, in conjunction with Car (c’mon, like THAT surprises anyone). Apparently a few of us thought we wanted a new bag, and so the EQ Bag Challenge/Sewalong was born. No deadlines or rules – just make a bag and encourage each other along. And that seemed easy enough, so being the challenge tart sociable type, I joined in, since I have been wanting to make a bag for Bear to take to drama lessons.

 

His lessons are directly after school, so he needs to take some afternoon tea, and sometimes has scripts and stuff that need to go back and forth, so I thought a dedicated little bag might be the go. Last week I got the chance to sit down and sketch out the design I’d come up with.

 

A simple little messenger style bag – the main pocket to hold a drink bottle and small container of afternoon tea, a separate flat pocket to hold scripts, a little zip pocket to pop his fees in (it’s a pay-by-the-week system), and then an appliqued flap to hold everything in. So I have the design, I have the measurements, the cutting guide and assembly guide all prepared, now just to raid the stash, and get stuck in!

beauty & the beast.

I think it’s one of those things, that we think will never happen to us. Even after losing both my grandfathers to the dreaded c-word, I still felt like that, it was crappy and horrible, but it was something that happened to older people. Nothing I need to think about too much, apart from our monthly donations to the Cancer Council. I was wrong. So so wrong. December 2009, our world stopped. What should have been a “sorry, the original machine just wasn’t working properly” call back for, became a highspeed rollercoaster of tests and surgery. My mum was young, and healthy. This couldn’t be happening. But it was, and it did. Thankfully, oh so very thankfully, she had a wonderful care team, and is now fully clear.

So when my first fabric designs came back, mum approached me about doing a collaboration. What did a range in pinks and greys, and we could donate what we make to the two wonderful foundations that were a great support to her – The  Kim Walters Choices program, and the BCNA (Beacon magazine). Very excitingly, the samples have arrived, and we are thrilled with them!

We will be donating 100% of the profits from the sale of this collection to the two foundations listed above. The fabric is available NOW as yardage from my Spoonflower shop, or fat quarters and charm packs are coming soon to my Etsy shop – if you are interested in a pre-order, please drop me a line at littlewhitedoveblog {at} hotmail {dot} com.

Dream Cake.

It’s been something playing in the back of my mind for a while, to have a go at designing my own fabric. And recently I had a very clear picture in my head of a project to make, and I knew exactly the fabric I wanted. But of course I couldn’t find it, so I put pen to paper, mouse to screen, and soon created my very first fabric collection – Dream Cake by LittleWhiteDove. I received the samples back this week, and am beyond excited to see MY designs in print! I’ve even taken a chance and submitted the cupcake one to a hand-drawn fabric contest.

The range centres around two central prints – a cupcake at around 3/4″, and a small co-ordinating cloud print, at 3/8″x1/4″. The range is then fleshed out with co-ordinating basics in red, grey, and aqua, with a “fancy basic” double stripe. I have another THREE collections in mind, I just need to find time to sit and create them!

So, without further ado, I introduce “Dream Cake”

For now, the collection is available here as yardage, and I hope to soon have a little storefront up and running to offer precuts.

My mind today has been filled with fabric designs and beads, as I work on some new collections, and a bracelet commissioned by a friend for mothers day. Somehow the day has slipped away without any real amount of crafting occuring, but I caught up with good friends, cuddled my baby and hung out with my dad for a bit, plus of course the usual mum’s taxi duties! The night is closing in already, and promises to be another chilly one, so I hope to get three small people into bed early, and then get busy in the studio. Tomorrow will be a home day, and there is a dolls quilt cut ready to sew, so I’ll likely be rocking the studio with some Wiggles and a small boy. Tuesday’s done, Wednesday is knocking. A new day, a new start on the to-do list. Maybe.

Exam wallet

My dear sister is preparing to sit her first uni exam, and I wanted to give her a little something to say “good luck”. When she mentioned she was allowed to take a limited number of notes in with her, inspiration struck, and after a busy day in the studio on Friday, I came up with the “exam wallet”.

A4 sized, it is designed to hold her notes, as well as her pens and other essentials in a little zippered pocket inside.

 

I also finished a little smock over the weekend, but forgot to take a photo before I passed it on to it’s new owner.

 

I’m spending some quality time in my studio this afternoon, but, unfortunately, not doing anything crafty. It’s clean up time. Reorganising fabric boxes, toddler craft boxes, stationery draws. Reboxing paints, reshelving books. Dusting, cobwebbing, vacuuming. And maybe a sneaky little sketch book left open on the desk to doodle in as I work. The sooner I get it clean, the sooner I can get crafting. Let’s do this!

As autumn draws to a close

and the trees turn delightful shades of vivid yellow, burnt orange & deep crimson, I wanted to take a moment to capture the colours that have appeared quite late in the season, thanks to quite mild days thus far. But as winter sneaks up, as crisp mornings warn of the bleaker season bearing down on us, the trees have submitted to the seasons, and our backyard has changed from green to a riot of autumnal colour.

~ ~ ~

For a while now, I have had an idea floating around my head. Tumbling, rolling, refining itself, yet refused a tangible expression, through reluctance & self-doubt. Finally, I sat, blank paper in front of me, ink pen in my hand, and drew. Without thinking how. Without wondering ‘why bother?’. Without listening to the inner voice saying ‘too hard’. I just drew. And without consciously thinking about it, my idea sprang to life before me.

 Easy. The outer would be the easy bit. The inner would be a bit more complicated, with three different compartments. Don’t think about that just now. Measurements were calculated. The stash was raided. The perfect combination of navy rubber-backed curtain fabric was teamed with the star fabric used for the ‘napping bag’. Check the numbers, pull out the mat, ruler & cutter. Peices cut. Pinned. Oops. Re-cut. Stitch. Hey, what about some end pockets? And without too much trouble, the outside materialised in front of me. The inner looked to be a bit more complicated, so I took the time to sit, think out a plan of attack, and write it down. Pocket one, two, three. Join them up. Now the moment of truth – pinning the inside & outside together. A breath, unkwoningly held, is released as the two peices fit perfectly. Stitch and then a quick turn, and it’s working! It’s looking like a bag. The quick addition of magnetic clasps, and some topstitching to tidy it up & hold everything together, and my very own nappy bag is complete.

 

The fiddliest bit was the junction of the three inner pockets, but it ended up being quite easy, and, I feel, it turned out well.

 

I’m very happy with my new bag – it’s not perfect, but it’s perfect for me! While it’s a tad large for every day use, it’s going to be great for when I need to carry everythign & the kitchen sink. Food, toys, spare clothes. Grandparent visits, full days out, travelling.

 

It is a great feeling to take something from concept through to completion. This is now the fourth project I have designed myself, and I love it. My next attempt will be some clothes I think *gulp*.

 

Today is a bit of a rest day. Sandpit, swings, sunshine. A craft idea I want to run by the toddler when he wakes up. Folding washing, get the studio back in order. Maybe a bit of reading if I can swing it – I scored three books at the library I want to get stuck into. And maybe a bit of sewing – there’s some Tigger fabric here itching to be turned into a toddler apron. But first, a cup of coffee & a piece of cake to celebrate the end of a lomg-anticipated project.Let’s do this!