Time to clear the clutter...

I've spent the last couple of days virtually locked in my sewing room, I have a list of things that needs making which involves riffling through my fabric stash. Luckily for you I was feeling in the mood to de-clutter and have decided to let go of a handful of some really nice pieces that are getting lost in the hubbub. I can only let go of a few bits at a time because as you can understand, I'm a little bit attached.

So my loss is your gain because this cute pile is now in the shop for sale as Fat Quarters. The pieces are uncut so if you order 2 units you will get 0.5m, 3 units 0.75m etc.

Get them over here before I change my mind - Fabric shoppe here

Oh and whilst I'm here, some peeps have suggested I put together some Vintage fabric quilt kits, is that something that would interest you? Probably just the top and binding, you provide batting and backing...

I don't know how she does it?

You know, I get asked all the time..."I don't know how you do it? You have a toddler and yet you are always so productive and creative, where do you find the time?"

Haha, I respond, you haven't seen the state of my house, kitchen, ironing pile...Something's got to give. The truth is I can't have it all, and I can't do it all. Some days I barely manage to cross a teeny tiny task off the to do list, other days things get done a little more efficiently. Often I prioritize the things I enjoy doing over the things that need doing because it makes me happy. And a happy mummy makes for a happy family.

I will always choose to go to the park with Emma over mopping the floor, writing a blog post over doing the ironing, and I hardly ever make a cake from scratch. Mr Man isn't always cool with that, but hey, a wrinkled t-shirt never hurt anyone.

So that's my secret. I try not to be so hard on myself. I've always got a million creative ideas floating around in my head like a never ending 'to do' list, but I just tackle one little task at a time whenever the opportunity arises and things just seem to happen.

As a mother now, I don't wonder 'How do I do it?', I wonder 'How did I not manage to do it when I was child free and really had all the time in the world?'

A conversation with The Haby Goddess - How Building Creative Relationships can help your Business

This video is an impromptu conversation with Jodie from The Haby Goddess who has been a long time friend of mine. In this video we talk about how we met, our creative business styles and how the relationship we have formed has helped improve our crafty businesses. We also talk about the importance of creative collaboration and how working together can make great things happen. Essentially, How Building Creative relationships can help your business.



I hope you enjoy the video. It's a little bit long, and thanks to Emma's many interruptions we may have repeated ourselves once or twice.

There are lots of take away points that may benefit you in whatever field you are in:
- Get to know people in your industry
- Build relationships based on friendship and trust
- Share your knowledge and talk about your ideas
- Collaborate on projects
- Identify your skills and share workload accordingly
- Motivate and be accountable to keep the project moving along.
- Don't try to film a vlog post with a 2 yo around!

I would like to thank Jodie for taking part in this vlog post with me, she was a really good sport.
You can check out Jodie's blog here and her shop here.

The Haby Goddess is a sponsor of the My Poppet blog but in the interest of full disclosure I need to point out that this was NOT a sponsored post. I just thought it would be fun to share.

Do you have a friend like Jodie that you've worked together with to 'get things done'?

This time last year...October

Well time really does fly when you are having fun. It felt like only yesterday that Emma started going through her 'tantrum stage'. She is at the 'bossy stage' now, but that's a whole separate post.

So in October last year:
-I showed you how to dye your own wool
-how to make some tossing bean bags, (a great Christmas gift idea)
and
-shared my frustration with Emma's little temper turns, and had some really lovely reader comments that helped me get through the challenge of it all (Thank you!)

Reader Project - Monique's Magical Felt Mushroom House

I was really excited to see this project from friend and blog reader Monique in my inbox this week. Monique, who I originally met as a customer in my store, was inspired to start needle felting after she saw this post about my needle felting obsession way back when. After making some small bits and pieces to perfect her technique, she was inspired to tackle something bigger.

And look at how magnificently her Magical Mushroom House has turned out.
I asked her some questions about some of the materials and techniques she used, and she was kind enough to let me share her answers with you.
I know you needle felted the top/roof but did you stuff it with anything?
Yes, the top is needle felted but I didn't stuff it with anything but lots and lots of felt (wool roving). I started with a circle base and basically just built it up from there adding more to the middle than the sides.

What kind of felt did you use for the sides?
The felt for the sides was a 5 mm industrial felt. there is a place in Blackburn and also in Huntingdale (both Melbourne suburbs) that sells all types of felt.

Who made the door and floor for you?
I actually made the door and floor. I drew it out on the thinnest ply and got my brother to jigsaw it out. Then varnished it and used hinges from spotlight and a button for the handle.

How did you stick the the wood to the felt?
Lastly, I stuck the wood to the felt using a hot glue gun, but the base I drilled little holes into and actually sewed the base to the felt.

How long did it take you?
It has been on my table for 2 months but only did a little bit every few days. usually tried to do one thing at a time eg: blanket stitch the top, make the door, etc

What next?
I won't be making another one any time soon but may be thinking about making some little people but no ideas are coming to mind as yet. Will have to do some internet surfing.

I think you will all agree that Monique has done an incredible job and is very generous to share some of her photos and information will us all.

If you want to try your hand at Needle felting, my post on Needle Felting Basics will be very helpful.

I would love to see pictures of projects that you've made using My Poppet tutorials. Why not post them to the My Poppet facebook page with a link to the relevant tutorial so others may be inspired too.

Kids Parties - Charlotte's Western Hoedown

I couldn't resist sharing some photos from a super fun Western themed birthday party the family went to a couple of weeks ago. Charlotte, the most adorable little red head I know was turning 3. She loves Jessie from Toy Story (who was there by the way, top left), so her mum Sharon decided to go all out with a Cowgirl theme.
The western theme was carried through to the food which included chilli con carne and nachos, and the party favors, bandanas, sheriff badges and mini cowboy hats filled with treats. The hats are perfect Blythe doll size so Perty is wearing it now.
We love to dress up so I pulled out the old cowboy boots for me. For Emma, a neckerchief, some jeans and a checked shirt and she was the cutest cowpoke in town. She insisted on being a cowboy so the mustache completed the look.
Doesn't the photo top right look like it should be on a Wanted poster? It's adorable.

Photo credit: Photography by Michele, Top (all images), bottom (lower right)

Poppet show - My Poppet in the media this weekend

As you all know I am becoming a fan of blatant self promotion, so for those of you that haven't seen the feature on My Poppet/me in the Herald Sun Home mag yesterday, here it is for your reading pleasure...
I love the tagline that they have used under the heading "Crafty creations that boldly go where no beige has gone before". I'm a bit of a closet Trekkie (Next Gen not Original series), so I really got a chuckle out of that one.

If you are new to the blog having discovered it through said article, I sometimes talk about things other than myself, although not lately. I hope you stick around, leave a comment to introduce yourself so we can all get to know each other a little better.

And if you actually want to read the article just click on the link here which will take you to some bigger images of the text.

Blythe Stylin' - Perty gets a matching dress

Ok, it's official, I've turned it's one of those crazy Blythe doll people. Not a bad thing considering Blythe dolls are ace and every Blythe mummy I've met is super cool and fun to hang with. Yay, go us.
So I thought it would be cute for Perty and I to have matching outfits...do you agree or have I gone totally lala? Perty seems to like it, and I'm betting Emma will want her own matching dress when she gets home too.

I made a dress...for me!

I'm seriously excited (as mentioned in the vlog post yesterday) to show off the new dress I made for myself. It's the first time I have tried anything so complex, and I'm so pleased that I took the time to treat myself.
I love how it turned out. I used a vintage pattern Butterick 4835 which just happened to be my size, win!I was motivated, partly because I had some time up my sleeve whist Emma was on holidays at the farm, and partly through the frustration of not being able to find anything in stores that I liked and suited me. So when I came home from a visit to some pretty boutiques last week, I dove into my pattern stash with the intention of creating something great!

The hardest part was finding the right fabric in my vintage stash. It's ironic, I probably have hundreds of meters but it was hard to find something suitable, for the following reasons:
-width + length, vintage fabrics are narrow so you need quite a lot for a dress length (about 3m) which is not always possible when you buy thrifted pieces.
-stains, I had my heart set on a couple of beautiful prints but they had stains from age/rust/water damage that I just couldn't cut around.
-fear, the fact is a couple of super special fabrics were too good to cut into for a first attempt, if I stuffed up I couldn't just nick down to the shop for some more.

So I rummaged and found a ton of this chambray (which I'd forgotten I had) in a suitcase. I thought the red contrast would make it extra special, which I think it has.
See how neat the collar and top stitching is? And did I mention it has pockets? I love a dress with pockets.
I took extra special care, and even basted where the pattern told me to. I never baste or hardly even use pins, so this was like sewing 101.
The only part I did modify were the sleeves. If you follow me on instagram (@mypoppetshop) you would have seen a stage by stage update including the original sleeves. But they looked a bit star trekkie on, so I decided to give them the flick and just drafted some simple facing pieces for the sleeves.
No other adjustments were necessary. I look forward to making this pattern in another fabric really soon.

So what do you think? Do you love it? Say you love it. I love it!

Oh and because I'm avoiding doing my bookkeeping, I made a matching dress for Perty too. Tune in tomorrow to see how cute it turned out.

The longest Vlog post ever...

Just like having a conversation with me in real life. I don't stop talking! Hope you enjoy the vlog post, it was lots of fun to make.

Clothes Lime Giveaway winner...

And the lucky winner of a $40 shopping credit giveaway to Clothes Lime boutique is... drum roll please...

Jessie Boan

Thanks to everyone that left a comment and congratulations to Jessie (I will be in touch shortly).

If you have a business that you would like to promote through a giveaway or sponsorship, I am now taking bookings for Nov and Dec. I have lots of lovely readers that would love to find out about you. Just email me - cinti (at) mypoppet.com.au

x cinti

How To: Make a Toddler size Duvet from a single bed Duvet

I have never enjoyed sleeping with sheets and blankets, I'm a doona/duvet girl all the way. So now that Emma has graduated to a toddler bed I thought it was time she had a duvet of her own. I have quite bad dust mite allergies which improved once I started using a wool filled duvet, but I really struggled finding a toddler duvet for Emma that wasn't feather or cheap polyfill. What to do?

Then I had a brain wave...make my own.
I purchased a single bed Aussie wool filled duvet (on sale, yay!) and here's what I did:
(please excuse the quality of the photos - night time sewing)

Note - This project although looking quite straight forward was a bit challenging to finish to my very high standard. I would recommend it only to confident sewers as the sheer bulk of the quilt made it difficult to handle.

Step 1: Decide on the size you need the finished duvet to be and mark these out on your large duvet with a tailors marker or pencil. The size to fit Emma's bed is 100cm x 140cmStep 2: Rather than cutting the duvet, which would let some of the filling out making a big mess, I decided to use my overlocker (serger) to cut and finish the edges at the same time. Sew along the marked lines. Also cut/serge away the current binding to reduce the bulk on the existing edges.

My overlocker managed to (just) get through ok but I had to pull it through as it was a little bulky, this caused me to break a needle, so take it slow.

You can stop at this stage if you don't mind an overlocked/serged edge as a finish. I chose to bind the edges to make it neater.
Step 3: Mark a small curve on the corners and cut.

Step 4: Bind edges with bias binding. I used the technique explained in yesterdays tutorial, although the finish was not to my usual high standard (I'm really anal with my binding). The bulk of the duvet made it difficult but I think it looks pretty neat considering.
Now I'm off to make a couple of custom sized duvet covers...

How To: Enlarge Arm Holes & Add Bias Binding - Two Tutes in One

Emma has been growing out of all her really nice clothes lately. I really love this dress by Little Tree Kids, but the arm holes were getting too tight so it was time to get the scissors out and make some adjustments.

Here, I'll share with you how to enlarge arm holes and add (or replace) a bias binding trim. For a great tutorial on how to make your own bias binding check out the Made blog, but if you can't be bothered with all the fuss, you can by some from my shop.
How to:
1. The before shot.
2. Cut off the bias trim, this will enlarge the arm holes by at least 1cm all around. I removed the neck trim so I could replace it to match the sleeves.
3. Neck trim...Measure the length of bias required to replace the binding removed and position in place for ties if required. Open up the binding and on the wrong side of fabric line up the edge of binding print down and sew along the press line (of the binding).
4. To finish, fold the binding over the raw edge and sew in place. No need to worry about catching the back.
(The style of this dress was a cross over wrap around and the bias extended and tied off as a belt, I finished the ends of the bias tape with a small knot)5. To bind the armholes...Using the same technique as before but to start fold over the bias tape about 1.5cm near the under arm seam.
6. Sew around. When you arrive at the beginning overlap the binding about 1cm
7 & 8. Fold over and stitch to finish, taking extra care to tuck the end of the binding in and securely finish.

I hope the pictures were helpful. This is the technique I use to sew on all my bias binding. It takes a little longer as you have to sew twice but it guarantees that you have caught both sides and gives a super neat finish.
Once I finished Emma's dress I remembered I had the same small armhole problem on a pretty dress that was bound for the Op-shop because it was too uncomfortable to wear.
I used the same technique of cutting away the seam and adding bias tape. This time it was a narrow black commercial bias tape that I picked up at the Op-shop for only a few cents.

So now, thanks to a little bit of bias tape and a nap time sewing session, both Emma and I have pretty dresses to wear this summer.

How To: Look after your Swedish Clogs

The sun was shining yesterday so I was excited to wear my favorite sandals, these cute pair of handmade wooden soled Swedish clogs. But after a winter of wear (with socks), they needed a little bit of TLC.
So I got to work...

You will need:
Some medium/fine grade sandpaper
Olive oil
Cotton rag
How to:
Sand any marks off the wooden sole, then wipe away any dust. Dab your cloth in olive oil and gently rub into the wood and the leather. The olive oil will nourish and darken the wood and leather and help protect from damp.All done!

Now my sandals look brand new, and with regular care, will last for many years to come. Bring on summer!

Craft Classes...Finally!

I have been talking about running crafty classes for such a long time now with nothing actually planned, I'd almost convinced myself it was never going to happen!

But hurrah! The stars aligned and dates are locked in. It's actually happening people!
So many exclamation points, can you tell I'm excited!!

So the first course 'Freestyle Piecing and Quilting' will be happening in November at Little Sparrow in Balaclava (Melbourne).

If you can answer yes to these questions, this is the class for you...
Ever wanted to have a go at patchwork and quilting but didn't know where to begin? Can you sew in a straight line? Don't like the idea of traditional quilting styles with strict rules and perfectly matching corners? Love re-purposing textiles?

No fussy cutting, following patterns, specialized equipment or complex fabric calculations required.

In this series of 3 x 2hr classes I will teach you simple piecing and quilting techniques, tips and tricks that will get you started on your creative quilting journey. We will work on small projects like pram or doll quilts/placemats, then you can use the techniques you learn here to make bigger projects at home. Check out the details of each class here.

These classes will run for 3 consecutive weeks at Little Sparrow in Balaclava (Melbourne) on Thursday 10th, 17th & 24th of November 2011 between 1pm and 3pm

Cost will be $90 + materials

Sewing machines and white cotton thread will be provided. You will need to supply your own materials and scissors. A list of requirements will be e-mailed once you have enrolled.

Having a sewing machine at home isn't essential but would be helpful for completing unfinished course work before the next class/stage.

There are only 6 places available so book early if you are interested. I'm taking bookings through the shop.

If you have any questions or suggestions for other classes, leave a comment and I'll get back to you quick sticks!

October Sponsors and Giveaway...

I'm so happy to have some new sponsors to introduce to you this month:

First of all I present Diddi, a Melbourne based company that specializes in framed art and wall stickers. I'll have a whole blog post about them soon, in the mean time why don't you check out their lovely designs.
Next up is Angela and the Yes, Dear! blog. Angela writes a frank and entertaining account of life as mother and business woman, and more importantly as a real woman. You know the stuff you think in your head? Angela blogs it. So go and add Yes, Dear! to your reading list, you won't be disappointed. Oh and don't let all the talk about Poo and Big Knickers put you off! Lol.


And last but not least is Clothes Lime Recycled Children's Clothing Boutique who are generously offering a GIVEAWAY this month.
Clothes Lime is the brain child of mum of 3, Katrina, who was sick of paying top dollar for her kids clothes that was grown out of in only a few months.

Emma and I wear a lot of pre-loved clothing because I like the idea of reducing your footprint, saving money & reducing landfill. Thanks to Clothes Lime we can work together to save the planet and some $$... one outfit at at time. And only $8 flat rate shipping in Australia is great too.

Clothes Lime is offering a $40 shopping credit to use in their online store: Thanks Katrina!

Just leave a comment on this blog entry, telling me what 1 item in their current stock would be a well enjoyed piece at your house and why. If you win you can use your voucher for this or anything else that tickles your fancy...Good luck!

If you are reading this post on Google reader (or similar) be nice and click over to the blog. I have a heap of lovely independent businesses that have been kind enough to help me do what I do. All their cute buttons are over there <------- and they would love a visit from you. Who knows, it might be the start of a beautiful relationship...

The fine print: Giveaway closes Tuesday 18th October 7pm EST. Winners will be chosen at random and announced on the blog on October 19th. Winner will also be notified via email so please make sure you have e-mail enabled on your comments or leave an e-mail address in your comment (entries with no e-mail contact will be void). Giveaway is open to the whole world. Even though we'd love you to become a 'Liker' of our facebook page, entry is NOT conditional on becoming a 'liker' of the My Poppet or Clothes Lime business pages. This giveaway is not affiliated with facebook in any way.

How To: Easy Bat Wings for Halloween or Dress Ups

These bat wings are a fun and really easy to make addition to any dress up box. They only took me around ten minutes to whip up with some black lycra fabric I had laying about in m sewing room. Only one seam is required which you can do by hand if you don't have a sewing machine.

These wings can be made for a child or adult if you adjust your measurements accordingly. Only a little maths is required to work out how much fabric you will need to start off with.

How To:
1. You will need, black stretchy fabric (lycra/spandex is best as it doesn't fray), scissors, measuring tape, needle and black thread or sewing machine.

Amount of fabric required:
Width = arm span from wrist to wrist (or Ax2)
Length = back of neck to waist (B) + half circumference around widest part of arm(C)2. fold fabric in half to halve the width, (folded over sleeve allowance C is just to give you an idea of what to measure) .
3. Cut out semicircle, D is the measurement from center back to shoulders. ( the bottom of the semicircle should be the length B.
4. Fold over your sleeve again and cut out scallops for edges.
5. This is how it should look when the whole thing is unfolded
6 + 6a. Fold over the sleeve allowance C and sew where indicated. If machine sewing I recommend zig zag stitch to allow the fabric to stretch.

Wear the wings like a shrug over some black clothing and get ready to scare the neighbours. Boo!

Making something from nothing...

I can finally reveal the fruits of my labor during Emma's nap times last week, (the little quilt above was gifted yesterday).
I've been sewing a lot...because...Emma's behavior has been a little challenging of late and I have lost my cool on numerous occasions. To calm my frayed nerves I have let my 'domestic duties' and online commitments take a back seat and retreated to my sewing room. Yes, I've been sewing my little heart out.

It's been a little while since I've felt so satisfied with something I've made, I used only materials from my stash and just scraps for the tops. The blue quilt was made primarily from the business shirts that Mr Man 'explodes' Incredible Hulk style.I like the idea that quilts should be made from unwanted pieces of clothing and scraps that would have gone into landfill. I mean isn't that the original idea behind patchwork and quilting, to make something out of nothing? Both the Jungle quilt and floral quilt are in the shop now.

Feelin' quilty...

Yesterday I had an overwhelming urge to do some freestyle piecing and quilting. Here is a sneak peek of what I am working on, it's a pram blanket made with vintage sheet remnants. I'll finish binding it today and then list it for sale soon. I hope someone out there likes it enough to buy it because I'm feeling a little bit quilty...and there are a few more quilts to come I think?

Having fun with Hama beads...

One Japanese cross stitch book + a giant jar of Hama beads = a whole lotta fun!

I had a ball creating some really cool brooches yesterday based on some patterns out of my Japanese cross stitch book. Why don't you have a go at something similar yourself.
Or if melting plastic isn't your thing, you can buy the ones I made here in the shop.

iPad Apps we love...

I took my iPad on our recent trip to Argentina primarily to keep Emma entertained on the long flights and transit waits, and boy did I make the right decision. I must admit the iPad saved the day!
It was a challenge to find some kid sized headphones with volume restriction on them, but I persisted and managed to get them at the Apple store.
I had a friend load quite a few films on it, and between those and a few free apps we managed to get through.

Emma's favorite apps were:
Toca Doctor, a fun puzzle game with awesome graphics
Mee Genius, which is like a e-reader for kids books that will read illustrated stories
&
Miss Spider, which had a story, puzzles a colouring page function.

My other personal favorite which Emma is a little bit scared of is this one below:

Toca Hair Salon. It's a blast!
Emma is scared of the lion and the hairdryer noise so I don't get to play it often :(
She even managed to delete the app off my phone (that girl is too clever!)



Because I didn't have WiFi access where we were, most of my favorite apps were useless, but I did get a lot of use from my Kobo eReader app. Luckily I had filled my library with lots of free classic books before I left so I read Anne Of Green Gables and Gulliver's Travels when Emma was napping.
I also love to listen to podcasts so my iPod app was full of episodes from How Stuff Works.

No TV in the apartment meant the iPad got a real work out. Emma is now a super wizz at getting to her apps and replaying her fave scenes of her movies over and over.
I think I must have seen Captain Hook and Peter Pan fighting about 100 times over!

Now we are home the iPad has 'gone to sleep' for a while. I was worried she would get too attached to it, but as soon as we got home and she had all her toys and books, she seems to have forgotten about it and not asked for it once.

Do you or your little one have any favorite apps or podcasts to recommended?

Flea Market Finds - Shop Update

Took advantage of the sunshine yesterday to take some photos of a few Flea Market finds I've had laying about for a bit. Some have already sold (sorry, gotta get in quick), but I'll be tidying up around the place soon, so I'm sure there will be more good stuff listed soon.

Pop over to the shop and check out my Flea Market Finds HERE

How to: Fringe Cushion Cover

Here is a tutorial I wrote for my other (much neglected) blog MADE OF CLOTH, I thought it would be nice to share it again in case you missed it. You can see a little pic of Emma enjoying her reading nook here.
Easy to make fringed floor cushions
A step-by-step tutorial (with some easy short-cuts)

Emma (and I) needed something to sit on when reading her books...on a quick trip to Ikea I picked up some super squishy euro sized pillows that made the perfect inserts. I had the fabric (also Ikea) and the fringe was an Op-shop find.

You will need:
Materials
A cushion insert or pillow
2 squares of fabric cut to the size of the pillow plus 1cm seam allowance
fringe

1. Pin the fringe on the right side of the fabric, fringe facing in. Take extra care around corners to keep fringes neat so they don't get stitched into seam.

2. Lay second piece of fabric on top of the fringe, right side in, like a sandwich. Pin to place.

3. Sew around edge with a 1cm seam allowance, leave about a 30cm opening on one side for turning and stuffing.

2a. (short cut) I was a bit lazy with the second cushion and didn't do the pinning, I just sandwiched the two pieces and fringe as I went along...I'd only recommend this technique for more confident sewers.

4. Turn inside out and insert cushion

5. Pin opening closed, taking special care to keep the edges straight and fringe neat

6a & 6b. Either machine stitch or hand stitch opening closed.

You're done!

I Can Fly...

What was meant to be a 'this is what I wore today' post has turned in to a 'Look, I can fly' post. It's obvious that I have a small crush on animated GIFs, especially when they let me levitate.

We had a very small window of spring sunshine here in Melbourne that was too good to waste on a boring 'look at me, I'm so stylish' pose, so here is a little bit of silliness.

Oh, so did you really want to know what I'm wearing?

Cardigan - Lowrys Farm (bought in Tokyo)
Skirt - Vintage Fletcher Jones from Hunter Gatherer
Sandals - Swedish Hasbeens